Chapter 37: Game Release

For Kiana, the volume of knowledge in her mind was indeed insufficient to fully grasp the intricacies of the Civilization game.

Nevertheless, this didn't deter Kiana from observing Siegfried as he played. In fact, when Kiana recommended the game to Siegfried, he felt overwhelmed.

This was unavoidable since such a large amount of text proved to be nothing short of a nightmare for the Kaslana family.

Fortunately, the basic newbie guide was still available. So long as one refrained from overthinking and simply clicked on a few cities from time to time, then followed their intuition, the issue wasn't insurmountable

Therefore, relying on his intuition, Siegfried opted for a civilization called Babylon, enticed by the direct unlocking of technologies through the so-called Eureka, which seemed quite potent.

And indeed, Siegfried's intuition proved correct.

After actively triggering Eureka, Siegfried's early-game technological advancements were swift. However, this game couldn't be mastered solely through intuition.

Consequently, Siegfried gradually lost himself in the next turn, witnessing countless barbarians encircle him and numerous AI's declaring war on him. Siegfried felt deeply aggrieved.

"Daddy... I'm hungry~"

"Ahhh! Sorry, sorry! I'll cook right away!"

Unexpectedly, this game possessed such charm that even his father forgot to cook!

Meanwhile, Kiana felt that she might need to study harder to comprehend this game better.

Oh well, that could be addressed tomorrow!

Seated before the computer, Kiana manipulated the mouse, selected a leader, and initiated a new game.

[Starting from the sprout of life in the sea...]...

Online, opinions on the Civilization promotional video were mixed.

Some claimed it marked a downfall for Haxxor. Others found the promotional video awe-inspiring, showcasing the potential greatness of human civilization.

Yet, many felt the game was too pricey. Judging by the volume of content released by Bronie earlier, if it were similar in scope to the previous one, over two hundred yuan would indeed be quite expensive.

Moreover, with its turn-based mechanics, many remained in a state of cautious observation.

Yes, just observing.

Pre-ordering games and the like always felt like a gamble. You never knew precisely what the game's content would entail, and once pre-ordered, refunds weren't always an option. If it turned out to be a disaster, wouldn't it be a severe injustice?

However, the game was officially released before long. Just as everyone began inquiring about its quality, discussions about the Civilization game seemed to fade into silence.

Everyone was silent, yet everyone was playing the game listed on their friend list on Sbeam.

This was a first in the history of gaming!

...

"Lord Otto, regarding today's tasks..."

"Hmm? Just leave them there."

At this moment, Otto was seated before the computer, engrossed in playing the game. He had come to realize that the controller wasn't particularly suitable for this game, so he switched to a more comfortable method of play.

"But Lord Otto, you haven't rested for at least 36 hours today."

With a click on the next turn, Otto raised his head to look at Amber bewildered.

"Has it been that long?"

Now Amber felt utterly exhausted.

As for games and the like, she naturally avoided them as much as possible. After all, Otto had granted her a chance at survival, so she remained almost unswervingly loyal, diligently completing all the tasks Otto assigned to her.

Games? They were a terrifying trap that led people away from work.

While Otto could lose himself in them, she couldn't!

"Of course, it's been that long, Your Eminence. Please remember to rest. If you tire yourself out and fall ill, those members of the Schicksal council will once again become restless."

"Humph, those old things. They're not even as courageous as Gandhi inside. I don't understand why the author would casually make him the use of nuclear bombs without any pressure."

Bronie had incorporated the nuclear enthusiast messenger Gandhi into the game, with a slight probability of appearing as a special agenda, fully maximizing Gandhi's inclination to employ nuclear bombs.

As the moment of nuclear war erupted, the entire map descended into chaos. If one pursued military or technological victory, they could manage Gandhi's nuclear bombs with the armies produced, to a certain extent.

However, if one aimed for religious, cultural, or even diplomatic victory, the game might veer off course entirely.

