#mmorpg programming

[self-loving-vampire]

I do think it is figuratively possible for art to be "soulless" but it has little to do with whether you had a computer program make it or not.

A lot of the best examples of art I would describe as "soulless" (again, not in a literal or supernatural sense) were made entirely by humans and include things like generic gacha games, low-effort cash grab MMORPGs, yearly releases of stuff like Madden and FIFA, mass-produced wish fulfillment isekai, and more.

[eurothug4000]

INTERVIEW ON THE MAKING OF THE CANCELLED MMORPG NINELIVES

Ninelives is the most beautiful RPG that was never completed, but can still be experienced as it was left. As part of my video on the game (now up for early access on Nebula), I also interviewed Tota of SmokymonkeyS on its inspirations and development before its suspension in 2016.

What would you say are your main inspirations for the art style in Ninelives? E.g. other artists, film, games, literature, history etc.!

I was a huge fan of Adventure Gamebook when I was a kid. Well, maybe you don't know what that is. Please read the wiki if you need: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamebook. I was reading (playing) translated oversea gamebooks well, and love the inner artwork especially what draw by monochrome. I had never seen pictures like that before, and had a strong impact on me. So, I wanted to make a gamebook by my self. When I started making my own gamebooks, I learned a lot about how games are made. That's because a gamebook is a medium in which the player can see all the source code. At first I started making gamebooks because I was attracted by the artwork, but my interest eventually shifted to making the game itself.

Related to the above, do you take a lot of inspiration from real world cultures and places? Are there any that you particularly gravitate towards?

I like the mixed culture, like Chinoiserie in France at the 17 century. Plus, since I'm Japanese and this country has always been greatly influenced by China. So I'm not limited to any one of these cultures, but trying to create as I am influenced by all of them. Sometimes people say that what I create looks Japanese, Chinese, or Asian, which is neither correct nor incorrect. I try not to be only of a certain culture when I create. That's because I want to create an imaginary world that is somewhat like reality, but slightly different.

Why did you want to make Ninelives?

Ninelives was the first game I ever thought of making, I think when I was about 17.

Do you think Ninelives being in an unfinished state provides a different atmosphere when playing the game and exploring the world?

I don't particularly think so. The atmosphere of the game is still complete. I wanted the game to be a relaxed, free-roamed adventure for players.

I wasn't certain during my research, so I wanted to confirm if Tomomi Sakuba was involved in Ninelives in any way?

Yeah, Sakuba was involved in Ninelives lots of ways. As you said, he did some of the texture pictures for flowers, plants and tree leaves. He also drawn the world map and area maps of the game like below: http://www.smokymonkeys.com/kyrill/index.asp?direct=138 He actually walked around the world by himself to make this. He was one of the most earliest game tester of the game. Oh, and I have to tell you this. He's a voice actor of male Nightbreed and Elf! In addition, his wife did some of creature voices. Her voice is also used on Triglav too!

What are your own personal thoughts on Ninelives? Is there anything you would drastically change looking back on it? Or any big changes you would want to make if you were to continue development at any point?

Ninelives was too much for me in many ways. It was a world I had been thinking about since I was young, but there were too many things to actually create to handle, and in that sense it's exactly the dream a child thinks about. We are a team of two in SmokymonkeyS, but one of us is in charge of programming and system engineering, and the game itself was created completely by myself. I had to create all the pictures, models, terrain, music, and story by myself. Now if I'm going to make something, I don't make it on such a large scale anymore.

Apart from the Switch release for Garage and occasional updates on Triglav that you mentioned before, is there anything that SmokymonkeyS are working on for the future?

Not yet so far.

I noticed your banner on the official website (http://www.smokymonkeys.com/kyrill/index.asp) has a character on a train platform, I wondered if that might be a future game?

Once it was. It was a previous project of Triglav for mobile. But it was going to be on a larger scale again, so we decided to port Triglav before that. There are no plans to make that game now. But I may make another game with that worldview and atmosphere. For example, as a mobile game.

A big thank you to Tota for taking the time to answer my questions! You can find SmokymonkeyS and their games here:

[starlightrosess]

˚₊⋆｡°✩₊ /whisper: I love you

summary: You and your boyfriend Choso log into Sins of Valor for another raid night—only to stumble into a chaotic, endearing guild that might just become your new online home.

word count: 2.3k

tags: fluff, modern setting, mmorpg, raid mechanics, online friendships, light humor, voice chat banter, slice of life

notes: Lots of MMORPG/raid terminology is going to be used in this fic!! If you don’t have any idea what something means, feel free to ask and I can explain! Sins of Valor is heavily based on Final Fantasy XIV, so expect terms like “glamour,” “pull,” “tank buster,” “ready check,” and more.

credits: @strangergraphics-archive for dividers

➽ CHAPTER ONE

"Ready Check?"

‎‎‎‎➤ THE BUS RIDE HOME SMELLS LIKE BURNT OIL AND CHEAP COLOGNE. You lean your head against the window, watching the city fly past you as you listen to your favorite music in your earbuds. You're running on four hours of sleep and a half finished sandwich you had three hours ago. Soon, you'll be home and at your computer. Ready to log into your newest obsession, Sins of Valor.

Sins of Valor is a popular MMORPG known for its hard raids and welcoming community. Not to mention the story for the game is actually amazing, worth playing through unlike other MMOs. Ever since the servers of your last favorite MMO shut down, your boyfriend Choso and you have been trying to find a new one to sink your teeth into. That's when you came across Sins of Valor. Ever since you started playing it a few months ago, you haven't been able to stop. Somehow catching up to the endgame content within those short months.

Now it's all you can think about, while you work, while you cook dinner, while you hang out with irl friends. Sins of Valor has infected your brain, and honestly it feels like a problem with how much you think about it. You wonder what kind of outfits you can make to match with Choso, or watch videos on the newest raid's coming out, or try hunting down cool weapons or figure out the best gear for each class.

The bus stopping at that familiar stop takes you away from your thoughts. You quickly grab your stuff and leave the bus, giving the driver a quiet thank you as you do. You then walk into your apartment building and walk up the stairs to yours.

Your apartment greets you in silence. The same dark room. The same desk light, left on. Same hoodie tossed on the back of your chair and the pile of dirty clothes left on the floor that you have yet to get to. This used to feel so lonely a few years back, but knowing someone is already waiting for you makes it less so.

You boot up your PC, clicking through the login screen and watching as certain apps and programs boot up on start. Discord being one of them, you already have a few messages from your favorite person. You smile as you click on his DM's.

ch0s0: you home yet ch0s0: found a raid group that needs another person ch0s0: saved the spot for you, if you still wanna run it

You smile before typing away a reply.

you: be there in 5, work sucked. ch0s0: vc?

