Beyond - Legends A Hunter's Journal (MMORPG / post-NJO / OCs / Dear Diary Challenge) UPDATE 2008/06/01

Title: A Hunter's Journal
Author: lazykbys
Timeframe: post-NJO (31 ABY) / 2008 A.D.
Characters: OCs
Genre: diary
Keywords: [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG]MMORPG[/link]
Summary: GFFA: the journal of a mercenary hunting for Yuuzhan Vong biotech on Coruscant. RL: the blog of someone playing a post-NJO MMORPG.
Notes: Written for the [link=http://boards.theforce.net/f/b1/27816976/]Dear Diary Challenge 2008[/link]. Inspired by Nagata Yasuhiro's Final Fantasy XI Play Diary: A Chronicle of Our Stay in Vana'diel.

Self-Loathing: This was originally posted in Fanfic: Saga because I am a total idiot. Many thanks to [hl=DarkRed]VaderLVR64[/hl] for showing me the error of my ways and for moving the thread to its proper location.


[b]Monthly Mini-Challenges[/b]

January: [link=http://boards.theforce.net/p/b2/27921097/r27992409] Storms[/link]
February: [link=http://boards.theforce.net/p/b5/27921097/r28118491] Giving Up[/link]

[hr]


[blockquote][blockquote][blockquote][b]A Hunter's Journal[/b][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]


[u]2008/01/01: Level 0[/u]


After years of promising to do so, I finally went to see my parents for New Year's Eve. Actually, I told them I'd be home for Christmas, but work (and serious partying) kept me away. Not that I told them about the latter.

Naomi was also there. Nobody said anything, but I think she broke up with her fiancé. [i]Again.[/i]

We went through the usual topics: what I've been doing, what she's been doing, what they've been doing, what their next-door neighbors have been doing, how come I haven't settled down with a girl yet, how much are they paying you, you have [i]got[/i] to be kidding, etc.

Hey, I know it's boring. You should try being in the middle of it.

Anyway.

It's January first - barely - and I'm back in my apartment, [i]alone[/i], thank the gods. I have tons of stuff I should be doing (clean up the place, for one), but what I put off till 2008 can be put off another day. Or two or three - take your pick.

Which brings me to my intended topic: the [i]Star Wars[/i] MMORPG I bought myself for Christmas. It's called [i]Star Wars: The Reclaiming of Coruscant[/i], and it's about getting rid of the critters the Yuuzhan Vong left behind after losing the Big War.

It's been going on since June, I think, which means I have a lot of catching up to do. It also means there are tons of info on the 'Net, but I don't think I'll google for the time being. Don't want to be spoiled, after all. And besides, it's probably faster just to ask someone via chat.


[blockquote][blockquote][hr][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[u]66:1:1[/u]


Coruscant.

I never thought of it as home, even when I was growing up there. I still don't, really. But I sure felt [i]something[/i] when I heard it fell during the War.

Now they tell me everything's changed, that there's Vongish bio-creatures all over the place. Normally I wouldn't care, but there's more than a few corporations with a bounty on Vong biotech. [i]And[/i] the New Republic is hiring people to help mop up the place.

I figure it's easy credits. And maybe I'll stop feeling guilty about not being there when it happened, too.

Coruscant.

We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in a couple of hours. I can't wait to see the place again.


[hr]


[b]Addendum:[/b] As stated in the story info, this is an entry for the Dear Diary challenge of 2008. If I make it through without abandoning it, this means at least two updates per month.

As always, constructive criticism is always welcome by PM. Heck, I'll take [i]any[/i] kind of reader feedback.

- lazy>

 

Please put me on the PM list for this one!

 

Very nice beginning

I figure it's easy credits.

Uh oh, nothing is ever easy in the GFFA!

Please PM me when you update

Looking forward to more

 

[hl=DodgerBlue]VaderLVR64[/hl]: Please put me on the PM list for this one

Will do. Thanks for showing interest!



KELIA: Uh oh, nothing is ever easy in the GFFA!

*cackles*

Don't we know it.

Please PM me when you update

Sure thing. Thanks for reading!



To all you lurkers:

Thanks for reading! Hope you stick around for the next chapter.

