Speak of the devil...
While Xtra grabbed a garishly coloured (and bright) rifle and disappeared, Predator style, Ángel showed up, this time in a moth ensemble. She waved at him as he came closer, mandibles and wings on full display as they became more noticeable.
She thought it was kinda cool, buy sometimes she wondered why he did it on purpose: hitting the sweet spot between looking like a monster but still appearing human, enough to not fall between the two but jumping headfirst into the Uncanny Valley. Tastes, maybe.
But back on the game. She was, predictably, going to pull off objective duty. The map was small, just like the original Vesuvius it was inspired (read: shamelessly copied) from. So much so, in fact, that someone like her could go from one end to the other in a minute, tops. With the six of them, against six other players, they were gonna get shot, fast. For the casual Cybertag player it was a quick and repetitive cycle of deaths and respawns.
She'd love to say she wasn't one of them, but alas.
Still, trying out the Ladder of Destiny wasn't the worst idea, if it worked. The original glitch was just a dumb mistake that got popular, and the only way it could still work would be for the developers to intentionally put it in. It was actually likely, but still not certain. After all, it's not like they could just take the whole assets, and someone else's work, and paste it in a server-that's what Excel was for-without issues.
But she'd been wrong before. She can be so another time. She quickly added a set of heavy armor as she spoke to Vee. "Can you pass me the machine gun, Vee?"
Neogenesis
Debut of Omega Squad, Semi-Private
Moderator: SOTF: Cyber Staff
"Took ya long enough" said Vee with a smirk as Angel finally arrived, gesturing to the gun cabinet with a head tilt. "Pick your poison, you'll be gunning for the objective."
He ignored the back-and-forth chatter about this map being a TF2 rip-off, or whatever. Personally, Vee didn't give a damn, maps ripping each other off and repeating designs was pretty much a given with this genre.
The thing about this map that excited him the most was its location. The earlier Cybertag maps tended to be somewhat abstract, featuring lots of geometric shapes without much architectural purpose outside of the game. From Colored Warfare onwards, there was a bigger emphasis on themed maps. Cyberpunk cityscapes, space elevators, alien jungles. There was one map that got featured a lot in Virtual Warfare's promotional material where you fight atop a starship in the middle of a huge space battle, with explosions and fighters engaged in dogfights and everything. It wasn't that great a map to play one, with some pretty horrific sniper sightlines, but it made for a helluva spectacle.
He nodded and tossed Amy a pulse rifle from the cabinet. She was a relative newcomer to the group, more of a programmer than a gamer. It was with her help that they created their virtual pad, along with several other hang-out spots and maps for custom gamemodes. As such he had no issue inviting her to fill up the sixth spot, even if she was admittedly a bit of a weak link. Fortunately, he felt confident that the rest of the squad's skills more than made up for it.
"Alright, look alive. Game starts in thirty seconds!" he calls out, creaking his neck as he stood before the screen, waiting for the ticker to count down as he psyched himself up. The red omega symbol on his back flickered as the lights began to dim, proudly displaying his team's logo as he got ready for the game to begin.
Soon enough, they were all enveloped in darkness. The transition from lobby to game wasn't as flashy as in the first Cybertag, but given how problematic that proved to be with epileptics the change to a more gentle transition was more than welcome.
When the world lit up again, Omega Squad found themselves standing before an awe-inspiring sight.
The map itself wasn't much to write home about. Just like Versuvius, there was a tall industrial tower in the middle of a big courtyard, with various bits of sci-fi machinery and chest high walls littering the battlefield. They were surrounded by miles upon miles of red desert, with distant glimpses of outposts and mad max style vehicles traversing the Martian landscape.
But the thing that caught everyone's eyes was the truly titanic mountain in the distance. Just like Versuvius, the map was framed by a volcano that dominated the skybox. Only Vesuvius was a mere 4200 feet tall.
Olympus Mons was 72,000 feet. 14 miles high. It was the largest volcano in the solar system, as big as the state of Arizona. It was as if the planet had turned itself sideways.
Sights like this made him wonder why anyone gave a crap about meat sports anymore. That shit looked fucking quaint compared to CR's endless potential.
Who needs grass, when you can party in the shadow of Olympus Mons.
"Okay, Omega Squad... Let's fuckin' roll!"
He ignored the back-and-forth chatter about this map being a TF2 rip-off, or whatever. Personally, Vee didn't give a damn, maps ripping each other off and repeating designs was pretty much a given with this genre.
The thing about this map that excited him the most was its location. The earlier Cybertag maps tended to be somewhat abstract, featuring lots of geometric shapes without much architectural purpose outside of the game. From Colored Warfare onwards, there was a bigger emphasis on themed maps. Cyberpunk cityscapes, space elevators, alien jungles. There was one map that got featured a lot in Virtual Warfare's promotional material where you fight atop a starship in the middle of a huge space battle, with explosions and fighters engaged in dogfights and everything. It wasn't that great a map to play one, with some pretty horrific sniper sightlines, but it made for a helluva spectacle.
He nodded and tossed Amy a pulse rifle from the cabinet. She was a relative newcomer to the group, more of a programmer than a gamer. It was with her help that they created their virtual pad, along with several other hang-out spots and maps for custom gamemodes. As such he had no issue inviting her to fill up the sixth spot, even if she was admittedly a bit of a weak link. Fortunately, he felt confident that the rest of the squad's skills more than made up for it.
"Alright, look alive. Game starts in thirty seconds!" he calls out, creaking his neck as he stood before the screen, waiting for the ticker to count down as he psyched himself up. The red omega symbol on his back flickered as the lights began to dim, proudly displaying his team's logo as he got ready for the game to begin.
Soon enough, they were all enveloped in darkness. The transition from lobby to game wasn't as flashy as in the first Cybertag, but given how problematic that proved to be with epileptics the change to a more gentle transition was more than welcome.
When the world lit up again, Omega Squad found themselves standing before an awe-inspiring sight.
The map itself wasn't much to write home about. Just like Versuvius, there was a tall industrial tower in the middle of a big courtyard, with various bits of sci-fi machinery and chest high walls littering the battlefield. They were surrounded by miles upon miles of red desert, with distant glimpses of outposts and mad max style vehicles traversing the Martian landscape.
