“Of course,” Zach said, taking a quick sip of coffee. Still a bit too warm for his taste.
President Starvos moved the coffee set to the far end of the table and pick up a paper file from the end table beside his seat. He set it on the table in front of them and opened it up.
“We’re still in the very, very early stages of preliminary planning, but I’d like you to see some of the concepts that we’re toying around with at the moment.”
“To see if it sparks my interest?” Zach asked.
Starvos laughed. “My, it’s hard to play coy with someone who’s willing to cut right to the point. Yes, I want to see if any of this catches your interest, and I apologize if that comes off as manipulative.”
“No offense taken,” Zach told him. “I can definitely understand why you’d want to do it.”
President Starvos spread out some of the sheets of paper in front of them. Despite his earlier unease, Zach was becoming far more comfortable with the situation, and a question popped into his mind.
“If I can ask something not really related to this?” Zach said.
“Yes?”
“Why use paper files instead of a tablet?” he said. “I noticed you did that too when you recruited us for the study. Isn’t a tablet much more compact and able to store more information? And isn’t it easier to organize?”
“And you’re wondering why I use paper files while the rest of the company uses tablets?” President Starvos asked. “I must say, you have a good eye.”
“Thank you,” Zach said. “It didn’t stick out much the last time I noticed it, but for some reason it did now.”
“I think that question is a legitimate one,” President Starvos said, “and I think it’s actually very pertinent to the discussion at hand. You should have a good measure of the person you’re working for, and this is quite the quirk.”
Zach nodded.
“Well, what you say is true,” Starvos said. “A tablet can store huge numbers of files, much more efficiently than a piece of paper can. You can access anything you want with just a few swipes of your fingers. But to me, tablets seem to lack character. I seem to like the feeling of paper in my hands, and I’m not alone in that regard.”
“Most people I’ve seen around here seem pretty used to working with tablets,” Zach said.
“Oh yes, they’ve adapted to them quite well, and they’re quite useful in most cases. But not all. Sometimes it’s easier to just pick out a piece of paper from a properly organized file than to sort through the mess of electronic files on your device.”
“So there’s a tradeoff regardless of what you’re using, and the trick is to figure out which option has the least number of tradeoffs?” Zach said.
“That’s right,” Starvos nodded. “And sometimes we like to impart extra value to things which are more advanced in our minds, when they aren’t actually any more efficient than their predecessors.”
Zach frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“It’s quite simple, actually,” President Starvos explained. He reached for one of the pieces of paper in front of him. “If we were to compare something, such as this piece of paper to the same page on a tablet, which is the more advanced object?”
“The tablet, of course,” Zach replied. “That requires a much higher technological level to produce.”
Starvos nodded. “Indeed it does. But is it any more efficient at conveying information?”
“No. So is the complexity detrimental in that case?” Zach asked.
“Indeed it is, and it remains so even if you increase the number of pages,” Stavros said. “It’s only when you pass a certain point that the more complex device becomes more efficient.”
“I’m still not quite sure I understand,” Zach said.
“Complexity for its own sake means nothing, and it’s often detrimental in regard to efficiency. When designing a system, making it more complicated than it needs to be only serves as a waste of resources that could be better spent elsewhere. But of course, you already knew that.”
“Yeah,” Zach said. “I always tried to keep that in mind when programing and designing things. Everything I design need to do its job efficiently.”
“A man after my own heart,” Starvos replied with a smile. “Yes, I thought like that as well. Even when I started breaking into the more complex fields of computer science and information technology that continued to shape how I designed.”
He handed a piece of paper over to Zach. “Here are some of the preliminary thoughts on how we should best design our next virtual reality. Little more than random musings at this point, but we’ll be working to make them a reality soon enough.”
Zach looked down at the information in his hand and started to read. Project Avalon, the working title read. Preliminary notes suggested that the game was to be set on a much smaller scale than World at War, focusing on groups of players no larger than twenty or thirty. Crafting, social interaction and world building would be heavily focused upon. Player vs. player combat would exist, but combat and exploration would be much more focused on player vs. environment.
There were other game mechanics tentatively put in place. Medieval weaponry would be the mainstay for combat, as befitting a standard fantasy setting. Magic would exist in the world as well, though there was a question of whether it should be accessible to some classes or all of them at once.
“It’s interesting that you included a class system in this case, when you just got down removing it from World at War,” Zach commented.
“No sense in reinventing the wheel,” Starvos said. “Even though we’re creating a virtual reality, we want to make it accessible for all game players, so using standard mechanics in the world seemed like a logical choice.”
“But then that created some disconnect,” Zach said. “Not being able to pick up certain weapons or objects because you had the wrong class, for instance.”
“Quite,” President Starvos agreed. “It goes back to what I was saying earlier. Information needs to be given in the most efficient manner possible. Revamping the system allowed us to go back and correct many of the deficiencies in the original version. If a system is so complicated that it can’t be used in most circumstances, then what is it good for?”
