Chapter 16: Some Creative Ideas
Chen Mo continued, "I think a lot of designers have this problem. They clearly have limited ability, and their game quality can't compete with B-grade or A-grade designers, but instead of finding other solutions, they stubbornly bang their heads against the wall trying to improve quality. It's really stupid."
Lin Mao thought for a moment. "I still don't quite understand."
Chen Mo explained, "Given our relationship, there's no need to be formal. I'll speak directly. If you were a player, why would you buy this game?"
Lin Mao was taken aback. To him, this seemed like an obvious question that he had never really thought about before.
He thought carefully. "Hmm... Quality? Sincerity?"
Chen Mo said, "Sincerity is a very vague thing. If a designer stoops to selling nostalgia, it only shows two things: one, they were once brilliant, and two, they've basically hit a dead end now."
"As for quality, you're a D-grade designer. Even if you push quality to the absolute max, can it compare to a B-grade designer's work?"
Lin Mao opened his mouth but found nothing to say.
Chen Mo continued, "When I ask why a player would buy it, I'm really asking: What's the gimmick? What's special about this game?"
"I think your imagination isn't fully open yet. Take this game, for example. Here are a few angles for you to consider."
"First, consider the gameplay system. Spend another two months completely doubling your current combat system. Add 8 to 15 more usable weapons and over 20 more monster types."
Lin Mao asked doubtfully, "But wouldn't that be too complicated for a mobile game?"
Chen Mo shook his head. "Not complicated. Does a mobile game have to be light and casual? I don't think so. You have to understand, the lighter it is, the harder it is to make well. At this stage, it's better to overdo it than to hold back."
"Make the combat system very complex. At least when you promote it, you can write slogans like: '20 weapons for you to choose from!' or 'Brain-burning challenge: can you always pick the right weapon?' and so on."
Lin Mao looked thoughtful.
Chen Mo continued, "Or, the second option: in terms of difficulty, make the entire game exceptionally hard, and set up some completely unexpected traps and mechanisms."
Lin Mao asked, "Completely unexpected? Like what?"
Chen Mo pointed at the game screen. "For example, here. It clearly looks like a hillside, but when you step on it, a bunch of spikes suddenly pop up and impale the player. Or here, it clearly looks like a friendly NPC, but as soon as you walk over, they stab you to death. Jump over and talk to them from behind, and you still get stabbed to death. Only by jumping on their head can you stomp them to death and pass the level."
Lin Mao's mouth slightly opened, wearing an expression that said, "There's actually a move like that?"
Chen Mo said, "If you use the second method, you can call it 'The Most Unexpected Mini-Game in History.' You could also rename the game 'The Knight's Frustrating Adventure' or something like that."
"There's also a third idea: consider the story. For example, you could let players choose different paths or reactions at various nodes. Like, when you encounter a former enemy who is severely injured, you can choose to save them or not. These many choices then lead to different endings."
"You could design 5 to 8 endings—some successful, some failures, some unexpected."
"In that case, you could use slogans like 'Eight endings, dozens of choices' or 'Can you pierce through the lies and uncover the truth?' as promotional material."
Lin Mao stroked his chin. Clearly, the amount of information in Chen Mo's words was overwhelming, and he needed to think it over carefully.
Chen Mo wasn't in a hurry. He took a bite of food and waited for Lin Mao to fully digest the three plans he had just proposed.
What did the designers in this world lack the most?
Imagination.
Chen Mo's imagination wasn't innate; it came from the accumulation of another world. In the process of the gaming industry's birth and continuous growth—from PC games, to browser games, to mobile games—there was also the flourishing of independent games.
Countless game designers racked their brains to make their games stand out to players, to make players willingly pull money out of their pockets.
For games, creativity is always the top priority, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid. Only by having a unique selling point can a game be noticed by players.
Lin Mao was silent for a long time before he said, "I understand, Chen Mo. These three plans have really inspired me. I feel like I have some ideas now. Thank you so much!"
Chen Mo waved his hand. "It's nothing. A small favor. I'm just giving you a direction. How you walk that path is up to you."
Lin Mao nodded. "Yeah, I have a direction now. I originally thought this game was 80% complete, but now I see it's far from enough. When I get back, I'll re-plan the game."
Lin Mao's furrowed brow relaxed. He had always felt like his game was missing something, which made him uneasy. Now he knew: his game lacked a flashpoint—a spark that players could see at a glance!
With that flashpoint, his game could stand out from the countless others.
Zhao Zihao exclaimed in surprise, "Chen Mo, you're something else! How come I never noticed you had so many clever ideas before? Did you suddenly have an epiphany?"
Chen Mo said seriously, "It's not an epiphany; it's enlightenment. The night before the design competition, the God of Games came to me in a dream and directly passed down a complete set of game design techniques."
Zhao Zihao laughed heartily. "Get out of here!"
The three of them ate and chatted until 10 p.m., ordering four more bottles of beer along the way. By the end, they were all slightly tipsy and had talked to their hearts' content.
Chen Mo himself wasn't much of a drinker. Frequent drinking is bad for the brain, affecting thinking and memory. For a designer, alcoholism is not a good habit, so he didn't drink too much.
Zhao Zihao called a subordinate to come drive for him, while Lin Mao was already busy brainstorming how to revamp his current game.
Since there was a designated driver, Chen Mo felt reassured. After saying a few words of caution, he watched them leave.
Chen Mo returned to the experience store and tidied up his things a bit. After receiving messages from Zhao Zihao and Lin Mao saying they had arrived home, Chen Mo washed up and went to sleep.
Tomorrow, he still had to think about the new game. Tonight, Chen Mo needed to rest well, recharge his energy, and ensure he was in the best mental state.