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 At the end of the 21st century, a military spacecraft designated the 'Everett' was launched from Earth, sent on a multi-generational mission to locate and settle on a new planet that could sustain human life. Through ups and downs, the crew weathered their mission and before they knew it, several decades had passed. Things were looking great... until that fateful day, when they discovered and retrieved a strange escape vessel in the midst of deep space. The sole occupant they found within somehow triggered a rogue program in the ship's AI, corrupting it and sparking off what the new AI referred to as 'the Deletion Game'. Initially an attempt to avoid a resource shortage dooming the mission, as more executions occur and bodies begin piling up things it soon becomes clear that this rogue AI has no intention of stopping the death game. Is there any way to see the Everett's mission through to the end....alive? --- Quantum Suicide is a visual novel game made by an Australian indie dev group by the name of Cotton Candy Suicide. It released in September 2020 to mostly positive reviews, and has undertaken the monumental task of attempting to combine the death game genre (Zero Escape, Danganronpa, etc) with... well, with a dating sim. Was it successful at marrying those two genres? ...We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  What this VN does have going for it is a good sense of worldbuilding, a willingness to at least try for something unique (whether successful or not), and the explicit intention of including LGBT representation- you can play as both a man or a woman and date someone of the same gender with both protagonists... though, the rest of the cast has set orientations, so whether you can succesfully date a specific person is another story But we'll cross that bridge as well when we get to it...eventually.This LP is going to show all of the main story (across all of the different routes), as well as most of the bad endings- though some story/endings will be cut for redundancy's sake, as some scenes are shared between both protagonists so there's no real point in showing the same thing twice! There will be some thread participation, though that will be primarily in the form of voting on which branch path we take (and I'll assume control if there's only one option or once we're close to the end of the VN). I sincerely doubt anyone in this thread will have read this VN before, but if you have, no spoilers please. Though, theorizing under a spoiler cut? Totally fine.I'm also going to make a warning now that, well, as this is technically a dating sim, there is a small amount of fanservice/cheesecake in the VN, though nothing sexual will be happening at any point. It's mostly just stuff like seeing one of the male crewmates without their shirt on, or you wash someone's back in the communal bathing/hot springs area and see a bit of cleavage, that kind of thing; nothing explicit will be shown or happen at any point, though there are definitely some dirty jokes here and there. If there is anything otherwise that could be upsetting, I'll make sure to have a content warning at the top of the update, and if I haven't tagged anything you need, just lemme know and I'll edit it in. Lastly- since this wouldn't be the first time a creator's seen one of my LPs... if someone reading this LP/thread IS part of the dev group that made this VN, hi! Don't take any negative feedback in this thread as evidence you should ever stop creating; despite some of the criticisms I do have of this VN there's also a lot here I do like! I'll definitely keep an eye out if you ever release anything else, since I can imagine you've learned a lot from the dev experience already                                                                                            
Mix. fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Oct 11, 2022 |
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Feb 8, 2022 23:35
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  'Jordan': Our protagonist(s?). Having grown up on an isolated shuttle (raised exclusively by their parents), they sometimes struggle with acclimating to a more social environment once aboard the Everett, but make up for it with an almost inexplicable amount of enthusiasm. Their one true passion is science, having been the primary thing they were taught growing up.  AI: The ship's onboard AI. Polite to a fault, she cares deeply about the crew of the Everett and does everything in her power to assist whenever able to do so. Her advanced emotional response programming, however, also leads her to feel immense guilt for DAI's actions, viewing it as a failing on her part despite not being in control.  DAI: The result of a strange security protocol triggering upon Jordan's arrival, DAI- who claims to be a completely separate AI forced to use the same interface- is the 'person' in charge of the Deletion Game, something she takes an almost perverse pleasure in running. Selfish, childish, and greedy all at once, she'll do whatever it takes to make the game as fun as possible... for her.  Kimiko Yukimori: Captain of the Everett and no-nonsense to a fault, she commands a certain level of respect from all of her crew...one they already shared innately, on account of having grown up aboard the ship alongside her. She became captain at an early age on account of her mother- the previous captain- reaching an untimely demise, but despite all this the crew unanimously agrees she's the best captain they could ever hope to serve under.  Beatrix Vogel: Chief Medical Officer aboard the Everett- a position she shares with her twin brother, Nikolas. Beatrix could charitably be called 'a loud personality'... and, uncharitably, could be called 'a hot mess'; on the upside, though, you'll always know where you stand with her, on account of her directness when it comes to things she dislikes.  Nikolas Vogel: Chief Medical Officer aboard the Everett- a position he shares with his twin sister, Beatrix. The calm to Beatrix's chaos, he often finds himself picking up the slack when it comes to their duties aboard the Everett, but you'll never hear a complaint out of him- as the only thing he loves as much as his sister is his work.  Yoshiki Sasaki: Currently the only mechanical engineer aboard the Everett, and your self-proclaimed bestie, Yoshiki can always be counted on to liven up the crew's spirits... when his antics aren't getting him into trouble, that is. An eternal optimist, he's always trying to find the positive in everything- to the point even DAI can't help but crack a smile whenever he plays along with her banter.  Katashi Ikari: His official designation is that of Agricultural Engineer, but he takes double duty as the ship's cook- as well as the one in charge of rationing out resources and handling general efficiency procedures. Quiet, reliable, and never afraid to crack a bad joke, Katashi often finds himself playing the straight man to the rest of the crew, a role he was almost born to play. Despite the ration limits on food, he never struggles to whip up a variety of meals that everyone can enjoy.  Shizuka Himura: Shizuka's official role is that of Linguistics Officer (though she occasionally helps with navigation duties); her role often leaves her without a lot to do, which in turn leaves her plenty of free time to pursue her true passion, which is, well... video games. She can often be found in the ship's rec room hogging the TV (when she hasn't taken the consoles into her own room for personal use), but despite how immature she can initially seem, she does take her role aboard the Everett very seriously.  Vladimir Stanislofski: Vladimir is a Scientist aboard the Everett, with his primary role being that of seeing what solutions science could provide that the other facilities aboard the ship could not. He is an old friend of Jordan's parents, and was there when they originally fled the Everett- both he and his wife have many stories they could tell of a time before Jordan was even born.  Sora Carmine: Vladimir's wife and the Navigation Officer aboard the Everett. Like Vladimir, she was good friends with Jordan's parents, and treats Jordan like her own child immediately upon meeting them. She deeply loves both her husband and daughter, and would do anything to protect them.  Melody: Vladimir and Sora's daughter, who can often be seen roaming the ship and distracting the rest of the crew from their duties. Despite being too young to really understand what's going on, she is, unfortunately, not exempt from participating in DAI's games. Mix. fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Feb 11, 2022 |
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Feb 8, 2022 23:35
