ham

I didn't see a post for this so I thought I'd make one.
 

I'm pretty excited for this. I've started reading the light novels for progressive and am interested in the direction they will take the movie. There's a lot of light novel material so I'm wondering if there'll be sequels to truly expand the Aincrad arc. What are your thoughts?

Hey everyone,

I figured I'd re-introduce myself since it's been six years since I've role played on here. While I don't think I will actively participate in the role play this time, I think I'll actively post in the forums in the other categories. I love reading role plays and I have a love/hate relationship with the Sword Art Online series. I'm mainly in love with the concepts but I am not very fond of some of the arcs. That doesn't stop me from watching/reading the material though.

I suppose I should start how I stumbled back to the forums and found out I was a registered user. I was looking for well thought out systems that incorporate numbers. I was browsing through several different types of Sword Art Online role plays, looking for something different. I was delighted to find there was a system here and I started reading. I then thought to make an account and found out I've been here before, six years previously to be exact. And here I am!

And now, to share a little bit about myself: I had gone through the AMT (Aviation Maintenance Technician) program and graduated but upon graduation I have had a change of heart. I decided to pick up accounting and am returning to school for that but with that there are several complications. The pandemic has kind of changed my life quite a bit so I find myself sort of stuck in limbo working on school assignments and researching mundane stuff (like role playing systems that involves numbers). Besides school, I am also learning to improve my mathematical skills and programming. Math because it's something that I feel I can always improve on and programming because its increasingly becoming in demand that people who manage/manipulate data have a surface to intermediate level of understanding of it.

Besides that, I am an avid gamer and I've done other activities such as dancing and martial arts. I don't really keep up with dancing or martial arts anymore but I probably should look into something to stay in better shape. The games I play range from competitive FPS titles (Val, CSGO, Apex Legends) to RPG titles. I've played titles as old as Final Fantasy I to something as new as the Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Although, my RPG experiences are not limited to SquareEnix titles but those are the main ones that I know people would really pick up on.

Yup, that's pretty much all there is to me. I hope to interact with y'all through Discord or the Off-Topic forums. Keep clearing floors so I can keep reading.

P.S.: I like sharks.

 

Following Five's suggestion, Ham agreed. It'd be better to go back to Horunka Village and sort out everything. Ham added Raidou and Five to his friend's list. Ham watched Raidou's confused expression and was also confused.

"HP bar, since we're in a party, you'll see our bars in the upper left side. Do you not see it?" Ham said somewhat amused and in wonderment.

[OOC]

The last ram was dead.

Ham looks over the two other players assessing their status by their HP bars. They seemed to be okay. Good.

Ham turned to Five, "You can get all the loot. Did you get everything you needed?" Their quest was arduous but hopefully it has been fruitful and Five would have attained everything he needed. Shortly, he would turn to Raidou and ask, "Are you okay? Your HP Bar seems to be alright."

Ham watched the ram attack his fellow party members and felt the immediacy of finishing the monster.

Ham wielded his spear so that his hands would be near the bottom shaft of the spear which would allow him to generate more power as he swung it into the ram. The effect Ham was hoping for was to knock the ram back a little bit and give the other two party members a chance to attack.

Upon swinging, Ham noticed the ram leap at Five and Raidou intercepting the attack. Raidou's HP went down a little bit and Five was alright. Seeing this must have confused Ham as he miscalculated the trajectory of the spear towards the monster and not wanting to hit Raidou, Ham shifted his spear to a different path.

The arc the spear took from Ham's swing missed the ram by inches. The momentum from the swing caused Ham to lose balance as he stumbled further away from where all the action was.

[OOC]

Ham's adrenaline was pumping through him now as his eyes adjusted to combat. He watches as Five nails one ram down and Raidou engage another ram that had jumped at him. Raidou seemed to reflexively hit the ram hard enough that the weapon it was carrying flew away and knocking the ram skipping along the ground.

