The Depth Online - a vrmmo roleplay

[Kestrel]

Character limit? I'm thinking a berserker knight (or soldier) or an elementalist cleric.

You're free to make multiple characters if you can handle them. If it gets too crowded, I can always close the RP for new ones.

EDIT: Also, going ranger/thief myself :D

 

[Kestrel]

Welp, managed to spend less time on this than planned today. Alas, here is the first draft of my CS.

Player Character Abilities Equipment You

• ---

  THE PLAYER​

  ---

  
  FULL NAME: Lance Giraud
  APPEARANCE: A 5'8 tall man sporting an athletic build, Caucasian skin-tone and a playful bush of brown hair. Lance most commonly wears a pair of sunglasses and likes to dress fancy.
  
  BIRTHDAY & AGE: July 4th, 2006
  OCCUPATION: Unemployed, previously sales manager.
  NATIONALITY: French
  
  BIO: Lance grew up in your average, middle-class household. His father worked in administration for the national bank, whereas his mother stayed at home to look after Lance and his older brother Pierre. As a child, Lance was rather introverted and a bit of a momma's boy, which made it so he was often teased by his brother.
  
  As Lance grew up, he grew more curious and as a result independent. Lance had a very rebellious puberty-phase, including late-night partying, dropping grades and motorcycles. He developed better social skills during this period, but also quite a bit of vanity and attitude; traits that would stick with him for the rest of his life.
  
  During the final year of high school, Lance's ambition was sparked to perform and get into a good college. Perhaps due to the canceling of the allowance he blew on clothing, drinks and hair wax, or perhaps because he realised he couldn't live off his parents forever. Whatever the case, Lance picked up the pace with his studies. As his hard work was rewarded with results, Lance started dreaming of a brighter future. A luxurious apartment with multiple motorcycles and a fancy car parked in front, not to mention a jacuzzi in the backyard. Perhaps not the most sincere of motivations to get good grades; but an effective one nonetheless.
  
  Lance's work got him into a good college, where he continued to perform admirably. It was during this time however, Lance's ambitions began to conflict with his social life. College was not only more work, but Lance took extra courses and volunteered in soup kitchens... Mostly because it'd look good on his CV. Lance's circle of friends became smaller and the remainder also got busier. So Lance began to play video games casually whenever he needed to pass the time. Whenever he had a free weekend, he'd dive into a vrmmo. Not that he ever had the time to get into them hardcore, however...
  
  Shortly after his graduation, Lance got picked up for a position in real estate. Using his charm and smooth talking ability, he climbed the internal ladder. The jacuzzi and Rolls Royce were coming closer to being a reality. By the time he was twenty-six, Lance already had a house bigger than the one he grew up in and three motorcycles in his garage. He attended high society, dated the most beautiful women and could get away with smuggling old friends into the V.I.P. spots for sold-out sports games. Life was good.
  
  However, when the position for head of his department opened up, Lance's life fell apart. He competed with a senior saleswoman, who had worked in the same office for a decade. Lance thought he had it in the bag; he beat her sales-record three months back and his youthful energy and silver tongue were ever in demand. However, Lance would come to learn that skills and ambition weren't the only things that mattered. His competitor had played a dirty game of sucking up and gossiping behind Lance's back, even if on paper she was selected for the position because of her experience. This setback infuriated Lance. In a fit of rage he left the office, only to find the message he'd been let go two days later on his answering machine.
  
  Lance locked himself from the world. In his experience, everything he had worked for had fallen into pieces with that one message. Lance made no attempt to find a new job and instead indulged in copious amounts of escapism. Playing mmo's more intensively gave him a sense of direction and goals, which in turn gave him peace, which in turn became an addiction. And so, when Lance received the message he had been selected as a beta-tester for The Depth Online, he didn't know how fast he should enter his code and download the game; so he could dive into a new and fantastic world...

• ---

  THE CHARACTER​

  ---

  
  
  USERNAME: Barong
  APPEARANCE: Model & Outfit. The character is 5'12 tall with an athletic build.
  RACE: Human
  CLASSES: Ranger, Thief
  LEVEL: 1
  EXP: 0
  CREDIT: 0
  
  

  HP:	26	STR:	10
  MP:	13	VIT:	8
  P.CRIT:	4	INT:	8
  M.CRIT:	5	WIS:	9

  RESISTANCES:

  Fire:	5	Earth:	15	Light:	-15
  Water:	15	Air:	-5	Darkness:	35

• ---

  ABILITIES​

  ---

  Ranger Thief

  • Skill Name	Bullet Volley
    Level learned	1
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	4 MP
    Skill Description	Empties a clip on one or multiple targets, dealing six times 25% damage for a maximum of 150%

    Skill Name	Slow Trap
    Level learned	5
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	3 MP
    Skill Description	Hide or throw a trap that detonates when anyone comes in proximity, dealing the damage of a conventional attack and applying a slow (50%) that lasts 3 posts in a small radius (1m.)

