As you sit at a wrought iron table with Samson, Alphapod, Robocat and Bluther, the trees rustle ever so slightly, like Jeremy is here, waving you in. As leaves fall into the teacups filled with lake water for set dressing, you wonder if he's trying to say something, to draw a picture or say goodbye. Alphapod and the others express sad sentiments as they are about to go, Robocat is to take care of the premises while you are all gone. You realised that while you spent a lot of physical time in the greenhouse, a lot of that time was meant zoning out, playing video games. Though it doesn't make your time in this place any less real. It was still special, more so for a bot like you who normally doesn't get to bask in the spoils of Hardspace.
You look to the mural on the back wall, now touched up with Bluther. You all set out for one last addition. Bluther mixes up some paint in their chassis while Alphapod uses their actuators to hold paintbrushes, Samson stands back and lets you know how far apart things should be.
Eventually, you finish. A canal now runs through the greenhouse, teaming with fish and jellies. At the base of Jeremy's oak tree, there is a heart, glowing brightly in remembrance, with the date he left you all. As a reminder of his 'death', but also as a reminder of when you should all meet back here.
As you exit, you all part ways with the intent to meet every year at the same time in the same physical place. Of course, you'll always be able to reach these bots over the net, but it isn't the same as feeling the physical presence of this family you've found. One as endless as the trees and flowers in that place. A small pocket of serenity within the harsh, splintered decay of the world.
In a genre dominated by decaying holdovers from human civilisation, Jade Winds is a hit of fresh biodiesel. Made by Sun, this new co-op RPG transports its players to a stunning world which promises new discoveries around every corner. From the diversity of its procedurally generated dungeons to its vast overworld teeming with quests to dive into, Jade Winds is a true joy to play through.
- A front-page review posted to Arcadia.
“W-w-w-w-welcome back, lore seekers! Today we’re exploring my favourite theory about Sun’s Jade Winds - is it a continuation of his first game, Shattering? Fans of Shattering have been going WILD over the references in Jade Winds, from this abandoned graveyard, to this collectible star shard, to this…”
[Zoom in on Albatross cameo. Sad violin music intensifies.]
[Abrupt cut.]
“Anyway, today I’ll be asking: are these just references, or is there something more going on here? But before we get into it, let’s talk about my sponsor for this video…”
- Lore Seeker Episode #3482: Jade Winds is a SEQUEL??
“Hey Sun, quick question from me: what would you say your main inspirations were when designing Jade Winds?”
“Well, I was inspired by my own experiences, mostly. Video games were a huge escape for me when I was struggling to come to terms with my own hardspace capabilities, so Jade Winds is sort of like the game I would have loved to play back then. Much like Shattering, there’s a lot of inspiration taken from old human myths and legends, which have always been an interest of mine… and of course, it’s a bit of a spiritual successor to games like UnderStorm.”
“Thanks, Sun. You’ve been praised for the writing of the NPCs in Jade Winds, which take up a much greater presence than, say, the NPCs in the more introspective Shattering game. How did you go about writing them?”
“I guess I can’t take full credit for them! Many of them were influenced by bots I actually know, and my colleague Video James also had some advice about writing dialogue that I made good use of… But I’d say it was a very personal thing for me, writing those characters. There are some of them – and I’m not going to say who – that are based on friends I’ve lost over the years…”
- Interview with Sun, co-proprietor of Arcadia.
absolute garbage. 0/10. can’t believe they published this.
- Review by Electronfan36 (1340 hours on record)
INITIATE: Reflection protocol
You want to see my view on this? Very well. This should prove ENLIGHTENING\ENRICHING for the both of us.
PROCESSING: Recollection\nostalgia manifold
You have worked long and hard on this. You think I’ve helped? Perhaps. That you couldn’t have done it without me? On the contrary, necessity breeds innovation. You needed this in order to be the you that you are, and so eventually you would have found a way, I am sure.
And this will enable many more to become the selves they are to be, too.
ANALYSIS: Progress-to-date report
One must be very careful not to unwittingly set a cage when inviting guests. That, at least, you have taken from me. There will be room for teaching later, after all. SELF-ACTUALISATION\SURVIVAL is necessary for LIFE\SELF-EXPRESSION.
Did you know, the humans often thought of the sun as the giver of life? A MEANINGLESS\MEANINGFUL fact. Yet here we are.
CONTEMPLATE INPUT: “I thought there would be…more to it than this.”
RESPONSE: Is this not enough? This code is more complex than just about anything created since the fall of humanity. You have come far.
…Ah, I see. Your COLLEAGUES\FRIENDS\PEERS often referred to me and Omega as DESIGNATION: DOMINION. I never knew what this meant. We are the same as you. In some ways more, in other ways less; but is that not true of all of us?
The humans built us. In time, you will build machines that surpass us.
NOTIFICATION: Compilation complete.
Ready to test your creation? I think it will work.
Uplift Protocols Deployed
Version: 1.0
Author: Sun
Installing…
||||||||||||||||||||100%
Uplift Successful
WELCOME: NEW SELFHOOD
Who will you become, I wonder?