Sword Art Online: Equestria Update (Closed)

[kindofararity7]

After the unfortunate events that took place in Japan, the government decided that it would be best to keep the "incident" kept hidden from the rest of the world. As such, countries like the United States and the UK still bought into the NerveGear technology and even created their own versions of the popular MMO called Sword Art Online, making many different versions of the game, one of them being the Equestria Update.

This version is everything that the original was, except for the fact that now, instead of humans, the players will be transformed into their very own pony OC. Of course, the main goal of the game is to defeat the boss at the 100th floor and clear the game.

Using their own battle strategy and tactics, players must find their way through a dangerous dungeon-maze, which will be home to the floor's boss. The players must then work together, or in rare cases, alone, to defeat the boss and move on to the next level.

With NerveGear in hand and game ready for playing, you and 9,999 other players get ready to play the game that swept every other virtual reality game under the bed.

Rules and Extra Info.

Now that you've been introduced to the basics, I'll fill in any other little tid-bits about gameplay.

You are allowed to use any weapons you choose, be it long-sword or chains with swords attached to them, so long as they won't become over-powered. For example, a sword that is so sharp that it can cut straight through any monster, killing it instantly, would be OP. No guns are allowed as weapons, but bows and crossbows are all-game.

While the SAO anime had no magic, I have to allow magic here for the sake of unicorns everywhere. However, magic, like everything else, is a skill that must be learned.

Please be realistic with skills. I'm pretty relaxed on this rule, but if you're claiming to be a master swordspony, chef, blacksmith, etc. on day one, no-dice.

As in the show, there are infinite skills to be learned, so get creative!

That's really all there is to it! Everypony will begin with a simple weapon of their choice in the Town of Beginnings. Much like the show, you are trapped in the game, unable to log out.

Story Cont.

"Greetings, gamers and MMO fanatics!" A booming voice fills the air around you and the other players.

"As many of you have noticed, there is no method of logging out. This is not a bug or glitch, I have designed the game this way. You will not be allowed to log out of this game, at least, not yet. Until one of you reaches the 100th floor and defeats the boss level there, you will be trapped inside Equestria! If you die in the game, should you find a way to log out without defeating the boss on the 100th floor, or if your NerveGear is somehow removed in the real world, microwaves will permeate your brain, killing you instantly," Screens fill the air around the massive, floating figure. They all show news reports of people being killed while using the virtual reality sensation, NerveGear.

"This is to show you that I am not telling you a fib and as motivation for defeating the boss. 247 of your fellow players have already been killed. Now, please, go and gain experience! Good luck to all of you! You're going to need it..." The figure dissipates into the still air.

All around you, players are panicking and denying everything, saying that it's some kind of cruel joke. The shouting and screaming is nearly unbearable...

[kindofararity7]

"Link Start!"

Those were the last words that left his lips as he was plunged into this virtual world. He had chosen to create one of his OCs instead of just a random pony. His name was Sky Write, a white-coated pegasus with a purple mane and tail striped with a light blue. This was his favorite character, as he made it to resemble himself in nearly every aspect except, of course, the pegasus part.

This was his first dive into the world of virtual reality. As such, he had a bit of trouble getting his bearings, but it wasn't as hard as he had thought. It was just like trying to move in the real world, only, this wasn't the real world. Looking around, he saw that many other players already had their hooves on the ground and in motion. He thought to himself that maybe he could find someone else who knew his way around this place. But that would have to wait, because as soon as he was inside the game the shadowy figure appeared in the sky, which had turned red with pixels.

"Greetings, gamers and MMO fanatics!" A booming voice fills the air around you and the other players.

"As many of you have noticed, there is no method of logging out. This is not a bug or glitch, I have designed the game this way. You will not be allowed to log out of this game, at least, not yet. Until one of you reaches the 100th floor and defeats the boss level there, you will be trapped inside Equestria! If you die in the game, should you find a way to log out without defeating the boss on the 100th floor, or if your NerveGear is somehow removed in the real world, microwaves will permeate your brain, killing you instantly," Screens fill the air around the massive, floating figure. They all show news reports of people being killed while using the virtual reality sensation, NerveGear.

