Game Director from Hell

Chapter 95: Possession (2)

The dynamics of our planning team meetings have usually revolved around my directives, with team members accepting and following the proposed direction. Thus, sitting around discussing opinions together felt awkward for both me and the team.

However, the reason for pursuing this approach is the possibility that meaningful results might emerge through collective intelligence, rather than me working alone.

“···Up to this point, that’s the direction we’ve set. Does anyone have any ideas related to this?”

The explanation about the direction for improving identity has concluded.

The team’s reactions were positive.

Opinions were quickly voiced.

Hosu was the first to speak.

“Sir, do you have any plans for multiplayer?”

“Multiplayer, you say?”

“Yes.”

His subsequent words were unexpectedly lengthy.

“Sir, it seems you’re focusing on role-playing. Enhancing lifestyle content is a good idea. Regardless of the QA team’s reaction, it’s a concept that has already proven its utility in various RPG games. However, from that perspective, I believe it’s important to consider how it will be presented. Human possessiveness undoubtedly includes a desire for display as well.”

An expected opinion.

Moreover, a crucial point emerged.

I nodded in agreement.

“We’re considering multiplayer as well. As Hosu mentioned, in the end, the act of creating something inevitably involves a sense of display.”

With just a mention of the genre ‘online MMORPG,’ as exemplified by Hosu, one can understand the story. Representative works in this genre, even within the domestic market, such as Warcraft, which led the way, and other games that elevated freedom in user interaction through housing and looting.

These games often showcase titles like ‘Another Me’ or ‘Interaction’ as their slogans.

The points that players find appealing are evident.

It’s a story that is easily understandable by just looking at the ‘online MMORPG’ genre.

Ignoring digressions, there’s one more characteristic that most of these games share.

“Games with high freedom also tend to have high loyalty.”

A deep attachment to the game is quite common.

To the point where the genre earned the nickname ‘salmon game.’

Even if one quits the game due to frustrating patches, they eventually reconnect, reminiscing about enjoyable memories.

The concept of ‘something of my own’ creates a unique sentiment that cannot be replaced by anything else.

However, for that reason, creating a full-fledged online environment was not feasible.

There is a fact that should not be forgotten.

“In the end, this game is a console package. Creating an online environment is more challenging than expected.”

“Do you have any proposed solutions?”

“I’m considering limited multiplayer. If the user’s satisfaction in interacting with others through housing content is linked to the desire for display, then we’ll focus on that concept.”

When I said that, Hosu exclaimed, “Ah,” letting out a sigh of approval.

“So, the main story can only be played solo, right?”

“Yes, it’s good to prevent players from sneaking into other people’s main stories to gain upper-level seeds or recipes. Additionally, we won’t implement a trading system. Item exchange through drops will also be disabled.”

“Indeed, it could be problematic if the in-game economy is established. Especially for a packaged game.”

“Yes, packaged games should fundamentally allow players to fully experience all content alone.”

Thus, the multiplayer function of the game will strictly operate as a means to fulfil the ostentatious desire to invite others to one’s village for a tour.

If we want to add more features, perhaps a cooperative function, purely out of goodwill, like helping with mining or collecting firewood, would be a good addition.

Hosu nodded in agreement.

Next was Jiseok.

“So, the crucial thing is to satisfy the achievement desire at each turning point. How about adding experience points or levels to each life content? Since the identity is acquired through the item called ‘face’ in each content, like a game.”

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“Adding levels to items?”

“Yes, you can call it proficiency as well. I’ve played a game like that before, and it was quite good. Having the experience bar visible makes players more dedicated to grinding content, don’t you think?”

Jiseok smiled.

This was definitely a good suggestion.

“Let’s confirm that. Please write down the details regarding this.”

“Okay.”

More opinions followed.

“What about connecting life content? Like combining sewing and blacksmithing to create special equipment…”

“Oh! How about grades and levels for farming tools?”

“We need to prioritize intuitiveness. Too many systems can become a barrier to understanding.”

“Ah! How about an NPC favorability system? For each branching point in the main story, the NPC rescued could join the player’s village. It could add depth to the player’s attachment to the NPCs!”

A somewhat surprising emotion welled up.

I hadn’t known that I had been disregarding these opinions all along, maybe because I had been trying to do everything myself.

At this moment, I started to see the capabilities of the planning team.

“I… Maybe I haven’t been utilizing this team properly.”

A sense of reflection began to take hold.

“Um, can I speak too?” asked Yesul, the youngest member of the planning team, raising her hand cautiously.

I nodded, and Yesul began to speak.

“While life content is good, it shouldn’t overshadow the main adventure of the game. E-40’s identity is the story of wandering and growing, right?”

“Maybe you’re right?”

“Yes, even though the CEO has connected it well narratively and system-wise… there might still be people who aren’t interested in life content. Like me, I prefer just fighting when playing games.”

She awkwardly laughed, hitting the core of the issue.

I pondered for a moment and eventually came up with a quite reasonable solution.

“…Let’s do it this way. It’s possible to clear the game without engaging in life content. However, the peak of stats can only be reached by concurrently pursuing life content.”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

“It’s a great suggestion. Balancing is essential for the progress of the game.”

As the meeting continued, the silhouette of the game Identity became clearer.

Unnoticed, two hours had passed.

Even so, the team members didn’t stop pouring out their opinions.

We should probably conclude today’s meeting, organize the content, and continue in the next one.

As I was thinking about it, Jo Ayoon, who had been listening to the discussion, spoke up.

“U-Um, CEO…!”

The team members looked at her. Maybe she had an opinion too.

I nodded, and Jo Ayoon spoke.

“C-Can we, um, fight with farming tools and hoes?”

Suddenly, the entire planning team burst into excitement.

