Paul and I are talking about Fate in our dorm when our conversation came to the races that were going to be in game. "I was thinking about being a Minotaur warrior," Paul started, "but I really want to use some sort of magic. Even if its just some cool sword skills. But the Minotaurs don't have nearly as much mana as the other races."
I nod in agreement and say, "If you want to be some sort of spell sword then I would suggest being a Sun or night-elf." Paul's brown eyes fill with confusion and he sits up straighter on his bed as he asks, "Wait, you can be an elf? I thought that was a NPC only race."
Realizing my mistake of leaking confidential game information, the demo only showed the world and a few of the classes and races during the launch to let the players discover them, I try to cover it up. "Well... uh... I just thought that... since Fate was made by the same people that made Magic Online, it should have some similarities and I figured that elves will most likely be playable." I said, slowly shifting my weight around a bit.
This was a fact and the creators of Magic Online really were hired by BlindEye Studios to create Fate but, of course, the reason I knew was because I had suggested it to dad for and idea meeting in the early stages of game development. I also knew that if Paul was good at discerning a lie he would know because I came up with it on the spot and it didn't take much logic to break that cover up.
Paul only scratches his head and thinks for a moment before inquiring, "What else do you think will be implemented from Magic Online to Fate?"
I think for a moment before responding, "Well, maybe they will have hidden classes like in Magic Online."
"What are hidden classes?" Paul asks with puzzlement in his voice.
I respond with a sigh. Time for some explanations. "Well, a hidden class is like it sounds a class you have to do certain tasks or accomplishments to achieve.It, usually, but not always, is similar to a different basic class or a combination of two or more classes like for instance an elemental knight. This class is similar to elemental mages and knights and will have bonuses that are similar or better than of the other two classes.“
“The way to receive it would likely be to have high affinities for elements and be a knight or something along those lines. It could also be a quest or a chain of them. Oh, and they are highly difficult to do," I finish with an exhale. My eyes wander towards Paul to judge his reaction. to my relief he seems to have understood the concept of it.
He expresses his interest in such a thing but soon the conversation shifts to talking about other parts of the game we would like to see from Magic Online. Paul had played it but not a lot so our discussion was quite a lively one and I had way more fun than I expected. Before we noticed the evening had come and we had to sleep or risk oversleeping on the first day and missing the opening ceremony. Not something either of us wished for so we said our goodnights and turned the light off.
Sleep found me in seconds.
One night and needlessly long ceremony later...
Paul and I walk together talking about what other games we had played in the past. "- I played that old game called Sky... Hmmm, I can't remember the other half of the name, but it was the one with the dragons," Paul states and I recall more information about it. "I think the game was called Skybrim and it was part of a series that ended when the franchise was made into a MMORPG."
Paul is about to agree when we about get jumped by some, for a lack of better words, video game nerds.
"Hey you two wanna-” He inhales deeply, ”Join the video game club!" the one that looks like the leader shouts then proceeds to gasp as if he just ran a marathon and no exaggeration everyone looks at us and snickers. My usual half smile fades as I see the scene he is making. "I don't really have any particular interests in joining any clubs at the moment, sorry," I say in a fake apologetic voice.
Paul looks at me like I had three heads and asks, "But, Brady, you seem like you would really like the club since you enjoy video games so much. I for one would like to know the information about the club."
I shake my head and respond, "I feel that aside from classes themselves and studying, I would be dedicating most of my time if not all to playing Fate."
The club members and quite a few onlookers all look at me shocked. Sense-Blast, the console, is very expensive so while Fate doesn’t cost too much it is still almost impossible to play the game. That of course wasn't to say that Fate was cheap as it was 80$ which cost more than most games but it was deemed worth it by most people.
Then one of the club members with curly hair and a lot of acne says, "Well, we have been trying to gain sponsors so that we could play all the Sense-Blast games together and make a guild. So are you sure you wouldn't want to join?"
I think about it for a few moments before answering, "I will think about it when you guys get Sense-Blasts and games for them."
The leader then quickly replies, "Great, so since you boys are thinking about joining I will give you two pamphlets! Also, if you come to the club room, ask for James!" And then they bolt off and start asking others to join their club.
At the information centre me and Paul pick up our schedules. I discover we have two classes together. I guess he is a person I really need to not piss off or my life will kinda be shitty. I note this and continue socializing when I realize that Paul is a very popular person as people keep saying hello to him.
I guess he looks pretty good, though judging from all the whispers I hear coming from the girls you would think he is some super handsome person. Paul himself, however, is either used to it or doesn't hear anything so I don't mention it.
Two Days Later, Day of Launch
I open up the Sense-Blast capsule and look at Paul across the room and he is already getting inside. I look back to my console and glance at the clock. The game unlocks in 30 minutes. I slide into the capsule and it shuts over me. My eyes close and when I open them I am in my Sense-Blast hub. It is already reorganized to how I want it so I walk over to the "door" to Fate. There is a timer there that says twenty eight minutes left before the game unlocks. Nothing to do but wait so I look at the setup of my hub, a larger version of my room at Mom's house just each door leading to a game hub, and sit down to wait.
