[PP-22] Sword and Board (Shield)

[Baldur 0]

Floor 22, Coral
Early Afternoon

Baldur had heard that floor 22 was better compared to a vacation retreat, but he was still stunned at how quickly they had found the boss. Word eventually trickled down that the new floor had very few mobs, and the ones which were on the floor, seemed weaker than elsewhere. It took Baldur a little while, but he realized that meant this was probably the best floor to search for tier 3 materials out of any that had come before. And after the difficult boss fight that came before, it was almost as if floor 22 was set up to apologize for such a difficult fight and give the front line a much needed reprieve. 

To that end, Baldur had begun exploring floor 22. It reminded him of camping as a child in the high mountain forests of California. A little too flat, but very similar. Japan also had beautiful mountains and forests, but nothing quite seemed to match that vertical grandeur you could only find on the west coast. He had wandered through the forest, which while beautiful had something unsettling about the background music, and around the so-called lake of reflection and up to the Sapphire Falls. The floor really was a treat for the eyes... well, all of the senses. He really did miss that pine smell.

Finally, the gaijin samurai had returned to the main settlement of Coral. He still bore his trademark gear. The sunset colored light armor, the blue haori with white flames upon the helm, and his ever present katana. Normally two rode at his side, his ever faithful <<Fudoshin>> and <<Raijinken>>. The cursed blade, he only ever bore to Floor Boss fights.

As he strode back in, he paused at the main teleportation plaza. Normally the top most floor had a flood of visitors, but this one definitely took the cake. It seemed the floors reputation began to spread and there were far more players milling about than he was used to seeing. By and large, from what Baldur could see of where he was at, they were not adventurers or frontline aspirants, but instead visitors. People who had stuck to the lower floors, but always seemed to celebrate when progress was made, and sought out the sites for a change of pace.

Leaning up against the corner of the building with a smile on his face, Baldur crossed his arms and got lost in the shuffle of people watching.

@Shield

Edited April 3, 2018 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

"You know, it's a lot less crowded once you get out of Coral," spoke a voice a little ways behind him. Shield stepped up to his shoulder, joining the much missed front-liner in observing the comings and goings of the throngs of players. "This tiny settlement wasn't built to handle so much traffic. I'm sure it will die down some as the next floor is unlocked, but for now, if you're wanting any peace and quiet, you have to find a smaller settlement or else break out into the wilderness."

Shield looked much the same as he had on their last meeting. His gear had changed. No longer was he carrying any sort of noteworthy weapon. Instead, his frame was bordered by the leaf-pattern scale mail with sparse, thorny detailing around the neck and down the back. On his back hung the familiar pattern of the Manticore Mask, now modified by cardinal to be a shield rather than just a simple piece of headgear.

"It's good to see you," he said, giving Baldur a sidelong glance before returning his gaze to the crowd. "Not that the front lines have halted without you pushing alongside us, but our best are retiring as quickly a new faces join. That, and we have lost the occasional player." His tone was mild, though his voice did not have any of the hesitation it had once carried when first he stumbled into the little corner of the blacksmith shop where Baldur ran his business. "I don't know if you've heard or even how close you were to the guy, but Beatbox took it on himself to try to face a player named Death Adder. He did not survive the encounter. If rumors are true, and the dual-wielder from the last boss fight is really the same player, I'm not surprised it went down the way it did."

The surly character in question that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere before the long and grueling fight against Tesseleth had been a force to be reckoned with, dealing damage far greater than any of any others who were present. Although his blades broke and he teleported away early, they had still done a very significant portion of the actual damage in the fight.

"If you don't mind my asking, where have you been?"

[Baldur 0]

When someone started speaking to him, Baldur was pulled out of his reverie and looked over to see the familiar face of Shield. He was surprised, both at seeing Shield and at suddenly having someone speaking to him. He had been lost in a sea of people, floating amidst conversation and the gentle thrum of activity punctuated by the chime of players opening and closing menus. Baldur was one of those people that enjoyed being alone in a crowd. He had hated crowds when he had a purpose. Traffic, congestion, long lines... they all got to him, but he was also someone who enjoyed going out on Black Friday just to people watch.

"I actually like this part." Baldur said in response to Shield's comment about wanting peace and quiet. "It reminds me that life goes on. Sometimes, when you do nothing but push the front line, and pursue quest after quest, you forget that people are just living here."

Baldur gestured and summoned then gestured again to clear the menu, as if making a point.

When Shield mentioned that Beatbox has passed, Baldur seemed unsurprising, but the mention of the death did effect him subtly. He nodded slightly, almost numbly.

"I had heard, but I haven't gone to the Monument of Life lately to confirm." He took a deep, shallow breath as if to steady himself, though his face showed little in the way of emotion. "Beat was a good kid. I didn't run with him a lot, but I remember when he was wide eyed and wanting to join the front lines some day. I gave him some tips and direction... Maybe I should have given him more."

Baldur didn't know everyone who had died on the front line, but he felt like he did. They were all personal and painful. Thankfully, as Shield mentioned, as lights burned out, new ones took up their place. Eventually, it would be all new faces. Baldur himself had only joined the fray on the 14th or 16th floor. He couldn't remember and didn't want to think about it too much. Azide had died that fight.

The question that Baldur didn't want to answer came. What have I been doing? Have I been running? Or 'taking a break'?

"A friend mine has had a personal project I've been helping her with. She's rather shy, so I won't say more, but it's good work. Helping those in here who have been forgotten about."

