Started as a comics editor

Chapter 296 An unexpected surprise
In early November.

The annual game awards ceremony was held as scheduled, and the eyes of gamers around the world were focused on this annual event. The spotlight was flashing, star producers took the stage, and the heavyweight awards were announced one by one.

The final result was highly consistent with the predictions made by Avalon's internal staff and many rational players.

The Game of the Year award was unsurprisingly won by a large-scale AAA action-adventure game with an investment of hundreds of millions and the backing of a top-tier IP. Although Hearthstone was nominated, it ultimately played the role of a runner-up in this most prestigious award.

The Best Independent Game award was given to an independent work that made a breakthrough in the fusion of narrative and gameplay, and carried a social commentary.

Despite its rave reviews and strong player base, Undertale was unfortunately not selected, perhaps because its unique pixel art style and revolutionary gameplay didn't suit the judges' tastes, or perhaps because Avalon, while currently shining, is still relatively new.

Avalon.

Inside Tang Yao's office, an awards ceremony was playing on the computer screen.

When Hearthstone missed out on Game of the Year, Li Xue sighed softly, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly: "It's a bit of a pity... Although the nomination is good, it's still a little disappointing to see the trophy slip through our fingers."

She turned to look at Tang Yao beside her.

Tang Yao was holding a cup of hot tea, leaning back in her chair in a relaxed posture, her toes lightly touching the ground, gently turning the chair, her beautifully shaped long legs slightly tense.

Upon hearing Li Xue's words, she showed no surprise or disappointment, simply taking a sip of tea: "It was expected, what's there to be disappointed about... Miss Li, the nomination itself is the greatest victory."

then.

She put down her teacup, her eyes clear and bright: "Look, we didn't spend a single penny on extra marketing, yet Avalon's name was mentioned twice at the world's top gaming event. Players remembered us, the media re-examined us, and more importantly... the entire industry saw a signal—a game company from China has the ability to create works recognized by players worldwide, whether they are commercial blockbusters or independent gems. The value of this recognition far exceeds that of a trophy; it has paved an invisible golden brick for our future."

Looking at Tang Yao's calm yet powerful demeanor, Li Xue's slight disappointment instantly vanished, but she still smiled and asked, "Aren't you disappointed?"

"Not disappointed at all."

Tang Yao placed the cup on her rounded thigh, her fingertips rubbing the rim as she enjoyed the warmth of the porcelain. She chuckled softly, "And didn't you notice? The sponsors of this year's game awards ceremony are Mercury Station, PONG, and Silver Tracks..."

Li Xue paused for a moment, then said, "Hmm...it seems they are all game developers or game console manufacturers."

"Yes, although the situation may not be that bad, such a sponsorship system is bound to have some degree of bias. And there are only so many awards. Our game is already at a disadvantage in the Game of the Year competition, so why would they consider a game company that has just made a name for itself?"

"Indie games are a strong possibility, but that brings up another issue. The judging panel for this award, in terms of quantity, diversity, and professionalism... frankly, it's difficult to fully match the complexity and influence of the game industry itself. You can't really figure out which side their selection criteria lean towards. Do they value artistry and experimentation more? Or do they focus more on exploring social issues? Or... are there some less pure factors at play? For example, balancing the interests of various parties, or taking care of the face of certain large publishers? Nobody can guarantee that."

"For example, a traditional Eastern narrative might be highly praised here and unpopular there due to changes in the weighting of the judges' list, such as fewer Eastern judges, and thus due to cultural differences. This is all normal."

"..."

Li Xue seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly asked, "Then isn't this award unnecessary?"

"No, players want something like a movie award, and the gaming industry needs a professional award to prove itself, but such a thing simply doesn't exist in reality. So this annual game award became number one, because there has to be a number one, and there has to be a Lich King."

"The Lich King?" Li Xue blinked, puzzled by the somewhat fantastical yet cold term Tang Yao suddenly uttered.

