Posted 2019-12-25, evaluated by Liontamer
Our second late-breaking Xmas mix is a comfortable, relaxing, & warm fireside bit of bluegrass from Ryan Davis Music (aka Garpocalypse), arranging dot hack Infection Part 1:
'Hey, judges, this is my track from last year's OverClocked Christmas album based off of dotHack's root town theme. Decided to tackle a bluegrass-inspired track after listening to some wintery bluegrass tunes by dobro god Jerry Douglas.'
Larry Oji writes:
Jun 21, 2019 Mac Anu. I made this map, all the models and restored all the textures, based off the city of Mac Anu from the.dot//hack infection series. I did edit gravity textures. No real thanks to give out maybe besides browedit and its development team and gravity for textures. I use alot of client features, I didnt include the water I used cause you. Dec 25, 2019 Our second late-breaking Xmas mix is a comfortable, relaxing, & warm fireside bit of bluegrass from Ryan Davis Music (aka Garpocalypse), arranging dot hack Infection Part 1: 'Hey, judges, this is my track from last year's OverClocked Christmas album based off of dotHack's root town theme. Decided to tackle a bluegrass-inspired track after listening to some wintery bluegrass tunes by dobro. Jun 23, 2019 I made this map, all the models and restored all the textures, based off the city of Mac Anu from the.dot//hack infection series. I did edit gravity textures. No real thanks to give out maybe besides browedit and its development team and gravity for textures. I use alot of client features, I did. Nov 03, 2017 Log back into the.hack//G.U. Trilogy and return to “The World,” as Haseo tracks down Tri-Edge in.hack//G.U. Last Recode, now with enhanced graphics, improved gameplay, and brand new modes! This collection includes all 3 original.hack//G.U. Titles, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption, all fully restored and remastered for PS4and PC. All = the player can appear in both Mac Anu, Lumina Cloth, and Dol Dona MA = the player only appears in Mac Anu LC = the player only appears in Lumina Cloth DD = the player only appears in Dol Dona ML = the player appears in both Mac Anu and Lumina Cloth Areas: the player only appears in Areas - Human Male: 56 Ninjato (All) Eddie (All). The goal of this is to hand out fliers to the various NPCs running around in the game. This is done by simply talking to them. The not so simple part is encountering them all since there's 135 in total! Some only appear in Mac Anu, some only in Lumina Cloth, some in.
'Nice and cozy stuff from Ryan. The lead string sample was too exposed for the first verse but once the other instruments were introduced at :53, the fuller textures sounded lovely and mitigated any realism issues. A great example of going melodically straightforward but personalizing the sound nicely. I loved both the instrumentation tradeoffs and chorusing choices here. Indeed, curl up by the fire and relax! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! :-)'
Can't say it better than that, so I won't - happy holidays to all, and to all a good night!
― djpretzel
Hello~
Please humor my sense of writing. I haven't written anything for a while now, and this was to get back on the band wagon. C:
So, I'll try to keep updating as fast and accurate as I can. If you like what you read, please feel free to review and comment. If not, I understand. Opinions are respected C;
Prologue: Kite
Mac Anu. That was the first and last place I got to see my best friend in his avatar form. He told me not to call him by his real name, and gave me his alias instead. Yasuhiko became Orca, and he was a heavy blade. He even sounded different, and when I questioned this, he reminded me that customization in this game was so acute; such small detail such as voice change was accessible.
He told me his name is famous in The World, and I should be honored to know his character. I also exchanged my name, which I ended up choosing 'Kite' for my own avatar. He showed me around the water city of Mac Anu, from the items shop to the magic boutique. Around each corner was a bridge leading to a different area in this server, filled with unique looking avatars. Each person had their own look, and their own conversation with another. That's when Yasuhiko suggested his plan to me.
'Hey Kite,' he started, waving his hand in a following gesture. 'Let's go on that adventure we've been waiting for. Follow me!' His voice was rougher than the real Yasuhiko. It was also the voice of an adult man; something I'm not used to coming from my best friend. He and I were only in the 8th grade, and neither of us has really gone through any changes yet, especially in voice.
'Before we go anywhere, however, we should create a party.' A message popped up on my screen before I could ask what he had meant. 'Can you see it? It should be a party request message.' I hovered my mouse over the message. 'Yeah, I see it. Do I accept?' His laughter could be heard in my headphones. I assumed that meant 'yes' so I clicked, accepting his party request.
As he walked over to the main warping gate, he paused as he turned to me. 'This is where we teleport to the actual levels. It might seem confusing at first, but it actually gets pretty cool once you get the hang of it.' He smiled at me, and with a flick of his wrist, he started naming off different words that seemed very random to me.
'Burning, Passed Over, Aqua Field!' he commanded, and with a bright light we were transported from Mac Anu, the water capitol, to a peaceful grassland area. As soon as my vision cleared, I took the liberty to glance around. This place seemed very real it was almost alarming. The way the grass moved in the simulated wind was astounding enough.
