Empatheias Events (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
empevents) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
memepatheias2019-04-18 08:52 am
empevents) wrote in memepatheias2019-04-18 08:52 am
Entry tags:
Test Drive: May
Welcome to
empatheias' test drive meme. This test drive is to help interested players test their characters in the game's environment. We've included a few prompts that incorporate specific elements of the game, though you'll find all of them have a lot of leeway for players to get as creative as necessary. Before diving in, here are a few things we'd like to remind everyone about the game in general:- Date reminders. Reserves open 24th of April and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on May 1st. Apps will only be open for four days!
- OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are allowed. Those interested can also use the test drive. OCs do not need to be reserved.
- Emotions are key! Empatheias' premise focuses on how anyone's emotions can affect their environment, be it big or small. While not every emotion will cause a reaction, significant ones definitely will. How much effect a character will have will ultimately be up to you, the player. Also, while we're giving a lot of leeway for the test drive, keep in mind that there will be some limits in the actual game.
- Everyone has an amulet. All characters have a unique amulet that is specialized for them. It will contain all of their emotion drops and it serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic. Otherwise, it works basically the same.
- Assume the character is already in the game. Because "OMG WHERE AM I IS THIS REAL LIFE" threads aren't going to be very helpful in this test drive! Plus, those are going to happen in-game, anyway. So to make things easier, just assume that they've been around at least a week or so. Still learning the ropes, but not a complete "first day" experience.
- First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. Remember, these threads can also be used in your application for samples! Reminder: We only require one sample and it can be done in either format. We have also made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!
- Transfer to in-game. If accepted, you can assume threads made on the Test Drive happen in-game if the scenario can reasonably fit. For new characters, these threads do not count for activity check. However, these can be supplementary threads for players already in-game.
- For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're also welcome to use more than one prompt for respondents to choose from. If you have any questions or want to brush up on the game information, refer to the Game Information entry. Otherwise, tag around and have fun!
- For any concerns or questions, head over to this top level.
Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!
• PROMPT A: How about giving the emotions a try?
• PROMPT B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.
• PROMPT C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...
• PROMPT D: Perhaps one may have heard that Verens used to be a floating island, and it was! When the island then ended up on the surface, creatures which explorers have called "Dinosaurs" (quotation marks included) were discovered inhabiting the plains and the mountains in a far off area. It's time to go back to the jurassic world for a very important mission: gather as many Amaranthus Rubus, red pearl-shaped fruits that heal any and all wounds on one's skin. The hospital needs it! As such, one needs to prepare.
Explorers do not wish to harm the "Dinosaurs", as they are afraid the "Dinosaurs" would go extinct should any danger be placed unto them. This means that one's option when encountering volatile and aggressive "Dinosaurs" is to run away. A fun run is now being held in Verens a few days prior to the trip to the "Dinosaur" plains, where 50 sylvs and a t-shirt that says "I successfully ran away from a 'Dinosaur'!". The colour of the shirt is random, though, but there are as many as the colours of the rainbow. Maybe trade with somebody else who's finished the run if you don't like yellow so much.
• PROMPT E: Once the preparations have been made, it's time to set forth into the land of the “Dinosaurs”. As you enter their domain, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to interact with these rare and unusual creatures, and some of the “dinosaurs” are indeed tranquil and herbivorous. Go ahead and feed the long-necks leafy branches and if you're feeling daring, climb up on their backs for a ride! However, many of the “dinosaurs” are quite a bit more dangerous, and they are very territorial. If you cross paths with the a pack of raptors, prepare to run, fight, or distract. All explorers have been supplied with strips of alluring jerky to placate the beasts. Who knows, you might even make a friend! Be careful not to lose and hand, though.
The Amaranthus Rubus is thickest near the home of the most terrifying “dinosaur” of all, the "Tyrannosaur", and if you are daring enough to approach the lair of this creature to reap the fruits, you may not even have the chance to run away before the creature corners you, roars, and...wiggles his sad, little arms. It seems poor old "Tyrannosaur" just wants some kind of tool to extend his reach! Help him out and he will let you go. Or refuse, and he'll eat you. Sounds reasonable, right?
• PROMPT F: It seems like the land of the "Dinosaurs" isn't so bad after all! Perhaps "Dinosaurs" and man can co-exist, but for that to happen, much research will have to be made regarding a "Dinosaur"'s way of life. Now aboard the ship to head back to the city, researchers are talking about another excursion in the future that's solely for researching on "Dinosaurs" - various species, what they eat, their excrement, and the like.
The trip back to Verens is a little long. Perhaps you're just resting in one of the rooms when there's an explosive sound that can be heard. Oh no! It looks like the engine's running out of steam! Luckily, there's a steam generator in the ship, but steam can only be made through cooperation, anger, and sadness. The entire ship needs your help to get back to the city safely, and if you have to hold someone's hand, slap them, and yell at them to get them to manifest their emotions tangibly, then do so!
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include swords and/or stones.
no subject
She doesn't pay any mind to the break in rhythm--they're in a tree, it's probably to be expected as he regains his balance and reaches out. Not really worth noting.]