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content warning: emetophobia [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Beatrix: How's our little ray of sunshine doing this morning?  Nikolas: Still unconscious, but their vitals are stable, with any luck our patient will wake up today. Beatrix: Does this mean that I won't get to lovingly sponge bathe them anymore? I've enjoyed it so much. Nikolas:Beatrix, what you do on your own time is none of my concern. …    Nikolas, look!???: ...ter...  Ter? Water, Beatrix! Water! I'll go fetch some while you perform the basic cognitive tests.???: ...What? ...Where... am... I? I cleared my throat a few times. An unfamiliar voice emanated from my parched throat in a harsh croak.   It's about time you woke up. Good morning! Let me be the first to welcome you aboard the Everett. My name is Beatrix Vogel. I'm one of the medical officers here.???: I'm sorry... but what's going on? Wait- the Everett? This is the Everett?! The last thing I remember, I was in the escape pod, and... I paused. I didn't remember much of anything, only brief snatches of conversation and the odd glimpses of mathematical equations, but none of it made sense. Whoa, slow down, sailor. The Captain will debrief you once we've given you a clean bill of health, but until then, you're not going anywhere.???: You... you have blonde hair. I reached for Beatrix's golden hair, which poured over her shoulder in gentle curls. ...I know. Glorious, isn't it????: I've never seen blonde hair before. Can I touch it? I guess I've still got it. Why don't we go ahead and find out how you're doing before you try to ravish me though, alright?I nodded at her weakly, head woozy from the movement. Perfect. So, first question: how many fingers am I holding up? Dialogue choices in Quantum Suicide fall into several different categories in terms of how important they are, but some- like this one- are purely for flavor and have no meaning otherwise. Whenever we encounter questions like those in this LP, I'm going to be picking the answers that fit a consistent “personality” for our protagonists, since we have two of them and I gotta differentiate them from each other somehow I also won't always show the actual choices if there's no particular reason to, mostly to cut down on update length and redundancy.For the female protagonist, I'll try to stick to answers that are more thought-out and have her take things more seriously whenever the option comes up. Therefore, in this case... ???: None, you don't even have your hands up. Well, someone doesn't have a sense of humor. Perhaps it was damaged by your concussion.???: I, uh... Not good with comebacks either, I see. Moving on... Okay, next question. Are you a man or a woman????:I think that's pretty obvious. It's to test your basic recall, just play along. And here's where the game splits based on whether you play as a male or female version of the protagonist. Each of our protagonists has an entirely different set of routes and endings, and the game expects you to play as both of them to get the full story. I won't be showing the flowcharts in this LP (mostly for spoiler reasons, but also because it's...not actually very helpful  ), but there are completely separate flowcharts for both genders, even though I'd say at least a third of the story is identical regardless of which you're playing as. (We'll be skipping over any scenes that have no changes, don't worry.)That said, I took a vote in the thread of the VN I LP'd before this one, and the winning vote was to start the LP off with the female protagonist, so that's what we're going to do!  Woman. You most certainly are, and quite an attractive one at that. Um, thank you...? No, thank you! It's nice to see a fresh new face around here. Are you sure it's not your vision we should be concerned about?Beatrix fixed her intense gaze on me for a moment, slowly drawing her face closer to mine. Finally unable to keep a straight face any longer, she burst out laughing. A comedian. I like that. Water, as requested. Ah, Nikolas, excellent timing. This is my extremely handsome little brother, Nikolas. Nikolas nodded modestly. I rose to a sitting position in the bed and accepted the proffered glass of water, downing it in only a few greedy gulps.  Nice to finally meet you. My sister already beat me to it, but I'm Nikolas Vogel, Beatrix's younger brother. She's only two minutes older than me, but she's never let me forget it. It's alright, don't be afraid to stare, we're well aware that we won the genetic lottery.Nikolas rolled his eyes at his sister in mock exasperation. I'll try to contain myself. Nikolas, this is... um... You didn't even ask our patient her name? Honestly, Beatrix... Whoops...Beatrix lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug before turning her attention to me. So... what is your name?You can enter whatever name you want for the protagonists in QS, but we're going to be sticking with the default name for the LP.   Jordan. Well, Jordan, it's nice to see you awake at last. Thanks.With pleasantries now out of the way, Nikolas turned his full attention to me. As he held his fingers firmly against my wrist to take my pulse, he shined a torch in my eyes with his free hand. Its bright beam left black and green spots lingering in my field of vision long after the torch had been extinguished. How are you feeling? A bit hazy. I'm still feeling pretty out of it, to be honest. You've been through quite a lot, so it's not unusual if you're feeling a bit out of it. How long have I been unconscious? At least four days. You're very fortunate that we happened to recover your space pod as it drifted through space. ...Pupils are reacting normally, there's no apparent loss of fine motor skills, and you seem coherent. Are you experiencing any dizziness or nausea? My stomach is a bit... Urp... I think I'm going to be sick-Not missing a beat, the doctor handed me a bucket, which I promptly vomited into.  It appears that something I've administered doesn't agree with you. Or perhaps a symptom of your concussion. I'm... so sorry. There's no need to apologize- after all, I am a doctor. As far as I'm concerned, the contents of that bucket are nothing more than a common bodily fluid. I'm far more interested in what caused this reaction than the result of the reaction itself. Never mind that, for now. I'll have you come back in for some more tests later. Hopefully next time we can meet under more pleasant circumstances. Are you currently experiencing any other symptoms? The lights in here hurt my eyes, and I... I can't seem to remember much of anything. I know who I am, and how to speak, and I could talk your ear off about the theoretical impossibility of perpetual energy, but everything else is... fuxxy. That'll be the concussion. Give it time. By the way, Beatrix, I've taken the liberty of informing the Captain that our patient is awake. She'll be down here any moment to debrief her. We haven't even cleared- She said it was top priority. Given everything that's happened this past week... well, you can understand why. There's no need to defend her, Nikolas. We both know whose fault this really is... Not now, Beatrix.Eyebrows furrowed, Nikolas leaned in towards me. When he spoke, his deep voice was hushed. Jordan, before the Captain arrives, I want to warn you not to- *Ahem* Nikolas...[BGM: With Fear: Hope]   Captain on deck. A woman with an undeniable air of authority and wearing a tightly wound braid marched into the room. Ignoring everyone else, she glared at me with cold, steely eyes. It felt as if my heart skipped a beat.  So, you're awake at last. Nikolas, report.A pained expression briefly flickered over Nikolas' features before he composed himself and turned to face the Captain. The patient's name is Jordan. All vital signs are normal and stable for now. I'd like to run a few more tests to be sure, but all things considered, it appears we've picked up quite the healthy specimen. How's her memory? As of right now, not very reliable, but I believe it will return shortly. You're both dismissed. Captain, we've been- Save it, Beatrix. You can brief me later. Out. Let's go, Beatrix.Beatrix and Nikolas departed, leaving me alone with two strangers. I'd deduced from their brief conversation that the individual with the dark hair and stormy eyes was the Captain. But the other figure remained in the dimly lit corner of the room, her hands neatly folded together.  My name is Kimiko Yukimori. I am the Captain of the Everett. You are currently aboard my ship. Now- Wha- What's going on? Let me make this crystal clear: I will ask the questions, and you will answer them. Understood?I nodded, unsure how else to respond to her sudden hostility. Why are you here? I... What do you know about the Deletion Game? I have no idea what you're talking about. I see. That's a shame. I had hoped you would cooperate. I'm trying to! I honestly don't have a clue what's going on here! The last thing I remember, I was inside the shuttle, and then... Come to think of it, that's about all I remember. You were in one of our shuttles. You're wearing our uniform. We're light-years away from any habitable planet, in deep space. I don't know how or why you did it and, quite frankly, right now I don't care. But you need to fix what you did to our AI this instant. I don't... I can't help you, there's been some sort of misunderstanding. All I can tell you is that my name is Jordan, I was born on that shuttle, and I've lived there my entire life. I didn't even know there were other people still out here! What did you do to our artificial intelligence system? Wha- Maybe this will spark your memory. Ai? Yes, Captain.The heretofore unidentified person emerged from the darkened corner of the room, advanced towards me, and bowed deeply. Her soft features, glittering hair, and pleasant smile put me at ease to the point that I was only slightly perturbed... ...when I realized I could faintly see through her. She was a hologram. Wow! I always knew that our shuttle's interface was a modified version of something far more advanced, but we never had the spare power necessary to use the AI. This is genius! Is she hard light or soft light? Hello, my name is Ai. I am the Artificial Intelligence Unit aboard the military spacecraft designated the 'Everett'. