Chapter 107: Future Software Four |
On one of the spacious floors of a high-rise building…in a side room.
"Review meeting for the 4th event, Halloween."
"『Yaay.』"
"You must be doing well if you can be happy about a review meeting."
"I won't make it through if not."
"『That's it!』"
The department heads have gathered for a review and information sharing meeting.
"What was the participation rate for Halloween?"
"Almost everyone."
It's a given that 100% is impossible. Even if it's announced in plenty of time, it can't be helped that people may need to go to work or are suddenly called away.
"However, the success rate is slightly lower than expected…"
"That was expected with the Black Goat, but not with Cthugha."
"I wonder if the analysis process was unnecessary…"
In terms of gathering information in the town, it is easier for the crafter groups to do so. The magic and intelligence oriented players contribute to the analysis. The combat types come into play at the end… at least, that's how the event was prepared.
It's important! Let's do it! It's no good for the management if it's ignored.
"Well, the first server was a bit special, but Princess was there, so it can't be helped."
"Her race aside, the key!"
"She could just summon it with that key!"
It was something she obtained as a result of playing, so it's fine in the end. It is something that was prepared, and the people responsible would want players to use the things they had a hard time getting. In the first place, it is usually impossible to call not just Shub-Niggurath, but Hastur and Cthulhu too. If that were possible, the servant classes would only be able to grieve.
"How is the next update coming along?"
"No problems."
"Speaking of the update, what about the durability feedback on equipment?"
"That…we should implement it, but turn it off by default."
Equipment durability feedback system. In short, it will display damage to the equipment according to the durability.
For example, if hit by acid, it may cause a hole to appear. However, there is no change in defence against the hole. It is just the appearance… As long as the durability of the equipment is not reduced to zero, the defensive power is not lost. It is the same as the mystery of bikini armour and swimwear.
"RPers and people who care about realism will turn it on by themselves."
"Then the feedback should be off by default?"
"Yeah."
If it is left as an option the players can do as they wish. Having the option is best…it is better to have the choice than not.
"The big thing this time…is the addition of weapon sets. There's also the changes to weakness multipliers for inhumans, the addition of communities and master-disciple relationships."
"We'll give them 10 weapon set slots to begin with, but allow them to buy more in the cash shop."
"Weakness multiplier will be changed from race-dependent to level-dependent, right?"
"In the end, it's an adjustment that sets the weakness for all races to 1.2 times. They won't die instantly, but it will still only take a few shots with a players HP. Though fairies might die instantly, with their low max HP. That also applies to enemies."
"That's a race that has a premise of evading anyway…"
The community is a system for posting party recruitment, event information and announcements, but can't be used for chatting. It's somewhere between friends and guilds.
Using Anastasia as an example, she could invite Alf, Ske-san and the twins to the community. Then the parties of Rina, TomoSugu, Cecil and Kotatsu, as well as soloers such as Mead, Fairellen and Clementia.
Then a message can be posted such as 『Raid party ‘location': How many slots left』, which allows people to join. Details can either be discussed after forming the party, or added into the recruitment message.
The communities are meant to be used amongst a smaller group of people than the party recruitment and bulletin boards. It can also be used as a place to pass on information.
The master-disciple relationships will be a system to support beginners and acquaintances who start playing later.
A master can register up to 5 disciples, who are 11 or more levels below them. They can register and cancel it any time except during battle, making it easy to manage.
The master is limited to being only slightly stronger than the disciples, with all the experience they would earn being split between the disciples.
"The benefit for the master is a title?"
"The title will be based on the master's level."
While checking the materials they have at hand, they share opinions and discuss them to make sure they are all on the same page.
"So, there's a change to size settings, but didn't we do this before?"
"What we did before was to change the number of drops depending on the size."
"Honestly, the five stages we have, minimum, small, medium, large and maximum, don't seem like enough."
"Small is human size, with minimum below that. There are inhumans at around 2 metres, but beyond that there are also dragons, Outer Ones and so on!"