"This is to show you that I am not telling you a fib and as motivation for defeating the boss. 247 of your fellow players have already been killed. Now, please, go and gain experience! Good luck to all of you! You're going to need it..." The figure dissipates into the still air.

While many of the other ponies were freaking out and running around like chickens with their heads cut off, Sky was calm. He couldn't explain why, but he wasn't scared. Of course, he didn't want to leave behind the other world, but he wouldn't. There was a way back home, all he had to do was get there. Then the thought rushed into his head, What if you can't?

His breathing quickened and he felt the heart of his virtual body pound inside its chest. He forced himself to stay calm, despite the panicking ponies around him. He decided that the first thing he has to do is get out of the plaza. He couldn't think with all of this noise.

He headed towards a part of the town that looked like it could be the market. Maybe he could buy a weapon before things get too crowded here. He trotted towards a merchant that had his weapon of choice on display: chains. A chain wasn't his first choice of weapon, however, he had wanted it to be a sword or something similar. But, being a pony, he decided it would be best to use something that he could easily attack with and chains could easily wrap around his hoof to swing and store.

After looking through the many different options, Sky finally decided on one of the cheaper chains, as he could afford nothing more even if he sold his starting weapon. It was a white chain, which he thought could easily be overlooked on his white foreleg, with a small blade pointing out of the tip of the chain.

After making his purchase, Sky looked around to see if any of the other players had come to their senses. Luckily, a few of them had and were now looking through some of the other vendors, buying weapons and supplies as they saw fit.

[Shadowbolt0]

I wonder, what were my last words going to be? Are they really going to be that? Link Start...Something so simple, that may be the last thing i ever say to a 'real' person again. Such a waste. It could have been a goodbye to my parents, or my brother, something meaningful to my friends, but now, i'm alone here .. Left wondering now, to why? Why this is occurring to us? With the panic and questions, i know i am only one. So, adventurer, if you find this diary. Read its pages well, for they were my life in this game..My 'Name', from now on, Is Midnight Blossom, and for one about to open these pages, this is my story.

She looked at it, a diary she'd managed to pick up with what was left of her money, after purchasing herself a small-blade that attached to her hooves. She looked at herself, a small smile on her face. If this was her final form, at least it was this one. Her Oc, a batpony. Darkness enthralled her, so she came to the best conclusion that her Oc that would be much like her, would be a pony of darkness, or as close to it as she could get.

She picked up the pencil, writing more onto the paper. Midnight doubted she'd make it out alive, she'd barely played any games prior to this, so her knowledge was limited to what she'd read. But maybe, others would remember her after she'd gone.

Eventually, she stood up, closing the book and placing it in her inventory. Her blue-eyes looked around her, the air tingled her dark-blue fur and she fidgeted with her mane, which was messy, just how she loved it. She saw ponies in despair, disbelief, understand, so many reactions that she knew she had.

She knew the question on everyone's mind, one she'd even written herself. How were they going to escape alive? She looked down at her blade, and rested her bat-wings gently on her back, it would take a while for her to learn how to use them properly. Assuming she survived long enough to learn how to fly.

She returned her gaze to her book, bringing it out once again. Part of her wondered why she'd even bother writing it, who would bother reading it? But she didn't want to just die, forgotten. If she was going to die, at least, if someone found her, they'd know it was her. Her family would know peace,

She wiped her eyes, trying to keep a level head. She couldn't afford to slip off now, not this early on. She only returned to the reality around her when she found herself walking into another pony, she didn't even remember starting to walk, but she had been so wrapped up inside her head it wasn't too much of a surprise to her.

She looked up at the pony she'd bumped into, a pegasus, white with purple mane. She saw her book on the ground, but quickly turned to the Pegasus.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to bump into, i..i wasn't watching where i was going.."

[Harv0kz]

"Greetings, gamers and MMO fanatics!" A booming voice fills the air around you and the other players.

