So, I've been playing this browser game, called Billy Versus Snakeman. If you want to check it out, please use the link in my sig, so I get some extra points.
A little intro of the game: The game's setting and rules are loosely based on a number of anime, with the most influential one being Naruto. Having watched the shows isn't a requirement, in any way, but there are a lot of extra jokes for people who know the source material.
For example, most of the characters are expies, characters who look just like popular trademarks, but with slightly different names and haircuts.
Players are grouped together in villages, which provide bonuses based on what buildings they have. The buildings, in turn, require resources, ryo (gold), and a minimum population to maintain. Many of the later quests require villages with a certain upgrade, for completion.
Because being in a small village is so restrictive to to higher level players, it can be difficult for small villages to retain the powerful, aggressive players they need, in order to grow.
The story:As an S1 Genin (new newbie), I was randomly assigned into "America Village." A mismanaged hole in the ground, built for the apparent purpose of allowing the founder and his two friends to farm monster drops, without much competition.
A while back, our leader made statements to the effect of "I'll be right back," and left town, to collect some quests that our town doesn't allow access to. Solidarity, FTW. He never returned.
A few months of uncoordinated flailing followed, as the replacement leader was just trying to hold down the fort, until the "real" leader got back. Our finances have been halved, in this time, as we've developed a reputation as a poorly defended town,with no coordinated offensive forces, and we lose a lot of ryo and resources to raiders.
The most brutal attack of all came late last night. A larger, better managed village sent a message to each person in our village: "You have been invited to join the Enigma Village." With morale sagging, and communications broken down, we were easy prey.
Our population is half of what it was yesterday. Among our losses are the temporary village leader (just going out to get his Sannin, he says) and the former leader's monster farming friends. The bitter fruit of their poor leadership is ours to harvest.
Most critically, with the population so reduced, many of our upgrades are actually taking damage, from lack of maintenance. An influx of players, regardless of their level, would alleviate this problem, but with so many of our players lost it will be hard to find new recruits (*cough*thelinkisinmysig*cough*).
To top it all off, a monster (a nefarious swarm of "Pokermans") attacked the village this morning, and started smashing up our crumbling buildings.
Why I plan to stick it out:Some of you might be wondering why I'm asking you to join a village, when an admittedly better one is trying to recruit me.
This is an
opportunity. --several opportunities, actually.
Large villages tend to be pretty open to new recruits. That's how they got so large. If I change my mind next week or next month or next year, Enigma village will still be there, and they'll take me in.
If America does turn out to be a total wash, I can just emigrate, any old time, but the chance to see this kind of upheaval is rare indeed. Nothing is set in stone. All of our old leaders are gone, and a new order must be forged (hopefully a better one).
The high level content will still be there later, as well. Sure, DW is getting ahead of me in the zombja (zombie ninja) mini-games that I can't access, and I might not get my storm powers until S3 Jonin, but eventually, I'll get there. I rarely have a chance to play "Turn a crumbling mass of poorly planned infrastructure and a bunch of disparate factions into a functional and organized team."
Though it says something about the number of browser games that I've played, that I already know I like that particular mini-game. It's a great challenge, and I revel in it.
Plus, there isn't going to be a lot of competition for those Pokerman's Pokerballs. I'm now the toughest monster hunter in town, and I aim to get some loot.
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Topic: Come watch my town collapse into matchsticks. (Read 8447 times)