But the thing that caught everyone's eyes was the truly titanic mountain in the distance. Just like Versuvius, the map was framed by a volcano that dominated the skybox. Only Vesuvius was a mere 4200 feet tall.
Olympus Mons was 72,000 feet. 14 miles high. It was the largest volcano in the solar system, as big as the state of Arizona. It was as if the planet had turned itself sideways.
Sights like this made him wonder why anyone gave a crap about meat sports anymore. That shit looked fucking quaint compared to CR's endless potential.
Who needs grass, when you can party in the shadow of Olympus Mons.
"Okay, Omega Squad... Let's fuckin' roll!"
Kicking Akamatsu in the face since 2010
Oh there he was now.
That pansexual moth boy was here. Making entrances also. The Omega Squad was well prone to them. Arch asked about if this was the new map that they stole from TF2. They always been stealing maps from TF2 to add to CyberTag. Kenton should still ask Arch, if he got his gift item of that moth stool woodsona that he got from that woodie server.
He can't now. Vee was getting the game started. Kenton got his shotgun in his hands ready.
CyberTag used to have this special loading screen that made the epileptics complain, which was like the teleporters from Star Trek. The only problem was that it contained lots of flashing lights. Now, this version has a simple black screen with a loading screen indicator on the HUD.
When the loading screen ended, some extra details on Kenton's avatar loaded in, since the map was space or planet based, he got some cosmetic presets to match with the map. He didn't buy any of the new armor. It was all orange and white.
Kenton's avatar tweaked his avatar's cloak and made it resemble an oxygen respirator, similar to the stillsuit from Dune. A mask covering his lower face and sharp teeth, blowing in oxygen. The graphics did get an upgrade from the last game. Martian red dust blew past him and the skies looked alien and beyond.
A notification appeared on Kenton's HUD, automatically asking if Kenton would like to hear his usual playlist.
"Kick it."
An 100 gecs song started playing in Kenton's audio receivers.
The moment Vee told the squad to roll out, Kenton immediately broke into a run. He has his plasma shotgun equipped in both of his hands. His shoes glowed and erupted with small bursts of lightning particle effects. He was making that beeline to the tower. His route being in a zig-zag from all the cover around the map.
The tower approaching him closer and closer. Kenton took a hand off of his shotgun, so he can pull out one of the telegrenades. He didn't want to risk Ladder of Death, yet. He wanted to see if Vee or Arch can nail it. Plus, Kenton needed to get the advantage of "first come, first serve". A button was pressed on the telegrenades, as he kept his monuntum. He tossed it directly into the air in front of the tower, as high as he could. A blue flash immediately erupted from where the grenade was, while Kenton's avatar was englufed in some blue light to resemble teleporting.
That pansexual moth boy was here. Making entrances also. The Omega Squad was well prone to them. Arch asked about if this was the new map that they stole from TF2. They always been stealing maps from TF2 to add to CyberTag. Kenton should still ask Arch, if he got his gift item of that moth stool woodsona that he got from that woodie server.
He can't now. Vee was getting the game started. Kenton got his shotgun in his hands ready.
CyberTag used to have this special loading screen that made the epileptics complain, which was like the teleporters from Star Trek. The only problem was that it contained lots of flashing lights. Now, this version has a simple black screen with a loading screen indicator on the HUD.
When the loading screen ended, some extra details on Kenton's avatar loaded in, since the map was space or planet based, he got some cosmetic presets to match with the map. He didn't buy any of the new armor. It was all orange and white.
Kenton's avatar tweaked his avatar's cloak and made it resemble an oxygen respirator, similar to the stillsuit from Dune. A mask covering his lower face and sharp teeth, blowing in oxygen. The graphics did get an upgrade from the last game. Martian red dust blew past him and the skies looked alien and beyond.
A notification appeared on Kenton's HUD, automatically asking if Kenton would like to hear his usual playlist.
"Kick it."
An 100 gecs song started playing in Kenton's audio receivers.
The moment Vee told the squad to roll out, Kenton immediately broke into a run. He has his plasma shotgun equipped in both of his hands. His shoes glowed and erupted with small bursts of lightning particle effects. He was making that beeline to the tower. His route being in a zig-zag from all the cover around the map.
The tower approaching him closer and closer. Kenton took a hand off of his shotgun, so he can pull out one of the telegrenades. He didn't want to risk Ladder of Death, yet. He wanted to see if Vee or Arch can nail it. Plus, Kenton needed to get the advantage of "first come, first serve". A button was pressed on the telegrenades, as he kept his monuntum. He tossed it directly into the air in front of the tower, as high as he could. A blue flash immediately erupted from where the grenade was, while Kenton's avatar was englufed in some blue light to resemble teleporting.
It's so hard when your on your own
You might fall into the Forbidden Zone
You might fall into the Forbidden Zone
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Five figures and a blur had loaded into the map.
Adaptive camouflage was imperfect for reasons of game balance. This was fair. Similar safeguards were in place in most servers, though, even ones that weren't for CyberTag, allegedly for safety reasons. It was supposedly dangerous for people to roam around invisible, spying on whoever they wanted. Someday, though, this was what they all would be: clouds of boiling data, interacting on a level where visual representation was strictly optional.
But for now, the blur made for the obligatory waist-high cover points. It did not stop moving at any point, but as it went it cycled its weapon up, switching rapidly between sighting through the scope and taking in the world around it with the naked eye. This was a lot more complicated than in old non-CR games, because in CyberTag you could actually trip if you failed to coordinate appropriately. Proper cycling was a key component of sniper movement tech, but only at higher levels. Amateurs tended to get motion sick.
Kenton was out in the lead, bringing all the flash that the blur currently eschewed. There was little sign of the other team, but they would be arriving soon; these opening seconds were one of the only points in the match where there was no frenetic conflict, but they were all the more important for that. The early tide would be determined in large part by positioning, and positioning was above all else the responsibility of the sniper.
The blur settled behind one of the small barriers at a forty-five degree angle from the start zone, which offered a vantage point on both the most likely point of enemy approach and the path for pulling Tower. It was a low opening roost for sniper, but that was calculated; on a new map, the opposition would approach more hesitantly, so there was no need for a firing line on the top yet, and taking up an unconventional position would render detection less likely. It also offered a good point to pivot to the rise behind, which would offer sniping access to the upper levels.
