Before you read, you need to pay the cookie tax (stones) :3 Thank you for feeding this Takodachi with your cookies!
'Inner dialogue/thoughts'
"Normal dialogue"
"Online Comments/Twitch comments/Narrator"
[Reading description of games/game prompts]
[System]
(Word Count: 870)
~ With Aiden ~
"It's okay. Everything's fine. Relax. Calm down, Aiden. Calm down." Aiden repeated to himself, trying to calm his nerves during the loading stage before entering the Multiplayer mode. He released his grip of his VR controller, and rubbed his hands together to relieve some of his building nerves.
"Those who haven't played or watched the game before might not understand why I'm so nervous. But this game is incredible and immersive, you know?" Aiden said, glancing at his livestream chat.
"I'm being serious, no exaggeration. Just wait until we get into the game and see the graphics and gameplay. You'll see why it's so hyped." As he spoke, he grabbed the VR controller once again, ready to start the battle.
Aiden's enthusiasm had intrigued many viewers who had not yet experienced the game firsthand.
"Is it really as amazing as he says?"
"I just checked the trending topics on the official X website. I hope it's not all just hype."
"I noticed there's no in-game purchase store, which is pretty impressive for an indie game"
"Oh please, it may be classified indie, but this game is definitely going to shake the top dogs!"
"+10000"
"Here it comes! I wonder which battle during World War I will be used for this mode!"
"This is going to be EPIC!"
The livestream chat was filled with anticipation. Aiden, who had initially managed to calm himself, felt his excitement rising once again as the Multiplayer mode loaded. After successfully matching into a multiplayer game, the screen transitioned to an introduction of the current map campaign.
[To break through the German defences, we have launched an offensive at the Somme, highlighting the significance of this battle. The key to victory in this battle lay in the trenches of Northern France. We have to break through their lines and push through, securing key positions along the way.]
With the narration setting the stage of the battle, the game officially began. Aiden found himself in an armoured vehicle with nine other players. The vehicle rumbled forward on a bumpy road, part of a convoy of dozens of armoured vehicles.
"This is insane!" Aiden exclaimed, eyes wide with amazement.
Suddenly, Aiden heard someone respond to him. "Oh my god, it's Aiden! I got matched into the same squad as you!"
Before that person could go any further, another player interjected before the rest of the squad spoke up as well, "War is coming boys, who's ready?!"
"Not so fast! We're British soldiers, and we're up against the German Empire!"
"How many players are in this battle?"
"Check the top of the screen, we have 50,000 troops!"
"50,000? How can the map handle that many?! And why do we have such a big advantage?"
"Dude, look again. It's not 50,000 actual players. Even in real wars, battles involving tens of thousands are divided into multiple fronts. This number is probably the total 'lives' that we will have. And look here, it says there are only 2,000 actual players in this specific game instance."
"Still, 2,000 players are quite a lot for a dedicated server to handle. This is crazy exciting!"
"Given this setup, the defending team might actually have the advantage here."
The players' conversations mirrored Aiden's thoughts.
This setup was intentional. It was designed by Alex to leverage the advanced technology of this world, and the enhancements provided by his system. Unlike the traditional FPS games, 'Battlefield' aimed to give players a genuine sense of participating in a large-scale war.
[Our forces have crossed no man's land and engaged the enemy. First, we must capture the trenches at the front line, break through the German defences, and then secure the key objective – High Wood.]
With the sound of brakes, the armoured vehicles came to a stop. The game's prompts provided the players with their mission objectives.
"Woah! Look at the map, this place is HUGE! There are so many places to go!" Aiden exclaimed as he stepped out the vehicle.
Without the guided narrative of the Prologue Campaign, players were free to explore the vast map. The sheer scale was overwhelming, especially compared to the original version, as the number of players per battle had significantly increased. Alex had expanded the maps, making them several times larger than before.
The strongholds that players had to capture were also more extensive, divided into multiple large points. Although not a direct reenactment of the Battle of Somme, the game maintained a balance between historical accuracy and engaging gameplay.
Even seasons FPS players were in awe, struck speechless by the sight of hundreds of player soldiers clashing on the battlefield. It was a level of immersion and scale that they had never experienced before in any FPS games.
As for the gaming developers and industry insiders monitoring 'Battlefield'? This was a clear sign of an impending success. 'Battlefield' was about to explode.
- End of Chapter 15 -