Sasha sighed and nodded. “Alright. Let’s get this started.” He turned away from the woman. “Computer. End recording.” After a second the recording ended, the little red dot fading from his vision. “Computer, start recording, this one labeled Monster Factory.” He grinned at his reference.
“Okay.” He said looking back at the woman. “So do we get to choose our starting location?”
“No.” She said grinning. “Your start will be based on your background and class, making everyone have appropriate starts around the world will make sure not to overtax any areas too much, nor to make sure anywhere is unexplored.”
“Except high level zones?”
“Well, perhaps not, but there’s always the brave and foolhardy. Besides, Plastikos has no true high level zones, just high level encounters. There are areas where encounters are closer together, and some zones that are actively dangerous to one’s health, but the challenge can sometimes be circumvented in those places. It’s all in your build, and what the world molds you into after you leave my care.”
Sasha nodded. “Okay, well, where do you suggest I start on this whole… character building thing?” He asked. “I’m sure you must know being the… goddess of this place?”
“Ah, already fishing for info?” She asked, a sweet grin that was overwhelmed by piercing eyes that he felt like could see his soul. “Yes, I am a goddess. I am the goddess of children, which to the world out there includes all of you newbs. Otherwise, I’d suggest you pick your race and class first. That combination can help inform what you pick for your other options, reinforcing or pushing back against your role.”
Sasha nodded and went down to class. “So, you said there were four classes. There are four options, sure, but what do they mean?”
“Well, that’s easy enough to answer.” She put on the air of acting out an oratory for a crowd. “Fighters are, well, just that. They specialize in combat, and are often the most straightforward. Fighters are proficient in many weapons, and can specialize in any of them. Some common fighter specializations are Barbarian, Paladin, and Archer.”
“Alright, so there are the brutes we usually see, but with a few more options that make them interesting.” He bit his lip. “I’d bet it’s going to mostly be big brutes for a while, people playing into the stereotype.”
“Rogues are the utility counterpart to fighters. Rogues mostly focus in combat, as well as doing other incidental things. Sometimes able to keep up with the martial specialists fighters are, rogues are most at home in situations they engineer. Some options for rogue would be Assassin, Thief, and Ranger.”
“Oh, that’s going to piss some people off. Ranger and rogue under one option… It’s going to make me feel weird even. It’s good I’m probably not gonna pick it though.” He sighed. “I do think there are some interesting options there, something like a sniper, or fantasy hacker, or whatever.”
“Next you have mages, the arcane casters. Mages start out with a greater ability to learn spells from grimoires and teaching, allowing them the greatest magical versatility. Physically, however, they are often frail. Very few mage specializations give combat options that aren't spell-slinging, but it’s all possible when magic’s at your side. Common Mage specializations include Elemental specializations like Pyromages, Summoning specializations like Necromancer, and even focus specializations like Wand Duelists.”
“Okay, so mages are basic wizards for the most part but can get stranger options. I wonder if Wizard itself is an option.” She looked at him to see if he wanted to ask that as a question, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, uh, go on.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Finally there are the clerics. Probably the most straightforward of the groups, Clerics are the users of divine magic. At least, that is what they are at the start. Some clerics have been known to fall or ascend, learning to use magics closer to that of a mage. Cleric spells are not learned quickly, but as a substitute they have the prayer option. Some interesting Cleric specializations are Shaman, Cultist, and Priest.”
Sasha sighed, and clicked on what he was going to click from the start, Cleric. “It sounds like clerics have a great access to the lore, and may even be able to learn more from their god through prayer. Besides, it may seem a little basic, but there is just so much out there. And it doesn’t sound like they are just healers.”
“That’s right!” The woman said, grinning at him. “All of the classes can take on specialized roles of any type in combat. It’s just that some find certain roles easier to specialize in than others. A fighter can become a combat medic, a mage can become a Muscle Mage, a Rogue can learn to use spell-slang, and a Cleric can find a devotion to one of the dark gods of assasination. It’s all in your choices.”
Sasha nodded. “Okay, I like the freedom.” He realised something as he spoke, and started to let his eyes dart around in a way that was more natural to him but made people nervous. “Uh… can I ask your name? I didn’t catch it.”
“I am Abeona. I’m glad you asked.”
Sasha nodded. “Okay, as for race, what options are there.”
“There are a lot more of those. The basic categories are simple. Humanoid, Small folk, Beastkin, and construct. The latter two have the most different biologies from a regular human.”
“Humanoid? What does that count in this context.”
“Oh, normal. Elves, Orcs, that sort of thing. Anything that isn’t much smaller than a human. Much larger either, though that doesn’t matter. Players aren't allowed to be taller than nine feet at the beginning of their journey. It’s too limiting.”
Sasha looked at the recorder and checked the time. He’d already spent too long on this, so he had to get on with it a bit. “Uh, Okay. I think I want to be a beastkin.” Again this was a forgone conclusion. He wasn’t the type of person who wanted to change things up, and all of his audience was aware he preferred animal characters to human ones.
“Alright. There are a wide variety of species in the world, and the beastkin races are extensive. All beastkin can unlock special traits of their beast side, but they do not begin with them. As such, there isn’t much of a difference between any two beast kin, other than the natural bonus being different between predator and pray animals.”
“What are your limits? Do you include, say, birdkin?”
“Yes, but no players will begin the game being able to fly. Depending on your early quests you may be able to earn it quickly, but still.”
“Okay, fine…” Sasha sighed, he really had to stop beating around the bush. “I want to be a rabbit folk. That would be a prey animal.” He flicked a little switch and got to what he wanted. Looking in the mirror he was now shorter, and his face had turned into that of a rabbit, with an especially expressive pair of large eyes.’
With a sigh he began to fiddle with it. The face, and the rest of his body, seemed to have all the sliders of a normal game. He was able to lengthen his ears and make them hang on his head cutely as a lop. He was able to make his eyes a soft blue, that seemed almost piercing. There were options from the thickness of his chest, to how broad his shoulders were, and even a section he didn’t touch for fear of content violations on other sites.
In the end he stood there as a rabbit, having to fix a weird freckle on his face that was just beside his eye. He looked really different after all the finishing touches. It was hard to explain, but Sasha hadn’t tried to make himself hot, or even horrifying as a joke. He had fun just making himself cute, because in his mind that was what a rabbit was meant to be.
Sasha spent so long that by the end his alarm was blaring. “Uh. If I leave, you can keep my changes right?”
“Right, Abeona said with a grin. “I can keep your new form nice and safe.”
Sasha nodded, pausing the game and logging out. It was time to eat, he’d set that alarm knowing he’d forget otherwise.