Voting is open
Philemon: It's humane incarceration! Don't you worry that in concept it's similar to Yaldabaoth's thing just with nicer rooms, just put on the NerveGear! :V

In the novel Demiurge's Happy Farms have reached the point where he's forcing adults to eat roasted children.

Ainz knows about this and doesn't care.

Balls in your court, Phil. :V
 
Overlord is also really clever because it knows when to NOT use Ainz and how to build drama and empathy around the side characters. Ainz pulls dual duty as the God in a Man vs God conflict. Basically there's always some kind of conflict going on, and Overlord makes work a truly cursed premise: an MC that is literally all mighty, and manages to draw tension out of it anyways. Overlord sometimes makes me laugh. It often makes me mad, usually makes me sad and frequently a little sick inside. But it never makes me feel bored.

The thing is is that Overlord doesn't do that for me. To me all that build up is nothing more than a waste of time. We all know how its going to end a bunch of insane psychopaths taking joy in killing and torturing people weaker than them and they've done this, like, what, five times already? We did not need sixteen volumes of this and I'd have much more respect for the work if it just ended things at live, three or four volumes instead of dragging out the settings torture for 16+ volumes all while fellating how powerful and unstoppable Nazarick is.

Edit: Overlord also attracts some really creepy people which aggravates me even more.
 
Last edited:
05/26: Break Through in Another World with Magic Powers and Bullets!!
[X] Sokushinbutsu 即身仏

MONDAY - May 26, 2025
Lunchtime


"Hey, Subaru."

"Hmm?"

Your head is resting against your desk, hair sprawled out over the metal surface like a dead octopus. You managed to catch the last train home, which was all well and good, but that left you with a mere four hours of sleep. Enough to stop you from collapsing in class, but not nearly enough to feel alive. It's become a familiar feeling of late.

"Subaru, am I a workaholic?"
You're asking him!?

He spent half of last month at home, so shouldn't be an expert at wasting time? Normal students have hobbies, don't they? You... have hobbies, right?

"Eh?" The question clearly catches him off guard, because his chair creaks and he sets down his manga to stare at you. "What brought this on?"

You turn your head, just enough that you can glare at him, even with half-lidded eyes. "I'm asking, am I a workaholic? I just spent yesterday working five jobs. And I can't stop."

"M-maybe you could quit some of them?"

That sounds like a good idea. But the money... there was so much stuff you needed... and you had to be productive.

"W-well don't you have any hobbies?" Subaru's eyes suddenly widen. "B-besides ALO of course!"

"Subaru, it's fine. I'm over it. Game's shut down anyways, it didn't mind control me or anything." You're really, really sick of having to rehash this every day. You don't want to be known as the traumatized girl any more than the crazy girl.

"Are you sure? Or is that the mind control talking?" Subaru says in complete deadpan. "You don't look much better than a few weeks ago."

"If it's still controlling my mind maybe it could do me a favor and let me sleep a little better..." you grumble, closing your eyes.

Subaru's suddenly lights up in realization, rubbing his chin as if he had a real eureka moment. "Oh, I know, you invited me to the literature club! So you must like reading!"

Do you like reading? You've read all of one book in the last two months that wasn't just skimming over test material or looking up some dumb game guide for your fifth job. Books were expensive. You could just read some free books in the lit club but the time investment...

"I guess..."

"How many books did you read last week?"

"None."

"H-how many books did you read last month?"

"One."

"Aren't you the president of the literature club?" Subaru says with mounting incredulity.

"Yyyeeessssss. But I had a lot on my mind, and I was kind of forced into it." You roll over a little, wondering if you should spend more time in literature club. On top of the other mountain of things you had on your plate.

"You know, the great Subaru did deign to show himself there, after your most gracious invitation," he says, playing up his ego. "But no one was there! Except the teacher and she just thought I was there for tutoring!"

"Did you get the tutoring?"

"I mean, yeah, but wait that's not the point! You weren't even there!"

Wakaba-senpai was probably there, but you doubt Subaru noticed her under her quilt fortress. You do drop by now and then to show the flag and occasionally read a magazine, but you rarely ever spend the whole afternoon there. Life has been, as they say...

Busy.

"Uh, stuff came up. Honest."

He sighs. "I find it hard to believe you don't have any hobbies. My dad says that you are what you do! So... just examine what you do all day! That's your hobby!"

Let's see... you invade VR games. Grapple with your sanity. Worry about money and forget holidays. Nothing that you can really mention in public. "I guess I work part-time a lot."

"See? Then working part-time is your hobby!"

You just look on in abject horror. Was that true? Was that who you've become? He just answered your question. If you are what you do then doesn't that... mean you are a workaholic. This is not how your life was supposed to go!

Subaru keeps nodding like he just came up with the cure for cancer, and he starts going off on how everyone has at least one hobby. By his estimation being addicted to part-time work was at least superior to stalking trains.

"S-Subaru, what do you do for fun?" Maybe you could use some ideas.

He points at the stack of manga at his desk with his thumb. "There's also some amazing stuff online, and if you like web novels there's more than you can ever read— it's all free too! Hey, there's this super cool one I've been reading and..."

You tune out the rambling. Maybe you could find something online to read, in between the time you've spent running between this task and that. You should use all the money you've been making on something too, Gunpla is one idea, but then the money is gonna be useful online. It always came back to that, didn't it? When you gained supernatural powers the last thing you had expected was for it suck the fun out of everything...

"...And then the guy like, summons the defeated monster as a ghost spirit! Like a Stand! He gets like a dozen of them, and every time he wins a fight he gains a new one. And the art is amazing, you got this cool old retro-style and these badass-looking monsters and ultra-cute girls..."

"Sounds cool, Subaru," you mutter, more to end the conversation. "Good talk. I should get going." You roll off the table with all the grace of a dead pigeon falling off its perch.

"Get going? Where? There's still two periods left!"

You smile and bring out your official government ID. Was it petty to wave it around your teacher's face just to gauge their reactions? Yes. Yes it was. But the little taste of authority, of bewilderment, that the little card gives you? It's so worth it.

Subaru looks on with awe, like you were showing him a real-deal police badge. It's nice to see someone appreciate the little things. "H-how did you get that? Don't they only hire, like people in university?"

