# Chapter 951: Save the Nergigante!
The players were all shocked. It actually works?
The entire battle took only 15 minutes, which was way faster than normal play!
This strategy looked very cowardly, but in reality, its damage output efficiency was way higher than conventional methods. The player stayed huddled in the hole the whole time. Every time the Nergigante swiped, the player could counterattack once, completely eliminating the time wasted on chaotic rolling and drinking potions.
It also saved the Nergigante from running away or changing zones. The Flash Pod and Dung Pod kept the aggro locked on the whole time.
And the most insane part? This strategy hit the head the entire time!
With conventional play, everyone was still unskilled. Normal tactics involved attacking the feet, cutting the tail, or ranged players hitting the wings. Although hitting the white spikes dealt decent damage, hitting the head was the optimal choice!
On one hand, the damage was high. On the other, it could break the horns and stun the dragon. If you kept hitting the head, the damage was absolutely explosive.
This video instantly became popular. Players commented one after another, saying, "The game can actually be played like this? Uploader, you're a genius!"
"Holy crap, big body weak to door? Bro, you learned well from Dark Souls!"
"We all had the same nine years of compulsory education, why are you so outstanding?"
"Holy crap, is this the real use of the Dung Pod? Intelligence-lowering attack?"
"Nergigante wishes you a Happy New Year!"
"This is the first time I've known Monster Hunter is a damn turn-based game!"
"Stop it, this isn't a fair fight!"
"Nergigante is just raging helplessly, hahahaha!"
"Feel sorry for Nergigante, its head is all smashed up..."
"You guys are the worst quality survey team I've ever led!"
"Is this a cosplay of Tom and Jerry?"
"Sorry, I'm home!"
The players suddenly felt like a new world had opened up for them. So the game could be played like this!
After developing the [Dung Pod] as an intelligence-lowering tool, the players suddenly started letting their creativity run wild, pulling off all kinds of crazy moves.
One player using a Light Bowgun found a thick pillar in the Wildspire Waste. After using the Dung Pod to lower intelligence, they hid behind the pillar the whole time, circling around it to output damage.
After Nergigante's intelligence and attack speed dropped, it was completely toyed with by the hunter. The Slice Ammo cult was already agile, and with the pillar as cover, they turned the game into an FPS...
The players suddenly realized that Nergigante wasn't that terrifying after all...
They suddenly fell in love with this feeling of dancing on the edge of a blade...
Moreover, as the players' equipment got better and their damage output increased, the power gap between Nergigante and the players kept shrinking. With this give-and-take, many people could now beat Nergigante using normal tactics!
High damage, high defense. When fighting Nergigante, on one hand, the fight was faster; on the other, it was easier to stun it. Killing it quickly meant getting more materials, which could be used to craft better equipment...
This created a virtuous cycle for the skilled players. After a while, various speed-kill videos of Nergigante started appearing online...
Charge Blade, Hammer, Longsword, Lance, Greatsword, Bow, Switch Axe...
Many weapons reduced the hunting time for Nergigante to under five minutes...
Someone even made a compilation online, collecting all the videos that killed Nergigante within five minutes. Players commented one after another... The Nergigante Protection Association strongly condemns this!
"Now, welcome the next victim!"
"Dragon lovers, stay away!"
"This... Nergigante's head is smashed to pieces! Its twin tails are knocked off!"
"Feels... so cruel!"
"Looks so pitiful! Please stop hammering Nergi!"
"A perfectly good dragon, hammered into stupidity!"
"Quick, save the Nergigante!"
"The scariest thing is these people, killing Nergigante in under five minutes, then pretending to wipe off sweat?"
"Nergigante: Mmp, I told Chen Mo long ago, when renovating my home, don't put so many slopes, pillars, and holes. How am I supposed to deal with Hammer, Bow, and Lance like this?"
"I realize we all misunderstood the name 'Monster Hunter.' Some say 'Monster' and 'Hunter' are both nouns, others say 'Monster' is a noun and 'Hunt' is a verb. Actually, neither is right. 'Monster' should be an adjective!!"
"Emmm, but these are all pro moves... After watching, I tried Hammer and Longsword too, and then... I carted peacefully. If I'm going to be killed by Nergigante, I don't think anyone can beat me to it..."
Soon, speed-kill videos became more and more numerous. Not only did all weapons appear one after another, but the times kept shrinking, heading toward under two minutes...
Even "speed-killing Nergigante" was no longer worth bragging about, because there were too many people doing it!
The tone of the players' replies naturally changed along with it...
"I realize this thing is just a porcupine with horns and wings."
"Feels like its health is even lower than Diablos?"
"Nergigante might become an endangered species!"
"Please, spare Nergigante! It's just a child with bone spurs!"
"So, what exactly is Nergigante's move? And what's this 'Palm Strike Descending from Heaven' you guys talk about? I can't tell from the videos at all!"
In reality, even though many pros had compressed the speed-run time for Nergigante to two minutes, for most ordinary players, Nergigante was still a tough hurdle to overcome...