When its movement ceased, the blur became one with the landscape, visible now only to close inspection, likely through a scope. Adaptive camo did the most work when you were standing still, though you had to make that first shot count, since they'd trace you back really quick from it.
And throughout, the blur paid little attention to the awe-inspiring Martian landscape. It was data irrelevant to the activity at hand, visual noise distracting from the purpose. All that mattered was the players and the game.
For some reason or other, most people didn't bother to talk with the blur about new maps.
Adaptive camouflage was imperfect for reasons of game balance. This was fair. Similar safeguards were in place in most servers, though, even ones that weren't for CyberTag, allegedly for safety reasons. It was supposedly dangerous for people to roam around invisible, spying on whoever they wanted. Someday, though, this was what they all would be: clouds of boiling data, interacting on a level where visual representation was strictly optional.
But for now, the blur made for the obligatory waist-high cover points. It did not stop moving at any point, but as it went it cycled its weapon up, switching rapidly between sighting through the scope and taking in the world around it with the naked eye. This was a lot more complicated than in old non-CR games, because in CyberTag you could actually trip if you failed to coordinate appropriately. Proper cycling was a key component of sniper movement tech, but only at higher levels. Amateurs tended to get motion sick.
Kenton was out in the lead, bringing all the flash that the blur currently eschewed. There was little sign of the other team, but they would be arriving soon; these opening seconds were one of the only points in the match where there was no frenetic conflict, but they were all the more important for that. The early tide would be determined in large part by positioning, and positioning was above all else the responsibility of the sniper.
The blur settled behind one of the small barriers at a forty-five degree angle from the start zone, which offered a vantage point on both the most likely point of enemy approach and the path for pulling Tower. It was a low opening roost for sniper, but that was calculated; on a new map, the opposition would approach more hesitantly, so there was no need for a firing line on the top yet, and taking up an unconventional position would render detection less likely. It also offered a good point to pivot to the rise behind, which would offer sniping access to the upper levels.
When its movement ceased, the blur became one with the landscape, visible now only to close inspection, likely through a scope. Adaptive camo did the most work when you were standing still, though you had to make that first shot count, since they'd trace you back really quick from it.
And throughout, the blur paid little attention to the awe-inspiring Martian landscape. It was data irrelevant to the activity at hand, visual noise distracting from the purpose. All that mattered was the players and the game.
For some reason or other, most people didn't bother to talk with the blur about new maps.
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NoLife42069
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2022 8:37 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Arch was devoured by light but he didn't fight it. His mandibles clicked and clattered together. He had done this thousands if not millions of times before.
Then he was there, on an alien planet. Personally, he missed the flashy light show, it made him feel special. Arch shook his head to get out of his thoughts.
His appearance changed again, A see-through mask appeared on his face it covered his mouth but not his mandibles. The wings folded in on themselves looking more like decals for his armor than working wings. Chitin-like armor appeared on him as he pulled out a railgun. "Don't get shot. I'm not healing again."
With those words, Arch was off. Sprinting into the map. He liked to use snipers when he was playing a charger, people never expected a sniper in close range, and with it doing damage like a shotgun it really was a great choice.
Arch muttered something and then began to levitate thanks to his anti-grav skates. He moved quickly, skating closer to the center tower. A cold, calm look in his eyes. He had earned his title as an archangel.
Then he was there, on an alien planet. Personally, he missed the flashy light show, it made him feel special. Arch shook his head to get out of his thoughts.
His appearance changed again, A see-through mask appeared on his face it covered his mouth but not his mandibles. The wings folded in on themselves looking more like decals for his armor than working wings. Chitin-like armor appeared on him as he pulled out a railgun. "Don't get shot. I'm not healing again."
With those words, Arch was off. Sprinting into the map. He liked to use snipers when he was playing a charger, people never expected a sniper in close range, and with it doing damage like a shotgun it really was a great choice.
Arch muttered something and then began to levitate thanks to his anti-grav skates. He moved quickly, skating closer to the center tower. A cold, calm look in his eyes. He had earned his title as an archangel.
I have some neat kids, check them out if you're into that sort of thing. Yes, even if a chunk of them are older than me.
Winter had done this enough times to be able to make a dramatic entrance. She spawned in with her arms raised, before giving a peace sign with her free hand, a toothy grin on her face before raising her own rapid-fire pistol. She mouthed a ’kick it’ of her own.
She was always a sucker for dramatic entrances.
Okay, though, she could see Vee’s point? Even if it was a rip-off of a rip-off, that mountain was cool It was a solid effect, even if it was daunting to hang out under the biggest volcano in the solar system.
“I won’t. Trust me”
Then, it began.
With that, Winter bolted into the map. Her strategy was more of a zig-zag towards the target. If you move in a straight line, people can more easily shoot you or chase you. If you zig-zag, people will have a harder time shooting or chasing you. Common sense, really, and again, movement was itself armor. You move fast, you make yourself harder to predict, you make yourself hard to hit.
She was always a sucker for dramatic entrances.
Okay, though, she could see Vee’s point? Even if it was a rip-off of a rip-off, that mountain was cool It was a solid effect, even if it was daunting to hang out under the biggest volcano in the solar system.
“I won’t. Trust me”
Then, it began.
With that, Winter bolted into the map. Her strategy was more of a zig-zag towards the target. If you move in a straight line, people can more easily shoot you or chase you. If you zig-zag, people will have a harder time shooting or chasing you. Common sense, really, and again, movement was itself armor. You move fast, you make yourself harder to predict, you make yourself hard to hit.
Hello darkness.
The loading screen didn't take long to finish, and the six of them stepped on the surface of Mars, ready to shoot some alien invaders slash evil resistance group slash evil nebulous Megacorp cyber-samurai (take your pick). The background was cool; the Olympus made for some great scenery. The rest looked okay, but she could see more than one spot where the texture didn't load properly, showing its pixelated skin. It definitely needed some extra work.