Yasuhiko noticed how impressed I was. 'Awesome, isn't it? I told you this game wasn't all about hack-n-slashing!' He laughed again, and messed around with my hat a bit. It was pretty easy for him to reach my head, for he was about three feet taller than me anyways. I decided to choose the twin blade class, a fighter who specializes in quick, double-handed attacks.
Yasuhiko's avatar, Orca, wields a massive sword bigger than my character! His giant avatar is also covered in green war paint on his muscular body. Mine, on the other hand, wears green clothes and brown gloves and boots. Pretty scrawny looking, but I didn't choose muscle. I chose agility.
'This place is a lot cooler than I thought.' I admitted. I've actually always wanted to play The World, but never really took the time to buy and install it on my computer. I've always been more of an outdoor kid, and my new soccer ball has received most of my attention lately. 'I guess I have you to thank for dragging me on here today!' I laughed in spite of his constant pleading to join him, and today was the day I finally logged onto The World.
He shrugged and simply stated, 'Well, as long as you know what you've missed out on the passed few months!' He was teasing, but still showed a serious expression. Looking at his character was a bit awkward at first, but after a short time I got used to staring up at the giant instead of my middle-school friend.
I then heard a foreign noise, coming from the horizon. It sounded like a mixture between growls, and a blender. 'What is that?' I asked, genuinely feeling fear creeping up on me. His avatar didn't budge, only readied his weapon with the upmost amount of confidence. 'Oh, it's just a local monster. Watch, and learn, noobie.'
As the goblin-like creature advanced on us, Orca took it out in one swing, slicing the graphics into millions of pieces. In the monster's place, formed a treasure chest of solid gold. As he sheathed his sword, he gestured to the chest. 'Go ahead, open it up.' I looked up at him, and then to the golden chest.
I commanded my character to open the chest, and he did so. On my screen came the words 'Got fairies orb! Got health drink! Got mage's soul!' I honestly had no idea what these items were, but they looked important so I kept them. When I was done, Orca invited Kite to follow towards the entrance of the dungeon.
'I know you've been hearing about how boring these dungeons might get, but just go into this with an open mind, got it?' I nodded, accepting his advice. Together, we entered into the dungeon, which was shaped like a half-eaten, giant animal. Once inside, he looked my way. 'Hey, you got a fairies orb, right? From that last treasure chest? Go ahead and use it now.'
I opened up my items menu, and activated one of the fairies orb. Suddenly, lights spread all over our maps, showing us where monsters and treasure chests would be, and how many rooms were on this floor level. 'That…was freaking cool.' I muttered, relieved of not having to wonder where I was going anymore. Before the fairies, that map was very empty, and I wasn't all that excited to venture around blind.
He started saying something, probably important, but I was too focused on the background music that played inside this dungeon. It was similar to a heartbeat, yet also seemed tribal and dangerous. A fitting sound to a warrior's adventure underground, looking for treasure. 'You got all that?' he asked, pulling me back into the game. 'What? Oh, yeah.' I nonchalantly waved it off.
As if that was some sort of cue, Yasuhiko decided to take off running, blade in hands. 'Let's go! That treasure isn't going to find itself!' I dashed after him, twin daggers ready in each hand. The sound of our feet pattering against the dungeon ground was sharp, allowing echoes to bounce off the walls inside the corridors.
For a while, it was just a goblin here, a treasure chest there. Nothing really that interesting to us, or at least…interesting to Yasuhiko. His character was already level 50 while mine was barely level 2 by this point. There were moments where he would stop, and wait until my health was closer to full, rather than blinking in danger. Then, when I was ready, he would lead me again down the hallways and deeper into the darkness of the dungeon levels.
It was a struggle, but with Orca being there, it wasn't as hard as it could've been. We reached a point where there was a blue treasure chest in the middle of the room. I instantly charged it, awaiting the valuables inside the box. 'Don't touch it!' He hollered from behind, unable to stop me in time.
As I opened the chest, my character's health dropped dramatically. It took me a minute to register what had happened, and mentally slapped myself for being so stupid. 'Ah! Damn it!' I quietly cursed, as Orca walked up beside me. 'That was a trap treasure chest.' He calmly stated. I heard the sympathy in his voice. 'Sorry…I should've warned you about them while we were opening the rest of the chests throughout this dungeon. That one was an explosion, but there are other traps available, so next time be more aware.'
Before I could answer, my health raised 100% as my character started glowing. 'What just happened?' I asked while Kite's graphics returned back to normal. 'Looks like that phony chest helped you level up.' He said with a short laugh. 'You're a tad stronger, but don't go thinking you're all invincible now!' I saw Orca walking away, and ordered Kite to follow him.
'So, how far do we still have to go?' I asked, getting a little anxious of the same patterns inside this underground place. Orca kept walking, never glancing back at me. 'We should be getting there soon. Our maps show only a few more rooms until the treasure room.' I sighed in relief. 'That's good. I'm starting to get tired, and it's already pretty late…'
My voice was interrupted by a loud, static noise that engulfed the entire level. Our characters shook, and while Orca stayed upright, my avatar fell to the floor. 'What the hell was that?' Yasuhiko exclaimed over the headphones. Trying to stand back up, I had trouble focusing on words. 'I...I have no idea.'