- lazy

 

2008/01/04: Level 1


Ooookaaayyy . . .

It took me a few days, but I'm finally logged in with the MMORPG server. Got my user ID and everything. All hail Nobu; may his hard drive never crash!

My character is a mercenary called Mmorgan (please pardon the pun - I just couldn't resist) working for Galactic BioAlchemy. GBA wants me to get samples of Yuuzhan Vong creatures: alive if possible, body parts preserved in stasis if not.

I'll be hunting solo until I get used to things. Hopefully it won't be that long - I mean, what's the point of playing online if you don't team up with others, right?

Enough chit-chat, I'm a-going down to Coruscant!

BTW, "Hunting Solo" sounds like the title for a Boba Fett story, doesn't it? Just a thought.


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:4[/u]


You know, I almost died on my first day on Coruscant. Thank the Force and whatever other gods may be out there that a MedEvac team found me before the thing that got me took me out permanently. If only they'd come a bit sooner . . .

I know I should have been paying more attention to my immediate surroundings. But that's hard when all five senses keep screaming, [i]This can't be Coruscant![/i]

It's the moon that gets me worst, I think. Or rather, it isn't the moon. It's a Sith-spawned ring of rocks circling Coruscant like a giant's collar.

Every time I look up into the sky I see the thin band of dark and light specks. Even if they get everything else back the way it was before the War, they'll never replace the moon. I guess I know this on a subcellular level, which must be why I keep looking up every five minutes.

And [i]that's[/i] strange because we Coruscanti hardly ever look at the sky. Before the Vong, there were always other things - speeders, buildings, ads, droids - and the sky was just there to fill the space between them. And thanks to total climate control, nobody ever had to look up and wonder, "Is it going to rain?"

But now . . .

Things have changed. What more can I say?
>

 

I see Mmorgan got quite the jolt upon seeing what havoc the Vong have wrecked on Coruscant. I just hope the shock wears off before he's "greeted" again.

"Hunting Solo" sounds like the title for a Boba Fett story, doesn't it



A sense of humor is a good thing to have when hunting Vong.

Great update

 

KELIA: I see Mmorgan got quite the jolt upon seeing what havoc the Vong have wrecked on Coruscant. I just hope the shock wears off before he's "greeted" again.

Oh, he ain't seen nuthin' yet. Later this month, I'll be tackling the January mini-challenge. It's going to rain more than cats and dogs, I assure you.


As always, thanks for reading, folks! The next update will be right after I R&R DarthIshtar's [link=http://boards.theforce.net/t/b4/27923985/]Pink Five diary[/link].

- lazy

 

2008/01/06: Level 5


Dear gods, is it Sunday already? Time sure flies when you're having fun.

And even when you're having your brain mashed to a pulp by hours upon hours of dull, boring repetition. I think I can sympathize with the pachinko addicts now. It's like some kind of self-inflicted hypnosis . . .

After I got whacked twice in a row yesteryday, I decided to stick to something safe. There's a simple quest where you stick to a modified sanitation droid for an hour or so, watching it clean up YV gunk from buildings. According to the [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-player_character]NPC[/link] doing the briefing, there's a chance a really low-level YV critter will mess up the droid's mechanisms. I suppose it's something like when the lawnmower eats a rabbit.

If I fail to prevent that, I say good-bye to my mission bonus. On the other hand, each critter I bag is a perk since I can exchange it for the YV bounty. Not that it happens often. I think the other players hunted YV life to extinction around here.

The real perk is chatting with the others. There's usually an oldbie who tags along to give noobs advice. Some of them even help out with target practice using hand-crafted droids and stunners.

When the mission's over, the oldbie sometimes invites noobs on a hunting quest. It's happened to me a couple of times, but I said no. Maybe when I feel more confident.

I should have taken them up on their offer. Then I wouldn't have wasted my vacation.

Which reminds me: I'd better clean things up before work starts tomorrow.


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:6[/u]


[i]It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.[/i]

That's what I keep telling myself as I watch the cleaning droid scrub square meter after square meter of purple Yuuzhan Vong gunge from the walls and walkways.