While she was busy gazing and judging like an art critic (she imagined herself with a gaudy maroon scarf and some weird patterned shirt), the others moved forward. Ángel and Hare chose to follow their namesake; the former by jumpscaring people with a railgun shot at point-blank range, the latter by jumping and dashing around. Xtra was busy sniping people, Vee ran closer to the tower with Kenton in tow, the latter teleporting near it in a bright flash (forcing her to look away).
That left her. Wielding her gun (coincidentally the only one without some form of muzzle flash) she jogged forward, mostly shooting around corners and getting closer to the objective. She made a good distance ahead, enough to see the tower's entrance, and didn't met anyone yet; she most likely was the last one com-
Her helmet vanished in pixelated sparks as the laser hit it. She dove headfirst behind the closest wall she could find, and crawled behind it. She quickly put herself together, got in a crouch and peeked from her spot. She almost got hit again, but this time she answered with a quick burst-that went nowhere near them; All it did was making her a target for a couple more of the other team, who were loudly putting up a song she didn't recognize (she later found out it was Gangsta's Paradise. It was cool, when the volume wasn't high enough to burst her eardrums).
So here she was, crouched behind cover and hit by an avalanche of bullets and gangsta rap. Yay.
The loading screen didn't take long to finish, and the six of them stepped on the surface of Mars, ready to shoot some alien invaders slash evil resistance group slash evil nebulous Megacorp cyber-samurai (take your pick). The background was cool; the Olympus made for some great scenery. The rest looked okay, but she could see more than one spot where the texture didn't load properly, showing its pixelated skin. It definitely needed some extra work.
While she was busy gazing and judging like an art critic (she imagined herself with a gaudy maroon scarf and some weird patterned shirt), the others moved forward. Ángel and Hare chose to follow their namesake; the former by jumpscaring people with a railgun shot at point-blank range, the latter by jumping and dashing around. Xtra was busy sniping people, Vee ran closer to the tower with Kenton in tow, the latter teleporting near it in a bright flash (forcing her to look away).
That left her. Wielding her gun (coincidentally the only one without some form of muzzle flash) she jogged forward, mostly shooting around corners and getting closer to the objective. She made a good distance ahead, enough to see the tower's entrance, and didn't met anyone yet; she most likely was the last one com-
Her helmet vanished in pixelated sparks as the laser hit it. She dove headfirst behind the closest wall she could find, and crawled behind it. She quickly put herself together, got in a crouch and peeked from her spot. She almost got hit again, but this time she answered with a quick burst-that went nowhere near them; All it did was making her a target for a couple more of the other team, who were loudly putting up a song she didn't recognize (she later found out it was Gangsta's Paradise. It was cool, when the volume wasn't high enough to burst her eardrums).
So here she was, crouched behind cover and hit by an avalanche of bullets and gangsta rap. Yay.
And so began the lightshow.
True to its laser tag origins, it wasn't long before the arena was transformed into a neon nightmare, multicolored beams of light flashing through the air as the two teams fought for dominance.
Vee dashed forward alongside his teammates, following Kenton as he zig-zagged his way across the battlefield. He rushed towards a nearby chest-high wall, only instead of taking cover he leapt over it, jumping high before clicking his heels together to leap again in midair. Soaring like a majestic fucking eagle, he quickly lined up a shot with his railgun on a dude with a sonic hat in the distance, pulling the trigger to dematerialize the scrub right there and then.
It was an impressive feat, one that he had performed many times in the past. And also one that was made significantly easier by the game's exaggerated physics, further helped by the map's low gravity. There was no way he or anyone else could ever pull off a stunt like that in meatspace.
Landing with a roll, he holstered the rifle and drew his dualies, providing some covering fire for his teammates as he rushed for the tower. Whilst the rest of his team were focused on the objective, Vee had his eyes set on the Ladder of Destiny, and sure enough the first step was already ready for him to exploit.
"Nova"
He double-jumped through the air, landing on the doorframe to give his teammates a quick salute, before quickly double-jumping to the next step. It was just like how it was laid out in Vesuvius: Doorframe, Light Fixture, Wall Fan, Balcony...
Wait, where the hell was the balcony?!
Realising too late that this map didn't come with the balcony, Vee found himself soaring through the air, his eyes widening as he glanced down and realised just how high up he really was.
"Sssh-sh-sh-SHIT!" screamed Patrick, arms flailing as he plummeted towards the ground. He wouldn't hit it however, his head looking up just in time to be zapped in the face by an enemy's railgun, his vision blinded by a flash of green before rematerializing back at the spawn point.
Patrick stood there in shock, chest heaving and eyes gazing into nothingness.
Vee then slapped himself across the face, shaking his head and reorienting himself.
"Alright team, Ladder of Destiny is a bust..." said Vee, taking a moment to quickly survey the battlefield. It appeared as though the enemy team were about to claim the point, despite his teammates' best efforts. Damnit, if only there was a way to...
His eyes lit up the moment he spotted one little addition to the map that wasn't present in Vesuvius... A tall crane, not too far from the tower, facing the same side as the open window that replaced the old tower's balcony.
Vee's lips curled into a smirk. "Spoke too soon... Kenton, follow my lead next time you respawn. We're about to make history."
True to its laser tag origins, it wasn't long before the arena was transformed into a neon nightmare, multicolored beams of light flashing through the air as the two teams fought for dominance.
Vee dashed forward alongside his teammates, following Kenton as he zig-zagged his way across the battlefield. He rushed towards a nearby chest-high wall, only instead of taking cover he leapt over it, jumping high before clicking his heels together to leap again in midair. Soaring like a majestic fucking eagle, he quickly lined up a shot with his railgun on a dude with a sonic hat in the distance, pulling the trigger to dematerialize the scrub right there and then.
It was an impressive feat, one that he had performed many times in the past. And also one that was made significantly easier by the game's exaggerated physics, further helped by the map's low gravity. There was no way he or anyone else could ever pull off a stunt like that in meatspace.
Landing with a roll, he holstered the rifle and drew his dualies, providing some covering fire for his teammates as he rushed for the tower. Whilst the rest of his team were focused on the objective, Vee had his eyes set on the Ladder of Destiny, and sure enough the first step was already ready for him to exploit.
