Li Yada's words boosted Yan Qi's confidence.
Although it was hearsay, and Yan Qi could not be sure if it was true, he had to admit that Li Yada's words had inspired him.
What's more, it had indeed given him an idea for designing games.
He could try it out based on this idea. If it did not work out, he could think about it again. After all, he could try it out and write a design manuscript. He did not have to spend any money.
Yan Qi carefully saved the document containing the content, afraid that he would lose it.
Then, he started to compare the content and started to think about what he should do with his new game.
"First, I have to find a suitable entry point.
"Hmm … it should be the game's difficulty.
"For action-type games, the specific difficulty level is very important. What's more, I can use the 'spiral' method that Big Sister Li mentioned to think about it."
Yan Qi's brain worked rapidly as he entered deep thought.
He tried hard to put himself in Boss Pei's shoes, imagining what Boss Pei would do if he were him and decided to make an action-type game.
One thing was for sure: Boss Pei would definitely change the way Repent and be Saved was done.
What's more, this change was not to overturn or regress, but to spiral.
Initially, domestically-produced action-type games were too easy. They were not challenging to players, and the monsters did not deal enough damage. Thus, it did not matter if players were stabbed a few times. They would almost never die, and there was no punishment for death.
Boss Pei had designed Repent and be Saved precisely because of this.
Now, Yan Qi wanted to do the opposite of Repent and be Saved and innovate. He could not go back in time.
How could he differentiate it from Repent and be Saved without going backwards? That was the problem.
"The difficulty definitely can't be lowered, at least not by too much."
"That's because players would be forced to study the game's combat system and level design under the premise of maintaining a certain level of difficulty. If players can just mow grass all the way through without needing to dodge skills or use tools, then no matter how good the combat system and level design is, players won't be able to experience it at all. "
"However, I have to differentiate it from Repent and be Saved while maintaining the same level of difficulty …
"Hmm …
"Play truant?
"That seems to be the only way.
"However, I can't simply play truant. There has to be a limit.
"There's no need to keep making it harder and harder. The later stages can be simpler. Of course, this simplicity is based on certain techniques and the 'truancy mechanism' provided by the officials."
"That's right, the officials are skipping classes! Players will be able to experience the hardcore appeal of an action game while exploring various ways to clear the game. "
"In the later stages, this kind of fun can become the fun of equipping and playing tricks. It's equivalent to providing players with more ways to clear the game and play!"
Yan Qi quickly thought of a solution.
Of course, this was mainly because he had already taken all the other paths. With Repent and be Saved ahead of him, this was the only path he could take in order to differentiate himself from Repent and be Saved.
The solution that Yan Qi came up with was to officially skip classes.
This kind of official truancy was different from Pudu in Repent and be Saved.
Pudu's method of playing truant was still within Repent and be Saved's combat system. It was purely a method of playing truant. When this weapon was used against specific enemies, its damage was high, and its attacks were fast, which was why it could skip classes.
The purpose of Pudu's existence was not only to help lousy players clear the game, but also to highlight the philosophical value of Repent and be Saved.
There were advantages, but there were also corresponding disadvantages.
There was no such thing as a perfect game design. It could only satisfy some players' tastes at the expense of others.
Repent and be Saved was actually a game that did not allow players to play truant. You could play truant, but you had to make up for it later.
Using Pudu to play truant meant that you could not achieve a perfect ending.
However, what if the game designer added more complicated systems to the game, allowing players to use spells, long-range attacks, or special equipping methods to clear the game using simple methods?
That way, the biggest problem would be that Repent and be Saved's philosophical content would be lost. However, Yan Qi did not create Repent and be Saved in the first place. He could not inherit this philosophical content, much less reach the level that Repent and be Saved had broken the Fourth Wall.
The advantage of this was that the group of players would be broadened. To some players, the later stages of the game would be more fun.
Repent and be Saved emphasized the players' growth process. However, the growth of the characters in the game was very limited.
This was the reason why some big shots could fight the final Boss with their starter weapons or complete the game without taking any damage.
If the final Boss' attributes were tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of times stronger than the starter weapons, players would not be able to complete the game with their starter weapons.
Repent and be Saved purposely reduced the growth of the characters in the game to allow players to better experience their own growth.
In other words, leveling up could make players suffer less, but it could not prevent them from suffering. On the other hand, once players' skills improved, they could complete the game with a starter weapon without taking any damage.
