The Guild gets together on the DLC

[13:17] <@aberrant[DM]> Amelia, you just finished talking with Harvey
[13:17] <@aberrant[DM]> http://pastebin.com/BiPS4SRX
[13:18] <@aberrant[DM]> You flip back to UNOnline and pull up your guild's settings panel.
[13:18] <@aberrant[DM]> There's a list of your current guild members and an invite button at the bottom right.
[13:18] <@aberrant[DM]> Everything is as expected, but you notice an additional name at the bottom: firsthandEntropy.
[13:19]  * objectiveDispute mouses over for any information
[13:19] <@aberrant[DM]> A little bubble pops up saying that they have been a member since 5 minutes ago.
[13:20] <objectiveDispute> "Hm, that's odd. I don't know anyone with that handle."
[13:21]  * objectiveDispute clicks on invite to add firsthandEntropy to main chat
[13:21] <@aberrant[DM]> It seems that user is automatically in the chat since they are in the guild already, unlike Harvey.
[13:22] <objectiveDispute> "Hm, okay."
[13:22]  * objectiveDispute clicks over to main chat to see who is online
[13:23] <@aberrant[DM]> You see some activity in the main chat
[13:23] <objectiveDispute> "Hey guys, I'm going to add someone new."
[13:24] <@aberrant[DM]> It seems that Amelia, Bayith, Lutrin, Feraku, and firsthandEntropy are all online
[13:24] <@aberrant[DM]> In the chat you see
[13:24] <@aberrant[DM]> -- firsthandEntropy has accepted intrinsicAnalyst's guild invitation! --
[13:24] <@aberrant[DM]> FE: Hello? FE: Someone from the guild invited me. They gave me this DLC... FE: I haven't seen this screen before.
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> PL: Hey, yo, how's it, going? Yeah, I haven't, seen this, screen either. I actually, only just, found out, about this, DLC, which is weird, because I stay, up to date, on most gaming, things.
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> PL: So, who invited, you? I don't, remember, anyone mentioning, a new, member.
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> FE: I think it was somethingAnalyser. I don't remember.
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> FE: This DLC came out today apparently. I just looked it up.
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> ((that's it in the chat window))
[13:25] <@aberrant[DM]> ((you all can talk now except for Harvey for now))
[13:26] <objectiveDispute> Who are you, firsthandEntropy?
[13:26] <firsthandEntropy> I am firsthandEntropy of course.
[13:26] <objectiveDispute> Do you have a name?
[13:26] <firsthandEntropy> Yes. I am using the one I use for computers right now.
[13:27] <objectiveDispute> Well...okay?
[13:27] <passiveLinguist> somethingAnalyser?  I don't think I know them.
[13:27] <objectiveDispute> Who added you?
[13:27] <objectiveDispute> Me either.
[13:27] <firsthandEntropy> someone just asked that. I don't remember exactly, it was a few minutes ago.
[13:28] <objectiveDispute> intrinsicAnalyst?
[13:28] <objectiveDispute> Do any of you know them?
[13:28] <firsthandEntropy> oh, ya. thats the person.
[13:28] <objectiveDispute> I sure don't.
[13:29] <objectiveDispute> Though, I do have someone that's interested in joining.
[13:29] <objectiveDispute> I'm going to add them in, so you all can speak
[13:30] <firsthandEntropy> Does anyone know what this circle thing is on the screen? I can't find any walkthroughs.
[13:30]  * objectiveDispute searches through contacts to find seriousSalamander
[13:31] <@aberrant[DM]> You find it.
[13:31]  * objectiveDispute clicks to add them to the guild's group chat
[13:31] <@aberrant[DM]> seriousSalamander
[13:31] <@aberrant[DM]> You receive a private message from objectiveDispute
[13:31] <@aberrant[DM]> "objectiveDispute has sent you an invitation for you to join their guild! Accept?"