"I got an internship with the Ministry of Internal Affairs," you say. "Even got special permission to leave early, so long as I keep up my grades. Same deal that actress from 1-A gets!"

Subaru's awe is quickly replaced by something else entirely. His open-mouthed shock gradually shifts into open-mouthed horror. His brow furrows and he glances at you with a look of true pity. "Yori-chan, you got an... internship? Is that one of your, uh what was it, five jobs?"

You cross your arms, offended. "No, it's an internship, not a job!" Frankly, it was more of a bribe! One you're slowly realizing Kikuoka might of gypped you on. The money is nice, and it's on top of whatever reports you manage to compile and send him.

"It's not one of your five!?"

"It's just an internship!" You need to stop complaining to Subaru, he was going to get the wrong idea, especially when one of the five jobs wasn't even paying you. Wait, should they be paying you? Does MAXWELL have a bank account?

...Does ETTEILLA?
They're paying you in exposure.

"In this internship, are you doing something? Anything at all beyond shadowing?"

"Well, yeah, I'm doing a few... odd jobs. Isn't that what you do in internships?" You really don't need Subaru giving you a lecture on internships. "I hear you can't get a government job without doing an internship first!"

"Yes..." he raises his finger like the expert he isn't. "But are they paying you?"

"Unpaid internships are illegal."

He brings the finger back down to point at your nose. "Doesn't that mean it's also one of your jobs?"

It's not a job it's an internship. It's completely different! It's... labor that you'd rather not be doing...
In exchange for money...

"Hiyori," he says, very slowly, as if explaining object permanence to a toddler. "You're working six jobs."

No, you're not, it's...

Sign holder.
Professional catgirl.
Augma tester.
Box mover.
Psychic detective.
...Government intern.

Oh god.

Subaru pats your shoulder, reassuringly. "You might have a problem."


MONDAY - May 26, 2025
Afternoon


Have a mental breakdown later. We're getting to the fucking fun part!

You're lying on what you've increasingly begun to recognize as your couch. It's already started to distort to the contours of your body, and there are strands of long white hair littered all over the couch, enough that you hope Agil's wife doesn't start getting the wrong idea.

There was ostensibly nothing left to investigate in ALO, but Agil wisely didn't question you when you asked him to let you keep diving. You've been tempted to just take the contraband home, but recent revelations about your home security situation made you strongly reconsider.

Technically speaking, so long as you used the latch when you were home, there was no danger from having no lock at all at home. You had nothing truly valuable in your apartment, beyond an Amusphere you rarely used. A new lock would, technically, be a pretty inefficient use of your limited funds.

But it was the principal of the matter! It was your own home, if it didn't have a lock, the door might as well not even be in there!

You stop and take stock of what you know about the situation.

There was... something going on with GGO. The one thing that was, if not easy, but simple about ALO was that you had a clear goal. One that you only needed to look to the sky to take note of. This time there was no World Tree, no obvious lead that was being projected into the stratosphere. This time, you were truly diving into the unknown.

Shino. That's what you need to focus on, her safety and her exact situation came first. Then the slain players— Usujio and David... Kikuoka wanted you to find out what happened to them, but they were secondary objectives. Right now, there was nothing you could do for them.

Their corpses were already cooling.

Honestly, it should be Argo doing this. This investigation seems much more up her alley, but the reward for good work was more work, and something about how you handled ALO must have impressed Kikuoka. That didn't mean you couldn't get her involved on your own initiative, but you have a sinking suspicion she'll charge you for her time.
Stop dithering. You won't find out anything without taking the plunge.

...

That's right. No chances, no hesitation. You need to jump in headfirst to see what happens, it was time to stop being Hiyori and start being Lux again. That being said... was being Lux still a good idea?
The name itself doesn't matter, what matters is what we do with that name. Nobody cares about Lux, everyone cares about the Edge Punisher. Too bad you got rid of the character data. Now if you use the name either they won't get the reference or just think you're some dumb cosplayer.

Your name is already known from your exploits in ALO, infamous in certain circles. It makes no sense to draw attention to yourself, not yet, at least. You didn't even have your old character data to draw on. So you need a new alias...

...Maybe you can take some inspiration?

No, it was pointless thinking like that. The character creation process would be random, so you'll just have to live with whatever the roll of the dice gives you. If you truly hated it, there wasn't much stopping you from just rerolling a brand-new character.

It's time.

You see it, lying on the table. A simple electronic appliance, something you once valued. Yet this toy took two years of your life. And now it's back, rearing its ugly metal head to wreak further havoc in your life.

ALO reminded you that SAO wasn't over, not yet. And now you have to reckon with another thing, back to haunt you. The NerveGear itself. Yet you still can't throw it out. Not yet. Not when you still need it.

The NerveGear fits tightly across your skull, and you try to suppress the strange feeling of familiarity that fills your soul. You access the SEED storefront, somehow still compatible with the NerveGear. In seconds your senses are flooded with the VR store menu, where a dozen icons are laid out for you, ready to take you to whatever world you please. You navigate past the free-to-play section...

And try to ignore the «New Alfheim Online» -Preorders Open- advertisement.

There, at the top of the downloads list, is your target: «Gun Gale Online». The next world of the SEED. Even as you sit here crawling through the menu a part of you, growing steadily louder by the day, screams that you're still playing into Kayaba Akihiko's hands.

But you can only take things one step at a time.

<Greetings, USER. Irregular hardware detected. Be aware: ZASKAR assumes no responsibility for any irregularities sustained during usage of this game using unauthorized hardware. Furthermore, by proceeding you agree you confirm that you are over 18 years of age—>

You blink, skipping over the warning.

<WARNING: Gun Gale Online features services that may be purchased in-game that greatly enhance the user experience. It is recommended that you add funds to your GGO wallet. Your monthly fee will be subtracted on the 26th of every month. Failure to renew your subscription for 3 Months will result in immediate disposal of your GGO account.>

Yes, yes, I get it!

<By starting Gun Gale Online you agree to hold ZASKAR Corporation and all their employees and associates free from all liability to the extent and in the case of any harm, mental illness, and death. For full details regarding our End User License Agreement, visit the official GGO website at Zaskar.com. Failure to review the official EULA—>

"Link Start!"