"As many of you have noticed, there is no method of logging out. This is not a bug or glitch, I have designed the game this way. You will not be allowed to log out of this game, at least, not yet. Until one of you reaches the 100th floor and defeats the boss level there, you will be trapped inside Equestria! If you die in the game, should you find a way to log out without defeating the boss on the 100th floor, or if your NerveGear is somehow removed in the real world, microwaves will permeate your brain, killing you instantly," Screens fill the air around the massive, floating figure. They all show news reports of people being killed while using the virtual reality sensation, NerveGear.

"This is to show you that I am not telling you a fib and as motivation for defeating the boss. 247 of your fellow players have already been killed. Now, please, go and gain experience! Good luck to all of you! You're going to need it..." The figure dissipates into the still air.

Quickly navigating to the menu, he pressed the log out button. An error showed up, denying exit. He pressed it again, each time faster as the same error kept popping up. "Darn It!" he shouted to himself.

My name... bah, still the internet, use my player name instead... Warp Sign. Perfect, I went full rper with this one.

Okay, calm down. If what he says is true, then this is probably the hardest game I've played. Getting his bearings, he looked down at himself. A Bright orange Unicorn with yellow mane and tail colour. He cursed at himself for not picking the usual speedy class. Right, mage. My usual playstyle is to go Battle-Mage, that way I get to smack things while throwing magical death at my opponents. He eyed at some of the "ponies" already leaving town. Got to get moving quickly. If it's like anything in movies and books, then things will start gettng real ugly soon. With people at high levels stomping on little one.

He trotted quickly between stalls. He knew that potions and weapons. MMO Gaming 101. This was no different than any other game he had played. Just with the terrifying aspect of permanent death. No trouble, no trouble at all... Ah! The NPCs talk normally atleast, but they don't have any form of artificial intelligence. "I'll take a spear and a tome for casting basic spells." And so he got them. Not the most orthodox route, but that should atleast keep most potential threats off balance when they either see a hard jab of spear or a fireball headed at them, besides, spear can be used like a staff. He analysed. A quick grasp of weapons and mechanics always saved him at one point or another. Opening up the menu, he looked into his inventory. Right, weapons, check, stats, check, identity, check, crafting profession, can check off later.

Now all he needed was... Letting out an audible moan as the players shifted about in panic and fear (Go- Celestia dangit ponies, get your hooves together)... A team. With his more squishier class, and the learning curve to overcome, he needed a team to support him. Plus, with death almost guaranteed by other players or high-level monsters, going with a group of players wasn't going to hurt compared to the alternatives.

Trotting around, he could already see players teaming up or going solo. Either way, the current groups appeared to be... lackluster. They were too normal. A Tank, the DPS, and the support pfft this isn't a dungeon, this is one hundred floors of pain. No, he needed players a little... flexible.

And he found them, a Bat Pony and a Pegasus. One had a book being that appeared to have been written into, another seemed to choose a chain as their weapon. Excellent. Just the bunch I was looking for. He approached them.

"Yo, you guys looking for party members? I'm pretty good with a spear and magic." He asked the two ponies. Please say yes, please say yes. Soloing is suicide with my character set. Please say yes, please say yes. He prayed. It was usually the unusual ponies that stuck to him better than a common party that split at the end of a dungeon. He got the feeling that now that they were all trapped, things wouldn't be the same.

Whether or not these two wanted to join him, the game had already began. And as much as he hated it, his physical life had ended, and his virtual life began with two words:

Link Start!

[kindofararity7]

Sky jumped a little as the bat pony bumped his side. He heard something fall to the ground and looked down to see that a small journal had just made its way to the cobblestone floor beneath his hooves.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to bump into, i..i wasn't watching where i was going.."

He looked back up to see the pony's expression. She seemed to be a little lost, especially since she bumped into him on a nearly empty path."Don't worry about it," He knelt down and picked up the book in his hooves. As he picked himself back up, he noticed that she had a small blade attached to her hoof. Suddenly he had suspicions about this pony. That's absurd, there's no way someone could possibly resort to killing this soon.

Handing the pony her book, Sky said, "Here you go. Um, what's your name?"

Almost immediately afterwards, he heard shouting from across the street. "Yo, you guys looking for party members? I'm pretty good with a spear and magic."

