PM - Hey!

Vina Skysong

Hey @Zelrius!

How are you? Everything okay as usual? My day has been great so far! I had to hand in some projects but since I'd already finished those earlier this week it was a breeze, and afterwards I had most of the day free so I decided to hop back into Terrasphere and I noticed that you were on. Want to meet up somewhere or do you think you'd be too busy for that?

Actually I've also got another question for you. We've talked a bit now and gotten to know each other, but I've been curious about what your first day in Terrasphere was like. When I first logged in I was completely caught off guard by just how realistic it was, and I spent most of the day just being amazed at everything. It was only in the days following the first one that I actually began doing anything beyond just looking around, and the first thing I ended up actually doing was walking all the way over to Astorea from Brisshal in time to see the caravan that went to save the people up in the mountains, and... yeah, I ended up joining that so I really got myself in the middle of something important straight from entering the game, didn't I?

What was it like for you? Did you also spend your first day just being amazed by how real everything looked or did you immediately get to business? Knowing you I doubt it took you an entire day to focus, since you're a lot better at setting a goal for yourself and then moving to accomplish that goal.

Lots of love,
Vina Skysong

 

Zelrius

Hey @Vina Skysong!

Yes, everything is great, actually even better now, funnily enough. I was just thinking about you and the revive you did for me, It seems the invisible hand of the Death Affliction that made me horribly terrified of Frogs is gone. Projects you say? So you're a student? That's cool, where at? Are you from out of State or Out of Country? A Meet up would be cool, I can drop what I am doing in the Esuilus and we can hang out somewhere, if you want. Just let me know!

My first day on Terra? Well, similar to yours, it was a lot of awe and wonderment. But I also had been playing Video games for quite some time, and my wife- ex wife - and I had been dabbling in VR for some time before that, So I kinda knew what to expect, atleast, in terms of realistic Graphics. Though even to this day I am baffled by the AI and intelligent learning systems that the world has, on top of preprogrammed history and lore, and characters with their own pasts and lives that they honestly believed they lived. And they convey it in such a realistic way. But to answer your question, you'd be right in assuming I didn't spend much time dilly dallying. The Tutorial given by Trinity had made it clear how the game was done, and while I didn't understand Masteries right away, it became clear that it was a lot like the old Elder Scrolls games; the more you use, the better it is. So, Slashing and Dual Wielding were my first to the top, naturally.

Oh really, us all being north was your first game experience? Please tell me how you saw the event from your perspective, I've always wanted to ask you and am now excited that I get the chance.

Not so much Love,
Zelrius

 

Vina Skysong

Really? That's great news! I've heard of Death Afflictions and honestly they sound really scary, so I'm glad that it's gone. That also means you can finally use that brooch that you got from them, doesn't it? I have to admit I was interested in seeing how effective that brooch would be in helping you contact and interact with the frogmen, so maybe once you get around to visiting them I can come along? Maybe it also makes the frogmen friendly towards anyone who's with you, since they'd recognize me as an ally of you, who's carrying the brooch.

I'm a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. It's very freeform in a lot of ways but they're pretty strict when it comes to handing in projects. It's a good thing I like expressing myself or I might have more trouble with it~ As for the other question, I'm actually from Norway but I moved here when I got a scholarship.

You're up in Esuilus? I've been in the Crystallized Zaira before but I've yet to explore Esuilus, since people told me that the further you go the harder it is to actually get anywhere. I figured it'd be better to wait until I've got some more experience and better ability. The mushrooms sound really interesting though... Well, anyway, I'm in Astorea helping out, but it doesn't look like they really need my help badly at this point. If you move south and I move north we can meet up close to the border, or I could come to you so we could explore more of Esuilus together.