It was a cop out answer, but Baldur felt awkward about answering for someone else. She wanted to be left alone, but Baldur felt proud of their work. People forgot about the kids stuck on the first floor. The majority of the people in this tower never left the safety of the main settlements, or ever left single digit levels. It was bizarre to Baldur, but he couldn't fault people. Lessa was helping kids plan for the day they could get out of here. It was the longer game. Getting out of the tower was the long game. Helping the kids be prepared for getting out, and the challenges they would face after that was the even longer game.

"I'm glad you have moved forward. I wanted to be at the last couple boss fights but... sometimes things don't work out the way you expect them to." In the moment, it had seemed so important to him to be where he was. Baldur wasn't scared of the boss fights, but he missed them. He couldn't help but feel he had intentionally avoided them for some reason. Was he just burned out at the time? Did he have a bad feeling about it? Or did he just want a break after having lost so many friends. Opal had been an evil witch, but they had been friends once... or so he thought. His time with Lessa rejuvenated him, and help him feel the purpose of their fight again.

"How is Beat? And your guild? You guys are leaders now I hear."

[Shield 0]

"Beat took over very recently for Hikoru," Shield said, nodding to confirm part of Baldur's information. "Jonathan is... difficult." The word did not have any accusatory bite to it, nor any bitterness. It was matter of fact. "I've since surpassed him, both in level and in tanking ability, but once the topic of his position came up after the Tesseleth fight... he's closed himself off. He regards me coolly at best. I have no personal beef with him. He's... a kid. Most of us are in here. But he's starting to prove that his position is too much for him. I would challenge him for it, but..." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. " At the moment there doesn't seem to be a point." He searched his mind for kinder, more subtle ways to expand on that last though, but there was little he could do to soften the following sentiment, so he did not try. "Our guild is dying. There have been very few new recruits, and between the death of one of our sentinels and a violent shift in levels among some of the middle leadership, there has been a lot of tension among the remaining members."

He sighed slightly, which was a little more emotion than he generally showed to those around him. Baldur was one of the few players around him who was even close to his age. Shield had always carried that as a burden to push harder and carry more weight than the youth who were not used to having to make so many vital decisions. He had a feeling that others his age might feel similarly. There was not so much need to put up a strong face in present company. They each shared the burdens of age and being front-liners, so there was less harm in letting his guard down.

"There was no intended accusation behind my question, you know," he added, his eyes flitting from face to face as they bustled by on their way to quests or inns or even just back to the plaza. "I haven't seen you is all. Had I thought of it while at the Monument of Life, I might have even been tempted to search for your name after Beatbox's. I'm just relieved that wasn't necessary."

There was no need in his mind for Baldur to justify himself on the matter, so he felt no reason to linger on the topic, instead returning to the previous matter of guilds. "In any case, if the Ascendants do fall apart, I hope to be able to find other ways to make the front lines stronger. There are a lot of guilds who work together without a real central core, which is fine in its own right, but there's definitely a lack of cohesion. In the long run, that may do more harm than many players realize."

At the moment, he did not have specific plans. Perhaps part of that was him simply holding onto the hope that the Ascendants would outlast their current crises, but if things continued to progress they way they had, that may not be a hope worth holding onto for much longer.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur listened as Shield opened up about his guild far more than he expected. It felt... refreshing, to be able to be so open with another player. It wasn't until Shield expanded about Jonathan's age, that it really struck Baldur that the tank was dealing with similar issues. Baldur had been blessed that the members of Spectrum, who were all younger than him, performed far above their age. Baldur didn't do much... adulting, but more along the lines of mentoring. He didn't have to deal with the... personality conflicts of youth. Shield was someone who was a peer of Baldur's, and that added a surprising liberation to their conversation.

"Sorry if I seemed defensive. I was. I regret not being at the boss fights. I feel guilty for not doing more of my part to push the line. I showed up for the planning, took charge, and then disappeared. It was not my intention."

He let a silence linger there for a moment as he considered the mans words.

"I'll be frank. With the Spectrum falling apart, I was considering seeking you guys out in the Ascendants. I've always fancied myself a Paladin. I don't usually like to take the role of leader, though I find myself stepping up into it when there's a lack of one. I don't want to lead, but I do want to be part of a team, and you guys had seemed to have it the most together last time I was at a fight. In Spectrum, we were all just so set in the paths we were already in, it was hard to pull everyone together outside of big fights. What I really want, is what brought the old guard together. When we were all very low level, and the 7th floor was considered a 'high level' floor."

Baldur gave a half laugh at the thought of the 7th floor being one of the high level floors.

"We put together a team. Myself, Ariel, Oikawa, and a few others. All whom went on to be powerful front line members. We worked together and came up with a rhythm. I think we've all spent the time every since then trying to find it again. When you have that group synergy, it's amazing what can be accomplished. If you get a full group together, a Tank, an off tank, a support, and 3 DPS. I bet you with the right people we could take bosses on alone for the next couple of floors. But we need someone to lead. Someone to show everyone else how it's done. That's what I was trying to get across to everyone the last two meetings I was in. If you come, prepared, with your A game and a balanced party, then we could safely wreck everything in our path."

He had gotten caught up in the moment, and he realized it as soon as he stopped talking. He had just let a flood of information out like dutchman had pulled his finger from the dam.

"Sorry, it's just something I've thought about many, many times. I used to lead raids in non-life threatening MMOs."

