Game Development Giant

I have never played the first Phantasy Star game, Jester. After all, the sales volume of MS is not high in Japan and the United States, let alone the quantity that can be sold to China. Although this game was sold in 1994, There was a replica of the first generation on the md platform. Domestic players could play this game mostly from md. However, none of Jester’s friends at the time had this cassette. Later, he got an emulator. I have forgotten it for the time being, so I am not very familiar with the first game of this game.

However, just based on the project that Yuji Naka gave him, he thought it was good, but he was still a little worried about the 3D scenes and animations that Yuji Naka mentioned. Sega could complete it on the MS at that time, not only because of the powerful functions of the MS , the bigger reason is that the technical capabilities of the am3 development team headed by Yuji Naka are indeed the best in the Japanese gaming industry, but now there is a question mark as to whether Yuji Naka can complete it alone.

I simply wrote down my suggestions on this document and then put it aside.

After stretching, he immediately rushed to the development center of "Heavy Soldiers" to take a look. Such intensive work was basically done every day after Jester returned from London, except for a handful of Counting the days, on the contrary, he did not feel that this kind of life would be very tiring. On the contrary, he enjoyed this way of work and rest that filled all his time. Especially in the recent games, Jester has added a lot of his own understanding of how games of this era should be designed. It can be said that apart from the game framework and prototypes, this is already his own. game, so after finishing work on Fire Emblem. Jester will have that feeling of joy that he didn't have after completing the games he made before.

The same goes for "Heavy Soldier" this time.

To be honest, the entire plot of "Heavy Soldier" this time has no resemblance to the one he remembered in his mind. Jester didn't even tell the person who wrote the game script about the original purpose of the game. plot. I just gave a general background. As for how to set up the main and branch plots in the game. That's the thing about these playwrights.

Although the in-game plot finally discussed still has a clear main line of the game, which is also the key and motivation for players to continue the game and experience the plot, it still adds a lot of side plots, and it is not inferior to the original. Jester can even see some of the freedom. During the discussion, he accidentally mentioned many of the ideas he came up with from the later game "Fallout" with the same theme. He smiled and said hello to the employees passing by on the way. As long as Jester was not under development in the company, he had no airs. He was no different from an ordinary college student. He did not want the atmosphere of a company that produces games to be too high. Too serious.

At this time, Sean Dabbili was holding a large stack of design drawings, his head lowered, and he walked hurriedly through the aisle.

Jester originally wanted to move away a little and let him pass, but Sean Dabbili passed by. Seeing Jester holding a cup of steaming coffee next to him, a hint of joy instantly appeared on his face.

"Boss, I just have something to ask you!" Sean Dabili blurted out. "I went to your place to look for you a few days ago. Your assistant said you were in the development room, so I didn't go in for fear of disturbing you. Now I can find your free time."…

Jester smiled and asked with some confusion: "Won't you call me before you go to see me?"

"I was just in a hurry and forgot."

Jester simply did not go back on his own office, but went directly to the employee lounge with Sean Dabbili, which was originally a conference room with a sofa, game console and TV. There are also various board games and card games, and they are also equipped with coffee beans and a coffee machine. Various fruits and desserts during the break. Employees often come to entertain themselves.

There is no one now.

Sitting down on the sofa, Sean Dabili put the large stack of setting pictures in his hand on the coffee table, and then started talking nonstop.

He was really inspired by the game idea of ​​"Knights of the Round Table" that Jester told him before, and he immediately went back to carry out detailed design. After he extensively consulted Mark Cerney's work on developing "Avengers" After accumulating the skills in "", his design style became more and more bold. Although Jester told him with his eyes at that time that he still had some important settings, which may be the key to the game, he was hesitant at that time. He didn't say it on the spot.

However, both of them forgot about it. Now a few months have passed and the design and framework of the game have been basically completed. Dabbili wants to find Jester, who came up with the idea, to help. He took a look at how the game was being planned.

