I called Ruan Ningxue into the office. I first confirmed with her about the art of Dark Soul and the production of related resources.
Then I brought up the upcoming competition.
"Are we going to develop a new game for this year's competition?" Ruan Ningxue asked, curious.
"Yes, the competition always needs a new entry. It's in the rule." I said
"For the Dark Souls project it will take time. It is a big project and I don't want to mess it up due to this indie competition. I'll handle the new game myself, but I'll need two people from the art team to provide me with the materials. I'll take care of the rest," I explained.
"Got it," Ruan Ningxue nodded.
While I was talking to Ruan Ningxue, news about the expedition spread in the gaming community.
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"The game department is launching a new event with a new theme this year!"
"Anti-war theme this time—it's going to be tough!"
"World Peace Day is in two months, and lately, war-themed games have faced criticism for encouraging violence. Choosing an anti-war theme seems to be the only way"
"People keep spouting nonsense about them. What's wrong with going to war with terrorists?"
"Let's not waste time on that. Those critics don't know what people actually want. Let's focus on the competition."
"I wonder if NetDragon and Tenghua will win this year. Last year, NetDragon's subsidiary Thunder division took part."
"Not sure. Haven't heard anything yet. But speaking of last year, I'm more curious if Chen Xu will participate again. His To the Moon caught everyone off guard."
"I doubt it. Isn't he focused on developing his first PC blockbuster Dark Souls?"
"Exactly. For Neon Games, that project is huge. If it succeeds, their platform could leap stages. He probably won't split his focus."
"Well, that's a relief. I'm really afraid of running into Chen Xu. The guy's quick with projects! The period for this expedition is much shorter than before, and if he joins, it'll give him an advantage."
"Upstairs are you also participating"
"No, I am mocking others"
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Game designers across the industry were cursing this year's expedition, mainly because the development timeline was unusually short.
Truth be told, if it were about making war games, everyone knew how to approach it. It would be about creating large-scale battle scenes, and after that, the player experience could take a backseat. But with an anti-war theme, things were more complicated. If not handled well, the game will be awkward rather than thought-provoking.
Making a truly great anti-war game was no easy feat.
Back at Neon Games, I was typing away on my keyboard.
On my screen was a draft of a design concept titled: Braveheart: World War.
There were many anti-war games in my past experiences, but unlike most of them, Braveheart: World War was unique.
In terms of scope, it was still small.
Why? Because it was a 2D graffiti-style adventure puzzle game.
In the entire game, the dialogue isn't excessive. Rather than depicting brutal war scenes, It aims to offer a unique perspective and narrative technique that allows players to grasp the realities of war through a smaller, more personal lens.
This game doesn't rely on sensory stimulation that overwhelms players with violence, like bayonets and bloodshed. Instead, it seeks to evoke deep emotions similar to works like All Quiet on the Western Front and Schindler's List, emotions that only emerge during the most tragic and terrifying events.
Another reason I chose to create this game is its size. Like To the Moon, this is relatively small, but equally powerful in its ability to move players emotionally, allowing me to tap into their sentimental side and harvest points.
After all, upcoming games like Dark Souls, as well as the trending Three Kingdoms and JellyMan, won't make players cry or feel sad. Though Dark Souls may produce some sadness. When players lose tens of thousands of souls early on without spending them and then suffer consecutive deaths.
Sitting in front of my computer, I began drafting the game's background.
The story revolves around soldiers from three different countries, a female nurse, and a dog. Rather than portraying the impact of war from a grand, macro perspective or focusing on its core, I choose to tell the stories of ordinary people caught up in the chaos. I want to deeply depict the tragedy of war and the profound suffering it brings to individuals.
Days passed, and I continued working on Braveheart: World War. With the help of two employees who focused on art resources to assist me. The rest of the work, I handled on my own. The progress is steady—neither fast nor slow—but I'm in no rush. There's still plenty of time before the deadline.
Meanwhile, the combat system for Dark Souls is basically finalized. There are a few optimizations and tweaks left, but nothing too major.
At this stage, though, Qin Yi and the others are a bit uncertain about the balance of game values and the design of the level bosses. Initially, they didn't grasp things with why there is no difficulty setting, No minimap, and monsters with high attributes.
But as we moved further into designing the maps, the challenges became more apparent. The maps are intricately designed, and while Dark Souls 3 may not have the same artistic grandeur as the first game, the single-scene maps in Dark Souls 3 still outshine several games.
But in addition to sighing at the exquisite map design, Qin Yi can't help but feel the traps and map divisions for monsters were full of malice!
It feels inappropriate.
In one sentence: It was full of dangers.
There are elements scattered throughout the game, sparkling as if to call me over, saying, "Come, I'm right here waiting for you to collect me!"
This isn't anything special, as most RPGs—and even other genres—have similar setups.
But Dark Souls doesn't follow the usual formula.
In the world of Dark Souls, there could be a hidden monster lurking above the very thing I'm about to pick up, waiting for me to bend down before giving me a nasty surprise.
There are also monsters hiding behind dark corners, bunkers, or waiting around the bend. And let's not forget the treasure chest monsters! When I think I've found a valuable chest, it's like me who has been found.
That's without even mentioning the complex death mechanisms built into some of the scene maps. One can even publish a new best-seller on thousands of ways to die after going through this game.
Even early in the game, I can encounter powerful enemies on certain branching paths—ones so strong that, unless I've grasped the basics of gameplay, death is inevitable!
Then, there's the game's currency system- the currency used for upgrading and shopping explodes into halves upon death. If I don't retrieve it before dying again, it's lost forever. Plus, the monsters respawn!
This was only a design concept plan, without complete implementation, but by reading it, I already know exactly what kind of experience this game will offer.