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Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...

An Appearance at the Entrance



YOU ARE: Greg Donaldson: a jaded, grumpy 25-year old, from the mildly futuristic times of 2035. You were brought to Pixelscape by your lifelong friend, Jéan-Lee Richeaux. Together, you are here intending to visit old game-friends, live in a Cityscape of your own imaginations & designs for a weekish, play virtual reality games, get nostalgic, & escape the pressures of real life for a few days, in PIXELSCAPE, an aging, but still well-populated virtual reality resort.



ENTERING FROM THE WIDE, SHINY METALLIC SLIDING DOOR, FROM THE LATEST INSTA-THERR TRAVEL-BEAM RIDE YOU CAME FROM, YOU SEE FIRST: A dapper-dressed gentleman, of no discernable -- but definitely elderly -- age you can pinpoint, boomingly bids you welcome to Pixelscape:

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEELCOME TO PIXELSCAPE! THE PERFECT ESCAPE DESTINATION FROM YOUR OWN REALITY!!"

The entryway doorman stands before you, face beaming with hospitality and cheer. You study the detail that Pixelscape provided this character with: a bushy mustache, a la Sam Elliot, mondo eyebrows that make up somehow for the thinning of the back of his whispy whitehaired head. The pink in his cheeks gives him a kind of a jolly Christmastime party host appearance. The suit, now that was clever: it functioned both as one emulating the 1950s, and as a hologram of realistic-looking koi fish swimming like schools of veins all across the Oxford Blue of the waterscape suit.

Like a barker at a carnival, the old man reeked of repetitve showmanship. A performance of both convincing zeal for the heralding of your entry, and repetively impersonal feeling in nature.

The room itself had a sterile but lobbylike feel: cool-toned white marble floors, stricken with lightning arc-akin gold streaks. Dull, but very clean grey furnishings -- cushy couches with oversized off-white satin pillows. Marble pillars make two rows down the expance of the room, guiding you from that first sliding door to get here, where our natty pal, the entrywayman still stands, exuberantly gesturing to you; past the silly decor.. and up to the desk. You've been here before. You know how this all goes.

"STEP RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT UP, AND FIND YOURSELF IN YOUR VERY OWN WORLD OF ADVENTURE! YOUR CUSTOMIZED JOURNEY AWAITS~!" The barker blasts, seemingly as impatient for you to get the hell on your way to the front desk, as you are for your friend, Jéan-Lee, who had conned you in to this particularly immature vacation. "ESCAPE INTO ADVENTURE..!!", the hype-man started up, seemingly unaffected by you anymore.

Tapping your foot, you dismissively nod at the greeter guy. Instead of placating him enough to make him quit yapping, it triggers the digital dude's welcoming responses again, this time with more insistence: "HEEEEEEEEE-EYYY, Y'AREN'T A'SCARED OF PIXELS, NOW ARE YA?!" The barker whooshes his arms back and forth, gesturing more deliberately in the direction of a long, boring beige desk. You ignore him, still. Pixelscape is for kids; you haven't been a kid for a little while, but yet, the boundary of this place seems like a place not for the young adult crowd -- though, his age-range grew up with Pixelscape.. Pixelscape chose not to age with their first consumer base.

"... ONCE YOU PLAY AT PIXELSCAPE, YOU'LL NEVER SEE PIXELS THE SAME WAY AGAIN..!!"

It's not to say people of all ages aren't here, it's just very.. eh.. driven to draw in older teens/earlier adults than you. You may be only 25, but the average person is 18-22 in here, but that's enough of a gap to feel like the serious adult being dumped in to Disneyland, stranded in a world of glimmering cartoonlike characters, who have been stripped of most of their negative personality/plotline elements that might otherwise develop a character more thouroughly, and less about fulfilling the Players' more basic, boring, and unchallenged ideas of what makes a good adventure. A little bit of spontenaiety would spice up these Players' lives, you feel.

Memory 404 fucked around with this message at 10:01 on Jan 23, 2021

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Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...
It's also not to say that people even older don't roam here. Being 25 didn't make you the oldest guest inside the property, but the target customers of PIXELSCAPE were more typically youthful adult age people, who make this a playground of mostly immature types. Most of the Doppelwear Suits (the digital avatar you would "play as") designs were of exaggerated figures of athletic-looking males and thin, waiflike females who flounced about in their own personal Cityscapes, living out missions of aiding Pixelpeopes with various tasks, going on long-lasting treasure hunts, and hanging out with their favorite famous Pixelpeopes from the past and present. The older Pixelpeopes were usually more layered in their bios, but often more predictable with their storylines and dialogue than the newer cast of celebs.

For example: the greeter guy; he was a detailed image of a man, in essence a great rep for attention to detail that Pixelscape had oft been known for in their time, but he was like a stock character in personality, and, for some reason, despite your trips to this digitalized theme park of a place, you know they never gave this man an official name.

