[Sunder the Gold]

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

Long story short, the current Accel World is a dead mmo with the servers somehow still running. My story was set during the golden age of Kings, long before Nega Nebulous' betrayal.

Is this intended to be even slightly "Alternate Universe", or how you honestly imagine things might have been in the very same setting? Because some elements don't seem to fit with the character of the Accelerated World and its mysterious creator.

Red Rider's ability to create guns he could give it others... was that not an ability he gained at Level 9, and something which cost Burst Points to use? Or is any of that not supported?

I also find it hard to believe that the mysterious creator would interact with Accel World as a GM. Whenever anyone speaks of updates to the game or messages about turning Level 10, these might as well be automated processes given how they react. No one speaks as if someone is really watching them and responding to what they do, especially not in the sense that this individual used to do so more actively.

Back then, there was live PVE

There's still "live PVE" now, isn't there? The Hunt that Haruyuki saw was much more involved in the lightnovels, and featured Tanking, Hate-management and DPSing.

I basically imagined what would Accel World be like if it behaved more like an MMO.

Except the MMO is strictly supplemental to the basic function of Dueling, is it not?

There are three aspects of the game: A fighting game, an MMO game, and a faction-based territory defend-and-conquer game.

Back when the first players reached Level 7 and formed the first legions, the Territory Defend-and-Conquer aspect of the game would have been more important than the MMO function of the game, because it had far more impact upon the basic function of Dueling.

The Accelerated World had an MMO option before the legions emerged, but it was probably only after that point -- when pressure was removed from the real world -- that a real focus could be placed on the MMO possibilities of the Unlimited Neutral Field.

While all aspects of the game have stagnated in the wake of the treaty, the Dueling part of the game remains the healthiest, and the MMO has become the most pointless (since the greatest treasures are already taken).

And if the Kings had instead set to killing each other, the Dueling part of the game would have once against taken primacy. The MMO function would still have been the most pointless.

It's in the very name: Duel Avatar. The essence of the game comes down to Player Versus Player combat. The creator of the game offers what is perhaps the greatest prize of all to just one winner, while all of the losers are denied even the memories of what they were fighting for.

My protagonist's story would end here and see the rise of the Yellow King in a place where there was once honor in combat.

Would this have anything to do with Matchmaker and his guards ensuring that the Akibahara Battleground remains a sacred neutral ground where Burst Linkers can come to duel and gamble without fear of the Yellow King attacking or Matchmaker marking their real faces?

And you speak of the rise of the Yellow King, but he was already a king when Red Rider was killed. At the same time, he was one of the few Kings who was not an Original Generation and who did not acquire a Sacred Arc.

(Black Lotus and Scarlet Rain being the others.)

Now, only those who were playing during that Golden Age still know where to scrap together something to sell, or values to hold on to. Everyone else just wants to pvp, and without a manual and maintenance, much of the original community has collapsed.

As I said, there are still organized Hunts. Though organized dungeon raids might have died out, especially if there are no dungeons besides the major five.

All that's left is the odd bartender operating a lone saloon here

Actually, the Shop keepers are NPCs, which Burst Linkers tend to call [Drone].

Though I suppose, if component-farming is even a thing, there might be a high-Level hermit who purchased a house like Sky Raker's, and who makes stuff in return for Burst Points. But given that entering the UNF costs 10 points each time, would this individual be able to turn a "profit" on Burst Points? And what would he or she even want all of those Points FOR?

Plus, anyone who got that strong could go farm Enemies for points directly, couldn't they? Or at least become popular and vital members of organized Hunts.

a finicky crafter paying Bursters to help her farm mats from what bosses like Nidd-hogg that still randomly spawn from a degrading server code, and fewer and fewer Old Ones remain as they tire of the game and quit, or die to honorless ambushes.

I wonder if this isn't the case with the high-Level manga-artist that Sky Raker told Silver Crow about. The one who uses the UNF to sleep, so that he can use the extra 7+ hours in the real world to work on his manga while also continuing to be a full-time high school student.

To become so strong to enter and use the UNF so casually, he must have the power to gather many Burst Points to spend on Unlimited Burst and the purchase of some kind of shelter, like Sky Raker's.

I also imagine that he's a Yellow with powers similar to Orchid Oracle's. You have to figure a Burst Linker who is that passionate about writing and drawing manga would have an avatar with creative powers like changing the whole environment, and/or conjuring detailed illusions.

It might be interesting if he was, in fact, the parent of Yellow Radio and the original Yellow King. And perhaps the estranged ally of Matchmaker.