When I got the feedback from Becky that the reason I found Melanie in an unexpected spot was because of the game AI. As the idea that led to this game was the idea of trapping her friend in a virtual reality, the AI was programmed to explore for itself. So from there I decided to watch the game play itself. The game also never truly reset as the AI recalled all past adventures. The only way for a full reset would be to reconfigure the AI itself, a tool I was recently granted. I still couldn’t believe Becky had this game up and running for me so quickly.

What I did find fascinating is that the player AI wasn’t the only thing that remained between new saves. The main villain Rebecca retained her memories too. Becky did explain to me it’s because if the villain didn’t learn but the player AI did then it would eventually make the game too easy. When I asked about the fairies, Becky didn’t have an answer for me.

The most amazing thing about the Fairies is they had the ability to manipulate the game menu and that in agreement with the player AI it had started a new game for it when things got grim. This is when I decided to finally use the character customiser that was added in after my first bit of feedback. I was surprised how much I could change about the character, from her species to her personality, I could always restore to default later at least.

I kept the changes small this time round, as I had begun to see the AI as an actual person with how it lived its life in the game. It had unfairly been transformed so many times, I decided to level the playing field. Now Melanie would be a newly found witch, I also tweaked with the personality a little bit to make it love transforming spells. Then I left the game to play itself

Now instead of a tunic and sword, Melanie entered the game with a robe and pointed hat. She also had a basic spellbook as well as a magic wand.

“Hello adventurer,” Joren gave his usual greeting.

“Joren!” Melanie screamed as she ran in and gave the grizzled old warrior a hug. That just set his status to confused. It was a shame that the general AI didn’t recall previous save files.

“I see that you are a magic user,” Joren said. “I might not be able to teach you much, but lets see how good you are with your wand.”

Melanie held her wand and aimed at the target dummy, causing a huge explosion and knocking her on her ass. Joren was also left permanently singed. “Excellent work, magic can be extremely dangerous in the hands of a novice, go up the hill to Gwaine to learn more.”

When Melanie ran up the hill this time, she noticed she didn’t get nearly as far before she needed to catch her breath, she was also slower than usual too. Still she made it up to the old hut no problem.

“Ah you must be my new apprentice,” Gwaine treated her with open arms. “In a world full of magic and evil sorcerers, it’s good to see someone else that will use magic for the greater good. Now tell me, my apprentice, which field of magic would you like to learn the most?”

‘Transmutation’ ‘Elenemental’ ‘Necromancy’ ‘Divine’ ‘Conjuring’

“Transmutation,” Melanie said without a second thought.

“My favourite, and one I just so happen to be a master of” Gwaine smiled as he gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I see your wand is bound to fireball, perhaps we should bind that to something else, may I see your spell book?” Inside the spellbook was only one spell, and it was an elemental spell. “Ah you truly are new to this, it’s so refreshing to see a blank spellbook. I recall filling mine up when I was an adventurer, but alas I’m too old.” Gwaine then looked through his belongings and found a scroll. “Ah here we go, and this will help you on your next quest too.”

‘Melanie has learned how to turn someone into a pig’

The spellbook lit up as one of the blank pages changed into the spell. “Normally spells require chants and sometimes ingredients to cast, even reversing a spell can be dangerous. But when bound to your wand, you can cast it effortlessly. Just tap your wand to the page to learn it.”

Melanie followed the instructions carefully as the wand glowed pink.

“Good, I will teach you the pig restoration spell once you do a task for me. Joren ate the last of my magic truffles, I need you to help me go find more and teach him a lesson while you’re at it. Also it’s been dangerous here recently with too many wolves, can you deal with them for me?”

“I accept,” Melanie said gleefully as she practically skipped down the road back to Joren. It was going to be so much fun finally getting to transform someone else for a change.

“Welcome back… Oink, oink, snort” Joren soon found himself turned into a cute little pig. Despite being happy to see him, Melanie was now gleeful at his new transformation.

“Come on, Joren, time to find those truffles.” She escorted the former Elf Warrior into the field, turning any wolf that got close into a pig as well. Once Joren had finished his task, Melanie took Joren and the truffles up to Gwaine.

“Excellent job,” Gwaine smiled. “And I hope you’ve learnt your lesson too.” He poked Joren on the nose. “Now let me teach you the restoration spell, it will turn anyone you’ve transformed back into their original form.” Gwaine taught Melanie the spell. “Now to complete your training, transform Joren back.”

‘Of course, it’s a little mean for me to do that to him,’ ‘Aww but he’s so cute like this.’ ‘He deserves to crawl in the mud like the swine he is’

“But he’s such a cute pig,” Melanie delighted in Joren’s new form.

“I’m being serious,” Gwaine warned, as Melanie lost reputation points with him.

‘Change Joren back,’ ‘Transform Gwaine’, ‘Leave’

“It was your suggestion, why don’t you join him?” Melanie smiled as she aimed the wand at Gwaine. Surprisingly the spell worked on the master wizard, leaving him a simple pig as well.

<Alignment Evil+10>

Curious about what was in the hut, Melanie looked around and found several other transformation spells in the hut. She learnt them all and left poor Joren and Gwaine as pigs.

From there Melanie went to the next village to pick up some quests. In the brewery she turned all the rats into apples, turned Mrs Tibbins into a Squirrel to rescue her own cat. She even took on the Morph Master quest and vanquished him by turning him into cat food.

Melanie gained several levels from all that, increasing her casting abilities further. She also got plenty of new spells from the Morph Master. From there she went off transforming bandits to whatever she wanted, from statues, to earthworms, and more. One of the abilities she learnt was how to bind her wand to a random spell in her book.

Finally she went to the old baker and turned her into a cake for Lady Rebecca.

<Alignment Change: True Evil>

When Rebecca came for her cake, she saw Melanie waiting there. The green woman eyed her off cautiously. “I thought she was supposed to turn you into a cow,” Lady Rebecca was genuinely confused.

“I understand you so much more now,” Melanie ignored the comment. “It’s so fun to turn people into whatever you want and suffer no consequences. Unless someone else comes along more powerful than you and deals out those consequences themselves.”

“You think you’re… moooo” Before Melanie stood a green cow, causing her to cackle in delight.

“No you’re still too dangerous like that,” Melanie remarked. This time turning the green cow into a small wooden figure. “That’s better, you know we could’ve been friends if you hadn’t kept me in your basement for a year. Now I will rule this land and you can stay on my shelf as a trophy.”

I watched the outcome of this new save feeling conflicted. It was good to let the AI have some revenge, but I didn’t expect making them like transforming people would make them go down the evil route. “Oh well,” I muttered to myself. “Time for a reset.”