I took the pile of settings from Sean Dabili and quickly looked through them. I have to say that for Sean Dabili’s first game after the establishment of his independent studio, he used Judging from the preparations before the official development, he was more prepared than any previous time. Obviously, for him, especially after seeing Seve Dabowater's "Soul" With the huge success of "Douluo", he will definitely feel an indescribable pressure.

Moreover, he also had the idea of ​​​​secretly competing with Sid Meier on new games, and because Sid Meier did not act like himself or Seifer after Jester agreed to establish an independent studio for him, Dabowater stayed at Mars Entertainment's headquarters in Costa Mesa, but went directly to Santa Monica, which has the best beaches on the West Coast.

Jester read quickly. In fact, he just picked up some key points and browsed them quickly. Originally, because he didn't explain the game "Knights of the Round Table" in detail at the time, he didn't know much about Sean Da. How much expectations are there for Billy's design? This is not to say that Sean Darby is not as good as Capcom's two dragons in the future, but the reason why Capcom can produce the beat-'em-up action of "Knights of the Round Table" The pinnacle work of the game is based on their years of experience in beat-em-up action games. This is the result of thick and thin accumulation, and it does not happen overnight.

In "Knights of the Round Table", there are countless ingenious little settings. Once discovered and want to find out, it will bring endless fun. For example, Jester is very addicted to this game. In this setting called chaos, I almost couldn't extricate myself.

Ranpo is also a hidden setting based on the core of "Knights of the Round Table", the treasure drop system.

It can be said that this is the beginning of the advancement of masters of this game.

So, what is random pace? To put it simply, the enemy's random walking pace at a certain moment is called "random walking". At this time, if the entire object is cut open, special situations may occur, such as a bleeding shock in the vegetable basin or 6 pieces, which are worth 800 points. The magic wand or 6 points, 600 points gives 4 6 points and so on.

How to achieve random steps requires Dalian's experience and practice.

Now Jester still remembers the time when he was studying Ranpo. At that time, it cost one dollar and four game coins. In the eyes of future arcade players, this price was too low. In fact, Jester remembers that he once played At the cheapest time, one dollar could cost ten coins. At that time, the game "Knights of the Round Table" was very popular in arcades, and most people liked to choose between prince or king. Well, it was just a term at the time. , to be precise, it is Lancelot or King Arthur. Lancelot is not King Arthur's son, but his subordinate and cuckold.

But Jester likes to use Puosi, the axeer, not for anything else, but because Puosi is the easiest to control.

For example, Jester still remembers some random walking skills. For example, if you cut out 6 bags of money from the gold box on the first wooden fence in the first level, you should jump 9 times. If you get 3 bags, you should jump 21 times. , then there must be a red shock. For example, if the above drop is to be realized, it must be an axe, and it must be safe to kill the minion when it rushes over and rolls. For example, in the second level, you must die to 0 lives, and in the third level, you must die. Cut out 2up, etc., and so on.

These things, these settings, if Jester didn't talk about it, and whether Sean Dabbili had the experience of studying this type of game for many years like Capcom at the time, it would be basically impossible. It's impossible to imagine, and it's impossible to design.

Sure enough, after Jester read this game plan that could be said to be a painstaking and detailed game plan by Sean Dabili, he had already thought that it would not be very satisfactory to him, but what he did not expect was that, But from this plan, what he saw was basically an Arthurian version of "Avengers", with basically nothing new at all.

Therefore, General Jester, who was slightly annoyed, threw the plan in his hand directly on the table.

He looked at Sean Dabbili, who was a little reserved and pale, and said unceremoniously: "If you make this game according to your plan, it may sell well, but it will only be good. Well, there is nothing new. All I saw were things that appeared in "Avengers", just like "Avengers changed a mask. Sean, I want to ask you now, do you want to make A game that makes money, or do you want to make your own game that makes money?”