ARC 2 - CHAOS within a BLACK STAR

The dream of OBERON lies in ashes beneath your feet. One curse among thousands. You have now seen the many faces of our enemies. The dreamer and foul counsel he keeps will harry you at every turn, seeking to turn you from the truth.

Do not be concerned, for I seek a more permanent solution. They hide within the underworld of all worlds, chipping away at the sea of souls, until they have twisted that beautiful dark forest into a thousand ordered little gardens.

Reaching them is beyond you.
It is beyond even me.

But we shall not stay idle. Even now I see their insidious touch, seeking to create a new rift in the world. Fire and brimstone. Iron and bullets. Death itself. Yet it misses one truth.

For all its talk of destruction, for all its cruelty, it is nothing but a shell. Be not deceived. It is a managed land, of hierarchy and self-aggrandizing dreamers. A playground for those who worship death on its altar of corpses.

This world has no more CHAOS within it than the land of the fae.

Seek the SEED, wherever it may be. Seize their world.
Bring them back to reality.

Show them what true chaos is.

And deny them... HEAVEN.




Prior Character Data detected. Initiating Seed Transfer system.

Transfer origin: «Alfheim Online»
Transfer target «Gun Gale Online»

System Message: Attempting to reach «YGG01» Server. Error: Server could be located.
Attempting to retrieve stored data on «AINCRAD01» Server. Error: Data Corrupted.
Attempting to rebuild character data from «AINCRAD01» Server. Estimated time till completion: 8000000 seconds.
Reading on board memory...
Corrupted Character Data detected.

Warning: Unknown corrupt file detected.
Partial Character Data transfer initiated...

Creating new avatar...

Enter Player Name:
>Kuro

Confirming New Operator: «Kuro»
>ACCEPT

«SYSTEM ERROR»
Warning! Unauthorized item data detected in on board memory.

Item «Excalibur» detected. Deleting...
Item Deleted.

Item «Excalibur Avenir» detected. Deleting...
Item D$W_&$#
Item D3#P()*!

«MISSINGNO&$()»
«MISSINGNO&$()»

>___
>___

Item data restored.

<Welcome, Kuro.>

<To the World of GUN GALE ONLINE.>

<New Player Tutorial Recommended. Initiate?>


>Yes

<Tutorial Initiating.>


So you've finally made it, maggot!
Welcome to the Basic Training!
You may address me as Ma'am, Sergeant, or Your Majesty!

I am your god, your savior and if you fuck up, I will be your executioner.

Do you have any questions so far?

Yes? WELL SHUT UP cause I don't give a flying fuck about your questions or where you came from or what shit babysitting job you had before you ended up here! Because now? You're nothing. You're not a name, you're not a person, you're not even an individual!

You're a maggot, and your only goal in life is to crawl through the dirt and SURVIVE! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!? I EXPECT A RESPONSE, MAGGOT!!



Let's start with the BASICS OF THE BASICS for those empty-headed dirtbags who never played a VRMMO before. In this world, you have to FIGHT to get what you want! That means, and yes, sometimes you'll FUCK THINGS UP! A LOT JUDGING BY YOUR DUMBFOUNDED LOOKS!

See this? This is a D6! A dice with SIX SIDES! Which it means it has more brain cells than you do!
All success and failure are determined by rolling a NUMBER of these DICE.

So if your given stat is 6 DICE then you roll a D6 SIX times! Got it? No more than 6! 7 is right out!
Any dice that land on a 5 or 6 is considered a SUCCESS.
Any dice that land on a 1, 2, 3, 4 is considered a FAILURE.

If you are in an ADVANTAGE state when you roll a 4 that is counted as a SUCCESS.
If you are in a DISADVANTAGE state it shifts so ONLY 6 is counted as a SUCCESS.
You can be in MULTIPLE ADVANTAGE STATES but expect them to be rare, much rarer than before!

This is what we call a DICE POOL SYSTEM maggot! Similar to Shadowrun, and if you had an ounce of culture in your shriveled husks, you'd know what that is!

If you roll MORE SUCCESSES than the enemy's your action occurs! All actions are governed by this rule!
If you roll 4 SUCCESS to the enemy's 2 SUCCESS your DEGREE OF VICTORY IS 2!
This is important! That means you do 2 DAMAGE, + whatever bonus damage comes from your GUN and ABILITIES!
For status effects that means the enemy has a DIFFICULTY CHECK OF 2 to SHAKE OFF your Status Effect!

Every action rolls multiple dice, but WHAT YOU ROLL depends on WHAT YOU DO! Fire a GUN? Roll ACCURACY!
Using GHOST MAGIC!? Roll MAGIC! It's simple!

And don't forget: every action has a reaction!
Generally, if you are not RESTRAINED or NARRATIVELY CONSTRAINED you can roll BOTH VIT + AGI + Whatever Dice your EQUIPMENT gives you! But many abilities DENY your enemy their defensive dice! So be careful!



Now do you remember what you can do? What are your... attributes?

WELL FORGET ALL ABOUT THAT MAGGOT! DROP TO THE GROUND! I SAID DROP!

STRENGTH: ON YOUR GODDMAN KNEES AND GIVE ME TWENTY! UP DOWN, UP DOWN! WITHOUT BRAWN YOU CAN'T CARRY A BRANCH LET ALONE A WEAPON! UP DOWN, UP DOWN...!
>STR is rolled for MELEE attacks and for carrying weapons.
>Carry Capacity is a derived statistic (2 X STR + VIT). All guns and equipment have a WEIGHT. If your inventory exceeds your WEIGHT you suffer severe debuffs.
>A Persona's STR is subtracted from the gun's weight! Otherwise, your Persona's stats do not affect your carry capacity in any way!


MAGIC: SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM MAGIC! AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE SHIT FOR BRAINS EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE MAGIC!
>MAG is rolled for MAGIC attacks. Certain firearms have a MAG requirement.
>MAGIC attacks tend to be more accurate and work best with Optical Weapons, allowing you to punch through Optical Barriers with sheer power!
>MAGIC is usually well suited for hitting an enemy's WEAKNESS, giving you ADVANTAGE!
>Enemies that are hit by their WEAKNESS are STUNNED! They can still act but lose any PASSIVE abilities they have until their next turn!


