Started as a comics editor

Chapter 307 Envy
[Breaking News! Avalon's New Move! AG Platform's First Third-Party Single-Player Game Debuts!!]

[A key step forward for the Avalon ecosystem! Qingfeng Studio's "Hengdao Lima" joins Avalon!]

[Under the dazzling success of Left 4 Dead! Can AG platform become fertile ground for third-party games? The answer will soon be revealed in the up-and-coming martial arts game, "Hengdao Lima"!]

[Focus! Small Studio Takes on a Big Stage! Can "Hengdao Lima" Stand Firm on the Shoulders of Avalon?]

Once Avalon's marketing machine was up and running, its efficiency was astonishing.

The homepage banner of AG platform, the pinned post in the official community, and press releases from some gaming media outlets all jumped on the bandwagon... In short, the promotion of "Hengdao Lima" as AG platform's first third-party single-player game quickly spread.

The game's first carefully edited promotional video was also released soon, showcasing fast-paced card battles, a rich variety of skill card combinations, Roguelite level progression with strategic depth, and scene art with a distinctive ink-wash style.

The PV ends.

The prominent "AG Platform Exclusive Launch" and release date signify another substantial step forward in Avalon's platform strategy.

As soon as this news came out.

Apart from peers.

Players are also very interested.

Even though the popularity of "Left 4 Dead" has not yet dissipated.

The player community has also seen a lot of related discussions, with the level of interest far exceeding Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng's expectations.

"It's here! AG platform is the first to try out a third-party single-player game!"

"Wuxia? Card game? Roguelite? This is quite an interesting combination. The PV looks pretty good."

"Avalon's choice can't be bad, right?"

"Qingfeng Studio? Never heard of it... A small workshop? I'm a little worried about the quality, after all, this seems to be a card game? Can this really compete with Avalon's Hearthstone...?"

"Avalon must have some confidence to be the first to fire this shot, right? Let's wait and see."

"The PV looks pretty good, and the price isn't too high. I'll support domestic indie games!"

"Please, please, don't let it be a disaster! If the first third-party game on AG platform fails, who will dare to put their game on it afterward?"

"I support it! Just look at Avalon's foresight, I'll buy it first!"

The popularity is very high.

However, it wasn't all praise; it was a mix of anticipation and skepticism, encouragement and concern.

Regardless, the label of 'AG platform's first third-party single-player game' itself has garnered significant attention.
Especially given the timing of Left 4 Dead's explosive popularity, related discussions have been rising on various gaming forums. Many players, trusting the Avalon brand and interested in the new platform model, added Crossblade to their wishlists early on.

All eyes, whether on players, peers, media, or analysts, were drawn to the little-known Qingfeng Studio and their game, "Hengdao Lima".

Shanghai, Qingfeng Studio.

Suddenly receiving so much attention.

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng were not happy at all; on the contrary, they felt like they were sitting on the edge of a volcano.

As the discussion about their game in the player community grew exponentially, and as the number of items on the wishlist for "Horizontal Swordsman" on the AG platform store page soared to a number they never dared to dream of... the two felt no excitement, only a growing sense of dread.

"Oh no, oh no, so many people are watching... If we mess this up, we'll be bombarded with criticism!"

Qiu Gaoxing grabbed his already thinning hair and paced anxiously in his small office.

"Avalon's promotional efforts are too aggressive... Aren't they afraid we'll mess things up and damage the platform's reputation?"

Wang Meng stared at the comments on the screen, such as "Please don't let it be a disaster" and "Will Avalon's judgment backfire?", his palms sweating profusely.

I heard the keyword "mess up".

Qiu Gaoxing paused, then his voice filled with despair: "It's over... Now, everything's over!"

Wang Meng then began an endless cycle of self-examination: "Can we do it? Is that little bit of optimization enough? Will players think it's too rudimentary? Will..."

These two clowns, under immense pressure, started making a fool of themselves...

This situation lasted for nearly a week.

The two of them could be said to have been facing certain death when the day "Hengdao Lima" was officially released on the AG platform.

……

"Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse" has been released.

Countless players entered the game immediately.

But some are still undecided.

Pengcheng.

In a rental house.

Looking at the heavily promoted game "Horizontal Sword and Horse" on the AG platform, Wu Yanwei hesitated slightly.