Jo Ayoon laughed brightly and continued, “With a hoe, you can strike the enemy’s head…! The mysterious martial art of solo farming…! The legendary pot digging martial art…!”

The planning team exchanged glances.

I, too, felt a sensation as if lightning struck my mind.

Hosu mumbled, “…A hidden combat skill that appears when you raise the level of the face for life content and increase the favourability with related NPCs?”

“Yes, yes…!”

As Jo Ayoon nodded, I and the team exchanged glances with a silent agreement.

‘Isn’t it great?’

Indeed, it was an interesting system.

***

“Now what do I do! I’m going to be caught and punished by the expressionless ones!”

E-40, struggling and pondering, came up with an amazing solution.

The solution was to hide in a secret place where no one would know—a hideout for the farmer!

He knew just the place.

It was a location with good terrain, minimal interaction with people, and a place where farmer could freely pursue his gardening desires.

“What? Follow you?”

E-40 nodded and led the farmer.

They arrived at the forest.

It was the very place where E-40 had lived happily with Miso.

“This place is in ruins! The cabin is burned down.”

E-40 felt a sense of sadness.

He hadn’t had time to recover Miso’s remains in his hasty departure. Seeing no bodies of other knights, it seemed that the reinforcements had taken care of the corpses.

Suppressing the rising melancholy, E-40 nodded and guided the farmer deeper into the woods.

The cabin that had already been discovered could not be a safe haven.

Where E-40 was leading was an open space near a cliff, close to the forest.

This land, bathed in sunlight and remote, was nearly impossible to find without knowledge of the area. Even if someone knew the geography, entering without caution would be perilous. It was a very remote and sunny land.

E-40 had discovered it by chance while roaming the forest for hunting.

“Here? Wow…”

The farmer exclaimed in amazement.

E-40 felt a sense of pride for no apparent reason.

He casually played with the soil of the open space, and with an astonished voice, he said, “The soil here is excellent! It’s a land rich in nutrients, where anything planted would grow abundantly! Here, you can do gardening without being noticed by anyone!”

The farmer’s smile became even brighter.

He spoke to E-40 with a voice filled with gratitude, “Thank you! Thanks to you, I found my dream and safety! I don’t know how to repay this kindness!”

The farmer hugged E-40 and continued, “I’ll establish a foundation here! Come visit often! Oh, I’ll give you this! It’s a teleportation stone; if you plant it here, you can return to this place no matter where you are! Of course, use it in a safe location!”

E-40 accepted the stone and nodded.

He thought about visiting the farmer regularly.

In the midst of this, he remembered something.

E-40 belatedly asked the farmer about the ‘sun wrinkled face’ that he had taken off from him.

The farmer cheerfully replied, “That? You keep it! You can use it to walk around outside, or if you ever want to try farming, wear it. While wearing that face, you’ll gain incredible skills in farming!”

An unexpected harvest.

With this, he might be able to enter the heart of the city without much trouble.

As E-40 jumped with joy, the farmer said with satisfaction, “That smile is amazing. Just hanging on your face gives you the confidence to be someone who can do anything! I’m experiencing the happiest moment of my life. Maybe you’ll meet someone else and share this smile with them too?”

E-40 nodded.

For him, this smile, as her words suggested, seemed capable of saving many unhappy people.

The farmer replied.

• Then bring the person who received that smile here! It’s dangerous outside, so let’s build a village together! Miso Village! How about that? Let’s create the happiest village for ourselves!

His dreamy voice filled E-40’s heart.

E-40 especially liked the name “Miso Village.”

He nodded vigorously, and the farmer laughed heartily.

• Then give it your best shot! I need to build my house and start growing flowers right away! Oh, if you don’t know anything about farming, feel free to ask me anytime!

And so, E-40 and the farmer created Miso Village and set out on the road again.

Now, E-40 had two faces.

***

The plan took shape.

Identity became a game that combines a main story based on combat and housing content focusing on life, interacting in a complex way.

Here comes the problem.

How will the “amazing idea” the planning team brainstormed turn into a game?

The answer.

“The plan is here.”

It will be created through the blood and sweat of the programming team.

As soon as the planning was presented, Myungkyu saw the faces of his team members turn grim, and he awkwardly smiled.

It was a understandable reaction.

“There’s so much more to do now.”

The elements to implement had significantly increased.

Especially with lifestyle content, there were collaborative productions involving each occupation, making the code much more complex.

You could roughly tell one thing.

No matter what you imagine, there will be bugs in the game beyond your wildest dreams.

“We haven’t even fixed the calf-launch bug yet.”

He was about to sigh, but Myungkyu held back.

If even the team leader himself lost energy, the morale of the team would drop.

So instead of a sigh, he chose something else.

A corporate card popped out of his chest.

“Let’s have beef today. We’re going to have a hard time for a while.”

He was a pretty good leader who knew how to handle people.

***

A little later, in the QA department.

A day with test cases (TC) for the newly implemented system.

Employee Jinsung, with an anxious voice, said to team leader Sungchul.

“Team leader.”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t get out.”

Tapping on the pad urgently, Jinsung’s hands were restless.

On the contrary, Sungchul, the team leader, seemed calm.

“What’s the matter?”

“No, I can’t log out from the village. It’s a multiplayer bug.”

It was a placeholder content demonstration.

Jinsung, who had been eagerly gathering firewood with Sungchul, felt great confusion in the current situation where he couldn’t log out.

Sungchul sighed low and spoke.

“Jinsung, don’t you get it yet?”

“What?”

The moment Jinsung’s head tilted.

“You’ve been kidnapped.”

“?

“Chop more wood. We’ll talk later.”

Jinsung looked at Sungchul with cold, frozen eyes.

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