    Skill Name	Black Hawk
    Level learned	10
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	10 MP
    Skill Description	Summon a hawk as a pet, striking from above dealing 75% piercing damage every post. The hawk has a third of the ranger's HP.

    Skill Name	Eagle Eye
    Level learned	15
    Skill Type	Passive
    Cost	-
    Skill Description	Calling upon the bird king, raises critical rates by 10.

    Skill Name	Ammo Detonation
    Level learned	20
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	8 MP
    Skill Description	Use one post to charge a pistol; loading it with special shells. The next bullet fired explodes in 2m radius for 300% fire damage, 1 second after impact. Explosion also occurs if the floor or a wall is hit. User is immobile while charging.

  • Skill Name	Dash
    Level learned	1
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	2 MP
    Skill Description	Burst forward with twice the movement speed; allowing the user to quickly close gaps. Whenever you stop running, it cancels the ability.

    Skill Name	Phantom Step
    Level learned	5
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	3 MP
    Skill Description	Instantly travel behind your opponent, or quarter-circle to their side if it's too big.

    Skill Name	Moxie
    Level learned	10
    Skill Type	Passive
    Cost	-
    Skill Description	Automatically provokes nearby foes when using mobility or dodging moves like Dash and Phantom Step. Can be toggled on or off outside of combat.

    Skill Name	Swipe
    Level learned	15
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	7 MP
    Skill Description	Aggressive attempt at stealing an item, dealing the damage of a conventional attack and creating a decent level of threat. Has a 30% chance to steal an item.

    Skill Name	Escape Artist
    Level learned	20
    Skill Type	Active
    Cost	8 MP, 5 post cooldown
    Skill Description	Allows the user to instantly escape any combo or CC-effect, allowing for quick repositioning.

• ---

  EQUIPMENT​

  ---

  
  

  WEAPON NAME	Woodpecker
  Type:	Gun
  Stats:	-
  Description:	A standard issue handgun. Image.

  ARMOUR NAME	Arman's Coat
  Type:	Leather
  Stats:	-
  Description:	A fashionable long coat. Image

  
  

• ---

  YOU​

  ---

  
  EXPECTATIONS: I'm looking for a good time and a bit of an experimenting ground. I'm going to try a couple of new things here, so stay tuned. I hope all players will contribute to a dynamic world in some way :D
  ROMANCE: Why not?
  OTHER: As any good GM, I'm inherently evil.
  SIGNATURE: Kestrel

 

[Rainjay]

I'll start with the magicky one and maybe do the other one if I have time although I'mma be busy in the next week and a half or so. Any idea of when the OOC will be up?

Also, question: Will premade guilds be a thing? Or are we starting the RP from the very beginning of them all being stuck in the game?

 

[Kestrel]

It's all brand new. No guilds yet.

Edit; as for the ooc. Depends on how ny schedule turns out

 

[Kestrel]

Again little time today, but here's a tidbit of info;

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LEVELING & EXPERIENCE​

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In this RP, your characters will become more powerful over time. You can do this simply by posting, or by defeating enemies or by earning achievements. These actions will award you experience points, often shortened to EXP or XP. Experience points determine your progression towards your next level. For every 10 XP you gain a level and with this level you gain 5 points to distribute amongst STR, VIT, INT and WIS. Alongside your stat bonus, you get a new skill for each job you have every 5 levels, so level 5, level 10, level 15, etc. The values of XP you're awarded differ.

• Normal posts gain you 1 XP each.
• Battle posts gain you 2 XP each.
• Defeating an enemy gains the entire party XP at the end of the battle. The amount of XP is determined by the enemy in question.
• Clearing a story arc awards everyone involved with a whopping 50 XP. That's right; 5 whole levels right there, I just guaranteed you a new skill.
• Achievements may award you with anywhere from 2 up to 10 XP.