When we were both standing and okay, we saw something fly across the hallway opening at the end of the corridor we were positioned in. It resembled a young girl, with white hair and fare skin. She wore a long white cloth, and looked as if some creature holding a red staff was chasing her.
'Yasu—I mean, Orca! Did you see that?' Orca was silent, and before long he started running again. 'C'mon, Kite! We can't let that thing get away!' Everything was rushing in my head; I couldn't understand anything at this point. Who was that girl? Was she another character in trouble? Or was she something entirely different?
I chased after Orca, as he sprinted after the two in pursuit. We eventually found ourselves on a floating rock, in the middle of game graphic glitches. I had a very uncomfortable feeling in my gut, and Yasuhiko was being abnormally antsy. He usually encounters every threat with such confidence, but this time he really seemed scared.
That frightened me.
We waited a good minute until the static came back. Then, out of nowhere, the girl appeared in front of Orca. He walked up to her, and as he neared, she started to speak. 'Please,' she said, her voice echoed. 'Take this. The power it holds can bring either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user.' Orca accepted the book she handed to him, but he was having a hard time finding words to say back to her.
When the transaction was completed, the girl got extremely worried and started fading into the sky. 'You must hurry, he'll be here soon!' she disappeared entirely, and instantly after, a loud, violent rumble started. This time, both our characters fell to the ground, as the creature from before emerged from a warping hole in the sky. The music we heard distorted, and the graphics in this strange area started to crumble before us. It was as if the level was dying while we were still trapped inside.
The monster approached us; staff in hand, ready to fight. Once he got his bearings, Orca charged the creature, yelling with all his might. After a few swings, I realized none of his attacks were even hitting the thing. All it read was '0' over and over again. If Orca couldn't affect it, there was no way I could do anything. I sat there, hopelessly watching Yasuhiko's character fail at what he does best.
Yasuhiko noticed his efforts gone to waste as well, for he paused at a certain point to comment on how this creature's existence was impossible. At that moment, I was frozen. There was still some part of me thinking that this was only a game, but by the way Yasuhiko's voice sounded, it made me wish I never picked up this controller.
During the pause, the monster struck Orca once, and some strange barrier broke around his character. Yasuhiko also called out in pain, and to me that was very strange. This was only a game. Real pain wasn't supposed to be felt…right?
His character fell to the ground as the creature flew into the sky. Orca, weakened in his state, looked up at me. His face was pained, and for some reason, I knew I was looking straight through Orca, and onto Yasuhiko's real expression. 'Kite,' he started. His voice strained from struggling. 'Quick…you've got to escape. This…wasn't supposed to happen. Forgive me…'
I wanted to answer him, but I found myself completely petrified. I could only watch as his character was raised into the air, and pierced by a colorful beam that was shot from the creature's red staff. Orca shattered into tiny pieces as the beam blasted through his graphics. 'Yasuhiko!' I called out for him, but I received no answer.
The area where his character was killed turned back into the normal sky graphics, leaving no trace of his once strong heavy blade avatar. However, I did get to see the book the strange girl gave to him fly up into the sky once he fully disappeared. Quickly, though, my attention turned back to the creature, still floating in the sky.
This time, his staff was facing my direction. I immediately knew what that meant, and felt the most horrifying amount of panic I have ever experienced in my life. To me, it all happened in slow motion. He raised his staff, and it started glowing…just like it did before striking Orca. I don't even remember standing up. In attempt to save myself, I raised my arms over my face, hoping it'll somehow miss me.
When it was about to fire the same digital beam at me, something created a sonic boom, sending various waves across the sky. It made contact with the creature, and before it could finish me off, the waves hit me too. The next thing I saw in the FMD (Face Mounted Display) were the words 'SYSTEM ERROR' that appeared in red across my computer screen. Shortly after that, it redirected me to my desktop.
It was very weird, the whole event that had happened. It seemed very realistic. Too realistic. I decided to call up Yasuhiko to ask what happened back there inside The World. When I called his cell phone, he didn't answer so I called his home phone. No one answered there either. I knew he was home, so I didn't understand why he didn't pick up.
Dot Hack Infection Mac Anubis
The next morning, Yasuhiko didn't show up at school. I still had that gut feeling I once felt during the fight with that scary creature. After enduring a long day at school, not paying attention because I was too caught up thinking about Yasuhiko, I decided to give his family another call. His mother answered this time, and I casually asked her if I could speak with her son.
She sounded very distraught, and gave me unfortunate news about Yasuhiko. 'He was hospitalized,' she started. It was clear she was fighting to keep from crying, so I kindly let her excuse herself from the phone. With numb hands, I reattached the phone on its dock. 'Hospitalized…'
I looked over at the computer screen, where it showed The World login menu. I heard the surreal music playing, inviting you in to play the online adventure role-playing game. 'Yasuhiko, what happened to you?'
End of Prologue~
Dot Hack Infection Mac Anushka Shetty
Again, I'll try to post chapter one asap. I've got schooling and work responsibilities to tend to first, then I shall update! :D