Although the game has been heavily promoted recently, his interest waned after learning that "Horizontal Swordsman" was a card game, probably because he was a long-time Avalon player and one of the first users of the AG platform.

After all, Hearthstone is a masterpiece... Can this game from a small studio really be more fun than Hearthstone?
He expressed doubts.

This is actually one of the reasons why Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng were uneasy... Avalon also has card games!
but.

Hesitated for a moment.

Wu Yanwei ultimately decided to buy the game.

Although his interest had waned considerably, he was still interested to the end, and...

"Avalon's judgment shouldn't be too bad, right? This is the first third-party single-player game they've heavily promoted."

Wu Yanwei muttered to himself. Although he naturally had some doubts about games that weren't produced by Avalon, the halo of "AG platform's first third-party single-player game" and the overwhelming publicity during this period still aroused his curiosity. In addition, the price was indeed not expensive, only 68 yuan, so he finally clicked to buy.

The game downloads and installs very quickly.

It was downloaded in less than ten minutes.

The size doesn't seem to be very large.

Once the game starts, a simple interface quickly appears, with a rustic charm. A silhouette of a swordsman carrying a single sword and wearing slightly tattered clothes appears on the main screen.

"Oh?" Wu Yanwei raised an eyebrow as he looked at the antique art style, then selected a swordsman character and entered the tutorial.

The tutorial is very simple, mainly introducing the core gameplay, exploring a "Jianghu Road" map made up of nodes, and encountering enemies, events, merchants, rest points, etc.

The battles are turn-based, using cards that represent different martial arts moves. Initially, there are only a few basic fist and foot techniques and sword skills.

Wu Yanwei was slightly taken aback: "Adventure mode?"

He muttered to himself as he moved his character across the first checkpoint map.

soon.

The first enemy appeared; they were a few bandit henchmen.

The battle begins, and the screen is split in two: the bottom half is his hand area, and the top half is the enemy's area.

Although the art style is unique, isn't it still just a card game at the end?

Seeing this, Wu Yanwei glanced at his cards while thinking – [Basic Fist Technique] (3 damage), [Basic Knife Technique] (5 damage), [Dodge] (1 block).

"Parry...armor value? So it's still Hearthstone single-player version?"

Wu Yanwei checked the cards, casually played [Basic Sword Technique], and dealt 5 points of damage to a bandit...

They passed the checkpoint smoothly and quickly.

This doesn't seem very interesting.

Wu Yanwei was somewhat puzzled by Avalon's decision to use this game to capitalize on the popularity of Left 4 Dead...

Because if that were all there was to it, then Hearthstone...

Ok?
Wu Yanwei's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, because after selecting the cards, the next step was not a battle, but a 'serendipitous encounter'. The game gave him a choice: a "Basic Internal Skill Manual" (which restores 1 point of health at the end of each round) or a "Damaged Bracers" (which increases initial block value by 1 point).

"What's this?"

Wu Yanwei raised a questioning voice.

then……

Twenty minutes later.

"It's kind of interesting..."

Wu Yanwei's eyes lit up.

He discovered that the gameplay was indeed different from Hearthstone!
Simply put, this game uses a deck-building game (DBG) mode... After each battle, you can choose one of three cards to add to your deck. This mode is completely different from Hearthstone and has a lower barrier to entry.

Moreover, this mode allows players to intuitively feel the changes in the strength of their deck, achieving qualitative changes by unlocking new cards, deleting old cards, and upgrading cards.

But mastering it is not easy.

Because this game also has roguelike elements, as well as internal energy treasures and even potions.

There are often very strange chemical reactions between the techniques, internal energy, and treasures.

In those ten minutes or so, he built a system of "micro-healing + fast card draw + probability of additional damage". Although it was still very rough, it worked quite smoothly.

In terms of gameplay, the core of this game lies in how players cleverly utilize randomly acquired resources, with a greater emphasis on growth and adaptability in each adventure.

The randomness is extremely high! There are also a lot of choices! Players can build completely different tactics and playstyles!
However, the entire resource system, including cultivation techniques, internal skills, and treasures, is not too complex, so it is not so complicated that it would bother players, but it is enough to maintain the depth of the game and make it quite challenging and fun.

After playing it, Wu Yanwei couldn't wait to start a second round.

And the second one.