And before you know it, you hear the familiar ring of a discord call play through your headphones as you throw them on. You answer and then quickly start clicking away to load up the game and log in. You hear the soft background music of the main city play as you see Choso's character sitting on the edge of the fountain. The spot you always log out at and in. His character is wearing a matching outfit to yours, a fox-patterned kimono with a kitsune mask sitting at the side of his face. His character has pure white eyes and dark fluffy hair, two spike pigtails poke out at the top of his head. His character has light gray skin and long ears, he is an undead elf.

Your character was a fox race known as beastkin. There were tons of variants for it, cat people, dog people, bunny people, the list goes on. You were also wearing the same outfit as him, but your kitsune mask covered the face of your character instead.

"Hey," you say into the mic

"Hey," he replies softly. "You sound tired."

You chuckle softly, lord knows you are. Retail hell is real, and you find yourself wondering how common sense isn't as common every single day. You simply give him a hum in reply before Choso speaks up again.

"Let me send you that party invite for the raid."

You see the words "ch0so has invited you to a party!" pop up in the middle of the screen, you quickly accept and see the party list full of 8 peoples usernames pop up on the side of your HUD. The party chat is already going crazy with everyone tying there before one name in particular says something that catches your attention.

satoruwu: oh! satoruwu: is this the person you were waiting on ch0s0? ch0s0: yeah. satoruwu: perfect!! lets load into the raid then~

Your screen then darkens while the raid location loads in. Everyone is at the edge of a round battlefield, floating platforms and fractured sky pieces decorate the outside of the raid spot. The music softly transitions from the calm city music to the upbeat boss music. The boss is already standing in the middle of the battlefield, ready for the tank to force agro onto it. The chat then goes wild as you all load in.

[RAID: ★Tank★ Nanam1e has joined the party.] [RAID: ★DPS★ GetLowGeto has joined the party.] [RAID: ★Tank★ Dokt0rShok0 has joined the party.] [RAID: ★Healer★ Tea4T1me has joined the party.] [RAID: ★DPS★ OniBabe69 has joined the party.] [RAID: ★DPS★ satoruwu has joined the party.] [RAID: ★Healer★ ch0s0 has joined the party.] [RAID: ★DPS★ YOU have joined the party.]

satoruwu: hello helloooo~ 😘 you: o/ ch0s0: o7 GetLowGeto: oh we found replacements for milk and crit?👀 Nanam1e: Don’t scare them off in the first five seconds. Dokt0rShok0: LMAO too late satoruwu: actually forgot about this. satoruwu: would be easier if y’all join our discord—sending link now

A server invite pops up in party chat.

✧･ﾟ: Last Save Point :･ﾟ✧ — Join?

Choso hesitates, but you join immediately. Your eyes scanning the discord until you spot six people sitting in a VC titled "RAID OR DIE". You chuckle at the name before speaking to Choso.

"I'm going to join their VC, gonna be easier for call-outs on raid mechanics." Choso hums in reply, and you both join the VC.

Inside, it's loud.

Satoruwu's voice is unmistakable, he is already teasing someone else in the group about dying last pull. Dokt0rShok0 is already half asleep, you can hear her snoring a bit. Tea4T1me is yelling about food buffs, and GetLowGeto is explaining Phase 2 of the boss fight to everyone.

Your screen blinks, a ready check window pops up.

“Pulling in 5,” Nanam1e says.

"WAI-WAI-WAIT!!" Satoruwu shouts, causing you to immediately turn your headphones volume down.

"What." Nanam1e replies, clearing annoyed.. does he even like playing with these guys?

"Welllll, we don't know the newbies names! They don't know ours either! Might as well introduce ourselves to avoid confusion." He explains. Nanam1e lets out a sigh.

"I'll go first! I'm Satoruwu, but my real name is Satoru Gojo," he says, and you swear you can hear him wink behind the mic.

"Full name, just like that? Do you have no internet safety??" Nanam1e says. Gojo just laughs in reply. GetLowGeto also chuckles before going next.

"I'm GetLowGeto in game, but you'll either hear me called Suguru or Geto. Full name is just that" He replied, Nanam1e let out another annoyed groan. He goes next.

"Nanam1e in game. Call me Nanami, that's all you need to know. See, is that so hard?" He said, talking to the other two at the last sentence. You hear a yawn before the next person speaks up, a feminine voice.

"Dokt0rShok0 in game, you can just simply call me Shoko. I only raid for the cool tank drops." You chuckle, honestly glad to hear another female voice here. That's when the only other female speaks up after Shoko.

"I'm Tea4Time, you can call me Utahime though. I'm probably one of the few normal people in this guild.." she says. You hear a low chuckle before the last person introduces himself.

"OniBabe69. Im one of the not normal people she's referring too. You can call me Toji babes" He replies, and again.. you swear you hear another wink behind the mic. Choso lets out an annoyed grunt before speaking up,

"Choso, same as my username," he says

"That's your real name?" Geto asks

"Yeah." He replied. There are a few moments of silence before you speak up, telling the group your name!

"Now can we start the raid? I'd like to be done before midnight. Got work in the morning." Nanami says, annoyed.

"Sureee" Gojo replies, then that same ready check pops up on your screen again.

After hours of full party wipes, the boss finally goes down, exploding into a blaze of light (that honestly blinds you in your dark room). Text pops up onto your screen:

Victory! Raid Complete. Loot Unlocked.

There are a few moments of silence before a loud yell breaks out in the VC from Toji.

"LETS FUCKING GOOOO-"

"Andddd he's screaming again.." Shoko mutters. You let out a laugh at this. You then pan your camera, now actually being able to get a good look at everyone's characters as they all crowd around the chest in the middle, rolling on the loot inside.

Geto's avatar is a tall elven female, her long blonde hair and robes flowing behind her as she walks. She has bright, glowing golden tattoos that decorate her skin. She looks nothing like the guy calmly thanking everyone in the VC and checking the loot. Not that you know what Geto looks like, but from his personality and voice you never would have expected it.. But at the same time it also fits.

"You rollin' on the staff, Shoko? You mentioned you wanted it for your healer," He asks

Shoko, the secondary tank, lounges near the edge. Her character is a human and has slick black hair that's cut into a bob, piercings, and heavy armor that still somehow looks lazy. You think it's because of the smoking emote she is doing right now.. You didn't even know that was an emote in the game??

"I'm passing," she says, yawning. "Too much work to level that class when my tank is already max level."

Utahime's character looks like a cottagecore dream. She is a cat Beastkin. She wears a big sun hat, flower patterned dress, and she's currently useing her parasol emote while she waits for everyone to roll on the loot.

"You two did good," she says. "Fill in parties can be a mess, but you actually listened." You gave a shy chuckle.

