Having written over a hundred thousand characters by now, I'll answer some of the questions readers have been asking.
First, about the protagonist's character design. Since this is a Fourth Calamity story, the protagonist shouldn't have an overwhelming presence. After all, most readers primarily enjoy watching the players' performances. If the protagonist were overly powerful and handled everything personally, the players wouldn't have much presence. That's why many Fourth Calamity stories feature a protagonist as a mere tool, or one who only assigns tasks and does nothing else.
I've already explored an all-capable, protagonist-centered approach in The All-Powerful Game Designer, but I felt this style limited the supporting characters, leaving little room for them to shine. Here, I wanted to give other characters the chance to play more significant roles.
From a plot standpoint, if the protagonist were overwhelmingly powerful, they could easily sweep through everything themselves, making the story unnecessary. After considering all these factors, I chose to make the protagonist an ordinary person. It might seem like they're weak, but that's only because they're surrounded by top-tier players. It's like an average person stumbling into a professional league — they'd naturally seem inadequate.
Of course, the protagonist won't be idle; there will be other tasks arranged for them.
As for why other Order Restorers didn't think of framing things as a game, there are a few reasons. Firstly, VR gaming emerged relatively recently; it's a new trend. Secondly, other Order Restorers can handle challenges independently, and they don't have the time or desire to start training players from scratch. They might also doubt players' effectiveness or prefer to keep the Order Restorers' affairs strictly confidential. A few coincidences could factor in as well, like those people simply not enjoying games. So, I think it's plausible within the story's setting that no one thought of this approach before the protagonist.
Some readers feel the story hasn't shown enough of the quirky operations typically associated with Fourth Calamity players. Well, the book's narrative structure includes several different modes, and we haven't yet reached the stage where players can collectively cause chaos.
The main modes are as follows: Trial Illusions (single-player suffering), Unraveling Historical Fragments (multiplayer cooperation with 3-5 players aiming for perfect completion), and Clearing Historical Fragments (large-scale battles with thousands of players). Each mode focuses on different elements.
The early single-player trials mostly showcase the storyline and basic structure of the dungeons, with players primarily focused on solving puzzles. Like in single-player games, players can't pull off absurd stunts too easily, as actions must stay within certain boundaries to prevent the game from devolving into chaos.
Once players participate in large-scale events, there will be more room for unconventional tactics against enemies. These elements are in the pipeline but haven't fully emerged in the story yet.
While quirky tactics can be fun, they're challenging to balance. One unexpected move might disrupt the entire game setup, like players exploiting a major loophole or bug. Poorly executed, it could exhaust the story's longevity; you can't rely solely on quirky moves to carry an entire book. Plus, one early stunt could make it impossible to continue in the mid-to-late stages. So, these tactics are best reserved for appropriate moments to complement the main plot rather than form the narrative backbone.
Regarding the combination of historical themes with Fourth Calamity elements, some readers worry about potential tonal mismatches between a serious subject and a lighthearted approach. Initially, I felt that traditional Fourth Calamity stories — framed as online games focused on leveling up and expansion — could be monotonous. Allowing players to embody characters and experience historical events seemed more engaging.
After careful consideration, I decided to incorporate modified history, which offers more creative freedom. Real history has many unresolved mysteries, and an inaccurate portrayal might cause controversy. This approach seeks a balance by retaining historical weight, highlighting key figures without making it too heavy or depressing.
This is an experiment, so it may appeal to some and not others.
As for the current storyline, I had mapped out the general direction early on, intending to focus on the players' puzzle-solving process. However, with so many characters and clues, my writing in this area may lack finesse. Additionally, slower updates might make the narrative feel a bit dry or confusing for readers following along.
Some carefully crafted details might not align directly with the core thrills, slightly affecting the reading experience. The current stage, the Trial Illusion, feels a bit lengthy, so I'll consider trimming about a third of the content to improve pacing.
Over the next few days, I'll revise the storyline, removing unnecessary parts and refining the core excitement. This won't alter the main plot structure and won't disrupt regular updates.
Since this section feels a bit unbalanced, I've decided to delay the launch by a week, moving it to next Friday. This extra time will allow me to release more free chapters and polish the current plot, showcasing the most exciting aspects before launch.
Overall, I know this story's style is rather niche, and I didn't expect it to become a major hit. I chose this approach because it felt interesting among my ideas. After all, creating a hit story relies on luck, and niche topics can still resonate with readers if done well.
As this approach is relatively experimental, I don't have much to reference, so it's a process of trial and error. Thank you all for your support and love for this story. I'll keep building a solid foundation, and there's more exciting content to come!