Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 112 Are there any masters?

"Holy crap! That's it?!"

Chen Mo slapped the table, still feeling unsatisfied.

"This is way too short!!"

If the Starry Sky Games development team heard Chen Mo's words, they would probably want to smash him into the ground.

"Do you know what we've been through this month?! And you still think it's too short?!"

Since Tencent confirmed that it would hold a press conference.

Chu Chen then switched to battle mode.

The first to be affected is the "Final Front: Origins" project, which was originally scheduled to be launched in July, around the time of the 1.1 version release.

It was developed in sync with version 1.2.

Therefore, Chu Chen had actually written the proposal long ago.

However, with Tencent's press conference coming on strong, Chu Chen brought the project forward. What can you do in 45 days for a game?
There's really nothing we can do.

The timeframe was too short; a month had already passed just from the project initiation and wrangling.

But that's standard game development.

The development process for "Final Front: Origins" was completely different; it was a plan developed from the very beginning solely for the purpose of creating this demo.

There are three characters, three scene maps, three types of enemies, and a 4-minute animation.

After disassembling the DEMO.

The amount of development work for the entire game was reduced significantly.

In addition, Starry Games has successively joined Jiao Xiaofei's A2 production team, Guan Lei's A3 production team, and Starry Tap's production team.

Chu Chen has no shortage of manpower.

The most difficult part of the entire project was actually the character's shooting module. This part was personally led by Chu Chen, who took charge of the project, thanks to his research in this area in his previous life.

Furthermore, since Final Frontline is itself a "shooting game," this most difficult puzzle piece wasn't as hard as you might imagine.

of course
The entire project was successful entirely because of the proposal Chu Chen provided. It's like building with Lego bricks; the time spent building without blueprints is completely different from the time spent building with blueprints.

Anyway
Whether it was Jiao Xiaofei or Guan Lei, after witnessing Chu Chen's game development methods firsthand, they both felt their worldviews were reshaped.
What the hell?! You're doing homework, and there's a standard answer key?!