ENEMY RANKS​

Enemies in TDO are conveniently ranked by power level. Starting at ★☆☆☆☆, all the way up to ★★★★★ . Each have an amount of base XP, which will increase or decrease depending on the difference between enemy and player level. So for example; when base XP = 10 and there is no level difference, the full 10 XP will be awarded. However, 20% is added or subtracted, depending on the level difference, up to 5 times. So if you are 4 levels higher than this enemy, you'll only gain 2 XP. If the enemy is 2 levels higher, you are awarded with 14 XP for defeating them.

As for enemy ranks; here's what you can expect;

• ★☆☆☆☆ A weak enemy with stats much lower than yours. It can be one or two-shot by most characters, but often comes in hordes. Their base XP is 0.1, meaning you'll have to defeat a lot of them to gain XP.
• ★★☆☆☆ This is an enemy that may be weaker than you, but can scratch off a good chunk of HP if you're not careful. Some of them possess special skills and most come in small groups. Their base XP is 0.5
• ★★★☆☆ These are enemies are your equals in stats and often have special skills of their own, meaning that you can't simply mash attack and expect to win. Use your skills wisely. Their base XP is 1.
• ★★★★☆ This rank poses a threat, as they are stronger in stats than your characters, but also possesses various special skills. These take teamwork to take down efficiently, but can technically be solo'd be a skilled player. Their base XP is 3.
• ★★★★★ The mightiest of the mightiest, reserved for only special and boss class enemies. Gear up, party up and strategise for these guys, because without it your chances of winning are extremely slim. Their base XP is 10.

ACHIEVEMENTS​

I don't know if any of you own an xbox or playstation, but if you do you might be familiar with the system. Upon playing a game, you unlock certain achievements for doing certain actions. Likewise, achievements in this RP are rewards for good and varied play. Saved your friend from trouble? Have some XP. Died in battle for the first time? Have some XP. etc. Good, varied play will get rewarded, whereas bad or one-dimensional play will have you lag behind your co-players.

You can only earn one achievement per post, even if meet the qualifications for two different ones. I'll roll a dice or something to tell you which you earned. Achievements can also only be earned once, so keep track of them! The requirements for an achievement will initially be hidden, but they will be revealed to everyone if a player earns it.

 

[Wolfsbane706]

Actually, regarding the Achievement system, can I suggest something like the Challenge system in Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory? Instead of XP bonuses, small stat bonuses based on the nature of the challenge.

 

[Kestrel]

Not familiar with Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, but from a quick google search think I grabbed the basics. While it's a generally similar idea, there's a few things I dislike. The downside to HNV's system is that their achievements are rather predictable and some of them very grindy (perform action X Y times); something you don't want for RP's. In RP's you want your characters to win some and lose some, be creative, etc. That's hard when people want to just up their INT by constantly spamming fireball, whether it is useful or not, because they get a bonus when they used it 20 times.

In another RP I'm running I'm using a system similar to the one I described in my previous post, except it works with stats like HNV. So basically, achievements that can earn you an extra boost in Agility in that RP, include examples like getting the first hit in, falling from a large distance or spend a lot of time running. Overall it works well, but the reason I wanted to differentiate here is because... Well, one warrior guy got 5 points in INT straight in a row. Which isn't inherently bad, because I added a bunch of skills with stat requirements, so they contributed to him getting specific skills, but I did take sovereignty from him in developing his character in the process.

I feel that is a bit contrasting with the goal I got here, so I figured I'd experiment by making use of an XP-system where people have more control over their character's growth.

It's great you're suggesting things, though. Maybe if we tweak it a bit, we can come up with something better.

 

[Kestrel]

Things that got done today; Slight updates made to classes (slight tweaks to special skills only) and the CS' make-up.

Also, after having gone nearly two weeks without a reply, an interest check I posted before this one on another site garnered some attention. I'm hoping to get the interested to join the site to play here, because I as you guys probably noticed, either by me saying it or the ridiculous amount of it in the CS; I really like Iwaku's BBcode. So look forward to that. One of the posters had a pretty nifty idea, too :D

Now I'll be working on some other stuff, which should be basic for those who played MMO's or watched shows like SAO and Log Horizon, but might prove useful for potential players who haven't. Which didn't happen earlier because... Football and alcohol, mostly. Good times (beating Brasil was pretty cool, though I really woulda loved snatching the cup instead of third place. So close, and yet so far away...)

Anyhow. Will be updated in this post as I finish things.

Virtual Life

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VIRTUAL LIFE​

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While TDO has been designed to feel life-like interact with all of the player's senses, not everything is the same in the game as the real world. Here will follow a couple rifferences you might wanna look out for.

