The Holy Grail of Updates
{Hint number 390: Any games you make will have lists of items that you have made. These items can be exchanged for points to become real; maintaining their effects. Exchange rate is dependent on the power of said items and the relative rareness of the items you are choosing from your game.}
Sitting at the desk getting prepared to launch my next update another hint popped up. It was a convenient time as well for I was about to introduce the rest of the acts and therefor the items called bobble-heads that could enhance stats within game, permanently. Now they could also permanently boost my actual 'stats' in real life.
'Doesn't this mean that I can also get the robotic servants from the DLC-updates?'
Grinning at the future potential of this new tip I tapped the update button and watched the chaos ensue...
...
Ororo had finally created her character in Shady Sands along with Jean and Logan. They had opted to play together and fully see what this game had to offer. Currently the three of them were slowly navigating the start, talking to the people.
"Storm, I am not able to read any of your minds here... And my powers are completely cut off, it is as if I don't have them."
"Logan?"
"Same bub, have no pain or skin crawling discomfort from my body anymore."
Storm, or Ororo, looked around and noticed the pixelated style and the attention to small details. Although not like real life, this game was almost an Eden for the Mutants it seemed. She herself couldn't feel the storm-like pressure that usually cascaded at the back of her mind like a cyclone.
"Should we continue Storm? Given that we have already found out that it block our powers?"
"Yes, we continue for at least a few hours and understand if this 'game' is truly what it appears to be."
Logan nodded before walking up to a guard and beginning to talk. He had naturally chosen one who smoked, his proclivity for the activity showing tremendously with who he spoke to and how he spoke to them.
Jean was more reserved and observant, a habit trained to her from Xavier. She communicated mainly with the doctor and the leader Aradesh. From them she received some more information about raiders and other such threats. This game had never made any qualms about being about combat, surviving and questing... They all knew this, but it still concerned her to have children running into such scenarios in a real-ish setting.
Storm was more rounded in her observations and findings, acknowledging the amount of useful little hints about radiation and other phenomena. Noting the areas where real life bled with fiction in an approachable way.
'The children could learn quite a lot from this game. Given that it is also a death-safe way of facing violence, danger and opposition, it could serve well to train focus, restraint and matureness.'
Her evaluation was just getting started however as an update announcement had just been made. Unlike previous announcements though, this one was more akin to a trailer of sorts, a feminine voice; Freya's voice, voicing it over.
"I apologise for breaking your immersion or taking your much needed time... However, I have an update to announce as the creator of Fallout!"
Damian, Ned, Peter, Storm, Jean, Logan, Natasha and Clint all stopped and payed avid attention in their own games. Natasha began recording everything whilst Clint started taking down verbal cues and accent, trying to figure out where she could possibly come from.
"Fallout from this day forth will not just have one part... As it does at this current moment. No, from this forwards there will be three other ACTS. Acts are technically separate stories involving your current character's descendant, which you will be playing."
"Each act has a separate descendent, but retains the items of all previous acts. To ensure that everything is fair and that gameplay does not become stagnant or unrewarding, each descendent will inherit 40% of your past Act's character's perks and stats. If you do not wish to keep these perks or stats you can opt to change them all and go with something different."
A display was emerging from the pip-boys of everyone on the game currently, a video running showcasing these elements.
"But getting away from the boring statistics and descendent shenanigans... Let us talk about the content!"
A new image flashed up on the video. A woman holding a ray gun firing at a Death Claw as she deployed a small little robot that emanated a shield. Then it flickered to the scene of a power armoured man holding a minigun and firing at a massive mutated wasp in the sky. Once again it faded to a companion playfully bantering as he took a knife and stabbed it through a Rad-crocodile's neck; a huge smile plastered over his Australian face.
"Hundreds of new weapons for you to find. Tens of different armours to take off the corpses of bosses. Unique powers, perks, skill books and skills in the dozens. Also, did I mention the robots?"
The video inverted as a floating robot with multiple arms was hovering above the ground with a camera in one of its robotic limbs.
"These act as companions and can be created or found in the world... Along with this comes the incentive to collect parts, electronics and multiple different unique materials to make weapons, enhance weapons and create your own robotic servants!"
It showed crafting in several different ways, akin to Fallout 4 but uniquely changed to fit the changed Freya had made.
"Besides that comes a reactive storytelling system that records all of your choices and changes the future acts based upon your decisions... Kill Aradesh? Well that has a consequence down the line... Wanna not wipe out some nasty monsters? Well, that had consequences..."
"Along with all of this comes a significant upgrade to all graphics, senses and customization ability. After this video finishes all of these updates will be implemented over the next ten minutes and all Acts will now be available. Welcome to the holy grail of updates... And to all of you out there calling me an Update, word I don't want to say, to you I say... Yes, and also Yes."
"Enjoy the game. Sincerely- GodEmpress"
The video started to repeat as the update bar began to fill, the percentage slowly climbing upwards as the visuals began to flex in and out of focus. This was a quick process however as the new graphics set in and every NPC, Companion, Character, Boss, Enemy, Terrain, Biome, City, Town and random map rapidly became more realistic.
Blood looked fully like blood now and smelt just as potent. Junk and scrap had essences of rust all over with dust clinging to the character models for several second before being blown away. Guns gained recoil and every movement could now be comparable to real life, with significant differences thanks to the stats of the characters and the perks chosen.
Fallout had now fully released and with this came a plethora of updates to even the first Act of the game. New locations, new bosses and altogether some small item add-ons. Bobble-heads were super rare with only 2 being place din act 1 at all...
"Holy...Shit..."
"Should we tell Xavier?"
"Yes, we go back to inform him. This is a major change to things and based on the direction, it could be beneficial to the children's education."
"I don't think so Storm... This is a bloody game filled with violence, danger and potentially sensitive content."
Logan frowned before signing off, Jean and Storm following soon after...
...
In a secure SHIELD base in the USA...
"Clint, did you get a read on her accent?"
"Yeah... American or Australian, maybe a mix of both."
Fury stepped into the room with his pitch black outfit and eyepatch, his eyes measuring both of them as he stopped in the middle of the room.
"Report?"
"We found out through and announcement that the game is updating once again. In addition we found out that her alias is GodEmpress. The Dev is named God Empress."
"Intriguing... Any contact info?"
"None at all, she is holding back those aspects of her persona."
He frowned slightly but smiled thereafter.
"Good job either way. We now have a name, and from there we can figure out motive, personality and other aspects of her mask."
"Thanks director."
"I'm going to go get some food."
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