An hour before the server launch, rushing to make a game on the spot—if Annan had heard such a demand before he traveled to this world, he would've slammed the keyboard onto the product manager's face.
Luckily, the system wasn't completely inoperable...
Whether it was designing UI or writing story copy, it all took just "one stern glance from Annan" to be created. It would be exactly as he had envisioned in his mind.
But Annan still almost exhausted himself to stupidity.
Creating a cool and gorgeous UI wasn't an easy task. He could only plagiarize the UI from a game he had previously been working on. Then, he used his own system as a prototype template, removing several feature permissions.
For instance, at the beginning, the user interface wouldn't display titles, ranks, erosion levels, personal traits, or a summary of occupations.
Only health, attributes, levels, public experience.
"So the default attributes at level 1 are really only five points, huh..."
Annan sighed.
It wasn't that he planned to offer the players a castrated version of the system.
Instead, those parts of the system that the players didn't need yet were intended to be unlocked progressively as part of a leveling system, forming a perfect content unlocking cycle.
As their levels increased to a certain degree and main quests advanced to a certain limit, new functions of the system would be unlocked. This would motivate players to actively engage in the game until they accessed the full set of features.
By that time, the initial guidance phase would also be over. As long as the inherent quality of the game was solid, it could naturally retain players to continue playing.
Inhibiting some functions initially would allow players' attention to remain focused on what Annan wanted them to concentrate on. It would also make player guidance better—not just throwing a complex system at them from the get-go and leaving them completely baffled.
After all, not all players could, like Annan, meticulously study their own attributes at the beginning of the game.
Many players, upon entering the game and seeing a complex system, would fall into chaos—or worse, frenzy.
"What's this? And what's that? What am I supposed to do?"
To prevent players from experiencing the aforementioned bafflement, Annan naturally had to lead them properly.
Annan was well aware that too many features and attributes, which were not immediately usable, could distract casual players. It could cause them to unwittingly engage in "meaningless activities at the current stage".
Especially since this world was undoubtedly the freest "open-world game."
First, to prevent the tourist-type players from running off to who-knows-where, Annan had to put up an air wall around the Beihai domain...
Right, and to prevent players from taking to the skies or burrowing into the earth, air walls above and below had to be erected as well. For now, they would be set to within five hundred meters of the ground.
In addition, terms like "player" and "game," those metagame concepts, had to be blocked as well.
Annan was very grateful for having such a feature.
Otherwise, you could only imagine the sort of troubles Annan would be inviting from the players' unrestrained comments...
Because the initial identities Annan had crafted for them were as "Tan Juan Geraint's" guards/servants. They had accepted the tasks bestowed upon them by Tan Juan and after disembarking, they would explore various places before reconvening at Frostwater Harbor.
Moreover, "returning to Frostwater Harbor to report to Tan Juan Geraint" became their automatically accepted first main quest upon arriving.
...Right, there's this too.
Annan pondered for a while before making a special note:
"When customizing faces, players can only beautify upward, with a limit of no more than 50%."
This was because Annan was rather worried that some players who were particularly skilled at character creation might transform into some bizarre species or creatures that would make others instinctively want to attack them at first glance...
After all, the players' initial incarnations were as Annan's guards or servants. If they were extraordinarily ugly, Annan would be embarrassed as well...
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, Annan paused: "Can I set the starting panel and level? It can't be higher than me, um..."
But it also couldn't be set to level ten.
At least not for the vast majority of players—that would make the game content too scarce.
"Like this, if they choose to be guards, let them start with a level 3 Swordsman profession. And activate the occupation panel... Hmm, reduce their second profession's experience to 50%, and their third profession's experience to 25%. Let their profession levels increase vertically rather than horizontally, to prevent a collective situation where everyone is a master of all trades with no rank..."
If they encountered special talents, just give them a main quest and tutor them individually.
Annan made up his mind.
The number of players in this world seemed to be tied to the available slots in the Book of the Celestial Chariot. This meant he could summon at most a hundred players now.
If an inexperienced person obtained this ability, they'd likely summon the full amount in one go.