And, was my previous approach to game development wrong? Is that why it failed...?
~~~
The camera pans back.

Refocusing on the homeless meeting room.

"Oops! Holy crap, I forgot!! I was supposed to take a screenshot and post it on the news as soon as I entered the game."

Chen Mo sat there, lost in thought for a while, before finally realizing that he was there to write a news article, not to play around with demos! Now was not the time to bang on the table!

As a gaming media professional, this kind of professional "conditioned reflex" should be ingrained in my DNA.

But the demo he watched just now, which lasted for more than ten minutes, made him completely forget about this.

When did it start?

Chen Mo began to recall, and soon he thought of the turning point. Yes, it started from when he pulled the trigger for the first bullet. From the feel of the M4 rifle, to the ferocious firepower of the PKP, and then to the thrill of killing the enemy with a single shot from the Mosin-Nagant.

wrong
It's not just the feel of the controls, but also the constant team dialogue throughout the game, and even the appearance of the first new monster. These connections, seemingly ordinary, are actually incredibly clever.

"This developer knows games so well."

Don't be fooled by the fact that a demo is only a dozen minutes long. Chen Mo says without exaggeration that most games in the world can't keep players actively playing for ten minutes.
Players' attention is easily distracted; only by constantly providing them with stimulation and positive feedback can they be kept playing.

This feedback can be from the storyline, the gameplay, or the improvement of numerical values.

These were all used in the demo, but the demo didn't seem to show numerical changes; it mainly relied on player kill feedback and monster spawn times.

And the plot
"The plot is also crucial."

"Proceed and track for the commander's crash signal."

The objective is crystal clear; from the very beginning, the player knows what they need to do—save others, and moreover, save themselves.
This clear sense of purpose is the most primal and effective driving force for players to move forward.

Unlike some games that throw a bunch of settings and a grand world view at the start and then let you explore on your own, calling it "freedom" but actually easily leaving players feeling confused.

The Final Front: Origins demo doesn't have this problem; its objective is very focused from beginning to end.

Moreover, this "motivation" for rescue is being continuously strengthened.

For example, just as Chen Mo was about to take a screenshot in the fifth minute, M4's urging came.

"We need to hurry, the commander's aircraft signal is getting weaker and weaker!"

This statement not only fits the character's personality but also subtly increases the player's sense of urgency.

The commander's signal is getting weaker; if we don't hurry, it might be too late! This kind of psychological suggestion is far more effective than any forced countdown.

"That's how you create a sense of immersion."

He doesn't need to deliberately play any particular role, because the game's environment, the characters' dialogues, and the quest guidance all help him become a member of this team.

Next is the plot. If smooth controls and subtle guidance are the "skeleton," then the plot is the "flesh and blood."

Switching from the perspective of the M4 squad to the commander's first-person subjective perspective, this sudden change in perspective did not make the player feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, after switching perspectives, a lot of plot was already explained.

The production team has planted another big hook here.

This demo is like a carefully choreographed short film.

It grabs you with exhilarating combat at the start, maintains your motivation with clear goals and character interactions in the mid-game, and finally piques your intense curiosity with an unexpected twist.

While it may not reveal much in terms of plot depth at the moment, it is undoubtedly successful in terms of storytelling techniques.

It successfully evoked the player's emotions, allowing you to experience tension, exhilaration, worry, and finally, curiosity and anticipation in just over ten minutes.

This demo of *Final Front: Origins* gave him that feeling. Even based on the content shown so far, the variety of enemies is limited, and the environments are relatively simple, suggesting it might not be a particularly large-scale title.

However, Chen Mo keenly sensed that the game's potential might far exceed his initial assessment.

First, the core gameplay is solid.

The shooting feel, combat rhythm, and character differentiation are all done exceptionally well.

This is the cornerstone of "fun".

Secondly, the art style is pleasing, with both the exquisite character illustrations and the expressiveness of the 2D animations during battles being commendable.

In particular, the slightly exaggerated limb dismemberment effect becomes a plus when viewed from above.

Secondly, the plot is full of suspense.

The commander's perspective, the mysterious blonde girl, and the phrase "go home" all lay the groundwork for a vast space for imagination in the subsequent story. This game is clearly not content with being a simple "grinding game"; it has greater narrative ambitions.

Finally, and most importantly, the "top-down shooting + squad switching" framework chosen by Starry Sky Games itself has high scalability.

Whether it's adding more gun-wielding dolls, designing more complex levels, or introducing a wider variety of enemy types and boss battles, there's a lot of room for maneuver.

It could even be made into a roguelike game.
"No wonder they only showed an opening animation at the press conference, and then went straight to the demo."

You really have to play this demo to truly appreciate the game's charm.

"It's a pity the demo is too short."

He couldn't wait to find out where the commander's "homecoming" would lead, and how the M4 squad would cope with this sudden turn of events.

"Huh? Wait... what's this pre-sale event?"

Actually, the event interface had already popped up as soon as Chen Mo finished the game, but he hadn't looked at it carefully.

"Pre-order at a fixed price of 38? That's so cheap??"

"After the official game launches, players who pre-ordered the game will receive a 150% rebate in Final Frontiers Points upon completion!?"

"Huh?? What kind of marketing tactic is this??"

Chen Mo glanced at it, then looked again, still confused. This demo, at 38, was definitely not expensive; there was absolutely no need for a resale discount, especially with pre-orders at 1.5x? Wasn't this practically free for Final Front players?
What's the point? Influence? That doesn't make sense...
How do you make money from this?

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, but couldn't figure out any more details.

In fact, it's normal that he can't understand this marketing approach, because from the perspective of traditional game developers, if the final game can really maintain the quality of the demo, selling it for 38 would be a good deal.

However, Chu Chen priced it this way because he didn't intend to release the game as a "standalone" game.

The main task of "Final Front: Origins" is to attract more players from outside the community by offering high quality at a low price, and to make players feel good about the characters through narrative and character development.

The game won't be too long, and the development workload won't be too large, but the storyline will be absolutely complete. As long as players complete the game, it means that they will at least have an impression of the characters, once they get the reward points.
What awaits them in the "Final Battlefront" shop will be the Origin Squad skin packs and ring packs, which are bonus skins for characters who have not yet appeared in the game.
The 150% that's thrown back is just bait.

As long as Chu Chen's storyline is engaging.

Even if the conversion rate is only one in a thousand, the revenue that Chu Chen can obtain will be quite terrifying.

Of course, theory is theory, and practice is practice.

This is a line of thought that Chu Chen is still exploring. He has even prepared himself to reuse the framework for another project if it doesn't work out.

These considerations led to the final pricing and rebate program.

Chen Mo didn't have this information, so he naturally couldn't understand it. Fortunately, Chen Mo wasn't one to get stuck on things, so after thinking about it for a long time without figuring it out, he simply closed the page.

After all, for him at this moment...

There is an even more important thing to do, which is to record the experience and analysis just now in its entirety.

He had a feeling that this review would cause quite a stir.

Because what the demo "Final Front: Origins" showed was indeed "something," and quite a lot of it.

"A reinterpretation within a classic framework: another perfect answer from Starry Night Games."

He was typing rapidly while talking to himself, hoping that as soon as the press conference ended and there were many players playing the demo, they would come to support him.

However, just as Chen Mo was writing furiously.

A sudden uproar erupted from the conference room, and could still be clearly heard through several walls.

The commotion was quite loud, as if... something unexpected and significant had happened?

"Ok?"

Chen Mo's fingers paused, stopping above the keyboard. The noise from the conference room showed no signs of abating; on the contrary, it seemed to be getting even louder.

"What are you doing?"

Chen Mo muttered to himself.

Did StarCraft Games release something new this time?

Seriously? Wasn't this demo amazing enough?

Chen Mo glanced at the manuscript in his hand, then at the computer screen, then at the conference room. After thinking for about two seconds, Chen Mo made a decision.

"Damn it, let me send out a draft first."

After saying that, Chen Mo quickly produced a draft with a few screenshots, a title, and a few sentences, and then sent it out.

The mouse then clicked to open the browser.

He couldn't resist the commotion in the meeting room and decided to see what was going on.
　Special thanks! A big thank you to the generous donor with the ID: 【洒家是个起名废】 for the generous donation!!

　　My first leader in life!!

　　A thousand words can be summed up in one simple thank you!
　　I wanted to add more chapters, but unfortunately, I was writing 10,000 words a day and don't have a single chapter saved up.
　　I have to work myself to the bone today and add extra chapters tomorrow!!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)