"Nova"
He double-jumped through the air, landing on the doorframe to give his teammates a quick salute, before quickly double-jumping to the next step. It was just like how it was laid out in Vesuvius: Doorframe, Light Fixture, Wall Fan, Balcony...
Wait, where the hell was the balcony?!
Realising too late that this map didn't come with the balcony, Vee found himself soaring through the air, his eyes widening as he glanced down and realised just how high up he really was.
"Sssh-sh-sh-SHIT!" screamed Patrick, arms flailing as he plummeted towards the ground. He wouldn't hit it however, his head looking up just in time to be zapped in the face by an enemy's railgun, his vision blinded by a flash of green before rematerializing back at the spawn point.
Patrick stood there in shock, chest heaving and eyes gazing into nothingness.
Vee then slapped himself across the face, shaking his head and reorienting himself.
"Alright team, Ladder of Destiny is a bust..." said Vee, taking a moment to quickly survey the battlefield. It appeared as though the enemy team were about to claim the point, despite his teammates' best efforts. Damnit, if only there was a way to...
His eyes lit up the moment he spotted one little addition to the map that wasn't present in Vesuvius... A tall crane, not too far from the tower, facing the same side as the open window that replaced the old tower's balcony.
Vee's lips curled into a smirk. "Spoke too soon... Kenton, follow my lead next time you respawn. We're about to make history."
Kicking Akamatsu in the face since 2010
It was only a split second when the blue light came off, as the momentum from Kenton's sprint gave him enough force to go through an opening that was at the top of the tower. Several others seemed to have their speed stats up to keep to pull the "first come, first serve", but the difference for Kenton was that he had his hands on a shotgun.
Sailing through the opening, Kenton's momentum had him into a slide, where the two players that tried to get to the top had the misfortunate of being blasted with the plasma shotgun. Blue lines projected out from the muzzle, striking the pair, disintegrating them into bright pixels.
To get the team to be King of the Hill, there was a large floating crown indicator above a circle that one player had to touch and stand in to be lit up in their team colors. Kenton immediately stepped in the circle. Another rival player climbed up the stairs to get to the top floor, but Kenton also blasted him.
A high kill count, but that wouldn't last. It was like Counter-Strike.
Kenton looked around, wondering when Vee and Arch were supposed to show up. "What's going on out there?" Kenton radioed his group members. Vee told the group that Ladder of Death was a bust. Those devs definitely knew people were using that exploit in the last game. Vee, however, seemed to have another card up his sleeve.
"A little busy here! You need to your asses up here, befor-" Kenton spoke too soon. Another player popped up from another opening at the opposite end with the same telegrenade trick. Same blue flash that had them slide in. The worst part is that they were mic spamming an audio file of hentai noises. They are also immediately rushing towards Kenton. Kenton tried to get the shotgun aimed at them, but the enemy player grabbed at his gun, jerking the barrel around, causing a misfire. This was followed up with a scummy move that Kenton was pissed that the devs didn't get rid of. The moment that he saw the shock fist glove being balled up into a fist by the enemy's hand, he knew this was going to be lousy.
The blow sent Kenton flying back into a wall, unable to use his other tools, because the weapon that the player used on him gave him a brief stun meter. The player followed this up by pulling out a Wild Western neon-red laser revolver that put a glowing laser round into his head.
Kenton rematerialized at the start, though Vee was waiting for him. "Have this history done quick, because there's a player with the shock glove!" Kenton said, making sure to dash along with Vee, following his lead while keeping his head down behind cover.
Sailing through the opening, Kenton's momentum had him into a slide, where the two players that tried to get to the top had the misfortunate of being blasted with the plasma shotgun. Blue lines projected out from the muzzle, striking the pair, disintegrating them into bright pixels.
To get the team to be King of the Hill, there was a large floating crown indicator above a circle that one player had to touch and stand in to be lit up in their team colors. Kenton immediately stepped in the circle. Another rival player climbed up the stairs to get to the top floor, but Kenton also blasted him.
A high kill count, but that wouldn't last. It was like Counter-Strike.
Kenton looked around, wondering when Vee and Arch were supposed to show up. "What's going on out there?" Kenton radioed his group members. Vee told the group that Ladder of Death was a bust. Those devs definitely knew people were using that exploit in the last game. Vee, however, seemed to have another card up his sleeve.
"A little busy here! You need to your asses up here, befor-" Kenton spoke too soon. Another player popped up from another opening at the opposite end with the same telegrenade trick. Same blue flash that had them slide in. The worst part is that they were mic spamming an audio file of hentai noises. They are also immediately rushing towards Kenton. Kenton tried to get the shotgun aimed at them, but the enemy player grabbed at his gun, jerking the barrel around, causing a misfire. This was followed up with a scummy move that Kenton was pissed that the devs didn't get rid of. The moment that he saw the shock fist glove being balled up into a fist by the enemy's hand, he knew this was going to be lousy.
The blow sent Kenton flying back into a wall, unable to use his other tools, because the weapon that the player used on him gave him a brief stun meter. The player followed this up by pulling out a Wild Western neon-red laser revolver that put a glowing laser round into his head.
Kenton rematerialized at the start, though Vee was waiting for him. "Have this history done quick, because there's a player with the shock glove!" Kenton said, making sure to dash along with Vee, following his lead while keeping his head down behind cover.
It's so hard when your on your own
You might fall into the Forbidden Zone
You might fall into the Forbidden Zone
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
The match was not going ideally.
Omega Squad made quick progress across the map, but their haste came at the expense of prudence. The blur was able to provide sniper cover, but only at specific times and points, with gaps and downtime in between. The most audacious members of the enemy team were quickly eliminated. A shot snapped off, straight to the head, and they were back to spawn—a solution much more elegant than how meatspace had apparently handled the problem in bygone days, when a headset would play a crashing noise and then the victim would have to physically walk back to home base to reenable their laser—but those eliminations came at a cost.
Counterplay was important. Anyone who sniped at a decent level had to know and respect that fact. A sniper rifle could reach out and touch someone from farther than most could react, and could do so with great accuracy. Snipers tended to pair this with active camouflage (the reason the blur was currently the blur), to better allow them to get into position. But if one could sit in place, functionally invisible, picking off opponents forever, then nobody would play anything but sniper.
