"Choose," commanded the Overseer, gesturing towards Alex. Before him materialized three transparent blue screens resembling tablets, each presenting a plethora of class options: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Magician, Druid, Priest, Paladin, and Archer. Beneath each class lay a description, accompanied by a solemn reminder that the choice would bind the user to their selected class indefinitely.
Alex pondered the weighty decision before him. In traditional MMORPGs, character changes were as simple as a few clicks. But here, permanence loomed over his choice. Sensing the Overseer's impatience, Alex hastily settled on the Paladin class.
With a nod of approval, the Overseer unleashed a torrent of blue lightning that enveloped Alex, transforming his attire piece by piece. As the lightning dissipated, Alex looked down to find his entire outfit replaced. He now stood clad in a full suite of shiny, polished armour. A gigantic shield, emblazoned with a golden cross, was strapped to his left arm. His once modest iron sword had been replaced by a magnificent steel blade, adorned with ancient engravings and a golden hilt.
Feeling a newfound sense of strength and pride, Alex turned to the Overseer, who appraised him with approval. "Now that is a much more fitting outfit for a Paladin," the Overseer remarked, pointing to the north. "Your first adventure awaits in Lundwick, the starting town for all adventurers." As a prompt appears in front of Alex with a "ding," reminding him of the necessity for a name to proceed, he pauses to consider.
"Oh, right, a name," Alex muses, momentarily diverted from the excitement of the game. "Naming your character is always the best part. Let's see... Alex The Terrible?"
He types the name but hesitates, quickly deleting it. "Too cliché and specific. Alexander the Great? No, too overused. Reaper? Nah, that's passé now. How about something simple... like Arthur? It's understated yet references King Arthur." Typing "King Arthur," he's promptly informed the name is taken. "Naturally. This always is the toughest part of an MMORPG," Alex sighs.
After some playful experimentation with different monikers, settling on "@lex."
"Well, it'll have to do. Its not like anyone will know it’s my actual name, I just want to start playing before work," he thinks to himself, hitting "accept username." With a bright flash, the Overseer vanished. Alex glanced towards the north and shrugged. "Well, I guess I better get going," he grumbled as he began to ascend the hill. He noticed the added weight of his armour, making each step more laborious. "Maybe there's a skill for carrying heavy loads or something," he mused to himself. Then, with a sigh, he muttered aloud, "Why didn't I choose to be a Priest or something? Light robes would have made this much easier. Struggling up a steep, tree-covered hill, Alex caught sight of a pathway to his right. It had to lead to the village, he surmised. Following the path to the hill's peak, Alex couldn't help but marvel at the sights around him. The realism was astounding; he could discern each individual grain of dirt on the path, every subtle variation in colour on the leaves and grass, and even feel the texture of the bark under his fingertips. The wind whispered against his skin, adding to the immersive experience. Surveying his surroundings, Alex's gaze fell upon a distant village. As his eyes locked onto the settlement, a small marker materialized above it, bearing the name "Lundwick." Simultaneously, a notification popped up in the bottom left corner of his vision, indicating that his map had been updated.
In a sudden realization, Alex gasped inwardly, "My map? Oh, it didn't even cross my mind!" Frantically scanning his surroundings, frustration etched across his brow as he pondered his next move. "But how do I access it?" he muttered, fingers hovering uncertainly in the air. With determination, he attempted various gestures, like a madman, in futile attempts to summon the elusive menu. Suddenly, Alex slipped, his health bar taking a hit, adding to his exasperation.
Despite his efforts, the menu remained beyond reach, leaving him feeling both frustrated and slightly foolish. With a resigned sigh, he conceded defeat and resumed his journey towards the village of Lundwick.
Marching down the hill, following the path laid out before him, all Alex could hear was the clanking of his metal Armor. Glancing at his health bar, he noticed a small portion missing from his earlier fall. He wondered about the means of healing in the game world—whether it involved food, magic, or perhaps both.
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After a while of walking, Alex finally approached the town. As he gazed upon the picturesque town of Lundwick, he couldn't help but be awed by its beautiful architecture. The intricately carved stone walls surrounding the town spoke of craftsmanship and history. A large sign greeted him with the words "Welcome to the town where dreams come to life," followed by "Lundwick" beneath it.
Approaching the massive gate, Alex noticed a blue barrier encircling the town. Perplexed, he hesitated to step forward. Instead, he took a cautious step back. Suddenly, a loud clanking sound echoed through the air, halting Alex in his tracks. A moment later, a frustrated voice pierced the silence.