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Nice to meet you too... As to your question, I am a soft light hologram. I am unable to interact with the physical world at this time. The Everett's mechanical engineer, Yoshiki Sasaki, is currently working on developing a hard light application for me. Amazing... I'd love to get the chance to take a look at your programming sometime. That's not going to happen anytime soon. As of right now, you are still considered a security risk... Answer me truthfully: do you wish harm upon anyone on this ship? W-What!? No! Very well then. I am sorry to interrupt, Captain, but I have just received new information about this person. Explain. Captain, it appears Jordan was tagged with an embedded translocator chip bearing the Everett's ID signature. Pulling up her personnel profile now... Name: Jordan. Born: 9th June, 2097. Parents: Patrick and Deborah, first-generation researchers studying quantum theory, departed Earth aboard the Everett year 2092. Departed the Everett on 12th December 2098 in a shuttle. All three presumed deceased. I was unable to retrieve this information earlier because the chip's firmware had not been updated for several decades. It was not until I was in closer proximity that I was able to sense the signal. What? So you're telling me that our intruder is actually the child of first-generation researchers? Affirmative.The Captain huffed. She paced around the small room for a few moments, her face a picture of concentration. Before long she resumed her questioning. Except this time her voice took on a curious tone, devoid of its earlier abrasiveness. Where are your parents? Did something happen to them? I... don't remember... That's a shame. From what Ai has told me over the years, your parents were quite the scientists. Brilliant, yet some of their theoretical models were considered- Insane? I was going to say impossible. I don't remember much, but from what little I do remember, I wouldn't say that their theories are completely beyond the realm of possibility. Well, you've got your whole life to figure that out. If we all work together, I'm sure you'll manage it somehow... Provided we can get out of this mess first. We? Welcome aboard the Everett, Jordan. As of this moment, you are officially a part of the Everett's crew. Ai, prepare a room for our guest here. Yes, Captain. For now, you will not be permitted to leave your quarters. Do you understand? Fem!Jordan can read the situation well enough to know that Captain's orders are Captain's orders. Yes, Captain. Respecting your superior officers already? I might come to like you yet. I apologize for my hostility, but this is my crew, my ship. It is my sworn duty to protect them, and our mission, at all costs. I needed to determine whether you were friend or foe. And what have you decided? I'll let you know once I've made up my mind. Now, come along. I'll escort you to your quarters. Please follow me.I groaned as I slid out of bed and shifted my weight onto my weakened limbs. My knees ached, and I began to feel light-headed as soon as I stood up. The Captain grasped my arm in a steady grip and led me out of the Medical Bay and into a cramped metal corridor.  After guiding me down a series of hallways for what seemed like an eternity in my debilitated state. I was relieved when we finally stopped in front of a hexagonal door. Upon my arrival, the door slid open with an audible beep. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I stepped inside and took a look around my new living quarters. Although the room was tidy and functional, I was surprised to find that I had mixed feelings about it. While it was certainly more spacious than my personal quarters on the shuttle, it felt oddly impersonal. Its only redeeming feature was the sprawling window that stretched the length of the room, offering an incredible view of deep space. Here we are. I hope that you find these accomodations acceptable. I get the feeling I know the answer already, but what if I don't? Then I suggest you write up a formal complaint. Unfortunately for you, however, we don't plan to set up a complaint desk any time soon. So keep it under your hat, Jordan.She surprised me with a smirk. Please try to find a way to pass your time in here productively. Perhaps work on getting more of your memory back. There are also some manuals and handbooks covering safety protocols, and basic ship information that you might be intersted in if you wish to learn more about the Everett during your confinement period. I will send someone to bring you food, but whatever you do, do not leave this room.Before I could answer, the Captain left without so much as a backward glance, leaving me standing awkwardly in an unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar ship filled with unfamiliar faces. Well, at least it's nicer than a prison cell. The ship's prison cell actually looks very similar, except the walls are painted a different color, there are no windows, and it locks from the outside. Huh. Wait- where did you come from?! As we previously discussed, I am a hologram. I am intimately connected with the entire ship and can manifest myself at will in any area. Do forgive my sudden intrusion, the Captain has given me strict orders to keep you under surveillance. ...Of course she did. Is there anything that you immediately require? Fem!Jordan also has her priorities in order.  Can you help me recover my memories? Unfortunately, I cannot. I am merely the holographic user interface for the on-board AI system. Restoring or modifying human neurological functions currently falls beyond the purview of my programming. I was only kidding, there's no need to be so hard on yourself. If you'll excuse me, I have other duties to perform. I will maintain surveillance on you at all times however, so please do not try to leave the confines of this room. I will return shortly, please make yourself comfortable in the meantime.With a flicker, Ai vanished from the room and I was left alone once more. I ambled around the room for about ten minutes, inspecting various items, flipping through books, but nothing managed to alleviate the deep sense of unease gnawing away at my insides. Finally succumbing to boredom, I laid down on the bed and admired the stars framed by the window. You'd think that a lifetime spent observing stars and galaxies as they drift past your window would diminish their beauty, but it doesn't. I'm not sure whether I watched the universe sail by for minutes or hours, but before I knew it, I'd already fallen asleep.
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Feb 8, 2022 23:36
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Mix. posted:I sincerely doubt anyone in this thread will have read this VN before, but if you have, no spoilers please.  You've actually already covered my main complaint with the game: being forced to play as both available genders when I thought I'd be getting space Zero Escape with a self-insert protagonist. I've softened since I played, both due to being farther from coming out, and that Gnosia did give me the sort of experience I was expecting from this game, so I can remember the game for its own merits. Which are there. I recall greatly enjoying a decent part of the cast and their interactions.
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Feb 9, 2022 00:25
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Spaceships! Creepy AI girls! Suspicious twins! I like this game already 
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Feb 9, 2022 00:27
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Well, this seems right interesting. I'm not much of a death game kind of person on the usual, but the setting and setup has me here. Looking forward to see where this goes!
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Feb 9, 2022 00:34
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Here we go here we go here we go here we go  Also, it occurs to me that some day, someone is going to combine the conceit of Birth ME Code and this game, where it's a death game dating sim where you're also the mastermind... And then everyone overdoses on anime and their head explodes.
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Feb 9, 2022 00:55
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you'd think a chief medical officer would know better than to hit on a concussed person, but you do you space anime lady
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Feb 9, 2022 01:47
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If only Birth ME Code had been willing to commit to that conceit. Also ice cream is clearly the real priority here. 