"Your Eminence, it's time for you to rest," Amber looked genuinely concerned about Otto. Ever since she met him, Otto had never endured such intense late nights. Even if there were important experiments, he still managed them perfectly and made time for rest.

Additionally, considering Otto's age of five hundred, his health couldn't be in good shape, right?

So, Amber was genuinely worried.

"After finishing this game, I'll rest. Hmm, it's just one game."

"Although I don't play this game, I'm familiar with the basic content. Otto, in the marathon mode of the ancient era, it might take until the next day to finish one game. It might be better to close the game now while we're still in the ancient era and the game hasn't fully started."

Indeed, the more one clicked "Next Turn," the harder it became to close the game, given the sunk cost of time.

Unfortunately, Otto closed the game, and Amber sighed with relief by his side.

After exiting the Sbeam interface, Otto opened the review section of the store. He gave it a positive review and closed the game again.

"I must say, Haxxor's approach to game design is truly genius. The built-in civilization encyclopedia can almost be treated as a genuine history encyclopedia, providing a clear view of the entire civilization's development process. Moreover, in the summary process, I noticed some discrepancies in history books."

"Discrepancies?"

"Such as the existence of Honkai and the traces left by some previous era men. Those visible traces puzzled me a bit, but most of it seems fine. In the options for great figures, I even saw that old man, Simon Apocalypse."

"Who's that?"

"Simon Apocalypse, in official history, was indeed the first Overseer of Schicksal. However, his name at the time was Simon Peter. His influence paved the way for Schicksal's coveting of the power of Honkai."

"It seems the author conducted a lot of research while making this game."

"Exactly. I also saw some old friends like Schrodinger and Einstein, but guess who wasn't included?"

"Who?"

"Tesla, hahaha!"

That temperamental girl didn't even make it into the ranks of the great engineers.

However, Otto found it interesting. Seeing the significant deviation between public perception of history and civilization development and reality, Otto felt a real sense of authority in his position as the Archbishop of Schicksal.

Previously, he only saw Schicksal as a tool to achieve his goals, and he didn't care about its future.

But after Theresa, Otto began to lean towards finding a suitable successor.

It used to be Walter Joyce, and now, Theresa still had no margin. But now, he felt a slight sense of superiority. Of course, it was just a bit, not enough to cloud his judgment.

"Alright, Your Eminence, it's really time to rest now."

"Okay, okay. Actually, I'm starting to look forward to future updates. The changing tides and the rise and fall, It probably more rules and even more complex changes."

Finally, Otto reluctantly closed the game.

...

However, compared to Otto, who could rest at will as the Overseer, Welt wasn't so lucky.

Civilization was indeed very addictive. After understanding the gameplay, the "Next Turn" button seemed to have a mysterious charm, urging Welt to click continuously.

The most important thing was the sense of anticipation.

Anticipating future developments, watching their civilization grow and expand, ultimately reaching beyond the universe to colonize Mars.

Fortunately, Welt had strong self-control.

Before 2 a.m., Welt successfully ended the game and hurried to bed to avoid any teaching issues the next day.

However, when he returned to his computer the next day with dark circles under his eyes, he couldn't resist the urge to open the game.

In the end, he opened the store interface on Sbeam and went to the review section.

"The downside of this game is that you can't stop playing."

"I opened the game at 7 a.m. and closed it at 6:59 a.m. It's a game that can be played quickly!"

"Have you seen the built-in encyclopedia in the game? I feel like I can review history in this game. If anyone tells me playing games affects studying, I'll slap them in the face with this game!"

It was all praise, with a few criticisms about how the game was too good and made people forget about time.

But Welt also agreed with this comment.

After all, he was also a victim of this game. And as a history teacher at Saint Freya Academy, the game's meticulous examination of history and descriptions of special units, buildings, and wonders were mostly accurate.

This game indeed served an educational purpose.