[Shield 0]

"You haven't said anything that Beat and I haven't already thought," he said, his voice descending into a low, very frank register. "I know other players can see that lives are on the line, but their actions don't always seem to reflect that knowledge."

He thought that idea over for a bit. With maturity came a more serious grasp on mortality, and although applying it to a video game seemed counter-intuitive, Shield had been forced to make that leap already. Beat was a much less business-like player than Shield was, but when the situation called for it, he could step up and treat situations with the weight they deserved. Boss fights, however, were things that the younger player treated with actual reverence without need for prompting.

"It's not that I think everyone needs to be so dedicated," Shield went on. "They're mostly kids, after all. It's not fair to ask too much of them. Still, Beat and I have been putting a lot of plans into the upcoming fights. By the end of this next fight... we hope to show people exactly what individual players are capable of." There was a resolve in his voice. His dark brown eyes were fixed ahead of him, no longer seeing the crowd ahead of him despite the dull roar that they continually emitted. "With the plans that we've laid for this fight, I should be easily able to tank hits as well as or better than Calrex without any real need for healing, and Beat should be out-damaging even the likes of Ariel and Zandra. Since in both cases, we are lower level than those I compared us to, that should send a message."

He shot Baldur a peripheral glance. It was rare that Shield was so fired up about something, but now that Beat had finally reached the third tier, he could see his old rival once again. It was enough to get his blood pumping all on its own. Their old glory days as rivals in other games were finally being realized in the here and now. "It's not level-grinding that puts you on the front lines, though you do need experience. What makes a player great is determination. That's what we need on the front lines again."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur nodded along with Shield's words in agreement. He was hitting the proverbial nail on the head. Baldur had pushed to make sure everyone came to the boss fights prepared, and ready to tackle the fight as if their lives depended on it, which they did. If everyone carried their weight, then it would be easier to bring in more junior front liners as well. He had hoped that Specturm was going to lead by example, all of them showing up with their A gaming and bringing all the best items and consumables they had so that they could show what a fully coordinated, experienced, synergized team could do.

"People keep looking at Cal-kun like he's a tank, but that's not necessarily true. Cal is a jack of all trades. However, his unique skill makes him an incredible off tank. As with few others, he could be in the position to AoE or off tank without letting up on damage. Given the right team, he could either main tank without actually needing to tank, or off tank while keeping up with DPS. I would love to see a you as a main tank, Cal as an off tank working together. However, in a raid situation where we need a third main tank, Cal is the safest bet. Nothing against Morgan, I just don't know his set up well. But between you, Heathcliff, and Calrex, we have 3 solid tanks. Morgan could maybe make 4. I don't know how much has changed, but I don't think we have 4 groups worth of front liners.

"With you Main Tanking one group, Heathcliff Main Tanking a second, and then Calrex and Morgan acting as off tanks, I think we'd be pretty prepared. Then we just need two solid support players, and 6 solid DPS. With that you've got the perfect core of an assault team to grow up the ladder. All we need is a support network to help keep the front lines stocked with consumables, and we could clear floors faster than has ever been seen before, and with a level of safety that hasn't been achieved yet."

Suddenly, Baldur's enthusiasm faltered. He got caught up in the moment, but there was little chance of this happening. Personality conflicts, guild conflicts, pride.

"I need to stop dragging my feet and upgrade my gear to tier 3, I guess. And a whole new set of consumables. Wow." Baldur laughed, trying to deflect from his own hypocritical nature. He was terrible at farming and keeping up with materials and consumables. He was finally at the point where energy wasn't the thing holding him back anymore. Well, not terribly.

"I've got an uphill road till I'm top tier again."

[Shield 0]

"Well, I try to be the best of both worlds," Shield said, holding out his hand. A small, multicolored serpent with serrated scales slithered out of his sleeve, twining around his hand. "Lilith keeps me decently healed, and my defense is tough enough that even against advanced dungeon bosses, I can hold my own with just that." The serpent flicked her tongue, her slitted eyes starting up at Baldur. "On top of that, I spend most of my time pumping energy into my DPS, so I'm theory, I could stand alone with three strikers."

Lilith gave one last flick before slithering back into Shield's sleeve. Her tail disappeared with a flicker of iridescent green. "You're right though," Shield said with a sigh. "Jonathan acts more like an off-tank than a proper tank. That being said, we have a healer riding through the ranks who could pass for a solid tank herself. Goes by 'Hestia.' She's on the cusp of tier three now, but once she's there, we'll likely have our third main."

Baldur had hit on another let issue, namely, the means to supply the front lines. It was something that had caused Shield no shortage of headaches in the last meeting. Many people were eager to help out, but few had been willing to commit to specific crafts, so much of the structure was likely to collapse, leaving very little as far as useable items. "In theory, a few front-liners could stock the boss raids, even without a proper support network. Beat has some his share of preparatory crafting, preparing items worth selling in advanced, and then the day of, he made a killing selling at a mark-up in order to recoup his expenses. He's since all but hung up his chef's hat, but he's proven that the formula can work."

[WIP - Posting on mobile]

[Baldur 0]

"It's a shame he's hung up his hat. I'm pretty well stocked on Tier 2 consumables, but food was always difficult to get. I had a better in with Takao than most for when I needed stuff, but it was always limited. I got just enough for what I needed, never more. I went on a couple of material gathering crusades and brought back what I thought was a small fortune in crafting materials, but boy does it go away quickly. The biggest thing I'm after is the bonus damage food and the bonus health. Damage should be pretty easy to get from an alchemist now. But seeing a full raid, with all of the buffs and debuffs being used would be an amazing thing."