Zach agreed with that notion. The original World at War had huge branching skill trees for all classes, but no one ever seemed to use them. Combat skills weren’t tied to the leveling system, but to actual competency within the game world. And while many of the abilities seemed powerful on the surface, they took too long to activate. As a result, players only took skills that gave passive bonuses, even if they even bothered with the skill tree at all.
The entire apparatus had become an appendix of sorts, completely useless in the grand scheme of things. In the time it took a player to activate a skill they could use their natural ability to do the job much more efficiently. In combat, especially against skilled players, every millisecond counted.
But switching to a class and level based system would probably be more in line with a fantasy world focused on small groups exploring and fighting against the environment. The threat of death would certainly be lessened, of course. Everything in World at War was simply meant to add to the carnage.
Even their social groups within the game were formed for the expressed purpose of battlefield efficiency. Sure, they formed plenty of friendships with their comrades, but Zach couldn’t deny they had banded together solely out of military necessity.
This game, on the other hand, could be formed around an actual sense of community not involved in just fighting and territory acquisition. Instead, it could be about adventuring with a small group of comrades, just like World at War had been in the early days.
Of course, that was a long way off. They needed to design and build the thing, which would take years. And he wasn’t even sure he would be part of the design team yet. The potential was alluring, yes, but did he really want to leave his current situation? Ev
en though he had a love for programing and design, enough to dedicate a significant portion of his life to its study, could he really go back at this point? The money he was making as a part of the study was simply too good.
“I think this looks very interesting, at the very least,” Zach said diplomatically.
“Ah. A general answer for a general overview. That’s quite fair, truth be told,” Starvos said with a half-smile. “But I would be interested in delving a little deeper. Project Avalon should be something completely different from World at War. It should stand in its own niche and be its own entity.”
“So is it going to be built from scratch?” Zach asked.
Starvos shook his head. “Not from the ground up. Even World at War wasn’t built from the ground up. We used previous virtual world games as a foundation and went from there. Even a simple game of tennis gave us a wealth of information and pieces we could use.”
And they had plenty more of those to spare, now that they had a properly functioning virtual world, Zach thought to himself. That didn’t take into account the amount of data they had been mining from the study, either. He imagined that they had a considerable amount of information they could derive from that as well.
“It’s going to be far more focused on smaller groups, according to this?” Zach asked as he looked over the sheet again.
“Yes. World at War Online bands large groups of players together, but we’ve noticed that players generally only interact with a small group around them, even if their company or alliance is made up of hundreds or even thousands of members.”
Zach nodded. He wasn’t sure he could name everyone in Black Wolf right now, let alone everyone in the Hydra Alliance. Even with his constant interaction with other companies, he generally stuck with either his battalion comrades or the leadership of the original five companies.
Sometimes he missed the old days of being a part of a small group trying to make their way in a vast world. Battling a strong nemesis like Ragnarok had its own challenges and fun, but the urge to fight with a small group would come upon them all at some point. That’s why the groups of original Black Wolf members went through the trouble of performing dangerous missions as Fang Squad: it allowed them to hearken back to the early days of the world.
This new world could allow them another opportunity to go back to that state. But again, did he really want to leave the situation he was in right now?
“We’ll be focusing on the social and societal aspects of the game world as well,” Starvos said.
“Focusing it on interaction between the players?” Zach asked.
“Yes. For lack of a better term, World at War is based on tribalism. Small or sometimes large groups banding together to defend their holdings from other groups. Project Avalon, in contrast, is to be based on a sense of community between all players. Fighting and combat won’t be the only options, either. Players who want to be artisans, merchants or the like will be able to do so without any major disadvantages.”
“Which could definitely appeal to a different audience than World at War. Or, the World at War audience in a different manner,” Zach commented.
“Exactly. And there’s one change that may completely alter the way our world operates.”
Zach frowned. “What’s that?”
President Starvos looked at him and folded his hands. “This isn’t common knowledge, and I don’t want this spreading, so can I trust you to keep silent with this information?”
“You can,” Zach said. “Betraying trust isn’t my style. Besides, I wouldn’t like to go up against the company lawyers, at any rate.”
Starvos laughed. “A wise answer.” His expression became serious. “We’re in preliminary talks with several major online retailers to devise a virtual reality shopping system.”
That revelation surprised him. “Like a virtual reality shopping mall?” he asked.
“Yes, but on a much grander scale,” President Starvos told him. “Companies will be able to display their products within a virtual showroom for prospective buyers to examine and test. And once everything is completed, they’ll also be able to make purchases as well.”
“So how does this relate to Project Avalon?”
“We’re exploring the possibility of adding virtual stores to the marketplaces of each hub,” Starvos explained. “Players will be able to shop inside their game and have goods delivered right to their door.”
“Could that make regular stores obsolete?” Zach asked.
