Chapter 418: FPS with Skills
Soon, the design concept draft for *Overwatch* was completed.
The basic content of this game was actually not that complicated, and Chen Mo’s changes were mainly focused on the game mechanics, making it not too difficult to develop.
Chen Mo’s modifications essentially maximized the core fun of the game without damaging its inherent characteristics.
A major issue with *Overwatch* was that certain heroes, which were either simple or not very fun to play, were too strong. If players didn’t pick them, they couldn’t win; if they did pick them, the game wasn’t enjoyable. This led many players to fill roles with heroes they didn’t like just to secure a victory.
Winning felt empty, and losing caused a meltdown.
For example, heroes like Reinhardt and Lucio had plenty of high-level techniques in top-tier matches, but for players in lower skill brackets, these were largely unattainable.
In terms of hero abilities, these heroes’ skills were very simple and straightforward, with little room for flashy plays. They provided significant benefits to teammates, but the fun of playing them was very limited.
However, changing hero abilities would destroy the heroes’ core identities. Many players hated Reinhardt’s shield, but if you removed it, could he still be called Reinhardt?
So, while preserving hero abilities and identities, enriching the game mechanics to allow more heroes to shine was the most reasonable and effective way to make changes.
After finishing the concept draft, Chen Mo called everyone to the conference room for a meeting.
Many members of the studio were still immersed in the atmosphere of the Season 1 World Finals. When they heard they were about to start developing a new game, many looked confused.
“So soon?” Su Jinyu was stunned.
Everyone had just returned from Magic City not long ago. Even if they were making a new game, shouldn’t they first decide what it would be?
Chen Mo smiled, and the projector screen displayed the document title: *Overwatch* Design Concept Draft.
“Everyone, this time the task is urgent.” Chen Mo looked at the group. “We need to create a Game of the Year within three months.”
“Huh?”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Three months? Making a Game of the Year?
Although everyone was used to Chen Mo boasting and then making it happen, this situation still felt unbelievable to many.
Making a Game of the Year in three months? It felt like a blatant insult to other designers!
Other designers worked hard for years, spending two or three years polishing a single game, and they might not even compete for Game of the Year. And we’re going to make one in three months? That’s too ridiculous!
Besides, we don’t get to decide what’s Game of the Year; the judges have to like it.
Most people present knew that although Thunderbolt Interactive had developed *League of Legends* this year, held the World Finals, and also developed the second VR game *Escape*, it was still very difficult for these to win Game of the Year.
Because they didn’t match the judges’ tastes.
Clearly, Chen Mo was well aware of this, which was why he wanted to create a new game. From his tone, this game was mainly aimed at winning awards.
Could it work?
Everyone listened with questions as Chen Mo explained the new game.
“*Overwatch* is an FPS game, but it’s completely different from all mainstream FPS games on the market today. In this game, hero abilities will have a revolutionary impact on the battlefield.”
Hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up.
“FPS with skills” was an idea many had thought of, but no one had ever turned it into reality.
The projector showed a concept sketch: a warrior in high-tech armor, drawing a long sword from its sheath, with the phantom of a giant dragon coiling around him, exuding a deadly aura.
“Take Genji as an example. His basic attack is throwing shurikens to attack enemies from a distance. He has two special abilities: one allows him to quickly move and damage enemies, and the other lets him deflect ranged attacks. Additionally, he can climb walls freely and perform a double jump.”
“His ultimate ability is drawing the long sword from his back to slash enemies in a short time, dealing massive damage.”
“Another example is Mei. She has two basic attack modes: one slowly sprays ice mist to freeze enemies, and the other fires icicles for precise damage. Her special abilities can create ice walls or enter a cryo-freeze state, making her immune to damage. Her ultimate is Blizzard, which freezes a large number of enemies in the area.”
Chen Mo briefly explained two typical heroes from *Overwatch* to help everyone better understand the concept of “FPS with skills.”
Due to time constraints, Chen Mo couldn’t provide full sketches for all heroes, so he only drew two with distinctive traits.
Through these two sketches and Chen Mo’s descriptions, most people quickly imagined what it would be like to play these heroes.
Qian Kun scratched his head: “If that’s the case, all heroes are powerful. Wouldn’t it turn into a fight among gods?”
Chen Mo smiled: “Yeah, you could say that.”
Su Jinyu said, “Are you dumb? In *League of Legends*, don’t all heroes have abilities?”
Qian Kun waved his hand: “I know that. I mean, this is still an FPS game, right? Could there be a situation where our five-man team runs forward excitedly with guns, and suddenly a Mei pops out of nowhere, hits us with Blizzard, freezes everyone, and then we all get wiped?”
Chen Mo nodded: “Yes, that can happen. But that’s exactly the fun of this game. As a Mei player, you should try to create such opportunities.”
“Hmm, then balancing this game will be very difficult.” Qian Kun, being the one in charge of numbers, was very sensitive to these issues.
Chen Mo nodded: “It’s indeed hard to balance, but it’s unavoidable. I can only say that to make a good FPS with skills, we need to solve the balance issues as much as possible.”
Qian Kun nodded: “Understood.”
Clearly, adding abilities to an FPS game would make it harder to balance. In MOBA games, the damage output of a hero’s basic attacks could be estimated. For an ADC, regardless of whether they built critical strike items, you could roughly estimate how much damage they’d deal over a certain time.
But in an FPS game, the damage output of basic attacks depends on the player’s aim and the opponent’s skill. A pro landing headshots every time and a noob missing every shot—the difference in damage output is like heaven and earth. Adding hero abilities on top of that makes it even harder to estimate and control a hero’s actual strength.
Chen Mo looked at everyone: “I’ll handle the balance issues with Qian Kun. We have experience from *League of Legends*, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. Any other questions?”