Baldur gave a smirk as he imagined what that would look like. Consumables were something he himself was not great at, but with a little research, they could probably come up with a recommended list of consumables per player type.

"Maybe if we could at least come up with a list. You should DEFINITELY have these purchased consumables, and then these quest consumables would boost you further, but at least you won't die. I know I'm bad about keeping up with what the options are."

Baldur shrugged his shoulders, "They can really boost productivity by a huge amount in a raid. I was blown away the first time I saw the difference they could make in just a quest."

Baldur then chuckled to himself.

"Sorry, you didn't come here to talk about the current state of raid parities and enhancements. What brings you to this floor? Gathering, I assume?"

[Shield 0]

Shield shrugged. "If I wanted to gather, this is likely the best place for it. Still, the only difference I've noticed between this floor and the one below is a slight difference in Col drops. The main draw right now is uncovering new quests. So far, I've only completed one up here. That's a fish story for another time though. For the most part, I'm exploring. It's not as suspenseful as the caverns, poking around in thickets and wandering across peaceful fields, but there is far more to explore up here than in the mines. I feel like I know all of them like the back of my hand at this point." Shield crossed his arm over his chest, bringing the other up to his chin.

"Speaking of cooks and food though, I'd say it's been long enough," he said, glancing down one of the side roads. "We're overdue for a sit-down and maybe a drink. What do you think?"

He gestured in the direction he had glanced, indicating that Baldur should accompany him before turning and making his way down the slightly less trodden road. Buried among a number of stalls and smaller shops, there was a little ryokan that Shield had sat in on occasion when he was tired of crowds. The owner of the restaurant portion of the establishment was not of particularly high rank, meaning his wares were not sought after for their effects. As a result, the shop was not busy most of the time, and served as a nice, peaceful spot to sit and think. Shield ducked down a little and parted the curtain that hung in the doorway and straightened back up as he entered. He nodded to the head waiter and pointed to a secluded booth towards the back. The waiter nodded and gave a slight, welcoming bow, and Shield proceeded to the booth.

"It's a nice little spot," Shield said, indicating the low table. "It's got mats for kneeling if you prefer, but for those who are not of actual Japanese upbringing, there's a sunken portion under the tables where you can let your legs dangle, and just sit normally. I fall more in that camp."

As proof, he sat, lowering himself down onto his backside and picking up a small menu, glancing down the list of food items before turning it over to the back. "In any case, I'm not really what to do about the current state of crafting in Aincrad," he went on, frowning slightly at the menu. "Since the most recent batches of system updates, many of the items players relied upon to aid them in their crafts have become inert, or at the very least, less effective. There are new ones now, but they are fewer and more difficult to acquire, as are any craft-skill consumables. Many players have all but gotten out of the crafting game, Beat included. That being said, it's possible to expend more resources now to craft some food items in homes, but it's time-consuming, and it does nothing to secure alchemical items. Honestly... my shop has become just as useful to players for consumable needs than have been actual crafters. They'll bring in unidentified items and just roll the dice to see if they're worthwhile. The world is... a little backwards at the moment."

Edited April 7, 2018 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

Baldur looked around the city as he followed Shield's lead. When they finally approached their destination, he had to admit it was a place he wouldn't have given a second glance at, but upon giving it one, he had to admit Shield had excellent taste. It was a place most people would simply dismiss as 'filler' it wasn't a shop to get buffs at, or purchase new gear, it was just another place to stay and get food. They were popular among players on the lower floors, and so the ones on higher floors were left more vacant. Players up here tended to want what was new, or the latest bonus. Yet here, the greatest bonus was the peace and quiet.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. This is quite the little hidden gem."

Baldur thought about sitting seiza, but even for him there was a limit, so he just decided to put his feet down as well. Besides, he tended to be one of the larger people in SAO, so he didn't always fit well.  Working his larger legs in between the pillow and the table was more awkward than he had hoped, but once his feet were in the pocket under the table it was very comfortable. 

"It seems like every once and while I get so caught up in things I stop recharging." The NPC came by and Baldur ordered a small snack and some tea.

"I am sorry to see that the state of crafting is so poor right now. It seems to come and go, however. There was a lull back for the 11th floor boss fight, and that's what drove me to be a merchant. At the time, there were no crafters other than blacksmith and tailors. My merchant shop was the only place to get consumables for the raid. Had I the chance to do it all over gain, I probably would have gone into alchemy. Then again, hopefully Zandra is still around and helping. She seems to be an unstopable force. Though, it's a shame Rain has disappeared. They had a bit of a rivalry for a while, and it was a wonderful thing."

As their food arrived, Baldur picked up his tea with both hands.

"Is the difficulty getting perfect items why Beat has hung up his hat, or does he just not enjoy it?"

[Shield 0]

Shield passed on the food, but the tea that Baldur ordered sounded a little too enticing to pass up on. He changed their order to a pot of tea rather than just a single cup and the waiter nodded, gave a brief bow and made towards the kitchen.

"Zandra," Shield grumbled, shaking his head slightly. "She owes me quite a few crafts at the moment. That order is about two months overdue, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she's not active. As for Rain..." Shield's slightly sour expression turned into an actual frown. "I don't know where he is. I don't know if anyone does. It's a shame, really. He was the first carry that Beat and I had back when we were getting started. Did the majority of the damage to a certain boulder, and then to a hoard of lizard men in a dungeon in the very same outing. It slingshotted us clear up to about level nine. Then again, shortly after that, our next carry was Ariel. I suppose just because someone carried you doesn't make them a great person, eh?"