[13:32] <SeriousSalamander> * Accept
[13:32] <@aberrant[DM]> You immediately receive a second private message
[13:32] <@aberrant[DM]> This one from daringDiversion, titled "Welcome to the Guild!"
[13:34] <@aberrant[DM]> It says "WELCOME TO THE AWESOME GUILD NOOOOOOB!!!!! GET READY TO WRECK SOME SHIT!!!!" and you get a ping from the H-M DRM that a new game has been added to your library and installed.
[13:35] <SeriousSalamander> * Harvey is concerned about the game auto-installed into his library
[13:35] <SeriousSalamander> * The lack of warning is very concerning
[13:35] <@aberrant[DM]> You investigate further, and find the program appears to be that DLC package you know H-M released earlier today.
[13:35] <@aberrant[DM]> It was actually surprisingly expensive, even for H-M standards.
[13:36] <@aberrant[DM]> Looks like you got it for free from this daringDiversion person? The PM had the game attached as a gift it seems.
[13:37] <SeriousSalamander>  * Harvey researches the game on the internet to find out what the DLC is and, more importantly, if any spyware is hidden in it
[13:37] <@aberrant[DM]> You find a slew of the usual trailers and announcements from H-M, but now that the game is released, there is quite a bit of reviews and screenshots that you can see.
[13:38] <@aberrant[DM]> There's a sort of world selection screen, character creation and importing, and most of the other stuff you'd expect from UNOnline.
[13:38] <SeriousSalamander> * Harvey finds no indication of spyware and thus decides to install the game
[13:38] <@aberrant[DM]> Most of the reviews you can find so far are quite positive, praising the game as "a breakthrough in immersive role-playing"
[13:38] <@aberrant[DM]> The game installs, and a PLAY button appears int he DRM.
[13:38] <SeriousSalamander> * Harvey hits PLAY
[13:39] <@aberrant[DM]> Eventually the small window with loading bar finishes loading and the window grows to fill a fair chunk of the screen. You see the intro sequence to UNOnline and then the main menu!
[13:39] <@aberrant[DM]> It looks pretty similar to the normal menu except instead of "Join Server", "Options", "My Account", "My Guild", and "Exit", the only options are "Join Game", "Options", and "Exit". The usual upbeat electronic music fills your speakers and the painted landscapes of UNOnline gently move in the background, except these scenes aren't any places you remember seeing in the game.
[13:40]  * SeriousSalamander hits "Options"
[13:41] <@aberrant[DM]> You see sections for GAME OPTIONS VIDEO OPTIONS AUDIO OPTIONS
[13:41] <@aberrant[DM]> The game options menu is currently open and you can see settings for Game Difficulty Game Mode Account Type Game Location Game Controls Mouse Sensitivity
[13:41]  * SeriousSalamander hits "Game Difficulty"
[13:42] <@aberrant[DM]> GAME DIFFICULTY: NOVICE EASY NORMAL CHALLENGING VETERAN DEITY
[13:42] <@aberrant[DM]> Normal seems to be currently selected.
[13:42]  * SeriousSalamander selects the easiest difficulty
[13:42] <@aberrant[DM]> You do so.
[13:43] <@aberrant[DM]> ==>
[13:43]  * SeriousSalamander goes back to the main menu and hits "Join Game"
[13:44] <@aberrant[DM]> The window fades to black with a dramatic drumroll and crash of the cymbals, and a loading bar appears along with the H-M logo gently hovering above it.
[13:44] <@aberrant[DM]> After a little while the loading bar finishes filling to a loud fanfare of brass trumpets! The loading bar fades while the fanfare continues and a royal court fades in on the screen.
[13:44] <@aberrant[DM]> You recognize much of the art and style as that of UNOnline, maybe the royal court in the Red Mountains? That looks right.
[13:44] <@aberrant[DM]> A cutscene continues showing the monarch leading forth their armies from the castle to war, and a montage, complete with dramatic cinematography, orchestrated soundtrack, and callbacks to notable locations in the UNOnline world.
