LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 462 I'm Not a Pay-to-Winner

"It starts again."

Sitting to the side, Mingkai watched Lin Ruo begin her new gaming journey and couldn't help but chuckle before blurting out a probing question:

"Tell me, how much money did Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition give you? I'll give you double that in Rise of Kingdoms."

He really didn't expect Lin Ruo to be involved in this game. The main reason is that this kind of sandbox strategy game doesn't require any so-called technical skill. It doesn't test hand speed or ability. It's all about spending money.

Of course, alliance management is an exception.

Since it's called a strategy category, all the actual strategies revolve around management.

There's a saying that goes, "An incompetent general will exhaust the entire army." Indeed, devising a battle plan to stand out among various forces and vie for supremacy requires a certain amount of foresight and ability.

As for unconventional card-drawing strategies and team compositions, they're not impossible, but they can't compare to a whale's fully-starred mainstream team.

The lineup you painstakingly assembled over several days and nights is actually far less valuable than someone who spends 100,000 in a minute.

So what exactly is Lin Ruo playing this game for? He can't impress the audience with his talent from other games, and it's a waste of time.

Well, happiness is the most important thing, that's all Mingkai could think.

It wasn't until later that he realized Lin Ruo had truly experienced what happiness meant to play this game.

...

The official team behind Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition probably never imagined that they could climb to the top of Weibo's trending topics list without spending money.

But that's the way it is.

Thanks to the huge popularity of Lin Ruo's live stream, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition quickly became a trending topic on Weibo early in the morning.

Many netizens are wondering what kind of game "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is, and what its relationship is with the highly praised "Three Kingdoms Kill".

The answer is no, they're just games with the Three Kingdoms theme.

Although both are card games involving drawing cards, Romance of the Three Kingdoms doesn't involve playing cards at a table; instead, you actually use the cards you draw to build your lineup and lead troops into battle.

In addition to equipping items, the generals you draw will also have three skill slots. The first slot is a special skill that the general comes with by default, while the latter two slots must be filled with other skills.

As for where the skills come from, they naturally come from the generals.

In this game, generals play a very important role. They can be used as the main force in battle, and their own battle tactics can be inherited and transformed into skills, which can be used on more suitable generals.

Furthermore, skills cannot be fully utilized simply by equipping them on generals, as skills also have corresponding levels. Only when a skill reaches level ten, which is the maximum level, can it exert its maximum effect.

This aspect requires the use of tactics points, which are obtained from generals.

At this point, those lower-ranking generals, such as lieutenants or useless three-star or two-star generals, can be converted into battle points.

Therefore, a certain number of military generals is very important.

In any case, Lin Ruo definitely couldn't do that. He was a monthly card player and didn't even have many gold coins. Even a five-pull was a luxury for him.

After all, a single gacha pull costs 199 gold coins, and even at half price it still costs 99 gold coins. At first, Lin Ruo could only try the free pull to see what she could get.

Very well, he's not European at all.

I directly drew a useless four-star purple general, Zhang Yan.

In Lin Ruo's eyes, any orange-tier general that wasn't a legendary gold-tier general was just a pile of trash.

First, I claimed the gold beads from the monthly card, and then another half-price offer of 99 gold beads came along. This time, instead of a four-star purple general, I got a three-star Cao Xiu.

Okay, so this is how you treat returning players who haven't been back for a year?

Forget it, Lin Ruo gave up struggling and first claimed the newbie gift pack, which was the first orange general given by the official at the start of the game.

The requirements are not high; you can receive the reward by recharging any amount. If you have already recharged your monthly card, receiving this reward is a piece of cake.

Upon clicking to claim, a blinding golden light flashed on the screen, and the fixed NPC general for the first season, a tradition for beginners, arrived in their account.

Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong!
Alright, we have the perfect tool for pioneering new lands. Let's send out five-star generals to conquer lands and acquire resources.

First, attack level 1 lands near the city with connecting links that allow for direct attacks. Then, gradually advance to higher-level lands as your generals level up, your troops increase, and your skills improve.

We must continuously acquire resources to accelerate production in all aspects, thereby expanding urban construction and manpower.

"Kai, what did you just say?"

Lin Ruo then came to her senses and examined Ming Kai beside her. Thinking of what she had just said, she smiled slightly and became excited: "You want to help me recharge my account to buy gold beads, right? Okay, okay, let me see your sincerity with 648 first."

"What? Nobody's going to top up your account for you."

Mingkai rolled his eyes, quickly put on his headphones, and continued to study IG's match recordings from a different position.

When it comes to fabricating stories out of thin air without any shame, Lin Ruo dares to say that the club is number one, and no one dares to say that they are number two.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruo stroked her chin thoughtfully: "What if someone actually helps me top up my account?"

Never mind, I'll go to the toilet first.

