Fantasy Avarice:// The World That Never Was

[SniperBus]

Sorry to bug you ha, but how will death work as a mechanic in the roleplay? So how will we be able to gauge the popularity of our Avatars and if they are killed will we have to make new ones?

This roleplay idea is just so fleshed out, I can't stop coming up with ideas.

"So fleshed out" little does she know..

Anyway, I'm not bugged at all! I love questions in any form. I never want to kill off characters without the player's permission; after all, your characters are your pride and joy (probably). I will tell everyone their character's Popularity Rating at the start, and will tell you how much/when that rating changes. If it drops to the negatives, the company that made your Avatar will likely be very dissatisfied and will consider pulling the plug. Ultimately, unless you break my RP rules, it's up to you whether you kill off your character or not at that point. The death mechanic is more of an in-character way of influencing characters motivations/the theme of the story and less about making the RP more "difficult" or "hard", if that makes sense. Anyway, if you want your character to die at any point just PM me and I'll put it in the next post about how they die lol.

 

[Beebasaur]

Ooo that is interesting! Do Avatars get any perks for being more popular, other than not being killed?

It's also "she" not "He", don't worry I get it all the time.

 

[SniperBus]

Ooo that is interesting! Do Avatars get any perks for being more popular, other than not being killed?

It's also "she" not "He", don't worry I get it all the time.

Yep! Avatar strength scales with popularity in the form of exclusive/more dangerous quests, fights, and tournaments which of course means better rewards, which leads to more strength, which means more exclusive/dangerous quests, fights, and tournaments, which of course means...

Also, sorry about the confusion

 

[Beebasaur]

What sorts of rewards can our Avatars get? I assume things like equipment and money which can be spent on equipment. Are there monsters in the world like most RPGS that would have random encounters, or are battles limited to dungeons and quests? Can your Avatar have a pet or familar, either from the start or they earn/buy. Ahh I am sorry I keep flooding you with questions, this is the last ones for now!

I'm working on my character as we speak, just need to sketch her out.

And again, no worries, it happens all the time!

 

[SniperBus]

What sorts of rewards can our Avatars get? I assume things like equipment and money which can be spent on equipment. Are there monsters in the world like most RPGS that would have random encounters, or are battles limited to dungeons and quests? Can your Avatar have a pet or familar, either from the start or they earn/buy. Ahh I am sorry I keep flooding you with questions, this is the last ones for now!

I'm working on my character as we speak, just need to sketch her out.

(Rewards Question) 1. Avatars get access to more loadout slots, which allows them to either expand their power into more options in combat (having a variety of things equipped), or allows them to expand their power into more specific, stronger versions of the same options in combat (having more concentrated power in the few things they have equipped). Alternatively, they can do a mix of both. Improving equipment/spells/armor uses equipment slots, as does equipping more equipment, but you primarily get more slots through your character's popularity. (There is also gear that can reasonably only be obtained if a character is popular enough, yes.) For simplicity, Avatars do not use money. The world of Avarice offers its services to Avatars for free, with anything that they can't do/access being locked behind not being popular enough/strong enough, i.e. "this tournament only accepts avatars of popularity rating x or higher". The reward for winning such a tournament, instead of money, might be having your fights broadcasted on multiple national channels in the real world; obviously your character would want to win because that has direct benefits for your character. On top of which, if they don't do things to distinguish themselves they may fall into obscurity and be killed by their company.
edit: thinking about it, not having a currency doesn't make much sense, but since I hate keeping track of money we're keeping that as the canon lore for now kthx

(Monsters Question) 2. Battles are limited to dungeons, quests, tournaments, and random encounters with other avatars trying to show you up. There are also in-game events where an in-game city might be flooded with monsters, in which case yes, there would be random encounters there. In Avarice, only fights between Avatars are "instanced", meaning the world around them freezes in time while they fight, similar to random encounters in most RPGs where you are taken out of the overworld/main game and put into a sort of representation of where you are (look up Final Fantasy 1 random encounter for an example). All fights between Avatars are broadcasted or recorded.

(Familiars Question) 3. Yep. From the start, or they can tame it, or it can be a quest reward. Any number of things really.