[13:45] <@aberrant[DM]> The cinematography increases in speed, flashing from scene to scene more and more frequently. Each scene shows wildly different landscapes, some of which you definitely recognize from UNOnline, but others of which seem totally unfamiliar, all torn apart by war and in the midst of great destruction.
[13:45] <@aberrant[DM]> The music and scene-switching build and build and build in intensity and volume, climaxing with an abrupt strike of a gong and a black screen.
[13:45] <@aberrant[DM]> The silhouette of a large monster fades in with glowing eyes, and a deep chuckle echoes through your speakers.
[13:45] <@aberrant[DM]> ((large monster silhouette: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mspaintadventures/images/e/e2/Bk2.png/revision/latest?cb=20120119201212 ))
[13:45] <@aberrant[DM]> UNOnline: The Curse of the Dark Crusade fades in at the bottom of the screen and below it in small text it says click to continue
[13:46]  * SeriousSalamander clicks continue
[13:46] <@aberrant[DM]> Well that was certainly a much higher production value intro than any other part of UNOnline! Hopefully the game will be just as good?
[13:46] <@aberrant[DM]> A screen similar to UNOnline's world selection screen pops up, but there are parts of it that are quite different. You see a list along the left of a bunch of usernames:
[13:47] <@aberrant[DM]> architectingScientist napalmProsthesis objectiveDispute mercurialHermit passiveLinguist maleVillager nimblePortrait firsthandEntropy seriousSalamander
[13:47] <@aberrant[DM]> All of them are green except for napalmProsthesis, maleVillager, and nimblePortrait which are red.
[13:47] <@aberrant[DM]> Epic music kicks in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoaCtaBTvk4
[13:48] <@aberrant[DM]> Instead of the list of worlds to choose from, you see a..... stone circle? It seems divided into thirds right now. In each of the top and lower right thirds there is a square medallion with some UNOnline character's face on it, and in the lower left sector there's a dotted square.
[13:48] <@aberrant[DM]> A solid white curved arrow points from the medallion in the lower right sector to the one on the top. Above the whole circle is a square medallion with your mage's face on it and at the bottom is a Guild Chat box.
[13:48] <@aberrant[DM]> To everyone else except Harvey, you see the following:
[13:48] <@aberrant[DM]> seriousSalamander appears as a red name in the guild usernames list and then shortly turns green.
[13:48] <@aberrant[DM]> The following text pops up in the group chat
[13:49] <@aberrant[DM]> -- seriousSalamander has accepted objectiveDispute's guild invitation! --
[13:49] <@aberrant[DM]> ((continue talking as you were))
[13:49] <objectiveDispute> Well, here he is.
[13:50] <firsthandEntropy> I'm going to start clicking on things.
[13:50] <firsthandEntropy> This looks like a menu or something.
[13:50]  * firsthandEntropy starts clicking on the medallion stuff
[13:50] <objectiveDispute> Yeah, there is.
[13:51] <@aberrant[DM]> When you click on your medallion, you notice that you pick it up with your cursor and it follows your cursor around.
[13:51] <passiveLinguist> oh, so we have, another, new, member now?
[13:52] <objectiveDispute> He's an old friend of mine.
[13:52] <passiveLinguist> Is, he, human?
[13:52]  * firsthandEntropy continues dragging the medallions around, dropping it on top of various things
[13:52] <objectiveDispute> I knew we needed some new members, so I thought he could test the waters.
[13:52] <objectiveDispute> Yes.
[13:53] <objectiveDispute> I'll let him introduce himself
[13:53] <@aberrant[DM]> You find your medallion snaps into place in the dotted square in the third sector of the circle.
[13:53] <objectiveDispute> seriousSalamander?
