Reborn to Make Games: My Girlfriend is a Game Streamer

Chen Bainian and Xu Haoran had a quick lunch nearby and returned to 608 just after 12:30.

In the open office area, nine young people were already waiting there in a row.

The appointment was for one o'clock, but this group of people all arrived half an hour early.

"Alright, let's get straight to the point." Chen Bainian glanced at the room and immediately made the decision. "The planners and artists will come with me to the general manager's office, and the programmers will go with Chief Programmer Xu to the west conference room."

There isn't a lead artist on the team right now, so he, as the one who made the request, has to step in for the time being.

Aside from the non-existent art director, he is indeed the most suitable person to interview for art direction.

This incident also reminded him that the recruitment of beauty consultants needed to be accelerated.

Xu Haoran grinned, revealing a "finally some work" expression, and casually took a bespectacled young man next to him with him.

The young man was almost a head shorter than Xu Haoran and much thinner. When Xu Haoran hugged him, it looked as if he had been kidnapped.

Inside the general manager's office, Cheng Zhixing took a deep breath and handed over the still-warm printed resume.

"Let me start with a brief self-introduction," Chen Bainian said.

Although he already knew Cheng Zhixing's name and position, he still needed a systematic understanding of Cheng Zhixing's background.

Cheng Zhixing took a deep breath. The interview atmosphere was obviously not as good as the previous fan meeting. He sounded a little nervous: "Hello, Teacher Chen. My name is Cheng Zhixing. My hometown is Oujiang City, Zhejiang Province."

I graduated from Lin'an University of Technology last June with a degree in Biology. Afterwards, I worked as an executive planner at Xingmang Games, primarily involved in resource allocation and level design for an SLG game.

The company went bankrupt before the game was even released, and Cheng Zhixing couldn't even come up with a single notable project experience to show for it.

But he showed no embarrassment; he simply stared intently at Chen Bainian.

He valued the opportunity before him more than the embarrassment.

"He's still my junior." Chen Bai smiled slightly.

Cheng Zhixing's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly: "Teacher Chen also graduated from Lin'an University of Technology?"

"Yeah, I'm a year ahead of you, majoring in Information Management." Chen Bainian nodded, then asked a natural question, "Studying biology, how did you come up with the idea of ​​making games?"

"Well..." Cheng Zhixing scratched his head, smiling a little embarrassedly, "I spent too much time playing games in college and didn't do well in my major courses. Since I like it, I thought I might as well try to see if I could get into this industry."

Chen Bainian nodded, offering no further comment.

This reason is very common; many planners enter the industry thinking this way.

Countless newcomers enter the industry full of enthusiasm, only to have their brilliance dulled by the gap between reality and their expectations.

"What kind of games do you usually play? Do you play a lot of indie games?" he then asked.

"I usually play MOBA and SLG games the most. I don't play many indie games, except for 'Getting Over It' recently," Cheng Zhixing answered honestly.

He knew he couldn't keep up the lie; the truth would be revealed if the other party asked any further questions.

"You've cleared the game?"

"It took two hours. Although it can't compare to your ten-minute clear in Brother Lou's live stream, I think... it's alright?"

As Cheng Zhixing spoke, he subtly changed his form of address: "You said in the live stream that a good level designer must also be a good operator. Do you think I have the potential to become a good level designer?"

Chen Bainian did not correct his form of address.

Being able to communicate and build relationships is not a bad thing for planners.

"These two are not equivalent," he said. "Good skills can lead to good level design, but it's not a given. Often, only one in hundreds of players becomes a qualified designer."

Cheng Zhixing listened attentively, the light in his eyes never dimming.

"Have you ever played any Roguelike games?" Chen Bainian changed the subject and got to the point.

"...No." Cheng Zhixing paused for a moment, then his eyes dimmed slightly.

He knew that when the interviewer asked about the specific game genre, it usually meant that the direction of the new project had been decided.

Having no relevant experience is undoubtedly a huge disadvantage.

Chen Bainian remained calm: "Then let's not ask about the specific game."

Let's talk about a basic question: If there's a weapon in the game that's too overpowered, but you don't want to directly change its stats, how would you adjust it?

This is a very basic question, but it best reveals whether a person has the potential to shift from a player's perspective to a designer's perspective.

Cheng Zhixing thought for more than ten seconds, and when he spoke, his tone was much more composed: "I have roughly thought of a few ways."

The first option is to increase the weapon's side effects. For example, equipping this weapon might reduce the player's movement speed or cause them to fall into an overload state, and the cooldown time would be increased after using it a few times.

The second option is to change the difficulty of obtaining it, or to make it an exclusive weapon for a specific playstyle.

The third approach involves introducing some elemental advantages and disadvantages. For example, if a weapon is fire-based, then add enemies that are ice-based or water-based to create a counter.

Finally, Cheng Zhixing summarized: "The core idea is to make players choose between the strength of a weapon and the risks or costs it brings, rather than simply depriving them of the enjoyment they have already experienced."

Chen Bainian nodded slightly.

The thinking is clear and there is a complete framework for thought.

The fact that he can see the system in small details shows that he has already begun to have the perspective of a designer, and is no longer just a player.

"So, if you have disagreements with the programmers and artists regarding implementation, for example, if they feel your design is too difficult to implement, how would you communicate?"

"I am not a technical or art major, so I will definitely listen to their professional opinions first to understand the specific difficulties."

Then, I will try my best to describe the effect I want more clearly with reference diagrams and examples, avoiding empty discussions, and let's see if there are any compromise solutions." Cheng Zhixing answered frankly.

Communication skills are an essential part of planning.

Judging from Cheng Zhixing's demeanor in leading the tour and introducing the environment, Chen Bainian had already given him a good initial impression.

"One last question." Chen Bainian tapped his finger lightly on the table. "The studio is just starting out, and resources are limited."

You may often need to learn new things quickly, or take on tasks such as community operations.

What do you think?

This is to test his resilience, willingness to learn, and ability to withstand pressure.

"I can accept it and am willing to learn. Difficulties are also opportunities. Mastering more skills and directly interacting with players can only benefit me as a game designer," Cheng Zhixing answered without hesitation.

This was the attitude Chen Bainian wanted, so he didn't press the matter further.

"What are your expected benefits?"

Cheng Zhixing didn't mind the other party's sudden additional question. After a slight hesitation, he tentatively gave a number: "6000...?"

This used to be his monthly salary at Starry Games.

In Lin'an, this amount is barely enough to make a living after taxes.

But for a newcomer who faces company dissolution less than a year after graduation, the opportunity at hand is far more important than short-term salary.

Chen Bainian did not respond immediately, but simply looked at him calmly.

Cheng Zhixing felt a little uneasy, but he did not back down.

After a brief silence, Chen Bainian returned the initiative to the conversation: "Is there anything you want to ask me?"

Cheng Zhixing sat up straighter and asked a question that he had clearly thought about: "Senior, what are our studio's future goals? Will we continue to focus on making indie games? Or... have we considered the possibility of being acquired?"

Less than a year after graduation, he experienced the company's bankruptcy, forcing him to think more about "stability".