If an experienced gamer like you was also amazed at first Terrasphere must really be something impressive. I'm really glad that I had the good fortune of being thrown an invite, even if I'm still curious who even governs who gets an invite and how. But I fully agree with you on just how amazing the AI is, and how detailed and deep this world is. I'm not completely inexperienced with games so I know that with most games the detailing of the world is limited to what the developers think is important for the main questline and whatever noteworthy events may happen on the side. Even if they add background, lore and stories for the characters in the game you can usually tell which parts of the world are more important than others by looking at how detailed they are. With Terrasphere I honestly can't imagine how much effort must have been put into all that since I've yet to find a part of the world which doesn't have a level of depth on par with that of the real world.

You've also played Elder Scrolls? I didn't play the first couple but I did try out Oblivion and Skyrim. The similarity is definitely there. I've mostly been playing music and my Music mastery is by far the highest mastery I have... I'll have to try and improve the other masteries since as much as I love the Music mastery it isn't the most practical one.

Yep! First experience and I have to say it was a very intense experience at that! The journey with the caravan was, in itself, very exciting but still in a way predictable? You journey towards a new location and you have to defend the caravan from danger? I'm definitely not saying I disliked it though. it was very thrilling and helped me get used to the game. It was the part after that, when we had to get to the fort on the cliff, that I really began to understand that Terrasphere is... even more than just that. I have to admit that our attempts at getting to the fort were... scary. I tried my best to ignore it but I definitely felt a lot more pressure than when we were travelling with the caravan. It really surprised me when we ended up allying with the frogmen to take over the fort.

All in all I'd say that I may not have had a good grasp of the big picture since I just ended up joining right in the middle of it, but it was an amazing experience and it really helped me with learning what life is like in Terrasphere.

What was the event like for you? Since I didn't even know everything about what was happening I may have been somewhat overwhelmed by it, so I'm also curious what the event was like for the more experienced players. Is an event like that usual or was that one special in any way?

 

Zelrius

Yes, it's quite nice being deathly afraid of amphibious creatures with webbed feet. As for a visit, I may plan one soon; I have been more than mildly discontented with Astorea and Falderen, and perhaps a change of scenery with some people or things that actually want me around may be helpful. And of course, I'd love to have you along, it's nice to have some company, and I can't think of anyone to go on a long walk through dangerous territory with other than yourself. Well, I can think of a few, but what I mean is, I accept your offer if you accept mine. Fingers crossed they accept you as they would me, a person with the Brooch. If I do undertake this search and expedition, it's going to have to be soon, as I have a stretch of free time, and then I have plans of heading West in search for different Kingdoms. Perhaps you'd like to come along for that as well. And if the frogmen end up being rude to you, I guess we'll just have to leave.

Ah a foreign one. Well, I hope you're enjoying our humble America, specifically the New England area. We're not known for our diverse culture up here, but the whole East Coast is like that; All we care about is money and having a shit ton of people in tight spaces. You go for Design? Are you an Art Major or are you more towards the 'practical' side of Design, like Architecture or Engineering? You don't strike me as that kind of person, but I could be completely wrong.

Yea, the Zalra was wild for the little bit we were there. I plan on going back, if not to mass harvest the crystal fruits from the trees in that area. The one that I grabbed before returning back to the Entourage when we were all there fetched a pretty penny. As for the Esuilus, aye, it is difficult traverse, starting not even a few miles in. I can't say I've been too cautious, but I've also somehow managed not to get poisoned or diseased in anyway. So far so good, if you'd like to take the road headed north from Dormont/Vintergard up to the fork, and then take a right and keep going along that path, I can meet you along the way. I don't think you'll get to the end of the road by the time I meet up with you, but if you find yourself at the 'melting point' - where the road 'melts' away to the Adecus Forest, just keep going straight for a bit, and you'll see the fungi in the area keep getting bigger, wait there for me. It shouldn't be hard to track eachother down from there. But it will have to be a bit, and its a long walk, so I am, of course, going to bug and message you the whole way.