"In this Civilization game, you can feel the development and changes of the eras, the profoundness of civilization reaching this point. From the ancient era to the atomic age, to envisioning the future and longing for the universe, this is the gift that the author, Haxxor, has given us.

Whether it's in terms of strategy or gameplay, it's flawless.

While the graphics may not match Spiritfarer, the game's core undoubtedly compensates for this deficiency.

Also, don't forget to check out the civilization encyclopedia. I believe it's an incredible resource for history enthusiasts. Buying this game for over two hundred yuan can only be described as a bargain! Finally, I'm eagerly looking forward to future DLCs."

After finishing his review, Walter sent it and immediately received numerous likes.

"Why isn't Tesla among the great figures in this game? We have Einstein and Schrodinger!"

This was a comment from a friend that had just been refreshed, and Walter couldn't help but smile when he saw it..

Indeed, Tesla seemed to have developed an interest in this game and decided to play it thoroughly. But with her volatile temper, only she would likely make such comments.

"Game sales?"

"Naturally, they're selling like hotcakes! Although initially, there were some negative reviews, probably due to the misleading trailers."

Siberia was already entering winter, and soon enough, the phenomenon of polar night might occur. Staying at home seemed boring, so many residents of the town gathered at Cioara's bar to drink and have fun. Although their spending wasn't substantial, it added some warmth to the cold weather.

But their revelry had nothing to do with Cioara. A few days after the game's release, Cioara began to take an interest in Bronie's game.

"I never expected you to pull it off."

"What?"

"To integrate the history of civilization into a game. At least, if it were me, I'd never think of doing it this way. I'd focus more on achieving domination victory."

"Because the domination victory is the simplest way to win. After all, I'm a genius. As long as I'm willing, there's nothing I can't do. Nothing!"

Bronie raised her head proudly. It was a moment of pride.

The game sold well, and the company's employees naturally received good salaries and bonuses. For Bronie now, money was just a number. At least judging by Bronie's current spending rate, she wouldn't run out of money anytime soon.

"Can you solve the collapse?"

"Me solve the Honkai? If you really want me to, I can try."

"...I was just kidding. To be honest, I don't expect anyone to solve the Honkai."

Not even Cioara?

But that was understandable. The more one dealt with the Honkai, the more they felt that it was the universe's truth, an unbeatable enemy.

If Bronie didn't know the ending of Honkai Impact 3rd and Post-Honkai Oddyssey, she would probably think it would end like Honkai 2's plot.

In the end, she would try her best to repair the Second Divine Key and lead the entire civilization to flee the solar system.

"Well, let's not talk about such distant things. Let's talk about the present, like how is Kiana doing lately? I've been busy making DLCs for Civilization's sequel, so I haven't had time to see her."

"She's doing fine. There haven't been any signs of Honkai beasts appearing in the vicinity. I really don't know if you have any reverence for the Flame Chasers, letting them teach a Herrscher."

For the people of World Serpent, Flame Chasers were like gods, the highest beings. Even Cioara, who grew up in World Serpent, was somewhat influenced.

Fortunately, the mercenary business allowed Cioara to have a different perspective. But she still maintained respect.

And Bronie?

She treated them like brothers and sisters, as equals.

How many Flame Chasers hadn't Bronie hugged?

Only heaven knew.

"I think it's fine! Let her build bonds with others. Perhaps, for this era, love is truly what can defeat the Herrscher."

"Really, miracles and magic don't exist. It's ridiculous to think that love can influence a Herracher."

Cioara felt like she had long passed the age of teenage rebellion, but when she heard Bronie say that, she remembered that Bronie was only about fifteen years old.

It was normal for her to have such thoughts.

So Cioara decided not to argue with Bronie anymore.

"So, besides the DLC, do you have any other plans?"

"What else can I do? Steal some technology from Schicksal? Or fish for some fries from Entropy?"

"Why fries?"

"Don't ask, it's the meaning of life."