Chapter 04 ; Companion
“It’s not cute enough” one of the employees in the meeting room grumbled at the picture slide.
The reporter stated “It’s a tank type, and is already at the limit of it’s size”
“If we go even smaller, It’ll blend in the background and the player won’t be able to see it.” the partner of the reporter added.
The two employees present in front of the whiteboard and introducing the pet system. An RPG game wouldn’t be complete without the existence of pets. Coming in all forms of appearance scary, cute and normal. The director of the development selected the pets to be cute and normal from the previous meeting we had. Because hey everyone wants cute animals as a pet.
Adding the human touch of pets, the player had to choose one pet from all of the free pets in game, once the pet is chosen it will be locked onto the character throughout the game. Depending on which pet the player acquire, the player will gain benefits in other words, buffs.
You own a flying-type, you get boosts on jump and speed, a sea pet can let you go underwater apart form the goggles accessory that functions just the same and land type that walks on the ground above on the earth or below it if the pet is an underground type. Which is just a normal pet to have in an adventure.
The pet projected on the whiteboard is a tank land type companion, a thick shelled-armadillo. It’s thick armor is too much for the employee that grumbled earlier and the two reporters are members of the artist & VFX department. From 3D modeling, visual effects, environment build, character design, they create and construct the game world.
Going back to the topic of the pet’s appearance, I see nothing wrong with its overall design.
“It fits it’s exact type.” the director agree and joined in the discussion.
“No change. It suits the player who will use it. We are not responding to just the players that want cuteness in their journey, we are aiming to ponder to all kind of players alike. ”
The director added to his prior statement “But remove the affection level and the food for the pets. It could hinder the player’s attention on the game. ”
The employee who grumbled earlier complained “Wouldn’t that make the players question how the pet stays alive.”
The director suggested “Let’s just say they rely on the user’s mana. but” he added in quotes “But, it doesn’t deplete the player’s actual mana”
An employee inserted her suggestion “Why not make a deity that manages the pets?”
The director commented “That’s a good idea as well.”
“How about playing with the pets? Will that feature I presented earlier stick in the game?” the reporter #1 inquired.
The director and other employees speak among themselves thinking that it should be implemented in future updates of the game. The employees eagerly awaited the director’s decision. “In later versions, continue with your presentation.” he replied.
The reporter continued.
This pet is one of the free pets players will claim in-game, you can travel with the pet inside the town and play with it and even inside the dungeon you can play with the pet. Each pet can make or break the character’s play style. Let’s say the player’s job is an assassin as an example, assassin character focusing on stealth and agility, the player will definitely pick the flying type as it can buff the player’s base agility.
If the player picked this armadillo pet, they’ll receive a normal walking companion and a slow one to boot due to its tank-y nature.
An employee talked with her officemate and chirped a funny suggestion. “If the pet’s slow why not have the player carry the pet?”
The reporter #2, instead of treating it as a ridiculous question it made him deep in his own thought. ”That could make the game interesting” the reporter #1 mumbled.
“That’s a great idea” complimented the director. And other employees nodded at the idea.
The employee who suggested the idea frantically said “I was just joking…”
The reporter #1 pushed the compliment “No, it’s a very wonderful idea. It makes the player responsible for his own pet.”
The director added ”But no washing or baths for the pets. Let’s just say the Goddess of Pets always clean them” in response to the deity creation for the pets. suggested by an employee earlier in the discussion.
The employee who suggested carrying the pet complained in her own thoughts, “Isn’t that too much work for that single deity.”
The presentation draws to a close after the reporters explained the pet’s attacks and status in game. Every employee compiled their paperworks with notes for the game’s new added features/ideas. Carrying, interacting(playing) and removing the affection level in the coding lists. The employees in the meeting room greeted each other with a ‘thank you’ for the discussion before heading out of the room and into their respective departments.
I, as a member of the writing department need to come up with scenarios for the pet deity.
Pets...
I remember that I had one.
When I was a kid.
There’s this little furball that had a cross on her chest.
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Chapter 04
The air is riddled with noises, the rain falls hard on the ground filtering the voices within the sounds of nature. The cold chill of the rain made the air moist and particles of raindrops float around. “Achoo!” the little cat sneezed at the rain particles causing it to float further away from the little creature.
The cat snuggled upon his black fur to provide himself warmth even for just a little while. The delinquent girl walked along the sidewalk avoiding the country road, her sleeve uniform unbuttoned, wearing black tight shorts beneath the mini-skirt and loose socks. Her appearance may look like a lackluster student but she’s a delinquent nonetheless.
She held on to the umbrella while she chews on a juicy fruit bubble gum. The delinquent girl spotted a black furball snuggling itself on the corner of an empty box away from the splashes caused by the hard rain. Said empty box was placed on a waiting shed’s bench, the size of it is a small space not enough for 10 people to be in but just right for four people to fit right in.
“Someone must’ve left this little cat all on his own“ the delinquent girl thought, but it’s cute appearance attracted the girl to give her unbuttoned sleeve shirt. It’s not like she wants to care for the cat, not anything intimate like that. It’s just out of pure intention of the moment.
The delinquent girl left the empty box when the bus arrived, leaving the little cat on his own shelter with a sleeved shirt as defense against the cold.
The little cat found himself in a dark surroundings, he can’t make out what’s inside the box he’s in. There was a cloth that is hung over the empty box. The cut pushed itself against the wall of fabric, pushing the shirt aside and breath in the outside air.
What happens next are unknown figures towering before him, it was sudden. His body flew about as these figures started playing with him, his frail body of a little cat made a sound as it made contact with the hard ground. He can’t make out the figure’s faces because of the bright sunlight and azure sky. He can see his blood trickle from his nose, he can’t make out an audible noise in the pain he’s experiencing. He can only blurt out small hertz of noise, noises that can’t be heard by the figures playing with him.
He breaths in and breathes out, only pain remained on his brain, his senses feeling dull from the torture. His flaming soul losing it’s spark at a moment’s notice, eyelids becoming heavy, tired body and the little cat takes his final breath before his soul is taken up to the sky.
The god looked at his cause of death and did a “tsk,tsk,tsk” sound with his tongue. “You had a short life.”
“Meow?” The little cat responded on the god’s statement.
The god suggested ”Want to be in a game?”
The little cat, not knowing what he meant by the next question, responded cheerfully “Meow.”
“I’m guessing that’s a yes.” the god concluded.
Character 03 End / Kuromei