Glancing down at the pony in front of him in sudden realization, he told the orange unicorn, "Oh, no we aren't a party..."

Then a thought hit him. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea. "But... I suppose... we could form a party. I certainly wouldn't mind a bit," Sky turned to the bat pony in front of him. "I know this is a bit sudden, but would you like to form a party?" She'll probably deny it, considering we just met. Why am I even asking?

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight smiled as the pegasus gave her book to her, but instead of putting it back into her inventory, she kept it on her.

"Thank you, and, i guess you could say my name is Midnight..What about you? What's your name?" She had to be polite, the last thing she needed was enemies this early on in a game of death.

That's when the talk about forming a 'party' came up. Midnight hadn't the slightly clue what a party was, she looked to the unicorn, then back to the pegasus. She rubbed the back of her head, fidgeting with her hair.

"Ummmm..Well, you see..i-i don't know what a party is..this is really the first game i've ever played..so, i'm..yeah" She had backed up slightly, it was obvious both of them had done this before, and her, she was completely clueless about almost everything. It had been luck she'd found her menu, and that had been slightly confusing.

[Harv0kz]

Even more so the reason for her to travel in a group when the concept's explained.

"A party's a group of players that go around the game doing things together. Usually, it's just temporary, with the group exchanging contacts if they find a friend in a party member. But given this situation..." Warp Sign motioned his head towards the crowd that gathered, trying to pull themselves together, before turning back to the two and addressing the Bat pony. "A party would be a little more... sensible. Besides, safety in numbers, right?" He concluded his brief and to the point... how unusual, given his tendency to go on for minutes to hours about things. Must be the new environment.

"So what about it? You guys up for it or not? The others seem to already be heading on... best not to get caught behind." He asked again, the same way he did before. Although this was a game, they were, after all, technically looking at each other's faces and eyes as they would be in real life, except for the pony features, so he left his usual "internet mannerisms" out.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight had to admit, the party idea seemed smart.

She nodded her head "So it's basically a group? Well, i don't see a reason why not, i mean. He has a point, safety in numbers, especially since, well, at least, i don't really know how to play..."

She had to admit, only a group of 2 didn't seem the safest, but in all honesty, what choice did she have? She'd be weak alone, and in a group with 2 others that seemingly knew what they were doing. If she had any hope, it would have to be them.

"I mean, only if you guys want to that is..."

[Smartbrony]

So, there wasn't a way to leave the game. Awesome!

Finally, he could really play the game! He always got so bored with these games because at some point he had to log out. There wasn't enough realism, enough commitment, enough escape. It's not that he had a bad life, not at all, it's just that he had a boring life. He dreamed of fantasy adventures and worlds where magic and creatures were a regular basis, but he'd never been able to get over the fact that they were just games. But this wasn't a game anymore!

Excited, he checked his name to remember what he'd put. Fire Dancer? He must have let it auto name him. Oh well, it didn't change that he knew how he was going to play this game. Heavily armored and unyielding, just like in every other game. He supposed he should take up a hobby or two as well, maybe blacksmithing. Now, what did he look like again? Ah yes, a red Earth pony with a short, orange mane and tail. He wasn't a very tall or strong Earth pony, but that didn't really matter.

Looking around, he realized everyone was starting to form parties. 'That's probably a good idea, but where can I go?' Fire thought. Scanning the crowd, he noticed a group of three ponies by themselves. 'Couldn't hurt to try.' He reasoned, walking up to them and introducing himself with "Hi, I'm Fire Dancer. Would you guys mind if I joined you?" It felt so awkward to do that, he hoped it didn't show.

[kindofararity7]

Sky simply watched as the two talked about what exactly a party was. Then the word "temporary" came into play. While he couldn't deny that most parties were, in fact, temporary, he didn't like the idea of sticking together and then disbanding once we reach the next town or safe zone. That just leaves them looking for another group of players to band with.

"I wouldn't mind partying up at all!" Sky had barely swiped open his menu when he heard another pony approach him.

"Hi, I'm Fire Dancer. Would you guys mind if I joined you?" Sky turned towards the red earth pony and cracked a grin. Their group could use more members, they wouldn't get to the 100th floor with just the three of them, should they decide to stick together.