Well, they were in tandem for a while. A machine pretending to be a god, letting people control other machines. It's a long story, and explaining it to people where I'm from doesn't always work so well. They listen, but I can't really make them understand.
[She looks down at him as she swings up to another branch and edges out along it--she'd seen images of people from before, and he looked like he might be from a place or time that was similar to their past. Would he know? Could he begin to fill in those gaps? She feels like she needs to know so much more than she does, and it's frustrating.]
It doesn't help that I know the words that they used for these things in the past, but I don't know what they mean.
[Oops, does she sound mad about it, she's kind of mad about it. She hates it when she doesn't know something.]
no subject
Even so, with the fruit placed neatly in his bag, he pauses from his task of collecting more to look at her questioningly, an arm leaning against a large branch to keep balance, same as before.]
What kind of words? [He can swing back around to this untold story -- these strange circumstances of her home -- in a bit. For now:] I'm familiar with technology. [SO TO SPEAK.] Maybe I can help.
no subject
She smiles brightly, looking...excited. So it's pretty obvious that she wants to learn. Maybe if she does, she can fix what's wrong.]
There's...a lot. Like I said, I know more than a lot of people where I'm from, but only because I'm not afraid to go into the ruins, and I have this...
[She gestures to the Focus on her temple.]
...that can help me. But I need to learn how to do...so much, if I'm going to try to fix GAIA.
no subject
What is that? [He means the Focus on her temple, a mimicking her gesture to indicate at it. It's tech that looks dissonant from the rest of her, and definitely from how she's describing her own world. Markus could quietly scan it himself, just to satiate his curiosity, but he decides to wait for an explanation at first.]
no subject
It's called a Focus. It was used by people in the past for...sending messages, interacting with holographic displays. Things like that. There's a limited number of them left, only the ones that are in the ruins...no one knows how to make them now.
[Sylens knows how to repair them, but he's gone off to do who knows what, and it's not like Aloy wants him on speed dial anyway.]
CYAN explained it all to me the best she could, but...she said that she was made for a very specific reason, so she doesn't know everything.
no subject
It doesn't sound like anything particularly out of the ordinary for me.
[That's something of an understatement, given that he's an android. But Markus means it by way of referencing his home more than his person; Detroit of 2038 long possessed a way of sending digital "messages", and holographic heads-up displays were certainly nothing new, either.
Still, she continues to speak as if this all lay in the past for her, which presents its own sort of question.]
What happened to these people in the past?
no subject
[She drums her fingers against her thigh, thinking of how she wants to explain it all. The sheer magnitude had been a lot to wrap her head around, and she's a thousand years or so divorced from what happened.
But for him, this technology was familiar. Maybe not exactly like this, but similar enough. She stills speaks slowly.]
Almost a thousand years ago, a company made machines to be used for war. They could make more of themselves, take control of other machines, and...power themselves by consuming biomass.
[She shakes herself a little, remembering seeing it happen at Meridian.]
They weren't supposed to do it all the time. But the people that made them lost control of one swarm. Couldn't get it back. The problem spread, took control of all of them, and they ate everything alive in the world.
no subject
Well, it sounds like a nightmare.
Especially to Markus, with a tale that begins with making machines to be used in war. It makes the curve of his mouth officially slant down into a frown, disapproving for more than just one reason.]
I’m sorry to hear that happened to your world.
[That is a sincere statement from the android, despite all that he’s hearing.]
But these machines, were they sentient? [It’s difficult to judge if this story is being told by only one side — harder still, probably, since it seems like Aloy is only relaying what she’s learned.]
no subject
It was a long time ago. And not really my world either, nothing was left in the end but ruins.
[Judging from the wistful tone in her voice it bothers her more than her flippant phrasing implies. Thinking of everything that was lost...it's staggering.]
No. The Old Ones had rules against that...it didn't stop them all the time, but these...they were more like a hive of ants. Organized under whatever was their queen, following their orders.
no subject
Her response about a hive mind and a queen, however, isn't much comfort; though he's not certain what kind of answer would've constituted one. Maybe in a situation like this, a war with and against machines that still exist in a thrall of sleep, running on old commands and subroutines, there's not a "good" answer to any of it.]
'Rules'. [Rules based upon fear of change, fear of what might actually be created; it seems like it still did little good for her world.] But the queen herself was only working on what had been pre-programmed into her, nothing more?
no subject
As far as I know. That was just a little before my time.
[She tilts her head at him, curious and just blunt enough to voice it.]
You seem really concerned about that. Any reason why?
no subject
And so, finally-]
Because I'm an android, if that word means anything to you.
no subject
Not really. I can guess, though...you're a machine? An artificial intelligence? Or is that rude to call you, CYAN never minded it...
[See, we can get along, it's fine.]
no subject
An artificial intelligence is what I am, yes. Though after all is said and done, you can just call me Markus.
no subject
Good to meet you, Markus. I'm Aloy. I hope you don't mind me asking you a lot of questions once we're done with all this.