Anyway, ask all the questions you want. It makes me happy to answer them and it gives me the opportunity to develop the world in ways I hadn't considered previously. On top of which, it gives other people more information to make their characters with soooooooooooooo

plsdon'tstopaskingquestions

 

[Beebasaur]

Well if you insist! I can't help it, you have me hooked!

What sort of monsters does Avarice have, like the normal stuff from like DnD? Does Avarice also have real world animals or fantasy equivalents?

What sorts of creatures can my Avatar have tamed?

Are Avatars allowed to have minors powers past their special ability? Say the Avatars main thing is they can turn invisible and when they do a flash of light appears that dazes their opponents or something crazy, but they also have minor electric powers and can shoot small sparks and lightly zap Avatars.

 

[Reytian]

May I join? Honestly gives me “Ready Player One” vibes and I love it.

 

[ShadowHounder]

patiently sits here and waits for the character sheet page to be posted.

 

[Beebasaur]

patiently sits here and waits for the character sheet page to be posted.

Isn't that a mood!

 

[SniperBus]

Well if you insist! I can't help it, you have me hooked!

What sort of monsters does Avarice have, like the normal stuff from like DnD? Does Avarice also have real world animals or fantasy equivalents?

What sorts of creatures can my Avatar have tamed?

Are Avatars allowed to have minors powers past their special ability? Say the Avatars main thing is they can turn invisible and when they do a flash of light appears that dazes their opponents or something crazy, but they also have minor electric powers and can shoot small sparks and lightly zap Avatars.

Well, that makes at least one of us that's hooked on this rp~

1) Whatever ridiculous nonsense I decide to throw at you. Things from dnd aren't out of the question, I've been playing a lot of that recently lol. (in reality, I do take time to think about what sorts of things to add in, they'll be based on the quest you're on. that's vague, my bad. basically, anything can be thrown at you, because everything is possible.)

2) Avarice has real world animals and fantasy equivalents. Basically anything in the real world will be represented because a large corporation has paid for the placement of it in game or because one of the Avatars only makes sense if it's in the world (i.e I'm panda girl, I like pandas. patch notes: pandas added). Since Avatars bring in a l o t of money for the devs of Avarice, they're quick to add anything and everything since everyone wants to be represented in this sort of pop-culture-gladiator-spectator-sport phenomenon.

3) Honestly anything, it's a world made of code. Go as fantastical and out there as you want. Anything is posssible within Avarice. That being said, though, have a justifiable reason for your character to have those specific tamed creatures. I know that it's unreasonable to ask you to balance out the power of the tamed creatures, since you have no examples to balance it against, but I'm asking you to do it anyway kthx. Just kidding, worry about balancing after the RP starts. If you are the kind of player that is making their character overpowered for the sake of being overpowered, you are not a good fit for this rp, I will find out, and I will kick you out of the rp. (not singling you out, this is bolded so everyone reads it but I know you're not like this beebasaur ily kthx) If your character is too powerful on accident, I will make every step to help you realize your character idea in a way that works for you and the other players because that's my job; to bring you weirdos together and help you realize your vision for the story.

4) I'm not supposed to tell you this super forbidden secret lore, but yes. That is completely allowed.
Tl;dr of the expansive system behind how powers work:
You have loadout slots. Each "spell" <- these two are the same thing -> "ability" "weapon", etc., takes one loadout slot. Depending on the rarity of the thing in the loadout slot is how many [Effects] it gets.
Effects are divided into two categories, [Recurrent] and [Unique]. [Recurrent] are frequently seen, and are common effects for gear to have, such as [Fire creation] or [Ice Damage] or [Stun] or [Area of Effect]. [Unique] just means the effect isn't seen that often tbh. [Unique] effects include things like [Light manipulation] or [Gravity] or [Warp].

Anyway, you decide on 1) a name for your thing. 2) it's rarity (common, the other ones I haven't gotten names for yet, or legendary). (and also actually I usually decide the rarity but this is a tl;dr so w/e) and then 3) choose what it does. then, 4) try to combine [Effects] in order to make it do what you want it to do.

Finally, example, using the example you chose.