Reclaiming wasteland is time-consuming and laborious. In actual historical circumstances, the most troublesome thing about starting an army and establishing a great cause is the replenishment of logistical resources in all aspects.
This is even more important in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. Not only do generals need to conquer land to level up, but the amount of resources gained from conquering land is also related to the foundation of a series of city construction and operation in the main city.

For example, one of the urban construction sites is the conscription office.

To recruit soldiers to replenish the army for generals, not only is a sufficient amount of food required, but also a certain amount of timber, iron ore, and so on.

In short, all kinds of resources are necessary, and none can be missing, but food is the largest component.

It's quite troublesome to think about. Although generals have stamina limitations and become fatigued and unable to move after using it up, it still doesn't affect the fact that this kind of pioneering requires players to devote themselves wholeheartedly for at least three to four days.

The next step is to switch to a resource state, where the competition will be for even more extensive land resources.

After all, the resources of the starting state cannot satisfy most players.

After not touching the computer for more than 20 minutes, Lin Ruo returned from the bathroom and opened the real-time ranking list in the game. She found that her progress in clearing the dungeon had fallen far behind others.

At least he can no longer see his name on the list, which means he has fallen out of the top 300 who are not listed.

"If you don't do it now, you'll end up destroying all the land around you."

Mingkai would glance around every now and then. There were still quite a few other players' main cities around Lin Ruo's main city. Slow development meant that in no time, the land in front of his own house would probably be taken away by others.

"Whatever," Lin Ruo shrugged and chose to give up.

This game has both busy and leisurely gameplay modes, such as the five-minute waiting time required for a general to occupy a piece of land.

However, we are currently in the beginner phase, so the waiting time is not that short.

However, Lin Ruo wouldn't just stand by and watch; he could easily step back and do other things during this time.

Okay, let's start with a game of Dou Dizhu.

What if you've occupied all the land but haven't finished conquering it? Then you can use two instances of the game: shrink the screen and control your generals to conquer other lands while simultaneously playing cards in the chessboard room.

It's that simple.

So what if the exploration is slow? Lin Ruo wasn't even sure if she would quit after less than a day of playing. After all, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so falling behind was fine.

I can't possibly join an alliance created by another player. I'm already struggling to develop my character, and joining another alliance would be even worse.

Then the allies would have to come directly to the enclave.

After all, players within an alliance can share linked territories. I can use your linked territories, and you can use mine. If I fall behind in development, I won't be able to attack the higher-level territories next to you, while you can easily attack them once you've developed.

How am I going to live my life from now on...?

【Wait, does Lin Gou even intend to seriously play this game?】

[I, Lin Gou, spent money to draw cards a long time ago. Besides fighting, the most fun part of this game is drawing cards. Getting a good card can make you happy all day.]

[That's true, but the satisfaction of getting a good card without spending money is nowhere near as great as getting one without.]

[@Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition Official, Lin Gou only played for half an hour and then didn't want to play anymore. Don't you guys know what to do?]

Those who enjoy watching the drama have already flocked to the comment section of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms on Weibo to leave messages.

The official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team knew all along; they knew Lin Ruo was playing the game from the moment it went viral.

Need I say more? An overwhelming amount of wealth has fallen right into their laps!

Lin Ruo is a household name since winning the world Go championship, and his popularity and influence are self-evident.

They dreamed that Lin Ruo, who loved playing all kinds of games, would be able to stream himself playing Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition.

And just like that, my dream came true, so what's the next step?
Send me the money!
As a game that requires significant spending, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition consistently ranks among the top five games in China in terms of annual revenue from in-game purchases, so money is never a problem.

If something can be solved with money, then it's not a problem.

They directly contacted Zhanqi using the official name, registered an account, and quickly arrived at the 4396 live stream room, where they first sent 20 big swords to pave the way.

"Holy crap, how come the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team is giving you money so quickly?" Mingkai, who was watching from the side, suddenly remembered the days when Lin Ruo played Temple Run during MSI. Back then, the official team would give him rewards almost every day.

Now... it seems to have been re-released.

So even though he didn't send money, there were actually people who sent money to Lin Ruo.

Um, is it too late for me to start playing now?

Forget it, Mingkai wouldn't dare to play that game. If he did, Abu would definitely scold him for neglecting his duties.

Even among geniuses, there are differences.

No matter how much Lin Ruo plays, he's still strong in matches. Others, if they skip ranked games for three or four days to train specifically, they might not even be able to hold a mouse properly when they get on the field.

So for the rest of the time, Mingkai could only watch helplessly as Lin Ruo used the gift money given by the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team as recharge funds to run rampant in the game.

If the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team is giving out gifts, then if I recharge now, isn't that the same as using the money given to me by the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team?
Even rounded up, I'm still a monthly pass holder.