This is to say, sniper rifles, once actually fired, were extremely obvious. Each shot brought with it a bright muzzle flash, and the trajectory of the shot was more obvious than other weapons, the projectile long and clear, lingering a second extra, almost like an arrow pointing right back to its point of origin.
If there was only one target, and you eliminated them cleanly, this was irrelevant. But in CyberTag, it was quite rare for there to be only one target with line of sight to a sniper's vantage point.
So, after every shot, the blur immediately rolled away and took off, always varying the direction so as to not become predictable. Sometimes it broke straight for its next hiding point, following an efficient and direct route. Others, it was circuitous, doubling back seconds later. Return laserfire scoured its previous post, but by then it was already gone, and the opposing team could do no more than guess which way it was headed.
It kept track of the others. They performed admirably, when it came to individual mechanics. But today, they were not a well-oiled machine. Insofar as they were finding success, they were being carried by micro, by quick shots and good aim. Their macro was all over the place, as they were separated and often outnumbered or forced into disadvantageous positions, as when the blur watched Vee attempt Tower only to discover too late that it wasn't going to work, earning a quick trip back to spawn.
Omega Squad was first to the top of the hill, but its reign was brief. Moments later, they were reconvening at base, planning a new approach.
"Established visual on the objective," the blur reported, finally at its destination, with a proper angle of fire. That was indeed a glove-wielder. "Give the word, and I'll underline it."
What precisely Vee's plan was remained nebulous, but from this perspective it would be easy to figure out and support. Sometimes, one shot at the right time and place was all that was required.
Omega Squad made quick progress across the map, but their haste came at the expense of prudence. The blur was able to provide sniper cover, but only at specific times and points, with gaps and downtime in between. The most audacious members of the enemy team were quickly eliminated. A shot snapped off, straight to the head, and they were back to spawn—a solution much more elegant than how meatspace had apparently handled the problem in bygone days, when a headset would play a crashing noise and then the victim would have to physically walk back to home base to reenable their laser—but those eliminations came at a cost.
Counterplay was important. Anyone who sniped at a decent level had to know and respect that fact. A sniper rifle could reach out and touch someone from farther than most could react, and could do so with great accuracy. Snipers tended to pair this with active camouflage (the reason the blur was currently the blur), to better allow them to get into position. But if one could sit in place, functionally invisible, picking off opponents forever, then nobody would play anything but sniper.
This is to say, sniper rifles, once actually fired, were extremely obvious. Each shot brought with it a bright muzzle flash, and the trajectory of the shot was more obvious than other weapons, the projectile long and clear, lingering a second extra, almost like an arrow pointing right back to its point of origin.
If there was only one target, and you eliminated them cleanly, this was irrelevant. But in CyberTag, it was quite rare for there to be only one target with line of sight to a sniper's vantage point.
So, after every shot, the blur immediately rolled away and took off, always varying the direction so as to not become predictable. Sometimes it broke straight for its next hiding point, following an efficient and direct route. Others, it was circuitous, doubling back seconds later. Return laserfire scoured its previous post, but by then it was already gone, and the opposing team could do no more than guess which way it was headed.
It kept track of the others. They performed admirably, when it came to individual mechanics. But today, they were not a well-oiled machine. Insofar as they were finding success, they were being carried by micro, by quick shots and good aim. Their macro was all over the place, as they were separated and often outnumbered or forced into disadvantageous positions, as when the blur watched Vee attempt Tower only to discover too late that it wasn't going to work, earning a quick trip back to spawn.
Omega Squad was first to the top of the hill, but its reign was brief. Moments later, they were reconvening at base, planning a new approach.
"Established visual on the objective," the blur reported, finally at its destination, with a proper angle of fire. That was indeed a glove-wielder. "Give the word, and I'll underline it."
What precisely Vee's plan was remained nebulous, but from this perspective it would be easy to figure out and support. Sometimes, one shot at the right time and place was all that was required.
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NoLife42069
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2022 8:37 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
"Don't fuck with me on my cybergrind." Arch muttered as he fired a shot from his railgun into an unfortunate player. However, RNJesus did not look kindly on either of them. As the claws on Arch's insectoid armor began to glow a golden hue, A distinct term from a separate video game was spoking over the coms. "V, you really need to play less Cyberpunk." Arch's claws tore through the player's throat turning them into beautiful lights. It took him a solid three hours to change the skin on the laser dagger to work with his claws. They have been his melee weapon since.
Then V died, soon after Ken ate shit. "Would it be too much to ask for you all to stop dying?" Arch was sprinting to the center, he had a little trick planned.
Arch made it to the bottom and swapped his railgun for a plasma revolver and a laser pistol. "I'm at the base of the tower. Give the word V and I'll storm it."
Right as he finished his words he came under fire, Arch jumped into cover and began to fire back. "If you can make history quickly it would be much appreciated."
Then V died, soon after Ken ate shit. "Would it be too much to ask for you all to stop dying?" Arch was sprinting to the center, he had a little trick planned.
Arch made it to the bottom and swapped his railgun for a plasma revolver and a laser pistol. "I'm at the base of the tower. Give the word V and I'll storm it."
Right as he finished his words he came under fire, Arch jumped into cover and began to fire back. "If you can make history quickly it would be much appreciated."
I have some neat kids, check them out if you're into that sort of thing. Yes, even if a chunk of them are older than me.
One problem with the speedster life, though, is that you go out easily in a few hits. Usually Winter had the reflexes needed to overcome this. But, there were ways to take a speedster out.
Winter heard snippets of the convo right before she was about to gank someone, and–
She got K.O’d in a few rapid hits.
It turns out that someone set up a pretty good sentry point. Seriously, you need to be careful of those things! Someone sets them up at a pretty good chokepoint, then you get distracted and then get killed. Thats taken out many a good speedster.
One respawn and more angry posing later, and she scowled.
“Apparently we can’t stop dying,” she said. “There’s not just shock gloves but good sentry spots and they’re fucking playing shitty audio while doing it. So if we can make history by wasting them…”
Seriously, dying to hentai moans and obnoxious music that somehow overpowered her Carpenter Brut was humiliating. It gave her a mod idea, but honestly, it’d have to wait. The bomb that played lewd audio was only a blip in comparison to her current annoyance.