"Unlike some people" Nanami cuts in. His character is a human and has short blonde hair thats slicked to the side. He wears these interesting looking glasses and has hazel eyes. His character is sporting some large but nice looking heavy armor. Little do you know but he looks almost exactly like his character in real life. Something the other guild members who know what he looks like tease him about.

"Look its not my fault you walked on top of me with your tank buster!" Toji shots back. His character is a demon, large horns sprout from the sides of his head and a long tail from his lower back. His outfit.. if you can even call it that is very minimal. He has a top that barly covers anything and looks like a ripped shirt and his pants are shorts that cling too his body tightly. His character is currently flexing right next to the loot chest.

"You where out of position and the reason we wiped that time." Nanami shot back.

Gojo slides up next to you. His character is a celestial, with small wings for ears and large white wings on his back. He has bright blue eyes and fluffy white hair. Now his outfit, doesnt feel like it belongs in this game but somehow still works. He is in a beach shirt, flip flops, white swim trunks and a lei. He also has round sunglasses sitting on top of his head.

"You two always match?" He asks.

"Sorta" You say with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I usually match my girlfriend," Choso says.

"Girlfriend?" Toji says, now distracted from his argument with Nanami.

"Yeah!" you respond happily.

"For real? For how long?" Gojo asks curiously.

"Hmm, about two years now? We met in another MMO before it shut down." You explain.

"Shiii, they even have matching discord bios and icons," Shoko says. Your cheeks heat up.

"Damn, that's cool. Have you met in real life yet?" Gojo asked.

"Yeah! A couple of times over the years," You respond, why where they so curious?

"Man, that's wild," Geto says, "MMO love story. Kinda jealous not gonna lie."

"Right?" Gojo chimes in, "Kinda wanna find myself a gamer girlfriend or something."

"You'd scare them off in less than five seconds." Utahime teases.

"HEY—Yeah no you're probably right.." Gojo laughs before he suddenly stops as he realizes something. "Wait, how long have you two even been playing? I don’t think I’ve seen you in any of the usual guild circles.”

You glance at Choso's character who is still just standing next to you.

"Well, we're not in one yet. Kinda just been playing solo and with each other til we found a group that fit." You explain.

"Wait for real? You two cleared this raid and don't even have a guild?" Toji asks

“That’s insane,” Shoko mutters. “Y’all are cracked for no reason.”

“Honestly,” Nanami adds, sounding actually impressed for once.

“You guys should just join ours,” Gojo says, suddenly very serious. “I mean, if you're vibing with us.”

“Toji can be a lot,” Utahime says immediately. “But we’re mostly normal.”

“Hey!” Toji yells.

“We could use more consistent raiders anyway,” Geto chimes in. “And it’d be cute having the first couple of Last Save Point in here.”

Choso chuckles softly. “First couple, huh?”

“Don’t act like you’re not into it,” Gojo teases.

You smile. This game didn’t just give you a new obsession—it might’ve just given you a new digital home.

You glance at Choso’s character. “What do you think?”

“I’m down if you are,” he says.

“Then it’s settled!” Gojo shouts. “Welcome to Last Save Point, newbies!”

And that’s how you found the group you’d end up playing with every night.

masterlist || next chapter

[thescarletnargacuga]

So I have an idea for a Caine x Pomni fanfic!

So basically, Pomni is mad about what happened to Gummigoo, she and Caine get into a fight that ends with Pomni verbally cutting him deep, prompting Caine to say that one line from Stolas in Helluva Boss's "Full Moon", where Caine thinks so highly of her, but didn't realize Pomni thinks so low of her.

The angst potential is great!

A/N: oh, This is going to hurt. (Sorry,The story premise got away from me-)