Dragons can be tens of metres in size, depending on the species, and Outer Ones don't really have a standard. Even if they look like slimes, Shoggoths are a race that are about 4 metres tall. Cyäegha is around 24 metres.
"This time, the size setting itself will change."
"With human as the standard…so it's like the standard size would be small."
"Minimum is 1 metre or less. Small is one to two metres. Medium is 2 metres. Large is 3 metres. It's quite rough, with maximum being anything above that."
"There's no change to minimum and small with this update. Medium is between 2 and 3 metres. Large is between 4 and 9 metres. Maximum is anything above 10 metres."
"I see. …But it seems like there is planet «Pla» and space «Spa» above maximum?"
"That's originally for the Outer Ones, so people don't need to know about it. Maybe Princess' main body will reach that size? It's for something like that. The incarnation is small though, because it is a person."
Planetary scale and space scale. They are size settings for a special few Outer One races. The races with incarnations do not tend to use their main body, so you could say it is the result of development doing as they like. The size of Yog-Sothoth is ‘Unknown', which is an exception.
After discussing a few more points, such as the addition of an option to disable setting the revive point when activating a portal, and several other details of the update, the meeting ends.
Two men are staring at the data obtained while Anastasia was fighting in the ruins dungeon.
"Hmm…should we tell Yamamoto-san?"
"Well, that might be best."
In order to show it to Yamamoto, head of development, they compile the data they were looking over. They pick out the information they do, or may, need and organise it for easy viewing.
Then they take the tablet containing the data and head over to Yamamoto.
"Yamamoto-san."
"What is it? Is there a problem?"
"I think it's more of a problem with everyone else than the person themself."
"The troublesome type."
While the person in question might not have much to say, those in the surroundings will make a lot of noise. Even if the people making the noise have good intentions, it's just annoying for others.
"If Princess continues as she is, I think she will probably change to this equipment."
"Oh? That's good."
"The problem is her chest armour."
"Ah, yeah."
Basically, the clothes prepared by the management are designed based on the average size. The game itself is aimed at all ages, so there is not a lot of risqué equipment, but it is not non-existent.
The usual, the standard, the promised, the royal road. This has been properly controlled. That is to say, the so-called villains… inhabitants of the dark, have a lot of racy equipment. For example, some of them are so tightly fitted that the navel is visible. Or equipment that is open in the front, except for the crotch.
"Dresses are for women to dress up. Many of them are designed to show off the figure. It's usually about the chest, waist or legs. The ones meant for children emphasise frills with as little exposure as possible, since we don't want children to be seen that way in the first place."
"Well, that's right. As a parent, you don't want your child to be lusted after by an adult."
"So, regarding Princess' equipment. The design of the upper body is to emphasize the chest, and since it is for battle, there is a belt for equipment, so the waist too…"
"It's far less revealing than what you might expect from a dark character."
"Because she's a princess. I think it's important to be elegant. The aim was for it to be gothic and elegant, while retaining the dark look…."
"Princess' size is a bit dangerous…"
"Cross halters and bare tops can be a bit disappointing if they're too small, but too big and they can be quite dangerous."
"They do say it can be hard to choose clothes if you're too big…"
Well, bare tops and the like were originally designed to emphasise the chest…they are designed to draw attention, so you could say they are functioning properly. But…whether the person wearing it wants to show off to others is another matter.
In particular, the equipment that Princess will be wearing is like a combination of a bare top and a cross halter neck. This means that it is completely open from the chest to the back, so it will also show the line of her back. However, with the full set equipped, the cloak will hide her back. And the skirt is ankle-length and spreads out in a conical shape.
"Basically, the lower half of the body is ironclad. And in the full set, the cloak guards the shoulders and back. The exposure is mainly limited to the chest, though with the occasional glimpse of the back through gaps made by the cloak. The chest is pretty much as perverted as it can be."
"O-oh. I see what you were thinking. …You thought it was going to be a guy, didn't you?"
