John couldn't help but feel impressed with his players. The creativity they displayed in expanding the game's potential was remarkable! As he scrolled through various gameplay threads on the forums, a look of amazement mixed with deep thought spread across his face.
People from any world, real or virtual, should never be underestimated—and neither should the world of "One Piece."
When John first designed the game, he had a hard time pinning down its genre, but he eventually leaned towards tagging it as an adventure and treasure-hunting experience. After all, that was the essence of "One Piece." However, he realized now that it was the casual gameplay aspects—the fishing, exploration, and socializing—that attracted a whole other audience. And those players were finding endless ways to enjoy it.
For example, there was a player with vast resources who didn't chase after wealth or power, nor did he pursue battle or influence. His favorite pastime? Fishing. And he wasn't alone. Many players seemed more interested in making money by marrying rich characters, becoming traveling chefs, or even earning a living as in-game novelists. Every walk of life seemed represented—there was even a growing subset of players treating it as an immersive life simulation.
John realized this was an opportunity to enhance "One Piece." Players weren't only here for combat or adventure; they wanted to live out virtual lives. Beneath the adrenaline-filled battles, there was a whole realm of potential waiting to be developed.
With this in mind, John entered the virtual workspace to make some adjustments to the game.
First, he focused on the romantic elements that had become so popular. "Alright," he thought, "if players are this invested, let's add even more appealing characters." In this virtual era, characters weren't just flat images—people wanted to interact with attractive, realistic NPCs. Who could resist?
With a smirk, he imagined his players reluctant to abandon their in-game partners. So he set to work creating new characters, paying close attention to every detail. This time, he wanted them to look distinct and appealing.
He paused as a bold idea crossed his mind. "System, can we increase the realness of the simulation?"
The system responded, "Modification possible."
Perfect.
"Then let's push the realism up to 100% for certain interactions. Just in the right ways, of course." A chuckle escaped him. "Let's see who can resist the appeal now."
Realistic simulation games had been around for some time, but most lacked quality, leaving players feeling like they were interacting with lifeless robots. But John's game was different; he could fine-tune the realism so that players wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the game and reality.
"Alright, let's give them a little treat," he mused. "And this can double as motivation to keep players active—let's make them work up a bit of a sweat!"
In this virtual era, people rarely went outside, and even though everyone had exercise equipment, few used it regularly. Coughing, he convinced himself this was for their own good. His "patch" was done swiftly, since it wasn't a large update, and he was already plotting more ways to enhance the players' experiences.
Fishing? Let's add in some Sea Kings to make things interesting. After all, who doesn't love a thrilling surprise?
He continued improving other aspects: travel for the explorers, culinary challenges for aspiring chefs, and even new encounters for adventurers. Not long after, John finished the preliminary updates. These additions covered the immediate ideas he had, but he knew he could add more as they came to him. With the system's capabilities, he could make changes directly in the virtual world, sidestepping the Dragon Kingdom game platform entirely.
The virtual world he created functioned like an extended clone of the main game, allowing him to control the outside instance seamlessly.
There was no update announcement—players simply discovered these tweaks on their own. And it didn't take long for a few active ones to notice.
"Ouch! What the—?!"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! Let's keep going!" one player said, slightly out of breath, his cheeks flushed as he ran beside his virtual partner.
"I'm going to sprint!"
"Wait for me! You're too fast!"
Fifty meters from the finish line, they both gave it their all, competing playfully, until finally the guy crossed first.
"Hah… what the…!" He paused, surprised and a bit flustered.
His partner looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no, nothing! Let's just run back!"
"Alright~"
Within a day, the changes spread across the forums.
"I went running with my wife in the game yesterday, and… let's just say I felt something different."
"What's so unusual about that?" someone replied.
"Are you clueless? This wasn't just normal—it was… a bit more intense."
"???"
"Oh my gosh! John adjusted the game's realism level for certain activities, and it's amazing!"
"Heh, I didn't just love it—I think I might need to up my health insurance!"
"I'm feeling the same. I need to start exercising for real or I won't keep up in-game!"
"Let's hit the gym, everyone! After last night's session, my back is killing me."
And just like that, John's latest update was a hit.
A/N: Looks like the author decided to cook something worthy of being called chapter 69.
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