Yea, Terrasphere is amazing in the finer details aspect, truly. My theory is that it is all generated, but not procedural like most other games are used to, where there's a template and a limited number of options. I think it might be closer to, an Algorithm was taught to make things with such and such rules, and then it was given a set of things to do. Or it might be closer to the God Complex. Where, the creators only made the base conditions, and let it run entirely on its own. It might explain the intricate and highly detailed lores and 'memories' of the NPCs, even though that those things might have never really happened. I am more interested in where are the servers for Terrasphere being held? And why is what looks and feels like a multi-billion dollar project, free for us to prance around and play demi-gods in? So many questions, and no greater power to ask them to. Strange.

You'll have to play some music for me sometime. The big difference here in Terra as opposed to other games; No soundtrack. Not that I mind, its far better being able to hear the environment and atmosphere at all times, but it also gets rather sickeningly quiet when travelling alone. Perhaps you are a short-term remedy to that. Or maybe your music will suck and I will need to tell you stop.

Ah, might been a bit of an overload for someone just joining the game. Regardless, you still performed well, and even went on to revive me, which looking back now, I am glad you even knew how to do. Not trying to pick on you, just that I know learning a new system, especially in a high pressure situation like that can be frustrating and difficult. Everyone did well, and thank god for Magi and Claire, who really pulled through both in the cave and at the Fort. I felt bad, because while I am not a super experienced player, I still knew my way around the game by that point, and I was utterly useless during the taking of the fort. I don't know what it was, just an immense nervousness and fright taking over me anytime I looked up from the ground and saw the hordes of Randias. I am glad it helped you better understand the game.

As for me, It was fun, atleast until the end, and it really put into perspective that this isn't like those single player games where you're the center of attention and an inveritable god. It was a lot more real, and uh, i had to take a second to myself and think afterward. I sat on that rock for a while before heading home. To fully answer your final question; I have no idea. That was the first real event I saw happening, but from what I've seen in this game, that wasn't something like Game Master planned. That was a group of our own players captured by a group of Thinking and Living NPCs, and one of those NPCs, a Princess, gathered us to save them. Which is another strange concept in RPGs; unscripted events. Its one of those things that was big because we were there, but the butcher in say, Stokbon, had no clue who or what we were, yknow?

Okay, a little bit of love,
Zelrius.

 

Vina Skysong

On the bright side, amphibians only live in wet environments so if worst came to worst you could have avoided them by staying inland. But it's definitely better that you've gotten rid of the Death Affliction. I get that the system is trying to discourage dying but I still find it creepy that the punishment would be messing with your head.

Hmmm... Personally I think things are getting better for both Falderen and Astorea now that the hostilities have come to an end and the ones who want war are no longer in charge. However if you feel like you want to visit other places I'm certainly not going to discourage you, since I love exploring and wandering freely.

Your sweet-talking needs some work Zel~ You started out really well, but then you focused too much on explaining yourself. Maybe I should teach you a little bit about that kind of thing while we're travelling~?

I do really hope that the frogs will like me. I think you're the only one with a brooch like that right now, so if that brooch doesn't convince them to be friendly towards your friends as well you're the only one who can learn more about them first hand. During the attack on the fort they were very coordinated, more than you'd expect if they were nothing more than primitives. I'm really curious about how intelligent they are and what their culture is like. But if they don't like me I don't mind leaving on my own so you can spend some time getting familiar with them. Actually I'd rather you stayed, since in that scenario I'd still like to learn more about them from you, and I think you'd also get a lot out of staying with them.

America is very interesting! There's so many different cultures and people here! You say you're not known for your diversity but compared to Norway... I love my home but we're nowhere as multi-cultural as America or even the more southern European countries. I'm learning a lot about different kind of people and different paths of live just by living here and watching the world around me. Although I have to admit that I'm not used to meals containing as much fat and sugar. I've had to set aside time for cooking my meals instead of ordering fast food to avoid gaining weight.

Oh no, I'm definitely not being practical with my studies. I'm just an Art Student who does it because I like using various forms of art to express myself. I've not made it a secret that I'm very focused on enjoying myself, and I'm aware that my study is something I'm doing because I like it and not because it guarantees a steady job in the future. Although I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out for the future.

