TEST DRIVE: JUNE

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: JUNE —

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 Monday, May 25th and Applications open Monday, June 1st.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• IMPORTANT! We have made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!

Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try? The following emotions will have more effect than usual: hope, despair, fear, and bravery.

• 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.

• 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: The latest entry in the hot 'Forgefires' series is about to come out, and lines in front of bookstores are blocking the streets! How will you get to your destination when your path is full of frenzied cosplayers who don't dare move lest they lose their spot in line? You might want to be careful, too—some fans are getting into heated arguments about their favorite characters so things might start literally flying if left unchecked!

• Prompt E: Things have been getting a little gloomy lately, so a group of youths have designed the first ever Verens Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament. Somehow you've won through the lower ranks, and are now a finalist. The state of the city is riding on you (or so they claim), so face your opponent and somehow manage to make this farce exciting enough to lift the moods of the spectators (mostly kids). Just be careful. If you do poorly, you might find a tomato or two thrown at you.

• Prompt F: Welcome to FEAR FACTOR! An exciting new brand of entertainment where contestants participate in various challenges that touch home to the most innate fears humans share. Lying in a pit of creepy crawlies; climb up high, precarious structures; go one-on-one with wild animals—can you handle it? Are you brave enough to go for the 1 million sylv prize? Or will fear cripple you and leave you with nothing!? Only one way to find out! Oh, and one more thing—your emotions will definitely effect everything, so if you're climbing up that rusty, half broken steel tower and it starts shaking, that's probably because you're scared out of your wits. Don't let it crumble!

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include giant cheese wheels and/or bucket of nails.

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!

Comments

[trustycrowbar]

Well that explains my blurred vision...

[As though cued, there's a loud hypodermic PSSSHT sound and Gordon grunts.]

"Neurotoxin detected. Releasing antivenom." [That was definitely not his voice.]

Ah, good. I can't help but wonder just how this suit synthesizes all those meds. Black Mesa was pretty quick to drug us all up in the name of science... Too bad I can't extract it. I wouldn't have to scrape together a living collecting wyvern shit samples, that's for sure...

[Gordon, you're going to have to learn to control your train of thought better.]

[biggreenragemonster]

Academia is a glamorous profession, I know.

[He had catagorized the HEV suit as a shitty iron man knock off, but if it can automatically produce tailor made antivenom...]

Where did you get that suit?

[trustycrowbar]

[It may not have a shwarma-finding AI on board, but it does the job.]

Black Mesa. DoD-contracted research facility. Two months ago I'd be little more concerned about telling anyone about it; doing that was fast and easy way to have all your credibility mysteriously disappear. But the place was bombed into a fine powder just after I left it, and I doubt there's anyone living back home who even cares about security clearance anymore.

[He seems to have made it back to his research base, judging by the cooler vibe from the amulet now. Well, maybe a little bit of annoyance lingers...]

Ngh, speaking of wyvern shit, guess what I stepped in? Anyway, the suit was ostensibly meant for handling hazardous materials, which is was I was doing at the time.

[biggreenragemonster]

I'd say wyverns count as hazardous material.

[Well, it wasn't like Bruce had never done military research.]

[trustycrowbar]

That's an understatement. Fortunately this thing was padded out with a weapons selection system, so while dragons probably weren't on the list of hazards specified in the blueprints, they knew an on-board geiger counter wasn't going to defend against everything.

[The crystal turns a contemplative shade. Hold on, he's doing a Science.]

Alright, skin and blood samples cataloged. Hopefully I don't have to collect them the HARD way like that again.

[biggreenragemonster]

Fantastic. I've got the lab set up for when you get back.

Or at least, what qualifies as a lab with this 19th century tech to work with.

[trustycrowbar]

Thanks, Bruce... between you, me, and Tony, we'll inject some modern tech into that inquisitor's dungeon of a laboratory within a week or two. Hell, you've done post-doc work; you know what it's like to build an ion-exchange chromatography rig out of a a nine-volt battery and some bleach and vinegar because that's all you can afford on your grant, right?

[biggreenragemonster]

Tony does more hard tech stuff, but I once built a centrifuge out of a bicycle. It worked pretty good too.