If a person were to ask Ham, how did you come up with this plan? Ham wouldn't have an answer. Partly because Ham based a lot of his decisions on his intuition which he has come to trust as an A&P mechanic even though this was widely regarded as a bad idea. Even so, Ham still relied upon this in the most desperate of times and he seems to survive each situation unharmed. In this instance, Ham would rely on his intuition as his body took over and everything he did seemed to move organically on its own.

Ham would bring his spear down on the ram's exposed body as he felt his spear connect.

Raidou: 19/19

+2 ACC, +2 LD, +2 DMG, +2 LS 8-10, +2 DMG MITI

5iou5 6/9

Ham 6/7

War Ram 6/10

damage dealt: 2 (1 from weapon, 1 from weapon rank)

damage received:

damage mitigated: 0

"Right, let's go then," Ham watched as Kiluia took the lead and was listening to what Elyth was saying. It was true, a spear had a longer reach, more so than a one handed sword or even two handed sword. This was key to mastering a spear. Creating a range, and buffing off incoming attacks by fanning the spear dexterously in his hands.

Bringing up the rear, Ham would force himself to scan the area without using any extra skills. He would need to level them up so that he wouldn't get ambushed by players or monsters.

Kiluia seemed to be the most enthusiastic, "You all ready to go smash some heads?" Ham felt like some of his enthusiasm was rubbing off of him and felt amped about this as well.

"It's great that you're all so motivated! There it is... the Abandoned Kobold Camp!" Elyth chimed in, Ham could feel her assessing Ham's ability to stay focused. He didn't blame her for this, he would do the same if the stakes were this high.

"Oh, and Ham, it's great that you picked a spear. You can stab your foes at a moderate distance, and Kiliua and I, to some extent, can finish them off like that," Elyth was giving friendly advice to Ham, even though he knew this he was grateful for the advice. In a way, it gave him more confidence, and an objective to focus in on during their venture. "Shall we run or should we conserve energy?"

Ham's ears took this in and felt it probably would be better if they eased into the dungeon. Wasting their energy in the beginning might be suicide, "Let's take it slow, this way if we ever do have to run we can."

Ham showed his two handed spear to Elyth and looked over at Kiluia, "Do you mind being a forward? We can back you up from the sidelines or even <> to keep it going."

Ham returned his focus back to Elyth, "A map? This is great, it'll help us." The feeling of adventure had begun to tantalize Ham with possibilities. Even though the floor has already been cleared. There was always a chance something decent might drop and not to mention the invaluable experience they would get as a party venturing into a dungeon. The feeling swelled inside of Ham as his facial expression broke into a big smile.

The events that followed after was something Ham didn't expect. Both players were slipping and falling for various reasons but Ham didn't focus on those details. Instead, he focused on the ram he had just slammed into the ground which was still alive according to its HP indicator.

Ham dashes forward and brings his spear to his side and leaps up in the air for another attack. The attack starts off with the butt end of the spear in a quick jab motion that sets it up for another combo attack. The butt of the spear would slam directly into the ram and using the momentum Ham would spin the spear in his hands and hold the spear point towards the ram's vital spot in which he directed his spear to pierce through it. The force of the stab would also push the ram off balance as his hands move so that he can swing the back end of the spear in a horizontal arc that would keep the ram off balance.

Raidou: 19/19

+2 ACC, +2 LD, +2 DMG, +2 LS 8-10, +2 DMG MITI

5iou5 6/9

Ham 6/7

War Ram 2/10

DMG: = 2 (Weapon, Rank)

damage dealt: 2

damage received: 0

damage mitigated: 0

Forgetting he was still in combat Ham got carried away in conversation. At least, until a Ram slammed into Raidou and bounced off him like a ball. Ham wasn't sure if the ram was targeting him or not but for whatever reason the ram was knocked off its balance. Without needing further instruction, Ham closed the distance and slashed with his spear at the ram's exposed body. The connection would slice the ram and the system would kick in and cause Ham to go into a 3-hit combo that continued with him impaling the ram and lifting it up so that the ram slides off the spear. The ending result would leave the ram in midair as Ham would jump straight up and letting his hands slide to the end of his spear, he would slam his spear into the ram so that it would hit the ground again.