He experimented with different paths, acquiring new techniques like [Acupuncture Point Strike] (preventing enemies from acting in the next turn) and [Golden Bell Shield] (granting a large amount of block points), as well as the treasure [Wine Gourd] (granting 1 point of internal energy at the start of each battle). He then tried using [Acupuncture Point Strike] as the core of his control, combining it with cards that required a burst of internal energy, and found the results to be outstanding!
The feeling of controlling a key enemy and then unleashing a powerful burst is just too much like a martial arts game!

"Wow, you can play it like this?!"

Wu Yanwei was completely absorbed in it.

After each failure, his first reaction was not frustration, but rather, "Will I be even stronger next time I get the XX technique and the XX treasure?" or "I haven't taken that route before, will I have a better adventure?"

The game's high replayability and strategic depth, characteristic of Roguelite games, bring a great deal of fun.

The game's art style also adds to the appeal. The ink-wash style enemies and scenes, as well as the simple yet martial arts-flavored move names and effects, all continuously enhance the immersive experience of the martial arts world.

Finished another game.

An hour and a half passed by in the blink of an eye.

Wu Yanwei rubbed his sore eyes and looked at the swordsman on the screen who had once again fallen in front of the BOSS. Instead of feeling frustrated, he was filled with the urge to try again.

After playing these two games, he discovered that in addition to the features he had just noticed, the game was also very strong in terms of stats and card diversity!
It could even be described as ridiculously strong!
It's unbelievable that this game was made in such a small workshop!
"This depth...this balance...is this really something a small studio could produce? Avalon has a keen eye!"

Wu Yanwei started another game, and looking at the game screen, he couldn't help but sigh.

……

Meanwhile, at Qingfeng Studio.

The air in the cramped office was stuffy.

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng stood in front of the computer like two stone statues.

Qiu Gaoxing asked in a dry voice, "Old...Old Wang...how many copies of the game have been sold so far?"

He had unconsciously repeated this sentence at least ten times.

"I don't know... how would I know... and I dare not know."

Wang Meng slumped in his chair, his eyes fixed on the suspicious water stain on the ceiling, as if it held the judgment of their fate: "Perhaps we should check the comments? Good or bad... at least we'll get some information..."

Although it was a suggestion, his voice was weak and lacked confidence.

Qiu Gaoxing immediately rejected the idea, shrinking back as if burned: "I won't look."

Wang Meng immediately echoed, lowering his head as well: "I think so too."

"..."

The two quickly reached an agreement.

But sitting there like that was torture, every second felt like an eternity. They mechanically dealt with some trivial tasks, dragging it out for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, after another eye contact, they both saw in each other's eyes an inescapable despair and a tiny glimmer of hope.

"Damn it, so be it!" Wang Meng slammed his fist on the table, as if to bolster his courage.

"Look...look!" Qiu Gaoxing was going all out, his voice trembling.

As if carrying out a death sentence, the two men, their hands trembling, almost simultaneously opened the AG platform's "Horizontal Sword and Horse" store page and quickly closed their eyes.

"..."

Qiu Gaoxing closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them.

"Very positive reviews (96%)"

The large green lettering immediately catches the eye!
The two froze instantly, their minds blank, wondering if they were hallucinating.

Next, what appeared before them were the latest reviews from the players.

"It's addictive! I can't stop playing! This deck build is so satisfying, the combos are incredibly smooth!"

"Holy crap! This stat balance must be divinely created! The mobs are challenging, the bosses are demanding, but it always feels like you're just a hair's breadth away from winning! It's so addictive!"

"A martial arts Roguelite DBG! This Frankenstein's monster is so well-made! The combinations of martial arts techniques, internal energy, and treasures are simply endless! Qingfeng Studio is awesome!"

"From the trailer, I thought it was just a reskinned Hearthstone, but after playing it, I realized it's completely different! It has strategic depth, and I have to say Avalon has a sharp eye for talent!! You can always trust them!!!"

"At 68 yuan, you can't go wrong! The amount of content and playability are amazing! I support indie games from small studios!"

"..."

Overwhelming praise!
There was no garbage, no refund, and no terrible work as expected.

Instead, the screen is filled with exhilarating, satisfying, awesome, well-balanced, and strategically deep content!

"..."

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng stared wide-eyed at the screen, mouths agape, reading the comments word by word.

