6 months later. Mythic Inspirations, the company making YGGDRASIL decided to hold an annual shareholders meeting.
As I set in my office waiting for the shareholders meeting to begin. I sift through various avatars I could put on screen to cover up my actual appearance. Ultimately, I simply decide to leave it blank. After all I wasn't the most artistically inclined individual in my past life, or my present one for that matter. Luckily for me a large number of artists actually work for this game company, one of the reasons its avatars and NPCs are so esthetically pleasing. Or in some cases horrific.
(Connection established.) The AI informs me.
"Hello everyone. My name is Akimitsu Kimura. I am the chairman of the board of directors for Mythic Inspirations."
The man informs us with all of the polite niceties. He appears to be a rather young man. Bright-eyed seems that he is a programmer who with his colleagues decided to found the company. Most of which my background information on them through my investigations are actually on the board of directors as well as heading various programming departments.
Mr. Kimura rubs his hands together and starts speaking.
"For those of you who are new, let me explain to you what we are providing."
"We are not endeavoring to provide. We will provide the absolute highest quality in depth, environmental player experience for a multi dive environmental game. To date. What we in the industry call a DMMO-RPG."
Then he goes into depth describing the game as well as the history of the genres. It's based on several RPG games, including D&D.
I wait patiently as he goes through his explanations answering questions, making statements and reassuring the other investors.
After about an hour or so, most of the investors reassured start logging off from the meeting.
When there is only 2 other investors aside from myself, I decide to pose a few questions.
"Mr. Kimura the setting as you mentioned is heavily influenced with Norse mythology. Are there any other mythological settings or themes you intend to insert through the game system. If so how are you planning to handle the mechanics and lore of such cross pollinations between mythologies within the game?"
His eyebrows go up and his eyes seem to begin to shine talking about a subject. He is very passionate about as he responds.
"Mr. Suzuki that is a very good question. While the actual game mechanics have already been solved, the lore is another matter. We do have plans to insert multiple crossovers through various mythological pantheons and systems from human history. One of those we will be starting from is Greek mythology, right after the initial start up period has passed."
I respond. "Since your first basis is through Norse Mythology utilizing the old Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role playing game system, you might want to look at the other game systems it was tied to. Including one as I recall that allowed it to tie and cross over with multiple different genres, everything from comic books to movies."
His head immediately shoots up and looks at me. "Oh, please Mr. Suzuki do tell, one of the biggest problems we're having isn't a hardware or software issue. But an actual lore issue that would allow us to justify the multiple crossovers we have planned for future releases and events within the game itself."
I lean back in my chair as I respond. "As I recall there was a role playing card game called Magic the Gathering. In this game the player took on the role of a caster, a Magic user who was born with a spark in their soul that when ignited would allow them to travel from one universe and 1 world to another, through an interdimensional space. Referred to in some mythologies as the Ginnungagap or in game what was referred to as the blind eternities."
"In game this type of spell caster was considered a minor God with infinite longevity. They did not age from the moment their spark ignited and possessed a Quasi form of immortality that made them incredibly difficult to kill. They continuously healed and regenerated. Their primary ability is to tap into areas. To use the areas accumulated magical energy the card game referred to as manna. Tapping into these areas created a permanent link that also allowed the character to traverse back-and-forth between different universes and different worlds. They did this by using the lands they were connected to as navigational beacons within the game systems lore."
"The Magic user the player played as had a strong lean towards summoning Magic. Because that is how the card based system actually worked for the most part. In the lore of the game the magic caster would capture or make physical contact with a creature and gain a template of the creature that would allow them to summon a copy of the creature that had all of the creatures knowledge instincts and capabilities at the time of the physical contact. However they would be under the summoner's control."
"In the lore, because the character the players played as did not rely on specifically their own internal manna supply to fuel their Magic but lands they could accumulate vast and startling power."
"In the game's lore this made them the equivalent of minor gods. However the level of their power was contingent upon the number of lands, type and quality of lands, they had connections to to draw magical energy from."
"Because of their ability to traverse worlds and universes the card game actually made connections to various different genres, everything from comic books to movies as well as other role playing games and tabletop games. Because of this in the card game, you could actually find rare cards that were of individual characters or creatures from various movies, video games, comic books, television series, you name it. It was there."
"If you are interested I could give you what information I have on the lore of this card game and its system as well as the different worlds it was connected to within its own lore, as well as the lore it had connecting it to other fictional universes."
