Chapter 186: Design Concept Draft
Chen Mo continued, "Of course, I’m not a dictator either. If you have any opinions or suggestions about the game, feel free to bring them up, but be prepared to have them shot down at any time."
"Alright, that’s about it for now. Don’t be too nervous. My goal is to have everyone earning money while taking it easy. You’ll find that joining Thunder Interactive is the best decision you’ve ever made."
The new employees reacted in various ways—some were excited, others remained calm.
These people had just joined a new company, and facing such a young new boss, it was only natural for some doubts to linger in their minds.
After all, the "motivational speech" segment was a must in any company, and the vast majority of new hires had to sit through one.
When he said things like "earning money while taking it easy," 99% of the time it was just the boss blowing hot air.
Chen Mo continued, "I’m someone who values efficiency. Back when I developed *Warcraft*, it only took about half a year to finish it. Now that our team has expanded, there might be some磨合 and communication issues, but overall, I hope we can maintain a high level of efficiency."
"Next up is the first game we’ll be developing after the New Year. Here’s the concept draft. Take a look."
Chen Mo turned on the projector in the meeting room, and the screen displayed the title of the concept draft: *Diablo* Design Concept Draft.
Before joining, the new employees had all signed non-compete and confidentiality agreements, so there was no need to worry about leaks. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to give up such a great job for some short-term gain.
As Chen Mo had anticipated, most people looked a bit confused when they saw the name.
For these people, the name *Diablo* was actually a bit strange, because in their understanding, there didn’t seem to be any such god in ancient or modern times, East or West.
However, Chen Mo had a reputation for making games with odd names like this, so no one raised any objections.
Chen Mo began explaining.
Art style.
Core gameplay mechanics.
Story background setting.
Plot chapters.
Player emotional pacing control.
Classes and combat system.
Expansion content and online features.
Equipment system and long-term progression.
Chen Mo certainly wouldn’t go into too much detail—this was just a concept draft. The real detailed settings would need to be fleshed out by his assistants.
But he basically laid out the most essential parts of the game. After clarifying the game’s strengths and weaknesses, target audience, and monetization model, everyone understood the design philosophy behind it.
Su Jinyu, Zheng Hongxi, and Qian Kun didn’t say much—they were already used to this.
Even if the game’s concept draft looked bizarre now, once the game was made, it would turn into a classic that excelled in every aspect. They had seen this happen too many times.
However, the new employees were clearly puzzled.
Chen Mo noticed this confusion and said, "If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask now, and I’ll answer them. Especially the main leads—if you have doubts, you must ask me. Don’t work with confusion, as it will affect your efficiency."
There were actually seven main leads: Su Jinyu oversaw the overall game project progress, Zheng Hongxi was responsible for story-related modules, Qian Kun handled numerical and level design, Zhou Hanyu managed art quality, Fu Guangnan oversaw music quality, Zhao Yunting was in charge of game operations and promotion, and Lin Xiao, as the assistant, handled salaries, bonuses, daily benefits, and so on.
Although Lin Xiao was an assistant, she basically didn’t participate in game development; she just managed the company’s daily operations.
Zhou Hanyu, Fu Guangnan, and Zhao Yunting exchanged glances.
Zhou Hanyu and Fu Guangnan were both in their thirties, seasoned professionals in the industry with solid skills and rich experience. Chen Mo had carefully selected them, poaching them from big companies.
Zhao Yunting was a woman who had been in the industry for about three years, but she had a solid resume with experience in three successful projects.
Zhou Hanyu asked, "Boss Chen, I have a question."
Chen Mo said, "Don’t call me Boss Chen. From now on, call me Store Manager or just my name. Go ahead."
Zhou Hanyu corrected himself, "Store Manager, my main question is about the art style. For the art style, the key words you gave are cult, eerie, horror, bleak, and uncanny. I have a general understanding of this style, but as far as I know, very few games domestically or internationally use this style. Even if they do, they’re mostly niche Western games. In China, I don’t think any game company has ever done this style."
"If we’re talking about standing out, this style is certainly unique, and considering how it fits the game’s theme, it’s a good choice. But I’m skeptical about whether domestic players will accept this style."
Chen Mo nodded. "I understand what you mean. It’s true that many game companies prioritize the tastes of the majority when making games. Even with relatively oppressive scenes, they try to increase the brightness and saturation to make players feel more comfortable."
Zhou Hanyu nodded. "Exactly."
Chen Mo shifted his tone. "But this isn’t a game designed to please the majority. Its core idea is originality. It’s precisely because there’s a gap in the market—no game with this art style—that I want to make it."
Zhou Hanyu asked doubtfully, "But will players accept it?"
Chen Mo explained, "What’s the most important thing in a game? Consistency between form and content. It’s nonsense to talk about art style without considering the theme. This game is a single-player adventure with a grind-heavy focus. Creating this oppressive atmosphere helps players immerse themselves better in the game. As for whether players will approve..."
Chen Mo paused. "That depends on the quality of the finished game."
Zhou Hanyu nodded. Though he still had reservations, he now understood Chen Mo’s design intent clearly. Chen Mo’s design approach was: make a single-player RPG game—focus on grinding as the main gameplay—choose a fantasy setting—adopt a cult art style.
The art style was the last thing to be finalized, constrained by the earlier decisions on game type, gameplay, and theme. So it had to be this way.
But would players really accept it? Zhou Hanyu still wasn’t convinced.
Chen Mo looked at Fu Guangnan. "Any issues with the music and sound effects?"
Fu Guangnan said, "No issues. Actually, my concern is similar to Hanyu’s—I’m worried this music style might scare players away. But since you, Store Manager, have a clear plan, let’s go with it. I’ll make sure the music and sound effects meet the requirements."