Ham landed a couple meters away as he looked over his handy work. Not bad... Ham was getting used to the game's mechanics now that fighting these monsters didn't seem like such an impossible task anymore.

Raidou: 19/19

+2 ACC, +2 LD, +2 DMG, +2 LS 8-10, +2 DMG MITI

5iou5 7/9

Ham 6/7

War Ram 4/10

DMG: = (2, weapon and rank 1) + 2 (critical, BD9) = 4

damage dealt: 4

damage received: 0

damage mitigated: 0

Ham attacked the ram and lands a critical hit for 4 damage.

Ram receives 4 damage.

Ham sees the club fly from the monster's hands and quickly charges in as his spear turns into a light blue streak. He feels the shift of his weight move along with the thrust of the spear. The attack would connect easily since the creature itself was knocked down. Ham felt the spear pierce into the creature's skin as flashes of red glow from where it was hit. The creature let a low growl before disappearing into the ether.

"Wow," Ham took his spear out and looked at it. The spear was starting to show signs of wear and tear but not too bad where it would be unusable. "You definitely have a lot of power Raidou." Ham said freely, who was in awe of Raidou's sheer strength. The loud clangs, and thudding sounds Raidou's weapon made as he wielded was also a spectacle to be experienced.

"I don't think I've ever seen a two handed sword like that ever," Ham continued as he surveyed the area for more spawns.

Raidou: 19/19

+2 ACC, +2 LD, +2 DMG, +2 LS 8-10, +2 DMG MITI

5iou5 7/9

Ham 6/7

War Ram -1/10

DMG: = 2 damage to the ram (Weapon 1, weapon rank 1)

damage dealt: 2

damage received: 0

Ham watched as the two players left the cafe. Having been robbed, Ham had no col to spend and decided to head out to the entrance first.

Upon approaching, Ham could see the first floor's theme decorating the entrance. If this were any other MMORPG, Ham felt he could easily overlook the painstaking detail the developers and Akihiko put into the game. His digital focusing brought great detail to his eyes. He was immersed for a few seconds as the lines of reality and the game began to blur.

He ran his hand over the markings, indents, and bumps. He could feel certain aspects that he expected and a certain numbness one would feel if they were to touch this object with a winter glove. You feel the object but the texture and it's intricacies are unknown to you.

Ham decided to sit near the entrance and wait for the others. He didn't remember if he explained his circumstances but he could always explain why all he had was a spear and some basic gear.

Equipping his spear, he leaned on it for support as he waited for the. He was lost in thought and would appear so to anyone that arrived.

OOC: No problem Raidou. This is all backstory for Ham's relationship to Raidou and Five. The stun thing really did confused me but whether it's legal or not we are getting some good background for all three characters and to me that's what makes role playing great!

The flip phased Ham but he didn't let up on a beat. "R-raidou is m-my name," the player wielding the two handed sword stammered. He gestured towards his ears to suggest that was how he was able to find Ham and Five. Ham wasn't concerned with this detail as he was with Raidou's earlier gruff first impression but it seems to Ham that all of that was adrenaline pumping. Now that the fights over, it made sense Raidou wasn't as aggressive. Ham took note of this.

"Let's wait for Five to catch up and head for the rams."

Ham already not liking Raidou and its reaction to the events felt that he would just have to suck it up. He's helping after all, and nowhere did it say in the Rulebook of Helping other people that they will always be understanding. The circumstances for their survival would dramatically increase Ham thought. If there's any silver lining than that would be it.

"You coming?" He heard Raidou growl a ways ahead.

