Cover of SCP-042-DE
Item #: SCP-042-DE
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: All gaming-platforms and key shops for Indie, Early Access, and Crowd Funding Games are to be monitored for releases of SCP-042-DE at all times. Any instances are to be removed immediately; some platform operators have given administrators access to do so. In all other cases, the servers on which SCP-042-DE exists are to be shut down by a DDoS attack, and it is to be deleted physically from the servers by mobile task forces.
In case SCP-042-DE is run uncontrolled, the instances of SCP-042-DE-1 are to be hunted by MTF-DE16-𝔏 "16-Leopold'' like the player would expect them to. They have to operate by deescalating and gaining time, to keep the losses low. Through observation and analysis of all confrontations, the characteristics of SCP-042-DE-1 are to be identified and the MTF's equipment is to be adjusted and a containment cell is to be prepared. When SCP-042-DE-1 is successfully secured, it is to be transported to and contained at Site-DE16. As it will breach containment anyway, cost- and personal intensive security measures are to be avoided.
Players of instances of SCP-042-DE are to be tracked by analysis of comments and user databases of platform operators and are to be detained and amnesticised as soon as possible. The save game is to be copied onto a portable volume and SCP-042-DE is to be uninstalled, save games, configuration data and remnants in the registry are to be removed from the player's computer with SCPCleaner.
Subsequently, the save game is to be copied to a secured system of the Foundation and is to be loaded. The respective instance of SCP-042-DE-1 is to be brought to its cell by personnel of at least class C and security level 3 and with help of MTF-DE16-𝔏 and is to be contained permanently and according to its properties. If possible the properties of the instance can be mitigated to ease containment. Then the game is to be saved and the latest save game is to be contained on a secure data carrier in a high-security locker. All other save games of that instance are to be deleted with a secure procedure.
Description: SCP-042-DE is the computer game "Avoid Containment'', which currently is in an early access phase. The game is released irregularly on different gaming platforms supporting early-access-releases, usually in combination with an update; the current version is 0.7.4. The game is available in German and English language and has not yet been detected outside of Europe. The denoted author, who is always using the nickname "Dr. Chaos'' or variations thereof, rarely in combination with numbers, claims to have developed the game alone. All attempts to track his location with his IP have been unsuccessful so far. The author does not react to approaches through the gaming platforms.
The content of the game is, with an anormal entity created at the start of a new game, to survive in an open world area with a size of ca. 8×5 km, which resembles the surroundings of Site-DE16 in detail, as long as possible while being hunted by one or more MTF-units. At that, basic needs like hunger, thirst, and sleep but also needs for defecation, sex, violence, religious acts, conversation, a certain sleeping area, certain possessions and the like are to be fulfilled. The depiction of fulfilling this needs is very explicit. Fulfilling this needs keeps the character a good physical and mental health and generates "Anomalypoints'', which can be spent for new anormal abilities and features, and which unlock new possibilities for "Creaturegeneration'' when starting a new game as well as new difficulty settings and start parameters. Not fulfilling this needs continuously leads for once to degeneration of related abilities but can also lead to automatic generation of new abilities, up to a "Frenzy'', during which the player loses partly or total control over the character, which then tries to fulfill its needs. The kind and relevance of needs are calculated based on the characters physical, mental and anormal features.
When the MTF manages to secure the entity, it is transported to a prepared containment cell in the Foundations facility at the edge of the playable area. The entity can now try to break containment using its normal and anormal abilities, sometimes by spontaneous generation of new abilities caused by not being able to fulfill its needs. Sometimes the containment cell has usable weak spots or a facility-wide incident enables the entity to flee. There is always a way to break containment.
The long-term goal of the game is to escape the playable area, either by the destruction of the Foundations facility and the MTFs, by causing a classification as Neutralized or by enforcing release.
SCP-042-DEs anomalous effect occurs when a game is started or a save game is loaded. At that moment an instance of SCP-042-DE-1 occurs in the area around Site-DE16, matching the properties and position of the character in-game. This instance recreates all actions and movement of the character, as if "controlled by the player''. Likewise, all actions of personnel of Site-DE16 and the MTF appear in the game as well as changes to the facility and terrain. As an instance can only be reliably and permanently contained when the Foundation takes possession of the save game, the MTF has to focus on gaining time and to minimize casualties. Not to react on an instance forces it to enter the facility to fulfill its needs, eventually by itself in a "Frenzy''.
Attempts to communicate with the player is considered as an easter egg, even in case the player is a member of the Foundation. If a game is loaded while another session is running, a status prompt appears claiming the session would be running offline due to technical problems. In this case, no additional manifestation of SCP-042-DE-1 appears; the session has no anomalous effect then. When the running session is quit, the player of the newer session is prompted whether to switch to "online mode'' whereupon SCP-042-DE-1 manifests according to the new save game. When a running game is quit, SCP-042-DE-1 disappears; only instances of SCP-042-DE-1 currently in containment continue to exist.
When a game session is being loaded or is switching to "online mode,'' an alarm sounds in the ready room of the MTF, and the information already collected about that instance appears on a briefing screen in the ready room, independently of what was shown on the screen before, and whether it is switched on or off or even if it is connected to electric supply.
Members of MTF DE16-𝔏 which die during a game session or are incapacitated, disappear 5 minutes after SCP-042-DE-1 lets up on them and reappear in the ready room of the MTF from where they can again get into action. If multiple members of the MTF are "dead'' simultaneously, the time until their disappearance raises by 1 minute/person. Wounds inflicted by SCP-042-DE-1 disappear when a game session is quit or upon reappearing. Members of the MTF consider these circumstances as normal during a game session, though after a session they show extreme symptoms of stress, shock, depression, panic attacks, and several personality disorders. By their request or upon medical prescription members of the MTF can be amneticised and be treated with psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs. If members of the MTF are reassigned, terminated or commit suicide, and are not replaced till the beginning of a new game session, they manifest again in the ready room of the MTF.
Addendum: The game has relatively low minimum hardware requirements, though supports DirectX 12 and runs on 32- and 64 bit systems on Windows 7 or higher. Technologically it is state of the art, though, with every update new effects, more detailed models or textures are added. No 3rd-party software is used; through reverse-engineering similarities with software developed by the Foundation have been found which leads to the assumption that “Dr. Chaos” is an active or former employee of the Foundation or an embedded agent of a group of interest.
The author describes the game as "Survival-Game of the next Generation''. Up to date it only has a single player mode, however, the author says to have plans for a multiplayer mode with various PvP, PvE and Coop-modes, as well as the DLCs "Avoid the GOI'', "Avoid the Anomaly'' as well as several skin- and extension packs. Should the game be a success, the author promises a large add-on with several new areas.