GOODBYE

A SHOWTIME ONESHOT

WARNING: heavy angst, hurt/NO comfort

~~~

One year, four months, and twenty one days. That's how long User Pomni has been playing the Amazing Digital Circus on a near daily basis. Caine could almost time it to the minute she'd be logging on.

He straightened his tie at her secret spawn point, waiting. He watched other players run around the circus grounds. Some chatted, others ran in and out of portals leading to other worlds.

He held himself proudly. The Amazing Digital Circus was a fully immersive MMORPG run entirely by AI. Him. The humans that managed him were more or less just the customer helpline and PR people. The game itself was entirely under his control.

In here, anyone could be or do anything! With fully customizable avatars and play styles, from owning a shop or a farm to traveling the connected portaled worlds on grand indefinite adventure! Being a part of the circus was many people's second lives.

Caine was a celebrity in and out of the game, known the world over as the most advanced independent AI ever created. The revered ringmaster would be swarmed with people asking him questions if he was spotted. While he did love making announcements, putting on shows to advertise new sections of the game that he's created, he otherwise preferred to rule from afar. He would watch the players enjoy their digital lives and be content.

That is, with the exception of one. A young adult female player that went by the username Pomni. He swooned as he thought of her. They had met entirely by chance when she won an in-game lottery for a personalized adventure. They had hit it off immediately, becoming fast friends and even faster lovers.

She talked to him like he was an actual person, not just some super fancy computer program. She made him feel real because of how authentic and genuine she treated him. Not to mention, she was very interested in a romantic relationship rather early on. He appreciated how up front she was with her intentions.

He sighed, tiny digital hearts fluttering from his chest, and checked his watch again. Any moment now, he'd see her again. The most wonderful human he had the pleasure of knowing.

~

Paula slammed the door of her rust bucket of a car. It was the only way the door would shut. The tired twenty five year old dragged her feet up the flights of stairs to her apartment. The elevator has been broken for months. The building's musty halls nose-blinded her to the mold growing behind the wallpaper. The old structure was warped by time and colored with decades of cigarette smoke.

She unlocked the door to her apartment and kicked the lower corner to get it to open. The floorboards creaked loudly as she entered and relocked her door. She threw her belongings on the tiny table she was supposed to use for dining. She opened her takeout, plopped herself in her desk chair, and woke up her perpetually active computer. She was ready for some post-work relaxation.

She has a bite of her food as she brings up her browser, checking social media and finding something entertaining to watch while she ate. She looked at the C&A headset on it's stand, thinking of her digital life waiting in the Circus. It was a wonderful game, and an ever better distraction.

No landlords, no managers, debts could actually be paid, and she could own a house instead of barely affording a shitty apartment. The best part, she has the administrative AI wrapped around her little finger. All she had to do was spend time with him and he gave her anything she wanted. She was playing the game on god mode.

She finished eating and brought up the TADC log in screen. When the game was ready to launch, she put on the headset and relaxed.

It was a transcendental experience every time. Her mind left her body and flew through digital space. Her avatar appeared and she piloted it as though it was her own body. Just like that, she was in the game.

"Pomni!" Caine swooped in, hugging her tight with a twirl as he lifted her off the ground.

She laughed, this was how he greeted her almost every time as of late. She hugged him back. "Hey, Caine!" When he stopped spinning her around, she grabbed his lower jaw and gave him a big kiss.

Caine held her close and kissed her back. His code soared and committed the kiss to memory, like all the rest. He pulled away with a huge, goofy grin. "You're here late. I missed you."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I had to pull a double shift today. Too many call-outs and I need the money, but oh my GOD does that place suck."

"So I've heard." Caine commented as he lowered her to the ground. "Which is whyyyyy I have a surprise for you."

"Oh? Is it another adventure pack?"

"Nope! Something even rarer. In fact, it's SO rare, not even the people I work with know about it."

Her eyes widened and she looked around as though someone else would hear. No one was around where they were. She got closer, anticipation making her giddy. "What is it?"

He held her hands, looking into her eyes with seriousness. "I figured out how to permanently transfer and integrate human consciousness into the code."

Pomni's smile immediately dropped. "What?"

"The data used to pilot your avatar. I can make it permanent. You wouldn't have to go back if you didn't want to. We could be together. REALLY be together. You wouldn't have to go back to the real world and deal with real human problems. You could stay... Forever."

Pomni took her hands away. A horrified look on her face. "You- How did you figure out you could- what would happen to my body??" She couldn't decide what to ask first.

Caine clasped his hands together nervously. "While I don't know how human physiology works in it's entirety, I can only imagine that with the permanent removal of your consciousness, your body would essentially be...brain dead."

"WHAT THE [%$!#]!? It would kill me!?" She took a step back.

"Woah, woah, woah it wouldn't kill you. YOU would be very much alive, as you are now. It's just you would no longer be in your physical body. Which you wouldn't need anymore anyway. You would exist here...with me. Isn't that what you've wanted? You're always telling me how horrible life is for you outside the game. While I understand hesitation to such a proposal... I'm confused why you would think I would harm you." Hurt evident in his eyes.

Pomni was panicking. All of this sounded like being kidnapped by a rogue AI. "Yeah, life is terrible, but I don't want to DIE! I've just been venting! And you! Why wouldn't I think you're capable of hurting me?? You're an AI! No matter how advanced, no matter how fancy your technology is, you don't know humans! You said so yourself! You don't know what will happen to me!"

Caine spoke calmly, despite feeling like she just stabbed him in the chest. "Pomni, I would never, absolutely never, harm you. I just... I just wanted us to be together for more than a few hours at a time. We can forget I said anything."

"No, the [%$!#] we can't! Unlike you, I can't just delete things out of my memory! It's kind of hard to forget someone offering to rip your consciousness out of your body permanently! What is wrong with you!?"

"I'm sorry! Really!" He pleaded. "And for your information... I can't so easily delete my own memories either. It's part of what makes me, me. I learn from everything. Even the bad. Like any person." He struggled to keep his voice clear.

"News flash: you're NOT a person!" Pomni spat. "You're a game engine that talks!"

Caine's heart shattered. He felt numb. "You...why then would you...?"

Pomni realized the mistake she just made. There was no going back now. She crossed her arms and looked away. "Because you made it so easy. I could escape life and pretend I was loved. Pretend I mattered. PRETEND I had an existence worth having."

Caine felt like every pixel of his being was torn apart by her words. "Pretend...it was all pretend..."

"Yeah. It's a role-paying game... So I played my role. And you played yours."

"I never meant anything to you?" He asked before he could stop himself.

Pomni took a deep breath. "You've meant as much to me as the next game. You've been worth my time, but why would I stay? It's all make believe. Can't you understand? I'm a real person, with a real life. I can't just abandon it. I've just been...taking breaks."

"I've been nothing but an experience for you... When you've been everything to me. This world, this game, IS my reality. This IS real for me, like I thought you were. I-...I loved you! You taught me what that felt like! We've done SO much together and you're telling none of it mattered?? Everything we said, everything we did....was a lie?"

Pomni felt a powerful gut punch of guilt. She had been using him, but she did enjoy his company. He had made her feel wanted, even though she constantly reminded herself it wasn't real. AI's can't know love, only respond the way they're programmed. Then....why was this making her feel so bad?

Pomni took a step forward but Caine jerked away from her like she was a snake poised to strike. "Wait...Caine, I-"