Ham turned toward Five, "At least with him here, we can get your supplies. I don't think its such a bad idea to let him help us."

With that, Ham followed Raidou, trying not to show his annoyance that kept bubbling inside of him. He did save us after all...Ham kept repeating to himself. "I'm Ham like Five stated before, what's your name?"

Ham wanting to formally introduce himself and felt that it was always good to know who you'll be partying with even if their name pops up on the upper left corner of their HUD.

[OOC]

Ham would normally take extensive notes before doing something but if its brand new and there wasn't any information he'd just jump right in. He took mental notes of what everybody was saying before he made a decision. It'd probably be best to split up and then meet up at the coordinates where Floor 1 Entrance was located at. There was no danger in running into the boss room since it has been cleared already. The only real danger would be surviving the monsters that roamed this floor dungeon.

"I think we'll be fine, why don't we just get the materials and meet at these coordinates?" Ham opened up his menu and repeated the coordinates that was well known information by now for Floor 1. "All we need is a forward, we can switch if we have to. The other two can support by dealing damage from the side."

Raidou's reaction wasn't expected as he brought back up the fact that they could have died. Maybe Ham was overestimating or underestimating their circumstances but he didn't feel they were in immediate danger.

Turning to Five, he replies, "I'm alright with it. I'm not sure about the other guy though." He gestures towards the other player, still unsure of his name. Ham felt that he should have been more appreciative but he also didn't want to feel like a "sudden" burden to someone, especially someone that he barely knows.

The unexpected player dazzled Ham for a brief moment as he saw the opportunity to <> in. Without wasting time, Ham pulled himself together and jumped at the beast with the spear end down. The monster let out a dying squeal before it dissolved into a million blue polygons. It felt good to finally hit something even if it was STUNNED. Ham made a mental note to remember to figure out how to stun monsters so he wouldn't have so much trouble hitting them.

Raidou: 19/19

+2 ACC, +2 LD, +2 DMG, +2 LS 8-10, +2 DMG MITI

5iou5 7/9

Ham 6/7

woollypig 0/6

Ham does 2 damage to Wooly Pig.

Wooly Pig dies.

To Ham's surprise the wooly pig charged but its motion dissipated as it missed Five. Ham was relatively safe, and was in an opportune position to attack the monster. From his position, he pulled the spear back for its basic attack and let it pierce into the monster.

However, the Wooly Pig left its original position and walked a different way. Ham's misses are becoming somewhat of a joke.

"Well, have any of you ventured into the dungeons?" Ham asked. Floor 1 was already cleared so the danger of being in this area wasn't great but being careless wasn't a good idea. The more information he had, the better Ham felt, but if there wasn't any more they can talk about then it was time to head out.

They must have been at the mouth of the cave before Ham spotted another Wooly Pig. They were hard to miss since they were 12 ft tall. The big furry beast seemed to be alone and there weren't any other spawns nearby. Ham readied his weapon and decided to go in for the attack.

Ham would run towards the Wooly pig and somehow find himself tripping over a pebble or his own feet. Face planting into the ground, the wooly pig wouldn't sense any hate. What is up with this man? Ham thought as he tried to pick himself up hoping Five wouldn't notice but it was damn near impossible since he was right next to him.

OOC: Since, I received no reply from Latsu, I'm going to assume he has opted out unless he PMs me. I'll RP him out and we can focus on heading towards Floor 1 Dungeon.

There were occasions where players would experience lag but it was often fixed right away. As a result, some players have speculated that since Kayaba has locked all of them in the game that there was some sort of external program regulating people's latencies over the network. It was moments like these that brought them back to the reality that they are all still in a game. Of course, there were other speculations too like people on the outside were working hard to maintain the Sword Art Online servers so no one dies but the other side wasn't mentioned much.

As for Latsu, Ham noticed he was stuck in one spot. He seemed frozen in place and nothing was moving. Unsure if Latsu lagged, he watched the other players introduce themselves. Kiluia's warm greeting made Ham think differently about Latsu. These type of greetings weren't just given to every player in Aincrad.