I'm somewhat worried about those crystallized fruits. It might be that they're just crystals with an interesting shape, but weren't they originally organic before they were afflicted with that crystallization disease? What if those fruits can help spread that disease outside of Zalra? And how important are those fruits to the ecosystem of Zalra? I don't think the entire area is just dead, but I'm having trouble thinking of how the ecosystem works if all the lifeforms are crystallized.

Up north, take the right at the fork, keep walking until there's giant mushrooms. Thanks for the directions~ Message me whenever you feel like it, I wouldn't mind spending the journey talking some more. Although I thought it was going to be me bugging you. It's nice to see you taking the assertive role~

So your theory is that the game is actually one giant AI which has been given basic rules and then told to go wild? That would help explain the complexity and internal consistency. Most games which are completely written down by programmers have errors here and there where different rules apply in different places because that suits the game better, but I've yet to find a place in Terrasphere where the rules are just different.

I'd be curious how they update the AI if that's the case though. They'd need to keep tabs on it so they know how it's developing, otherwise updating Terrasphere would be impossible... I think? Maybe if the program that runs Terrasphere is sophisticated enough you can just tell it what you want it to do and it can do that without having to directly change their code?

 

Vina Skysong

I'm also curious about where the servers are and how they are funding all of this and why, but so far I've not been able to think of a single explanation which makes sense. I've yet to hear of anyone who had connection issues with Terrasphere which weren't caused by something on their end, so somehow the servers of Terrasphere are always working in optimal condition and with the best connection to the worldwide web. I'd think that even governmental servers have downtime and problems, so... I honestly don't know. Top secret project meant to see just how far current technology can go? A group of immensely wealthy people deciding they feel like using their money instead of having it gather dust for years on end?

I'd love to play music for you! I've played a lot of music while travelling, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it~ Or if you don't you can give me criticism which I can use to approve, but I'm very confident in my musical skills. I mostly sing and play the flute, but I can use other instruments if you have a strong preference.

It was overwhelming, but I don't regret joining. It was a fantastic way to get introduced to the world of Terrasphere, and while the fighting and killing might have been unsettling I still think it's good that I was there in the end, even if I didn't have to be there to revive you. As for learning how to do that, that was actually surprisingly easy... I had already been using Nature Magic a lot while travelling about, and instead of only casting structured spells I was also just letting the magic flow through me and into the world around me. It may be because of that but it wasn't too difficult to see how I could reverse the loss of life that resulted in your death by filling you with new life. And at the time I wasn't really worried about failure, I was just too busy trying to pour enough life into you before your soul slipped away to the nearest temple.

It's not your fault that you had difficulty at that point. We all did our best when we got ambushed, and you dying was as much bad luck as anything else. That you got a Death Affliction which made it impossible for you to look at the frogs without panicking is also not your fault, since from what I've heard it's impossible to resist those Death Afflictions.

This game really is different from most others, even most multiplayer games. Single player games are of a completely different level, but even with most multiplayer games you don't get this involved. You work together with people, but in the end people are just text or voices coming from your screen. Even if you use video to see each other's faces it's just a picture on your screen. This world... People aren't just something on your screen, or in your speakers or headset. The people of this world aren't just bits of data. The fact that the world is all around you... It's breathtaking, really.

I'd have to ask one of the veterans if they've encountered other events then to compare this event to others. But you're right that this event felt very... natural. Rather than that there was some kind of globally programmed set of events it felt a lot more realistic, that something happened and that a lot of things happened in response, but without all that information being publicly available. If I hadn't happened to wander towards Astorea once I entered the game I might never have heard about the event until the war had already long since passed.

If you're really still bothered by how our expedition at the cliffs turned out I'm always willing to talk about it. I think you did fine but I understand if you're feeling bad about it, since things didn't go quite as well as they could have. We all did our best and we can be proud of ourselves, but don't be afraid of venting to me to help get rid of the bad feelings.