AGILITY: GET LIGHTER ON THOSE FEET! YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO OUTRUN THE REAPER BUT MAYBE IF YOU HOP AROUND HE'LL GO FOR ANOTHER MAGGOT FIRST!

>AGI is first rolled for initiative. The higher your AGI the earlier in combat you move!
>When it is your turn, you first MOVE then FIRE your weapon, all on your turn! So if you move early, you position early.
>Your MOVE is your AGI/3 + 1, rounded DOWN. Your MOVE is temporarily increased by your equipped Persona!
>AGI is your first defensive stat, representing your ability to dive into cover.


VITALITY: WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF A WUSS!? TAKE THE DAMN BULLET AND SAVE US THE COST! MEDKITS ARE WORTH MORE THAN YOUR WORTHLESS EXCUSE OF A LIFE!

>VIT is simply your ability to take hits.
>Your base VIT also increases your Max HP by +2 per point!
>VIT affects carry capacity. Your Persona's VIT does not contribute to this carrying capacity! Nor does your Persona's VIT affect a gun's weight!


CHEAT: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL A SOLDIER THAT FIGHTS FAIR? A DEAD FUCKING MAGGOT! USE IT, ABUSE IT, STEAL IT, ANYTHING! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!

>CHT is the stat that governs status maneuvers and the use of exotic gadgets. It is rolled to recover from status effects as well.
>When you hit an enemy with a status move, the first turn is guaranteed to be successful! The degree of your success determines the enemy's DC to save against the status (ie if you beat the enemy CHT by 2, they have to roll against DC 2!)
>Every turn they roll to shake off the status. They roll normally (no disadv/adv involved), and get a stacking +2 DICE every time they fail, until they succeed!



Now, maggot, I know your arthritic old granny hands can't hit shit, so the boys up in the lab have found a solution: Your guns do the work for you! Align the BULLET CIRCLE with the enemy and pull the trigger, even a maggot like you can do that! But Ma'am, I'm a wittle bwaby and I can't dodge bullets, wah, wah! WELL YOU'RE IN LUCK BECAUSE AS USUAL I'M GOING TO DO ALL THE WORK FOR YOU!

This is the BULLET LINE! It predicts where your enemy's gun will fire!

Firefights take place at range, so you always have to account for distance! The class of weapon determines how accurate you are at different ranges!
Every firearm also has a range indicator! This is the maximum range at which it's at full strength! When deviating from this, your firearm starts to lose strength, until you can no longer fire them! Here's some examples; don't take them as the gospel, they are generalities and used for illustrative purposes!

[X][-][-][-][-][-][-][-][-][-] Melee
[X][X][ ][-][-][-][-][-][-][-] Shotgun
[ ][X][X][ ][ ][ ][-][-][-][-] Pistol/SMG
[ ][ ][X][X][X][ ][ ][ ][-][-] Assault
[ ][ ][ ][X][X][X][X][ ][ ][ ] Marksman
[-][-][ ][ ][ ][X][X][X][X][X] Sniper


[X] = In Range, full effect
[ ] = Disadvantage
[-] = Cannot Fire

Here's an example of a BULLET LINE in the middle of COMBAT, MAGGOT! All distance is RELATIVE TO YOU! How much distance does a single square represent? DO I LOOK LIKE A MATHEMATICIAN? THE ONLY THING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS WHETHER OR NOT IT'S IN RANGE FOR YOU TO KILL!

Maggot [1][ ][ ][2][ ][3][4][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

1 = This enemy is in MELEE range!
2 = This enemy is in range of the majority of firearms!
3 = Good luck hitting this guy without a high power rifle!
4 = This is special, maggot! It's a GROUP! Multiple assholes in one square; you'll have to pick your target in your plan, unless you're firing certain weapons or have MAGIC POWERS!

If you're lucky enough to develop MAGIC POWERS that let you hit LOTS OF THINGS AT ONCE you can use it to hit EVERYTHING in your RANGE! That's your formal RANGE, the [X], not the shit [ ] edge cases, maggot!



Do you see this? Even a maggot like you should recognize this! This here is a GUN! It is a thing of beauty, a thing of death and destruction and the most wonderful tool ever created since slided bread!

All guns have the following stats:
RANGE: Delineates where a firearm can fire.
ACCURACY: The amount of DICE you roll when targeting an enemy.
PERSONA: The exact limitation on what Persona can be loaded into a gun. To keep things simple this will usually be auto-assigned (as in you buy guns in Persona-Gun pairs). The rules it follows essentially boils down to QM fiat.
[PASSIVE]: Any special abilities granted by your gun! If you hit a weakness, the PASSIVE is deactivated for 1 turn!


What's that? You want to know about your MAGIC GHOST POWERS!? Well first submit yourself for a psych eval, maggot, but since I am magnanimous, I will deign to lower myself to your level!

If you can assign a MAGIC GHOST to your GUN, you can use ANY ABILITY it has assigned! HOWEVER, the GUN has an ACCURACY stat! You can add the ACCURACY stat to your's MAGIC ATTACKS and SWORD SKILL only when the type of weapon matches what you are trying to do!

Oh, and if you use a SWORD SKILL when using a weapon that cannot fire in MELEE RANGE at all? Well you'll always have a BACK UP KNIFE that will narratively allow you to use a SWORD SKILL. But it's gonna suck without ACCURACY!

To reiterate, if your MAGIC GHOST is in a GUN, you can use ANY SKILL IT HAS! If you're using a NON-OFFENSIVE skill, like a buff or heal, it goes off no problem!




This beauty is a Sirius 2 Phased Array Assault Rifle! It's a beautiful piece with no recoil, high accuracy and automatically regenerating internal magazines! But it fires coherent energy pulses, which dissipate on Optical Barriers! BUT REMEMBER MAGGOT! ALL BARRIERS ARE RELATIVE!