President Starvos shook his head. “Of course not. There will always be a demand for physical stores, just like I will always demand access to physical files. But there’s a significant chunk of the market that can be scooped up by this undertaking.”
It would be novel, at least. Zach couldn’t quite imagine going out for an adventure in the virtual world and then walking back into town to purchase groceries for the real world. Then again, the lines between the cyber world and the real one were already becoming very blurry. What was one more change?
“That… does interest me a bit,” Zach admitted. “But I’m still unsure whether I want to join the development team or not.”
“I understand,” Starvos said. “But if I may make a point?”
“Yes?”
“Elysium Visions has been based on quantum computing. It’s what got us to where we are today. It’s the source of our wealth and our prestige. If we wanted, we could do nothing else. In fact, many investors and pundits believe that our virtual reality division is too risky. It consumes huge amounts of resources and money for questionable profit. So why do I continue to push for it in spite of that?”
“Because of the potential?” Zach said.
“Partially, but it’s even more basic than that,” Starvos said. “I do it because it’s something dear to me. Something close to my heart that I love. I’ve always dreamed of how humans could transcend this reality and create our own. And now, that dream is well within our grasp, if we only reach for it. How can I sit in my comfortable bubble when a world of possibilities exists outside of it?”
“I see,” Zach answered, his feelings stirring in side of him. Had Starvos read his mood? Was it just a lucky guess, or was it because he felt the two of them were kindred spirits?
“And that’s why I continue to push the boundaries,” President Starvos told him. “Because it’s what I was called to do, and what I’m continually called to do. I simply can’t abandon it for security or comfort.”
Those words cut deep. Zach tried to hide the turmoil they caused inside of him. Was that it? Was he giving up his calling and his dreams for a measure of security and comfort? Was he content to exist inside a birdcage, unwilling to spread his wings and fly because his current location was safe?
The feeling gnawed at him, and Zach started to feel very foolish. What good were dreams and callings if he wasn’t willing to follow them, to try and make them happen? What had he spent all that time studying and working for? Were they just some chips to be bartered for a safe haven?
But still, he couldn’t bring himself to accept at the moment. Something within him refused to let him go into action.
President Starvos continued, apparently observing his predicament. “Well, I know you’re still deciding, and we’re still trying to get everything pinned down. You have time. But I’d like to go over some more with you to see if it piques your interest.”
Zach nodded.
“Good,” Starvos said. “Now, on to the next element.”
17
GUNSHIP
“All units report in.”
“Raven Flight, ready.”
“Bravo 1, ready.”
“Bravo 2, ready.”
“Bravo 3, ready.”
“White Tiger, ready.”
“Ready for some real action, Tafari?” Danny asked with a grin on his face.
“Gosh, I should be offended,” Tafari replied dryly. “Oh well. Can’t beat the offer you gave us.”
“Few can.
At least, not people you’d want to side with,” Danny replied.
“Let’s get a move on it,” Blake suggested. “We have a lot to do tonight.”
“Right. Tafari, hold your troops as planned. We’ll scout ahead and lay down some hurt on them.”
“Make sure you don’t blow up everything. That’s why we’re here, after all,” Tafari replied.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Danny replied jovially. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your pound of flesh from Ragnarok.”
“Copy. White Tiger out.”
“Going on ahead,” Blake told him. “We’ll scout out the convoy and try to ferret out the guards. Be careful what you’re shooting at. We don’t want to destroy the munitions trucks.”
“Again, wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Just making sure. Raven 2, out.”
Danny settled back into his seat and adjusted his night vision goggles. He made one last check of the minigun in front of him before signaling his pilot over the radio.
“Brooke, let’s go.”
“Copy that.”
A swarm of helicopters cut through the night air, heading for one of the side roads that Ragnarok used to ferry supplies at night. They had four Hornets under Blake’s command, along with three of the new helos, now dubbed the Typhoon. Bravo 3 crewed the gunner positions in the three Typhoons, while Bravos 1 and 2 provided the vanguard force. White Tiger would bring the muscle and do most of the heavy fighting on the ground.
Danny’s grand gambit was finally coming to fruition. Ragnarok’s supply lines needed to be attacked, but with so many units tied down in other theatres the list of available troops was in short supply. Rogue and Sacred Sword had to protect the front lines outside Milwaukee, Dragon and Ghost were embroiled in a fierce fight within the walls, and Magic Battalion had to hold Green Bay.
That last one bothered him the most. Hydra maintained a presence in Green Bay because it posed a threat to Ragnarok’s vital industrial and resource producing areas, but Danny was skeptical about its actual utility. True, Magic could attack mining groups and destroy important equipment, but they could only do so in small raiding teams. There was no threat of them actually taking and holding any of the important towns, let alone threatening Madison. They needed reinforcements for that, and unless something drastically changed they’d never get them.
Deception City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 5) Page 18