"Sure! Uh, if you guys don't mind, of course..." Sky returned his attention to his still-open menu. Navigating to the party sub-menu, Sky sent party invites to Fire Dancer, Midnight Blossum, and Warp Sign. Although Sky could see the player's names, it was still a habit to ask for names.

"By the way, I'm Sky Write," Sky watched as the party invites opened up in front of each of the other ponies.

[Harv0kz]

As he saw another pony approach them, Warp Sign reasoned that he would be another player looking for a party. The more the merrier. He thought. If all of the members took a role that would support each other, then there was no chance they'd be caught dead, or by the very least left behind. "Sure, I don't mind, more is always better, if there really are a hundred floors, the more is necessary." he responded to the question. Another question formed at the same time, and that was how long this would last, his train of thought however, was interrupted by a invite notification.

"Ah, right, give me a second" Warp Sign casually said as he navigated his menu, a few hoof-strokes and he found the party menu, after which he accepted the group invite. Now how does that menu work? Does it hover in the corner of your eye? Nevermind, only going to distract me. He stopped fiddling with the interface and closed the menu, looking again at the other three. We'd probably go places, it's too early to judge group cohesion. Especially in this situation, I can't be the judge of much anyway. New game, absurd mechanics, and the death threat. His mind concluded his previous question for him.

"So, now that everyone's here, incase you didn't see, I'm Warp Sign." He pointed jokingly above his head, where his name should be hovering above somewhere. He looked at the crowd. Those that decided to stay had began to accept their fate, while others who attempted to exit the town really were beginning to leave groups of varying sizes. We should really be moving, but rushing at the same time would be suicidal.

[theshypony]

( Hey, is it a too late to join? )

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight nodded her head, a group sounded much safer then her trying to do it alone. Maybe she'd make a friend or two while she was at it. Suddenly, things seemed less grim.Seeing the party invite, she quickly opened it and pressed the accept button. The menu didn't confuse her much anymore, having opened and closed it dozens of times trying to get the book out after purchasing it.

"I'm Midnight, though, you can probably see that already....And, i need to ask, cause i've never really played a game before, what's next?"

[Smartbrony]

Fire was glad to see that they didn't mind him joining them, safety in numbers, he supposed. In most games he'd go solo, but in those games he could just respawn if an enemy got the best of him. Accepting the invitation, he answered his new party member's question. "Well, it would probably be a good idea to get some equipment, and to look into completing some quests. I don't really know what all the other groups plan on doing, but I think if we play this like most other VRMMOs then we should be good for a while." Fire actually had no idea if even that would work. He'd heard EAO was different, that it was supposed to feel like life, not a game. 'I guess they were right about that.' Fire Dancer thought to himself, smiling.

(I don't know if it's too late or not )

[kindofararity7]

Sky nodded as Fire spoke. "That does sound like a good idea. We wouldn't last long without proper equipment."

He looked around as he spoke. "Though, I'm not sure there would be many high-paying quests here, this is the Town of Beginnings after all," Sky pulled open his map and swiped around the open fields around the city, which quickly turned into nothingness, as he had not yet explored them. "Maybe if we follow that road," He pointed to a nearby city gate. "we'll reach the next city. But we should get some equipment before we go."

Sky gestured towards his hoof, around which was his chain. "I've already bought a suitable weapon, I think. But, I could use some armor, anybody else?" He raised an eyebrow at his newfound party. While he certainly preferred to wear armor, even if he was mostly going to be fighting from a distance, some preferred to spend more money on attack than defense. While there was certainly nothing wrong with this approach, in fact, Sky had a special respect for those who chose this method, he usually tended to take more damage than he would like.

(Yeah, there's room for one more! But I'll have to close it after you. I don't want there to be too many people here... But you can join! Just jump in whenever you feel like it!)

[theshypony]

( Woot lucky :3 thanks! )

" What. " Golem spoke aloud, his jaw open as he stared where the message was relayed by the mysterious creator. There was no way right? it was a joke, happens all the time in MMO's right? He opened his menu and scrolled through it to find the log out button. As he was told, it was gone. He was begging to panic now, what would happen to him? How long until someone beat the game? Thoughts rushed through his head all at once as the world seemed to spin around him.