Moreover, this is most likely the idea of ​​the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team, who want Lin Ruo to maximize the gaming experience so that it can have the best promotional effect for their game.

Without feeling any pressure, Lin Ruo immediately started by recharging a small amount.

You've exceeded the recharge limit, huh? Oh well, he doesn't actually have that much money. Let's recharge 10 x 648s and see how it goes.

However, seeing Lin Ruo being so stingy with her money, Ming Kai, who was looking to the side, had an opinion: "Ten 648s aren't enough, are they? You've already spent so many gifts on Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Why don't you recharge 100,000 first? That way you can basically ensure that all the general cards can be drawn to high red status."

A single general card drawn is considered a blank card; only by drawing five general cards consecutively and combining them into one can a legendary full-red card be created.

The attribute points of a general will be 50 points higher than those of a regular general, and the increase in combat power is self-evident.

"No, let's keep a low profile." Lin Ruo completely dismissed this.

He doesn't ask for much; he just wants to draw the mainstream generals to form a complete lineup. As for becoming the highest-ranking, fully-upgraded player in the game, that's really unnecessary.

Spending money can be an addiction, and we shouldn't indulge it.

Upon hearing this, Mingkai changed the subject, moved his gaming chair to sit in front of Lin Ruo, and revealed a very greedy look: "Then you don't have to spend more money, I'll help you draw cards."

"Heh, help me draw a card?"

Lin Ruo slapped Ming Kai across the face, not forgetting to mention that he hadn't washed his hands after coming back from the toilet.

No, do you really think I'm a gigolo?

Lin Ruo knew better than anyone what made games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition so enjoyable.

One aspect is the large-scale battles waged by hundreds of allies; the other is definitely gacha pulls.

It's like opening scratch-off lottery tickets at a sports lottery shop. You scratch off each one to see if you've won anything. You have no idea how exciting that is.

Isn't that the same as drawing cards one by one to see if you can draw an amazing card?
How can you let someone else do something so exciting? Unless it's a fried dough stick, you should definitely roll up your sleeves and get to work yourself.

Lin Ruo naturally wanted to prevent Ming Kai from stealing the fruits of his experience.

"Let's start drawing, brothers! I'm going to be the luckiest person ever!" First, build up the momentum; if all else fails, just pray.

Oh wait, if you don't get it, just keep recharging. It's not like you're spending your own money.

It's the government's money, they can use it however they want, so there's no point in talking about mystical blessings.

First, try a five-pull. If that doesn't work, try a second five-pull. If that still doesn't work, try a third five-pull.

If all else fails, just throw in ten more 648s; there will always be a day when we reap the rewards.

However, this day came a bit too early. Lin Ruo had just finished her first five-draw when the Golden Legend became extremely arrogant.

"What kind of hero is this? Holy crap, Liu Bei! You got Liu Bei on your very first five-pull!"

Mingkai, standing next to him, gaped wide open, his mouth practically agape.

Getting Liu Bei on your first five-shot combo is definitely lucky.

Don't forget that this game is set in the Three Kingdoms period, so the cards you draw will be divided into four factions: Wei, Shu, Wu, and the Others.

The first three are easy to understand, and the group is also quite easy to understand. For example, Lu Bu, who roams the world, is the most obvious group.

And the first core hero to emerge at the start is Liu Bei…

Knowing that the strong lineup combinations in Season 1 were mainly based on Shu Kingdom generals, Mingkai felt like he had swallowed something strange.

Dude, it seems like you're already driving a Land Rover without spending much money.

Not only was he unhappy, but the viewers in the live stream were also unhappy.

【No way, the first core I built in this game was Lu Bu, which was absolutely terrible, and then Lin (the game's developer) started with Liu Bei? How am I supposed to enjoy this game now?】

[666, they're not even acting anymore. It must be that the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team secretly changed Lin Gou's account to be a lucky one to increase the chance of getting orange items. It's not that I just ate it directly.]

[This is blatant discrimination; I'm going to give the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms account a bad review.]

[Yeah, right, can we report this rigged game? Lin Gou's luck was so bad at the beginning, he must have gotten it through connections. Damn it, I still don't have Liu Bei in this game, why does Lin Gou get him right from the start?]

[I uninstalled it. Seeing how well Lin Gou (a streamer) got gacha pulls made my anger towards the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms team reach its peak.]

"No, it's just one card, is it really that big of a deal?"

Many viewers in the live stream felt that this was making a mountain out of a molehill, since luck is something that can't be predicted.

Until Lin Ruo's second five-shot streak yielded two orange-tier characters, drawing both Zhuge Liang and Cai Wenji, the owner of the crucial skill "Soul Stealing and Spirit Capturing"...

The atmosphere in the live stream changed again and again, and "dog luck" became the final evaluation of Lin Ruo by the people of the time.

(End of this chapter)