Chapter 873: Environmental Interaction Mechanics
Thirty-nine lucky individuals were sitting anxiously in a large conference room at Thunderbolt Interactive's headquarters, waiting for Chen Mo's arrival.
These people were all outstanding recent graduates (yingjie biyesheng) who had been selected through multiple rounds of screening by the judges for their excellent abilities. They were also the graduates deemed qualified to enter Thunderbolt Interactive after Chen Mo's own vetting.
Their majors varied, and the types of games they were skilled at making also differed, but excitement and joy were written all over their faces.
Being able to join Thunderbolt Interactive right after graduation, working alongside the best designers in the country—and even the world—to develop games that would shock the industry, how could anyone not be thrilled?
Many were exchanging contact information, and some had even gotten to know each other during the game design competition.
However, they still had one final test to face.
Chen Mo would personally pose a question, and this question would determine whether they could advance further within Thunderbolt Interactive.
If they answered poorly, they might be assigned to relatively marginal R&D project teams. Only those whose answers particularly satisfied Chen Mo would be eligible to join the most core, front-line development teams.
Of course, these marginal project teams weren't necessarily bad—they might even be more profitable.
In fact, almost every game at Thunderbolt Interactive was a masterpiece. If a recent graduate was "unfortunately" assigned to a stable, ongoing online game project like *King of Glory*, *League of Legends*, or *PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds*, that would still be amazing. The project bonuses alone might make others green with envy.
But these recent graduates had been selected from across the country, with an acceptance rate even lower than that of the top two universities. They had come to become the best designers, each holding themselves in high regard. With such an excellent opportunity, they naturally had to strive for it.
After a short wait, Chen Mo pushed open the door and entered.
Everyone recognized Chen Mo, so the conference room instantly fell silent. The graduates all sat up straight, curiously watching the young man before them.
Hmm, they finally got to see Chen Mo in the flesh!
He looked even younger in person than in photos.
And… he had absolutely no airs about him.
But he seemed to carry a very strong aura, or perhaps… a very strong confidence.
Chen Mo smiled as he looked at the crowd seated in the large conference room.
"Hello, everyone. You all know me, and you all know why I'm here, so I'll keep it brief."
"First, congratulations to all of you for standing out in this game design competition and earning the opportunity to join Thunderbolt Interactive. I hope that in the future, you'll never forget your original aspirations, always maintaining your passion and enthusiasm for the gaming industry. Together, let's create better games for the players."
"Although you've all already secured the chance to enter Thunderbolt Interactive, there's still one final question. This is a personal test from me."
"This question isn't difficult, but standing out won't be easy. You have very little time—only three hours."
"Within three hours, in this conference room, write a system design document."
Chen Mo paused, then continued, "The student who answers best will receive an exceptional opportunity: direct participation in my new project development."
As soon as he finished speaking, many eyes were already gleaming.
Direct participation in Chen Mo's new project!
That meant their names would appear in the final credits of the next world-shaking AAA masterpiece!
For newcomers, this was a dream come true. In big companies, R&D teams for major IPs kept their personnel relatively fixed to ensure efficiency. Many companies first had newcomers practice on marginal projects, only transferring them to core projects after they had accumulated enough experience and proven themselves reliable.
But this time, everyone had the chance to directly join Chen Mo's new project!
Even if it was just to observe and learn, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime honor!
Everyone looked at Chen Mo with anticipation, eager to know what kind of question he would ask.
Chen Mo checked the time and asked, "How many of you here have played *Dark Souls*?"
Almost everyone raised their hands.
Chen Mo nodded and asked, "How many have beaten it?"
This time, less than a quarter of the people raised their hands.
Seeing the panic on the faces of those who hadn't finished it, Chen Mo smiled and waved his hand. "It's okay, this won't affect my evaluation of you. Designers aren't professional players. As long as you understand and grasp the game's mechanics thoroughly, that's enough. If you really can't adapt, there's no need to force yourself to suffer. Alright, this is just a small aside. Everyone knows that *Dark Souls* was made with the Pangu Engine, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Chen Mo: "Do you all think *Dark Souls*' combat system is good enough? Is there room for improvement?"
The crowd exchanged glances.
Is there, or isn't there?
A big part of why *Dark Souls* won Game of the Year was due to its combat system, which had even directly influenced a large number of subsequent AAA titles, spawning a new term called "Souls-like combat." For such a classic combat system, criticizing it would require careful consideration of one's own qualifications, wouldn't it?
But if they answered that the system was flawless, Chen Mo certainly wouldn't be satisfied.
Seeing that no one dared to speak, Chen Mo smiled. "Alright, I'll answer for you. *Dark Souls*' combat system is unique and very complete. For this game, this combat system has essentially been pushed to its limit."
He paused. "But… that doesn't mean Souls-like combat has no room for improvement. In another type of game, this combat system could become even better."
"What I mean is: environmental interaction mechanics."
Seeing that most people looked confused, Chen Mo explained, "In *Dark Souls*, you've probably used terrain kills quite a bit, right? For example, with the katana-wielding knight, you can lure him into jumping off a cliff. This is actually a very realistic environmental interaction mechanic."
"In other words, your combat actions interact with the environment, resulting in outcomes that are either beneficial or harmful to you. *Dark Souls* tacitly allows this method because 'falling to one's death' is something that can happen in real combat."
"This kind of environmental interaction mechanic makes combat in the game feel more realistic and also diversifies the ways to achieve victory."
"Yes, we encourage players to use multiple means to win, which is what many people refer to as the meme: 'the despicable outsider.' Players love this design and will fully leverage their intelligence in such situations."
"And this time, the question is:"
"Design a unique combat system centered around 'environmental interaction mechanics.'"