The tea arrived, and the young woman in her traditional garb gave another brief bow before departing to see to other customers. Shield put his hands around the mug, feeling whether it was an appropriate temperature to drink yet. Since pain was no longer an issue, the worries of the slight burn from a hot cup of tea were minimal, but it was still not a pleasant feeling. He decided to give it another minute and returned his hands to his lap.

"So you became a merchant for the stock rather than for the trade skill," Shield said. It made some sense given the state of crafting then. During the worst of the most recent lull, it had meant an uptick in customers for sure. Still, despite this advantage, it was not that upon which he had built his empire. "I suppose that is practical. I make very regular use of my own wares, and it has brought me considerable success, both in combat with the immolation potions and field rations, as well as in scouting with the use of Golden Keys.

"Still," he went on, returning his hands to his mug, though just with his fingertips as he waited for the contents to cool. "My claim to fame has been the items that I've identified. I've uncovered a not-so-insignificant number of the Phase weapons that are in circulation, though certainly not the most impressive ones. I also identified two very rare weapon from the short-lived quest against Rohk's progeny, as well as the armor that I currently use. With boss clearing as slow as it is, and especially being a tank on the front lines, getting drops that can further my build is... challenging. Even searching as hard as I could, I did not find anything I could use until just recently. Perhaps building my shop on the steady sale of regular stock would have been wiser, but we all know what gamers are like. People are going to gamble on valuable loot as surely as they are going to buy consumables. It's the reason I came to your shop, after all."

Shield decided through the touch of his fingertips that the tea was near enough to a comfortable temperature that it was worth a little taste. He lifted the container and tipped it slightly, supporting it with one hand on the bottom. The hot liquid was hardly a comfortable temperature, but the small sip he allowed himself was not too much to handle.

"As far as Beat goes..." Shield chose his words carefully. "It's likely several things. He hasn't been nearly as motivated as I have, and to be honest, having a crafting profession is legitimately hard work. It takes time, and failing over and over again to produce worthwhile items will discourage players to the point that it may no longer be worth it to try. That seems to be what I've observed, at least. I tried investing in a new, up-and-coming alchemist shop... but that eventually slowed and gave out as well, despite pumping an ungodly amount of materials into the little shop, as well as a proper crafting tool. Maybe they'll finish their training someday, but I have yet to hear from them in months."

Edited April 7, 2018 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

"It really is" Baldur said in reply to Shield's statement about crafting being a full time job. "It's one of the reason I've never truly applied myself to it. I did a bit more when Tyger's blacksmith shop was active, but as other trades become more active, my wares became less valuable. It was also about the time that I got more involved in trying to catch up to the front line. And as I'm sure you're aware, that is also a full time job. When we started our trek to catch up, Tyger and I were the highest level players we knew who weren't already on the line. It's funny to think that I used to be so much higher level than the likes of Takao, Calrex, Oikawa, and Ariel, and once upon a time it was I helping them instead of the other way around. "

Baldur lifted the small cup of tea with two hands took a small sip before blowing on the tea.

"It was also hard then, because no one really tanked. Tyger was the odd ball for tanking, but then, she couldn't resist the allure of DPS either. I think that's really what sets you apart. You found your niche within the role, and so many players, even on the front line, are more interested in prestige and status than fulfilling a role. They want that awesome last hit. Almost like if you're putting out the most damage, you're not contributing. However, as someone that was always a tank before this, I know that's not the case. DPS is a dime a dozen, but a good tank is worth far more."

Baldur picked up a piece of yakitori and took a small bite, using it to genuflect as he continued.

"I'll be interested to meet Hestia, and talk more to Jonathan. I feel like I've got a pretty good read of that Heathcliff." Baldur said the name with a bit less friendliness than he did the others. "A healer and a tank is an interesting mix, but it makes sense. Once you've got a hate lead, you could spend your time healing or buffing your team as a secondary. That's a great use of unit cohesion. It sounds like we're almost gathering a pretty good bit of synergy in the raid."

He went back to his tea, blew on it, and then took a longer sip. His eyes glanced around the ryokan, taking in the subtle details of the woodwork and lighting. The NPC servers and food and drink being spread. The NPCs did act like ordinary villagers, trying to survive and go about their lives as if they were actual people. Normally, is was very easy to realize they weren't. Most NPCs, even quest givers, did not have sophisticated AI to interact with players, but it had seemed to Baldur like they were getting better and better the further up they were in the tower... or else the longer they were in here.

"You said before you had concern that your guild was falling apart. What do you guys plan to do if that happens? You seem like the kind of man who has a back-up plan, and also old enough to recognize that these things happen. I had been planning to find a guild to join, or failing that, start my own... but I would really rather not start my own guild. I've been guild master far more often than I want to."

[Shield 0]

"There is a lot of allure to the DPS role," Shield sighed, leaning back in his chair and setting down the cup in his hand. "It's demonstrably more fun to deal the hits than take them. Plus, the reward system for SAO unfairly benefits those who deal damage. I had considered trying to make a union of sorts to try to curb that. Make sure that if a good defensive item dropped it either was guaranteed to go to a tank who had pulled their weight in the raid or perhaps even going to some tank lottery system. And if a DPS refused to agree to those terms, they don't get a tank for that fight and have to sacrifice offense to keep up," he added, smirking slightly as he glanced out the window. "There's some idea there, but it's not going to be a popular one among the more competitive DPS. You know how they love their loot. Besides... some cowboy would refuse and end up getting killed over it in some raid."