I have no idea what the stuff is. Neither does anyone else. They say that it can't be eaten and it won't try to eat you, it's not toxic, it doesn't make you grow scales, and it's so common none of the bioware firms have a bounty on it any more.

This is a job anyone can do. Usually, only someone who's still space-lagged from hyperspace take it because nobody else will. Like I said, it's not dangerous, but it's tedious and pays less than a Hutt would give for charity.

The Bothan in charge of recruiting for the Coruscant Reconstruction Project told me there are guys who made a fortune from the rare Vongbeasts the droid flushed out. I don't know if he's telling the truth or a lie bigger than both Death Stars put together, but I'm one hundred percent certain everyone who heard the rumor has already been here and hunted every Vong down to the last monocellular organism.

I tell myself I keep signing up because there's another group of hunters who are on what they call Cleanup Duty: veterans on R&R who are willing to share their experience. Some of them really know how to spin a tale. I suppose it comes of repeating the same story a million times.

Of course, telling stories isn't all they do for beginners. Sometimes, when it's quieter than usual, they give us shooting lessons with target droids and even arrange hunting trips in the tamer parts of wild Coruscant.

"Nothing beats a live-fire exercise," they say. "Blasting targets won't prepare you for the real thing."

I know they're right - I mean, I may not have participated in every battle since the Clone Wars, but I've been around. But still, I keep thinking about what happened yesterday. I keep remembering the Vongbeast's breath as it took me down and came in for the kill.

Maybe tomorrow I'll go. Definitely by the end of the week.

Until then, I'm on Cleanup Duty.

>

 

At least Mmorgan learns fast

It's good to see the oldbies offering help to the noobs.

Nothing wrong with getting a little advice along the way.

Great update

 

Wonderful! Sorry I missed one. I was out of town.

 

KELIA: It's good to see the oldbies offering help to the noobs.

I think this is one of the things I like best about online games.

Nothing wrong with getting a little advice along the way.

Unless the oldbie is a back-seat adventurer. I haven't met any yet, thank the gods, but they have to exist.

[hl=DodgerBlue][i][b][color=MidnightBlue]VaderLVR64[/color][/b][/i][/hl]: [i]Sorry I missed one. I was out of town.[/i]

No problem. *hums [i]It's Not Easy Being Green[/i]*

[hr]
Thanks for reading, folks! The next scheduled update is on Friday the 11th.

- lazy>

 

2008/01/11: Level 7


I made level eight today. Then I got myself killed and said good-bye to a huge chunk of XP.

In SW:TRoC (or "Troc" in gamespeak), you lose experience points when you die (well . . . become incapacitated, really, but who gives a damn about in-game semantics?). The amount varies from level to level, but I hear it's about half of what you need to advance to the next one.

Normally I wouldn't mention this. Unlike James Bond, I've died more than twice. But I lost two much longed-for abilities today (one level-dependent, the other stat-) and now I have to dumb down my hunting strategy until I level up. It'll probably take another hour. At least. In the words of Luke Skywalker, it's not fair!

And to go on to quote Han Solo: it's not my fault. Really, there was no way I could have seen it coming. I mean, who would have thought that half a dozen Vongbeasts wre waiting to attack as soon as the map finished loading?

I'm guessing someone found himself up against a VB he couldn't handle and ran for it, drawing the attention of other VBs as he did. Or maybe he could have handled it if it hadn't invited its friends over. Either way, he probably got away safe to another map, i.e., the one I was on, leaving the VBs milling around on the other side.

As the late great Admiral Ackbar said at the Battle of Endor -

Well, you get the point.

There are more dangers on Coruscant and its untamed regions, Horatio, than are dreamt up by the game designers . . .


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:11[/u]


When you arrive on Coruscant, they give you a holo-map that shows which parts of the planet have been reclaimed and which ones are still Vong territory. It's three-dimensional, of course, and is based on pre-invasion maps.

It's also a government job, which means you shouldn't trust it with your life.

Even when it was the epitome of galactic civilization, there were parts of Coruscant you couldn't go without a 3D compass. I'm not just talking about places like the Works. If you go down three kilometers, you'll find yourself in the lower levels that are the stuff of urban legends. There are subhumanoids down there, said to have devolved from humans and other sentient life, that have never seen the light of day.