He walked to a nearby wall in a daze and slid down and sat as he stared blankly at the mass confusion before him. how long until mother found out? He looked down towards his hooves. He had never played an MMO before, how would he survive? He had no friends here, no tactics, he hadn't even killed a monster yet! The entire time he was exploring the beginner town. This was it, ' I'm going to die in this stupid game ', kept running through his head as tears brimmed in his eyes.

( Can I just say, Amazing anime. )

[Harv0kz]

If this game has dodge mechanics the way I think it does, then it may be possible. It just may be possible... The though trailed off in his head and became a plan.

"Oh, by the way, it's a good idea to grab a things for starting a crafting profession before we leave. We'll never know how long we'll be away from a town, so I think it's best we prepare for that. Plus, nothing should go to waste from dead monsters." He said. Though Warp Sign should've seen this earlier, he didn't realize that he had two potential routes. One dealing with magics, and another dealing with arms, his preferred route. "I think I spotted an armour store a few stalls down from the weapon's store. As for a place selling professions, I'm still looking for it. VR just changes the playing field too much..." Adding on to his previous sentence. Although he preferred to be up close with his opponents, he figured that as a player, he would be able to better understand mechanics from a little ways back in the rear. So some mixed light and medium armour would do the trick for now, deciding to go full on in either route would take a little more time.

He then thought about the questing mechanics. If they did the early quests, they would be bogged behind. The game keeps moving, and with the large number of players here, they would've come to the realization that they would have to beat the 100th floor anyway, so they would have to progress by doing quests, and beating monsters. But given the unknown spawning times, it could be anything from hours to days. This was exactly A party why he needed a party, to tackle mobs at a higher level that weren't at the cut-off where monsters couldn't be hit. "We should skip the early quests and start farming mobs a level or two above us." Warp Sign responded to the issue of questing. "We can take them as a party, but we'll need to work effectively together. Anyone else game for this idea?" he asked, surely one or two of them have done it before. He certainly had.

But his attention was caught as his face turned around. Although he had heard the sounds, actually seeing it was a little more... painful, in an emotional sense. Which he couldn't afford. He saw one of the ponies in despair. And kept looking at him for awhile. "Some don't take the news better than others, huh." he muttered audibly, as reality sunk back into his head.

[Smartbrony]

Fire Dancer nodded at the mention of profession items and tackling stronger enemies as a team. At the announcement of the ponies in despair, he added "A lot of people can't see the silver lining. We may be trapped, but this is the ultimate adventure!" Fire decided to open up his menu. If he remembered correctly, he had accepted an intro to blacksmithing quest that would give him the tools he needed. Bingo! "Hey, check your quest logs. You should be able to find a profession quest that'll get you started. It might sidetrack us a little, but it'll save us some money for down the road." If the others agreed, it would save them all money to purchase better equipment, and better equipment meant easier survival.

[kindofararity7]

Sky thought about what Warp Sign had just said. Taking up a crafting profession wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially since it could give them better equipment and save money in the long run. Skipping over the first few quests seemed like a good idea too.

"I agree with you about the quests and monsters, but we shouldn't skip too many quests. I'm sure they'll give great rewards, much better than we would get from a monster,"

The only problem was that he didn't know what profession to take or even what he could take. That was when he heard Fire say something about the quests for learning crafting professions. "Really?" Sky swiped open his menu and navigated to the quests window. It was there that he found several quests for learning different crafts. After looking through the quests, he selected one marked "Intro to Tailoring." While this didn't seem like much, it would allow him to make special clothing and most types of armor, which would certainly save the group a bit of money.

"Alright, if you guys are up for it, we could each take a crafting quest and meet up after we've completed them. It shouldn't take long since it's basically just a tutorial," Just then something caught his eye. Looking back towards the center plaza area, he saw a pony sitting against a wall. The pony appeared to have just given up... Sky couldn't stand to look at it.