[13:53] <@aberrant[DM]> As soon as you do (everyone sees it))
[13:54] <objectiveDispute> Well, there's another medallion
[13:54] <passiveLinguist> Huh, what the, fuck just, happened?
[13:54] <@aberrant[DM]> The sectors in the circle shrink to make room for a fourth sector
[13:54] <@aberrant[DM]> The fourth sector lies empty with a dotted square in the center.
[13:54] <firsthandEntropy> I dragged the medal thing into the circle thing.
[13:55] <objectiveDispute> I saw that.
[13:55] <objectiveDispute> No idea what that means exactly, but it didn't really do anything it seems
[13:55] <firsthandEntropy> well, nothing is happening. maybe everyone should do it to see if something happens.
[13:55] <firsthandEntropy> this is not nearly as interesting as the trailer.
[13:55] <@aberrant[DM]> Unlike Amelias and Feraku's medallions which are visually shown as welded to the gray surface below them, Morden's recently placed medallion seems to be wiggling slightly and there are no white arrows connecting it to any of the others.
[13:56] <passiveLinguist> Do I see a medallion?
[13:56] <@aberrant[DM]> Everyone, from now on, sees your own medallion at the top if you haven't placed it yet, in addition to everything placed in the circle so far.
[13:56] <firsthandEntropy> ((Did I place before amelia, or after feraku?))
[13:56] <passiveLinguist> I try to drag my medallion and drop it somewhere.
[13:57] <@aberrant[DM]> You drag your medallion around the circle and notice it snaps into one of two possible locations.
[13:57] <objectiveDispute> Well, i know we have more than three players. So, you guys may want to place your medallions if you haven't.
[13:57] <@aberrant[DM]> It either fits inside the sector right behind Morden's in the circle or it inserts itself in between Morden's and Amelia's.
[13:58] <passiveLinguist> I put the medallion in between Morden's and Amelia's.
[13:58] <@aberrant[DM]> Wherever you place, it, faint curved arrows point from the empty sector in the lower left successively to each medallion along the circle, and ending in the bright white arrow already connecting Amelia's to Feraku's
[13:58] <@aberrant[DM]> You do so.
[13:59] <@aberrant[DM]> There are now 5 sectors of the circle, with the lower left sector empty and arrows pointing counterclockwise from one medallion to the next, ending in Feraku's.
[13:59] <firsthandEntropy> This is a puzzle, isn't it. I suck at those.
[13:59] <objectiveDispute> It might. I really have no idea.
[13:59] <objectiveDispute> Did anyone place a medallion?
[14:00] <passiveLinguist> Yes, I placed one, I think.
[14:00] <objectiveDispute> Did anything happen?
[14:00] <firsthandEntropy> The pie keeps getting more faces.
[14:01] <objectiveDispute> Seems so.
[14:02] <SeriousSalamander> - what are the mission objectives
[14:03] <objectiveDispute> Well hi
[14:04] <objectiveDispute> You should probably place your medallion wherever you like.
[14:04] <objectiveDispute> Or wherever it will let you.
[14:04]  * firsthandEntropy gets disinterested, and starts doing pushups in front of the computer while waiting.
[14:04]  * SeriousSalamander places the medallion right outside the circle
[14:04] <passiveLinguist> Hey, fuckers, who hasn't, place, a GDAMN, MEDALLION
[14:05] <passiveLinguist> Lutrin headbutts her computer.
[14:05] <@aberrant[DM]> You find your medallion just floats back to its position above the circle when you do that.
[14:05] <@aberrant[DM]> It seems the medallion snaps into any of the position inside the circle between any of the existing medallions or in the empty sector.
[14:06] <@aberrant[DM]> But the game doesn't seem to let you put the medallion anywhere else outside the circle.
[14:06]  * SeriousSalamander places the medallion in the nearest empty sector
[14:06] <@aberrant[DM]> You place your medallion int he empty sector and the circle shifts to grow an extra empty sector behind you, for a total of 6 sectors now.