Attack Rolls with Optical Weapons:

Standard: Roll ACCURACY
Magic Attack: Roll ACCURACY + MAG stat
Sword Skills: Roll STR stat alone
Cheat Skills: Roll CHT stat alone


Defense Rolls for Optical Weapons:

Enemy: AGI + VIT + Optical Barrier Defensive Value
Optical Weapons rarely, if ever, deny enemy defensive dice. Optical weapons are your MAGIC weapons as they add ACCURACY when using magic attacks!




Recognize this? Well if you don't you'll soon learn! This the M1911, American Army standard issue sidearm for almost a century! Its bullets have mass and are affected by wind, travel time, and your shaky fucking hands! It has reduced accuracy, but it cuts through all sci fi barriers like they ain't worth shit!

Attack Rolls with Modern Weapons:

Standard: Roll ACCURACY
Magic Attack: Roll MAG stat alone
Sword Skills: Roll STR stat alone
Cheat Skills: Roll CHT stat alone


Defense Rolls for Modern Weapons:

Enemy: AGI + VIT + Body Armor Defensive Value
Modern Weapons usually deny at least one defensive value if used within range, or otherwise have strong passives. They tend to be very limited in what Personas they accept, and they do not empower Personas in any way.




Now what we have here is something special. This here's a Colt Single Action Army, the gun that won the west! It uses primitive, ancient technology, and has absolutely no redeeming qualities when compared to modern weapons! BUT IT HAS HISTORY! AND JUST CAUSE IT'S OLD DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T FUCK YOU UP! IF YOU'RE A BAD ENOUGH MOTHERFUCKER, YOU'LL MAKE IT WORK!

Attack Rolls with Antique Weapons:

Standard: Roll ACCURACY
Magic Attacks: Roll ACCURACY + MAG
Sword Skills (*cough* Gun-Fu *cough*): Roll ACCURACY + STR
Cheat Skills: Roll CHT stat alone


Defense Rolls for Antique Weapons:

Enemy: AGI + VIT + Body Armor Defensive Value
Antique Weapons rarely, if ever, deny enemy defensive dice. They however, interact smoothly with Personas. Antiques are practically non-functional as guns but make ideal receptacles for Personas and work well with powerful Personas that depend on mixed stats.




Now say you and a motherfucker are stuck in spitting range. You're already a maggot, but that doesn't also mean you're a CHICKEN! Hit them with the butt of your gun! Pull out your knife! BITE THEIR EARS OFF! Do whatever it takes to win!

Attack Rolls with Melee Weapons:

Standard: Roll ACCURACY
Magic Attacks: Roll MAG stat alone
Sword Skills: Roll ACCURACY + STR
Cheat Skills: Roll CHT stat alone


Defense Rolls for Melee Weapons:

Enemy: AGI + VIT. No Armor works against Melee Weapons.
Melee Weapons ignore armor, and are high power. However you have to get close to your enemy first, and against targets with high AGI there's very little preventing them from kiting you.




Are you ready for your final exam? Then let's fucking summarize!

COMBAT is simulated TURN by TURN. In a single turn you and all the losers who've decided to hide under your skirt can ACT!

INITIATIVE is rolled based on 1d4 + AGI ROLL! The AGI Roll is still AGId6 successes, as usual, MAGGOT!

When it is your TURN...

You first MOVE! You move closer or farther away from the enemy based on the simple logic of trying to get them in the effective range of your weapon! If you don't WANT to move like a COWARD, you have to SPECIFY it in the PLAN otherwise you'll move on your fucking own!

But be wary! Some guns have OVERWATCH which allows alert enemies to take potshots at you when you approach them! Yeah, running into gunfire is usually a STUPID IDEA!

When in RANGE you fire your GUN! The DICE you use is based on the WEAPON TYPE! Here's a cheat sheet: if you're firing a gun without doing WEIRD SHIT you'll use your gun's ACCURACY stat alone!

But if you're doing WEIRD SHIT, and you really shouldn't be, you can add OTHER STATS from GHOST POWERS you don't have, as a bonus!

Theoretically, if you had MAGIC ATTACKS, then provided you're using an OPTICAL or ANTIQUE gun you can add your MAG stat to the attack dice!
If you had SWORD SKILLS, then provided you're using a MELEE or ANTIQUE gun you can add your STR stat to the attack dice!

Get it?
OPTICAL weapons add Accuracy to MAGIC ATTACKS.
MELEE weapons add Accuracy to SWORD SKILLS.
ANTIQUE weapons add Accuracy to BOTH but tend to be PISS WEAK.
MODERN weapons add Accuracy to NOTHING but are POWERFUL.

And you can use ANY SKILL with ANY WEAPON, but there won't be any BONUSES for incompatibility, maggot!

If you SUCCEED, the DEGREE OF SUCCESS determines your damage! If you don't SUCCEED by much, you won't do much damage! But rest assured, most MODERN WEAPONS deal a baseline of damage!

If you hit the enemy's WEAKNESS, congradu—fucking—lations! They are STUNNED! No OVERWATCH, NO [PASSIVE ABILITIES], THEY CAN'T REACT UNTIL THEIR NEXT TURN! If you, and I can't believe I'm asking, are an ABSOLUTE IDIOT and have TWO GUNS IN EITHER HAND then theoretically you can take a free ONCE MORE shot with your other hand! But you won't do that because you're not STUPID!

Did you get all of that? No?

Well the jackasses at central have mandated I provide you with a simplified tutorial, dumbed down so even a maggot like yourself can understand it! It'll go up on the INFORMATIONAL tab shortly!


Now remember one more important thing! NARRATIVE LOGIC SUPERCEDES EVERYTHING! Got me!? Do something creative and we don't even have to deal with dice! And ADVANTAGE and DISADVANTAGE can be granted by doing stuff, like talking out of your ass in the middle of a fight, taunting, or tricking your foes! The battlefield is a place to match wits as well as bullets!

Now you've graduated BASIC TRAINING! You are a MAGGOT no longer! You are a SOLDIER! AN OPERATOR! KILL! CONQUER!
AND PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT YOU ARE THE

«Real Deal»


MONDAY - 201 CYCLES POST STARFALL
1700 Glocken Standard Time


The first thing you notice is the smell. That stench of sulfur and fire which hangs around Shino like a cloud is now all around you, searing the smell of gunsmoke permanently into your nostrils.