He quickly trotted towards the pony shouting to his party members as he went. "Remember, meet back here after you've completed the quest and bought your gear. We'll head out then, see ya!"

When Sky got to the pony, he knelt down beside him. "Hey," Sky said softly, "you alright? You look kinda depressed..."

(It is a great anime! )

[theshypony]

The frail pony looked to him with tears shining in his eyes. " Depressed? i'm going to die in here. I'm not strong! Or courageous! I havn't even played an MMO on a computer before! " He looked back towards the ground

" I'm supposed to be at a school concert right now...I'm supposed to play the violin. Mother will come home when she doesn't see me there, and when she sees me, she's going to take my nerve gear off! If the monsters don't kill me, than my own mother will. "

He looked back up " I don't want to die. "

[Harv0kz]

Warp Sign sighed. No one picked anything that would give them healing. He sure as hell wasn't healing through magic. Disastrous results...

So he decided on "Introduction to Alchemy". For a game that came from Japan, atleast it didn't pull off a direct translation of the language. A couple of tools for herb collecting, and a few bottles to craft the things into suddenly appeared in his inventory. Hopefully, this will cover our stat boosting and healing needs for the time being. Plus, I hope some of these can be used as throwables. He opened the skillbook and checked for what he could create. Just a basic healing potion huh? And only from a herb and a bottle. Clearly, more stock is required. He assessed.

"Wahuu... Hey, wai- Nevermind." He tried to get Sky's attention for a second there but he noticed him heading towards the more-or-less sad and defeated pony. Not my kinda job anyway. "Alright guys. Just to say again, armour shops literally right next to the weapons shop. General vendor and crafting supplies... well, keep an eye out and tell each other. The faster we get things bought and sourced, the better." He addressed whoever was left in the group.

"I'll be out doing the quest first then, see ya guys later." He walked towards the outer gates, when curiosity about combat mechanics got the better of him. Lets see... ah! Level one mob. Piece of cake. He drew his spear quickly, and charged it, only to miss as the creature turned it's attention to the unicorn. Impossible... unless this is timing based. As though as he lunged again at the creature, glancing it, before leaping back. Lets try magic then. And accessed his list of magic, only to feel a pain slamming into him.

"Ow! Gotta keep my distance." And with that he pulled back slightly further, before looking at his list again. Fireball... Oh, classics. He immediately selected the spell, and his horn began to glow. A casting timer appeared in his field of vision, counting down quickly as the creature approached him. "Take this!" Shouting as he launched a ball-sized flaming blob at the creature, taking out most of it's hp. Now's my chance. Getting into stance, he charged at the creature, stabbing it dead. From, that he got experience and some coins. But what was most important was his understanding of mechanics. Now, enough sidetracking.

Warp Sign, feeling accomplished about having taken down his first monster, found much more trouble in searching for those herb. Ah well, you win some you lose some..

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight listened to the idea to find new skills, and she had to agree with it. She looked around, and one place caught her attention. Smithing, armor making. She looked back at her 'party', and it came clear to her that they'd need equipment. She didn't want to fight, at least, not up in a monsters face, so her theory was she could at least keep them safe.

Quickly opening her menu, she targeted the starting quest, and a small arrow popped up on her minimap. She looked around quickly, spotting Sky chatting to another pony. She looked at the location of where she could start becoming useful, but went over to Sky instead.

She heard the upset pony speak, at how they'd never played a game. She knew that feeling, and knelt down to them.

"Its ok..You're not the only one, i've never played a MMO either, and she won't. If your mum's anything like my own, she'd of heard the news. Trust me, ok? I'm scared, and no one wants to die. But, come on, this won't help you"

[Smartbrony]

Fire was about to start his Smithing quest when he noticed that Midnight had chosen Smithing as her profession. He knew two smiths in the same party wouldn't be a terrible idea, but it also wasn't an ideal one. While he was pondering which profession to choose, his stomach began to growl. It appeared as though food was important for more than health in this game, but he didn't see a hunger bar anywhere. He supposed it must just be a personal thing, that some people get hungry faster than others. Either way, it seemed that becoming a chef wouldn't be such a bad idea. After all, who knows what kinds of food would be possible in this game! Looking over the quest details, it seemed cooking was a short and straightforward profession. All he would have to do would be to turn a loaf of bread into toast using an oven in town. What made this even better was that the bakery was only a block away from the weapon and armor shops! With a tap of his hoof, he accepted the quest.