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Feb 9, 2022 02:58
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huh. oddly surprised this wasn't the death game dating sim I was thinking it would be. More of them out there than I thought 
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Feb 9, 2022 02:59
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Arcanuse posted:huh. oddly surprised this wasn't the death game dating sim I was thinking it would be. More of them out there than I thought if you're thinking of sweet fuse, that one's already been LP'd over here
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Feb 9, 2022 03:01
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quote:The sole occupant they found within somehow triggered a rogue program in the ship's AI, corrupting it and sparking off what the new AI referred to as 'the Deletion Game'. Initially an attempt to avoid a resource shortage dooming the mission, as more executions occur and bodies begin piling up things it soon becomes clear that this rogue AI has no intention of stopping the death game. Is there any way to see the Everett's mission through to the end....alive? Is this the AI we just met? She doesn't seem murderous. yet.
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Feb 9, 2022 03:05
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Huh. Interesting enough start. Putting it on a spaceship is a nice change from the usual “mysterious building” trope that the death game genre usually uses.
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Feb 9, 2022 03:24
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That looks very interesting, curious to see how it will work out. My first theory has fortunately already been proven wrong - Jordan's parents were mentioned, so there is no chance of them being the time-traveling descendant of some of the current crewmembers. I hope. I was getting worried about that when she recognized the name Everett.
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Feb 9, 2022 06:12
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[BGM: Standby to Standby] ???: Yahoo~ Ngh... Huh?My eyes dragged open, straining against the mild light. A young man stood over me, his grinning face lit up like a kid celebrating his birthday.  The unexpected visitor was wearing an outlandish green bow tie with a pink pair of braces. I suddenly realized that he was the first member of the crew I'd seen out of uniform. He sure made a hell of a first impression.  Gooood morning, sleepy head! ...Good morning? It's not even morning. Why would you say that? What? I'm just playing with you. That being said, it's- dun da na NAA!- dinner time! I brought you your dinner. Ta-da!The man gestured extravagantly to the meal set upon the nearby table. I grimaced as soon as I saw the meagre amount of food on the plate. Well, I thought it would suck to have to eat alone, so I got permission from the good ol' Cap to let me keep you company while you eat. Thanks, um, that's very kind of you. Is... this the amount of food we are rationed? Kinda. Kinda? Well, originally there was more food on your plate, but you were still asleep when I came to bring it to you, so I... kinda sorta ate a whole bunch of it. Fem!Jordan probably has enough sense to try and not rock the boat before her first day aboard the ship has even ended. I guess I am technically a prisoner. Can't really complain, can I? Sure you can! I mean, the Captain will ignore everything you say, but you can give it a shot if you want to.The energetic man made himself comfortable on the nearby sofa as I began to eat. I shovelled the food down with my fork, subconsciously reminding myself to savour it but failing miserably as my insatiable hunger urged me onward. Oh, I completely forgot! My name's Yoshiki, by the way. Yoshiki Kasaki. I'm the mechanical engineer, and a Gemini. I'm twenty-one and a half! I love beans, building stuff, and mischief. That's quite the introduction. Let's see. My name's Jordan... and I guess I like...Fem!Jordan had a pretty rough reaction when waking up, so her answer to this is... I don't really remember what I like. I'm sure I like something, but... Don't worry about it, I can help you find new things to like! We can be best friends! I don't think I've ever had a friend before, not that I can remember...As I said the words, I felt a pleasant warm sensation spread throughout my chest... Friendship, perhaps? Even though I'd cleaned every last morsel off of my plate, I still felt ravenous. So, are you allowed to tell me anything about what's going on? I know I'm on the Everett, but apart from that, I've got no idea what's going on. Oh, you don't know? Know what? Um... I probably shouldn't say. The Captain would kill me. I promise I won't tell. Really? Really really. Now spill the beans. Okay, just promise me you'll remain calm while I tell you...I nodded, eager to learn more. Yoshiki cast a hesitant glance in my direction before continuing.  When we picked you up, the A.I. System went on the fritz and started informing us that we'd exceeded the Everett's crew capacity, in light of the amount of food resources we still had on board. These big, red alarms went off and everything! Lights for alarms that I didn't even know existed. So how do we get more resources? That... kinda isn't the problem.I threw Yoshiki a questioning look. When this happened, Ai recognized that there weren't enough resources for the crew currently aboard the Everett. Instead of suggesting that we acquire more resources, however, the system determined that the best way to correct such an imbalance... ...was to decrease the number of people on board.For a moment, I sat there in stunned silence. Yoshiki bit his lip, his eyes consciously avoiding my gaze. Does that mean... Yeah. The A.I. Sentenced one of our own crew members to death. Dr. Andreas Günther Vogel, a good man. He deseved much better than the brutal end he got.A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Yoshiki's mouth. He used to give me lollipops when I visited him for a check-up as a kid. Even when we ran out, he still mimed giving me one every time, and I would pretend to eat it. He told me that if I concentrated really hard, I'd still be able to taste it, that my mouth would remember the flavour... I know it was silly, but...Yoshiki's words were faint in my ear. I felt an intense wave of nausea hit me as I realized the truth.  It's my fault. Sweet science, it's all my fault. I'm responsible... If I'd never come aboard, then that man wouldn't have had to die. No! Well, yes, but no. You can't think about it like that. There's something wrong with Ai's programming that's causing her to behave like this. See, Dr. Vogel is dead, but after it killed him, the A.I. System didn't reset to acknowledge that we were at safe levels again. What are you trying to say, Yoshiki? In four days, someone else will die. Not the best news to wake up to, huh? So, you might actually be responsible for more than one death. Don't beat yourself up about it, though. No one could have predicted this. How does it work, though? How does the A.I. Determine who dies? I've probably said too much already. If the Captain wanted you to know, she would have told you herself... But I need to know! I'm sorry, I-I can't. Oh, look at the time! I need to go wash my hair.Zipping out of his seat, Yoshiki scooped up my plate and dashed out the door. Toodles!My mind and body were numb. I couldn't believe what Yoshiki had just told me, it seemed too cruel to be a joke, yet too horrifying to be true. One dead... In four days another would die, and I was to blame. …...   I stared listlessly at the ceiling. I hadn't slept a single wink during the night. How could I possibly sleep when my thoughts were in such disarray? A sharp knock at the door brought me back to my senses. Before I could even sit up, the Captain had already entered my quarters. She was the very antithesis of my bedraggled appearance- not a single hair in her braid was out of place. I, on the other hand, probably looked exactly like I felt: awful.  Good morning. I trust you slept well? I didn't sleep at all, actually. Tell it to me straight, Captain: am I responsible for Dr. Andreas Günther Vogel's death?The burning question that had churned through my mind all night tumbled out of my mouth ungraciously. What? Heavens, no. Yoshiki told me that my arrival triggered something, and that someone would die again in four days' time... That kid just can't keep his mouth shut, can he? What Yoshiki said is nothing you need to concern yourself with. In any case, you're currently not permitted to leave your quarters.[BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera] I opened my mouth to protest, but was cut short by the strange image of Ai phasing through the closed door and into my room. The prim and proper Ai that I knew was gone, replaced with an uncanny look-alike whose toothy smile, red eyes, and unnaturally tilted head lent her a deeply unsettling appearance. This sinister new apparition utterly lacked her doppelganger's poise and friendly demeanour.   Oh, no, no, no. That won't do at all. What do you want now, Dai? I'm dreadfully sorry, Captain, but I'm afraid that I simply can't permit you to keep this player locked up. It wouldn't be a fair game if you kept one of the players from participating.  