Avatar: Lightning teleport guy
Loadout Slots: 5
Lightning Flash++- 3 slots used
[Unique Effect] - [Invisibility]
[Recurrent] - [Speed Enhancement]
[Recurrent] - [Blinding]
Description: he goes invisible and gets fast. then he flashes blinds people with light when he reappears.
Lightning Tickle - 1 slots used
[Recurrent] - [Lightning damage]
Description: he uses a weak lightning spark attack on you. get rekt.

I'll explain slots, powers, effects, etc., in more detail once the full character sheets are out. This is supposed to help your ideas; not to be a concrete view of how exactly the system works, as I still need to determine what works best for the rp and allows for supreme creative control for you guys b/c it's about you having fun.

edit: now I know I said this is not a concrete view of how the system looks; but the system will not be drastically different from this. What I've explained is basically how it works, I just need to explain things better and fix numbers and words around and all sorts of nonsense.

May I join? Honestly gives me “Ready Player One” vibes and I love it.

Yes. Please join. There's an incomplete cs on page one (around post 6 or 7 I think), as well as one great example by Nem . You can use that to start your character while I work on some of the broader systems for the full character sheets. Also, thanks!


...did any of this post make sense?

 

[Beebasaur]

Woo boy, with every answer I am getting more and more sucked in jeeze. All of that made total sense, and I'm glad you think so higly of me your trust has been misplaced I will make the most mary sure ever MWAHAHAHA! Thank you for this in depth answers, you're giving me way more than I ever expected and I am loving it! You mind if I PM you my character once I finish sketching her and her familar? That way you can confirm that is is alright and that it wouldn't be OP, I swear she isn't. That's currently all the questions I have, but I will let you know if I think of more!

 

[SniperBus]

Woo boy, with every answer I am getting more and more sucked in jeeze. All of that made total sense, and I'm glad you think so higly of me you're trust has been misplaced I will make the most mary sure ever MWAHAHAHA! Thank you for this in depth answers, you're giving me way more than I ever expected and I am loving it! You mind if I PM you my character once I finish sketching her and her familar? That way you can confirm that is is alright and that it wouldn't be OP, I swear she isn't. That's currently all the questions I have, but I will let you know if I think of more!

I do not mind if you PM me your character, but you run the risk of me loving your fanart forever. Sorry. That's just how business goes around here.

 

[Beebasaur]

I do not mind if you PM me your character, but you run the risk of me loving your fanart forever. Sorry. That's just how business goes around here.

I will just have to take that risk! I am almost finished her familar, give me like 5 seconds!

 

[ShadowHounder]

Time to prepare some complete insane and totally balanced techniques and abilities.

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Do I have to make a sheet too...?

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Tried to make a joke character. But also sort of serious at the same time.

Spoiler

Creator: Markus Lambert of Ceres-Networking
Project Name: Lucidity
Avatar ID:

Spoiler

EFV - 102B99
Appearance: I will get to drawing something soon-ish.

Lucidity sports a fashion sense not far from the frivolous pretentiousness they openly embrace in every aspect of their life. A shamelessly overbearing black high-collared cloak, paired by a bone-carved walking cane, their frail body, covered to the inch in designs of ink, are all clearly visible through the lace straps of a burlesque silk vest. This alone speaks volumes of how they wish to be perceived. Daring or plain foolish, one can only take one extreme judgement to another, when laying eyes on the garish sight of baggy silken pants, clasped together by rows of belts and chains, and the mismatched Egyptian-style sandals strutting down the street. One can only be immediately impressed or irked by him. Don't even start with the matching set of black nails, and wavy, yet somehow also perfectly layered hair tied together in a bun. Solely for the sake of showing off the excessive amounts of jewelry branding their head. If all of that wasn't enough, most people won't be able to take his constant sneer and snide-gazing eyes. The deep blue clashes with everything in the worst possible way.

But if you think his clothing is loud and attention-seeking, just wait until he opens his mouth.

Persona: Arrogant and flashy, Lucidity is an Avatar that embodies what it means to be the best at one thing. And one thing only. And this thing, is the very manifestation of their own self-centered viewpoint. Quite literally.

Note: Lucidity is 'blind'.

