divisionsmods (divisionsmods) wrote in divisions, @ 2021-02-02 16:43:00 |
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During an unusually warm week for February, people have found themselves dressed in an odd mixture of fall and winter clothing. Some are seen walking around in thinner pants while also wearing hats, while others are dressed as though they're freezing. The temperatures for the week are hovering around the 50s during the day and high 30s at night. Naturally, the weather did not prevent people from having to go to work, which meant the usual traveling population would have to pass by the normal landmarks. One such landmark was vastly different from how it had looked the day before, causing an unexpected bit of congestion on sidewalks and roadways as people slowed to take a glance, or a prolonged stare in some instances. No advertisements had gone up to prepare people for any kind of event, but that was clearly what was happening.
Where the park had previously been, barely decorated beyond expectations, was an area riddled with significant amounts of steel and plastic and glass. Strange machines and light fixtures were peppered throughout the landscape, easily seen through the panes that had been set up. For those early enough in the day, the purpose of all of this was unclear as the contraptions had not been powered on yet. There were also several people in various forms of dress from lab coats to suits to plain clothing with badges clipped onto whatever the outer layer was which they wore. Some had clipboards, some did not. Some stood at what seemed to be at the front of the structure, some stood at the end. Whatever was going on, it was being precluded by a flurry of activity as the workers seemed to be verifying various parts of the structure. Anyone who wandered over to ask what was happening before 9am Monday was politely told to be patient or come back after work as questions could not be answered at that time. Whatever it was, it was being kept quiet until the time to start came.
When it did, anyone watching was treated to quite the light show. The machines whirled to life, lights flickered and shimmered, and about five minutes after, holographic walls built from the ground up came into existence. At the exact moment everything turned on, Momentum posted across all social media about a public test for their newest product: a combination VR/AR wonderland they dubbed SimPark. Within their announcements, it was stated that the new product was being developed in conjunction with the medical division as a potential product for those who are confined at home, in the hospital or undergoing physical rehabilitation, as well as commercial entertainment.
Any who approached the employees at the entrance of the structure intending to partake in the event would be handed several sheets of paper to read over while also being given a short description of what they would be doing. The summary given is that participants would be donning a pair of VR goggles which would connect to their phone via Bluetooth. They would also be given a special sheath for their phone to use during the test which allows the tester to safely swing it like a sword, block like a shield, or use spells with preprogrammed gestures while within the environment. The employee would also explain that this is a beta test for this product, which would require the signing of several disclaimer forms, as well as answer questions after completing the course to verify various factors, such as enjoyment, physical and mental status during, and any immediate side effects after. Also discussed would be the need to download an app for the event.
Once all forms had been signed and filled out, and the app downloaded, the employee helping the tester would give them a quick summary regarding what would be encountered during the test. Upon entering, they would find themself transferred into a standard medieval setting. A very quick character setup screen would be used, during which the person would determine whether they wanted to be a knight or a wizard. The first few steps would take them through a quick tutorial of how to interact with the environment. It was not going to be highly detailed as this was the first draft for the game, so the graphics wouldn’t be the amazing ones seen on consoles or computers. Once the tutorial was completed, the person would make their way around the area, following a predetermined walking path, fighting monsters (a goblin, an orc, a troll, a group of three harpies, and, of course, a slime monster) and completing minor quests throughout. Toward the end, the tester would come across a digital item that would allow them to “catch” a monster of their choosing, though the options were limited. After completing that step, the game would explain that this would potentially be a feature added to the game permanently, but this aspect was not guaranteed. However, as a beta tester, the person would be allowed to keep the app on their phone and “raise” the creature until the day came that the company closed the servers or cancelled support for the app, whichever came first. It was suggested to think of this as one of the old pocket toys from the 90s that became popular again in the mid to late 2000s. It was also advised to not change phones until such a date that the feature was confirmed for the game, as doing so would make it impossible to guarantee that the data for the creature would be carried over to the new device as it was a local download running through the app. It was also stated that if the feature did get added to the final game, the creature could be added to your avatar as a companion monster to travel and fight with. Growth of the monster through the app, to a certain extent which is not currently known, would also be carried over.
Catching the monster would be the second to last step of the test. The employees who had created the game knew that it would be unsatisfying to end the trial without some kind of major boss fight. The fight was expected to take about five minutes, less with prior gaming experience. The final boss would be a massive chimera which would strike with both physical and magical attacks, prompting knights to dodge magical attacks and forcing wizards to do the same with physical attacks. A savvy gamer would likely take time to see if the monster they captured could help, which would allow them some help. When the final blow is struck, the chimera would freeze before disintegrating into a rainbow-colored dust, followed by triumphant music filled with drums and brass instruments. Overall, an entire walkthrough of the event would last for approximately 30 minutes. As the tester left the VR/AR environment, an employee would approach them and run through a list of health questions. The questions included ones asking about any physical, emotional, or mental discomfort during the test, as well as what caused those specific issues. Also included were questions regarding satisfaction and feedback as to how the game could be further improved, with the caveat that the final game was expected to have graphics on the same level as many current Triple A games. Naturally, the headset and the phone sheath would be taken back, and the employee would thank the tester for their time and give a suggestion to keep their eyes out for potential future events later on in the year. They would be allowed to participate in future events if they so wished. They would not be able to come back during this event, however; as their personal data would be considered unnecessary for the current build. After waving the tester on, the employee would wait for the next person to come out of the structure.
At the end of the event, the company posted all over the internet, thanking everyone for participating, stating that the data and feedback provided was invaluable to the process. It was believed that this would one day end up being one of the company’s best products and would also pave the way for change within the gaming community. The CEO even posted what seemed to be a partially unscripted video on the website, stating how proud he was of all of his employees for being willing to step out of their comfort zones and begin the creation of such an amazing product. He talked about how the game could not only be used for commercial purposes, but also for those who find themselves unable or incapable of experiencing the world outside of a home or a hospital bed. He claimed to fully believe in the product. The usual platitudes were given beyond that regarding the populace and their impact and how much he appreciated their feedback and all that. The video was only a few minutes long, but enough people saw it that it seemed to have an exceedingly positive effect on the public’s view of the company. When all was said and done, by the time the event was done, it was like the strange glass and steel structure had never even been in the park, besides some obvious indentation in the grass.