After intense negotiation, Eduard still failed to recruit his friend to join. He decided to continue with the game.
The Chosen was selected and the menu changed again to [Storyteller]. However, before reading anything, Eduard started to click all the available options just to make sure he won't be trolled by the interface designers again. Sure enough, they did it again.
「This storyteller is not available in the current build.」
「This storyteller is not available in the current build.」
「This storyteller is not available in the current build.」
「This storyteller is not available in the current build.」
「This storyteller is not available in the current build.」
There were only six storytellers. Eduard quickly skimmed through those that are unavailable. They mostly affected event spawn and frequency. Few allowed a greater buffer time between events and vice versa.
Eduard then looked at the only available storyteller and frowned.
[The Game Master likes tales of heroes who overcame adversity. In those stories, The Game Master will sometimes interfere indirectly; in hope that through adversity, the heroes can be reborn anew and unlock their full potential.
The Game Master has two mechanics, and .
allows The Game Master to set a multiplier to a negative event. The highest multiplier is five and the lowest is negative five. However, in doing so, any follow up positive or neutral event will also be applied with the same multiplier. This can also be used in reverse.
allows the user to make deals with The Game Master or vice versa. The contractee who suggested the deal can borrow as many points or multipliers as they want; depending on the points and multipliers borrowed, a multiplicative multiplier is given to the contractor. The contractor could use the multiplicative multiplier whenever they want.
The Game Master loves organic stories. Hence, events will be random and happen quite frequent based on a random timer. The Game Master will only interfere if it's interesting.
]
: "Hmm it seems like they are testing out the game AI here," Chunghee commented after finished reading through the storyteller bio. "But wouldn't it be super OP if he uses on multiple negative events in a row and just has one good or neutral event take the multiplier hit."
: "They are probably collecting data to train the AI," reaffirming his friend's statement, Eduard replied. "The storyteller's two abilities are not bad. However, I highly doubt the AI would use . Well to be exact, I highly doubt the AI would know where to use it."
: "That's true. If combined can break the multiplier cap placed on . However, this is a very big 'however'. If the AI doesn't have situational awareness to exploit the player in a time of weakness and force them to sign extortionate ; I highly doubt they can make of use it."
: "Fuck it! Let's just continue. I wanted to play a bit before going off."
Eduard confirmed his choice of storyteller and continued. However, a pop-up stopped him from advancing.
「Please select a play mode」
Below The Game Master is the two play modes, reload and continuous. Reload mode allowed users to reload the game back to the previously designated checkpoint 3 times per day. Continuous mode removed any saves option; however, global_skill_gain was set to 1.5 and threat_multiplier was set to 0.75. Without reading, Eduard just select reload mode and continued.
***
[Populate World] screen appeared. The first and most prominent thing was .
[Through a dynamic world populating system, users can select and create Factions that they want in this world. However, unintended random factions and settlements may also be generated through this system.]
Intrigued, Edward look at the available factions options.
-Min: 1- Desc: They were once part of a -redacted- advanced civilisation. However, through unrestrained -redacted- research, some of them ended up here on the Outer Rim. They pride themselves on their class social structure and refuse to deal with beings of lesser hierarchy. Although trapped here, they still possessed many advanced -redacted-.
-Min: 1- Desc: Though born though destitute yet with a series of great leaders, a stable empire was created. However, is an empire built from knowledge scourged from the debris of vessels and ships that were unfortunate enough to crash on the Outer Rim, really an empire? Or is it a mixed bag of local counties and duchies united together to drive out the Foreign Empire encroachment?
-Min:1- Desc: The free city-states only believed in one thing. That is money. Yet how could a mouse stand up to a titan? Together they formed the trade federation; a federation that was not built on trust; but, on the collective desire to keep themselves safe and make more money.
-Min:1- Desc: To beings who pursue knowledge, doing anything apart from that is a waste of their brilliant minds. From their majestic magic tower, they send delegates to manage the land underneath them and do their biddings. In time, as more and more mages converged at these magic towers and the land they controlled slowly expanded, the idea of Arcanum was born. Mages formed councils and leagues just so that they can push these bothersome responsibilities on someone else whilst retaining their benefits.
…
There were so many options to pick from, Eduard first believed that he could just go in and start a new game. However, fifteen minutes had already passed, yet he was still at the setup screen. Eduard was too lazy to deal with any more of this. Hence, he started picking randomly.
From Rising Empire, Large Sect, Religious Empire to Arcanum, Eduard picked them willy nilly; except for two exceptions and . For fun, he decided to select 10 Nudist Tribes and 100 Cannibal Tribes.
: "Yo are you sure that will be fine?" Chunghee questioned.
: "What's the worst that could happen?" Eduard scoffed at his friend. "I mean these guys are tribals. They will probably be wiped out by the empires soon after the game starts."
However, this joke of a decision will soon dictate more than 10,000 years of Outer Rim politics.