Origin: Being one of the proprietors of this new age of Virtual Reality; Ceres-Networking dominates the physical market through their advancement and patent over brain-linking software. Notably that of the electromagnetic cycles that allow the user to simulate their thoughts into code for machine-use. Their logo is synonymous with Virtual Reality, seen as common as there is a computer capable of deep-diving. As such, with their grand success, it is no surprise Ceres-Networking is able to fund many simultaneous marketing campaigns for their avatar projects. Ensuring their success and cementing their name in all households across the globe.

Lucidity, however, is not one of these major projects. Since there is a rule in Avarice preventing Ceres-Networking from monopolizing the market with their own avatars, they have opted to sponsor those they deem worthy of representing their name. By supporting through 'donations', it allows smaller independent groups to benefit from some branding recognition. At the cost of a small commission fee, of course.

For Lucidity, it is fate that the world is graced by their very conception and birth, a glorious forthcoming of a new age in the world of Avarice.
But for their creator, perhaps it is something more.

Signature Skill:

Reality;Lent: [Unique Effect]
A permanent [Aura] that fully encircles the user. This is actually Lucidity's only permitted ability, all load-out points (with any newly acquired ones) automatically allocated into this one move.

Within this aura, their command is absolute, and they are able to flawlessly detect any and all things within. There is no clear tell-tale sign that this ability is currently active, outside of the fact that Lucidity constantly moves around in order to 'see'. By physically speaking a command, it is deemed to be. Each command uses up one load-out point, until there is none left to use. Anything can be changed, so long as it is part of the game of Avarice. Be it Avatar or Entity, object or abstraction. But only so long as it remains within the 14m boundary. There are, however, four caveats to this rule of 'absolute control'.

1) This ability cannot effect itself in a way that alters or changes its own inherent rules.
2) This ability cannot be used to undo life or death of another Avatar.
3) Once a command is in effect, the only way to negate it is by the use of another command.
4) If all commands are used, and there is no way to negate their effects, after a short delay; all commands will automatically nullify themselves and Lucidity will lose control of Reality;Lent for a short duration afterwards.

Even God is limited in his creation of the universe.

 

[SniperBus]

patiently sits here and waits for the character sheet page to be posted.

no u

Time to prepare some complete insane and totally balanced techniques and abilities.

completely and totally balanced, just like microtransactions.

Do I have to make a sheet too...?

no

Tried to make a joke character. But also sort of serious at the same time.

Spoiler

Creator: Markus Lambert of Ceres-Networking
Project Name: Lucidity
Avatar ID:

Spoiler

EFV - 102B99
Appearance: I will get to drawing something soon-ish.

Lucidity sports a fashion sense not far from the frivolous pretentiousness they openly embrace in every aspect of their life. A shamelessly overbearing black high-collared cloak, paired by a bone-carved walking cane, their frail body, covered to the inch in designs of ink, are all clearly visible through the lace straps of a burlesque silk vest. This alone speaks volumes of how they wish to be perceived. Daring or plain foolish, one can only take one extreme judgement to another, when laying eyes on the garish sight of baggy silken pants, clasped together by rows of belts and chains, and the mismatched Egyptian-style sandals strutting down the street. One can only be immediately impressed or irked by him. Don't even start with the matching set of black nails, and wavy, yet somehow also perfectly layered hair tied together in a bun. Solely for the sake of showing off the excessive amounts of jewelry branding their head. If all of that wasn't enough, most people won't be able to take his constant sneer and snide-gazing eyes. The deep blue clashes with everything in the worst possible way.

But if you think his clothing is loud and attention-seeking, just wait until he opens his mouth.

Persona: Arrogant and flashy, Lucidity is an Avatar that embodies what it means to be the best at one thing. And one thing only. And this thing, is the very manifestation of their own self-centered viewpoint. Quite literally.

Note: Lucidity is 'blind'.

Origin: Being one of the proprietors of this new age of Virtual Reality; Ceres-Networking dominates the physical market through their advancement and patent over brain-linking software. Notably that of the electromagnetic cycles that allow the user to simulate their thoughts into code for machine-use. Their logo is synonymous with Virtual Reality, seen as common as there is a computer capable of deep-diving. As such, with their grand success, it is no surprise Ceres-Networking is able to fund many simultaneous marketing campaigns for their avatar projects. Ensuring their success and cementing their name in all households across the globe.