"Think about the population of MMOs and the starting race for this route."
"Well, I can understand your feelings. So what was the equipment for men?"
"…This one."
"Eh…this demon king?"
"Isn't it cool?"
"Well, yeah. But it went to Princess, so the male equipment won't see the light of day."
"Sad."
When she first chose her equipment, she thought the dress was for women and the full plate for men, but that wasn't the case. The choice was between light and heavy armour. For a female player, the light armour was a dress, while for a male player it would have been a prince-like outfit.
Since Princess is a woman, nobody will get to see it. A shame for the person who designed the equipment with such enthusiasm. Well, the dress was also designed with a lot of energy, so it was a quick recovery. Especially since the dress looks great on Princess' figure.
"A problem caused by having too good a figure. Ideally, maybe she'd look her best if a bit taller?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if she's still growing. Considering her parents, she might still get taller."
"Well, there's still the problem of the chest. Are we leaving it as it is?"
"I don't know if we should be making changes for an individual."
The prepared equipment has been available since the service started. It's not good to change things for the sake of an individual.
From their perspective, it seems unlikely that Princess herself would say anything about it. Judging from her reaction to the monastic habit, she seems used to it…or rather, recognises that ‘it is just designed like that'. Her father being a designer might have an influence on the way she sees such things. However, only she can say how she feels about it. There is no doubt that it will become troublesome when others start making noise about it, though.
"It looks like she's levelling up right now, so it has to be now if we want to make a silent fix!"
"Do you have a plan for a change?"
"Hmmm…I'd rather not mess with it if possible? It's a masterpiece~."
"Hey."
After being the one to bring it up, now this. There's no intention of changing something that they created and that already feels right. That is the creator.
"Ah, isn't it unnecessary to change it?"
"Why's that?
"Because if she doesn't like it, she can change the appearance herself? In the case of Princess, she can ask Dantel-san."
"Hmm, I see."
"Though as the person who made it, I want her to keep it as it is!"
It is only natural that they would want something they made to be used. Even though the creators assumption of the wearer was a bit off, it is equipment that was made before the service started, so it can't be helped.
"As far as clothing is related then, let's just go with ‘If it's not something you would like to wear, you can just change the appearance with the avatar function.'"
"Right."
"By the way, did you identify her evolution destination? I'm assuming that's why someone from the AI department came along."
"From the logs and data, it's probably…this one. Do you want to see it? I've put the data together, but it's AI-related."
"Okay, let's see."
Part of the collected materials is the data showing Princess' name recognition.
From here, the person involved with items tags out with the one from the AI department. Because the information is related to their work.
"Nemeseia, Outer One, Outsider. Nemeseia is the most recognised."
"She's known in almost every country as Nemeseia, the Outer One. However, looking in detail, in countries where Princess has not been, it's only the upper ranks and the church that know of her."
"In places she has been, she's known to commoners too."
"She's also known by the Witches. The sources would be Sophie and Laura."
Sophie, the immortal witch, and Laura, the great witch. Because they are the two highest-ranking witches, they have a lot of power, so if they are the source of the information, it will spread quickly to their colleagues. Because of the nature of the information, it will certainly spread. It would be bad if they did not know about an Outer One Nemeseia who is active on the surface.
In addition to the name recognition, there is also a document that summarises how favourably people see her.
"Basically, the maids in the palace won't go against Princess, who is in the highest position. But liking her would be another matter. Professional servants hide their true feelings."
"Well, it's not really a profession where they need to smile. Setting aside if they can or not."
"Well, there are some high-ranking zombie races, similar to humans. So, the maids feel quite favourably about Princess. Very good. She does rely on them, but doesn't unreasonably throw around her status."
"Aren't they pretty strict with their favourability settings?"
"Even though they're servants, it's to ‘royalty'. They're not incompetent. They also have their own pride. That's why they have to be very strict and severe in how they determine it."
