Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 316 Epiphany
Chu Chen put his phone away.

TikTok's development in this timeline is slightly smoother than in its previous life, thanks to the promotion by ByteDance and the joint promotion by StarTap.

Of course, Jiao Xiaofei's mind wasn't on that right now; he was waiting for Chu Chen to say something next.

"Brother Fei, why do you think this video went viral?"

"Because...it's cute? And healing?"

Jiao Xiaofei answered tentatively.

"Yes."

Chu Chen nodded.

"It's because it's simple and pure. The little girl wants to pet the cat, and the cat wants to eat dried fish. There's nothing complicated in the whole process, but it can evoke emotions in people. That's why this video went viral."

After saying this, Chu Chen's gaze sharpened.

"Alright, show me the demo you made."

Jiao Xiaofei's heart skipped a beat, but he still gritted his teeth and opened his laptop.

"Mr. Chen, this is an optimization plan I made based on the original combat system. After careful consideration, I still feel that the previous combat system was too simple."

When it comes to specific business matters, Jiao Xiaofei's spirits lift again.

"A normal light attack is a three-hit combo, but if you follow the second light attack with a heavy attack, you can break the opponent's guard and shatter their posture bar!"

"Based on the original parry, I added a precision parry window. If successful, it can not only directly kill the mobs, but also trigger the 'Ink Vibration' effect, which adds extra damage to all attacks for a short period of time!"

"The most crucial element is the stance system!"

"We have three stances: 'flowing with the current,' 'remaining still,' and 'plundering.'"

Chu Chen remained silent, simply watching quietly.

"What do you think of the system changes?"

Chu Chen's tone was very calm, without any sense of questioning, as casual as asking "How's the weather today?"

But Jiao Xiaofei opened his mouth, yet couldn't utter a word.

Before he came, he was full of confidence, but after seeing Chu Chen, his confidence dropped by half, and after seeing the video Chu Chen showed him, his confidence dropped by more than half.

Although it's hard to believe, it's quite obvious.

Chu Chen had already suspected something was wrong with him before he even arrived.

Even though Jiao Xiaofei thought he was quite familiar with Chu Chen after more than a year, it was still amazing that the other party knew what he was there for before he even arrived and had prepared his answers in advance.
Chu Chen, of course, did not have the ability to predict the future. He leaned back in a chair on the terrace, looking at the blue sky and white clouds.

Before we discuss this issue, I'd like to ask you a question. What do you think is the core fun of action games?

Jiao Xiaofei answered without hesitation.

"Of course it's the skill! It's the skill that allows players to execute complex and precise maneuvers, pull off spectacular combos, defeat powerful enemies, and gain a sense of accomplishment."

This is the most classic and hardcore action game concept.

You're right, but only half right.

"Or rather, you're describing the 'upper limit' of the action game experience, something that gives the game depth, allowing skilled players to show off their skills and get double the fun. But it's not the 'lower limit,' not the cornerstone of whether an action game is fun or not."

"What is that cornerstone?"

"It's a reaction."

"reaction?"

At this point in time, most domestic game developers actually have very little experience with action games.

The few manufacturers that exist are still in a state of imitation when it comes to action games; that is, they simply follow the example of successful overseas games.

"If the enemy doesn't make a move and is just a punching bag, then no matter how fancy the moves or how precise the operation, it's meaningless... So the core of action games is not the player's proactive attack, but the reactive response."

if you can.

Chu Chen really wanted to use the example of the Black Myth from his previous life as an example.

Because Black Myth is truly the most obvious and successful example of this theory.

Why is Black Myth not only popular in China but also around the world? One of the biggest reasons is the design of the bosses in Black Myth.

This is why Chu Chen said that in a game's combat system, the core fun, besides the player-controlled character, also includes the monsters' attacks and the interaction between the player and the monsters.

"Mr. Chen, do you mean that the fun of action games mainly comes from dealing with enemy attacks?"