As we chat back-and-forth the other 2 individuals in the conference roll their eyes and promptly log out. Apparently not interesting in the nerd lore we are so engrossed in.
I package up the information I was able to accumulate on the various systems and genres Magic The Gathering was tied into including the books and lore I could find. Everything from the Plains Walker's, the wars against the Phyrexians to Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. I even added rare and unique cards within the information, such as the cards that tied the setting to Marvel and DC. Like the Juggernaut card and the Wonder Woman card.
I did all of this because it's part of my future plans. After all, who doesn't want a motorcycle that transforms into a suit of power armor?
I know that the game will have multiple advanced hidden classes for physical combat types such as warriors, monks, knights and paladins. But it seemed in the Manga, light novel and anime there were almost no hidden class advancements for magic users. Planting this seed in his mind could change that. I have a feeling that my conversation with him will inspire them to produce a hidden class called a Planes Walker within the game system.
So no I did not do this just so that they would have a lore based excuse for their crossovers. Quite frankly it's mostly to get rid of those stupid gundam looking small power suits and replace them with something that looks better, like I said, a motorcycle that transforms into power armor, I just like that idea and if I can manipulate someone's psychology into putting it into the game well I'm gonna do that.
After that we move on to discussing the world items and the way they tie into the lore of the game.
"If I'm reading this report that you provided right it says here. That the Magic items in the game tap into ambient magical energy for their abilities is that correct?"
"Yes." He says.
"It also says here that the world-class items and the super tier spells are exempt from this?" I ask.
"That is correct." He says. "We decided to do something different for the extreme higher tears."
"We could not figure out a way to actually power them using the existing lore and manna system ether from the environment or provided by the individual players, internal manna supply. So we decided to simply exempt it from the manna system altogether. We figured it would be easier since we couldn't figure out a lore workaround."
I decide to use this as an opportunity to fertilize the previous seed I planted in his mind.
"Maybe you could write it into the lore that they are tapping into the blind eternities, the Ginnungagap to power their ability to alter reality instead of relying on manna?"
"That would solve the blank spot in the lore problem. As will as give subtle clues to potential future events."
He looks at me beaming. "You know, sir. I do believe you have the soul of a storyteller."
I smiled back at him. "Yes, perhaps you're right, and I just hate loose ends."
"It always makes me feel like there's an itch I need to scratch. I can't stand it."
"I can understand that I tend to have the same problem." He responds.
"Let me get our head developer. And on this conversation." He says. "There's a lot of great ideas in here for the lore and some potential we might take advantage of in future updates." He responds as he begins reading through the files I sent him.
Moments later, a young woman who appears to be Caucasian wearing glasses appears on my screen. "Hello, my name is Sarah Duvall." She introduces herself.
The chairman introduces her as the lead on the programming side of the game.
We take time to do the proper introductions.
"Sarah let me send you some copies of these files I just received. They may be the key to plugging up some of the holes we had in our games lore." The chairman says.
She pushes the glasses up the bridge of her nose, and I notice there seems to be blue text scrolling across the glass of her glasses. It appears that she's wearing some form of smart glasses that help her with her programming.
"This is fascinating." She says. "I can see how this will help plug many of the holes in the lore. I especially like the idea of the blind eternities and Ginnungagap being the exact same thing. As well as the idea of it being used as a power source for the super tier spells and world items. Not to mention the plains walker concept. We were looking for something we could tie into the magic users as a special class, the same way the physical combat types have special classes tied to them."
"Thank you." I respond. "I'm a bit of a geeky nerd when it comes to late 20th and early 21st century role playing games. Though I never expected to find someone who shares my hobby during a shareholders meeting."
"If you don't consider it revealing too much information. Would you mind telling me if your game system has a that function worked into it?"
"Oh, yes it does, as well as a permanent soul binding system for specific items that are unique to individuals." She responds excitedly.
I pretend to think for a moment. Then I ask her.
"I don't suppose there's a way to pay to have a personal AI linked to a pet or a soul bound item, is there?"
"Yes there is." She responds. "We originally intended to make that part of a free service. However, corporate shut down the idea and decided to make it a pay process for that service. Even then only if the individuals bring their own AIs."
"Turns out that process would have been too expensive to run off of our own servers, even with a pay program, it would have been too expensive in data to run, so they decided to make it so that the individual purchasing that service would have to bring their own AI."