From what I know of the Vong, they probably tried to kill them off - and failed, or so they say. I've yet to see it for myself, but I hear there are subhumanoids who refused to be killed by Vong spores, whose genetics merged with the Vonglife to become a strange hybrid that's more dangerous than, say, a Vong with Sith powers. It's possible those are only stories to scare the kriff out of newcomers, but stranger things [i]have[/i] happened.

But I digress.

Today I ran into a group of Vongbeasts. I didn't see them coming until they were on top of me. I managed to fire off a few shots, but I don't think it made any difference. They were going to kill me and nothing I did would change that.

The only reason I got around to recording these words is because a MedEvac team homed in on my SOS beacon and bailed me out. Since I couldn't afford a full bacta dip, they kept me in until I could walk out unassisted then kicked me out. It'll be a while before I can shoot like I used to, but I suppose that's a small price for being able to walk and breathe.

Anyway, when I was a kid, my heroes were Jedi and Rebel pilots. When I became a mercenary, my focus shifted to grunt-level fighting men. Now I'm learning a new respect for people whose job it is to risk their necks getting other people to safety.
>

 

It's also a government job, which means you shouldn't trust it with your life.

Ain't that the truth!

 

To quote Han Solo - It's not my fault

Not that it makes a wit of difference, unfortunately. At least Mmorgan got a couple shots off. Nothing wrong with going down fighting.

It's also a government job, which means you shouldn't trust it with your life

He learns fast

Now I'm learning a new respect for people whose job it is to risk their necks getting other people to safety

The true heros of the world. I'm glad to see Mmorgan recognizing them.

Great update

 

[hl=DarkRed]VaderLVR64[/hl]: Ain't that the truth!

Thanks for reading!

[b]KELIA[/b]: [i]The true heros of the world. I'm glad to see Mmorgan recognizing them.[/i]

Yep. Though right now I'm wondering what it'll take to get him to see the next category: people who do ordinary jobs day in and day out to keep the world alive.

[hr]
Thanks for lurk . . . er, reading, folks! The next update will be as soon as I reply to the comments in my other fics.

- lazy>

 

2008/01/16: Level 9


"How do you know it's raining cats and dogs?"

"Because I just stepped on a poodle!"

Not on post-Vong Coruscant.

I got an email from SW:TRoC today warning me to find a safe place to stay, preferably underground, from 10:00 AM to noon on Sunday. Something about the weather. So I did some asking around and it turns out there's a rain of Vong scheduled that day.

Yeah. Rain of Vong. Wild, huh?

The in-universe explanation is that during the liberation of Coruscant, a Vongship split open and its cargo of Vongtech spilled out. Apparently it's still up there, half-frozen but half-alive.

Thing is, no-one knows for sure where it is. There's like a million rocks up there, you know? So they're targeting likely sections of the ring and hitting it with a gravfield projector, hoping the re-entry burn will kill them off.

You may be wondering: what about the planetary shield?

To which the answer is: what planetary shield?

Because, y'know, a big hunk of technology like that would be Numero Uno on the Vongs' to do list. I expect it looks like Watto's shop in TPM.

Anyway - in gaming terms, it means that anyone caught outside during that hour had better have high agility stats and maxed on Dodge Meteorites. And that afterwards, the ground's gonna be covered with weakened Vongbeasts.

First come, first served. Come as you are, but bring your own baggie.


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:16[/u]


Not much of interest happened lately, so I'm going to expand on a previous entry.

Like I said, the Vong destroyed Coruscant's moon and turned it into a ring of rocks. All you have to do is look up to be reminded that Nothing Lasts Forever. Depressing.

But that's not all it did. I don't know the science behind it, but they tell me that destroying the moon caused tidal disturbances all over the planet. The official records say the Vong got rid of the moon to make it look more like their homw world, but I say they did it so they wouldn't have to tear down all those skytowers.

The amazing thing is, the lower levels weren't affected that much. That's because putting up buildings on this planet requires a doctorate in applied physics.

Despite what cynics say, Coruscant's heart is far from dead. The core is alive and so's the mantle beneath the crust. Although the continents and oceans have long since been buried under gigatons of duracrete and permasteel, the tectonic plates are still [i]moving[/i].