He let his fingers rest on the side of his mug, assessing that it was still just a little on the warm side to continue forcing sips for the moment. "Still, there's a freedom in knowing the tanking is sorted that the DPS can really benefit from. It's what Beat and I used to catapult us up so many levels so quickly. He knew it was managed, so as long as we planned our missions properly, he could focus one hundred percent on offense. It also means not having to share offensive and defensive buffs. The best of each go to the player who will make best use of them. That is going to factor into the next raid very heavily."

It was odd hearing Baldur talk about being surpassed by the man's contemporaries. It was especially odd considering that, from the way he spoke and the amount of time he had been absent from the fights, Shield did not know whether he had progressed much beyond the very beginnings of tier three. However, he knew pretty assuredly that he had surpassed Ariel, so if she had in turn surpassed Baldur, then the level gap between the two men was a significant one. For a moment, Shield felt very isolated, his eyes lost somewhere out the window. Still, he forced himself back into the little restaurant. Whether or not Baldur was a so-called 'equal' was inconsequential. There were few players he could have such conversations with so openly and earnestly. Baldur may not have been be top of the leader board anymore, but he was still leadership.

"I have plans," he said, picking his mug back up and blowing away the steam before taking a proper sip. "Like I said, the front lines suffer from a lack of cohesion. I intend to spearhead the effort to fill that gap. We need a proper team of players who are of similar aim and mind to drive the front lines forward. We need someone at the core of such a team to be motivated. I'm not the type to insert myself into situations in the real world, particularly not into positions of leadership, but here..." He looked around. While the recognizable NPC's were of varying ages, all those sporting bright armor and fancy equipment were nearly a decade younger than either he or Baldur, if not more so. "These are just kids. They do their best, but they never asked for this. It's kinda our job to step up, you know?"

He swiped down through the air with his fingers, bringing up a window with a drafted image. He rotated the view so that Baldur could get a clear view of what was on it. The design was pixelated, which was appropriate for something designed by an older gamer. It was a simple heater shield with crossed spears behind. On the steel face of the shield, a simple red 'up' arrow stood out as an indication of a single goal - to rise and overcome.

"A lot of players throw around the term 'Assault Team,' but I think it's time someone made an actual team of it."

[Baldur 0]

"I guess I always enjoyed playing the role of tank, because I felt needed, and I liked having control. I tended to know the fights, and want to order the dance more than anyone else. I always thought most DPS were pretty lazy. They just wanted to kills stuff, and couldn't even bother to not stand in the fire. As a tank, I had to know the fight, know the dance, know what to do when. I kept my team alive, so that even with bad DPS we would get out alive. I had control over the fight, and having the tank as the known equation, made everything run more smoothly. Especially if I knew my support. The bond between Tank and Support was always critical and special. I miss those days, of having an excellent team."

He took a sip of his tea with one hand, and rubbed his hand under the mug at a ring of condensation that may or may not have been there. The game was good, but there were certain parts of water that it had trouble with.

"I have mixed feelings about the tank union. I completely understand where you're coming from, and were this anything other than a game of life and death, I would be behind that. But I don't like the idea of potentially punishing someone to death, but you pointed that out yourself. Ideally, I had wanted raid teams to be consistent enough to practice together and learn the ins and outs of each other's style. If you have a cohesive group, like we had in Spectrum, then when something drops, you go back and forth with each other to figure out who gets what. We used to do the same thing with Raid leaders. If you go with a pick-up-group that has no loyalty, then spoils go to whomever. But if you go in with a guild that supports each other, and whose progress is dependant upon the whole, then the gear goes to who needs it the most."

The more the spoke, the more he felt his and Shield's relationship change. He didn't know how or in what way, but the way he viewed Shield, and the way Shield viewed him were in a state of flux. Baldur rarely got to speak this candidly with others. He loved being able to be honest, but usually oversharing was never good. He felt a kinship with Shield that had been lacking from others. Had Shield viewed him the same way? Baldur was never good about understanding his place with others. He could read people very well, and pick up on subtle changes between others, but never find his place in the middle. It was his blind spot.

"An actual Assault Team, eh?" Baldur took another sip of his mug, holding it delicately in both hands as the pinky of his right hand stuck out out of habit before he realized it and tucked it back in. His hands were far larger than the small tea cup, but it was another involuntary action to control. Few knew that Baldur had practiced with the Katana in the real world. When he joined SAO, he had intended to be the tank, and Tyger the DPS. However, when they found out that the game was no longer a game, Baldur wanted Tyger safe, so he pressed her to go tank and become as tough as possible, while he took the up the katana, the weapon he was most comfortable with. He had fenced competitively, both European and Kendo, but the katana was his weapon of choice. Not because it was the better weapon, in the real world he would bet on a european fencer over and kendoka, but because he had a stronger connection to it. He used the broadsword as well, but his training was less formal with that in the real world. In a game of life or death, Baldur chose the weapon he would bet his life on and felt the most familiar in his hand.

"It's a good idea. Get them together, train them together, risk your life together. It's what I had hoped Spectrum would become. Cal-kun and I wanted to be leaders. Not in telling other people what to do, or doing things first, or getting the rewards. We wanted to be leaders by example. We wanted to show everyone what the potential was. Who knows, maybe you and Beat will be the ones to pull it off. I had hoped the Ascendants would be the rising star to help those coming up find their way, I am sad that that star is falling, but if you ask any of the front line old timers, they will tell you stories of dozens of guilds that did the same. Helped them rise up, and build bonds that they hold to this day. The guild itself may fail, but the bonds remain forever, and that's the important part."