With high AI support, Nergigante's lethality was fully displayed in multiplayer mode. Crazy moves like the "Buddha Palm" flying into the air and suddenly turning around to hit behind were very common. Sometimes, when you were doing fine on your own, three teammates would come and directly feed three carts, which happened endlessly.
So many players ended up in an awkward situation. They couldn't beat it on their own, trembling with fear. They wanted to team up and find a pro to carry them, but they often ran into terrible teammates...
But regardless, these speed-kill videos had a similar effect to Dark Souls back then. Their biggest function was to dispel most players' fear and make them realize that Nergigante wasn't some unbeatable existence.
After Nergigante, the players basically split into two directions.
Those pros and hardcore players started pursuing speed runs, collecting various materials and decorations, turning Monster Hunter into a grind-heavy farming game, with graduation as the main goal.
After Nergigante, there were also Kushala Daora, Teostra, and more challenges in the arena.
For ordinary players, after clearing the final quest [I Am the Sapphire Star], they could permanently shelve the game, only taking it out occasionally to show off.
But regardless, for most players, hunting in Monster Hunter was a very enjoyable experience, an unforgettable memory.
---
## Briefly Explain a Few Issues
Readers might be tricked into thinking this is a fourth chapter, 2333.
But this time, there's still a lot of useful content, and you don't have to pay to subscribe. You can treat it like reading a Zhihu answer and learn a bit of shallow knowledge.
I don't really like arguing with others about details, whether it's games or novels. When this book first started, many people said this was unreasonable, that was unreasonable. When original games came out, many people also said this wouldn't work, that wouldn't work.
I don't really like replying to these comments. But if I don't reply, it makes me seem xinxu (guilty/uneasy), like I've been stumped, as if there's really something wrong with what I wrote. That I can't tolerate.
So I'm putting this all together to give everyone some common-sense knowledge.
What I want to say isn't just about games. In fact, in novels, the internet, technology, self-media, marketing, or traditional business, this is a universal rule. Most people who nitpick don't understand this principle.
So if you want to start a business, enter the gaming industry, write a book, or do WeChat business, write a public account...
The following content should give you a little inspiration.
...
First, everyone needs to understand that there is no perfect product in the world.
That is, for anything, if you want to nitpick, you can definitely find flaws.
Take the mobile phone industry, which everyone is familiar with. Can you find a perfect phone?
Even Apple, which seems perfect in many ways, has a fatal flaw: it's expensive.
If you insist, "Xiaomi is hard to get! Huawei has low value! Samsung explodes! Apple has poor value!" Yes, you're right about all that, but it doesn't hide the fact that you're a troll.
Because there's no perfect thing in the world. You can't make a phone that's cheap, good, and beats all other products in every aspect.
You don't have a black tech system, right?
Phones are like this, games are like this, novels are like this. Almost every product you see is like this.
...
So, if I want to make a phone/game/novel, what should I do?
Since there's no perfect product in the world, is there no point in making one? Since it can't be perfect?
Of course not.
Making something, materially, is to sell it and make money; spiritually, it's to meet some people's needs.
As long as what you make is needed by society and can bring you income, then it's meaningful and valuable.
As for whether it has flaws... it definitely does, and maybe quite a few.
This isn't an excuse for "flawed products." It's saying that as a producer, you need to understand you're not a god. Within limited resources, you have to make trade-offs.
...
Why don't I like discussing this issue too much? Because most people who nitpick, whether about games or novels, have the mindset of "consumers," not "producers."
If they can't think from a producer's perspective, then explaining to them is like talking to a brick wall, a waste of breath.
What does that mean?
As a consumer, you can complain that Xiaomi is hard to get, Android is stupid, Apple is expensive and pretentious. But if you say that as a producer, you might be... Duke Gongsun?
If you're a producer, you need to understand that every flaw you complain about has a reason, and often, it's a deliberate trade-off.
Why are shallow web novels so popular?
For many authors, it's not that they can't write deep novels. They know writing shallow novels will get low ratings and be criticized by veteran readers. But shallow novels sell well.
When you mock an author for poor writing and childish plots, you might not realize they wrote it deliberately, and it sells really well.
So, nitpicking and criticizing a producer from a consumer's perspective is meaningless.
Because you're just evaluating something based on personal preference, not market rules.
...
If you understand the difference between "consumer" and "producer" above, keep reading.
Consumers raise problems; producers solve them.
So if I'm a producer, whether it's starting a business to create a revolutionary app or writing a self-media article with 100k+ views, what should I do?
The first step is to figure out who your product is for.
That is, your target users.
If I make Civilization, I can design a single game session to last ten hours.
If I make Honor of Kings, I must compress a single game session to fifteen minutes.
See? Different target users mean completely different products.
Many people like to discuss specific parameters without considering the target users. The mistake here is assuming the product is for the broadest, most ordinary people.