Time remaining 10 Minutes until Fate unlocks
I walk to the Fate Door and open up my settings so that I won't have to use any extra time in game optimizing it. In the menu I see a dozen different tabs but the only one I’m interested in is the gameplay one. There I notice a pain setting with a slider and its default at 35%.
Words underneath the slider catch my attention: 100% Experience. I mess with the slider and see the max it goes up to is 80% pain with 120% Experience and that the lowest is 0% pain and 80% experience. I figure that best option, yet also the most painful, would be the 80%, 120%. I figure that this is definitely the best option as I can deal with pain and I want the extra [XP]. While I continue playing around with other settings a message pops up.
Time remaining 1 Minute until Fate unlocks
I close the window by thinking close and and mentally prepare myself for the game. In a moment I hear the clink of a message notification, but I just enter without looking at it.
When I open my eyes, I find myself facing a woman as she grandly announces, "Welcome to Fate. I am here to remind you to change your pain settings accordingly." She waits a second until, probably, getting the information that I already messed with my settings and continues, "Now you will have to complete the offline tutorial."
I am surprised. I didn't know there was a tutorial, but I guess dad just didn't tell me about it like a lot of other things. Then another thought occurred to me I didn't pick my name or race. Highly alarmed I enter the tutorial.
The first thing I see in the tutorial is a red sky. I sit up and find myself in an other-worldly place. Wait, when did I lay down? I then think status.
[quart=Name,Alignment]???,Redeemed[/quart]
[quart=Level,Class]0,N/A[/quart]
[quart=Race, Title] ???,N/A [/quart]
[quart=Fame, Notoriety]0,0[/quart]
[quart=Health, Mana]100,100 [/quart]
[quart=Strength, Agility] 10,10[/quart]
[quart=Wisdom, Intellect]10,10[/quart]
[quart=Leadership, Luck] 10,10[/quart]
[quart=Vitality, Willpower]10,10[/quart]
[quart=Sustenance, Thirst]100%,100% [/quart]
[quart=Honor, Reaction speed]0,???[/quart]
[quart=Attack, Defence]1-5,7[/quart]
[quart=Earth Resistance, Fire Resistance]0%,0%[/quart]
[quart=Air Resistance, Water Resistance]0%,0%[/quart]
Status Window
Unallocated Stat Points
0
Resistances
Magic Resistance
0%
Affinities
None
N/A
Bonuses
Hell: No death penalties
Penalties
Hmmm... These are pretty basic stats... Wait, HELL?
Taken aback by what I read, I decide that I need to investigate more before making any assumptions.
For quickly calming and thinking rationally you are awarded
+10 Wisdom
Well at least there is that. I look around and find myself on a heightened platform above horrible torture going on below. I blink several times unable to believe how graphic this game is. No wonder there is an 18+ limit on it. I look around and see, or more importantly smell burning people. They’re screaming their throats out and I can hear the similar sounds coming from all directions . It is clear the developers weren’t playing with words when they called this place hell.
A strong voice reaches my ears through the cacophony of death cries from those unable to die. "Welcome traveler from another world. We apologize for the inconvenience of having to see Hell but it is the only way we could bring you to this world.”
I turn my head in that direction to see a humanoid in a white robe with shining snow white wings hovering behind me. He’s looking over the torture grounds with eyes like ice cubes. I feel a shiver run down my body and I’m not even the one they’re aimed at.His mouth never moved the entire time. “That is to say that the only available bodies left were ones from Hell. Here is a list of all the races you can be." A multitude of questions bouncing through my head were interrupted by an announcement of a message.
Human
Elf*
Minotaur
Half-Giant
Demi-human* **
Elemental**
*A variety of choices within the race **The intelligent races will often try to enslave you!
I didn't even have to ask or think about it. "Huma-" I try to say in a clear voice but it catches and I immediately cough up blood. It’s very realistic and since I had set the pain to 80% also kind of painful. I had coughed up blood before after I getting kicked by a high schooler when I was still in elementary but it hadn't been as painful.
The voice I assume is an angel’s apologizes, "Oh! I'm so sorry. This one was a screamer so let me fix your throat."
I feel a soothing feeling on my neck and all over my body.
"Anyway. so you want to be a human?” the voice asks again but without waiting for clarification continues. “Okay, so here is a mirror and just say how you want to change the look out loud."
Looking at the mirror I see loads of scars fly off like ashes from this body and it’s shape changes into that of my own. . But I want to have a slightly different looking character. "I would like to be slightly taller... Yep like that... also, uh... I want red eyes... Nah, green eyes and a darker color of brown for hair... more... more... there we go... Wait, actually, can I change my voice?" "Yes," "Ok, I would like the largest vocal range I can get and also make the chords more durable..."
After the angel’s nod I test my new voice and learn that I sound the same but can go higher and lower pitched. I then try to scream and gain a skill
Scream [Beginner]{0.0%}
As a last resort you scream at a high pitched frequency and volume
Chance to stun enemies and large chance to attract predatory beasts
Screaming while in a perilous environment makes you understand animals better when they are being attacked
+5% Affinity with Beasts