The enormous shock completely brought their thinking to a standstill.

"Good...good review? Especially...good review?"

After a while.

Qiu finally spoke, but his voice was sharp and distorted, full of disbelief.

He grabbed Wang Meng's arm tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh: "Old Wang! You...you look! The players...the players are praising us?! Praising the game!?"

Wang Meng shuddered, realizing what was happening, and grabbed Qiu Gaoxing even tighter, his voice hoarse: "I saw it! I saw it! Holy crap!! Old Qiu! They...they said it was fun! They said it was exciting! They said it was well-balanced! They said the strategy was deep!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!!!"

The immense pressure, like a punctured balloon, deflated instantly, replaced by an almost overwhelming ecstasy and dizziness that neither of them had ever experienced before.

The two held each other tightly, then stood up and jumped around in the small space, shouting incoherently, tears streaming down their faces uncontrollably—tears of overwhelming happiness.

But soon.

Qiu Gaoxing realized something, suddenly released Wang Meng, sniffed, and said, "Why are the reviews so good? How many copies of the game did you sell? It couldn't have been few, could it?"

"I don't know... I didn't pay attention... You should be able to estimate it by looking at the number of people who reviewed it."

"Correct."

Qiu Gaoxing immediately sat down again, then looked at the screen once more, counting the constantly increasing number in the evaluation column.

One, ten, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand...

...Nearly 10,000 reviews!?
"Ten thousand reviews!?"

Qiu's voice suddenly rose sharply, cracking, filled with ecstatic joy.

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng's eyes widened, and he immediately lunged at the screen, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets: "Nearly ten thousand?! And this has only been out for a short time?! A 10% review rate would be pretty good, right?! Does that mean..."

He dared not say any more, but his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

This means that the actual sales volume may have reached a number they never dared to dream of!

The thought exploded in their minds like a thunderbolt... They had initially thought that selling 10,000 copies would be enough to celebrate with champagne! But now, the number of reviews alone pointed to an astronomical figure!
The air in the office seemed to freeze again, this time not because of despair, but because the two of them were so overwhelmed by an immense, unreal sense of happiness that they were about to explode!
The two looked at each other, both seeing utter bewilderment and a sense of being stunned by a gold brick in each other's eyes.

"Am I dreaming?"

Qiu's voice trembled with disbelief.

"I do not know either."

Wang Meng's voice was also trembling. Although he said he didn't know, he felt like he was dreaming: "Avalon... their platform... is it that amazing?"

"Fuck..."

The two exchanged a glance, then subconsciously refocused their attention on the computer screen.

The review that had been pinned to the top and received an astonishing number of likes appeared before the two of them once again.

"Amazing! The numerical balance and card diversity are simply divine! How could a small studio achieve this level of depth and balance? I don't believe it! There must be a mastermind behind this! Avalon himself must have gotten involved!"

"A master..."

Upon seeing the comment, the two exchanged another glance, then looked together at the meticulously worded and detailed optimization proposal sent by the Avalon technical team, which was placed on the table.

then.

The tough guy is crying!

Thank you, Avalon!

In the cramped office, only the suppressed sobs of two men could be heard.

Qiu Gaoxing and Wang Meng supported each other as they looked at the screen full of praise again, both crying and laughing.

At this moment, all fear, pressure, and humble dreams were replaced by immense, unimaginable excitement.

They risked everything, and Avalon not only gave them a ticket to heaven, but also, with the utmost professionalism, steadily supported them when they were about to fall, and personally draped them in the magnificent robe of success!
……

Thousands of miles away, another independent game studio.

The light from the computer screen shone on Liu Zhe's face as he repeatedly refreshed the page for "Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse" on the AG platform and the hot posts on various forums.

The overwhelming positive reviews, the surge in the number of reviews in a short period of time, and the players' amazement at 'such an ingenious design from a small studio'... made him extremely envious!
Because his team also has an independent game that has been polished for two years. It has unique gameplay but is struggling to gain exposure and distribution channels. He had previously been cautious and wait-and-see about AG platform's so-called open third-party access, because he was worried about becoming cannon fodder and because he didn't really believe that AG platform could really succeed.

But at this moment, the success of "Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse" speaks for itself.

I'm envious.

I'm jealous.

He wanted to give it a try too...

(End of this chapter)