Professor He Cheng's assignment came with an incredibly tight deadline.
Only two weeks were allowed before the first screening, which would directly eliminate two-thirds of the students.
Although one could still team up with the students who weren't eliminated after being weeded out, that essentially meant contributing to someone else's design, and having little to no say in the matter.
At the start of the semester, students generally stuck with their dormitory mates for activities, limiting interactions with other classmates. If an entire dorm was eliminated, the situation could become quite difficult.
Lu Zhixing was determined to ensure his design concept made it into the top third.
A mere two weeks to complete a design concept was pressing even for some veteran game planners.
Moreover, Professor He later added a twist: this Friday, a random check would be conducted on a few students to inspect the progress of their work.
This only increased the pressure on the students.
Professor He set such a tight timeline probably as a pressure test to see how quickly these students could draft designs. After all, since everyone was equally short on time, the competition was fair.
Lu Zhixing had been busy dealing with internet café and rental housing issues, now there were only three days left until Professor He's spot check.
However, for a seasoned planner like him, two or three days were enough to produce a design concept.
"So, what kind of game should I design with these materials that will be available in the future?"
Lu Zhixing fell into deep thought.
After completing the role-playing tasks, he definitely planned to utilize all the materials he acquired to create a game.
Professor He's assignment also had to be completed on time.
Writing two different design documents was too exhausting for Lu Zhixing, and there certainly wasn't enough time. Even if he managed to write them, he would be swamped with the subsequent production work.
Therefore, the best approach was to design a game that could achieve both objectives at once.
"If I can get that special reward that allows me to collect materials without limit for one hour, I could have access to all the resources within Jinghai University and its surrounding streets for one or two blocks.
"Combining that with the materials I might get from the 'Brick Moving' and 'Campus Superstar' roles...
"Ah, got it!"
After some consideration, Lu Zhixing wrote down the name of the game in the document.
"Ordinary Life."
This would be a simulation game, with its setting in and around Jinghai University.
Not only Jinghai University itself but also nearby street vendors and shops would be fully replicated.
In the game, players could experience a variety of content:
They could work at various jobs to earn money, such as moving bricks, sorting packages, working as security guards, or setting up street stalls;
They could eat and drink, play various mini-games, like ring tossing, balloon popping, street-side chess, or going to internet cafes;
They could join training events to improve their professional skills, thereby unlocking more jobs.
The game would include survival simulation elements, concepts like Hunger Level, Health Level, and Cleanliness Level, all of which would impact the character's condition. To recover, one must regularly eat, bathe, launder clothes, and rest.
The game would feature several different clearance methods:
The first was Wealth Clearance: earning a certain amount of money through one's abilities constituted clearing the game.
The second was Cultural Clearance: advancing various professional skills to a certain level, or students progressing their studies to a particular point, also meant clearance.
The third was Identity Clearance: achieving ownership of one's own business to become a boss, or students becoming outstanding officers through organizing events, both qualified as clearance.
Additionally, the game would feature different difficulty levels, named "Game Difficulty," "Simulation Difficulty," and "Real Difficulty."
The higher the difficulty, the faster attributes such as Hunger Level, Health Level, and Cleanliness Level would drain, making it harder to earn money and increasing various risks.
Players could assume one of three different identities: Brick Mover, University Student, and the hidden identity of Rich Second Generation.
The initially selectable identities are Brick Mover and University Student, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
The Brick Mover has more energy, a greater tolerance for physical work, and a strong mental resilience, unaffected by low Cleanliness Level, eating instant noodles every day, or long hours of heavy physical labor without accumulating much psychological stress.
Moreover, Brick Movers have complete control over their time without the pressure of studies.
Conversely, University Students are physiologically weaker and more mentally fragile, and they need to allocate time for their studies.
However, University Students have the advantage of living in dormitories, eating at the cafeteria, and participating in university-exclusive events, such as evening parties or debate competitions.
These are not only bonus points for Identity Clearance but also ways to improve one's skills without joining training classes.
There is also a hidden identity, that of the Rich Second Generation. Its activation condition requires players to achieve any type of clearance under "Real Difficulty" using both Brick Mover and University Student identities.
The Rich Second Generation starts with an extravagant amount of initial money, and the sole clearance target is to spend all of this money before the game time ends.
The game is called "Ordinary Life" because it focuses on the groups of Brick Movers and University Students, presenting not the glitzy glamourous lifestyle but the diversity of true social reality.