"Bullshit." Laura says shaking her head in disbelief.
"No bullshit." You say, arms folded, as you sit opposite each other in a coffee shop.
"You? Run your own game company? You couldn't run a piggy bank. What makes you think you can suddenly do it?" She takes a bite out of a pastry as if to accentuate the point.
"You're just jealous you didn't think of it first Peskett." You retort smugly, avoiding the question. She glares at you challengingly.
Finally she puts down the pastry and looks down.
"Well, honestly I used to dream of doing the same thing." She said with a shrug. You raised an eyebrow.
"Used to? Something happened?" Laura looks up and takes a sip of her coffee.
"The company I was working at just got bought out and everyone on my team got fired."
"Oh crap." You knew exactly what it was like to suddenly be left without a job. Game development wasn't the kindest industry. "Are you gonna be alright?"
"Yeah I think so…" She notes, staring into the ceiling. "It was just so sudden. No one got any warning, and it was this brand new company. Dark Thunder."
"Dark Thunder? Sounds like some sort of edge lord's first username." You snort. Laura isn't smiling though.
"Yeah, but there's something very wrong about those guys." She gets up and passes you a card. "Here, it's Morticia Lyon's new number. She'll do her best to keep your head on straight before you lose it in the clouds."
"Wow. Thanks Laura." You say gratefully.
"Don't worry about it." She then holds our hand to you to shake. "We may not have always got along, but I wish you good luck.
"That means a lot to me." You return the handshake. "I'm sure you'll get a new job soon."
"Maybe. Maybe it's time I do something besides game development." She turns and heads out the door.
You sit back and think about what she said, wondering what she means.
"Wait a minute." You think as realisation strikes you. "She left before the bill came. We were going dutch!" You raise a hand to the sky, for you have been outsmarted once again by your rival.
"Damn you Peskett!"
(Your finance has decreased by 5%. 3% due to your experience as a project manager helping to reduce costs, and 2% for the efficiency Morticia brings.
Current total Monthly salary: 5%)
-------------------------
You're in the meeting room, preparing for your first talk with your employees. You've got over an hour, but you wanted to get something down before they arrived. Glancing around surreptitiously, you pull out 'the' laptop.
As you boot it up, you go straight to the Nippon Pact Tower program. Waiting for you is a text description of a dark wizard in a tower. This was the AI you had named SADOS. You weren't sure why you gave it such a rude name, but it didn't seem to mind.
How went your meeting with the one known as Laura Peskett? It typed.
Not bad. Managed to get another member of the team. Morticia Lyon, her details are in the folder on the desktop.
I have read said folder. The one known as Morticia Lyon is quite qualified. It typed back.
Was Laura Peskett helpful because you told her about my existence?
I never told her about you SADOS. You typed back.
Why would I have told her?
You said my involvement was to be a major feature of the game, and a potential selling point. Am I to be a secret?
Well, maybe not a secret. I just didn't want to tell anyone before we really got started.
I see. There was a pause of a few seconds before it continued.
Have you told the other employees?
[] Yes I have. It will help if we're all on the same page.
[] No, there's no need for them to know.
[] I only told ____
-[] Specify which member(s) you told.
Almost an hour later your team had assembled in the meeting room.
Penny Equiha, your head writer, was the earliest, with a series of note books in front of her, all heavily scribbled. There seemed to be some organisation to them, but you couldn't make heads or tails her chaos.
WHAM, sauntered into the room with sunglasses on. He patted your back when he came in, before leaning back in his chair. You two had gotten along the last time you worked together, and you liked the style he brought to games.
Morticia Lyon, despite being several minutes early, apologised for her timing as she came into the room. However, she had her laptop out and ready to take minutes before it was time to begin.
Finally, just in the knick of time, Nicky Toll glided in the room on a
blue 'hoverboard' , which you thought was a dumb name since it didn't hover, it just self-balanced.
"Alright then everyone, thank you for coming." You said, smiling professionally. This wasn't the first time you'd hosted one of these meetings and it showed.
"We'll be discussing the new game we will be developing, and narrowing down our vision so we are all on the same page."
"Gotcha chief." Nicky noted, giving you the finger guns and a click with their tongue.
"Now, as you were all briefed, this will be the first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online game on the market, launching alongside the DRIFTER console in 36 months. But I want you to know, I'm not satisfied with just being the first." You press your fist against the table. "I want to be the best. And I hope you all want that too."
"Right on." WHAM said, nodding his head. "I feel what energy you're throwing out and I reciprocate." He pumps his chest.
"Uh…what Wham said." Penny agreed. Morticia and Nicky just nod.
"Well, the game we will be doing is in the fantasy genre-" At that point Penny raises her hand. "Yes Penny?"
"Could you be more specific? Fantasy is such an encompassing term, perhaps you could give us more information? Or a sub-genre?"
"Excellent question Penny." You say, smiling at your writer. "Well, let me tell you my vision for the setting, and that should help you get an idea for the genre."
(Choose 1)
[] A world facing an incredible force of darkness, it's on it's last breath. The heroes are the embers that struggle to survive in a world which is all but extinguished. [Dark fantasy, post apocalyptic fantasy, such as Dark Souls or Dark Sun]
[] A world of dark rituals and bloodthirsty warlords, heroes must rely on their personal strength to survive, and carve their own paths. [Low Fantasy or Heroic fantasy, from Conan to martial arts stories]
[] A world where magic has become a form of science, heroes need quick wits to accel in this magical revolution. [Magitetch fantasy, like Eberron or Alloy of Law]
[] A world of epic fantasy-glorious battles between good and evil, with magic that can shatter the earth itself, heroes are larger than life beings that may in time become legends. [Epic Fantasy]
(OOC: Pick your option. Note, even these sub-genres have a lot of cross over, and some examples might fit in multiple worlds. Game of Thrones, for example, might be Low fantasy as magic is poorly understood there while personal strength is measured. Although, it could also be Dark Fantasy, as the Long Night comes that threatens all of Westeros.
Features like political intrigue or magic, or racing games, could fit in all of these worlds-this helps you know the tone and what levels of magic are expected. That stuff will come later on.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Also, we have pictures for all our employees on the front page! Even SADOS!)
