Tutorial 2
"...so where are we heading?" Camilla asked as she was cruising through the darkness of the void.
[We are in what a human gamer would call 'the Loading Screen Void'. You two simply have to head in one direction for a certain amount of time and then your destination will be opened to you.]
"And the option to optimize the next match?" Masaru asked, taking the backseat on Camilla's wyvern.
[That will come up once that loading is done. Should not take long now.]
As if on cue, the wyvern abruptly came to a stop, nearly catapulting both of its passengers off their seats.
A screen pop-up.
[Game: Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance (SC)
Commander Creation]
"I guess this is also integrated into the game, right? Using the WB3 RPG system?"
[Somewhat. The System has to go out of its way a little to find a proper way to implement the classes and the leveling system to this game. From what I gather, it took a lot of inspiration from another RTS that goes by the name 'Planetary Annihilation TITANS'.]
"Oh! That one! Yeah, it's the closest to a successor to 'Supreme Commander', which is a successor to 'Total Annihilation'," the boy recalled. There's also 'Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation', but he didn't play much of that one, yet.
[Please create your character carefully. From what I have heard, these massive combined arms RTS are very hard to play.] Masaru merely nodded.
[Commander Creation
Please select your race:
Cybran]
Masaru clicked on Cybran since that was the only option available to him.
[Please select your commander classes:
Artillery Commander
Ground Commander
Aerial Commander
Navy Commander
Experimental Commander
Logistic Commander
WMD Commander
Cybran Exclusive: Guerilla Commander
Cybran Exclusive: Combined-Arms Commander]
"I assume this will be more in-line with, say, C&C General: Zero Hour, where each class has their own uniqueness and stats boost for certain units, but in the end the Commander is just a complementary to the army, not a deciding factor?" The purple-haired boy asked.
[Indeed.] Ezekiel confirmed.
"Hmm, I can cross the Navy and WMD off the list. WMD sound overpowered, but in this kind of games WMD isn't a deciding factor, not when there's a way to counter them or avoid them. Cybran isn't known for having a strong Navy either. I suppose I should cut out Aerial and Ground as well then."
"Can you… explain a little what is 'WMD', and why don't you consider the Ground, Air, or Navy option?" Camilla asked.
"Supreme Commander is a game you would call 'Grand Scale RTS'. In a normal RTS, the emphasis is on micromanagement of, well, everything, where your units go, where you build, etc; basically, focusing more on strategy. 'Grand Scale RTS', on the other hand, is set on a much wider scale. Of course, creating units and buildings are still there, but everything comes down to tactics as strategy is reduced to each engagement."
"I see," Camilla said. "So it's more like a war than a skirmish?"
"Correct. Because of that, specializing in one aspect may give you some minor edge, but in the long run, the combined power of all three forces—ground, aerial, and navy—is the true path to victory. Neglected a part, and your opponent will exploit that weak spot. As for WMD, it is short for 'Weapon of Mass Destruction,' a term my world invented because of the variety of weapons that can kill up to thousands of people with one use."
"Thousands?!" For someone from the medieval fantasy world, it's likely hard to imagine thousands could be sentenced to their death by a single weapon, and there were… Oh gosh, how many nukes and chemical weapons were there in his world again? By Madanach, he really didn't want to know.
[Just 'thousands'? That's a big understatement.] Ez commented
"Let's not dwell on that, it's… depressing to think about." Masaru cut in. "In any event, I won't choose Guerilla, Artillery, or Experimental either. The first two are too specialized and the later, much like WMD, might not see the chance to be used." 'Experimental' was a term for super/ultimate units in the Supreme Commander. Though Cybran were known to arguably have the best Experimental, aka ultimate, units in the game (due to the price tag, utility, and firepower), they were not a deciding factor for victory; there was such a thing as 'Experimental Killer' units after all.
"That left me with Logistic and Combined-Arms. Hmm, Combined-Arms is tempting, but I think I might like Logistic better. Ez, can you give me more details on this class?"
[Affirmative
Logistic Commander
Bonus effects:
Main Commander unlock Tier 2 Buildings from the start
Recover 50% more resource from Reclamation
+50% Hanger refueling rate
+50% Commander's build speed
+15% Engineers build speed.