This was Repent and be Saved's unique characteristic.
Yan Qi did not dare to deny it at first. However, he now realized that he had to deny it. Otherwise, the game he created would be a clumsy imitation of Repent and be Saved. There would be no point in its existence.
Yan Qi's idea was to add back the growth of the characters and give players another way to complete the game.
It did not matter if lousy players played truant all the way. They could play the game however they wanted. Big shots could still challenge themselves and achieve all kinds of results without taking any damage. They would be worshiped by others. In the later stages of the game, when players' skills reached a bottleneck, they could continue to play with their characters, explore the game's mechanisms, and extend the game's lifespan.
After confirming this, Yan Qi began to think about how to 'officially play truant'.
"The game's basic combat system can be seen as martial arts. Sabers, spears, swords, halberds … all kinds of weapons have different uses. It's just like how each weapon in Repent and be Saved has different weapon skills.
"Other than that, the combat system can be seen as officially playing truant. It can also be seen as a way to lower the difficulty and make it easier to complete the game.
"Actually, the way to play truant is very simple. It's nothing more than Dharma spells, long-range attacks, and some powerful game mechanisms such as respawn and temporary invincibility.
"The packaging of these contents, combined with the Chinese cultural background, can be made into different systems such as Daoist techniques, Buddhist Dharma, Confucianism, and the Art of War.
"For Daoist techniques, the keywords are alchemy, talismans, psychic communication, and array formations.
"For Buddhist Dharma, the keywords are body-tempering, mental cultivation, abstinence, and expiation.
"For Confucianism, the keywords are understanding things, restraining oneself, and guarding one's heart.
"For the Art of War, the keywords are bows and arrows, formations, and the efficient use of various weapons and armor.
"These four systems have to be differentiated. They have to have their own characteristics, and players can't have all of them at the same time. They have to choose a suitable system to match their own weapons and fighting style.
"These four systems actually support and enhance a character's strength. It's just that they focus on different things.
"Daoist techniques. Alchemy can provide a buff to a character with excellent effects, but it lasts for a certain time and requires materials. Talismans can provide a buff to oneself, and they can also restrict demons and enemies. Psychic communication can summon demons, and array formations can be set up in advance through the talismans. Within a certain range, they can obtain specific effects.
"Daoist techniques are more suitable for players who like to make sufficient preparations before a battle and pursue the greatest improvement.
"Buddhist Dharma emphasizes the cultivation of a character. Body-Tempering can increase one's attack power and reduce damage. The effects are longer and do not require materials. However, the numerical value is not as good as Daoist techniques. When attacking specific demons and enemies, Buddhist Dharma might also have additional damage bonuses.
"Buddhist Dharma should be more suitable for lazy players. It provides a permanent buff that does not require complicated pre-battle preparations and does not need to worry about running out of materials in the middle of a battle.
"Confucian Arts. Through Knowledge of Objects, one can see through the Boss' weaknesses and strengthen one's attacks to target the Boss' weaknesses. It won't increase the player's Defense, but for players who don't take any damage, it's the best choice to kill the Boss quickly.
"Confucian Dharma is more suitable for veteran players because Daoist techniques, Buddhist Dharma, and Art of War all have methods to increase one's defense and survivability, but Confucian Dharma does not. Under the meticulous control of the veteran players, Confucianism can be used to quickly kill the Boss. "
"The Art of War allows players to better increase the lethality of their arrows and the defense of their armor. It can also increase the group buff effect when online or summoning NPCs. It's also a permanent buff, and it's quite versatile."
"Art of War is more suitable for beginner players. Although it also consumes materials and requires pre-battle preparations, it is relatively simple to use. The effects are especially obvious in the early stages, and in the later stages, it can also be used to deal with unorthodox playstyles, such as archery.
"Players can freely choose between the four systems according to their preferences.
"However, there is a limit to the distribution of points, just like talent points. For example, one system requires 100 points to obtain an ultimate talent, and players can only obtain about 220 points in total.
"You can choose between two systems to obtain an ultimate talent, or you can choose to give up on one of the ultimate talents and use the points on mid-tier skills in other systems. If you don't use an ultimate talent, you can even use the points from the four systems.
"There is no standard answer to the point method. The key is to match your equipment and fighting style."
Yan Qi looked at the prototype of the core combat system he had designed and nodded in satisfaction.
He felt that it was quite interesting. At the very least, it was very different from Repent and be Saved!
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