The same argument can be applied to many successful games.
Multiple heroes? How high is the learning cost? Who would play?
A single session of Civilization takes hours? What?
Dark Souls is pure torture? Are there that many masochists?
See? The mistake in these arguments is not understanding the target audience and assuming these games need to satisfy everyone.
But in reality, for the core players of these games, what you see as problems aren't problems at all.
...
So, if I want to make a game or write a book.
First, I should understand who it's for.
If you insist on comparing Rainbow Six Siege to PUBG, then in terms of player count, it can't compare. But that doesn't stop both from being good games.
Rainbow Six Siege perfectly satisfies its target users. That's success.
I never said "Jianghu" would be as popular as "League of Legends" or "PUBG." It just needs to be popular among a specific player group.
That is, it's a well-regarded niche game, not meant to satisfy everyone.
...
In fact, innovation means you must be different from existing successful games.
If "Jianghu" has a 2-hour game session, someone will say, "That's too long, three times longer than PUBG. Who would play?"
If "Jianghu" has a 30-minute game session, someone will say, "30 minutes isn't enough to show all the martial arts elements."
If "Jianghu" removes the martial arts depth, someone will say, "This is just a reskinned PUBG. Who would play this when PUBG exists? It's a tired genre."
See? Anyone can nitpick.
First, pick a successful game as a benchmark. If you're different from it, you can't succeed. If you're the same as it, you're copying.
I'm not arguing who's right or wrong. I'm saying this kind of discussion is meaningless, a waste of life.
You like it, he doesn't. You think it's okay, he doesn't. Neither of you can represent the target users.
...
When will players pay for a game?
When the game has a shining point that attracts them.
That is, the game's flaws don't matter. They just filter out non-target users. Even without those flaws, those people probably wouldn't buy it.
The key is the game's strengths. Does it have irreplaceability?
Novels, self-media, even WeChat business are all the same.
So, the difference between consumers and producers is: consumers nitpick flaws; producers look for strengths.
Go learn from Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi's structure, Zhou Zi's humor, Xiao Long's twists, San Shao's diligence.
Then, even if you lack talent, you'll keep improving.
If you insist that Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi and San Shao are too shallow and stupid, Zhou Zi's writing isn't pretentious enough, those urban fantasy authors lack logic...
Then, with that nitpicking attitude, you'll be a failure forever.
Anyone can nitpick.
The question is: can you create a highlight despite many flaws?
...
In the process of making a game, you face choices every moment.
Simple example: Why is Onmyoji so grindy?
You have two choices.
Not grindy: game reputation rises, players relax, but game stickiness drops, lifespan shortens.
Grindy: game reputation drops, players get tired, casual players quit, but game stickiness rises, lifespan extends, revenue increases.
There's no perfect choice. Whatever you choose, there are corresponding pros and cons.
So how should you choose?
Simple: think about your target users.
If the game is for students, of course, make it grindy. Students have so much time; no matter how grindy, they won't leave.
But if the game is for office workers, definitely don't make it grindy. They don't have time. You need to offer designs where they can spend money to save time.
If you don't understand this and just say, "Who would play such a grindy game?"
Sorry, quite a lot of people would. You don't represent anyone.
...
So, whether it's a game, novel, software, or hardware, look at the problem comprehensively. See the deep rules behind it.
Getting stuck on one point is meaningless.
Because you're like the blind men and the elephant. You don't know what the elephant looks like. Touch a long nose and say the elephant is like a snake. You'll just make a fool of yourself.
...
This is why I don't like discussing these issues.
Because most people who raise problems aren't thinking from a "producer's" perspective. They're just nitpicking from a "consumer's" perspective.
Of course, I'm now a full-time author, not a trend-setting designer. My authority certainly isn't enough to assert whether a game will be popular.
In fact, even top figures have different views on the same issue. Otherwise, there wouldn't be the bet between Lei Jun and Dong Mingzhu.
In the gaming industry, it's normal to have different views on the same game. For example, I don't think highly of Overwatch, while some industry insiders love it.
That's all normal. Everyone has different tastes and perspectives.
But why do I seem aloof and unwilling to explain? Because most people who raise problems haven't even gotten started. They haven't grasped the most basic rules. They criticize based purely on personal preference. I just can't be bothered to explain.
You insist my calculus problem is wrong. To make you understand, I'd have to teach you middle school math from scratch?
Of course, if someone can systematically analyze whether a game will succeed or fail using objective rules and professional knowledge, I'd be happy to discuss it with you.
If I find a flaw in my work that I can't justify, I can change the setting later, right?
But if you have that kind of insight, you should be like me, looking for strengths first, not arrogantly nitpicking.
...
Back to the game "Jianghu."
If you want to ask whether this game can succeed, whether it can be profitable, think about these questions.
Does it have highlights?
Does it have irreplaceability?
Does it satisfy the needs of a specific player group?
Are its flaws fatal?
For any game, if the first three questions are "yes" and the last is "no," then it's a success.