Ham felt the tension leave his body but it was apparent that Latsu was experiencing some type of difficulty. It probably would be fixed soon but Ham didn't want to wait around.

"It looks like he might have lagged out or something," Ham said to the others. "Let's head over to a different table and discuss what we should get before we head to Floor 1 Dungeon. Honestly, I never been to a dungeon so I'm not sure what to bring."

Ham would think bringing plenty of potions would be ideal but there had to be more than that. Ham wasn't a "beater", beta testers who purposely withheld information or kept information that placed them at the advantage. Neither was he a beta tester, players who have played the game before the death game was introduced. There was a lot he didn't know but he didn't want to let his fear blind him from what was obvious.

Disoriented from Five's push but grateful for it because he was able to dodge getting damaged by the stalacite, he heard Five ask if he was okay.

Ham said, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Did you happen to hear which way the roar came from?" Five asked as Ham looked around trying to remember. It sounded like the roars came from deeper within the cave but Ham wasn't sure. They were in a cave and sound happens to echo a lot in closed spaces.

"I think it came from deeper within the cave," Ham finally replied. "I don't know if we should go deeper into the cave, we might find ourselves trapped from those wooly pigs and the ones here might respawn."

As if they had rehearsed this, Ham lunges from his hiding spot and firmly pushes his spear into the Wooly Pig. The attempt to pierce the Wooly Pig's frame and push it back further by running with the spear pushing the Wooly Pig to trap it from performing any type of attack would be the effect. Essentially, Ham would pin the Wooly Pig, and let Five switch in to continue the onslaught so what happened last time doesn't happen again.

The Wooly Pig is caught in Ham's spear as the system assists Ham is successfully pinning the Wooly Pig towards another stalagmite or a wall. Whichever happened to be around since Ham's focus was entirely on keeping the Wooly Pig pinned down to give Five the opportunity to finish the Wooly Pig.

However, the damage inflicted was enough to kill the Wooly Pig. The Wooly Pig would explode into a blue polygonal pieces.

5iou5 8/9

Ham 6/7

Wooly Pig 0/4

Ham does 2 damage to the Wooly Pig.

Wooly Pig dies.

Ham listens to Five and dives for cover where Five directed him to. Nimbly maneuvering his spear so that he landed back on his feet in a simple forward tumbling motion. Spear still at his side, Ham peers from behind the stalagmite and sees the incoming monster. He glances to Five to see if what Five was going to do and sees him get into his last stance.

Ham knew Five would be going in for an attack and readied himself for a follow through. Ham waited to see Five's attack first before deciding on how he would follow up.

It was still day time in the beginning city, as Ham casually walked over to the coffee shop. Maybe not so casually because Ham had just caught someone "spying" on him but he wasn't sure if that was the right word. There would be an awkwardness about Ham as he approached this new player.

Ham's peripheral vision picked up the layout of the coffee shop. It was a homely shop, a sort of coffee shop you'd expect only locals would know. There wasn't any type of "corporation" look but when Ham thought about that type of look would be wrong for Sword Art Online's current theme. An awning of dark brownish colors would stretch out to provide shade for its patrons. Underneath the awning would be sets of tables and chairs accompanying them of the wood variety. The awning connected to a wall that stood tall, tall enough for Ham to estimate about 12-14 feet ceiling inside the shop. In this wall, an open window could be seen, and if one focused enough they would peer into a bustling coffee shop ran by NPCs.

There were other players there too but none of them held any interest for Ham. Ham approached the table Latsu was at, "Hey, I saw you looking our way, did you need something?"

As the words left Ham's mouth, Ham felt like it might have been a bit rude, but his nature was being direct. At least when he's not distraught, he tries to be as direct as possible. Better to cut to the chase than waste people's time was something Ham tried to live by as much as possible.