A little bit of love and a lot of love,
Vina

 

Zelrius

I agree, I am glad that it was only a slight phobia, and not something more nefarious. I guess if not forcing you to do things you wouldn't otherwise do like share information or perform acts isn't a reason to trust the Terrasphere 'Gods that be', then there'd be nothing to convince someone to trust them. It just makes me wonder about their true intentions even more. That being said, the Death Affliction is gone of me, and I am happy enough to say I feel like my normal self, even if that means I am a bit uncomfortable. Not that Ranidaphobia was making me feel any better.

I am glad to hear that. If I may be a bit honest, it actually kind of tugged at my heartstrings to see the people of Astorea suffer for a while there. I know they're NPCs, but the wails of children and family coming across the loss of their homes and other family members was just... gut wrenching. I hid in Brisshal while that cleared up, but it is certainly nice to see things settling back into normality. And with any luck, as much as I hate players interfering with Politics, the group of 'Immortals' as the nobility of Astorea should bring a bit of stability to the area. It means I can walk away from it for a bit without feeling guilty about leaving anyone in their own puddles, if that makes any sense.

Perhaps, I wasn't very good at it before, but I certainly wasn't as bad as I am now. A few pointers and maybe someone to practice on wouldn't hurt, right? I am sure no one would mind. Afterall, it's just a bit of teasing fun, nothing else. Yea...

I don't see why not. Here's my thinking. If we stop by the Fort, those Frogs might already know you a bit, and maybe if we can find the one that you saved by convincing me not to kill it, perhaps he could put in a good word for you or something. Maybe get us on a bit of a better foot with them. If we don't get that lucky, like I said, you'll come first in my mind before the well-being of a Frog. We'll talk more on this when we near their area, there's a few points and kind of 'rules' I'd like to set if we are going together, if that's okay with you. As for staying alone, I'd like to, but it probably wouldn't be for long, especially with no one to connect to. Though as mentioned before, maybe a break from Falderen and all people with ties to there would be in order for me... I dunno, lots of considerations, again, we can talk about it more during our walk back.

Well, for the diversity, I meant more here in the New England area specifically. The States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire are considered the New England area, since thats what it was called before the Colonies were separated and named and governed differently. Because it's where the first English settlers - the Pilgrims - Landed and spread out along, if that makes any sense. Not very diverse in terms of demographic numbers, but I suppose you made an interesting point; from my point of view, its nothing new, the multiculturalism. I've never thought of it through the lens of someone from Europe, especially not the Northern parts. Ahaha, yea, we're not known for exactly caring about the waist sizes. Though now that you've poked fun at our food, I am inclined to ask you to share what it's like back in Norway? Is there cultural aspect from there that you're not a particular fan of? What about a favorite cultural tradition?

Well, lucky for you, practical is subjective, eh? Sure, you might not be able to apply it on a day to day basis, and it might not be as widely used as a well-built building designed from an isometric blueprint, but it might be just as widely enjoyed or appreciated. It doesn't need to all be masterpieces, and if you're one of the lucky few who can get away with doing a passion degree, then by all means. Some aren't so lucky, some like myself squander it and deserve all the criticism we get for wasting an opportunity like that. How I wish I could have given that chance to someone who deserved it more. Best of luck with your future though, I don't have any advice to give you.

Worried? That it might spread or worried for the people handling it? I personally have made it a habit to wear gloves and cover every inch of skin that I can when in the area, and always shed clothes if they become caught; don't fight or struggle with it and risk getting cut. I don't actually know if it can do something, but I am not willing to find out. As for what it might do; they're fruits. Or atleast, crystallized versions of what appear to be fruits, and they seem to bud and grow just like normal fruit. So my guess is, just like the crystalline fox that skulks between the trees, it's just part of the ecosystem, similar to berries and real foxes are to us. So, what I am getting at is, I don't think they'll mind if a few going missing. Afterall, Brisshal isn't ruined when the Gatherers go out to harvest a few apples, right? As for how it operates, I honestly just think it's like Pormont, for example, but everything is infected with that disease. The things that live there were infected and adapted to live with it, and the things that couldn't adapt are dead. Basically what I am getting at is, I think that any damage that is done, is already done. Now on the same note of the Fruits spreading the disease, I am equally worried. However, what I am more worried about is why are they so valuable to merchants? Is there someone a bit further away who is collecting these Crystals? and if so, for what purpose? Just a bit of speculation, and if you have your own, I encourage you to share.