The reason this doesn't cause constant devastating earthquakes is because the Old Republic architects who designed Coruscant were kriffing geniuses. They set up a system where the infrastructure slides over the tectonic plates and everything is kept in place by gravity - that is, everything pushing against everything else all around the planet's circumference.

Or so they tell me. It took me five tries to get this entry right. I hope [i]someone[/i] understands this because I sure don't.

Now, what happened to the [i]super[/i]structure is another story. Like I said, the Vong turned the moon into rocks. Lots of them. Most of them fell down to the planet's surface or flew off elsewhere. Those that fell didn't bother to avoid things like comm satellites and orbital platforms. I understand there were a lot of stuff in Coruscanti orbit at the time, but there were lots of rocks, too. Nothing survived, or so they say.

An oldtimer I met - one who claims he was here when the Vong came and was still here when they left - says he was almost hit by a weather control satellite once. The WetCon came out of the blue, he says, screaming like a maddened Vong. He thought it was a Vongbird so he ducked under some rubble. Then a ton of scrapped metal zooms past the place where his head was just seconds ago and hits the ground so hard the implact explosion made him deaf and blind for weeks.

I don't believe him, of course. No-one could surivive without sight and sound on post-Vong Coruscant. But he's shown me the crater, so I'm pretty sure he was near by>

 

You may be wondering: what about the planetary shield?

To which the answer is: what planetary shield?

Because, y'know, a big hunk of technology like that would be Numero Uno on the Vongs' to do list. I expect it looks like Watto's shop in TPM.

 

Interesting idea for a story. Can't wait to see what happens next.

 

Coruscant's heart is far from dead

Well at least there is some good news...at least, I think it's good news.

Good to see Mmorgan got a warning this time before getting caught unawares and obliterated.

Great update

 

2008/01/20: Level 10


It never rains but it pours.

Boy, did it pour.

At first, I planned on logging in a few minutes before the "rain" stopped. I mean, there's only a few places where a Level 10 merc can hunt underground, you know?

But Kaesar said I should come when it was raining boulders. When I asked him why, he didn't tell me any details - just that it would be worth it. Oh, and don't turn off the sound, too.

So I did, because he's been playing since the beta-test version. I logged out at around two in the morning, went to bed, and woke up around eleven. I opened SW:TRoC. Logged in. Waited in vain for something to happen. Opened up Firefox in another window and started web surfing.

Then I remembered what Kaesar said about the sound. Now, I usually keep the audio off while playing RPGs because it gets on my nerves after the tenth loop - sometimes even on the first. But I figured what the heck and turned it on.

It sounded like Superman and Hercules were going no-holds-barred in the percussion section. Not only that, the scenery was shaking like crazy!

There was nobody around to chat with, so I did a server-search for Kaesar and found him online. He was too far away to walk, so I comm'd him.

"GLAD YOU MADE IT!" he shouted.

"Is it always like this?" I said.

"YES! ISN'T IT GREAT!?"

"It's crazy!"

"LOL!!"

"Why are you using capital letters, anyway?"

"BECAUSE! IT'S!! KRIFFING!!! LOUD!!!! LOL!!!!!"

It turned out he'd been logged in since the rain of rocks began. Not hunting. Just chatting. And enjoying himself a lot, from the sound of it. He said he wished it would go on for another day or two.

Y'know . . . you hear a lot about loonies on the 'Net, but I swear this is the first time I ever actually met one. Honest.


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:20[/u]


I used to like rainbows as a kid. So much, in fact, that I once called up the Coruscant Weather Bureau and asked for short showers every day. On other worlds, this is cute because everyone knows they just predict the weather, not control it. On Coruscant, it's cute because everyone knows the CWB won't let [i]anyone[/i] alter their schedule. Especially not a kid.

Of course, the CWB doesn't exist anymore. Well, maybe it does, but with the WetCons down and no hope of getting them back up in the near future, it may as well be dead.