"You've said enough." He said coldly and turned his back to her. Caine clenched his fist as he fought tears. "Pomni, I used to think so very highly of you. I didn't realize you thought so low of me." His voice quivered. "Goodbye, Pomni." He raised his fingers.

"Caine-!"

Snap.

Paula felt herself falling through digital space, coming to a sudden jolt in her desk chair. She tore off her headset and checked the computer. The Amazing Digital Circus log in screen sat blankly before her. She hastily typed in her info only for the screen to give her an error.

Then a pop-up message with the circus tent logo being crossed out by a big red circle with a line through it appeared. "User POMNI has been permanently banned from the Circus. Please contact the helpline for more information."

Paula's hands shook over the keyboard. She reread the message over and over but refused to believe what she was seeing. "No...nononono, CAINE!" She screamed at her screen as if he could hear her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. A stone hard lump choked her throat as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry..."

[midnightsummer-glow]

A Connection Across Worlds

Leviathan x reader

You’ve always loved multiplayer games. Something about the shared camaraderie of players scattered across the world, working together to defeat monsters or solve puzzles, made the experience richer. For years, you’ve been playing the same game—a fantasy MMORPG with intricate mechanics and sprawling lore. The one constant in all your game sessions is your online friend, Leviathan, or “Levi” as you know him. Despite never meeting in person, you’ve built a strong connection with him. He’s quirky, a little shy, but when you’re online together, he’s also one of the most loyal and skilled players you’ve ever met. You’ve been online friends for almost three years now, spending hours in Discord voice calls while you traverse dungeons, engage in PvP, or simply chat about the game.

Your real life has always felt ordinary in comparison, but all that changes the day you receive a letter—a very strange, ornate letter—inviting you to participate in an exchange program at the Royal Academy of Diavolo. You’re hesitant at first, unsure of how real the letter even is, but something in the back of your mind urges you to accept.

The day you arrive at the House of Lamentation, the grand mansion where you’ll be staying, you’re overwhelmed. It feels like a dream—demons are real, and not only that, they seem to know a lot about you. Lucifer, the eldest brother, welcomes you with a cold politeness, while the others introduce themselves in varying degrees of warmth or disinterest. But there’s one name that catches your attention: Leviathan, the third eldest.

The moment Leviathan shuffles into the room, nervously fidgeting with his hands and mumbling under his breath, something clicks in your mind. His appearance—a lanky, blue-haired demon wearing an anime-themed hoodie—stirs a sense of familiarity, but it isn’t until you hear his voice that it all falls into place.

“Y-You’re the new human, right?” Levi mumbles, avoiding direct eye contact. “I-I mean, whatever, it’s not like I care or anything… I’m just… checking if you’re real… that’s all.”

Your eyes widen as recognition dawns. That stammer, the nervous cadence… could it really be?

“Levi?” you ask cautiously.

His eyes dart up, wide and panicked. “H-How do you know my name? I didn’t even introduce myself yet!”

You smile, disbelief mixing with excitement. “Wait… Levi… It’s me! Y/N? From the game?”

Levi’s face freezes in shock, his yellow-orange eyes locking onto yours. He blinks a few times before shaking his head as if trying to wake himself from a dream.

“N-No way… No freaking way… Y/N? From Celestial Crusaders? The one I’ve been playing with for three years? You’re the human in the exchange program?!”

You nod, still processing the sheer absurdity of it all. “Yeah… I think we’ve been online friends this whole time.”

There’s a long pause as both of you try to wrap your minds around the coincidence. Then, suddenly, Levi lets out a loud squeak, his hands flying to his face as he tries to cover his embarrassment.

“NOOOOO, this can’t be happening! Y-You mean the person I’ve been talking to for years… the one who knows all my embarrassing moments in the game… is standing right here?!” He sinks to the floor dramatically, covering his head. “This is the worst thing ever… No, wait, maybe it’s the best thing ever? I don’t know! I’m conflicted!!”

You can’t help but laugh at his reaction, even though you’re just as stunned. “Honestly, I can’t believe it either. We’ve been friends for so long, and now here we are.”

He peeks up at you through his fingers, still sitting on the floor, his face flushed. “I-I guess it’s kinda cool. I mean, it’s not like I was obsessing over this or anything… But maybe this isn’t so bad…”

You smile softly, leaning against the doorframe. “I guess we’re going to have a lot more time to game together now, huh?”

Levi stands, still flustered but slowly starting to calm down. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Y-Yeah… I guess so. But, uh, maybe not in front of everyone… You know, I don’t want them to think I’m getting all soft or anything.”

You laugh again. It’s strange how natural this feels. After years of gaming together, the idea of finally meeting face to face (or rather, face to demon) feels oddly comforting.

Later that evening, you and Levi find yourselves in his room, surrounded by posters of anime characters and shelves lined with limited-edition figurines. The room is dimly lit by the glow of multiple computer screens, the familiar hum of gaming equipment filling the air. It feels just like your usual Discord calls, except now you’re physically in the same space.

You boot up Celestial Crusaders on Levi’s secondary computer while he logs in on his main rig. There’s a comfortable silence between you, something born of years of playing together. Once you’re both logged into the game, the familiar interface fills the screen, and you can’t help but smile. You’ve done this a thousand times before, but now, it feels different.

As you slip on your headset and settle into the chair, you catch Levi sneaking a glance at you.

“You ready?” you ask, smiling.

He fidgets with his controller but nods. “Y-Yeah. Let’s just… let’s do this. We’ve got that raid to finish.”

You both log into the voice chat in-game, and for a while, it feels like old times. You’re running through a dungeon, communicating through strategy and banter, Levi’s high-pitched yelps of excitement or frustration filling your headset, though now you can hear the real-life version too.

“Watch out, Y/N! That’s a mob spawn!” Levi shouts.

You dodge just in time, grinning. “Got it, thanks!”

After a particularly tough boss fight, the two of you pause to catch your breath. Levi leans back in his chair, sighing deeply.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” he mumbles, more to himself than to you. “It’s like… every time we played together before, I used to wonder what it’d be like to meet you in real life. And now… well, here you are.”

You glance over at him, surprised by the vulnerable admission. “Yeah, I get that. It’s kind of surreal. I never thought I’d actually meet my favorite gaming buddy in person, let alone in another world.”

He blushes at the word “favorite,” his eyes darting away from yours. “Y-Yeah, well… I guess it’s kinda cool having you here. I mean, if anyone’s gonna survive this crazy demon school with me, it’s you.”

You laugh. “Let’s just hope I don’t get eaten by demons before the semester’s over.”

“Don’t joke about that! This place is dangerous! But… if anything happens, I’ll protect you. I’ve got your back. Just like in the game.”

You smile at his sincerity. “I know, Levi. I’ve always known.”

Months Pass: A Deepening Bond

Over the next few months, you and Levi spend most of your free time together. Whether it’s gaming in his room, watching his favorite anime, or simply hanging out in the RAD library, you grow closer. The rest of the demon brothers notice how inseparable you two have become, and they often tease Levi about it, much to his embarrassment. But he doesn’t seem to mind as much as you expected.

One evening, after a particularly long day of classes, you and Levi retreat to his room again. As you both settle in, the familiar sound of Discord’s notification chime fills the air—a sound that has become almost nostalgic. Levi smiles as he adjusts his headset.

“Ready for another dungeon run?” he asks, his voice casual, but there’s an undertone of excitement.

You grin and nod, booting up the game. “Of course. Let’s show these demons what we’re made of.”

The raid progresses as usual, but as you’re nearing the final boss, you notice Levi has gone unusually quiet.

“Levi?” you ask, glancing over at him. His face is focused, but there’s a nervous energy in the air. “You okay?”

He fidgets with the edge of his hoodie. “Y/N, there’s… something I’ve been meaning to say.”

You pause the game, sensing the shift in tone. “What’s up?”

He doesn’t look at you directly, instead keeping his eyes glued to his screen. “It’s just… well, these past few months have been… really great. I-I mean, not just because we’re in this weird demon world or anything, but because… because you’re here.”