Taking a final sip, Baldur placed the empty ceramic cup down onto the table and then picked up the tea kettle. Using his other hand, he kept the sleeve of his haori out of the tea as he poured himself another hot cup.

"It's funny, I never used to like tea. I never knew there was such variety. Then when I learned about all the different tastes, and the difference between tea and chai, when someone said 'I don't like tea' it would be like someone said to me 'I don't like food' or 'I don't like drinks.' There is such a distinct variety in tea, you can't say you hate a whole classification, you can, however, not like Earl Gray, or Green Tea, or English Breakfast. But then I learned that even within Green Tea, some of which I liked, and some of which I didn't, there was actually a whole other dichotomy of tea. I just thought some brands I liked, and some I didn't. There was a whole world there to which I was ignorant. I was so ignorant, that I didn't even know that there was a body of knowledge I was lacking. 'The wise man knows the level of his ignorance' said the Oracle at Delphi. I wonder, if there is a similar expression in the East."

Baldur took a sip, and his eyebrows raised, and he quickly put the hot cup of tea back down. It didn't burn in SAO, but the experience was unpleasant, so he want back to his yakitori after softly blowing on his tea once more.

[Shield 0]

"I feel like the same can be said for most areas of interest," Shield said, swirling his own cup of tea. "There is always diversity within a larger category. Video games in particular. If you haven't found a video game you like, you haven't looked very hard. That being said, look where that philosophy landed all of us." He made a vague gesture to the air around them.

Shield did not know how to feel about the waning of the ascendants. On the one hand, he had no intention of reneging on his loyalties, and he owed them for the opportunities he had been afforded. That being said, those opportunities had been sparse, and with considerable waiting between them. "In the end, they were losing steam by the time we joined. Our initiation took several weeks to arrange, and despite having occasional quest outings and rallying together for boss raids, it was rare that the guild properly ventured out together. It may have been different before Beat and I joined, but... I think bringing us in was a last ditch attempt to breathe in new life. Once our chutzpah failed to light fires under everyone else, it began a slow process of us watching the whole thing fall apart. One of the founding members has already left, for god's sake."

Shield gestured off into the ether, which, for all he knew, could have easily contained a hidden Hikoru. Still, he did not feel he had spoken unfairly about anyone. Even Jonathan would likely - though grudgingly - have to admit that Shield was simply calling it as he saw it. He drained his cup absentmindedly, paying very little attention to the flavor of the hot liquid. "I recognize the flaws in the concept of a tank guild. It's the nature of the game. Being a tank means more now. You're not just fulfilling part of an unspoken agreement. You're keeping people alive. Usually, if you don't pay the tank, the tank will find someone who will. Now, if a tank abandons a group, he's put them all at risk." He made a motion with his hand as if tossing dust to the imaginary winds. "Yet another reason that the imbalance exists. I think that having some organization will help with that. A central core could strategize, keeping comrades with one another. That way, there are bonds of loyalty to enforce what simple supply and demand no longer can."

It was still not perfect, but it was a starting point at least, and he knew from personal experience that it at least worked on a smaller scale. He and Beat rarely argued over equipment, and even when they did, it was usually very evident very early on who was in the right from a strategic standpoint. Hopefully, a proper order to the process would be able to make the most of that aspect of camaraderie.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur listened to Shield talk about philosophy, and the status of his guild. The blue eyed Samurai was momentarily taken back by the passion he felt from Shield when it came to discussing the rise and fall of their guild. He had obviously put a lot of thought into this, and a lot of energy into making the guild work. Baldur had been in a similar situation with the Azure Brigade. They had been the top guild, but had let their pride take them to the point of hubris. They let ego guide the direction of the guild and the front line itself. Not that that was the issue with the Ascendants, but Baldur had joined the guild and shortly after had watched its decline. Baldur himself had almost become the leader of the Azure Brigade without ever having met most of the members or fully being initiated.

"I've been in similar shoes. It's always frustrating."

Baldur then nibbled on the last of his yakitori while Shield discussed tanking in general. It was a familiar problem. Baldur loved to tank, but he hated tanking for pick up groups. He needed a core, because his life was in their hands too. Most people operated within a huge factor of safety here in Aincrad, but that didn't mean that their success wasn't interdependent.

"I would love to see that vision come to life. I would rather people come to the boss meetings with their teams already set up. I think not only would we have better success, we'd have better strategy meetings, and players would show up more prepared.  That was how we did it back in my day... well... the effective ones anyways. I had once earned the rep as a tank who could take a pick up ground and complete a raid, but the reason that was such a big deal, was because of how difficult and unwieldy that was... and that was when no one's life was on the line."

Setting down the kushi, Baldur picked up his tea cup can leaned back against the wall of the booth, swirling the tea in the cup slightly before taking a sip.

"I still believe, if someone can lead by example, and show everyone what can be done, then others will follow. It's always the same. Show people a more optimal way, and they'll flock to do it that way. You yourself, and your style of tanking, has probably caught on with others. Pretty soon we'll have a bunch of little Shield jrs. running around the tower. We need bonds to bind the teams together. The first step of that is guilds that survive and become more permanent, the second will be teams that bind each other together. If we can keep that up, then we might be able to build inter-team cohesion and tactics."

Baldur spread his hands apart in a gesture of defeat.