Winter heard snippets of the convo right before she was about to gank someone, and–
She got K.O’d in a few rapid hits.
It turns out that someone set up a pretty good sentry point. Seriously, you need to be careful of those things! Someone sets them up at a pretty good chokepoint, then you get distracted and then get killed. Thats taken out many a good speedster.
One respawn and more angry posing later, and she scowled.
“Apparently we can’t stop dying,” she said. “There’s not just shock gloves but good sentry spots and they’re fucking playing shitty audio while doing it. So if we can make history by wasting them…”
Seriously, dying to hentai moans and obnoxious music that somehow overpowered her Carpenter Brut was humiliating. It gave her a mod idea, but honestly, it’d have to wait. The bomb that played lewd audio was only a blip in comparison to her current annoyance.
~Livin' in a gangsta's paradise~
She was still stuck. The game went on and everyone else moved, but she was still pinned by no less than three people who were definitely taking their time in picking her off.
And if anyone asked, she was drawing fire.
Still, she couldn't just stay there, not when everyone was going ahead. Her gun, her conspicuously double-barreled one, started humming and crackling as she held down the trigger. It didn't glow, or flash or anything. The HUD was enough to tell when it'll be ready, and when it will-
She sprinted away from her cover, finding herself in the middle of a (too bright) space rave. At the same time her finger relaxed, and the gun fired; not lasers though. A grenade-looking sphere flew in an arc, landing and blowing up right between the first two guys who thought of her as an easy picking. They were blown off their feet, stuck and unable to move, while she blasted away the sniper and later the felled two.
And if anyone asked, this happened. Guess who got another bullet in the head after immediately peeking her head out?
She sighed as she respawned, her armor returning over her while she went through the road, again.
She wasn't enjoying much on her own. Maybe they could chill somewhere else later?
She was still stuck. The game went on and everyone else moved, but she was still pinned by no less than three people who were definitely taking their time in picking her off.
And if anyone asked, she was drawing fire.
Still, she couldn't just stay there, not when everyone was going ahead. Her gun, her conspicuously double-barreled one, started humming and crackling as she held down the trigger. It didn't glow, or flash or anything. The HUD was enough to tell when it'll be ready, and when it will-
She sprinted away from her cover, finding herself in the middle of a (too bright) space rave. At the same time her finger relaxed, and the gun fired; not lasers though. A grenade-looking sphere flew in an arc, landing and blowing up right between the first two guys who thought of her as an easy picking. They were blown off their feet, stuck and unable to move, while she blasted away the sniper and later the felled two.
And if anyone asked, this happened. Guess who got another bullet in the head after immediately peeking her head out?
She sighed as she respawned, her armor returning over her while she went through the road, again.
She wasn't enjoying much on her own. Maybe they could chill somewhere else later?
Kenton was on board. Xtra was on board. Archie was... Giving him lip, big shocker there. Playing at cyberpunk? As if. They were fuckin' living it.
"Shit happens, got distracted thinking about what your mother and I were up to last night..." Vee retorted, letting go of his earpiece to give Kenton a quick nod. Hareraiser and Amy both respawned not long after, Vee silently gesturing for them to go regroup with Archangel. They didn't have long until the enemy team gained a sizable lead, so he had to move fast and explain the plan on the go.
"Alright Kent, we go through all the usual motions with the Ladder of Destiny, but instead of going for the balcony you're gonna yeet one of your telenades through the window. Got that?"
An exchange of thumbs ups was made, the corner of Vee's lip curling into a half-smirk. "Nova... As for me, I've got an idea" he added, glancing back at the crane looming in the distance.
Before long they had returned to the tower, dodging lasers like it was Mission Impossible, his finger returning to his earpiece. "X, start underlining mother fuckers stat! Amy and Hareraiser, back up Arch! Arch, you know what to do..." he barked, whipping out his dualies once more as he double-jumped his way through the ongoing lightshow, landing feet first on the doorframe.
From there on, he and Kenton went through the usual motions, reflexively going through every step of the way. Doorframe, Light Fixture, Wall Fan... Balcony. Only instead of going for the non-existent balcony like last time, Vee leapt up and pressed his feet against the wall, double jumping away from it.
He soared majestically through the air, taking full advantage of Cybertag's low gravity, his feet out straight like he was attempting the world's greatest dropkick. His legs pressed up against the crane, bending down like a spring, before kicking away from it back towards the window.
Around the same time he flew inside, a grenade was flung through and Kenton materialized beside him, the two immediately unleashing a volley of neon into the unexpecting saps that the rest of his team were keeping distracted. Several shots into the back of each, and a couple extra for the noob support trying (and failing) to heal their teammates. Cry me a river, Red Cross.
All the while, the rest of his teammates cleaned house. Xtra capped a wannabe ninja who just decloaked in the corner, head shotting him right through the opening she was scoping out. Kenton managed to repay Mr Shockmaster with a burst of plasma to the back of the head. Archie stormed on in, blamming the jagoff blaring hentai moans through his mic with a well placed plasma round between the eyes. Hareraiser was able to clear the sentry nest, taking advantage of the chaos by quickly zipping in and out, leaving an explosive charge in her wake. And Amy... Well, she was there as well, and that's all that mattered.
The tower cleared, V-Raptor couldn't help but grin, creaking his neck as Omega Squad secured the point. Now this... THIS right here is why they were destined for greatness. Why none of the other gamers in their class - nay - the entire west coast stood a chance against them in the arena. Out in meatspace, they were nothings. Losers, nerds, whatever outdated jargon was appropriate. But here, in what was quickly becoming the real world? Here they were gods.
"Fuckin' preem work, team" he cheers, watching the clock tick down, their victory imminent. "Lets drop by one of Amy's cyberbars after this, root beer's on me..."
"R-r-root beer's on me..."
"R-R-R-Rrrroot bBBbbeersss on m-m-m-m-eeEEeEeeeeeeee..."
The background music started playing up, repeating the same beat over and over again. The lag became so horrific that it felt like people were jumping all over the place, frozen in brief snapshots as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.
Then, the world froze.