Lucidity, however, is not one of these major projects. Since there is a rule in Avarice preventing Ceres-Networking from monopolizing the market with their own avatars, they have opted to sponsor those they deem worthy of representing their name. By supporting through 'donations', it allows smaller independent groups to benefit from some branding recognition. At the cost of a small commission fee, of course.

For Lucidity, it is fate that the world is graced by their very conception and birth, a glorious forthcoming of a new age in the world of Avarice.
But for their creator, perhaps it is something more.

Signature Skill:

Reality;Lent: [Unique Effect]
A permanent [Aura] that fully encircles the user. This is actually Lucidity's only permitted ability, all load-out points (with any newly acquired ones) automatically allocated into this one move.

Within this aura, their command is absolute, and they are able to flawlessly detect any and all things within. There is no clear tell-tale sign that this ability is currently active, outside of the fact that Lucidity constantly moves around in order to 'see'. By physically speaking a command, it is deemed to be. Each command uses up one load-out point, until there is none left to use. Anything can be changed, so long as it is part of the game of Avarice. Be it Avatar or Entity, object or abstraction. But only so long as it remains within the 14m boundary. There are, however, four caveats to this rule of 'absolute control'.

1) This ability cannot effect itself in a way that alters or changes its own inherent rules.
2) This ability cannot be used to undo life or death of another Avatar.
3) Once a command is in effect, the only way to negate it is by the use of another command.
4) If all commands are used, and there is no way to negate their effects, after a short delay; all commands will automatically nullify themselves and Lucidity will lose control of Reality;Lent for a short duration afterwards.

Even God is limited in his creation of the universe.

oh, and she made a sheet. smh shura.
Anyway, this looks fine ngl. I can imagine this character being supported by ironic memers for popularity. As for the power, assuming it's not permanent and the effect ends on anything that leaves the area (and it doesn't insta-win fights), it's fine. Also, I love the lore. Good job!

 

[Sludge]

completely and totally balanced, just like microtransactions.

 

[Beebasaur]

My baby

Spoiler: Character

Creator:
Valleyco Purified Water

Project Name:
Mahogany

Avatar ID:
8523-7350

Appearance:
Mahogany is very reminiscence of a fawn from folklore, standing only at 4'9 with light brown skin and furry legs like a goat. She is normally found in a orange and green sundress but occasionally she'll wear actual armor if needed. Her hair looks like it is constantly in blowing in the wind, a wild mess that is somehow still graceful. Don't make any assumptions though, as dainty as she looks she has the body of a fighter and is actually pretty muscly.

Persona:
"Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee" this simile describes Mahogany to a T. Her heart is as golden as honey and just as sweet, mothering everyone around her and accepting them into her loving arms. Her love extends to everyone, even those she has to fight, as the anger she used to have had long since faded away. Mahogany is the protector of all that Avarice creates, and despite her power in battle she is not a fighter at heart. Forced into this lifestyle she had to adapt, hardening her mind so she could fight without fear, and pushing past the walls put in her path. Her agility and quick thinking makes her a pain to fight, but the moment the battle ends she is rushing around to make sure everyone is alright. She struggles to fight those younger than her and getting her to fight animals can be nearly impossible. She'll always opt for the passive path, turning to fists only if she has no other choice.

Origin:
Mahogany spent most of her in a protected valley sanctuary, protecting the animals and environment to the best of her ability. As the technology of Avarice grew around her, she did everything to protect her little bubble. Eventually they broke through, destroying her valley as they chopped down the trees, hunted the animals and worst of all, polluted the cool fresh valley water that ran through her valley. This complete destruction of her home angered her, it made her bones tremble, and fists clench. She promised that she would fight, fight for the world she lost, fight for the trees they burned, the animals they killed, and the water now polluted.

Signature skill:
"Forest Sonata"
By working together with her familiar Impu she can sing a minute long melody that not only calms and pacify her opponents along with making them drowsy and if she has enough power she can even send people to sleep. Depending on her target's will power it can last from 1 minutes to 20, giving her time to tie them up and make them incapable of fighting. The only problem is the song is a full minute long, meaning she'll have to sing the entire thing without stopping with Impu while in the middle of battle. She has a shorter version that is only 30 seconds but it is much less effective and only slows her opponents down. If her song is interrupted the spell ends and she has to start over, and if Impu is incapacitated she can no longer cast the minute long spell and can only make opponents slower and slightly sleepy.

