Chapter 612: Optimization
Returning to the experience store, Chen Mo began refining the design concept draft for *Prototype*, finalizing specific details to prepare for briefing the rest of the project team.
The VR version of *Prototype* would be a complete remake based on the story of *Prototype 1*, with no plans to release *Prototype 2*.
Whether in terms of sales or reputation, *Prototype 2* was not considered a successful work, nor even a qualified sequel. In sales, *Prototype 2* bombed, achieving less than half of *Prototype 1*'s numbers; in reputation, it was even worse, with poor ratings from both players and major gaming media outlets.
The reasons were multifaceted.
Regarding the protagonist, *Prototype 2* not only replaced the main character but also turned the highly popular protagonist from the first game, Alex, into a villain and killed him off, sparking widespread dissatisfaction among veteran players. It could be said that this was a low-level mistake that even a third-rate web novel writer wouldn't make, yet the *Prototype 2* development team somehow did it...
There's no need to argue whether the plot was reasonable. A simple fact is that Heller's charisma was far inferior to Alex's, and the character development was a failure. As a result, when most players mention the *Prototype* series, their first thought is Alex, not Heller.
In terms of design, Alex was cool and stylish, with his shirt, hoodie, leather jacket, and jeans combo looking fantastic. The hood design, in particular, had a similar appeal to *Assassin's Creed*. As for Heller... well, dwelling on this topic, especially in the States, might lead to discussions about skin color, but the truth is, Heller was neither handsome enough nor charismatic enough. Many of his scenes portrayed him as impulsive, reckless, and foul-mouthed, standing in stark contrast to Alex's "few words, many kills" persona.
Actually, being ugly isn't the issue; the key is having enough charisma. Take Trevor from *GTA V*, for example—didn't plenty of players still love him?
Web novel readers know that if the protagonist is poorly developed, the novel is already more than halfway doomed, let alone a game that demands even stronger immersion. Of course, this was the development team's fault. If handled well, Heller's character could have been somewhat likable, but the team failed to do so.
In terms of gameplay, *Prototype 2* introduced some new mechanics, but players weren't buying them. This series was all about "prototyping"—players wanted the thrill of rampaging through everything. Who wanted to play stealth games with it? It was clearly a fast-food game; just make it fast-food and let players have fun. Trying to make players think was a sign of madness.
As for the core combat, which best delivered the excitement, *Prototype 2* had little innovation. Many players felt that the content of *Prototype 2* was only worthy of being a large DLC, and some skills were even cut, significantly reducing the enjoyment players got from the game.
Some speculated that *Prototype 3* might have resurrected Alex, but... the development team messed up, so there was no "and then." The game bombed, and they had only themselves to blame.
In Chen Mo's view, it was simple. He didn't intend to turn *Prototype* into a classic—that was unrealistic, given the game's nature as a fast-food title. Making it a sufficiently satisfying fast-food game was enough.
It was near the end of the year. Players had suffered for so long; it was time they got a treat...
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For Chen Mo, creating *Prototype* now posed no difficulty.
In his previous life, the game was released in 2009. After removing memory cutscenes, the game was less than 3GB, which was very economical. The entire map was a super-miniaturized version of New York, far smaller than games like *GTA V*. Moreover, the buildings in the game were just shells, with no interior spaces.
Of course, there was no need to create the interiors of those buildings, as the main story took place in open areas. Players wanted to sprint across rooftops and walls, and engage in open combat with planes, tanks, and various monsters. Entering buildings wasn't important.
As for the protagonist's various moves and skills, they were easy for Chen Mo. After creating *Dark Souls*, he had a very mature grasp of combat systems in games. The parkour actions on buildings could be well replicated with the help of skill books.
Additionally, the game featured modern weapons like guns, tanks, and helicopters, which could be created using modern weapon skill books. In the game, these weapons didn't have complex performance differences, so even the most basic skill books sufficed.
Chen Mo also planned to optimize some aspects of *Prototype* that were often criticized.
First was the monster AI. Overall, the monster AI in *Prototype* was relatively simple, as shown below:
- The protagonist charges into a military base, grabs the commander, and absorbs him.
- Soldier (on radio): "He's here! Our commander is down! Open fire!"
- The protagonist leaves to clear aggro, then returns disguised as the commander.
- Soldier: "Sir, good to see you!"
Moreover, as a superpowered being, the protagonist could fly around in the sky without arousing the military's suspicion, which was baffling. It made you wonder if the Blackwatch soldiers were all idiots...
Of course, this design was partly for gameplay reasons. If the protagonist were recognized and relentlessly chased every time he parkoured across rooftops, it would severely impact some players' experience.
But regardless, this design did undermine the game's realism and immersion to some extent.
Chen Mo considered keeping the original setting for the easy difficulty, allowing all players to have fun, while for the hard difficulty, he would increase enemy AI, forcing players to be more cautious.
Furthermore, the overall content of *Prototype* was relatively monotonous. After all, it was a 2009 game, lacking variety in many areas. Whether it was virus creatures, human soldiers, or modern weapons, the types were not diverse.
In terms of scenery, the game basically had only three styles: normal urban areas, infected urban areas, and transitional urban areas. Buildings were heavily reused, leading to aesthetic fatigue over time.
Chen Mo's plan was to add more content, including more distinctive buildings, pedestrians, vehicles, and other elements to make the city feel more realistic. He also wanted to introduce special weapons, equipment, and enemies, so players wouldn't be fighting the same targets over and over.
Additionally, Chen Mo considered adding a weather system. The city's weather would change automatically, allowing players to experience combat in various weather conditions.
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