The Messville Chronicles Ep. 2: This One Doesn't Really Have A Proper Name

Well, here it is.  Finally.

I assume everyone who was in SiaE is in here too. New players, feel free to sign up!

After an adventure involving an elevator, a pizza, and some AIs in which you got out of said elevator, you're happy that you're looking at the room which won The Most Crowded Room in Messville Award. And that would be Northbridge Tower's Employee Lounge.

But you don't have much time to soak it all in, because you're approached by a harried-looking woman. She says:

"And who are you, gentlemen? May I see your employee badges?"

Seeing no other way out of this situation, you confess that you don't have any badges.

"Then, I have to ask you to leave. This lounge is for employees only. The elevator is over there." She quickly pushes you into the elevator, presses the button for the lobby, and leaves the elevator.

You are treated to elevator music, the sound of the rocket thrusters and your own breathing before you arrive at the lobby.


NORTHRBRIDGE TOWER LOBBY
You've been here thousands of times, and you can remember what the lobby looks at any time: the U-shaped desk, the glowing logo above it, the plastic plants, the uncomfortable seating, the coffee tables with outdated magazines on them. And it hasn't changed.

Andrea the receptionist is behind the desk.

ACTIONS:

This game uses custom commands a lot. There are no specific actions; you are free to do as you please. The commands should be kept simple, such as "go into the elevator", "read the magazines", "talk to Andrea", etc. etc.


Now post.

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Gah! How come not even Firecat's character has an employee badge? I assumed both of our characters were employees at that company. Oh well... at least we got the pizza.

Anyway, here's my character's description, just in case anybody cares (copypasted from the old thread):

The commands should be kept simple, such as "go into the elevator", "read the magazines", "talk to Andrea", etc. etc

Can we still provide useless and/or stupid details about our actions or do we have to stick to simple statements?

Anyway...

Vegetal helps himself to a big portion of pizza and stuffes the entire piece in his mouth. He passes the box to... I dunno... Pumpkin, and then, while still trying to finish chewing that humongous mass of cheese and meat, he approaches the human female behind the desk and attempts to initiate a word exchange of some sort ([talk to receptionist]). Hopefully she'll recognize him or any of the others adventurers and provide us with some info that we're seriously lacking

5^th floor guy:"Wait a minute i have a employee badge! its right here..."


5^th floor guy:"Oh this thing just expired."

The guy from the 5^th floor politely asks Andrea where he can renew his badge.

(Also where he can get a better haircut)

Gah! How come not even Firecat's character has an employee badge? I assumed both of our characters were employees at that company.

5^th floor guy:"Wait a minute i have a employee badge! its right here..."

Call it bad design. My games are full of it.

Quote from: Yukabacera on June 16, 2010, 16:43:59

The commands should be kept simple, such as "go into the elevator", "read the magazines", "talk to Andrea", etc. etc

Can we still provide useless and/or stupid details about our actions or do we have to stick to simple statements?

Feel free to do so. I luuuuuuuurv details.

Anyway.

Andrea the very helpful and probably only friendly person working for MechaTec tells the guy from 5th floor that the badge renewal process is very simple. Apparently, you have to get an application form, and fill it in, then give it to a filing clerk and wait four to six weeks for filing. After your form is filed, you have to get it signed by at least seven MechaTec executives, a hot girl and one of your parents. After getting all the signatures, you are to give the form to her and wait one to two months for the MechaTec Employee Badge-Creating Sweatshop Factory/Office/Bureau/Department over in Stately to actually make the badge. After that, you are to book a private (commercial is out of the question) shuttle and use it to get to Parnas, and have a Parnathen (strictly Parnathen, Nirnians and Arvellians are out of the question) executive (company does not matter) fill it out with the info you provide. Then you're supposed to get back to Arvel somehow and enjoy your new badge.

Uh, yeah. You don't want to know how you were supposed to do it back in the day.

Vegetal makes small talk with Andrea for a couple of minutes, talking about the MechaTec budget cuts, the unfair salaries, the horribly long overtime, and a possible dinner date. She winks at him. Woo, it's getting hot in here!

While talking to her, you notice something you didn't see before: a directory on the desk.

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The guy from the 5^th floor asks where he can get that application form, seven Mechatec's executives, and a pirate private shuttle.

By the way, just because we started doesn't mean you can't sign up any more. This game would be crappy with only two players, no?

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I join with my previous riffraff and whatnot, and i'd like to...

Instantly teleport to Eyrie Tower with my magic that isn't useless anymore!

Andrea tells the guy from 5th floor that he'll have to find a shuttle himself, but tells him that executives are to be found in their natural habitat, the Executive Offices on floor 400. She also hands him an application form that asks all the usual questions, but also some very ...disturbing... ones.

SF teleports in front of Eyrie Tower, which happens to be just a couple of blocks away from Northbridge. Eyrie is all apartments, goes up to a measly 100 floors, and is connected to Northrbridge and Turnvale by walkways.

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Vegetal makes small talk with Andrea for a couple of minutes, talking about the MechaTec budget cuts, the unfair salaries, the horribly long overtime, and a possible dinner date. She winks at him. Woo, it's getting hot in here!

It's all in the wizard hat

Vegetal grades Andrea's wink and gives it an outstanding 9.0. Then, he triggers the PointLezz(tm) Info System by checking the directory on the desk.

Vegetal checks the directory. First off it's just pages upon pages of names of executives and officeworkers, but then he reaches an office listing, and several names jump out at him:

M. GORDON
G. FREEMAN
B. and L. SPORTSINTERVIEWS
L.E.M. WESTWOOD
X.Y.Z. ZY

(if anyone knows who or what these names are supposed to represent, you'll get kudos from me (you'll never get the fourth one, though))

Then, the directory lists MechaTec's current inventory, the status of the MechaTec space vessels, and an income/expense list for the last 50 years, all very boring subjects.

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Vegetal searches for a terminal he can use to vandalize the network speak to one of the AIs that operate the elevator. He's determined to get to the bottom of this and avenge his parents' death. Even if his parents are still alive and they call him everyday for free tech support.

M. GORDON
G. FREEMAN
B. and L. SPORTSINTERVIEWS
L.E.M. WESTWOOD
X.Y.Z. ZY

(if anyone knows who or what these names are supposed to represent, you'll get kudos from me (you'll never get the fourth one, though))

1-2)Half Life reference?
5)Magic word

Two out of three correct. G. Freeman is Gordon Freeman (yay Half-Life), and Xyzzy is a magic word in...LOTS of text adventures.

The first one (M. Gordon) is something else, though.

Anyway, Vegetal searches the lobby for a network terminal...and quickly finds one, because he's standing right in front of the receptionist's desk. Andrea, being the nice person she is, lets him use the AI contact program.

The program lets him select one of several AIs:

ZED
ODMSys
H.E.L.E.N.
UNITY

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Vegetal decides to try speaking to ODMSys first. He asks if it knows what or who caused the elevator to stop and trap the people in it. An access log for the elevator control service would be nice, too.

Um... Vegetal, i just want to say: Do not expect to find it out by just talking to someone in the beginning. Finding the guy who sabotaged the elevator is our mission. Wait, what? You are trying to get a hint? ...