THE BODY​

Unlike your petty and weak human body, you have no need for nourishment or rest to stay fit even though the game allows you to eat and sleep. Instead, eating and sleeping will recover HP and MP. And yes, this also means you don't have to break RP-taboo by going to the toilet. Also, outside of status effects and special events, your virtual body won't get sick. Hell, you can't even die permanently. Unless there's a bug of some sort involved, which by pure coincidence manifests when players are expelled from the RP. Instead, when you die you can either be revived by other players (if they have the skills or items to do so), or respawn in the nearest town. There are no penalties for death, unless it's in a player versus player situation. More information on this below (see: PVP).

Take note though, that players can still feel pain. Many environmental hazards will sap HP, so running around in a hailstorm or diving into lava is still a bad idea.

MENU​

A convenience in VRMMO's is that you have a handy menu that pops up in front of you to take care of almost anything. Like a floating touch screen, menu's pop up everywhere. They can also be controlled by voice. They're pretty nifty and have a multitude of functions, like managing your inventory, organising parties and in-game skype-calls and guilds, or setting the terms for a trade or duel.

INVENTORY​

One of the most prominent menu features is the inventory. Rather than carrying a backpack full of items, you have something akin a pocket dimension that is called your inventory. You can select and organise your items by menu.

However, you only have limited space in your inventory. When your inventory fills out, you must store your items at a bank. Banks are ran by NPC's and players alike, although most will ask for a fee for storing your items. Banks require physical space, so unlike the inventory, you can't take items from them whenever you please.

PARTY​

Parties, or groups, can be joined, left and organised within a menu. One person creates the party and then invites other players to jon them to work towards a particular goal. It's a lot like forming your own fellowship. Parties are beneficial because they allow you to chat telepathically on a private channel, monitor each other's HP, MP and status, and share the XP gained from killing monsters. Some support skills even require you to be in a party to work.

GUILD​

A guild is a more permanent party. Players can also join long-term groups called guilds. Guilds are usually groups of people who are working toward a common goal in a game. A guild may focus on many different things, like clearing dungeons, crafting and trading or try their hand at controlling an area. But guilds can also simply be a group of friends.

Benefits of a guild include a chat channel, which allows you to talk to all your guild members anywhere any time, and the ability to summon guild members near you when not in battle. Most importantly however, is the right to a guild hall.

A guild hall is like collaborative housing for the entire guild. It can include it's own resting area (to recover HP & MP) and guild bank (storing items free of charge). A guild hall can also serve as a base of operations as the guild leader can set permission to enter and leave the building. It can also be fortified to serve as a fortress in battle.

A guild hall costs a large amount of credit to build from scratch, but is cheaper when compared to an individual player's housing (which is a thing). It's also possible to turn conquered dungeons or discovered settlements into guild halls, although this tends to be on the pricey side also.

PVP​

PVP stands for player versus player. Like in good old times, disagreements can be solved with a blade between the ribs or a bullet between the eyes. Depending on the area they are in (see: Territory) players can challenge one another to a duel. There's voluntary and involuntary duels, again depending on the area the players find their selves in.

• In a voluntary duel, players can make a wager, betting items, equipment or credit (money) of any amount where the winner takes all. You can also choose to bet nothing and have a friendly spar. All terms are to be discussed before the fight starts.
• In an involuntary duel, the winner chooses to either take 25% of the loser's credit, an item or piece of equipment of the winner's choice. They happen spontaneously and can be joined in at every time.

So basically, a gentleman's disagreement versus plain robbery. It's also possible to have PVP situations with multiple people. In voluntary duels, you get to select the participants when deciding terms, whereas involuntary fights everyone can join in.

Welp, that's it for tonight. Let me know if there's anything I should add.

 

[Crispy]

Also, after having gone nearly two weeks without a reply, an interest check I posted before this one on another site garnered some attention. I'm hoping to get the interested to join the site to play here, because I as you guys probably noticed, either by me saying it or the ridiculous amount of it in the CS; I really like Iwaku's BBcode.

Consider me(Leli) here then if you choose this as the home of the RP. Now off to explore the site and stuff.

 

[Kestrel]

Consider me(Leli) here then if you choose this as the home of the RP. Now off to explore the site and stuff.

Hah, that took little convincing ;p Welcome to the site then.

 

[Rainjay]

I'm thinking I'll probably definitely join. So count me in ^^

 

[Kestrel]

@Rainjay @CAS @Wolfsbane706 @Rekona

OOC is up? Why yes, the OOC is up!

https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/the-depth-online-ooc-signups.58495/