Chu Chen nodded and pointed to the paused demo screen.

“Our core is ‘wuxia’ (martial arts), but the word ‘wuxia’ is very vague. So let’s break it down. The source of our combat fun is the ability to respond and to break through.” “What you’re doing now is like giving players a Swiss Army knife with a bunch of systems, but in the end, all you’re doing is making them cut a block of tofu. They’ll just think that this thing is not as useful as a kitchen knife.”

If you analyze action games in depth, you'll actually discover...

The most fun part of all action games is always the interaction between the player and the monster: monster attacks → player dodges → gaps in the monster's attacks → player attacks.

Based on this, the following scenario is derived: monster attack → player defense, parry.

Sometimes, even deflecting an attack can provide feedback to the player; for example, in Black Myth, players can deflect arrows by swinging a club.

Therefore, in Chu Chen's view, whether an action game is fun or not depends on whether the "monster's" attacks and the player can "interact" with each other.

Based on this, player controls can be simplified, but monster interactions must never be simplified.

Take Zone Zero as an example.

Why did everyone say that the game lacked "action" when it first launched?
Many people attribute the answer to this problem to miHoYo's oversimplification of the controls in Zone Zero.

However, the real problem with Zone Zero is not that players lack control; Zone Zero does have a basic action game framework.

A "rebound" mechanism was also implemented.

The reason it feels so bad is that in the initial version, during the main storyline, monsters provide almost no feedback; all the monsters are like punching bags, allowing players to attack them at will.

This "zero feedback" is the most fatal flaw.

Even after simplifying the difficulty of "Mingchao," players still know to give a monster that can deflect attacks during the beginner quests.

Why did some people say that District Zero got more fun later on? It's because in the higher difficulty levels, the monsters finally started to "attack," and there was interaction.

Even in many MMORPGs, why do they design mechanics when designing monsters, allowing players to dodge or manipulate other things?

The purpose is also for interaction.

in turn.

If a game is one where players and monsters fight separately, then its combat system is definitely not a plus, or rather, the game's main focus is not on the combat system for obtaining the main enjoyment.

"That's why I told you to simplify the player's attacks and focus your energy on the parry system, which is the counter-attack system, as well as the martial arts counters and the BOSS's moves."

"You know how long it took us to make the parry system in the game usable."

"Are you worried that our approach of 'simplifying combos, enhancing monster attacks, improving player countermeasures, and enhancing presentation' will be criticized by players as 'perfunctory' and 'lacking depth'?"

"So you're cramming all sorts of things into the player's toolbox, trying to prove our sincerity through the complexity of the controls."

You're using your energy in the wrong place.

Jiao Xiaofei's lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

At that moment, he finally realized that he had fallen into a typical developer trap.

When doubts arise about the core enjoyment of a game, the subconscious choice is to "add" more. However, in game development, the competition often boils down to who does "subtraction" better.

"I see."

His voice was a little hoarse, but his tense nerves relaxed like never before. If you're going in the wrong direction, all your efforts will be in vain.

"Mr. Chen..."

"I'm done."

"I was really stuck in a rut before, you're awesome, Mr. Chen."

Chu Chen waved his hand.

"It's not your place to flatter him."

"He wasn't flattering you..."

"Alright, stop lamenting about life here. Archive the plan; consider it technical reserves." Chu Chen waved his hand. "I'll give you two days off. Just rest here. Go back, get a good night's sleep, and clear your mind."

These blunt words warmed Jiao Xiaofei's heart.

He stood up and thanked Chu Chen very solemnly.

Although Chu Chen was a little surprised, he accepted it.

After saying thank you, Jiao Xiaofei breathed a long sigh of relief. The tension and anxiety of the past few days had completely disappeared, leaving only heartfelt gratitude and a sense of relief like being reborn.

My mind is clear, and I'm on the right track.

Indeed, the decision to switch to Starry Sky was the right one.

(End of this chapter)