Logging into Terrane: Online
The words appeared in my visor, as the VR system booted up. Terrane: Online was the latest release of MMORPG games. It was a game that capitalized on the gaming community’s desire for something new. Unlike it’s predecessors, Terrane: Online decided to take a different path to its system. The developers had changed the way the world was created. Instead of being a manmade map, with pre-existing places and things, the developers decided to instead procedurally generate the world. By doing this, Terrane: Online became a game which prided itself on its random elements. Of course, the generation was guided by certain parameters so that functioning kingdoms would still occur, and that a powerful monster would not spawn near a starting zone. Classes, quests, events, items, all these were randomized to give each player a unique experience and a chance to discover something no one else has found. When something new was found by a player, a dungeon for example, it would be updated into the server’s codex so that other players would be able to visit the same place. This is what drew me to this game, well that and the recommendation on the forums.
Please enter a name
‘Elli’ I entered, I had already decided earlier today. I had to create a character before I was able to join the server. First, I had to decide race. I briefly looked through the available options: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Vampire, Celestial, the list went on and on. I chose to be a human, the others seemed complicated, and this was my first MMORPG game, so I decided to try and keep it simple. Gender, female. Now is when things got a little more complicated. I had to design the character. Height, I decided to keep it near my own and went with 5’3. Long hair, brown colour. Eyes a similar brown. Age, 17.
Character Creation successful.
Spawning in starting zone Rhodrik
Please enjoy your stay Elli
The screen faded into a white light. As I blinked to clear my eyes, I found myself standing in the middle of a market. I took a few steps around, getting used to the feeling of moving. It was a really weird feeling, walking around in a body that’s not your own. I looked around the market, other players were trading with NPCs at stalls, some were talking with each other, planning some grand adventure or other.
I checked my inventory. I had a dagger, leather armour, and 5 silver pieces. Looking around, I didn’t really know what to do. Everyone else seemed to have a goal in mind, they knew where they were going and what they were doing. This was overwhelming, maybe I should have read a beginner’s guide before jumping head first into the game. I wanted to explore on my own and not have the experience ruined by someone else, I was starting to regret that though.
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I decided to wander through the streets. Most of the other players were to busy to pay any attention to me, and the NPCs largely ignored me. After walking for a few minutes, I arrived at a gate. The gate was open, with NPC guards standing by. As I walked through the gate, one of the guards cheerfully called out to me,
“Hey you, you should be careful out there, don’t go into the forest until you get a little stronger, there have been monster sightings recently”
“O-Oh okay” I called back. It was weird to talk to a computer like you would your next-door-neighbour, but at the same time, it was really cool.
I walked out of the gate and into a field. Turning back to look at the city, I noted its massive size. The city of Rhodrik was huge, it must have been a square kilometre, and it was surrounded by stone walls. It was strange though, I had only seen a couple dozen players in my short time here, but there should be thousands. As I ponder this, I loud footsteps approaching the gate. I turn, and a large human man stands before me. He has at least a foot of height on me, covered in a full suit of silver armour with a giant sword, probably as tall as me, strapped to his back. Behind him, two others followed. One was a… well endowed… elven woman, she was wearing some kind of white cloth garment, with a pointed hat, almost as pointed as her ears. She carried a wand which was holstered at her waist. Next to her was a figure wearing black robes. I couldn’t tell the figures gender, and its strange bearing made it hard to tell its height. I saw this in the forums, the figure must have been a type of rouge class. This was probably a party of players. I decided to ask them some questions.
“Uh, excuse me” I started. The tall leading man looked down at me for a moment before responding
“What is it young Lady?!” he loudly proclaimed “I’m sure that I, the great Paladin Roddy, can assist you!”
The elf woman let out a little sigh at the man’s personality. Ah, this must be what they call a ‘role player’.
“I’m new to this game, I was wondering if you could help me out for a moment?” I asked
“Of course, Milady” he proudly responded
“Well, I just created my character and now I don’t know what to do”
“Well, there are many things do to Milady. You could go fight monster, you could go play games in the tavern, you could go join a party at the Adventurers Guild. In Terrane: Online the choice is up to you”
“Well, if you don’t mind me asking, what did you do?”
“Me? Well, the first thing I did was join the temple of the sun, from there I received a few quests and finally got my class: Paladin”
Oh wow. That seems cool, doing quests, getting classes. I could do that. But a Paladin though, that seems like a powerful class. He must have played this game a lot considering the game only released last weekend.
“Also, where are all the players? Shouldn’t there be a lot more people here?” I ask the question that has been bothering me
“Ah, well you see!” he starts but is quickly interrupted by the busty elven woman who seems very impatient with this conversation
“There are many starting areas, so the player population is spread all over the place. If you’re looking to find a friend or whatever you can use the city’s warp gate to teleport to another gate in another city. Now if you will excuse us, we have to go collect our reward.” With this, the elf, who was slightly taller than me, jumped into the air and grabbed Roddy the Paladin’s ear dragging the yelping man off into the city.
“Uh, ok, thank you, I think I will go explore”
“Alright Milady, you enjoy your time out there” The paladin called out, his voice fading of into the distance leaving me standing alone.
“Ok. Onto the plains” I said, pumping myself up.