+10% Unit production speed
+15% Repair speed
+15% Reclaim speed
+25% Resource output speed
+50% Resource storage space
-5% Buildings cost
-5% Units and Experimentals cost
+20% Range to Radar and Sonar buildings
Cybran Exclusive- Experimental Megalith receives +10% to its unit building speed.
Unique Features:
Underground Storage (building): Tier 2 building that can store both Energy and Mass. Taking up more space than its Tier 1 equivalences. It can also be ordered to go underground to avoid being attacked. Can still be captured by enemies while in underground mode, however.
Reclaimer Station (building): A new type of building with Tier 1 and 2 version. Upgradable. Can be built on land and water. Will automatically Reclaim wreckages within the area and convert them into Mass.
Interdimensional Extractor (building): Tier 3 building. Resource building that creates both Mass and Energy in massive quantities. WARMING: On destruction, will cause an explosion equivalent to a nuke missile.
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 5
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 8
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 10
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 12
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 15
Locked Feature: Unlock at level 20]
"I see that there are still things being locked behind levels." Masaru mused. "I think I will go with this one. This is very generalist, but its focus on resources and overall efficiency is great."
[Are you sure you want to select 'Logistic Commander'? Y/N?]
"Yes." The boy answered firmly. "Still, how would the RPG stats system transfer to this game anyways?"
[The stats have been redefined to fit the scale. If I am being honest, it's not particularly relevant. Now for the map set up.
Skirmish mode setting
Faction 1
Player: Masaru Yamamoto
Faction: Cybran
Handicap: 0%
Team: -
Faction 2
Player: AI: Normal
Faction: Random
Handicap: 0%
Team: -]
The boy adjusted the setting.
[Faction 2
Player: AI: Normal
Faction: Aeon
Handicap: 0%
Team: -
Faction 3
Player: AI: Normal
Faction: UEF
Handicap: 0%
Team: -
Faction 4
Player: AI: Normal
Faction: Seraphim
Handicap: 0%
Team: -
Map setting:
Map: Medium Random 4 players Free-for-All
Fog of War: Normal
Mode: Free-for-All
Victory Condition: Supremacy (Destroy all enemies's Commanders and Factories)
Other settings:
Game speed: Normal]
"Done," Masaru said, couldn't wait to see the grand scale of the Supreme Commander with his own two eyes. Then he realized something. "Wait, what about Camilla-"
He didn't get to finish his question when a portal opened and sucked both of them in.
===========================================================
Masaru's eyes flashed open. He looked around and discovered that he was in some kind of a cockpit that was very reminiscent of the ones in those Mecha anime. Even his outfit had been changed to a black and red skintight pilot suit, similar to those worn by mecha pilots in anime.
"Hmm, so does this mean I am in my Commander Mech?" He mused to himself.
[Yes, you are. You are currently in the Armored Command Unit, or ACU for short,] Ez answered.
"Dammit, Ez, don't pull people into a portal like that," the boy complained. "Where is Camilla-san anyways?"
[You will meet her soon.]
"What do you mean b-" The mech suddenly shook. Masaru rocked violently within his cockpit. "Shit! Shit! Bird-eye-view! Bird-eye-view!" The boy's consciousness was quickly transferred into the System.
Once he was in the System, he could see the entire layout of the map. It was a very simple map, a large river split the map diagonally into two halves of lands, stretching from the southwest corner to the northeast corner. Two players seemed to start on each side of the river, at each opposite end of the land.
"That must be my starting position." He remembered how in SC you started with your commander being teleported to the starting position, causing an explosion that would leave a large crater in its wake. "So that's why the mech shook so much." Once the light and smoke subsided, he could see the ACU along with a few units, two engineers, a land scout bot, and a Tier 2 gunship- Wait, what?!
[That's Camilla's unit in this game. You can look at her stats to see the change if you want.]
The purple-haired boy immediately did as he was advised. He skipped what he already knew about and went straight for new information that popped up.
[Level: 1
Universal level: 2]
"Wait, why are there two kinds of levels?"