Tang Yao then realized that she had inadvertently brought up a reference from a game in her previous life, which obviously had no corresponding context in this world.

She smiled and smoothed things over: "...a character from a future Hearthstone expansion. Anyway, the point is that in this field, there always needs to be a universally recognized, most prestigious benchmark, regardless of whether it's perfect or not. The Game Awards (TGA) is that benchmark, or rather, the throne."

"Its existence is meaningful because it provides a huge, global focal point, allowing players to focus their attention, giving excellent works the opportunity to be seen by more people, and giving developers the motivation and goal to be recognized. Just like our nomination this time, regardless of whether we win an award or not, the attention it brings is real."

"As for whether its selection criteria are completely objective and whether the process is absolutely fair... that's another matter entirely."

“I’m happy, but not just because of the nomination. It doesn’t really matter how you do it. What makes me happy is that this is an opportunity for Avalon. It elevates our reputation to a new level, gives us the chance to sit at that poker table, and gives us a good chip stack—the nomination. In the future, we’ll have even more chips, and maybe even… the opportunity to participate in setting some rules.”

"As for winning awards? That's never the point. It's just a media award. The point isn't the award itself. For us manufacturers, TGA is the best stage to announce new information and summarize the year's work. For players, it's a visual feast and a pie-in-the-sky event for manufacturers."

You should know that there's only one judge in the gaming world—the player.

"..."

Li Xue looked at Tang Yao, who was waving her fair fingers and pointing at the world, and felt somewhat dazed.

She was already used to Tang Yao's boundless creativity and accurate business intuition, but whenever Tang Yao demonstrated this kind of deep thinking and grand vision that went beyond specific games and pointed directly to the essence of the industry, she was still touched... especially when she saw her flawless, jade-like pretty face.

She's really charming...

I want to praise her, I want to hug her, I want to...

dong dong.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

It interrupted the flow of thoughts between the two at just the right moment.

"Please come in."

Li Xue snapped out of her daze and responded.

The people who came in were staff from the operations department.

Tang Yao glanced at it and remembered that her name seemed to be... Qiao Yingqi?

Anyway, she's a very young girl.

Perhaps because Avalon's owner is very young, the overall staff at Avalon is quite young.

At that moment, Qiao Yingqi, holding a document in her hand and with a hint of excitement on her face, couldn't help but say as soon as she entered the room, "President Tang, President Li, I'm sorry to bother you... Although it's not appropriate, I just received a very interesting email, and I think it's necessary to report it to you directly."

"Oh? What email?"

Tang Yao stopped her swivel chair with great interest, bent her beautiful long legs slightly, and picked up the cup from her lap and put it back on the table.

Qiao Yingqi handed over the document: "It was sent by a small team called 'Qingfeng Studio.' They made a martial arts-themed single-player game called 'Hengdao Lima.' They... they want to ask if we can put the game's testing and subsequent release on our Avalon game assistant platform."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue was first taken aback, then exchanged a knowing, delighted look with Tang Yao—this was like a dream come true! The platform strategy blueprint they had been discussing was exactly what they needed for such a landmark start!

Tang Yao immediately took the document and quickly browsed through the email body and the attached team introduction and game concept art.

The keywords "wuxia," "single-player game," and "distribution channel issues" piqued Tang Yao's interest, and the ink-wash style concept art also caught her eye.

looks good.

"A single-player martial arts game... I have an idea."

"Mr. Tang, they have attached a demo and documentation."

Qiao Yingqi added, "Moreover, the emphasis on strategic depth and martial arts construction is very interesting!"

"Strategic depth? Construction?"

Tang Yao keenly noticed these two words.

What game is it? Describe it in terms of deck building and strategy depth?
Her interest grew even stronger: "Have their demos arrived?"

"Yes, it's on the internal server..."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Tang Yao gestured for her to wait, then put on her headphones, found the game demo on the internal server, and started playing it.

then.

Open the game and complete the tutorial.

Tang Yao was stunned.

"what happened?"

