"
I personally liked Giu-Tan's first plan better."
A voice utilizing Tian-Gui's fake, cutesy like handle speaks from above them, causing several heads to turn their gaze upwards.
Floating five feet above the table in a position reminiscent of lounging in a lawn chair is their mysterious, charismatic game's host,
Arcadia.
"
Announce it to the world. Make it an event. This... was such a wonderful plan." Arcadia sits up now in mid-air, his tone full of grandeur and a smile upon his face.
That smile does a 180 though as he shakes his head.
"
But then you had to mess it all up. With boring plans like utilizing subterfuge or just running up without any warning. Plans like those are just no good, just like all of you have become no good." Now he lands on the table, before hopping off, choosing for once in all of the times they have seen him to actually walk with his feet upon the ground.
"
You all were fun in the beginning. Exploring, fighting each other. It was the PVP challenge of the century!" his tone rises, but pauses a bit, and then goes downward, "
for about the first hour. Then you all settled into your little areas."
"
So I brought in these players from Dungeons of Masmorra with the promise of rewards for their characters to shake things up. And it worked." A grin overtakes his features. "
Everyone was grinding and preparing to go take on a PVP Challenge that would have been equal to a Boss Raid. Tensions rose, plans were made. The bodies and minds of every player were moving fervently. It was... how to say... Tres Magnifique!" He throws his hands in the air, confetti erupting forth at the motion of the gesture.
"
But..." the confetti vanishes, "
you all have once again grown too complacent and the games too stale. And the ones to blame are both myself and Ama_Rei." He just sighs heavily. "
Rei is too strong. So everyone either wants to buddy up with him" he looks at the Peacocks as he just walks around the table, "
or hide in their camps and just build up strength until the end." To this he just gestures towards everybody here.
"
There are treasure chests and special encounters waiting to be found in PVE, to give more excitement as you seek out your next foe for PVP. But... thanks to my error in making the camps too beneficial, no one goes after these things." A small 'hmph' escapes as he vanishes, appearing back on the table. "
The Camps were supposed to be fortresses that people would want to storm and conquer, to clash offense against defense. But obviously that failed..."
"
SO! I have decided to end the Easy Mode!" He raises his finger upward, and now bits of static appear above it. "
It was fine for the beginning of the game while everyone built up their strength and got into their own unique styles, but since this is still an Alpha Build of this game, I plan on making some changes for the latter part of this Round."
Suzaku tries to interject by clearing his throat, but it seems like Arcadia is content on annoying all interjections for the moment. He seems a little angry.
He snaps his fingers, and the entire space is enveloped in a flash of static and light, visibility returning a few seconds later and a window appearing right after visibility has been returned.
Update Announcements!
Arcadia Quest v0.121
Camps no longer have EXP Bonuses.
Regeneration and Recovery Bonuses at Camps are doubled.
The already doubled Regeneration and Recovery Bonuses of Camps are Doubled again if resting inside of a Tent.
Baits can no longer be purchased (Bait Items still in people's possession can be used though).
Players can instead ask Arcadia to create a Bait Affect: Minor (4 Coins), Small (8 Coins), Medium (12 Coins), or Large (18 Coins) no matter where they are.
Purchase Chest Discounts still apply to these costs, and are even decreased further by 50% if used when Away from Camp.
New Status Affect, 'Away from Camp' shall affect every player when more than 100 Yards away from their own Camps. The affects are as follows:
The EXP Bonuses previously given by a Camp will now be applied when under this affect.
20% Chance to have increased Gold Gain from defeated enemies.
Critical Chances raised by 1.
Defeating Enemy Players gives 20% more EXP and 5 + 50% (Player Level) Gold.
There are more Special Encounters now.
Special Encounters, if cleared, will spawn an Item Chest.
65% for Common Item Chest, 25% for Uncommon Item Chest, 9% for Rare Item Chest, 1% for Super Rare Item Chest
Taking Camps will also have a 75% Chance of Spawning these Chests and adding the Items that would be in them to that Camp's Purchase Chest. The Guardians are also a bit tougher now and will thus give more EXP and Gold when defeated.
Teleportation between Camps has been changed. Now only up to 5 people can teleport at once, and there will be a fifteen minute cooldown before anyone can teleport to or from that Camp again.
Ferry Stones, which could only be previously requested personally from Arcadia, can now be freely purchased for 15 Gold Coins and only teleport you back to your Base Camp when used rather than any of your Camps.
Furthermore, upon death or logging out, Ferry Stones carried on your person will vanish.
Rei reads through the updates, before raising an eyebrow and gazing up at Arcadia.
"
I assume you didn't just come to us to rant about your boredom and show us your updates?"
Arcadia just shakes a finger. "
Non Non Ama_Rei. For I mainly came to say I like dear Giu-Tan's first idea, and I plan on using that to create a true clash of wills."
Arcadia's bad french accent aside, Rei's eyes widen a bit when Arcadia mentions how he's just going to announce the idea of a brawl to everyone.
"
Now now. I know that its your idea, and you had other plans... plans that probably would work. But would be absolutely boring in the process." A small, mischevious smile appears on his face. "
And being the... merciful host that I am, I won't announce this event for an entire hour, the event taking place three in game hours after that. So, you all will get four whole hours to prepare, with one of those being advanced knowledge."
He just laughs. "
See, I can be pretty merciful, right?"
Rei and Kuro_Kage have both clenched their fists at this point. Suzaku clearly admires how Arcadia acts, and most of the others have rather mixed expressions, with Kijin's being rather neutral.
"
Anyway. You have one hour before everyone hears of the upcoming Super Brawl and starts to prepare even more fervently than before! So with that.. I bid you all, aideu~"
"
Well..." Kijin speaks now, breaking the silence that appeared the moment Arcadia left. "
This certainly changes things."
"
Indeed... and it now makes more than the Snakes our largest threat." Kuro_Kage scratches his chin now, looking a bit concerned.
"
What do you mean?" Rei shifts his own gaze towards the Assassin, only to have Momotaro's words take that gaze.
"
The Lions and Tigers. They are rather tense with each other, but wouldn't mind allying with one another to take out the competition if the chance arose. And given the numbers and charisma of Team Snake..."
"
If they all participate, they'd temporarily ally with each other and have 34 people with which they'll use to crush us. Is that what you're saying?"
To Rei's words, the Assassin, Monk, and Samurai all give a nod.
"
Then we merely need to strike them first. A duel between us and them. If we can reduce their numbers, then the upcoming... 'Super Brawl'" Suzaku has a hint of disgust at the name Arcadia gave for it,
"will become much easier."
"
So we'll form three teams then. If those two teams are willing to ally themselves temporarily, we will need to strike both of them at once. Plus we also need to try and get at the Snakes somehow... so we'll need to try and figure out if they'll have any plans for conquest or attacking any time soon."
Rei doesn't want to type out a PM here with everyone watching, but he knows that he needs to contact Artisia. Ask for more information on the Snakes' plans and then get her back here as soon as possible.
So now the questions remain. Who will be on what Team, what each Team will be responsible for, and just what Team Snake is up to. Thanks to Artisia though, Xenon and Kamui both know that the Snakes are planning on making movements to go to the East Station to take it.
Whether or not this new Update will change those plans though... would be up to Artisia to find out.
