C80: Play Different

As time advances, the speed of development on both projects progresses swiftly.

The newer employees who joined later finally understand why I, along with Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, hold so much respect for Chen Xu.

His assignment routine flows so smoothly—every step is taken with meticulousness. There's no dryness or hesitation, no sense of hindrance at all.

It feels as if the path ahead is drawn with fluid. All one needs to do is glide and slide to reach a happy conclusion.

Although the team engages in creative discussions, there are no quarrels.

That's because the core of the game has already been determined.

Everyone contributes their best within this framework.

Even working overtime feels joyful in this atmosphere.

After all, the overtime pay at Neon Games, courtesy of Chen Xu, is quite generous, with plenty of perks.

In the case of Three Kingdoms, its improvements focus more on the player experience than on game mechanics.

Of course, aside from the rules, Three Kingdoms stands out in another area: its dialogue and voice acting.

These elements add a lot of charm to Three Kingdoms.

They place the game among the top echelon of its kind.

Many of its classic lines remain fresh in the players' minds.

Some players who haven't even played Three Kingdoms may not know the origin of these lines but have surely heard them.

"For example,

Zhao Yun's words, 'True strategy lies in knowing when to advance and when to withdraw,'

Zhuge Liang's wisdom, 'It is easy to comprehend the will of the heavens, but challenging to defy it,' or

Guan Yu's declaration, 'Guan Yunchang offers his life for the sake of honor.'"

As for the gameplay mode, we've tentatively set it as a standard 5-player play: one master, two rebels, one loyalist, and one traitor.

Modes like national warfare are planned for future updates.

After all, it's not ideal to introduce too much content at the beginning of a game.

Players need hands-on experience and time to learn.

Even if we look at one of the world's greatest series, Zelda, from the first 3D game Ocarina of Time to Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, and finally Breath of the Wild, the amount of content became progressively richer and more complex. However, this gradual approach allowed players to ease into the various systems and content settings.

So, when creating a game, if we try to include everything or present too much content upfront, it can overwhelm the player.

Instead of appreciating how rich the game is, they might just feel frustrated, thinking, "Why do I have to study this like a graduate student?"

The other game, JellyMan, is similar to the previous title, overcooked. In addition to enhancing the player experience, the key focus is on the game's content updates. We also support the modification, allowing players to create their own assets.

In its previous life, JellyMan went from popular to less favored, with many players attributing this decline to plugins. While that is indeed a factor, it's not the main reason. If plugins were solely responsible for the game's downturn, we would see a significant pattern emerge:

1. Normal gameplay.

2. Encountering plugins.

3. A change in player mentality.

4. Retreating from the game.

This process illustrates how normal players withdraw due to cheating, but it doesn't instantly cool down the game.

The core reason for the rapid decline of JellyMan is the loss of game content. As a light casual game designed for variety shows, its entertainment value hinges on the fun of overcoming each level. Once players master all the levels, they quickly lose interest, and the game ceases to be engaging.

So, what did the production company behind the earlier JellyMan do after the game's initial success? While they worked on creating new levels, they focused more on showcasing skins and collaborations. By the time they realized the need for new maps to sustain player interest, it was already too late.

For me, the challenge is to maximize player enthusiasm and ensure that JellyMan maintains long-term vitality through the mods. Creating a multiplayer game that endures is unrealistic, given that JellyMan has attributes akin to internet celebrity status. It can capture attention for a time, but sustaining that popularity is nearly impossible. The issue lies not in the game's quality but in the depth of its content.

As the exhibition date approaches, the atmosphere at Neon Games feels flexible. I find the progress on both games to be quite encouraging. Three Kingdoms has begun testing various functions for the online version. The only remaining task is to complete the voiceovers for some generals.

The same is true for JellyMan, the action levels are finished, and the main content now requires sound effects. Within the company, we have employees from various departments acting as first testers to evaluate the game.

At present, it seems everyone prefers Three Kingdoms a bit more.

This is mainly because JellyMan lacks enough players, so the sense of confusion and humor that Chen Xu mentioned hasn't really come through. On the other hand, once familiar with the basics, Three Kingdoms is really enjoyable.

"You and I are both rulers and ministers. Why must we clash like this?" I sighed bitterly.

"Your Majesty is misguided, and Liang simply follows the will of heaven!" Ruan Ningxue gleefully played the two cards, Beacon Fire and Wolf Smoke, draining the last two life points from my Liu Bei.

"No way, I want a rematch! How do you keep drawing so many trick cards, Xiaoxue? Every time I play as Zhuge Liang, I end up being killed!" I complained in frustration.

"Sister Xin, just accept your African attributes," Ruan Ningxue teased with a smile.

"But seriously, does anyone know what that big project President Chen mentioned earlier is about?" Qin Yi, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up.

Besides working on Three Kingdoms and JellyMan, everyone has been busy with that mysterious big project Chen Xu mentioned. But since we're all handling our own separate tasks, none of us knows the full picture.

"The darker side of Western mythology—reminds me of Ragnarök," I mused, drawing on my work with the plot.

"Pretty close," Ruan Ningxue agreed.

"My part of the combat system feels like medieval knight duels," Qin Yi chimed in, scratching his head.

"Don't overthink it, Brother Qin. When President Chen starts the project, everything will become clear," someone said from nearby.

"True, I'm more curious about what kind of cosplayers we'll see at this exhibition— Will it be some Mother Sheep? Sister Yu?" Another team member asked excitedly.

"It's a shame Magic Mirror isn't being showcased, imagine the buzz!" Qin Yi said, sounding disappointed.

"Bah, men!" I said, pretending to be disgusted.

"Yeah! So vulgar!" Ruan Ningxue chimed in from across the room.

"Exactly! Qin, your taste needs some refinement. Everyone loves female cosplayers, but how can we compare with other studios? If you want to stand out, do something different! Check this out!"

Just then, Chen Xu and his assistant Lin Rou walked in, carrying a large box.

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Don't forget to comment on improvement i can do and error in the text.

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