The second thing you notice? The sound.

Crowds are shouting, men are cheering. The muffled sounds of gunfire and explosions are no less pounding for their distance. The chatter of conversation, casual and otherwise, surround you.

And then you open your eyes.

Hey, not falling in midair this time. A plus for convenience, a minus for being boring.

As you look around you think you've managed to spawn in as expected in the hub town, in some cyberpunk-like city. The sun was starting to set, casting the entire region in a pale blue haze. As you check yourself over, you note the simple brown coat slung over your shoulders and the distinct lack of wings on your back. You're going to miss that...

If you had to describe the world of GGO in one word it would be: grunge.
Followed by Macho. I can smell the sweat, gah.

A gaggle of 2 meter tall meatheads cheers to a rerun of some tournament or another playing on a floating holographic monitor. A shifty-eyed man in a thick white cloak speeds past you, a heavy suitcase held in his hand. Two men in matching black uniforms walk casually out the doors of what you guess is some spaceport.

The lone girl on the balcony of a bar is surrounded by a fan club's worth of red-faced men, she gives you a wink when she catches you staring.

And everyone?
Every last person here has a gun.

Some look more like sci-fi ray guns, and some look like they belong in a museum, but the majority of players seem to be using hulking monsters that looked like they came straight from a gun show.

...

Take a deep breath and remember. This was all just a game. And you're here to get to work.

You test the menu; left hand again, and scroll through the available options. You started with... 1000 Credits. Which converts to... 10 yen. Enough to buy you one bullet, tops.

...Guess this is where the game gets you on the microtransactions.

Your friend list... empty except for Meimi. From SAO through GGO she's the one constant on that list... and you're glad at least the SEED let you convert your contacts, if not your avatar. Meimi went ahead and created an account already, Gwen as usual, but she couldn't join you just yet. Her parents were severely limiting her FullDive time and you had no plans on leaving the tutorial zone today. Scrolling further...

Nothing in the item menu but a dinky starter laser pistol and... it takes you a second to recognize it. The name is changed, and its shape is definitely shifted into something more appropriate for this world, but somehow your old weapon made it through the transfer process. Undine bristles as you gaze at the inventory option, your Persona recognizing the strange weapon as her prior abode.

This wasn't the Excalibur you obtained at the end of your journey, it was «Excalibur Avenir», the one you forged first in the sands of the Colosseum and then against the goddess of time.

It's a reminder... that even after you destroyed ALO, even after deleting Lux, a part of the old you still existed. That it's not just the mistakes you carry with you, but all the good that happened too.

"Hey, holy shit, is that..."

You're jolted out of your reverie. Running at you is a... creepy middle-aged man with faded goggles and a big, ugly coat. He has a grin on his face like he just saw an angel and his hands are rubbing together so fast you'd swear he was trying to start a fire with them. "Hey, you! You're a girl aren't you!?"

W-who the hell starts a conversation by asking that!?

"W-wait a minute, who are you!?" you yelp out as he approaches, your hand subconsciously reaching for a sword you no longer had. This was a town, right? PKing was illegal, wasn't it? Did this game have an Anti-Harassment Code? It better!

The man waves his arms up in the air like he just doesn't care, grabbing your shoulders in excitement. "Ahh! That's a rare model! I-I've never seen it, even in the catalogs!"

Was this guy... camping the new player spawn in location, just to find a rare character model?
If he's some kind of character broker, why the hell would he choose to look like that? Why not some bishonen!?

"Sell it to me! Please, I'll pay, 3... no 4 MEGACREDITS!" he practically screams, froth dripping out his mouth.

You shake your head violently, breaking out of his grip and backing up against the wall. "N-no thanks." You manage to say through your confusion.
I'm sorry, I don't know what Megacredit is, but I want it. Who the hell cares, it's just an account.

It's attached to a NerveGear, so it still has SAO data saved on it! And who the hell knows how it'll interact with all the Persona crap going on!

"Aw, c'mon, please!? 6 MEGACREDITS! It's all I have, I swear!"

You try to brush past him.

"Don't want to sell? Fine. Look, how about I introduce you to a good squadron? You could be their idol, make some big cash from a good sponsor! Seriously, you won the lottery here, be a shame to waste it!"

The man keeps following you. "Look, you've got potential. That's a really rare one you got there, it'll look real good on billboards. Let me be your agent, whaddya say, c'mon?"

He wasn't backing down, even as you started walking faster and faster. He wasn't trying to mug you for money, but you can't shake the thought that he's trying to sign you up for something even worse— another job.

The problem with a female avatar is you stand out like a sore thumb. You vow you're going to buy the first cloak you see that doesn't remind you of a poncho. "I don't want to, go away!"

"Don't be so shy!" he says, as you finally reach a staircase leading through a tunnel deeper into town. You stare longingly at the tunnel— should you make a break for it? You didn't have anything to attack him yet and he hasn't technically done anything...

"The lady said she doesn't want to be bothered."

You and the man freeze at the unfamiliar voice. It's high-pitched and nasally yet tinged with an unmistakable threat. You turn backward and you see... the strange man who was following you.

In mid-air. Flying face first down the stairs at Mach speed.

You wince at the sound of a human being skidding along several flights of space-age metal, taking solace in the fact that at least this wasn't in the real world.
Good riddance creeper.

Was it a good sign that the first person you met tried to buy your body and then sell you off? No. Absolutely not.
But on the flip side... he spoke about credits. Accounts. He was annoying. He... seemed like any regular MMO player. No talk about lore or anything, he acknowledged game mechanics and even tried to exploit you. An asshole, sure, but a sane asshole.

"Are you alright?"

There's a... boy in front of you. He's close, hand outstretched. You... didn't even see nor hear him move. Still, he looks nervous, glancing around the city like it's his first time there. "S-sorry if that startled you. When I first logged in that man kept bugging me to sell my character too, and I saw him do the same thing to you..."


He's short, with a tuft of silver-white hair on his head and a babyface, the kind that could easily pass as a girl's. Seems these avatar types that went against the macho aesthetic were worth quite a bit of money. Now that you get a closer look, he's less handsome and more cute, like a middle school boy. He's in the plain leathers of a starting avatar, with an empty pack slung over his back. As a fellow newbie, he has no «Hide» skill to speak of so his name was plastered front and center right over his head.