While you're waiting for that fashionably late buddy, Jéan-Lee, of yours, you decide to name this rambunctious caricature of humanity.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN REACTION (..finally~!):

1A) P.T. BOREDOM

1B) DIN HEAD

1C) THE LOUDEST MAN IN THE WORLD

1D) {{INSERT YOUR OWN WITTY CIRCUS-THEMED NAME}}

Having dubbed this digidude with a suitable nickname, you move on, finally conceding to at least approach the lobby's sign-in desk. Your friend will catch up; it's not like you can't get annoyed and churlish with the female clerk, yet another greeter AI, just like [well, whatever we named him?] that doorman you've finally gotten irritated enough to heed, and get on with the next step of entering Pixelscape.

The female clerk looks like a sweet, and dopey anime-fashion themed secretary. By the time you have made your way down that long-rear end one-way carpeted pathway that cuts its way down the very center of the room, making all the repetitive sequences of pillars, bland furnishings, and the occasional tapestry-like cloths, dangling off the ceiling in rigidly spaced intervals.. you know that the secretary girl isn't really any better than the barker, who'd been busting your rear end about lingering in the lobby. She won't be any more patient with you than he was, her sole existence revolves around getting you checked in to your room, and setting up your presets to start being inside Pixelscape. You know that your friend has a habit of being inconveniently timed, and, insistently social all at once. Good chance is? Jéan-Lee most likely got tripped up at the end of the Insta-Therr travelbeam ride, and likely dawdled himself, most likely catching up with some friend/ally from a previous visit. He could show up any moment.. or like 20 minutes from now.

YOU DUNNO HOW LONG Y'GOTTA WAIT FOR THIS AMIGO TO SHOW; DO YOU...

2A) GTFO ~ of this lobby by briskly signing in, and resigning yourself to meeting your buddy, Jéan-Lee, in your prepaid Cityscape preset room, seeing as it's not like you two hadn't planned all of what you wanted already. He can find you, it's not like you want to enter the "Sandboxscape Escapeville" Cityscape -- it's a contradiction of sorts that you DO like the escape from humanity, in to immersion of an AI civilization of your own Mad-Libsesque construction.. yet sneer at others for also wanting a place where other humans are not bounding around, messing with your game progress, or stealing your missions...

2B) MESS WITH THAT SECRETARY FOR BEING OBVIOUS CONSUMERBAIT ~ start asking her questions about secretarial work. She's not a real secretary; and you know from previous experiences here that questioning the programming messes with the Pixelpeope folks' entirely sense of diagloue and storyline. The bosses of this joint have somewhat prepared this eager-to-process-you-through trait juuuuuuust enough that this Deskmate Doremi can wriggle her way more aptly to direct you back to signing in, and moving on.

2C) DONT MESS WITH THE DESK CLERK GIRL ~ you've sassed the doorstaff enough for one day, get on with it! She's just doing the job they programmed her for.

3D) WAIT RIGHT TF WHERE YOU ARE ~ {{ FILL IN YOUR OWN REASONING FOR WAITING FOR JÉAN-LEE, HE *IS* YOUR FRIEND, AFTER ALL...}}

*I'M NOT YOUR AVERAGE GAMER; CAME TO PLAY ANYWAY*

PS ~ basically no idea what I'm doing. If it piques anyone's interest, that'd be nice, but if not, it's another day as a general artisan.

Memory 404 fucked around with this message at 09:23 on Jan 23, 2021

Nothingtoseehere
Nov 11, 2010


1A - for that is how we feel

2B - come on, break the AI, you know you want to.

vorebane
Feb 2, 2009

"I like Ur and Kavodel and Enki being nice to people for some reason."

Wrong Voter amongst wrong voters
BWAHAHAHA I VOTE IN A THING


1. A. PT Boredom is a good pun.

2. A, alas she's not one of the rides

Lux Anima
Apr 17, 2016


Dinosaur Gum
1D) Barky Mark

1B) Test the limitations of a person-facing role

Dog Kisser
Mar 30, 2005

But People have fears that beasts do not. Questions, too.
1C
3D

Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...
WEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLCOME BACKK, Buoys and Goils, FOR A NEW UPDATE TO YOUR DIGITAL DREAMSCAPEVILLE ~ !!!

...last we left off, you were waiting for Jéan-Lee, disturbing the Deskmate Doremi, and debating wtf in the Digiworlds to name that door greeter dude.

FIRSTLY:

"P.T. Boredom" was funny.. but when you think a little harder, you come up with "Barky Mark" -- now, THAT'S apt asf for him. You're satisfied that you completed filling in a detail that Pixelscape completely wasted an opportunity on. If there's ever a naming contest, you'll put forth this one~!

