C14 - Who needs a Tutorial?

'Inner dialogue/thoughts'

"Normal dialogue"

"Online Comments/Twitch comments/Narrator"

[Reading description of games/game prompts]

[System]

(Word Count: 746)

~ With Aiden ~

Aiden's full set of VR equipment was already prepared, though the gaming screen remained black. The heart rate monitor, however, told a different story. His heart rate had spiked from a steady 75-80 to over 100 and climbing, a clear indication of his excitement.

In his anticipation, he had even forgotten to call his friends to join him. Typically, when playing multiplayer games, he would form a small team for better live broadcast effects or to help his friends. But now, there was only one thought in his mind.

'Enter the full game for the first time, and then have fun!'

"This background music is exhilarating no matter how many times I hear it!" Aiden remarked to his viewers, feeling the familiar thrill run through his veins. Entering the main menu of the game, he listened to the powerful orchestral musical score of the main menu. Although the game hadn't started yet, the familiar BGM had already stirred Aiden's excitement.

In Alex's old world, this iconic melody had been a staple since the original 1942 game, merely adapting different instruments to suit the various themes over the years. It had become the anthem for all "Battlefield" players, instantly conjuring images of epic battle at its first note.

"Wow! They have class options too!?" Aiden exclaimed, his eyes widening in delight. Despite his growing excitement, he did not jump straight into the game. Instead, he explored the content unlocked in the official release. Previously, he had only played the Prologue Campaign, which was simple and minimal content wise.

The official full release had unlocked a lot more content. Besides the full story campaign, it featured the much-anticipated Multiplayer mode. This mode featured a detailed class system. Four different classes of soldiers were available – "Assault", "Support", "Medic", and "Scout". Each fitted and customized with unique functions and characteristics.

Aiden quickly familiarized himself with the classes. "Alright, assault soldiers are for close combat and anti-armour. Support soldiers are for resupply and fire suppression. Medic soldiers are, of course, for healing. And Scout soldiers for sniping." He summarized to his viewers.

What truly surprised him and his viewers was the game's adherence to what Alex Carter had promised on the official X announcement. There was no in-game store, and weapons and items were unlocked based on in-game progression.

"Wow! There really is no in-game store, just like he promised!"

"This is amazing! No pay-to-win elements here!"

"Looks like I was wrong about there being any microtransactions!"

"Just for the reason that there are no pay-to-win elements, I am definitely going to buy this!"

"+1! The store price is cheaper than a premium weapon in some other games!"

Reading the comments of his viewers, Aiden added his own. "I guess we're all pretty tired of those FPS games where someone else's bullets are loaded instantly and fly straight, while ours take forever and wobble all over."

Players in the livestream, especially FPS enthusiasts, were ecstatic. Many other games were riddled with microtransactions, creating an imbalance where whales dominated. FPS games were especially affected. FPS games required high level of immersion and skill-based gameplay.

However, if you had money and decided to whale on the game, the advantage gained by the microtransactions is substantial enough to bypass that requirement. This had caused many casual players to be infuriated with the state of the gaming industry.

Now, 'Battlefield', offered a fair playing field, where all that mattered were your skills and abilities, and not how deep your pockets ran. This ignited excitement amongst the gamers who longed for balanced gameplay.

"Alright, it's time to dive in. Let's go!" Aiden exclaimed, finally deciding to launch the Multiplayer mode. However, before he could do so, a game prompt appeared.

[Warning! Detected first time player of the Multiplayer mode. Would you like to go through the beginner's training camp?]

'Beginner's training camp? Who needs that after we've already went through the Prologue Campaign?' He mused. 'Nah, let's get straight into the action!'

Unbeknownst to Aiden, almost the majority of all players had done the same as him. The night was still young, and there was no time to waste on beginner training.

- End of Chapter 14 -