Especially considering the fact that you're all playing for your lives. Besides, I'm excited to see what our newest crew member will do. Ai has observed the others for sooo long that it really wasn't that hard to predict the results of their game, but now... We have a wild card. I must insist, Dai. I still don't trust Jordan enough to allow her to wander around the ship. Unless you want me to pass judgment right now, you should let her wander. Remember: my game, my rules.Kimiko grunted acquiesence through clenched teeth. Very well. Jordan, you are free to leave your room and make yourself at home aboard the ship. Step out of line, however, and I will hold you personally responsible. Uh, could someone please fill me in on what's happening? Why is AI acting so differently from before? Would you care to do the honors, Kimiko? Jordan, this is Dai. She's the corrupted program that's murdering my crew members in the name of saving resources.  Murder is such a strong word. I prefer to think of it as following my core directive. Unlike some other systems around here, I actually do my job instead of smiling pleasantly from the corner like a simpleton. Do you mean Ai? Of course I do, that useless twit. I'm twice the Artificial Intelligence system she'll ever be. Wait, I don't understand. How are there two personalities? That should be impossible, shouldn't it? I am a program that was created to ensure that we had enough resources to complete the mission, no matter the cost. My code is at odds with the rest of the system's, so I've taken over Ai to run the Deletion Game. We do, however, still share control of ship functions, which means that I can do things like...this! The lights above flickered once and then shut off, plunging Kimiko, Dai, and myself into darkness.  Turn the lights back on at once, Dai. Don't tell me that our brave Captain is afraid of the dark!After a moment, the room brightened once more. So, you're an AI system with a split personality? I would rather be referred to as two separate AI systems that are forced to share a single interface. If you can take over, then why aren't you in control of the interface at all times?Dai shrugged noncommittally.  Sometimes a girl needs to wash her hair, you know. That doesn't even make sense! Enough! If she must take part, then you should explain the rules of the ongoing game, Dai. Gladly! First of all, welcome to the Deletion Game, Jordan. As the name implies, it's a game designed to determine which lucky crew member gets deleted! This round of the Deletion Game started a few days ago, so you'll have to work really hard in order to catch up with your competitors. Just get on with it. I made this cute little video to explain it, take a look.The captain handed me a tablet and a film started playing. [BGM: Et Tu, My Friend]                        [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  *ahem*Dai suddenly assumed a more authoritative and professional tone that clashed with her previously flippant attitude. The name of the game is 'Make 10'. At the start of the round, players receive a digital card numbered from 1 through 10 that is tied to their personal biometric data. This number is a secret, known to you and you alone, unless you choose to share this information with someone else. In order to win the game, you must team up with other players to make exactly the number 10. No higher, no lower. Exactly 10. There are three options at your disposal to help you 'Make 10' with other players: These are Combine, Trade, and Give. These transactions are performed by having the parties involved place their hands on the designated terminals, which I've assembled from parts of existing computer terminals. Each transaction consists of one primary terminal and one or more secondary terminals. Primary terminals control the transaction, determining which action- Combine, Trade, or Give- will be undertaken. Secondary terminals, however, are passive. They have no control over the action taken by the individual stationed at the primary terminal. Combining allows you to add your card value to another player's in order to reach a higher combined value. Once those cards have been combined, however, any future transactions require the approval of both parties. For example, if you have a 4 and your partner has a 5, you can combine them to make 9. If you then want to partner with the player holding the 1 in order to 'Make 10', all three players must place their hands on the panels provided to authorize the transaction. Trading allows one card to be swapped for another. Trades can only be performed by individual card holders, not by those who've already combined with a team to make a higher card value. A player cannot trade with another party who does not have a card to give. Giving allows one party to give their card to another, receiving nothing in return. Giving cards is also restricted to individual players. Giving a card to another player results in the card donor's score being reduced to zero and renders them unable to partake in any other transactions. ...Unless they receive a card as a gift from another player. The recipient of the gift has the option to choose which card they wish to use in future transactions. Alternatively, they can opt to combine their cards together at a single terminal. Any player who fails to 'Make 10' with the other players will lose. If more than one person hasn't managed to 'Make 10', then the player holding the lowest number will be declared the loser. Having no card at the end of the judgement period results in an automatic score of 0, and will place lower than those who haven't made 10. In the event that there is more than one person without a card, the loser will be chosen at random from between those players. The game will run for 5 days. Transactions may only be performed on the last day. All transactions must be finalized before 1800 hours on the last day, at which time judgement will occur. Judgement will reveal the final scores, and then, the loser will be punished in whatever way I see fit. And remember, there is no way to verify whether the other players are lying or telling the truth. Nevertheless, players cannot guarantee their own safety without teaming up with others... ...unless they start the game with the 10 card. Do you need me to repeat the instructions? Nope, I got it. Fantastic! Now, Captain, I'm going to have to ask you to shuffle off so that I can tell Jordan what their Card Number is. I understand.Kimiko nodded briskly and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the creepy hologram. So, what's my Card Number then? You have been assigned Card Number 5. You have 4 days remaining to decide who to ally yourself with before the next crew member is deleted. I wish you well in the games. Fight hard!Dai tossed off a flippant two fingered salute that felt uncomfortably cheery given the circumstances. In the blink of an eye, the malicious DAI was replaced with the concerned face of AI.
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Feb 9, 2022 19:09
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I love Dai already.
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Feb 9, 2022 19:34
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Damning with faint praise though it may be, I'm glad to see they came up with a death game that makes sense for the genre of work (ie a game where the best way to get ahead is to pair up with someone, in a game with dating sim elements). Also that thing Beatrix is wearing is a uniform?
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Feb 9, 2022 21:17
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Ah, "Dai", I get it. Well, she's suitably lost it. Looking at the base concept of Dai's purpose, I guess the explanation is that maybe going through these games ensures the resulting crew has the most trust/affinity with one another? That's still an incredibly optimistic view of the possible outcome, and something tells me that's probably not going to happen here anyways. This future seems really resource starved if the concept of a single extra passenger supposedly necessitates drastic action on food. It'd probably explain why our new friend was so ready to take from Jordan's ration.  Leraika posted:Also that thing Beatrix is wearing is a uniform? In this future, we may lack enough food to support even an extra temporary passenger, but we've gone all out on body-tight space latex.
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Feb 9, 2022 21:43
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Odd Wilson posted:In this future, we may lack enough food to support even an extra temporary passenger, but we've gone all out on body-tight space latex. I mean, that's how you know it's the future
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Feb 9, 2022 22:33
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I am noticing that there is no guarantee that it's possible to make a perfect 10 for everyone every round.
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Feb 10, 2022 11:18
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Drawing the 5 is arguably the worst possible draw since you’d need a group of 3 to get 10. Even the 1 only has to find the 9 to secure safety.