I spent way too much time drawing her appearance lol.​

 

[Beebasaur]

You ready for some more questions!

Okay so how sentient are entities, are they like NPCs in video games that have set dialogue they can repeat or are they dumbed down AI that can change based on their environment but not to the extent of Avatars? Do companies also pay to have entities sell/endorse their brands and products?

Can Companies create items exclusive to their avatars that they can earn based on their popularity?

What is the extent that Companies are allowed to help their Avatars and fiddle with the world?

 

[SniperBus]

You ready for some more questions!

Okay so how sentient are entities, are they like NPCs in video games that have set dialogue they can repeat or are they dumbed down AI that can change based on their environment but not to the extent of Avatars? Do companies also pay to have entities sell/endorse their brands and products?

Can Companies create items exclusive to their avatars that they can earn based on their popularity?

What is the extent that Companies are allowed to help their Avatars and fiddle with the world?

Always.

1) Entities are dumbed down AI that can change based on their environment but not to the extent of Avatars.
2) Yes, companies do and can pay to have entities in game advertising their brands/products; or to have entities maintaining a virtual representation of their company in Avarice for branding purposes.
3) No, companies cannot create exclusive items for their avatars (unless it's something your Avatar starts with, like Impu for you Beebasaur )
4) Companies can't really help their Avatars. They can, however, fiddle with the world. Companies/Rich individuals can pay the developers/people maintaining Avarice money to create custom events, tournaments, quests, etc., in Avarice.

 

[Beebasaur]

That makes sense! Does the game get updated past the Avatars, like updated with better graphics new challenges and patches, and what is the company that made Avarice?

Is Avarice on one big like server and if so what would happen if the server was shut down or reset?

Can Avatars make alliances with others and team up for battles and quests?

I have to get this tasty lore, but these are the last ones I have for the time being.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Always.

1) Entities are dumbed down AI that can change based on their environment but not to the extent of Avatars.
2) Yes, companies do and can pay to have entities in game advertising their brands/products; or to have entities maintaining a virtual representation of their company in Avarice for branding purposes.
3) No, companies cannot create exclusive items for their avatars (unless it's something your Avatar starts with, like Impu for you Beebasaur )
4) Companies can't really help their Avatars. They can, however, fiddle with the world. Companies/Rich individuals can pay the developers/people maintaining Avarice money to create custom events, tournaments, quests, etc., in Avarice.

On the topic of Q&A, when should we be expecting the CS page to be open for posting?

 

[SniperBus]

That makes sense! Does the game get updated past the Avatars, like updated with better graphics new challenges and patches, and what is the company that made Avarice?

Is Avarice on one big like server and if so what would happen if the server was shut down or reset?

Can Avatars make alliances with others and team up for battles and quests?

I have to get this tasty lore, but these are the last ones I have for the time being.

1) Yes, it does. and I hven't come up with a suitably cool name for the dev team yet.
2) Avatars are hosted on private servers (large rooms dedicated to hosting the massive amount of data they take up) but are simulated in Avarice, which is its own massive server. So yes and no. If it shut down, all of the Avatars would stay in their own server rooms. Same with resetting. lmk if that doesnt make sense.
3) Yep! You lot will probably do that a bunch.

On the topic of Q&A, when should we be expecting the CS page to be open for posting?

Either tonight or tomorrow night; work has me dead hahaaaaaaaa.
sendhelp

 

[ShadowHounder]

1) Yes, it does. and I hven't come up with a suitably cool name for the dev team yet.
2) Avatars are hosted on private servers (large rooms dedicated to hosting the massive amount of data they take up) but are simulated in Avarice, which is its own massive server. So yes and no. If it shut down, all of the Avatars would stay in their own server rooms. Same with resetting. lmk if that doesnt make sense.
3) Yep! You lot will probably do that a bunch.

Either tonight or tomorrow night; work has me dead hahaaaaaaaa.
sendhelp

*power hugs intensifies*