[Similar to you, she also has two types of levels, one for each specific game and one which is universal in all games. Also, please remember that stat did not transfer between games since the nature of your and their avatars will change. Her traits remained the same, however. So if you, say, have 20 Strength in WB3, it isn't going to mean much when you use Red Alert 2 armies.]
"I see… This is a little complicated, not gonna lie. Remembering all the numbers, not only for me, but for anyone integrating into the System as well."
[It is not as relevant as you would have thought. Each unit type has a specific role, you simply have to make them fulfill said role. This is RTS, not RPG, everything is meant to do its job and die if need be. The only problem for you here is the nature of how the System integrates all these games together; Warlord Battlecry 3 is drastically different from Supreme Commander or Red Alert, which makes things complicated. As I have said, Lord Madanach does not take an imbecile into his rank, this complexity is something you will have to get used to, but there are rewards to be reaped if you can fully master your System. Besides, even if you forget something, I won't, and I can remind you of any details when you need them.]
Masaru sighed a little. "Noted. Also, I appreciate it," the boy thanked. He continued to read Camilla's profile to see any change.
[...
Stat:
Health: 1500
Damage per seco-]
Ez suddenly interrupted him.
[If I am being honest, in most RTS games, even WB3, these stats are not really relevant. You do not NEED to read them every time there's even a minor change. At level one, her numbers are essentially the same as other Tier 2 gunship units, which she is piloting. If you want to see something more substantial, read her traits and stats after she has leveled up a couple of times.]
Masaru nodded. He should contact Camilla then. The boy focused for a few seconds then he felt like his connection went through.
"Hello?" Masaru began.
"Masaru? Is that you? I can hear you over the comlink," the Princess of Nohr replied.
"Oh, good, I was worrying for a second that something bad would happen." Masaru breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hold on, let me land first so I can talk with you better."
"Okay." Masaru waited. Then he realized two things. First, he didn't pause the game yet… So he did. Second, "Camilla-san, how did you know how to fly a futuristic gunship?" The older woman had just landed her aircraft when he asked the question.
"Well… I just know… After we're thrown into that portal, there's this short period of blackness for me. When I opened my eyes I was already in the cockpit of this gunship."
[I am the one who 'teach' her.] Ez declared. [The reason she arrived after you is that I need to put information on how to pilot the gunship into her head.]
"You can do that?!" Both Camilla and Masaru shouted in unison.
[Yes.]
There was silence between the three of them.
Finally, Camilla spoke, "...that's pretty… intrusive."
"...yeah," Masaru agreed.
[I don't care. Before we resume the match, however, I should remind you that you now have a new item: a 'Choose-your-waifu/husbando ticket (futuristic setting only)'; as I said, you will get 3, each corresponding to the era of the RTS you pick.]
"A ticket? Is that how you summon me? And what is a 'waifu'?" Camilla asked.
[A mispronunciation of wife.] Ez informed them. Both Masaru and Camilla immediately blushed. [It was a term coined by a bunch of people who have a Japanophile and prefer animation created by Japanese above all other entertainment.] That was a very academic, methodical, formal way to describe 'weeaboo/weeb'. It fell on deaf ears, however, as both humans were occupied with embarrassment.
"A-Are you saying that when you choose to call me for an aid you also consider me a-a wife prospect?" Camilla stammered.
"I-I-I-"
[I recommend, you do not complicate this matter further.]
"...Yes."
Camilla blushed the maximum shape of red a human could possibly blush. "I… Oh, mind… I-I need a minute to myself if you gentlemen don't mind."
She hung up.
"...You need to learn to keep things quiet, Ez."
[And risk a potential conflict afterward between you and her after it is revealed why you summoned her in the first place? No. There will be no falling-out arc in your story as long as I am around. A falling-out arc where everyone's angry at the main character and abandons them is a waste of time and dump. It is just a cheap device some authors use to force characters' growth. So not on my watch.]
"... Since when have you turned into a literature critic?"
[Since since time immemorial. Now, about that ticket.]
Unlike with the fantasy setting, Masaru has someone in mind on his list of waifu within the futuristic setting.
"Ez. Can you give me information on YoRHa No.2 Type B, nicknamed 2B?"