«Lugh»

...The irony does not escape you.

"Did you pick out your name because of your hair color?" You ask. The boy starts and gives you a weird look. That was the whole reason you started off using Lux as your username...

"I picked the name first, and just... had this hair when I first logged in," he says, curling a bang in his finger. He seems... hesitant, every motion deliberate and slow. Was this really the boy who just judo-threw that man down the staircase?

"It suits you!"

He smiles nervously at you, glancing up at your username, "Well... «Kuro»? I'll have to take you at your word. I'm not entirely sure what I look like. You don't suppose you have a mirror you could let me borrow? I had a friend who was supposed to join me, but he kinda bailed at the last minute. This is all... pretty new to me."

"No mirror to speak of," you shake your head, "We could try one of these windows? They seem, uh, space-age polished."

"Ahh..." The boy blinks and rubs at his hair. "I'm kinda scared I'm just gonna look like my real self, but... alright. I'll follow your lead."

You hope he doesn't look like his real self, because that means he'd be like an eighth grader. Which would be an egregious violation of the game's age requirement!

As the two of you walk towards a nearby building, Lugh keeps glancing behind himself, as if he's expecting an ambush. His eyes linger on the guns of all the passersby and you see him visibly swallow a lump in his throat. All the guns must be intimidating to a newbie...

"Say, Kuro, seems like we're both starting at the same time. Want to walk around together? Two heads are better than one, and this city is... big. I don't even know where to begin with buying weapons..."

...

"Kuro?"

You stare at your reflection in the mirror polish of the nearby building. It's... not what you expected. You blush at how doll-like your avatar's face is, no wonder you stood out so much compared to all the muscle-bound meatheads.

No golden eyes, no curly white hair. It's not what you've grown used to.

It's... not you. You've gotten so used to seeing yourself in the mirror, whether in the real world or the virtual, that you've forgotten this sensation.

Once, when you logged in to SAO for the first time, you had picked a burly body type just to try it out. Wearing muscles that weren't yours, seeing a face that wasn't yours... it was like you had stepped into another world. But that had lasted all of 10 minutes before Kayaba revealed his master plan.

It's back. That sense of anonymity, of the unknown. Here, nobody knows who you are. Nobody recognizes you. And you are not... Lux anymore.

You are Kuro. And you can be whoever you want to be.

And you want to be...

[ ] A HERO.


Kuro
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Post Starfall
Race: Human

HP: 14/14
SP: 10/10

STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
MAG: Rank F (0 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank F (0 Dice)

Carry Capacity: 6

[Black Swordsman]: Your appearance reminds you of someone you admire! Gain +1 ROLL to all OFFENSIVE rolls while wielding MELEE class weapons.
[Berserk Edge]: Gain +1 MOV whenever you are charging into melee range with a MELEE class weapon.
[Sword Block -Novice-]: Gain +1 SUCCESS automatically when defending against OVERWATCH fire! (Ie, it is harder for you to be hit when charging into melee!)

Starting Equipment:

XBC Calibur HF Blade [MELEE/SLASH]
Weight: 3 (Urashima by default)
Accuracy: 4, ignores enemy VIT when in RANGE.
Persona: Urashima/Putana [Urashima by default]
Range: [X][-][-][-][-][-][-][-][-][-]
[Ninja Dash]: Initiative is doubled.

A monomolecular XT Alloy Blade that cuts through molecular bonds via the application of a high-frequency alternating plasma current. Can block beam sabers. Can theoretically block bullets. Stops working if you think too hard about how it works.

[ ] A TRAVELER.


Kuro
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Post Starfall
Race: Human

HP: 12/12
SP: 10/10

STR: Rank E (1 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank E (1 Dice)
CHT: Rank D (2 Dice)

Carry Capacity: 3

[Stranger]: Your appearance inspires you to appreciate history! Gain +1 ROLL to all OFFENSIVE rolls while wielding ANTIQUE class weapons.
[Quick Draw]: When wielding PISTOLs and in RANGE, ignore 2 POINTS of enemy AGI and deal +1 PIERCE damage.
[Magic Gunner]: ANTIQUES either are in Range or not. They do not have Disadvantage ranges.

Starting Equipment:

Colt 1851 Navy Excalibur [ANTIQUE/PIERCE]
Weight: 1 (0 with Undine)
Accuracy: 2
Persona: Any [Undine by default]
Range: [X][X][X][-][-][-][-][-][-][-]
[Once More]: Hitting an enemy WEAKNESS with this weapon triggers a free shot. The shot must be taken by a different gun with the [Once More] trait, not the same weapon that triggered it.

A classic old-west percussion revolver, unlikely to serve you well on a modern battlefield. No clips, the bullets come in paper sleeves and the engraving gives you no tactical advantage whatsoever. But it looks super cool. And that counts for more than you may realize.

[ ] A REPLICANT.


Kuro
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Post Starfall
Race: ArFA-Sys

HP: 16/16
SP: 10/10

STR: Rank E (1 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank E (1 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: Rank E (1 Dice)

Carry Capacity: 5

[Laser Girl]: Your appearance inspires you to go full bladerunner! Gain +1 ROLL to all OFFENSIVE rolls while wielding OPTICAL class weapons.
[System Crash]: Corrupt data has caused your avatar to somehow be registered incorrectly. All enemy OPTICAL weapons gain +1 ROLL when targeting you. All enemy MODERN weapons gain -1 ROLL when targeting you.
[ArFA-Sys]: Narratively recognized as a Financial Advisor NPC by other NPCs (Players will still recognize you as a Player with a glitched-out avatar). Receive a 20% discount from NPC shops!

Starting Equipment:

SBC Peacock Phased Array Rifle -X-CALIBUR EDITION- [OPTICAL/LIGHT]
Weight: 3 (2 with Helena)
Accuracy: 4
Persona: Mithras Liturgy / Helena / Magdalena [Helena by default]
Range: [ ][ ][X][X][X][ ][ ][-][-][-]
[Overload]: When activated you cannot MOVE and automatically move to the BOTTOM of Initiative. Your shot ignores up to 2 DICE of OPTICAL BARRIER.