But as someone who had a background in game planning, Annan knew this was problematic.
Online game players needed to have their levels spread out to a certain extent so that the game content they were experiencing wouldn't overlap. It would also encourage players of all levels to strive for advancement, actively engaging in the game.
Ugly as it may sound, if all players were to start from the same starting line, it wouldn't please everyone just because of "fairness." On the contrary, it could lead to the vast majority of average players becoming aware of their true skill level due to an overly fair environment and losing their initial passion for the game, eventually resigning themselves to play casually.
Therefore, in a game that leans towards entertainment rather than competition, the introduction of a ranking system and balancing professions might not necessarily be healthy.
Annan needed to give them an excuse.
A reason for "why they are worse than others," to shift their focus. To concentrate on improving their own abilities rather than blaming others or losing motivation.
Why are veteran players awesome? Because they started early, have a time advantage, and a gap in experience. "If I had played that long, I would be that strong too..."
Why are new players awesome? Because they grind for more hours, have better events. "If I had these events back then, I'd be stronger than them..."
In other words, if Annan didn't want new players forever relegated to the "peasant" class, he had to provide them with a way to quickly rise in power.
But this channel couldn't allow all new players to rise at the same time, or else the veteran players would be dissatisfied.
"...So, do I still have to run events?"
Annan couldn't believe it, "Am I an NPC and GM and graphic artist and copywriter and numeric planner and system designer and plot planner and operations manager all in one?"
Hold on, my friend. Just hold on.
Even though I don't know which deity transmigrated me here... did you actually finish making this game?
"So isn't this asking me to make a game from scratch? Am I also supposed to play the main character in the plot? Why not throw in an alternate account to be the BOSS too?"
Annan felt deeply saddened that he couldn't escape the fate of overtime even after transmigrating.
Fortunately, after grinding for an hour straight, although there was still a lot left to fill in, he could finally open the server.
"Let's just go with this, just go with this..."
I'll work on the rest after the server launch.
Worst case scenario, I'll release an expansion pack or a DLC or something.
Seeing that the time had reached 23:53, Annan hurriedly opened the Creator's perspective.
His view instantly elevated to the sky, the ground fully in view. After a few moments adjusting the map zoom, he got the hang of the ability.
"Let me pick a spot to descend... Hm?"
Annan paused, frowning slightly, "What's this?"
He rapidly zoomed in on the map, checking the area around Frostwater Harbor.
From the Creator's perspective, Annan clearly saw a group of robbers with covered faces and armed with weapons, crawling around outside the city.
They had no torches lit, so the watchtowers of Frostwater Harbor couldn't see them at all.
"Again?"
Annan frowned slightly.
No doubt, those were Viscount's men again.
Different from the dozen or so last time—this time he had mobilized over a hundred men.
And they were dragging along some cotton-wrapped, tire-like black barrels. Slowly rolling them over from a distance.
Is this... black powder?
Annan recognized it quickly.
He narrowed his eyes.
So much black powder, is that guy planning to go for the kill?
According to Salvatore's description, although the amount was far from enough to burn down the entire city... it was more than sufficient to burn down Salvatore's house and the church.
Although Annan felt calm in his heart, even a little pleased.
He believed he should be angry right now.
"Should I... get angry then?"
Annan murmured softly, his mouth slowly curling upwards.
He narrowed his eyes, quickly modifying the initial quests for the players and began setting various landing spots.
The spots were set around the "robbers," scattered at intervals of over ten meters.
The first wave allowed only the creation of Swordsman characters, locked the identity to the guards on the ship, set the number to forty. The levels were raised to five, all equipped with long swords and wearing leather armor.
The initial main quest was set as...
Unite with your nearby companions, kill all the robbers in sight, and destroy the "black powder."
It was a timed quest.
"I'm being good to you guys, letting you enjoy a fight the moment you start the game..."
Annan muttered, his mouth quirking up eerily.
I wonder what these robbers would think when they see "divine soldiers descending from heaven"...
Damn, I should be angry...
But the joy is almost too much to contain!