Chapter 158: A Brainwashing Song 8/17
Qian Kun looked utterly incredulous.
Actually, Chen Mo hadn't mentioned the idea of rigged probabilities before; it was Qian Kun himself who thought it should be added. After all, as a top student in mathematics, he had a very clear understanding of probability.
Without rigged probabilities, the actual probability of drawing cards could result in infinite variance for individual players, leading to outcomes that severely deviated from expectations.
For example, a free-to-play player might draw an SSR, while a whale who spent thousands of yuan got nothing. This scenario was highly likely to occur. Moreover, the larger the player base, the more such cases would arise, and they would be completely uncontrollable.
This essentially meant handing over the most important economic system to the whims of fate, decided by some unseen deity.
Qian Kun couldn't understand it. When Chen Mo was making "I Am MT," he had implemented a guaranteed purple card system. Why wasn't he doing the same for "Onmyoji"?
Chen Mo explained, "Remove the rigged probabilities, but add an 'Unlucky King' achievement to the achievement system."
"Unlucky King?" Qian Kun was a bit confused.
Chen Mo said, "Right. Make this 'Unlucky King' achievement a form of indirect guarantee. For example, if a player fails to draw an SSR after 100 consecutive draws, refund them a certain amount of jade. You decide the exact numbers. In short, no direct guarantee, but through this Unlucky King system, we indirectly return some of the jade to them."
Qian Kun was still puzzled. "Uh, how is this better than rigged probabilities?"
Chen Mo said, "It helps the unlucky ones sniff out the European spies hiding among the crowd."
Qian Kun: "..."
Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, go make the changes. Just remember, in this game, don't rig any probabilities related to luck. If a player gets lucky and wins, let them win. If a player has bad luck, we'll find ways to compensate them through other systems."
Qian Kun was still bewildered, but he went ahead and made the changes as Chen Mo instructed.
In fact, the "Onmyoji" Chen Mo was making now was already an improved version compared to the "Onmyoji" from his previous life, mainly in two aspects.
First, the Unlucky King achievement could be completed repeatedly, with significantly increased rewards, serving as an indirect guarantee measure. This maximally considered the feelings of those unlucky players, allowing the vast majority to enjoy the thrill of drawing an SSR.
Second, a sweep function was added to the gameplay. When a player's combat power completely overwhelmed the dungeon monsters, they could use the sweep feature to save time.
These two points were the biggest complaints players had about "Onmyoji" in the previous life. In Chen Mo's view, they were also relatively unreasonable. Considering the fragile hearts and fragile livers of players in this parallel world, Chen Mo softened a bit.
However, Chen Mo chose not to implement a direct guarantee mechanism. This was to maximize the restoration of the game's fun in terms of "randomness."
(It was not out of malice toward the unlucky ones.)
Su Jinyu was preparing promotional materials for "Onmyoji."
"Boss, can we go head-to-head with Imperial Dynasty Interactive Entertainment this time for our promotion? Should we invest in more ads?" Su Jinyu asked.
Chen Mo shook his head. "No need. Imperial Dynasty has money but no brains. Although we also have money, there's no point in playing that game. The key is to make the promotion effective. Low-tier methods like buying ad spots on video sites should be avoided as much as possible."
Su Jinyu asked, "Ah? Then how do we promote it?"
Chen Mo said, "First, you and Hong Xi prepare the graphic and text materials for the promotion. I'll figure out the specifics of the promotion. If we want to warm up in the early stages, we can focus on promoting among illustrators, the otaku community, and cosplayers. No need to consider other groups for now."
Su Jinyu nodded and went back to work.
After arranging the tasks, Chen Mo called Guo Feng.
"How's it going? Have you recorded the song I asked for?" Chen Mo asked.
Guo Feng said, "It's recorded. I don't know if you'll be satisfied this time. This is the third version. If you're still not happy, you'll have to get a pop star to sing it."
Chen Mo said, "No, no, no. This song can't be sung by a pop star. It has to be from the otaku singers. Send me the song quickly."
Guo Feng said, "Alright, I'll send it to you now. Let me know if there's anything that needs changing, okay?"
Soon, Guo Feng sent over a video file.
Chen Mo put on his headphones and listened. Not bad. Finally, they had a singer he was satisfied with.
Actually, the song wasn't hard to sing, but Chen Mo wanted that lazy yet seductive feel, so he had to audition three singers before finalizing one.
He also checked the MV again. It was all made using the "Onmyoji" models. The scenes were fine, the movements were smooth, and the camera transitions were okay.
Chen Mo opened Weibo and posted the song.
"New game 'Onmyoji' theme song 'Gokuraku Jodo.' Friendly reminder: This song is addictive. Click with caution."
Chen Mo's Weibo now had over a million followers. After all, "Warcraft" had given him a huge boost in popularity, combined with his previous fan base. Many players kept a close eye on his Weibo, waiting for news about his new game.
As soon as this post came out, the waiting netizens perked up, flooding the comments section.
"Sofa!!!"
"Oh my god, Chen Mo finally rises from the dead! Another theme song!"
"Is Chen Mo transitioning into the entertainment industry to write songs?"
"This time it's not sung by a Heavenly King. Bad review!"
"Why does it say this song is addictive? I don't believe it!"
The players clicked on the video one after another.
The camera zoomed in. In a Japanese-style scene, three girls danced gracefully to the melody.
Ying Cao, Kagura, and Aoi Andon—these three girls, who were among the most beautiful and distinctive in "Onmyoji," perfectly matched the beat, their movements synchronized.
At the same time, a lazy yet seductive female voice began to sing.
"When the moon rises above the horizon"
"Red lanterns are lit by fire"
"The festival music has begun to play"
"Luring the twilight butterflies, one by one, to take flight"
"A faint, almost imperceptible gaze, secretly peeping"
"Once you fall into this place, it's hard to escape"
"Wanting more, desire and pleasure"
"The world of Gokuraku Jodo awaits your arrival"
"Laughing and chatting together"
"Following your own heart"
"Come on, let us hear your voice"
"Twirling and dancing"
"Forgetting all about time"
"Tonight, together, let our passion bloom"
Accompanied by the lazy, seductive singing, Ying Cao, Kagura, and Aoi Andon danced gracefully, drawing exclamations from the netizens.
"Whoa, these three girls are so cute! Chen Mo, are you secretly making cute girls behind our backs?!"
"Those dance steps! Those legs! That butterfly step! Ah, I feel like I'm about to get a nosebleed!"
"That voice is so alluring! It's melting me!"
"The melody is great too! The choreography is great! The singing is great!"
"I think this is better than those otaku dance videos!"
"The guy upstairs is an idiot. This IS an otaku dance video!"
"Begging for a real-life version from some long-legged girl!"
"Chen Mo wasn't wrong. This song is addictive. I've already looped it three times, and I can't stop!"
"Brainwashed! Brainwashed!"
"It's like taking drugs! I absolutely can't stop!"
"Let me take another hit, ahhhhh!"