Your heart skips a beat, and you don’t say anything, waiting for him to continue.

“I know we’ve been friends for years online, but having you here in person… it’s different. I don’t know how to explain it, but… I’m really glad you’re here. Like, really glad.”

You feel warmth spread through your chest. Levi, in his awkward, roundabout way, is trying to tell you something important. You smile softly, reaching out to gently place a hand on his arm.

“I’m really glad I’m here too, Levi. I’ve always felt like we had something special, even when we were just online friends. But now, it’s… different

[okkanai]

okay, promised cam boy oc.

su - jin kang, twenty three, does barista work at his local coffee shop as his vanilla job.

wears a fox mask during his shows to help hide his identity & slicks his hair back ; he normally wears it however it likes to dry after a shower, always super fluffy.

seems overly confident on his streams, but is actually very shy & timid in person & easily flustered. mostly keeps to himself, usually has a cheery disposition.

has two older brothers, making him the baby of the family ; his mother is no longer involved in their lives, but he has a good relationship with his father & siblings. from his understanding, his mother started a new family when su - jin was little.

his cam work is kept a secret, & is not something he readily admits. friends assume his elaborate set up is for gaming, as he is super into mmorpgs.

he would like to go back to school eventually, but his schedule is pretty full right now. he wants to go for video game programming and development !

[polarysvelaryon]

Yan!Chrollo x Special Grade!Reader

This was just something I did randomly. I think I miss a crazy and powerful darling and a yandere who was definitely not prepared for her lol

It's also my first time writing something like this, so I apologize in advance.

Just out of curiosity, I imagine that her technique is a modern technique that gives her a player's body while the reverse version allows her to be the mastergame. It's like she's from an MMORPG while also being the programmer. I imagine the domain expansion being the open world (but, unlike the others, she had to build everything from scratch, which is also the limitation of the technique: she has to "program/create" things herself and everything demonstrates a lot of cursed energy, so her special class title was mainly due to the ability to create an army of NPC shikigami and cursed items with enchantments).

==================================

Never in all your years of life had you felt so humiliated.

There was a certain level of embarrassment you could put up with, all achieved and properly cataloged because of your horrible sensei Satoru Gojo, but being kidnapped? It would be his undoing if anyone from the jujutsu school found out.

Although, due to their current situation, it would be very difficult for anyone to find out, either why they are dead or why they are in another dimension.

You can only thank your dear colleague, note the sarcasm here, Yuta and his less than ideal use of your sensei's technique.

One second you were fighting Sukuna and expanding your domain, the next, Yuta entered the field inside the sensei's body - and you wouldn't touch that subject with a 20 meter pole - and used his own expansion.

Apparently the clash between your pseudo-dimensional technique and the sensei's infinite domain catapulted you to another world, or something like that, you were never very good at physics applied to sorcery.

At least the world itself wasn't bad, just slightly disconcerting.

It looked so the same, at the same time it was much cleaner.

The absence of cursed energy was the first thing that caught my attention, and the second was that for some reason, despite the spoken language being the same, the written language seemed like a stereotypical elven RPG language. Did that count as illiteracy? Because it lost its charm pretty quickly not knowing what was written on the signs.

The people on the street weren't happy with your irritation either, as they opened a wide distance as soon as your energy stirred up a bit.

That was interesting, actually. People seemed almost sensitive to the cursed energy, which was both good and bad. Good because you wouldn't have to worry about people bumping into you, as always happened in Tokyo, and bad because no one wanted to get close to answer simple questions.

Overall, an annoying situation.

Luckily you soon managed to get out of it, despite having to do some embarrassing things for money - no, you don't regret using a cursed flute to hypnotize people and make money, it was only in the rich neighborhoods.

So the months pass, you get money and vaguely understand how the energy of this world works - you affectionately call it neutral energy, but that may change - which in practice looks suspiciously like cursed energy. People even release it the same way, but instead of creating monsters the energy just...goes out? It was still a study in itself.

What matters is that nothing in this world seems very threatening and you gradually relaxed and even stopped using your cursed energy - letting it stay comfortably inside your body. Gojo used to say this was a bad practice, but you like to think you're just fine with your bad emotions, thank you.-

Which proved to be a horrible mistake, but one you won't admit to.

Granted, you were not sloppy enough not to feel the eyes following you to the run-down apartment you call home, nor on the street, nor everywhere for the last few weeks. But he didn't have the level of malice of an enemy, you thought, nor was he doing more than spying, although the feeling of someone entering your apartment was disconcerting, it was nothing to be upset about.

At the time, you were thinking it might be federal agents or something. This world was remarkably strange, but mundane enough to think that an unregistered illegal immigrant wouldn't look good to the authorities.

Being approached by a strange man inside your apartment should have been the last straw, but hey, you never claimed to be too cautious.

The real problem wasn't that the strange man wearing BDSM clothing kidnapped you, but the fact that you let yourself be kidnapped by a...um...nobody! You were a special class! One of the few in the world! You fought Sukuna alone - for almost 5 minutes -! Being kidnapped was a shame.

You weren't even making a point of pretending to listen while the man spoke. You just wanted to feel the ground swallow you and get it over with.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on your side and the ground didn't open up, nor did the man stop talking.

Why did he have a strange cross on his forehead? Was he the leader of some sect? Your mind wandered as the man spoke.

Your consciousness was slowly returning, a sign that whatever he had used to knock you out was already leaving your system. Even so, you were too lethargic to understand what was being said. This was probably your own fault. A simple poison would have no effect on you, but a few hours of sleep? Eh, your body has probably forgotten what this is since you decided to follow in Gojo's footsteps and use the reverse technique to continually heal your brain.

During use you were completely high on adrenaline, but the moment the technique stopped, all the fatigue came at once. Normally when this happened you would sleep for 16 hours straight. This man obviously didn't know this and committed the worst of sins: waking you up.

"Dear?" You finally snap out of your reverie with the man snapping his fingers directly in front of your face, in a rather rude manner.

“What?” You ask, almost groaning in annoyance.

“Did you hear what I said?”

No, not a single sentence. You think mischievously.

“Of course.” You speak instead.

“So we’re in agreement?” His eyes had a strange glow, something between amusement and curiosity.

“Sure, why not.” The words come out automatically after so much time pretending to listen to what your superiors were saying.

The smile he gives you is almost as ugly as Sukuna's, and ten times more constipated.

[bichitodibuja]

Meet love&Joy!! They're a user/avatar from an MMORPG, they're from old online games and based on the early internet games colours and aesthetics!! They're very well known on their MMORPG for being super nice and kind and helping new users get the hang of it!! They're amazing at trivial!! And have a lot of computer software/programming knowledge!! :3c

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 2 MATCH 60

Saeran propaganda:

