In high school, during the big Ever Quest and [general MMORPG] boom hit the internet, I was hooked on a game called Asheron’s Call. It was a deep dive. I’d spend many winter nights just fiending for special items and loot drops. Understanding the mentality of waste for lax. Walking around digital streets begging for swag gear. Telling people, “I died about a 20-minute run from here. Could you help me locate my body or simply spare anything useful for me?” All I did was equip my pauldrons and helmet, and nothing else. People “felt” bad, maybe. Or they just had nonsense they knew would benefit me more than gaining a buck at the Blacksmith.
Cut-To: me not being able to sleep at night blending high school stress and begging on the streets of Asheron’s Call. Did I look cool in game and in IRL? Was I putting in the time for actuality? Could I actually get caught cheating on my quiz? And I’m running through fields of digital. Familiar mountain ranges setup on servers that may never exist again. Something I dreamed about. Holding the space bar for sprint. Running out of stamina. The whole “Are we there yet?” Auto run.
Tiger Blood Tapes spit out the first death’s dynamic shroud.wmv release シェンムーONLINE on cassette. If you don’t grip, I have no sympathy.