Seeing that Tang Yao was stunned, Li Xue asked softly.

Tang Yao shook her head without answering and continued playing.

While the game graphics on the screen were of higher quality, the gameplay... Tang Yao was all too familiar with it.

In short, players take on the role of a chivalrous hero who visits the mysterious "Wei Yu Lou" in the martial arts world. Along the way, they will encounter many events, during which they can obtain cards, manuals, and medicines, and then use these items to continue their journey.

Finally, reaching the Weiyu Tower and meeting the tower master signifies victory in one round of the game.

Ok.

Killing Spire...a Wuxia version!

No, it might be too hasty to make a judgment at this point, because there are definitely many differences in the visual style, thematic packaging, specific card effects, and event design.

The core gameplay is really the same: card strategy-driven + Roguelike randomness and replayability.

The only difference is that the cards have been replaced with meticulously designed martial arts cards.

Basic sword techniques, machete, cloud-piercing palm, iron shirt, wind-based positioning...

There are also techniques like "Swallow Skimming the Water Three Times," "Treading on Snow Without Leaving a Trace," "Acupuncture Technique," and "Internal Force Surge"...

To be honest, it looks really interesting.

Tang Yao excitedly gripped the mouse and began controlling her character to start the game.

She quickly became engrossed in it.

Overcoming numerous obstacles and defeating many enemies along the way, constantly acquiring new martial arts cards and strengthening existing moves, they also encountered formidable foes, relying on strategic adjustments to card order and resource allocation to narrowly escape the challenges.

The familiar fun of building, the choices made in random events, and the motivation to do better next time, all exude a unique charm under the packaging of ink-wash martial arts.

Tang Yao stopped playing when her character finally defeated the powerful enemy guarding the pass and successfully reached the top of the Weiyu Tower. The screen displayed the message "[Story in Production]"

She let out a soft breath, then took off her headphones, looked up at Li Xue and Qiao Yingqi who had been waiting quietly beside her, and a bright smile appeared on her pretty face: "Ms. Li, besides Left 4 Dead, it seems that our Avalon Game Assistant will have another new game that players can look forward to!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xue exchanged a glance with Qiao Yingqi, then couldn't help but ask, "You mean... this 'Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse' is very good?"

"Hmm, that's interesting."

Tang Yao nodded affirmatively: "The core gameplay is excellent! The martial arts theme is also very fitting. It's just... well, some details could perhaps be polished better. However, I need to play it a few more times to be sure. But I can reply to the other party now. We at Avalon have decided to publish this game!"

……

Two days later.

Qingfeng Studio on the other side of Shanghai.

The small office was filled with tension and anxiety.

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng sat around the computer, the screen displaying the emails they had sent to Avalon.

"Old Qiu, do you think... Avalon will even listen to us?"

Wang Meng couldn't help but click refresh again, but the page remained unchanged: "It's been so long..."

Qiu Gaoxing rubbed his bloodshot eyes and said with a wry smile, "Who knows... They're Avalon, the team that made Hearthstone, Undertale, and Outlast. What are we? A small studio that's barely making ends meet... Sending the demo over will probably just be a joke to them."

obviously.

After the initial excitement and exhilaration faded...

He's starting to become pessimistic again...

And it's out of control.

He thought of that self-praising email, and forced himself to look at Wang Meng, his tone tinged with self-mockery: "You said there would definitely be no problem... but now you're living in fear."

Inside the studio, the other members remained silent upon hearing this, the atmosphere so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

"Holding a Sword and Standing on Horseback" is the culmination of everyone's hard work and their last hope.

If even the Avalon route is a dead end... they dared not think any further.

Just then, Wang Meng's finger, which was habitually refreshing the page, suddenly froze! His eyes widened as he stared intently at the screen, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Old...Old Qiu!"

then.

Wang Meng suddenly grabbed his partner's hand, his voice trembling with excitement and disbelief: "They...they replied! Avalon replied!"

"what?!"