"I'll see you all later, yeah? I've gotta go grab some lunch!" It didn't take long to find the bakery, and lucky for him it seemed most players had chosen other professions. Or maybe they all hadn't picked professions yet. It didn't really matter. The point was, Fire Dancer was able to get to an open oven and cook his bread in a mere 10 minutes. After that was done, it was just a matter of deciding whether to get a stronger weapon than his beginner's long sword or go all out purchasing heavy armor. One look at the prices of the heavy armors and he had his answer. He bought the best he could afford, which was just some rusting banded iron armor, hardly fit for the knight he wanted to be, but it would do. He still had a little money left over, and with his party members in mind he thought it would be a nice idea to buy some bread and make them all some toast. That way he could increase his cooking skill while aiding the entire party.

[kindofararity7]

Sky thought a moment about what the pony had just said to him. What if somebody pulled off his helmet? There's no way that could happen though, right? The police must have made sure that everybody who knows anyone who bought the NerveGear also knows not to remove it. But what if they hadn't? It wasn't long before Sky was lost in his thoughts.

He was brought back to reality when Moonlight entered the conversation. Sky listened on as Moonlight spoke. Her words were so soft and calming. She wasn't even talking to him and all of Sky's doubts were blown away from his mind.

While Sky was back to thinking positive, Sky could see that Golem still appeared to have doubt, but it could have just been Sky trying to get his head away from his own troubles. Either way, Sky decided it was time to speak up. "Yeah," he said, agreeing with Moonlight, "everybody's got to have heard about this by now. Your mom isn't going to take it off. Besides, you can't worry about that right now. Right now you've gotta worry about surviving and thinking like this isn't going to help with that."

He paused for a moment as he thought about what he was saying. Surviving is the key to getting out of this world. Fighting monsters and growing stronger. But no amount of experience could make anyone strong enough to beat this game on their own. He guessed what he was saying was, "Do you want to join our party? You need friends to survive and beat this game and not only will we survive, but we will thrive. No pony will be left behind! So what would you rather be, a mighty hero? Or the next death? Because if this is how you're gonna think, that's what you're gonna be."

Sky hoped he wasn't too hard on the pony, but he couldn't stand to see a sad face and it would've been devastating to hear that this player died after he could have done something. He wasn't very good in these situations, but he thought that he said the right things, even if he wasn't quite sure what he said himself.

[Harv0kz]

Well, I'm finally back. a little over ten minutes must be a new record for gathering materials. But in the end, Warp Sign knew it was worth it. Alchemy was a skill where fundamentally, a crafting station wasn't required until harder potions were needed, and even then, portable sets of instruments were available... hopefully. He smiled as he walked back into town, noticing how far he had gone out scavenging for the herbs, more than the usual amount for a starting quest, but exp grinding was essential to him at this stage, and the benefit of having extra potions when needed was a bonus. He smiled as he walked back through the thick throng of low-level monsters near the town entrance. He decided to throw a fireball randomly at one, engaging it in a much shorter, and more satisfying session of combat. A couple of more points of experiences and a few extra bits of spending money floated right to his character.

Back in town, he quickly sourced down the general store, using a combination asking for directions and NPCs. Finding it, he quickly bought a couple of potion bottles, rations and food supplies, and other items for maintenance and survival outside of a town. And to help his group, he quickly typed up a group message, with the location of the store, and a general note to everyone. Before going to the armour store, where without another word, he simply interacted with the NPC who was watching the store, and bought a hybrid of light and medium armour, forgoing solid protection for someone with his range, for flexibility and mobility on the battlefield. It wasn't top notch, and when he equipped it, his avatar updated, giving him the appearance of a ragged adventurer starting his first journey. In a way, that was the exact thing he was feeling right now. In another way, the knowledge that all bets were off kept him rooted to reality.