Patrick's eyes lit up with panic.
And everything went black.
Patrick opened his eyes, sitting alone once more in his bedroom, forcibly returned to meatspace against his own will.
"No... Nonono, don't fuckin'..." he gasps, trying to boot Cybertag back up again. No use, the server was down. How? What the hell happened?
Did some scumfuck son of a bitch DDoS them? THEM?! No way, no fucking way!
He desperately tried logging in again and again, but it was no use. No doubt about it, some pissant had hacked their server and caused it to crash on purpose. The timing was just too perfect for it to be a random outage.
All he could do now was sit there, in his t-shirt and pyjama pants, wondering who the hell had decided to make an enemy out of Omega Squad.
((Omega Squad, logging out...))
"Shit happens, got distracted thinking about what your mother and I were up to last night..." Vee retorted, letting go of his earpiece to give Kenton a quick nod. Hareraiser and Amy both respawned not long after, Vee silently gesturing for them to go regroup with Archangel. They didn't have long until the enemy team gained a sizable lead, so he had to move fast and explain the plan on the go.
"Alright Kent, we go through all the usual motions with the Ladder of Destiny, but instead of going for the balcony you're gonna yeet one of your telenades through the window. Got that?"
An exchange of thumbs ups was made, the corner of Vee's lip curling into a half-smirk. "Nova... As for me, I've got an idea" he added, glancing back at the crane looming in the distance.
Before long they had returned to the tower, dodging lasers like it was Mission Impossible, his finger returning to his earpiece. "X, start underlining mother fuckers stat! Amy and Hareraiser, back up Arch! Arch, you know what to do..." he barked, whipping out his dualies once more as he double-jumped his way through the ongoing lightshow, landing feet first on the doorframe.
From there on, he and Kenton went through the usual motions, reflexively going through every step of the way. Doorframe, Light Fixture, Wall Fan... Balcony. Only instead of going for the non-existent balcony like last time, Vee leapt up and pressed his feet against the wall, double jumping away from it.
He soared majestically through the air, taking full advantage of Cybertag's low gravity, his feet out straight like he was attempting the world's greatest dropkick. His legs pressed up against the crane, bending down like a spring, before kicking away from it back towards the window.
Around the same time he flew inside, a grenade was flung through and Kenton materialized beside him, the two immediately unleashing a volley of neon into the unexpecting saps that the rest of his team were keeping distracted. Several shots into the back of each, and a couple extra for the noob support trying (and failing) to heal their teammates. Cry me a river, Red Cross.
All the while, the rest of his teammates cleaned house. Xtra capped a wannabe ninja who just decloaked in the corner, head shotting him right through the opening she was scoping out. Kenton managed to repay Mr Shockmaster with a burst of plasma to the back of the head. Archie stormed on in, blamming the jagoff blaring hentai moans through his mic with a well placed plasma round between the eyes. Hareraiser was able to clear the sentry nest, taking advantage of the chaos by quickly zipping in and out, leaving an explosive charge in her wake. And Amy... Well, she was there as well, and that's all that mattered.
The tower cleared, V-Raptor couldn't help but grin, creaking his neck as Omega Squad secured the point. Now this... THIS right here is why they were destined for greatness. Why none of the other gamers in their class - nay - the entire west coast stood a chance against them in the arena. Out in meatspace, they were nothings. Losers, nerds, whatever outdated jargon was appropriate. But here, in what was quickly becoming the real world? Here they were gods.
"Fuckin' preem work, team" he cheers, watching the clock tick down, their victory imminent. "Lets drop by one of Amy's cyberbars after this, root beer's on me..."
"R-r-root beer's on me..."
"R-R-R-Rrrroot bBBbbeersss on m-m-m-m-eeEEeEeeeeeeee..."
The background music started playing up, repeating the same beat over and over again. The lag became so horrific that it felt like people were jumping all over the place, frozen in brief snapshots as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.
Then, the world froze.
Patrick's eyes lit up with panic.
And everything went black.
Patrick opened his eyes, sitting alone once more in his bedroom, forcibly returned to meatspace against his own will.
"No... Nonono, don't fuckin'..." he gasps, trying to boot Cybertag back up again. No use, the server was down. How? What the hell happened?
Did some scumfuck son of a bitch DDoS them? THEM?! No way, no fucking way!
He desperately tried logging in again and again, but it was no use. No doubt about it, some pissant had hacked their server and caused it to crash on purpose. The timing was just too perfect for it to be a random outage.
All he could do now was sit there, in his t-shirt and pyjama pants, wondering who the hell had decided to make an enemy out of Omega Squad.
((Omega Squad, logging out...))
Kicking Akamatsu in the face since 2010
“Time to take a break…”
Inside the dimly lit room, of walls plastered in band posters and black lights, there were a few clicks of a mouse, even less hotkeys clicked. Once you’ve done it so many times, it’s just copy+paste, fill in the details, and submit-
“Go outside, get some fresh air…”
Zorin watched the gaggle of IP’s he’d gathered go from green to red. He leaned back, popped his spine against his chair. The numbers stayed red. They should stay red for a couple of hours at most, maybe less if they call their service provider. He smiled.
He laughed.
“Pfft-HAAaaa-hahaha! Get rekt losers! Run a VPN next time you fffffucking cro-magnon fuckwits! Hahahahah!”
Today was a good day; he couldn’t wait to hear about the salt mine he formed on Monday.
He stood up, still laughing. He closed his laptop.
Inside the dimly lit room, of walls plastered in band posters and black lights, there were a few clicks of a mouse, even less hotkeys clicked. Once you’ve done it so many times, it’s just copy+paste, fill in the details, and submit-
“Go outside, get some fresh air…”
Zorin watched the gaggle of IP’s he’d gathered go from green to red. He leaned back, popped his spine against his chair. The numbers stayed red. They should stay red for a couple of hours at most, maybe less if they call their service provider. He smiled.
He laughed.
“Pfft-HAAaaa-hahaha! Get rekt losers! Run a VPN next time you fffffucking cro-magnon fuckwits! Hahahahah!”
Today was a good day; he couldn’t wait to hear about the salt mine he formed on Monday.
He stood up, still laughing. He closed his laptop.
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.