OK, now what? Let's find out:

Jéan-Lee will show up at some point; there's less of a chance of this being a surprise rescue mission than there is of Jéan-Lee getting you both a Primo-Pro-Doppelwear Suit -- due to his credit range. Perhaps he will show up while you..

Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...
Break what you bought:

Deskmate Doremi awaits your info. She looks up at you, with sweet, yet doe-y/dopey eyes.

"Sir, I cannot let you in to the Park if you cannot tell me your login and visitor information!" she complains, the beginning of a mere pout forming.

Too bad she isn't one of the rides; but, realistically, it's not like you can't make a version of her in your own Cityscape,and give that one a go. It may mostly be a PG-13 kinda place, but it's also not like young people don't come here to either practice/work their way to/avoid altogether getting around to real relationships. You're a vet of this (p)laying field. You know.

The Deskmate waits, wapping her pen against her desk in obvious impatence. *bap*, *bap*, *bap*...

You remain silent as a tomb. You know that verbal stuff works on her, too.. but kinda like humans, Pixelpeopes have this thing about going ballistic with enough ignoring. You've pestered poor Doremi on previous stays -- the most unfortunate thing for her was her lack of memory for repeat clients -- she never remembers the depth of your assinine distractiveness. And.. thus, never knows really what to expect, visitor to visitor, stay-to-stay -- much like our friend, Barky Mark -- they're like examples, not really fully fleshed out the way your Cityscapes become after a mere few days of interactions.''

"Sir..?"

A frown creases the Deskmate's fine lips. The delicate arch of her eyebrows began to quirk angularly.

"Sir, I CANNOT let you in to the Park if you DO NOT tell me your login and visitor information..!" Doremi presses again, basically repeating her earlier phrasing with a minor set of tonal and wording changes.. these inital creatures really needed some fleshing out, really...

"SIR! PLEASE--!! Give me your information, so that I can process you~! There ARE other guests needing this gateway!"

Doremi looks at her wrist, watchless, but still announces: "There are 12 guests, and their average waittime is being delayed further by your dilly-dallying."

There was something different today about Doremi's reactions:

"SIR.. IF YOU CANNOT PROVIDE ME WITH YOUR CORRECT LOGIN AND VISITOR INFORMATION, I WILL HAVE NO OTHER RECOURSE THAN TO REMOVE YOU FROM THE PREMISES."

Well, now. That sounds like it would be annoying, and you'd likely have to do the initial check-in stuff before the Insta-Therr travelbeam alllllllllll over again. You think about it, and feeling lazy, you decide to tempt Doremi with pieces of your info at a time.

"OK, this is new -- fine, y'got me. I'm Donaldson, Greg -- I'm with Richeaux, Jéan-Lee -- party of two. I'm..."

Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...
YOU HAD A MOST-RECENT USERNAME -- WHAT WAS IT, THOUGH?

A1: Thee Greg Dee
A2: OldDawg Neutrix
A3: N'Obody Juan Can-O'Bee
A4: [give ol' Greg something even cheesier??]

".. And that birthday is... metal tiger--"

"Oh~! 2010!!" Doremi chirps. She's so happy she knows something, finally.

Well; you *thought* you were being clever...

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, I'm August 10th. We'll get on with this, maybe, since you've apparently had an update.. I'm having fun buggin' ya.. but not enough to re-enter the building, and re-do this conversation, I suppose..."

You tell her the other relevant details, defeated mildly.. but only for now. You'll likely think of other ways around this, next visit...

Memory 404 fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Feb 16, 2021

Memory 404
Feb 15, 2020

Witty repertoire not found...
UP NEXT: WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT, YO?

You hear someone drunkenly yelling at Barky Mark, from the previous room. You recognize the voice as a former high-rolling celeb type. Instead of geeking out, like many others might, what does Greg D. do with a drunken ex-high roller..?

B1: Rush it with your info, so that Doremi can clear you to get in before that complete and utter asshat gets near you.

B2: Face him; it's not his turn, he's kinda rightfully barging in -- you did take time -- but, these events are meant to be secure, not witnessed by people not in your party.

B3: Be brave, it's still your turn after all. You wanna harass Doremi? It's on your dime.

B4: Before you get all hostile, maybe find out why this oldtimebie is so smashed upon entrance.. maybe the drama of whatever that douche's life is could be EVEN more entertaining than bugging that doormat dame, Deskmate Doremi...

Thanks for your patience!

vorebane
Feb 2, 2009

"I like Ur and Kavodel and Enki being nice to people for some reason."

Wrong Voter amongst wrong voters
A1, B1

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Lux Anima
Apr 17, 2016


Dinosaur Gum
A4: Custom: FiTiGreg - (originally 'Fire Tiger Greg' when we were, *ahem* younger)
B4: What's all the hubbub, bub?

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