God's imitator

Chapter 198 A Guess

Xu Tong was somewhat surprised: "A copycat copycat?"

Clearly, most people hadn't actually thought that such a concept existed before.

Cao Haichuan paused slightly before explaining:

"I don't think we can assume that two games are the work of the same copycat just because they look alike."

"On the contrary, I tend to think that the more similar the games are, the less likely they are to be the work of the same copycat."

Why do "copycats of copycats" exist?

"Since all the rules of the game have been made public so far, and all players can see them, copycats hidden among the players can also see them."

"The King's Trial received an S-rank rating, which will not only make it a subject of study for players, but will also inevitably become a key point of learning for copycats."

"If a copycat is clever, he can adapt the core idea to achieve a state of resemblance in spirit but not in form; but if a copycat is not so clever, then the traces of imitation will be more obvious, and there may be a lot of déjà vu."

"Therefore, we cannot conclude that they are the work of the same imitator simply because they are 'similar'."

"Just like many real-life serial murder cases, there are many copycat crimes. If we conclude that it was the same criminal just because it is 'similar', we will often fall into a serious misconception."

The expressions on people's faces varied; some nodded, while others remained silent.

But regardless, these words, spoken by Cao Haichuan, are still quite convincing.

Wang Yongxin frowned slightly: "Here's the problem: if there are 'copycats of copycats'—which seems to be a high-probability event right now—does that mean we'll almost never be able to distinguish which two games are the work of the same copycat?"

Li Renshu also asked, "Then, Officer Cao, what are your considerations in believing that the 'birth trial' is the work of a 'copycat of copycats'?"

Cao Haichuan explained: "Motive. Ultimately, the most reliable way is to focus on the motive of the copycat."

"If the two games are only similar in terms of rules, then there are only two possibilities:"
"The first possibility is that this is the original work of the copycat, but he was lazy and used the original design idea, changed the details and made a new game."

"This possibility certainly exists, but we must consider that a copycat who can create an S-class game must be very intelligent and very good at hiding himself."

"What good would it do him to make another similar game? The downsides are obvious: an overly distinctive design style could make him more easily exposed and targeted by players."

"This is unsafe for copycats. Designing a completely different game each time is a better way to disguise themselves."

"The second possibility is that other copycats imitated his style and created similar designs. The original copycats were powerless to stop them."

"For later imitators, this behavior is entirely beneficial: it can mislead players and direct hatred towards the first imitator; it can also enhance the competitiveness of their own game."

"So, in terms of motivation, was the copycat who designed 'King's Trial' more motivated to create such a similar game, or were other copycats more motivated?"

Everyone nodded suddenly.

This was indeed something I hadn't considered before.

Cao Haichuan's inference contains a very important presupposition: copycats will try every means to hide themselves.

From the current perspective, this presupposition holds true in most cases.

Therefore, those more outstanding copycats, whether they design A-level or S-level games, must be intelligent people who will carefully hide themselves.

If there is no urgent need for visa processing time, hastily using the previous game framework for design would increase the risk of exposure, which is not a wise move.

Even if they want to create a new game to achieve a specific goal, they will definitely try their best to distance themselves from the previous games.

It's even possible that some games are deliberately designed with low ratings as a decoy. Currently, it's difficult for players to identify the copycat based solely on the game rules, or even guess which games were made by the same copycat.

But who can say for sure what will happen in the future?
There are many players like Cao Haichuan who are good at finding clues from the smallest details. The subtle habits that copycats inadvertently reveal can become fatal flaws that expose their identities one day.

The smarter the copycat, the less likely they are to design similar games repeatedly.

Although it cannot be proven at all, it is based on some relatively solid inferences, so it can still convince many people.

Wang Yongxin thought for a moment: "As we mentioned before, when copycats design games, they are likely to use their existing knowledge system."

"It's like a 'matchmaking game'."

"So, could those who copy the 'birth trial' also be more experienced in this area?"

"Would it be a more traditional, older male or female figure? Otherwise, it would be difficult to come up with those three questions that hit the knowledge gaps of young people, right?"

Cao Haichuan shook his head: "It's hard to say. These three questions in the birth trial are indeed difficult for players who don't know the relevant information."

"But it's not difficult for copycats, since they are the ones setting the questions."

"Don't forget, there's a book section in the community, with all kinds of books."

"As the one answering the question, it's impossible to find the exact answer from a vast sea of ​​books. But it's different for the one setting the question."

"A copycat can simply find a quiet time, go to the book section, browse through books on fertility, and pick a few questions to copy."

"It is not necessary to draw from one's existing knowledge system."

"Of course, judging from the game content, this copycat should be quite sensitive to gender and reproductive issues, but I didn't see any particularly obvious bias. And even if there is, such bias is relatively easy to hide."

Yang Yuting said, "Jiang He previously thought that Li Jiang was a copycat of this game. What do you all think?"

Lin Sizhi shook her head: "It doesn't seem like it."

“Zhong Yuanyuan participated in the ‘dating game’ because she was sure she was absolutely safe in the game and needed to incite hatred with other people in Community 1, kill more players, and earn visa time.”

"That is, to satisfy both 'safety' and 'profitability' at the same time."

"Li Jiang did not meet either of these two criteria in the 'birth trial'."

"He is neither absolutely safe nor able to gain much benefit from it."

"If Li Jiang is a copycat, the only explanation is that he was looking for some thrills for himself."

Jiang He felt that Li Jiang's words were sharp and misled her into making some wrong decisions, which was actually a bit of a misunderstanding.

Yang Yuting then asked, "What about Chen Yumei?"

Lin Sizhi shook her head again: "I don't think it's very likely."

Fu Chen nodded in agreement: "Yes, how can a copycat judge himself? That's just too outrageous."

Cao Haichuan offered a timely reminder: "The promenade has never said that copycats cannot judge themselves. Although I also think that possibility is unlikely, it cannot be simply and crudely ruled out."

Lin Sizhi explained, "Although Chen Yumei seems to have escaped trial, I don't think it's likely a case of 'copycat behavior'."

(End of this chapter)