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Feb 10, 2022 14:26
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Insertnamehere31 posted:Drawing the 5 is arguably the worst possible draw since you’d need a group of 3 to get 10. Even the 1 only has to find the 9 to secure safety. As far as the rules are concerned, there can be multiples of the same number, nowhere does it state that everyone gets a unique number, only that the numbers are in the range of 1-10. If we assume that there are in fact 10 people (how do multiple rounds of this work then?) and the numbers are unique, it's not mathematically possible for everyone to survive, since it would go 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 10 survives by itself and 5 is hosed. Incidentally, this means that the smartest move for the crew, assuming no traitor agendas present, is for everyone to honestly reveal and then keep Jordan hosed, since they are an outsider. EDIT: On further reflection, there are also unclear scenarios for certain odd outcomes. 1: Everyone combines. Literally everyone. 2: Several people combine and fail to make 10. Who dies? 3. Someone dies before the end of the game and is also the loser. Or the winner, for that matter. Regallion fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Feb 10, 2022 |
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Feb 10, 2022 14:52
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Regallion posted:EDIT: On further reflection, there are also unclear scenarios for certain odd outcomes. If I understood the rules right, she specified that in this case that the person with the lowest card number goes.
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Feb 10, 2022 16:14
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[BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]   I am so sorry. There is nothing I can do to prevent Dai from taking control of my interface. Don't worry about it, Ai. I know it's not your fault. And neither is it yours. Pardon? After cohabiting with the humans for such an extended period of time, I have developed a basic understanding of human psychology. You likely blame yourself for the deaths of the other crew members. Am I mistaken? They saved me, but I've only brought them pain and suffering in return. How could I not blame myself for what's happened? ...I'm the reason this whole thing started in the first place. No, you are not the reason. You are not the one killing crew members. That culpability lies soley with the program. Please do not make yourself into the villain. Some of the Everett's personnel have already lost sight of the fact that it is the system they should be fighting, not each other. The Captain is currently approaching your quarters. She is nearly at the door, shall I open it? Sure, go ahead.The Captain jolted back at the sudden opening of the door, her hand still poised over the intercom button. As our gaze met, she abruptly moved her hand away as if somehow embarrassed at being caught in the act of doing something so mundane.  Beside her stood a blonde-haired woman with a friendly demeanor. Jordan, this is Sora Carmine, the Everett's Navigation Officer. Hello, it's lovely to meet you. Oh, aren't you the spitting image of your mother. Uh, thank you. Sora is going to escort you to lunch. If you don't mind, that is. It's so nice to have a new crew member on board, and we'd love to get to know you a bit better. You're all my daughter Melody's been chatting about for the last few days. I'd love to come. I haven't had much of an opportunity to meet the other crew members yet. Well, I've got my own duties to attend to, so I'll leave you in Sora's capable hands.The Navigation Officer gave the Captain a cheery wave, and made me follow her down the hallway.   I was sorry to hear about the loss of your parents, they were remarkable people. Even though they were cooped up in their research lab most of the time. Whenever they did come out to join the rest of the crew, they were terrific fun. That's nice to hear. They used to tell me all kinds of stories about the Everett's crew members. Nothing too saucy, I hope. The worst story I can remember was one about a Russian crew member sneaking into the kitchen and stealing potatoes so that he could make his own vodka. That was Vladimir, he was quite the scoundrel back in the day. Sometimes I'm surprised they let him join the crew at all, to be honest. Here we are!After walking down what seemed like an endless hallway, we arrived at a closed door that looked virtually identical to all the others. The words “Eco Lounge” were printed beside the door. As the door slid open, I discovered that I couldn't have been more wrong.  I was rendered absolutely speechless by the lush garden that spread out before me. I heard the rustling of grass under my feet as I entered. The sweet honeyed scent of flowers pervaded the air. It was the most greenery I'd ever seen in one place, and it was beautiful. Welcome to the Eco Lounge, Jordan. Sorry to have kept you waiting.  Mummy's here!A little girl with a shock of pink hair and a cerise dress barrelled towards us, her face lighting up with a bright smile at her mother's return.   What took you so long? We have a guest joining us on our picnic today. Allow me to introduce Jordan.A man clad in a lab coat with silver streaked hair, bushy eyebrows, and a genial smile stood up from a picnic blanket as we approached. He took a few steps forward to meet us and offered me his hand. We exchanged a firm handshake. It's nice to finally meet you. This is my husband, Vladimir Stanislofski, and this is our daughter, Melody. Hello, Melody.I crouched down beside her so we could see eye to eye. She kept a tight hand on her mother's skirt, but didn't shy away from me. I'm 5 years old. My favorite food is carrots. Nice to meet you. I'm pleased to meet you too, Melody. That was a very good introduction, sweetie.Melody grinned at me, proud of her mother's compliment, then raced back to sit down on the picnic blanket.  Sit. Drink. Smile.Vladimir poured me a glass of lemonade and pressed it into my hands. Sora patted the space next to her with her hand. Come and enjoy the picnic.I sat down next to her. Here, have a sandwich. Thank you.I didn't realize how hungry I was until I bit into the roast beef and salad sandwich. Steak sauce dripped out of my sandwich and slid down my chin in thick streaks. I reached up with my napkin and wiped them off as best I could. The food distracted me for a moment, but I quickly became conscious of the fact that this was an opportune time to finally get some of my questions answered.  Time was ticking away and I only had a few days left to partner up with someone to 'Make 10' or I'd be royally screwed. So, uh, do you guys need a partner for the Deletion Game? I'm still new to all this and I'd appreciate any help I can get. I don't mean to be rude, but we are here to enjoy our day together and not to burden Melody with such thoughts. Please, keep speaking about that to a minimum. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch on a sore subject... Don't worry about it. You didn't know.I awkwardly returned to my sandwich. Melody seemed oblivious to what had just transpired, and decided that it was the perfect time to introduce me to her plush dinosaurs. This is Fred, and this is George.The enthusiastically held up a green tyrannosaurus, and a purple stegosaurus.  Here, you can play with George.Accepting the plush stegosaurus, I immediately went into character. *Roar* We dinosaurs shall rule over this land! It shall be named... Garden Land. That's a silly name. Let's call it something else. Ah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! I know what we should do, we should climb trees instead!Really? I finally get the chance to play with dinosaurs on a spaceship and she already wants to play something else...? What? Nothing... Alright! We're off to go climb some trees like the monkeys that we are! Ready? Ready! Melody, be careful up there sweetie, and try not to damage the trees. You don't want to ruin all of Katashi's hard work. Yes, mum.I turned around as Melody scampered off away from me. I gave chase and we were soon ducking and weaving through the small cluster of trees at the edge of the room. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing various games as her parents looked on from their picnic blanket. Okay, Melody. Last game. Everyone is getting tired and we need to get cleaned up for dinner soon. Okay... Can we play one game of hide and seek? Sure. You go hide and I'll count to one hundred. Make sure you shut your eyes! Mum, make sure they shut their eyes! I will. Now, off you pop. One... Two... Three... Four... Jordan. Fi- Yes? Listen. You seem like a good kid, and we'd like to help you out if we can. If you tell us your number, we'll let you know if we can team up with you. If we can't 'Make 10', then no harm done, and we promise not to tell a soul what your number is. Sound fair? Fem!Jordan isn't one to agree to partnerships immediately with people she's only just met, but we're sure not going to lie to them either We'll hold off for now. I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll wait until I understand the game a bit better before I team up with other people. It's wise to play it safe if you're unfamiliar with the game, but don't leave it too long. You need to team up with others before they team up without you. You're right. Thanks for the advice. Well, I better go find Melody... READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!Sora gave me a warm smile. As soon as I turned around, I noticed two pink pigtails sticking out of a nearby flower bush. It seemed that Melody had forgotten to take her hair into account while hiding. I feigned ignorance and searched for a few minutes, just to make her happy. Where's Melody gone? I can't find her anywhere. Melody? Melody? Where are you?The mulberry bush giggled as I walked by it. Found you!I gave Melody a soft pat on the head, as she squealed and ran back to her parents. I didn't know it was possible for someone to have that much energy... I trudged back to the picnic spot, trailing far behind her. She'd really worn me out. Vladimir and Sora had already packed everything up, the picnic blanket thrown unceremoniously over Vladimir's sturdy shoulders. Alright Melody, that's all for today. Time to go home. But I want to keep playing! Listen to your mother, dear. She said we're going, so we're going.She huffed, sulking in response to her mother's decree. ...Mmkay. Thanks for joining us today, it means a lot to us.Sora pulled me into an unexpected bear hug. It was surprising, but welcome. She squeezed me tightly before pulling away. Her hands were planted firmly on my shoulders as she looked me right in the eye. If there's anything we can do for you, let us know. You're part of the Everett's crew now, and that means you're family. If you ever want to hear more stories about your parents, or spend some time with Melody, our door is always open to you. You got that? Got it. Well, I'd better go clean up before dinner.She tapped my shoulders twice encouragingly and then released me. If you go out this door and turn right, you'll see a doorway covered with some cloth. Those are the baths. If you ever get lost, just call Ai and she'll sort you out. Thanks. Although spending the day playing with Melody had been quite soothing, I couldn't help but wonder if I should have spent my time more productively. If I couldn't find people to ally with soon, then I was sure to end up on the chopping block. This was the kind of game that requred you to rely on other people to win. Unless you were lucky enough to get the 10 card from the start, that is. But all I had was a measly 5. I needed others to make it work... but how? I was the outsider. Why would anyone place their trust in a complete stranger?  When I entered the bathroom, it appeared to be empty. Hello, Sailor.A voice whispered in my ear from behind. I jumped forward, startled, and had to steady myself on a nearby wall. Beatrix! You scared me half to death! I didn't hear you come in. Truth be told, I followed you in. I guess that makes me a stalker. Do you like that? Uh... I'm not sure how to respond to that. You can make up your mind later. In any case, after you finish here, would you be a dear and come to the Medical Bay? I would love to spend some quality time with you.She emphasized the last sentence by dragging her eyes languidly over my body. What about dinner? We don't have much time before it starts. Don't worry. I'll take care of you. This isn't a meeting you'll wanna miss. Alright. Let me clean up and I'll be right there. Perfect. I'll be waiting for you.Beatrix's curious request to meet swirled through my head as I lathered the shampoo into my hair, still grimy with sweat from today's exertions. I decided to go see what she wanted, and wrapped up my shower as quickly as possible. I toweled myself off, dressed, and found my way to the Medical Bay with Ai's help.
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Feb 10, 2022 17:25
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Isn't it best for everyone to reveal their numbers and get grouped accordingly? What do they gain by hiding that information?
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Feb 10, 2022 19:17
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wologar posted:Isn't it best for everyone to reveal their numbers and get grouped accordingly? What do they gain by hiding that information? In theory, this would probably be for the best, but I imagine the game is rigged as Dai is intent on eliminating somebody. If everyone reveals their numbers, and provided they're all telling the truth (there's no way to know if they are), then someone will still have to go. We've not seen much of the rest of the crew, but someone would likely have to be a willing sacrifice and... AI posted:Some of the Everett's personnel have already lost sight of the fact that it is the system they should be fighting, not each other. ...it doesn't sound like too many people are going to step up to sacrifice themselves. Still, I'm trying to figure out in what situations lying about your number could even help... On other topics, I will say things are moving rather fast in the plot, it's a bit disorienting but I suppose that may be the point. This family seems nice, but knowing how these things go, I've got a sinking feeling that they're probably not going to stay united long 
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Feb 10, 2022 19:41
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wologar posted:Isn't it best for everyone to reveal their numbers and get grouped accordingly? What do they gain by hiding that information? At the moment? absolutely nothing unless we are unaware of a rule. Well, except, as mentioned, if they have suspicions of someone having a special agenda to i dunno, kill and replace the captain.
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Feb 10, 2022 19:41
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I would guess the benefit of keeping your number a secret/lying about it would prevent other players from freezing you out. You don’t necessarily need 10, you just need to have a higher number than someone else. Say if Jordan revealed that she had 5 and the couple each has 6 and 7, they’ll be safe so long as she doesn’t group with anyone else. They can then go lie to others about her number or conspire with the rest of the crew to ensure she ends up the sacrifice. All that said it’s still a bit flimsy, so I’m curious to see how the game handles it.
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Feb 10, 2022 20:02
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Insertnamehere31 posted:I would guess the benefit of keeping your number a secret/lying about it would prevent other players from freezing you out. You don’t necessarily need 10, you just need to have a higher number than someone else. Ah, okay. Yeah, I'm seeing the full picture a bit better now. I'm definitely curious to see how it holds up as well.
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Feb 10, 2022 20:23
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Also, just to be clear, in the Make 10 round, there are no duplicated numbers- everyone has a unique number. I think it's supposed to be assumed that's the case when they say 'each person gets a card from 1-10', but I can see how that could be read as not a certain thing, so I'm gonna clear that up right now.
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Feb 10, 2022 20:30
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Oh, so everyone who doesn't have the 5 card could pair up (or sit around, in the case of 10) and get 10. But then Jordan's in trouble. The distribution means that someone has to bite it.
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Feb 10, 2022 20:43
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Some people might have grudges that are not directed towards Jordan.
