Storyshift Preboot

Storyshift "Preboot" (pre-reboot) refers to the previous iteration of Storyshift from before its reboot.

It mostly follows the same premise as modern Storyshift, where characters are put into different roles, without changing personality nor species.

It appeared in comic format from December 2015-2016, until it was put on indefinite hiatus in April 2017 , and a complete reboot was announced that July. As such, it is no longer considered canon to Storyshift and anything exclusive to it will remain non-canon.

If you wish to read this non-canon comic, here is a link to the main story and here is a link to the side entries.

Characters

Main Characters

Boogie

Boogie's preboot battle sprite.

Boogie is very similar to their reboot counterpart, sharing characteristics in terms of appearance and personality. They appear as a faded golden flower with drooping petals, and are presented as apathetic and emotionless. However, in contrast to their reboot counterpart, they do not show any signs of hostility or sinister motives throughout their interactions with Shifty.

Boogie's preboot overworld sprite.

During their first encounter, Boogie briefly introduces themself and gives a short lesson on the battle system. They explain how the SOUL works, as well as LV and dodging bullets. As Shifty chooses not to dodge the example bullet, however, they are brought down to 1 HP--much to Boogie's surprise. After telling Shifty that they can simply leave, they are attacked by Papyrus, who was under the impression they were causing trouble.

They are encountered once more at the end of the Ruins, reflecting on Shifty's choice not to kill anyone, though continuing to demonstrate a lack of emotion and any motives whatsoever.

Papyrus

Papyrus's preboot battle sprite.

Papyrus is a tall skeleton monster and the self-proclaimed "caretaker of the Ruins." He is depicted as wearing royal purple robes emblazoned with the Delta Rune; unlike his reboot counterpart, they do not possess epaulettes. From the beginning, he is shown to be someone that is very kind and compassionate, as well as incredibly charismatic, goofy, and eccentric. He struggles to face the reality of what fate awaits humans who leave the Ruins, electing to be very protective of Shifty and closely guide them through the Ruins.

Papyrus's preboot overworld sprite

Papyrus is first encountered "saving" Shifty from Boogie, under the impression that they were causing trouble. After introducing himself, he leads them through the Ruins and demonstrates how to complete puzzles in order to progress. Rather than teaching Shifty how to peacefully resolve conflict, however, Papyrus instructs them to "do nothing" and wait for him to save them.

Alphys

Alphys's preboot battle sprite.

Alphys's preboot overworld sprite.

Mettacrit

Mettacrit is a ghost monster that provides the narration for Frisk post-mortem and the backstory for himself and Napstablook.

Mettacrit has never been depicted as a robot or humanoid of any sort within the Preboot. This is due to Asgore lacking the mechanical know-how at the time to construct a robotic body (he is a botanist by trade) and Mettacrit dying before he could learn the trade.

Minor Characters

Bulgy Pecs

Chara's preboot overworld sprite.

Asriel's preboot battle sprite.

Asriel's preboot overworld sprite.

Toriel's preboot battle sprite.

Toriel's preboot battle sprite.

Undyne's preboot battle sprite.

Undyne's preboot overworld sprite.

Undyne Umbra's battle sprite.

Undyne Umbra's overworld sprite.

Asgore's preboot battle sprite.

Asgore's preboot overworld sprite.

Sans's preboot battle sprite.

Sans's preboot overworld sprite.

Trivia

• Storyshift Preboot was cancelled due to a combination of dissatisfaction with the product, a rushed development that causes significant stress to the author, and stress related to the fandom that lead to a series of suicidal thoughts. The author stepped away from the project due to this and decided to take a less stressful route with the reboot.
  • Due to these overwhelmingly negative factors and the Reboot covering many of the same intended plot beats, the Preboot will not be revisited by the author.

• Boogie's initial design was more or less a copy of Flowey at the time with some slight dialogue changes. However the Ruins of the Preboot had a remake and this was changed and rightfully forgotten. Here is the first part of this original draft with the unchanged Flowey. https://imgur.com/a/3ZcxV