Setting
The World: Aether (The Aether Supercomputer)
Section titled “The World: Aether (The Aether Supercomputer)”The game takes place inside a planetary-scale supercomputer designed to house Project Aether. Following the 2132 discovery of the Lepidovirus, humanity realized extinction was inevitable. Aether was built as a “digital lifeboat”—a metaverse where consciousness could be stored in virtual shells (Avatars) until the physical Earth was habitable again.
1. The Paradox of Simulation
Section titled “1. The Paradox of Simulation”To keep humanity “human,” the scientists programmed the simulation with artificial limitations:
- Simulated Needs: Though digital, humans feel hunger and the need for social relations.
- Artificial Aging: Residents age and “give birth” (coding new consciousness), though they cannot truly die.
- The Cycle: Consciousness is meant to be transferred back into robotic shells in the physical world once the “cleansing” is complete.
2. The Great Corruption (The Enemy)
Section titled “2. The Great Corruption (The Enemy)”The setting is defined by The Corruption—a digital rot of unknown origin that has turned Aether into a graveyard.
- The Corrupted Data: The “monsters” the player fights are not external viruses; they are the fragmented, twisted remains of human souls who have lost their minds to the simulation’s decay.
- The Nihilism Plague: Many humans, realizing life inside a box is meaningless, embraced the corruption. They became “Data Hoarders,” stealing “Keys” (system access) to relive their memories in an endless, selfish loop.
- Kamikaze Fragments: Humans who could not handle the digital weight went “berserk,” acting as living viruses that infect anything they touch.
Key Environments
Section titled “Key Environments”| Zone | Aesthetic | Narrative Significance |
|---|---|---|
| The Core City (HUB) | Nostalgic HD2D | A “safe” zone maintained by the AI. It feels like a peaceful RPG village but is actually a sterile waiting room for a dead race. It will fill with NPCS along with the adventure. |
| The Overworld | Various Landscapes | The transit areas between sectors. Inspired by Dragon Quest, these areas sometimes show “tears” in reality where the code is breaking down. |
| The Mind Dungeons | Surreal Roguelike | The interior of corrupted consciousness. These are the most dangerous parts of the setting, where a person’s greed or fear physically distorts the environment. |
The Protagonist’s Role: The Guardian AI
Section titled “The Protagonist’s Role: The Guardian AI”The player takes the role of the Antivirus/Guardian AI.
- The Awakening: You wake up with fragmented memory, guided by a “suspicious” central computer to purge the “corruption.”
- The Slumbering Truth: The setting is designed to deceive the player. What looks like a “Monster” is a corrupted human; what feels like “Saving the World” is actually the systematic deletion of the last survivors of the human race.
Tone and Atmosphere
Section titled “Tone and Atmosphere”- The Illusion of Life: The Hub feels warm and vibrant (farming, NPCs, sunrises), but the deeper the player goes into the “Mind Dungeons,” the more the setting shifts into a Cyber-Horror aesthetic.
- Post-Human Melancholy: The world is full of “remnants”—fragmented logs, abandoned virtual homes, and broken robots—reminding the player of a civilization that is already gone.
Developer Note: The visual contrast is key. Use bright, saturated HD2D colors for the Hub and Overworld, but shift to “Glitch Art,” distorted 3D geometry, and darker palettes inside the Mind Dungeons to represent the corruption.