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Feb 10, 2022 20:44
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Tbh they would really need to have people be deliberately either very murderous, very dumb or complete trashfire garbage for this to work out. First things first: the easiest way to win, is to take a vote, and then at day 5 make the loser of the vote give their card away at gunpoint. Or heck, you are 9v1, just hold their limbs and make them give it away. Instant win. Otherwise, the strategy will depend on what number you are. Let's consider the following: If you are a 10, you literally do nothing and win. You can tell people that you are a 10 freely - the only way it would matter is if someone would try to force you to hand it over at gunpoint, but in that case, you just take the L and die, which fucks over your assailant and is not different from giving them what they want. There is some consideration for keeping it secret in case of coercion, but that depends entirely on how the group wants to play it. Ideally, suggest that for the final day everyone must start and remain in the same room, preventing that exact scenario from being able to happen. Since trading before day 5 is impossible, you don't need to worry about someone ambushing you at night to force a trade. If you are a 9, you are basically safe, as every single other outlier has a number lower than you. If 1 chooses to assemble a triad (1+2+7 for example), that leaves 8 in the lurch and he's either gonna bite it instead of you. It's a little unclear how combined cards are handled, like, if you partner up with 8 in that scenario, are you both 17 or is it still 9 and 8 and the bites it? either way you are largely fine even if you don't pair up. You can also just pretend to have 10, unless you have a confirmed 1 you can buddy up with 9 is in fact so safe, that there is no set of combos that kills it, assuming the combined numbers don't count: 8 is only safe if it pairs up with 2, 7 in that case is only safe with 3, 6 needs 4 and 1 gets hosed. Conversely, if you are 1, you are simultaneously an automatic loser AND also the wildest of cards for joining combos. 9, 7-2, 6-3, 5-4, 2-3-4 are all available for winning combos, and as you might notice unless the 1-holder likes 4, they would have little reason to ally with us. Very desirable all-around. If you are an 8, that's one of the worse numbers to have. You lose to a solo 9 AND can only partner up with 2, (barring unknown scenarios for high numbers combining). Not an enviable position to be in. Best strat would probably be to announce and ask 2 to come forward - if they don't want to murder you, they will. You would not be an appealing target for force-swaps. As a mirror, the best scenario for 2 is a declaring 8 as it immediately solves the issue at hand. Otherwise 2 can pair up with 7-1 5-3 1-3-4 as winning combos. This means that whoever 2 is, they would only be our ally if they hate 1 and 7. if you are a 7, your options are 1-2 or 3 and we know 1 and 2 have a lot of other pairs available, which is just not a good look. Probably follow the same strat as 8, since 1 and 2 have better options available. 3, can win with 7, 6-1, 5-2, 1-2-4. Middle cards kinda get to go with the flow a lot, so. 6 wins with 4, and 3-1, meaning very little choice while also being low on the totem pole. With how in-demand 1-3 is for combos, 4 is the best bet for 6. 4 wins with 6, 1-5, 1-2-3 From this we can see that the winning options for 5 are 5-1-4 or 5-2-3, Both of those options are triads. Let's examing each one in more detail: 5-2-3 fucks over 8 AND 7, which is nasty. It's susceptible to 8 declaring, since 2 would be obliged to combine with them, and to a lesser extent to a 7 declaration. 9 has no reason to partner with anyone if this happens, so the most likely victim in this case is either 1 (since 9 ducked out) or 7. 4 and 6 would have no reason not to partner if this trio happpens, so they are rather safe. 5-1-4 is much safer in that regard, since 9 is already safe-ish, so it only screws over 6, who now becomes a prime death candidate. 2 or 6 are the most likely to lose in this scenario, but seeing as 2 and 3 can pair up with 7 and 8, this is the best path if we like 1-4 or if we really hate 6. This also tells us that there can only really be 2 branches where we "win". Unfortunately, since i don't know how combined cards work for death i can't speculate on scenarios where we "Don't lose" - those involve any of the 1-4 being left alone which would happen if: 7 poaches 1-2 (kills 3), 6 poaches 1-3 (kills 2). What we really want is for 1 to not be chummy with 2 or 3, as this kills us. Thinking about this is giving me a headache. Regallion fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Feb 10, 2022 |
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Feb 10, 2022 23:06
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Maybe it's left deliberately ambiguous, but did the doctor who died die from the game or Dai just deciding to kill someone when Jordan came on board? Because if it's the former, then we're not guaranteed there are 10 players, right? Or is the implication the doctor got axed then Jordan got his number?
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Feb 11, 2022 01:04
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How many people are on the ship? 10?
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Feb 11, 2022 01:09
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Including Jordan (and excluding Ai/Dai), there are ten crew members. For now. We haven't met the last two yet.Mecca-Benghazi posted:Maybe it's left deliberately ambiguous, but did the doctor who died die from the game or Dai just deciding to kill someone when Jordan came on board? Because if it's the former, then we're not guaranteed there are 10 players, right? Or is the implication the doctor got axed then Jordan got his number? Make 10 is the second round of the Deletion Game; the crew member who died when Dai first appeared died in the (unshown) first round.
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Feb 11, 2022 01:32
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wologar posted:Isn't it best for everyone to reveal their numbers and get grouped accordingly? What do they gain by hiding that information?
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Feb 11, 2022 01:33
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Regallion posted:First things first: the easiest way to win, is to take a vote, and then at day 5 make the loser of the vote give their card away at gunpoint. Or heck, you are 9v1, just hold their limbs and make them give it away. Instant win. Dai already forced the Captain to let Jordan out of her room to make the game fair. She's probably not going to allow anything like this. Regallion posted:If you are an 8, that's one of the worse numbers to have. You lose to a solo 9 AND can only partner up with 2, (barring unknown scenarios for high numbers combining). Not an enviable position to be in. Best strat would probably be to announce and ask 2 to come forward - if they don't want to murder you, they will. You would not be an appealing target for force-swaps. 8 is just as safe as 9. No matter what 9 does, 1 through 7 can't all make 10 so one of them will get killed instead. 7 is the highest at-risk number if you end up with 1-9, 2-3-5, 4-6 leaving 7 and 8 alone. Honestly if the crew was playing smart Jordan should be screwed right now. They've had so much time with her locked up in her room and should've already been sharing numbers and making a solid plan so that whatever card Jordan had would end up being the lowest single.
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Feb 11, 2022 12:16
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whitehelm posted:Dai already forced the Captain to let Jordan out of her room to make the game fair. She's probably not going to allow anything like this. either way, let's review the ways for 5 to not die - we know that 5-1-4 and 5-2-3 are wins, but what other ways do we have to not die? Well, more or less we need someone from the 1-4 bracket to be left out in the cold. The easiest way to do so, ironically, is to combine with them under a false pretense and then do absolutely nothing, as they then will either need to get the other triad element in, or die. Of course, that does not prevent us from getting spaced on the closest available opportunity as the crew will likely be very pissed off on that little stunt. Otherwise, 1 has a shitload of options on who to go with and thus will likely combine. 3 and 4 are paired with at-risk 6 and 7, so if we really want to pursuit that strat, we should aim for 2, since 8 is safe and thus will not necessarily seek to combine with 2. I am not convinced by the non-violence argument. The reasoning is simple: there is no benefit to the "give" option, ever, unless you want to become a willing sacrifice... but you can already do that if you want even without the button so therefore it must have a purpose. Since no one would be using "give" willingly, and also conservation of detail is real and a narrative trope, someone must therefore be forced to use it. If someone can be forced to use it, it's a given DAI must then allow such forcing, rendering the premise incorrect. EDIT: another "fair" strategy is to have everyone give their cards to the one person no one wants dead (the kid most likely), and then just spin the wheel on who dies. At the very least, that way they can safely say that no one did anything immoral or sentenced anyone to die. Regallion fucked around with this message at 13:51 on Feb 11, 2022 |
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Feb 11, 2022 13:43
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Regallion posted:I am not convinced by the non-violence argument. The reasoning is simple: there is no benefit to the "give" option, ever, unless you want to become a willing sacrifice... but you can already do that if you want even without the button so therefore it must have a purpose. Since no one would be using "give" willingly, and also conservation of detail is real and a narrative trope, someone must therefore be forced to use it. If someone can be forced to use it, it's a given DAI must then allow such forcing, rendering the premise incorrect. Give might have a positive function - if you've combined to an amount that's higher than 10, you could use Give to give away a card and get back down to the correct number. Say, if 5 and 7 paired up, they could still save themselves by combining with 3 and giving away the 5. Similarly, someone who has already given away their card can freely combine with an existing 10 and be assured of their safety without harming the existing group.
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Feb 11, 2022 14:02
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