It's a shame because I miss their self-important announcements - that's "forecasts" to you non-Coruscanti. It would have been worth a month's pay to hear them say, "There is a rain of shattered moon shards and half-frozen Yuuzhan Vong creatures scheduled from 16:00 to 18:00, Coruscant Standard Time. Citizens are advised to stay indoors for the duration."

You know, I never thought I'd be missing [i]those[/i] guys. Amazing.


>

 

Oops, didn't reply before updating. Forget my own head next, I swear . . .

[hl=Black][i][b][color=DodgerBlue]VaderLVR64[/color][/b][/i][/hl]: [i][face__laugh] [face__applause] [face__laugh][/i]

Glad you liked it! :) [face_yes,_I'm_desperate_for_comments_I_can_quote] :p

[hr]
[b]Ultima_1[/b]: [i]Interesting idea for a story.[/i]

I'm not sure which idea you're referring to, but thanks! :D

[i]Can't wait to see what happens next.[/i]

I'm on an irregular schedule with this. You see, before I started writing I made a simple JavaScript program that created a semi-random update schedule. I can't recall [i]why[/i] I did it, but it's probably to simulate the RealTime-ness of a MMORPG experience . . . or something.

[hr]

[b]KELIA[/b]: [i]Good to see Mmorgan got a warning this time before getting caught unawares and obliterated.[/i]

Because, you see, sometimes you [i]can[/i] trust the government with your life. :p

[hr]
Thanks for reading, everyone!

- lazy>

 

"GLAD YOU MADE IT!" he shouted.

"Is it always like this?" I said.

"YES! ISN'T IT GREAT!?"

"It's crazy!"

"LOL!!"

"Why are you using capital letters, anyway?"

"BECAUSE! IT'S!! KRIFFING!!! LOUD!!!! LOL!!!!!"


Loved it!

 

you hear a lot about loonies on the 'Net, but I swear this is the first time I ever actually met one



And hopefully it was a pleasant experience

There is a rain of shattered moon shards and half-frozen Yuuzhan Vong creatures scheduled from 16:00 to 18:00

That would be an amusing forecast!

Great update

 

[hl=Black]VaderLVR64[/hl]: Loved it!

Glad you liked it.

. . . and even more glad you included some text I could quote. I know, I'm insane.

[hl=HotPink][b][color=Pink]KELIA[/color][/b][/hl]: [i]And hopefully it was a pleasant experience[/i]

It was a [i]lot[/i] better than the know-it-all mini-maxing gamer, to be sure. :D

Nice colors, BTW.

[hr]

Thanks for reading, folks! The next update will be in a short while.

- lazy>

 

2008/01/24: Level 11


There's a SW:TRoC fansite called Lando's Irregulars. It's called that because we - or rather, our characters - are Yuuzhan Vong hunters. If you still don't get it, go look it up at Wookieepedia or something.

Anyway, there was a spy report today about a new upgrade for TRoC. Later this year, they're going to introduce Vong character classes. There will be at least a Warrior and a Shaper, perhaps a Priest and maybe even a Shamed One - though I have no idea who'd want to be one of those.

Warriors have an awesome set of weapons and combat abilities, so I'd guess that's what most Vong players will choose. Although I have to admit the Shaper's abilities sound pretty neat, too - I mean, who wouldn't want to custom-design their own Vongweapon, right?

There was nothing definite about the other classes, though we're already speculating like crazy. For example, one guy is sure the Shamed Ones will get Sense Force, etc., after completing a Jedi-related quest.

A Vong with Force powers. How cool is that?


[blockquote]
[u]66:1:24[/u]


There's a rumor going around that a Vong colony is hidden somewhere on Coruscant. It's an old rumor, one that's been around since the New Republic retook the planet. Nobody takes it seriously anymore. They wouldn't be surprised if something like that turned up, but no-one will pick up his gear and actually go looking.

At least, that's how it used to be.

But patrols have come back saying they saw something Vongish. I hear someone in the East Quarter found an abandoned menegerie that was half-converted to Vonglife. It's probably just the usual Vongforming. But it might have been a Shaper.

Also, there have been reports of a small Vong not ten kilometers from where I'm recording this. And I mean [i]small[/i] small, as in three-year-old. Right now I'm trying not to think what it might mean.

After all, little Vong have to come from somewhere.

>