 

Zelrius

You're not a bother Vina! I quite enjoy having you around, and if that isn't exemplified by the fact that I invite you to travel with me quite a bit, I guess I need to be more straightforward in how I communicate that. Try not to go too slow on the walk though, as much as I'd like to drag out the journey and talk more, I'd also not like to spend more time than is necessary left-foot right-footing it across Terra. Don't get me wrong, I'd enjoy a walk along the sights of Terra, but given we've already been in that area before, it can get a bit tedious, though I suppose you haven't seen much of the Esuilus have you? Well, maybe a bit of a slow down wouldn't be such a hassle in that case...

It'd make sense if it was like that. Or if, instead of AI, they did a set of starting conditions, and from there, those starting conditions spiraled into what we have. And instead of rules that dictated every aspect, had more like 'guard rails' that stopped things that were too crazy from happening. The answer is, I don't know for sure, again, I am just a speculator, but that is one of the many answers. Perhaps a combination of both? AI that is given a set of those guidelines that then self created the starting conditions that spiraled into the world we know today? Perhaps the Religions of Terra might actually point to some clues, greaattt, another thing to investigate.

As for update, the most common method today is to have a test server, and only replace chunks of code at a time, test, rinse, repeat. And then once they get everything working exactly the way they want it, implement it. But if the AI just goes crazy and makes its own stuff, that'd be more difficult to implement smoothly, especially if the AI is self learning kind of like the Nintendo tech. Hmm, The game clearly has changes to it, and now I wonder if it's more a collection of things? Maybe us players experience things that are pre-coded, like our GUI and Menus, but the World Building is left to an AI? So the world doesn't need updated, just our Masteries and what not, which would explain why the NPCs have no clue about anything regarding that. It makes sense to me. What are your thoughts?

The servers would have to be massive, so unless they're an underground facility under some desert with massive solar farms, there has to be a way to track them, right? Though it is entirely possible that a massive underground facility could be built in a country where they don't keep good track of construction projects, and then the energy is 'stolen' from long distances? It just seems that everytime I try to answer a question for you regarding this to the best of my abilities, three more pop up. I'll certainly need to ask around, and maybe go on one of those Forum board sites like reddit and see if anyone's done a Google Maps scan. Perhaps the BBC has answers that you're looking for? I am sure your uh... female charm might get people to be more willing to answer questions for you than some rando being like 'you guys heard of this shit????'

I am sure I won't complain either way. The silence is deafening sometimes, the lack of a soundtrack on this game really brings out the ringing in my ears from time to time. So, any amount of singing and flute playing is welcome, though if you insist I can push for an instrument, perhaps try something acoustic? If you own nothing of the sort, I'd be more than happy to stop at a shop somewhere and buy it for you sometime in the near future, or even go so far as to get one hand made by a carpenter or of the like? Is there any kind of instrument you'd like to learn to play here in Terrasphere?

We certainly were underprepared, both in supplies and information on what we needed to do there, and as much as I hate to blame others, that was a huge contributing factor to that difficulty. That and me blindly running in at enemies we couldn't see. Can I just say how much I admire Claire's ability to hear the Bowstring snaps, recognize that was the sound of Arrows being slinged through the air, and then being able to keep a cool enough mind to bring up a wall to block the projectiles? Absolutely amazing, I've always been envious of people like you and her who can make it look so natural when playing a game like that.

Well, I should start heading back to the Road now, if you'd like to meet up sometime soon. As for talking about the expedition, it's a bit emotional for me, so I'd hope you'd understand if I said I'd rather talk about it face to face with someone, and not behind a screen. That and forgive me for not being so willing to send you messages that you'd be able to record in some way. Not that I think you'd mock me, but you never know with some people, right?

My Feet Hurt,
Zelrius.