[14:07] <@aberrant[DM]> The arrows point around the circle in Empty --> seriousSalamander --> firsthandEntropy --> passiveLinguist --> objectiveDispute --> architectingScientist.
[14:07] <SeriousSalamander> - what do medallions do
[14:07] <objectiveDispute> I'm not sure actually.
[14:07] <objectiveDispute> Anyone else know?
[14:07]  * firsthandEntropy stops doing pushups for a moment
[14:07] <@aberrant[DM]> All of the medallions except for Feraku's and Amelia's are currently wiggling slightly.
[14:08] <@aberrant[DM]> All of you now see a button appear at the bottom of your screen that says CONFIRM.
[14:08]  * firsthandEntropy stops doing push ups and presses confirm.
[14:08]  * SeriousSalamander hits confirm
[14:08] <@aberrant[DM]> A green outline flashes around Morden's medallion and it stops wiggling.
[14:08] <@aberrant[DM]> You all see a little green "Confirmed" fade in for a moment next to his medallion.
[14:08] <@aberrant[DM]> The same thing for Harvey's.
[14:10]  * passiveLinguist presses Confirm
[14:10] <@aberrant[DM]> The same for Lutrin's.
[14:11] <firsthandEntropy> Everyone confirm. I want to start this quest.
[14:11] <@aberrant[DM]> You all see a button appear at the bottom of your panels that says "ENTER GAME".
[14:11]  * firsthandEntropy clicks
[14:11] <objectiveDispute> Seems everyone has confirmed except one.
[14:11] <@aberrant[DM]> All of the medallions are confirmed.
[14:12] <firsthandEntropy> ((Wait, are we all entering at once? :O))
[14:12] <objectiveDispute> ((that's what i'm sayin lol))
[14:13] <@aberrant[DM]> firsthandEntropy, your group chat has a new message: -- Searching for next available world..... --
[14:13] <@aberrant[DM]> The periods are scrolling like things do when stuff is loading.
[14:13]  * firsthandEntropy is waiting for the loading to finish
[14:14]  * firsthandEntropy does is normal loading screen routine
[14:14]  * firsthandEntropy his*
[14:15] <objectiveDispute> I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the medallions, but it seems that Feraku's game and mine were connected
[14:16] <passiveLinguist> So, what the, hell, are we, doing now?
[14:16]  * passiveLinguist hits her enter key
[14:16] <objectiveDispute> It might be determined by the medallions. I'm not sure.
[14:16] <objectiveDispute> It was like I was controlling her.
[14:17] <@aberrant[DM]> -- Searching for next available world..... -- pops up in Lutrin's chat.
[14:17] <@aberrant[DM]> Shortly followed by -- World Found --
[14:17] <@aberrant[DM]> -- Joining in...... 30 --
[14:17] <passiveLinguist> World, found?  Is this, like, a new, word for, servers?
[14:17] <objectiveDispute> I have no idea.
[14:17] <objectiveDispute> I've never seen that before.
[14:18] <@aberrant[DM]> -- Joining in...... 15 --
[14:19] <objectiveDispute> Oh god. 15 till what?
[14:19] <@aberrant[DM]> -- passiveLinguist Joining.... --
[14:20] <@aberrant[DM]> Lutrin's medallion is welded to the circle in a little flash of white light, and a solid yellow arrow pointing from her medallion to Amelia's appears.
[14:20] <@aberrant[DM]> Lutrin, your screen fades to black.
[14:20] <passiveLinguist> What, the fuck, is even, happening?
[14:20] <objectiveDispute> Why is yours pointing to mine?
[14:21] <objectiveDispute> What the hell?
[14:21] <@aberrant[DM]> Amelia, you recognize what is happening on the stone circle to be the same as what happened earlier with Feraku, except now Amelia is on the receiving end of the arrow.
[14:22] <objectiveDispute> What... is this what Feraku saw?