FLFO uses artificial intelligence that was developed in-house… AI that is customised according to the NPC settings. They are details that can be changed due to the AI department being in-house. It can be considered a very nice test environment for them, where they can interact with people…the many players.
There are no demands for an unreasonable quality or amount in the data samples, but they are taken moderately, in a way that doesn't interfere. In addition, it sometimes brings in customers. Not too busy or too bored, but just right.
"The Chancellor, who is the real head of the government, is the most severe. Svetlana is also a bit special."
"Let me see…"
The Chancellor uses a ‘competence evaluation for individuals and positions' to judge people.
As the head of the army, Svetlana prefers people who are strong, or who work hard.
"So what happens if he's favourable to someone as an individual, but not as much on the work side?"
"Then his favourability won't exceed a certain point."
"And the same with Svetlana?"
"Yes."
In other words, they won't be treated badly if they're liked enough as an individual, but they won't be entrusted with work… In game terms, they won't receive any quests. On the other hand, if they're not liked as a person, but are competent at work…they will only receive quests.
When people ask others for help, they unconsciously ask ‘those who are capable of solving the problem'. They won't ask anyone they think can't do it.
This is just another trigger for quests to occur. It naturally also depends on the character settings. The higher the position, the more likely it is.
"There was Princess' recent event in the Abyss. That was an assessment. If she hesitated or was too merciful, the favourability would drop. Or at least, it would stop increasing for a while."
"So because of Princess being in the position of ruler, their judgement of her is strict."
"That's right. It's not enough for a king to be beautiful. Bending the rules due to emotion is no good. But if they're too ruthless, it's hard to deal with."
"It's a difficult position."
"Well, it's a game, so there's a certain amount of support, but I don't know anything about that."
This person is only in charge of working with the AI. They are not in charge of the game systems built around it.
Anastasia is an Outer One and ruler of the Afterworld, not a saint. She is in a position where she needs to be able to cut away anything detrimental.
If the king is too kind, the Chancellor can become a villain. A necessary villain to force the king to make ruthless decisions. If Anastasia was ‘likeable as an individual, but poor in terms of her position', the Chancellor would have taken this route.
As for Svetlana, she is fairly easy for a ‘player'. Especially for anyone built as a combat character. They would just need to show up occasionally while raising their level. From Svetlana's point of view, levelling up is an effort to become stronger. It's perfect. In the case of crafters, Svetlana's perception is different, as they are craftsmen.
"This is really good data. It seems they're playing their given roles well."
"We would be in trouble if they acted outside those roles."
"It's not limited to games, but there are lot of irrelevant actions even in apps and so on. If that happens, it's treated as a bug and can't be used…"
"In this game, the amount needed is on a global level. And there are a lot of roles to be filled. It's a great environment for AI."
"And there are a lot more people for them to interact with than just in-house."
A vast amount more data can be obtained from one full dive game than from an app. It's a great environment for the AI department.
With the AI department employee finished, the person working with the items returns the conversation to the evolution destination.
"Based on the conditions, this should be the role given, and this the evolution destination. In the case of Princess, she should choose the magic type."
"Hmm… I see. So the equipment for the incarnation will be this."
"She entered the Outer One route after becoming a Nemeseia, so this is most likely. There should be no problems with favourability by the time she evolves at 50, so it would be more or less confirmed."
The Outer Ones are those who are connected to a god, a servant for them…basically a priest. That's why Anastasia's level 40 evolution was a monk. After that, they are given a position and other duties, and they change into their own forms. In Anastasia's case, she would be a princess in a dress.
For those in positions, clothes are important. There are many situations where people are judged by their appearance, after all. It is good to know at a glance what kind of position a person has. Especially in this game world, where the ruling class is royalty. Even more so because someone can be charged with a crime for the way they speak and act. Role-playing in an appropriate way can be considered the correct answer in this world. Though depending on how someone looks, there can be problems with that.
"Well, hopefully the problem has been solved."
"Yeah."
Yamamoto sees off the other two as they return to their work.