What Would You Do if You Were Trapped Inside a Virtual World?

[Azure Sage]

God knows where technology will be in even the next ten years. We may very well see a video game that's centered in a virtual 3D environment, which we can sub-consciously go to via virtual headset.

I was recently watching an anime called Sword Art Online that deals with this very idea. It takes place in the year 2022, and the story revolves around a boy named Kirito who, after buying a copy of a brand new video game--Sword Art Online, gets trapped in its virtual world along with tens of thousands of others, and the only way out is to clear all 100 floors. And if you die in the game, you die in real life. The virtual headset will fry your brain, killing you. And if anyone tries to remove it from the outside, it will still fry your brain and kill you.

Watching this made me think. What if I was in the same situation as Kirito? What would I do if I was trapped in a virtual world with the danger of dying? I'm not really sure what I'd do. I might try to wait it out, and hope the situation gets resolved somehow. I'd probably be scared of dying. I'm not sure if I would tough it out and really try to make it out of there. I might just accept my fate and stay there forever. But I can't say for sure. You'll never truly know what you'd do to survive until it comes right down to it.

What would you guys do if you were in this situation? Would you try to escape, despite the possibility of dying? Or would you do nothing and hope it passes and everything becomes okay again? I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say.

 

[Violet Link]

Ohh! I'll escape! But first,I'll train myself with a weapon in the gaming world.Or use mah nerf gun.I'll use cheats then!!

 

[Sydney]

I'd see what I'm up against first, and check on what resources are provided within the virtual world. If what I find is way too difficult for me to handle, I guess I would just wait it out.

 

[arkvoodle]

It reminds me of the game "Catherine". You would fall asleep into these terrible nightmares and you had to clear a tower full of traps and dangers (As well as huge monsters) to wake up. If you failed, you died.

Personally, in this situation i'd weigh up what I could do. If i'm in a virtual world, does that mean I can do whatever I like? :O If so, i'd stay in it and not try to escape. If it was a hellish nightmare i'd brave it and try to leave, but otherwise i'd stay for a while and try and enjoy the fictional fantasy, even if just for a while. If I tired of it or if I longed for reality, i'd brave the challenges and escape. If I fail, well, better to die than live a lie. At least that way you'd be free from impending doom. You'd have to leave someday. Either someone's going to accidentally kill you on the outside, you die on the inside or you die of old age/malnutrition. I'd rather take my chances and try to escape and at least attempt to get back to reality. However, what if there was no escape? What if reality was all just one big simulation just like the fake world?! D: DUN DUN DUN PLOT TWIST!

But yeah. Basically i'd try and escape. I wouldn't feel comfortable knowing that I could easily die at any second with no control over it. By that i'm referring to outside intervention opposed to in game.

 

[A Link In Time]

This situation also reminds me of a secret agent spy series I read when I was younger, Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz. About halfway through the fourth book, Eagle Strike, Alex plays a videogame where his own body is subjugated to the conditions of his in-game persona be that acute pain at taking damage or relief from receiving an additional batch of health.

I would likely act if found in this situation for hopelessly moping around waiting for something to occur accomplishes nothing. Of course in a situation where the stakes are raised caution is key. Depending on what exactly the danger is in this virtual world, I'd devise an approach to fit it best. If threatened by enemy machine guns, for example, utilizing silenced guns and camouflage would be a great idea. If encompassed by lethal toxins, on the other hand, I'd first search for natural herbs which might remedy the danger. Interesting thread, Azure. Looking forward to reading others' replies as well.

 

[Turo602]

I would do this
[video=youtube_share;lLXaRtc1f4I]http://youtu.be/lLXaRtc1f4I[/video]

 

[purplelink]

If I go down I'll be going down fighting.

 

[zellinkda]

if I was trapped in a virtual world, I would probably find a town and build myself a treehouse. it is the weakest answer you can think of, but that is exactly what I would do. I would say that I would fight, but I'm actually to scared to do that, because what if you can't come back if you die.

 

[univpark]

I get a sword, right? That is a pretty big asset. 100 floors of danger to escape from a world where you would be trapped forever.

The thing I would do is fight. I don't have a lot of courage, but that would be better than waiting to die, pretty much. Training to become stronger before taking on that kind of challenge would probably be a necessity for me, too.

 

[Ventus]

I would do just like Fayt Leingod does in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time; train using a sword and go and roflstomp everything I see, learning Side Kick, Divine Blade and Ethereal Blast all along the way.

 

[domo]

I would do what any smart person would-I'd challenge the game to a childrens card game and win my way out...

Actually I would pray for my friends and family and their well being and then I'd challenge the 100 levels.

 

[TheRizardon]

I would sing "Were computer boys not computer girls" a couple of times then try to beat those 100 floors without dying! Pretty straight foward.

 

[Shadsie]

Sword Art Online - As soon as I saw the title of this thread, I thought of that! It's one of the animes my guy has downloaded. He showed me the first three episodes after we had our customary-for-now Sunday-watching of this weird anime about the decline of mankind and the rise of faeries. (I like that one because it's weird... has zombie chickens and stuff).

As for the Sword Art situation... well, it depends upon the danger. If I were in a virtual world where things were not an urgent matter of life and death and I could just live there, I might... do that. If it's better than the "real world" - I'd live in Hyrule. However, if it were a deadly game like SAO - well, first, I'd wonder what's happening to my body in the real world (How do people eat, drink, PEE? - is there some kind of hibernation-style slowdown of their body-functions)? Then, well... I'd be very anxious, as anxiety is a constant companion of mine, I'd probably pray about it (though lots of people think that does nothing and that I'm merely tapping into another "unreal" world), then... I'd like to think that I'd accept my impending death (I can never get through a tough, 100-level game without dying at least once), and find a way to die fighting, while making my death serve someone else.

If I were in SAO or a situation like it, I'd avoid killing other players - even if they're blood knight types - because I know I'd be doing real killing unlike say, in Smash Bros. or Soul Calibur where giving your all to fight another player is just a fun game. I'd save my sword for the monsters, and I'd probably try to find a guild who could use a potential self-sacrificer. I'd fight as long as I can, but when I know I'm defeated, I'd consider it an honor to help others to live.

"I can die happy since I fought with honor. Adieu. Save the resurrection-item for someone with a more valuable life."

 

[Fiveoclock]

I'd take the blue pill, make the first jump, bend the spoon, take on the agent, and break out of the game. 'Nuff said,

 

[TF/HH]

I would want to be trapped in The Sims. That's what real life basically is. And I'm not committing suicide, so I'm not going to escape.