

In _Sword Art Online_ Season 1 in ALfheim, when Asuna escapes from her cage to
try and log out, we see 2 researchers who have taken the form of slugs.

Is there a particular reason why their character models are different? Sugou
uses a normal fairy character model (though it's Oberon) and considering that
the 2 researchers we see are just monitoring the captive SAO players, extra
appendages won't be any use for them. Not to mention in a game where you can
fly, their slug forms would force them on the ground.


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2016-06-04T06:22:14.493
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2021-01-20T02:19:24.313
2016-06-04T06:27:41.907
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question
sword-art-online
Why are the other researchers slugs?


The researchers "virtual space" and the game world of Alfheim Online are
(conveniently, I'd say) hosted on the same server, but the researchers are not
playing the game, nor are supposed to exit the facility (i.e get at ground
level).

Apart from monitoring the SAO players, those two guys are actually
experimenting with sensory expansion (as they mention it in their dialogue)
and to do so they have a different model because of the mapping of the
additional/expanded senses to tentacles and such.

Because of their increased sensitivity they appear easier to harm, as Asuna
does after some time.


CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-06-04T16:47:25.370
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2021-01-20T02:19:24.313
2021-01-20T02:19:24.313
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answer