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TIPS 05
Introducing Lacuna [2] The Central District of Jewel
As you must already know by now, "Digimon Liberator" is a VR game set in the virtual world of Lacuna.
This world is split into seven distinct areas. Each is a strange-looking cyber world that seems both somewhat familiar at first glance yet somehow completely new.
Today, we're introducing one such area, the central district of Jewel.
This place can most accurately be described as a city of tomorrow.
As this might suggest, the white, skyscraper-lined cityscape does seem cold and sterile from a distance.
But up close, when you actually walk the streets, you'll find a mixture of buildings influenced by many different cultures, lending the place an air of exoticism. It certainly leaves a strange impression.
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This area is at the heart of everything that happens in Lacuna.
It marks the start of the game—the first place where all new players begin their journey—and is also home to a number of Lacuna's important game-related locations.
Let's take a look at some of these central facilities and locations below.
First up is a place frequented by more players than anywhere else in the entire area: the shopping area. Here you'll find shops selling all kinds of items.
Always bustling with players, these streets are lined with a variety of stores, from standard card shops to specialized D-Storage and accessories joints. You'll probably spot lots of players adventuring in their favorite outfits.
There are some NPCs around who analyze shop purchase data in realtime and can tell you which items are selling fast, so if you're not sure what to buy, they're a great help.
There are also places where players can trade directly among themselves. Rare items are sometimes also traded here. This isn't prohibited by the Games Masters (GMs), but they're also not going to help you unless a rule is explicitly broken, so be careful not to get scammed.
The next place we'll look at is the Free Battle Area players usually head for once they've stocked up on cards and accessories in the shopping area.
Real Digimon aren't summoned to this space, so you can play here as if you're playing the actual card game.
That's why a lot of beginners and players trying out new decks come to train here.
It's also a good place for players who still aren't used to the game mechanics to come and actively practice. You can train against NPCs or other players and watch and learn how others play the game, so it's a great way to quickly get the hang of things.
Next, after preparing in the shopping area and Free Battle Area, players tend to turn to one of the very reasons why this area is said to mark the start of so many journeys—a portal connected to the other six areas.
Players can travel from here with their newly constructed decks in hand to distinct districts where they can battle, complete various quests, and experience all that Lacuna has to offer. It truly is the point where all adventures in Lacuna begin.
Near the portal you can also find NPCs who offer players special modes of transportation. Upon payment, players are whisked away from the normal portal by NPCs, and led to NPCs' bases, kind of like a fast travel system.
Sometimes, however, the player may suddenly find themselves transported to somewhere where there's a high-level battle NPC lying in wait.
While it is possible to earn some great rewards if you win, these enemies are very strong. NPCs who end up leading players to battle NPCs often offer to transport them for extremely low prices or even for free, so beginner players should be extra vigilant.
Some NPCs also offer players sightseeing tours to show them around other areas in Lacuna. If you'd like to marvel at the magnificent Lacuna scenery and leisurely take in sights unseeable in the real world, these NPC-led tours are just for you.
If you join one, you might even receive a souvenir, so give one a try.
One of the other places we'd like to introduce for your adventure is the GM (Game Master) meeting facility. Here you can report and discuss any issues you might run into in Lacuna, or anything else that you're having problems with.
If other players are causing you trouble, you're having problems in-game, or you think you might have run into a bug, you can ask for an appointment to talk to someone here. Even though they may not be able to solve everything, GMs will take the matter seriously to ensure that the game runs as safely and reliably as possible.
If you do happen across a bug, it's strongly recommended to report it or speak to a GM as these can mess up the game.
There's a dedicated debugging team, so issues are dealt with swiftly when reported.
As you will have gathered, the central district of Jewel is always teeming with players. With players of all skill levels coming and going, it's not only the center of Lacuna, but also the most thriving urban area.
You can't battle outside of the Free Battle Area, but despite this—or rather, because of this—the area is vital to the Main Scenario.
A grand main story unfolds as you meet and battle NPCs in each area. Out of the seven distinct areas that make up Lacuna, what characters and events await you in the district that is central among them?
Below, we offer you a sneak preview.
Much of the large-scale expansion of the central district of Jewel is down to an enormous computer known as E.G.G.
E.G.G. observes and chronicles everything that happens in Lacuna...or so it is claimed. Which means that all of Lacuna's history, from E.G.G.'s creation up until now, may be recorded. But now there's no way to access the E.G.G. data, and it has become somewhat of a black box.
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Many androids have paid a visit to E.G.G. in a bid to uncover some of its secrets.
This in turn led to the construction of a hub that surrounds it, facilitating further exchanges between androids, and eventually giving rise to a whole city.
Nowadays the city is so big that the inhabitants can't even remember why it was built in the first place.
The following takes place after you've met Makina in the Emerald Colonies (See TIPS 01).
When you take out the cards you received from Makina in Jewel, you find that a sharp-eyed android is watching you. The android, known as Chain, explains that they are the last researcher left in the city.
Chain, who believes that society's progress and stability hinge upon unraveling the mysteries of the past and finding out why Digimon disappeared, offers to train you in how to use Digimon Cards.
Not having a clue how to do so, you gladly accept.
Once you've thoroughly learned how to use Digimon Cards in battle, Chain makes a request.
It's a request to travel the world.
Chain claims to have discovered a way to access the data held by E.G.G., but in order to do so, six treasures scattered across Lacuna, known as "Relics", are required.
If you find the Relics and bring them back to Chain, then maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to peer into the data E.G.G. holds and unravel Lacuna's mysteries.
You realize that your original objective of exploring this world aligns with Chain's.
Relics...
You don't know what kinds of treasures they are, but you're about to go and find out.
The above is but a snippet of the main scenario that you'll play through in Jewel.
As for the rest, you'll have to experience it for yourself in-game.
As you play Digimon Liberator, you'll end up visiting and revisiting a variety of areas. But out of everywhere, Jewel is probably the place you'll end up visiting the most.
Home to all kinds of players, from beginners to veterans, it remains to be seen what kinds of encounters await.
So use it as a stepping stone to enjoy your time in Digimon Liberator.