Chapter 10: Players’ Heated Discussion!

A quick search confirmed it—many gaming forums were already flooded with posts about *Dark Sands*! Although there weren't many beta players, those who were up and posting at this hour were essentially all beta testers. After all, most other players would still be asleep at 6:00 a.m.

Having experienced the game, this group clearly had a strong desire to discuss, and they instantly filled the forums. Previously quiet threads on *Dark Sands* now buzzed with high-intensity debates on the game content.

"This game is unreal! I never imagined the official description could be true—it's really 100% realistic! I was completely stunned upon entering!"

"Yeah, it felt so real; I almost thought I'd actually traveled back in time. Is this what the protagonists feel in those web novels?"

"The NPCs are too real. I thought the guards standing on both sides were just props, but when I kicked one, I was immediately taken down..."

"You're crazy! How could you kick those NPCs that look so lifelike?"

"I'm pretty sure these NPCs could pass the Turing test without a problem. This game has such a high degree of freedom! Even the slightest facial expression might prompt a different reaction from the NPCs. No wonder the beta recruitment mentioned the importance of players' acting skills!"

"Right, I lost because of my lack of acting skills. The moment I entered the hall, I got exposed..."

A lot of the posts marveled at the game's realism. Some players were speculating on how the game achieved such realism, noting that it felt generations ahead of other VR games, even though they all used the same VR headsets.

Some players familiar with VR technology offered theories. They speculated that while current neural-link technology has a high theoretical limit, most VR game developers hold back to avoid minor brain strain, making their games relatively conservative. *Dark Sands,* however, might be using advanced techniques to push the technology's potential even further.

Despite their curiosity, players weren't overly fixated on the technology, assuming answers would come eventually. For now, they were more interested in the game content—figuring out how to pass the trials was the main focus.

"So, has anyone actually cleared a trial? I barely remember what I went through all night; I just kept dying!"

"There are four trials. I first tried the Assassin trial and got slaughtered by the emperor multiple times, so I didn't dare try the Warrior or Ranger trials. Instead, I checked out the Scholar trial. Turns out I was just locked in a dungeon, exhausted, hungry, and wounded. Eventually, someone came to interrogate me, but I didn't know how to respond, so they dragged me out and executed me..."

"I think the Warrior trial is the worst. The war scenes were way too real! After being killed twice, I didn't want to go back. It really makes me appreciate living in peaceful times."

"So, nobody has cleared any trial? Not a single one of the four?"

"Seems like it. I tried all four trials and have no clue how to beat any."

"The Assassin trial's objective is somewhat clear, but I have no idea how to pull it off—it feels like I'd need top-notch acting skills. The Scholar trial is still unclear, but it seems like survival in the dungeon is key. The Warrior trial's goal should be defending the city. And for the Ranger trial, it looks like we have to take down a tyrant, but the tyrant is ridiculously strong, super alert, and has a whole gang. I've died in every trial and can't complete any of them."

"This game's difficulty is insane. Is it even meant to be beatable?"

"Is there any way to provide feedback to the developers? They should lower the difficulty a bit."

"Yeah, it's the hardest game I've ever played. It's almost inhumane. Such a waste of top-notch technology!"

Zhao Haiping skimmed through the discussions, noticing that most players had a similar first impression: the game's technology was impressive, almost like actually traveling back in time. But the downside was also obvious—it was just too hard! An entire night, and not a single player had cleared any beginner trial. This kind of difficulty was probably unprecedented.

Most game companies design games with some player enjoyment in mind. Even for challenging games, they typically set up an initial difficulty curve, putting in a few easier bosses to draw players in before the real challenges begin.

But this game? High difficulty, no guidance, no feedback options—it's free, beta access is by lottery, and it even limits playtime to nighttime only.

Maybe... this is what "having money and doing as you please" looks like?