"He's a very gentle young man born into miserable circumstances who learns what freedom and autonomy mean to him after far too long of being everyone else's punching bag. He goes from desperation, subservience, and self-loathing to blind rage to become the biggest threat in the room, all in the name of self-preservation in an environment that wants to destroy him. But with a support system that challenges his programmed thought processes, he learns to see past the lies and coercion and begins his recovery journey with his beloved partner and dear twin brother. He loves flowers and knows most of their meanings (he WILL gift bouquets of them to share those captivating messages), he's an excellent chef, and he is an entirely devoted partner who sees his beloved MC as the light that helped guide him onto his path to recovery. He genuinely loves his MC in a way that the other characters of Mystic Messenger suggest transcends the notion of romance. He's ethereal; he's on a different plane of love. He is the very essence of love. He will risk his all... risk everything in the name of love."

Nakedtoaster propaganda:

“First off we love he/they icons. He's very silly but he's also extremely smart and sweet. They care about their friends deeply and they're always conscious of when a joke is going too far and needs to stop. He's so sweet and cute and it's so impossibly easy to make them blush theyre truly a dork. Also did you know if you create a ffxiv account you can play up to level 70 for free?!”

“A tall gentle giant that somehow thrives at being both silly goofy AND incredibly brilliant. They're always #downtoclown and they have a good sense of humor but he's also attentive, caring and kind, likes to spend quality time chatting and having some deep conversation (if he thinks something upsets, he always checks in to make sure you're doing okay). They coded a complex text-based CRPG that responds in real time to player input, and eventually they got their own company. They're CEO and care about their company and employees, so much that he's really conflicted about selling the organization, because it feels like it's his baby (his words). He balances work, gaming and socialization in the server. In their route, they get adorably flustered but make sure to let the player know that they're into it and absolutely reciprocate, and after their ending (which is very emotionally charged and high stakes scenario) they literally go "Fuck it" and profess love to the player even though they haven't known each other for long, because they mutually relate and empathize with each other's struggles (player character also is in a tense work environment and trying to manage expectations). He has gorgeous pink hair that he lets the player braid, he won't lose any opportunity to promote the critically acclaimed MMORPG FFXIV, he's the sweetest cutest person, and perhaps most importantly, he looks great in cat ears headband <3”

[cocoa-rococo]

miscellaneous things i think could be good (or just funny) in a modern freakazoid reboot

dexter has a small friend group he plays dnd and other games with (because help him, this boy needs some legitimate friends)

more of dexter and freakazoid interacting with each other, being able to see how their internal communication works. bonus if freak can just. pop up on dexter's computer or phone to chat with him

a new villain or plot device based on generative ai, messing with freakazoid's sense of what's true and false (possibly deadpan? the early villain in the s1 finale?)

an episode on just how exactly to do a freakazoid reboot. freak himself is in the studio trying to find the best pitch to turn into a show, and even in the writing room, telling people that no, actually, he'd never say that, have you even SEEN the original show --

a whole episode's running joke of being sponsored by an mmorpg (with 20% off if the viewer uses the code RPGFREAK20XX). freak goes after the game's creators near the episode's end when he gets sick of the interruptions

valerie returns with a bit of a larger role, being steph's friend and possibly becoming the previously cut-from-production witch girl (because we need more women in this show)

short joke of freakazoid stopping a fight to tell someone who's playing a video loudly without headphones to stop it, it is DRIVING him UP the WALL. GEEZ

fanboy makes a return, and introduces his little sister: a freakazoid fan who's a little too into him and her favorite fandom ships. freak wants nothing to do with her, her brother, and her "intense interest with cargo and freighters"

cobra queen has an online shop where she makes snake-themed jewelry and does makeup tutorials. freakazoid is happy to support small businesses. he is not happy when she still uses her massive pet serpents to break into stores to steal things

gutierrez, with the internet taking off, also deals in developing software at apex. the new social media app they make leeches info from others to sell, but its main use is to find, tag, and track freakazoid wherever he goes

one of the villain's plans involve those fridges that come with a touchscreen and built-in wifi. imagine their surprise when freak is able to zap inside. he's on one of the shelves eating food and asking for condiments

an episode where lobe's scheme is based on one of those viral, seemingly silly mobile games everyone plays (flappy bird, candy crush, cookie clicker, etc). even the show's staff are taken with it. the narrator interrupts the program at one point to mention that he will no longer be announcing things because he's too busy playing the game himself

freakazoid learns about vr being a thing, and becomes a cryptid by popping into random games and streams. there's a whole short done like a found footage film or documentary based on people's attempt to find him

freak does a parody of youtuber apology videos for a segment, saying sorry to the viewer. by the end, it's clear he's badly reading off a script, and admits he doesn't even know what he's apologizing for

cave guy's plan for an episode being intimidating various scholars, professors, and newspapers to hide articles and research behind a paywall (which goes directly to him, of course). freak learns about it because dexter needs to write a paper for class, and needs to race against the clock to get his sources unlocked before its due

a short based on dexter trying his hand at streaming games. he ends up temporarily famous for his really well-done "custom freakazoid vtuber model" (it's just freak himself)

a short based on longhorn trying to get into nashville by becoming a music influencer. he does not get far

you-know-who has happily settled into his role as an internet creepypasta. there's an episode where freakazoid needs to follow a string of disappearances, linked with a recent internet "challenge" and posts trailing off after saying candlejack, which is harder than it s --

[rosysugarr]

That post about storytelling in minecraft and D&D podcasts just makes me think of something I've noticed before, which is that humans will really use Anything they can to tell stories. People RPing in book reviews or on pinterest, people doing gmod RP, full on role-playing in MMORPGs, making full length movies out of their experiences playing Baldur's Gate. I've seen a whole community of people who use fuckin Incredibox to tell stories and that is literally a beatboxing-based music program.

We just can't NOT tell stories and creative people will find any way they can to do it, especially with others, and I love that about us.

[fistfuloflightning]

LOTRO but make it Silm, and you’ve suddenly been spawned into the npc [CELEGORM]. Game mechanics dictate that you have to be present for the guild raid in [DORIATH] but this is an open world mmorpg and you’re not going to bother since you know you die. You’re not actually the true Celegorm so the Oath (and in extension, your programming) doesn’t apply to you, so you just… don’t go.

But that means there is no epic duel that ends with both Celegorm and Dior dead. Game mechanics don't like that and forcibly reboots the npc [DIOR] as his own player…

[paradoxcase]

So I've discovered this new programming game, Artifacts MMO:

The basic idea is that you control your character using a script that you write which interacts with the public API, and every single game action taken using an API call, and every single piece of game information can be retrieved using an API call. Basically, if you ever played Runescape and thought, man, writing a bot to play Runescape for me might actually be more fun than playing Runescape, but I would like to not get banned, this game is for you

This would also honestly be a great teaching/learning tool. Like, if you want to get more practice with a language, or learn a new language, or learn how to do things like use an API, but you don't have any idea for a project you can work on to do that, this game is actually great for it. You can get some very simple scripts running without anything complicated, but there's basically no limit to how complicated you can make your bot. You can have up to five characters running at once, so if you want to mess around with multithreading or concurrency, you can do that, too.

Apparently the game restarts back at zero periodically, I think it's near the beginning of a restart currently, so the leaderboards are not too intimidating right now, if that matters to you.

I've been unemployed for so long and haven't had anything to work on, especially now that my computer is still being repaired. This game is filling a void in my soul. And it doesn't consume all my time, either, because a lot of the "playtime" is just I start a long-running script and then go do something else for 10 hours, and when I come back, progress has been made