"A gaijin wanna-be can dream, can't he?" Baldur chuckled and then finished his cup of tea.

[Shield 0]

"People come to boss meetings and expect the work to be done for them," Shield sighed. He leaned forward onto his elbows and rested his temples against his palms. "With a proper structure to our raid meetings and arrangements, we might benefit from having default teams with an alternate slot or so each." He leaned back again and let his eyes crawl accross the ceiling as he thought aloud. "Others can also form their own teams to join. From there, groups should be able to discuss loot distribution for themselves."

The NPC server returned and refreshed their pot of tea, bowing again as she departed. Shield poured a little more into his mug, hoping that less liquid would cool a little faster than a full mug's worth.

"The goal isn't to be overbearing about everything," he added, giving a swish of his fingers through the air. "We'll have to have checks in place to avoid that, but I think it would be alright as long as we're careful."

Shield considered the idea of other players aping his build. He shrugged. "Perhaps, though people define success differently," he said, lifting a noncommittal hand. "Most likely, they'll want to imitate builds that actually get loot drops."

[Baldur 0]

"Exactly!" Baldur nodded slowly along with Shield as he worked through similar thoughts. When Baldur spoke, he gestures with his tea mug ini large, sweeping motions, though keeping the tea in the cup.

"I hate to sound clique-ish or eltist, though I won't deny that I am the latter if not also the former, but I think you're right. If people knew that if they wanted to be put onto a team and have a chance to survive, they had to come prepared, either with the right gear, or with their own team, then we might see some work get done."

He took a sip and then placed the cup down before he actually did spill some on himself. Then, the dark haired wanna-be samurai leaned forward onto the table conspiratorial, though he didn't lower his voice or his enthusiasm. 

"Let us, as a purely hypothetical thought experiment say that we had an actual assault team guilds. Say you and your guild had 5 raid ready members, and then let's say the Knights of Blood field their tank, plus Macradon and Hirru. That gives us, and I know I'm cutting a lot of corners for this example, 4 open slots for assault team members. Then all the remaining players would have to compete for those 4 slots. If you don't come prepared, you're not getting picked for a team. That's ultimately what I was trying to do when I was working with the planning meetings. I wanted to have the teams formed then, so you better come prepared to the meeting. If you're not ready by then, then you're left off a team. You can show up to a raid, but you won't have a tank. Our bar doesn't have to be level 50, all tier 3 equipment, full bank of consumables, but something deemed appropriate at the strategy meeting."

Baldur took a quick sip of his tea to wet his imaginarily dry throat and keep talking.

"Then, at the meeting, the group decides the acceptable requirements for the boss fights, teams are picked... but several of the teams are already standard, so solo players or non-assault guild players, are just showing up to fill in the gaps. It would even be perfect recruiting, because you pick up the people you like working with, and if you work well together, you try to keep them."

He slowly leaned back again, "I see no downside to this other than a couple hurt feelings. And you know what, if I come to the meeting and find out I'm the weakest link and don't get picked? Then that means I need to work hard to overcome whatever it is for the next meeting... or I need to bring my own core group with me, or join a guild that's going to take an established roster."

He shrugged his shoulders, "What do you think?"

 

[Shield 0]

"As long as the bar for preventing participation is preparation, not personal or power, then I'm amicable to that for the most part," Shield answered, swirling his mug slightly to mix in some cooler air. "I do make a few addendums though. For starters, while not being optimal tier won't bar you from the fight, it likely should bar you from main-tanking. It's the most dangerous part to play if not of the proper power scale."

He sat back and stared at the bubbles on the surface of his still swirling tea. There were a lot of factors to consider, and fairness was going to be a big one. "I'm concerned with the same players always getting the same loot. Those who are specifically assault team groups should end up with roughly equal average levels. If we keep putting the same two or three super DPS together, there is suddenly a gauntlet of high damage players for the boss to get through before other players can have a shot at the drop. A team like that could easily monopolize." This sort of sentiment was not always a popular one. Players did not like having their odds of success meddled with, even if they had an unfair advantage. If anything, especially then they did. "While I recognize that hard work is worth rewarding, the rich do tend to get richer with greater ease. We can't solve for it, but we can find ways to discourage it. Other teams be what they may, but those representing the guild should not be too heavily weighted."

The hurt feelings in question both were and were not an issue. They were bound to happen. And a lack of popularity among players, especially those who felt they had been discriminated against, could hurt the success of a guild. However, the only concern with popularity was the ability of the guild to sustain itself. As long as it prospered and saved lives, while still doing its job of pushing the front lines, it was justified in hurting some feelings along the way. Likely, Shield would not come across as a popular player, but he had earned his stripes, and he had never lost anyone under his care. Hopefully his record would speak for him.

"I do worry somewhat about the politics," he said, trying to sum up his concerns. "While I don't care what people think of me, if we hurt too many feelings, we hurt the guild's survivability. Hopefully, we'll gain some popularity back by getting results. Still... we should have other options available to make amends. For those turned away from boss raids, there should be opportunities to grind and farm with willing players. Perhaps an officer position aught to be dedicated to running dungeon raids in order to help explore floors and build relations. Maybe even inspire other players to follow examples and prepare for bigger raids when they see the likes of some of the dungeon bosses."

Shield shook his head, remembering how much of a punch some of them had packed. "Some of those dungeon bosses hit harder than the last two floor bosses. Still, we can cherry-pick lower floors if need be. The gesture is the key here."

Edited April 14, 2018 by Shield