Qiu Gaoxing froze abruptly, then his EMO act instantly crumbled, and he pounced on the computer like a vicious dog pouncing on its prey.

On the screen, a new email appeared from Avalon's official email address!

The topic is simple and clear—it's about the collaboration on "Holding a Sword and Standing on Horseback".

See the topic.

Qiu was so happy that his hands were shaking so much he could barely open the email!

About a minute later.

He finally opened the email and quickly scanned the brief but formal text—Avalon expressed his appreciation for the core gameplay and invited them to discuss further collaboration.

After reading it word for word.

Overwhelmed with joy, Qiu was instantly ecstatic.

"It's done? It really is done!?" he murmured, his voice choked with emotion.

"Wait! There's an attachment too!" Wang Meng, with his sharp eyes, shouted.

Qiu was taken aback, quickly stopped sobbing, and hurriedly clicked on the attachment to download.

Meanwhile, other staff members who heard the good news also excitedly gathered around.

The file wasn't large, and it downloaded quickly.

[Initial Experience and Optimization Suggestions for "Holding the Sword and Galloping"]

I saw the title.

The atmosphere froze again.

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then Qiu Gaoxing couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice, "This doesn't mean... we're going to add microtransactions to the game, does it?"

"How can it be!"

Wang Meng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously.

"but……"

"You'll see when you see it, but what's the big deal! What's the point of guessing!"

"..."

Qiu was pleased with himself and nervously opened the file.

The contents of the document came into view... It was neither a cold rejection nor condescending instruction, nor was it about joining micro-transactions.

Instead, it provides clear, insightful user feedback, along with... several pages of specific, detailed, and highly actionable optimization suggestions!

From fine-tuning the balance of card effects to suggestions for increasing the richness of random events; from optimizing UI interactions to how to better utilize the martial arts theme to enhance the sense of character immersion; even including some technical pitfalls and solutions... Every word reveals that the other party not only played their game seriously, but also deeply understood their design intentions and sincerely hoped that the game could become better!
"This this……"

Qiu Gaoxing stared at the screen, at the content on it, his face filled with disbelief, unable to even utter a complete sentence.

His gaze was firmly drawn to the contents of the document, and after reading the suggestions word by word, his eyes shone with an alarming intensity.

Those suggestions pinpointed the pain points they vaguely sensed during development but couldn't perfectly resolve! For example, whether the cost of a powerful attack card was reasonable, whether a certain defense mechanism became weak in the later stages, the balance of benefits of a certain random event option, and even the lack of intuitiveness in the interaction logic of a certain button in the UI... Every single one hit the nail on the head! Moreover, they were often followed by clear and feasible directions or ideas for modification, and were by no means empty criticisms.

“Avalon…”

Wang Meng also joined the viewing, equally incredulous, his voice trembling with excitement: "Who...who are they?! Who is their boss?! How...how could they possibly have mastered our game in such a short time, and...how could they offer so much! Such specific! Such professional advice?!"

No one could answer his question.

The moment they saw the email, they learned that Avalon not only had the intention to collaborate, but was also personally guiding them in modifying the game.

The oppressive atmosphere in the studio vanished instantly!
Instead, there was a volcanic eruption of ecstasy! The members who had gathered around burst into enthusiastic cheers and discussions!

"Great! There's hope!!!"

"Avalon is amazing! How come I didn't think of that!"

"Avalon is willing to help us! Oh my god!"

Qiu Gaoxing ignored Wang Meng and looked at his ecstatic companions, then at the weighty and sincere proposal on the screen. The last trace of unease in his heart vanished, leaving only gratitude and boundless anticipation for the future.

He clenched his fist tightly, then looked up.

"Bros!"

"Our 'Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse'... has hope! And we will stand on the shoulders of giants!"

As soon as these words came out.

An even louder cheer erupted!

On the same day, Avalon Game Assistant took its second step.

Avalon's first true AAA title, and Avalon Game Assistant's first third-party game! Coming soon!
(End of this chapter)