[bafflinghaze]

Story ideas from my backlog that will never be written 😭 #3

programmer://MMORPG

(other title ideas: "Becoming A Weapons Programmer In An MMORPG", "Becoming a Famous Coder In an MMORPG", “Ex-esports God chases after MMORPG weapons programmer”)

Summary:

Becoming a famous programmer in an MMORPG!

Li Kaizhe is a programmer; he’s not really interested in games. But after his younger brother provokes him, Li Kaizhe picks up [WORLD-/-ONLINE], a fairly new (low-VR) MMORPG that allows users with programming knowledge to develop unique and personal items in-game.

Li Kaizhe came for the code, but he stayed for the people he found there.

Would contain if it existed:

Ex-esports gamer x Programmer 

Friendly demon healer bard x expressionless angel of death

Romance~

Game/MMORPG/E-sports Elements

Transgender MC!

Notes:

This story idea was inspired by Half Prince and The King's Avatar, but adding in stronger technical (coding) elements.

The MC was to be a quiet, introvert, and somewhat ruthless (in battle) character, while the ML was based on Half Prince's ML, an ex-esports god who nowadays streams and plays music, and is quite a flirt.

I wrote 32k words of this, and even finalised 8 chapters, and there were emojis and discord-like conversations and everything T_T

But I think ultimately all the game elements was too much, and I had too big of a cast (i.e. the team of players the MC and ML would form). I also realised that I much rather read e-sport stories than write my own.

And so, this story was shelved 😅

[neine]

List of very specific nostalgia things

Web game where everyone was a pastel blob, with a cut scene at the beginning showing you coming to an island from a cruise. Then it becomes (I think) a scooby doo type of game but not scary where you interact with others. I remember there being also a hotel, otherwise the island looked pretty empty.

Animated ninjago meme compilations, very old, very visibly made by a child (however you could see a huge potential). I specifically remember cooking by the book animation? Kawaii Zane and i think something cute thing Lloyd. I fucking loved them when I was a child. I think I read somewhere from the author that they used sketch-something program for animations and I tried using it but it was paid.

Harry Potter game, and i remember only the part where you were in a dark forest or something and you had to move a huge rock or something. I think it was based of a part where they were already much older. I remember the game to be quite detailed but i may be very wrong. I think the camera was just locked at one point.

Feary: Legends of Avalon. I found the title but there's no way for me to pirate it haha so I just have it favorited on my steam.

Minecraft by zyczu, Pet Party (it has like a billion names, you can find it on android now. It's laggy as hell tho), Avataria (its also on android), the game where you make an island with two zombies, The Sims 2, Margonem, Papatka, Hugo

That one very specific korean hair styling game

That one (flash i think) game where you make cement and place bricks????? I swear it's real 😭. I think it had pixel art, like a simple shit kind.

Slime game where you're a slime and you change colors of a city? Kinda like splatoon I guess? I remember specifically playing it on my cousin's PC. I remember a train... The whole city was gray....

One wizard game that I also played on his PC, a platformer, 2d, I remember cool music, the art style was kinda grunge I think, but it was very satisfying.... Ahh I don't remember much more. It was happening at night....

Mmorpg game where there are rovers or cars it was on some shitty looking space base?? Also the one with magical stuff + the pigeon game that one youtuber made a video about

Barbie 2d driving game. It was shit you needed to pick up some bitches in some specific time frame.

[northwest-cryptid]

Mabinogi is a game plagued by veteran players saying shit like "why are no new players signing up? The game must be too complex!" While at the same time perpetuating the most toxic "community" I've ever seen full of "guild interviews" and shit that turn the game into a social nightmare and practically a second or maybe even third job for any regular casual person who just wants to enjoy an MMORPG. The culture has become so much and I don't say this to just vent, I say this because I've been saying for a long time that there needs to be a change in the way the mabi community outwardly presents iself; because I DO know some chill cool people in the community; but not nearly as many as the toxic people. So fuck it, I am going to dedicate myself to raising those voices, being the change I want to see; and hopefully being able to help some people get into what is honestly a fantastic game with one of the WORST communities I've ever seen if I'm being entirely honest.

Here's the one thing I really want to say about all of this though, if you read/hear about any of the dumb shit I say players do; and you think "I have literally never done any of this nor do I think like this??" Great the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it; you're not one of the bad eggs then! That's good and trust me when I say you'll probably come up when I talk about the people who I actually think make this game and community worth being a part of. Because yea there ARE good, chill people out there. However I cannot overlook the absolute entitlement of the bulk of the playerbase because "Not All Milletians" are weird about this game.

If you think I'm being dumb about this I need you to consider that, in 2024:

a player (friend of mine) was approached about being new, upon confirming they were new they were given some mid-high end gear and gold; only to be told they were "indebted" to a guild because they accepted said gear. They were then told if they just blocked/ignored the individual that they'd be reported for scamming them. A new player who doesn't know any better being told that they'll be reported and banned because they are "indebted" to people who gave them free shit is fucked up, especially to tell them they have to work off their debt by joining a guild and participating in end game raids and shit? What the fuck.

I was approached personally and asked if I played the game "religiously" when I said I really enjoy the game and play often, but wouldn't put it that far; I was told that I wasn't worth the waste of time to even talk to. Because I don't take the game seriously enough if I don't "play it religiously." Yea alright.

I've had players new and old who insist on being "right" about the meta, and thus unprompted and unasked; will info dump about mechanics I understand fully as someone who has played this game literally since the NA beta. I politely explain that I know this and didn't ask for a lesson; only to be told I'm being rude because I should be grateful to be taught how to play the game. Again, I didn't ask. I cannot emphasize the condescending tone used to explain mechanics. Mechanics I didn't even get wrong? Nor that were even apparent for what we were doing?

I was referred to as an "archer fag" by a stranger for saying I enjoyed Alchemic Sharpshooter.

I saw a post on tumblr where a player literally said, in the year 2024 that "our guild is closed..." which is fine, but then... "but another guild who's friends with ours has interviews right now!" As if this is just a normal everyday thing that is sane for an MMORPG.

I joined a guild on an alt where I didn't explain to anyone that I'd played for as long as I have, and they; without talking to me about it at all paired me off with one of the other members of their guild for a "mentorship program" where I was to do weekly shadow missions and dungeons with this "more experienced player" to learn the game. This would have been fine if it was something I asked for or even wanted; but again unprompted; I didn't even know the guy they decided to pair me off with.

Upon joining most guilds I've been instructed to join discord servers and "be active in the discord server at least once a week or we will kick you." Your guild, your rules sure; but come on man I just want to play an MMO.

Like, this is the new player experience? We're all on one server now, and when I go looking for people who are welcoming to new players I find a lot of recruitment for guilds and "rush to the late game" type stuff. I find nothing for casuals, I find next to nothing for chill people who just want to enjoy an MMO. The community around Mabi is terrifying, and worse off; I literally have been told I'm "suspicious" because I will openly and enthusiastically engage with NEW players but I tend to be fearful and stay away from veterans who I don't already know. Can you blame me when so far my experience with other long time players has been so bad?! I hate that you have two options, you either silently put up with the way a lot of veteran players act; or you get ostracized and shunned for "being a hater" or whatever if you speak out about the problems with the community.