AFTER: Zero Life (WIP) *Tiny Update 9/10*

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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I’ve been working on my game for about a month and a half, but not making much headway due to having too many kids and not enough free time. Yesterday I was finally able to sit and complete the first chapter entirely, which felt pretty darn good. Coming off of that little ego boost, I’ve decided to post here in the hopes of getting some feedback (and keeping myself motivated in the process :wink: ) I’ll post the file once I get a little more completed and figure out just how to post the files. Please feel free to comment on the idea for now, and I hope you’ll be willing to check it out as it comes to life.

You play as a Delhuman, the 4th evolution of humanity and the newest race to join the Tasmaii Incorporate, who is given the opportunity to leave Earth behind and travel to Doldes, the TI’s most prized city planet. As you traverse this new world, you’ll meet new Planetary Races, some friend and some foe, as the different relationships you forge help to shape your story. Claim your side in one of the biggest issues dividing the Tasmaii people, Functional Cellular Stasis. Will you stand with the Government, which makes it illegal to age naturally? Will you join forces with the religious Elds, who fight as rebels and outlaws, willing to die for their right to die naturally? Will you find a path that’s all your own, uncovering the histories and mysteries of the Planetary Races along the way? Or will you flounder in the Doldesian society? The choices are yours.

4/18/17 - First chapter is up! Check it out here
4/19/17 - Updated Planetary Races Reference Material on Stat Screen
6/07/17 - Spelling/Grammar error fix
7/10/17 - Added CJW’s save feature. Added achievements.
8/11/17 - Spelling/Grammar error fix
9/10/17 - Added a relationship stat bar for Sekk on the Stat Screen.

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Thought that said dulahan for a sec but this seems interesting. So the religious government makes it illegal to age naturally? Can you explain a little more what you mean there?

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For Science!

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Actually, once I upload, there are reference materials in the stats screen that explain everything thoroughly. I can try to sum it up, though.

Religious Government was actually a typo. Government is on one side, and Religion on the other (The Elds), so I’ll fix that in the OP, sorry.

Essentially, the Government has taken on FCS as the standard, and as a way to control the people, enforcing it at first as preferred, but eventually moving toward punishment for those who refuse the procedure. Birth allowances are made to adjust the population, but there is a long application process, and as such, there are very few children in the system. The reigning government happens to be run by the Planetary Race responsible for FCS, and so there are cultural issues at play as well. (The Kothrani are a particularly prideful and intolerant race)

The Religious aspect is formed by the Delhumans who begin the Church of the Linear path. This group lives by the principles of Human Origins, in which they are born, grow, reproduce, and die on a natural timeline. They see it as a slight against their own humanity to have potential everlasting life.

I should clarify that, once one undergoes FCS, cells no longer reproduce or repair themselves, meaning that injury or illness can still kill a person.

I know that isn’t the best description. I wanted to give a little info quickly before I need to step away for the evening. I’ll stop back in later tonight and try to answer any other questions.

Also, and sadly, no Celty in this piece of fiction. (Dullahan!)

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This is awesome! I knew a very small amount about similar research, but I’ve never read this, so it’ll be insanely helpful. Thanks!

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So basically people are immortal is what you’re saying and the Elds want to age naturally like humans in the past? And aging naturally is used as punishment? Even more interesting. You’ve got the whole mortal vs immortal deal but in a very different way. Usually it’s millions of mortals vs the few immortals but you flipped it around. Really interesting.

Also this doesn’t sound particularly right to me. Even if we are mortal, our cells reproduce and repair damage. It just after so many years, our cells can no longer keep up. Immortals don’t have to worry about this because their cells always keep up. Is this how you’re trying to say it or something close to it? Not trying say you should this or anything just looking for clarification so I can understand this correctly.

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Here’s the explanation of FCS as I have it written in the references:

“In 3194, a Kothrani scholar named Fleis Dahhl discovered what was, and what remains,
the closest comparison to immortality the Tasmaii Incorporate has ever known. Dahhl
found a way permanently stall cell growth, and thus preempt cell death, while maintaining
the cell’s function and health. This meant that a being could effectively stop aging at
any given point in it’s life while continuing to learn, grow, and function as they always had.
Cells would not need to replicate or regenerate, as they never degraded or mutated.
The main detriment to Dahhl’s discovery, which he termed Functional Cell Stasis, was that cells
could not repair themselves if damaged, leading to permanent injury. This also meant that
one could still die, and quite easily, if they came to physical harm.”

And aging naturally is a punishment for those in the Incorporate who adhere to the standard and the law. The other Planetary Races have been a part of the TI since before Dahhl’s discovery, and all were able to transition to the FCS model over time. Delhumans, on the other hand, have only recently become a part of the Incorporate, and have had little time to adjust and transition, making it much more difficult for them, especially given the ways in which the natural aging process influences human ideals and culture. For Delhumans, being forced to undergo Functional Cell Stasis is, in effect, taking a piece of their ancestral and cultural heritage. For them, punishments range from orstacization, to imprisonment, to death.

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So…theoretically, you could die from a paper cut?

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Well, technically. If you didn’t have it treated, it wouldn’t heal. You could slowly slooooowly bleed to death. Though, I doubt many creatures, especially intelligent ones, would just sit and watch that happen. I would imagine that a society with the technology to halt cell growth and prevent cell death would likely have a way to close up a paper cut.

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Are you kidding?
It’s the year 3000+ and paper technology has made paper sharper than a lightsaber :smiley:
Deadly stuff !!!

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Oh okay that makes sense. So basically those who undergo FCS are immortal but can be killed very easily and those who didn’t can’t live forever but can recover from injuries. That’s really interesting. Man everyone must be extra careful. One wrong move and you’d be dead. Meanwhile the mortals are like I could survive that.

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Imagine being bifurcated by a paper airplane? Talk about error plane.

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And that’s your one for the evening :wink:

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Aw come on!! I’m on a roll. Once this trains starts, there aren’t any stops. I got so much more in the chamber.

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(:musical_note: comical tuba :musical_note:)

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Well, I spent all of my free time today reworking my stat system. I didn’t love it before, and it didn’t seem quite fitting for the story I was telling. I’ve streamlined some things and combined others so that, not only does it help me keep better track of the variables, but it also helps keep the player engaged without bogging them down entirely with stat-heavy scenes. Each stat-changing choice has better purpose, now. I feel pretty good about it.

Once the stats are polished, I’ll post up the intro chapter for feedback.

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Wouldn’t it be a trombone? :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway. I have no comments, except that I’m looking forward to seeing what you make of this.

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I was thinking more Price Is Right fail tuba. :laughing:

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All right, everyone, I’ve finally got chapter one uploaded and available to play through on DashingDon. I know there are some spelling/grammatical errors to work out, but feel free to note anything you find. All constructive feedback is extremely appreciated, as is all of the positivity and encouragement I’ve received from all of you so far.

I had hubby, who has a background in writing/journalism, read through for the first time tonight. He’s a brutally honest guy, but he gave me some amazingly positive feedback as well. “I liked it so much, I forgot you wrote it!” Thanks, honey. :laughing:

Anyway, I’ll keep plugging away at chapter 2, so hopefully I won’t keep you waiting too long.

Enjoy!

Edit: I just want to state that the “Planetary Races” references are not yet included, as I’m still working through them, even though they’re brought up in the chapter.

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UPDATE 4/19 Added Planetary Race Reference Material in Stats

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