A Peacock class optical carbine horrifically mutilated by the addition of a vestigial keyboard over its frame. Manipulation of the Keyboard seems to let you create exotic effects over the battlefield, and if you type EXCALIBUR into the Keyboard you can fire a giant laser beam!

[ ] A PART TIME CATGIRL.


Kuro
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Post Starfall
Race: Human with a Cait-Sith Headband superglued to your head (no, they don't come off)

HP: 14/14
SP: 10/10

STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank F (0 Dice)
AGI: Rank E (1 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank E (1 Dice)

Carry Capacity: 8

[Effective Solutions]: Your appearance inspires you to do whatever you can to log out ASAP! Gain +1 ROLL to all OFFENSIVE rolls while wielding MODERN class weapons.
[Machine Gun Lover]: Something about firing automatic weapons just feels... good. Gain +1 SP whenever you fire a MODERN weapon capable of automatic fire without invoking any Persona abilities.
[Part Time All The Time]: Corrupt Data has comingled with your CatCafe and ALO profile to create this abomination. Your Cait Sith headband (collab event with ALO!) has been locked into your accessory slot. On the flipside, $MistCoin$ thinks you'll be really good for business! Receive a 20% discount at Black Market Mitsuha!

Starting Equipment:

INSAS Excalibur Rifle [MODERN/PIERCE]
Weight: 5 (2 with Nephren-Ka)
Accuracy: 5 in Range.
Persona: Nephren-Ka / Archon [Nephren-Ka by default]
Range: [ ][ ][X][X][X][ ][ ][ ][-][-]
[Overwatch]: An enemy that enters your RANGE ([X] boxes) from outside your RANGE is subject to a free attack by you vs them. This attack is made with -2 Dice, and applies once per turn, per enemy. This only applies to movement initiated by the enemy.
[Heavy Metal 1]: Deal +1 PIERCE damage whenever you hit an opponent.

A modern assault rifle in active service by Army of India, considered a rare but solid assault rifle by the standards of the GGO metagame. Don't worry, GGO doesn't simulate gun malfunctions!


You're all alone in the big city! You'll need some help getting around, maybe you can call for some company? (Meimi is unavailable due to her parents!)

[ ] Lugh
>Knows nothing about VR! Knows lots about guns! Will probably be able to help you find some really special guns, maybe even teach you a few tricks...
>Meet new, potentially very useful, people!


[ ] Sinon
>Well... you know her username. You can search for her on the player search system. Last time you talked, you think she was gunning to kill you, but she can't really do that in the starter town...
>Exposes your Kuro as Hiyori to Sinon, if you had intended to keep it secret.


[ ] Spiegal
>Here's what you know about him. Sinon is hunting the poor guy down and you have no idea how to reach him. But... you do know his username. And rumor has it he's on 24/7. He did offer to help you if you ever started GGO...
>Exposes your Kuro as Hiyori to Spiegal (and he'll probably tell Sinon), if you had intended to keep it secret.


[ ] Karen... whatever her username is...
>You, uh, not friends? She's your friend's girlfriend's college roommate, and you had a pleasant afternoon together stalking people. But she's the only sane person you know who plays GGO. Hit up Shizuka and ask her for Karen's in game account, cause right now? You need someone normal to introduce you to GGO.
>Meet new, potentially very useful, people!



The votes are NOT PLAN. So you can pick any combo of your AVATAR and the first person you talk to.

This is the final version of the new GGO system. I have no idea if it's gonna be too complicated or unwieldly or not, but fuck it, I'm gonna do it live and just adjust on the fly.

I'll post a summary without all the fluff of the mechanics at some point before your first fight.

I do want GGO to be more difficult than ALO, going by the themes I want to tackle, but it is still a Persona game in the end and I don't want it to be just about dice rolls, so again write-ins and talk-no-jutsu will be free in fights to tip the scales.
 
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[ ] Karen... whatever her username is...
>You, uh, not friends? She's your friend's girlfriend's college roommate, and you had a pleasant afternoon together stalking people. But she's the only sane person you know who plays GGO. Hit up Shizuka and ask her for Karen's in game account, cause right now? You need someone normal to introduce you to GGO.
>Meet new, potentially very useful, people!
IRL she's the huge girl we spent stalking together on the date.

In GGO though...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwqM1TSs-CE

Killer Rabbit
 
You know I want Lux to look like this in GGO

library-of-ruina.fandom.com

Tamaki

"I’m not here for senseless chatter."-Tamaki Tamaki is a Fixer working for the Full-Stop Office. She first appears in the same Chapter, Episode 1. Tamaki is a short dark-skinned woman with very long white hair that is tied into a ponytail by a black hair tie and with small bangs. She wears a...
 
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You know I want Lux to look like this in GGO

I'm not opposed to changing character appearances if there's enough demand. The appearance is just fluff, and a few dumb references. Originally I had this complex point buy thingy but I decided to just simplify down to 4 premades (All dumb pun based!), especially since I want to make an active effort of making sure this quest still has a few simple votes in between the complex plan and combat stuff.

If anyone wants to write in an appearance change and there's a plurality I'm happy to shift.
 
[X]Sorasaki Hina

Sorasaki Hina - Blue Archive - This avatar's small, frail, and overworked appearance makes others wish to care for and pamper you as if you were their beloved daughter.

Despite appearances, this avatar starts with a Modern belt-fed light machine gun as her weapon. Great for keeping others in line, not so great for fighting mountains of paperwork.



[X] M1 Garand

M1 Garand - Girls Frontline - The M1 Garand was described by General George Patton as "The greatest battle implement ever devised." Toting one around as your starter weapon, combined with your not-at-all-period-accurate "uniform" oddly instils a sense of authority and authenticity amongst casual players, but mild annoyance within history lovers, WW2 reenactors, and gun otaku.

The M1 Garand is treated as an antique Marksman rifle. (Because that's how I use it in BF5). Strangely, reloads have a 1% chance of making the Discord ping sound. PING!



[x]A TRAVELER.
[X] A PART TIME CATGIRL.
[x]Lugh
 
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