"We don't think many people are going to be using that service anyways. There's not that many people wealthy enough to own their own AIs. So we decided to just leave it as a niche area, for those that can afford to pay for it."
"Our conversations go on like that for several hours before we eventually decide to call it a day. Though we do share our information with each other so that we can contact each other later."
After the connections are ended. I lean back in my chair rather satisfied with myself. I was hoping to have an opportunity to make connections within that company that would allow me a road to the programmers. I did not expect that the head programmer would essentially be thrown into my lap.
"Great sage open Nazarick file." I say as I look out over the front of my estate through my office window. As a blue file folder, flashes onto the window, I turn and look through the large door into the meeting room just in front of my office as a small cleaning robot comes out of the wall and starts vacuuming the floor.
I absently observe the little bot run around vacuuming and dusting for a few moments before a settle in filling the file with the changes I wish to make to this universe's version of myself and Nazarick.
Let's see since I'm not going to be an undead in this universe, or the next one, I think I'll choose to be a shapeshifter of some type, probably a doppelgänger. Being a heteromorph of some type is absolutely necessary. Otherwise I'll never be allowed to join the Guild and probably won't even be approached to be one of its founding members.
All types of heteromorphs come with distinct advantages as well as disadvantages specific to their race. The doppelgänger is no exception.
An example of their advantages is they can switch between races and classes. Meaning they can go from any magic user class to any physical combat class. This is an incredible advantage in P V P. It means no matter who they're facing, they're always the most troublesome opponent to deal with because they always have the ability to switch to their opponent's weakness. If their opponent is weak to holy magic, they can switch to a paladin class and an angel race. If they're weak to one of the elements, they can switch to an elemental spell caster, or an elemental type race or both. You would think this would make them O P. To balance the system the devs decided to make the heteromorphic race of doppelgänger only have 80% of whatever they should normally have at their level. That's not as bad as you would think. A level 100 doppelgänger isn't playing with a level 80 stats. They are actually playing with a level one hundreds stats, but only at 80% of that one hundreds stats if they weren't a doppelgänger.
There are ways around this. A doppelgänger has 100 forms they can take, but they're all temporary. Except for each level they take in doppelgänger which gives them one permanent slot they can put a transformation in. From what I can tell from a few hints I picked up during the conversation. A doppelgänger can only stay in a transformed state for so long, except for their permanent transformation slots, which they can stay in as long as they want. Each one of those permanent slots is like having a complete alternate character and avatar in the game.
This means that in the original universe Ainz already figured out how to overcome the doppelgänger's limitations he just didn't know it. His eclipse class gives him a 150% of the stats for a level 100. If he was a doppelgänger instead of an overlord that would put him at a 120%, instead of 80%.
My intent is to get 11 levels in doppelgänger. Each level a permanent transformation slot that's going to have 9 of them going to heteromorphic races specific and unique to each of the 9 worlds, with the remaining 2 going to races which you can specialize in the alternate forms of magic that seem to exist in the system. This is mental magic or psychic abilities and time manipulation magic. I haven't found out yet, but if I do find that there is a race or magic class specific to space I'm going to add another permanent slot and get something for that. This is because during the several hours of conversation I found out that yes they do have the equivalent of an eclipse class for every type of magic user, not just the overlord of the undead race and necromancer class. I intend to get a permanent slot and dedicate it to each one of them I can get.
That's the true strength of the doppelgänger. You're not limited to one race or class. You can literally build separate characters.
The weakness is that you'll never be a full 100% of what you would be. If you were not a doppelgänger, so you'll go into every confrontation with a minor handicap.
I however, already have several templates to rare advanced classes. Starting with the undead race and the eclipse class in the necromancer field of magic user.
The next thing I want to change is Nazarick itself. Since I'm not going to be an undead and most of the other players in the Guild are not going to be undead. There's no reason for the Guild base to be a tomb.
I'm thinking a large, imposing, scary castle, fortress type bass. I'm also thinking it should be hidden inside of some sort of disguise field. The longer it takes for anyone to figure out where it is or what it is, the longer it is before they gang up on us, an attempt to invade our base.
I don't just want the base to be in an out of the way place. I want it to be so that even if they're in the area, they won't see it until they literally walk onto the base itself.
"Great sage, save and close the file." I say as I lean back
After a few moments of thought I immediately lean back over my desk and continue making notes after all tomorrow. I have a meeting with several department heads. And I'm interested to see how far the nuclear fusion project has gotten.