"GAHHHH! Another damn amateur," the voice exclaimed angrily. "It's a safe zone barrier, you idiot! It won't hurt you."
Startled, Alex turned to see a figure approaching - an angry female player. She continued to chastise him, her frustration palpable as she explained the purpose of the barrier. Alex turned to see a female player standing before him, roughly his height. She, too, had chosen to be human, just like Alex. Clad in striking paladin Armor, she exuded an aura of power and strength. Her perfect facial features were marred only by a furious scowl, emphasizing her intense demeanour.
With beautiful long red hair cascading down her back, she appeared formidable yet captivating. Her Armor, like Alex's but with distinct differences, boasted a sleek black hue accented by a striking ruby red trim. Her pauldrons were larger, adding to her imposing presence.
In her hand, she wielded a jet-black sword with a crimson hilt, reminiscent of something from an anime. But it was her shield that truly caught Alex's attention. Made of what seemed like flesh, it was an unsettling sight - pink in colour, with closed eyes covering its surface, giving it an eerie and otherworldly appearance. Alex swallowed hard, his nerves tingling as he spoke up. "It's a safe zone, what does that mean?" he inquired, his voice trembling slightly.
The angry female player let out an exasperated sigh before snapping, "IT'S A SAFE ZONE, SO IT'S SAFE!" She quickly regained her composure, her tone softening as she explained further. "If you're within a safe zone, no one can attack, kill, or rob you."
"Ah, that makes sense," Alex replied, nodding in understanding.
Before she could depart, Alex interjected with one last question. "Wait, one quick question. How do I open my menu?"
The lady glanced Alex up and down before effortlessly flicking her finger upward. With a gentle motion, her menu appeared before her. With a brief nod, she then strode into the village, disappearing from Alex's sight. Flicking his index finger in the same manner as the female paladin moments before, Alex summoned three transparent blue tablet-like screens before him. The screen on the left displayed a clear map of the immediate area, complete with plus and minus symbols in the corner for zooming in and out. With a gentle touch, Alex zoomed in closer, using his hand to navigate the map's viewpoint. He observed small symbols on the buildings, indicating their respective functions - whether it was the tavern, the local tanner, the armorer, or the general store.
As Alex zoomed out, he noticed that much of the map remained shrouded in darkness, except for the areas he had already explored. Realization dawned upon him; in this intricate game, the map would only reveal details of areas he had visited or landmarks he had observed from a distance. It was a testament to the game's complexity, requiring players to explore and discover the world gradually. Alex turned to the middle screen where he saw a smaller version of his character, surrounded by boxes. "Oh, it's the worn items menu," Alex remarked, noting the items in each box. His Curtis, pauldrons, plate legs, steel-toed boots, shield, and sword were all there, with some boxes empty, likely reserved for jewellery, a cape, and helmets. Below the miniature version of his character were progress bars for health, stamina, mana, and carry weight. At the bottom was his current inventory: five gold pieces and a loaf of bread. "What a terrible starting inventory," Alex murmured to himself.
He noticed the loaf of bread had a weight indicator of 0.2, represented by a feather icon. "That must be the weight of the item," he thought to himself. The gold coins, however, had no weight indicator. "Hmm, well, I guess you can't have an MMORPG where the money weighs you down," Alex pondered. The screen to the right displayed various skills with names and numbers: Attack 2/1000, Defence 2/1000, Cooking 1/1000, and so on. The developers had clearly put a lot of detail into the game.
Alex swiped his hand to the right, and the middle screen suddenly changed to a quest screen, showing only one quest: "Enter the city." "Well, it's time I head into the town of Ludwick and figure out my next step!" Alex exclaimed. He waved his hand, closing the menu, and glanced at the bottom left of his view to check the time. Realizing he needed to get ready for work, Alex swiftly opened his three screens again, searching for a setting menu. He then noticed a gear symbol at the top of the middle screen. Tapping it closed all three menus and revealed a new white, slightly transparent rectangular settings menu in front of him. It offered several options: settings, game settings, graphics, friend list, block list, and log out. Alex selected the log out button.
A giant swirl of colour blocked Alex's vision as his mind was slowly transferred back to his body, allowing him to regain control. That's probably the scariest thing about VR nowadays—while you're immersed in a game, your body is essentially vulnerable, a lifeless husk left behind while your mind adventures in other worlds. Whether you're a pirate, swinging a sword, or even a space pirate, it doesn't matter; your body is technically vulnerable, like being on another planet and leaving your body at home.