Chapter 77: Changes in Game Attributes
In his office, Alex refined the design concepts of two games.
Three Kingdoms Kill was relatively simple. In its previous version, this game adopted "BANG" design philosophies and adapted them for the Three Kingdoms story. For example, the Lord, the Loyal, the Rebel, and the Traitor corresponded to the Sheriff, the Deputy, the Traitor, and the Outlaw.
Of course, compared to the simple gameplay of "BANG," Three Kingdoms Kill also incorporated many novel improvements. For example, each of the Three Kingdoms generals possessed unique abilities. Additionally, Three Kingdoms Kill also made detailed changes to card abilities, unlike the original "BANG."
Setting aside balance issues, Three Kingdoms Kill was incredibly playable. It could be said to be a game of luck and strategy.
Many players from his previous life became nervous when talking about Three Kingdoms Kill, not because of the game itself, but because of Game Crafters, its creator. It's even fair to say that the fact that this game has survived for 13 years and still maintains some vitality under Game Crafters' direction is a true miracle.
As for Game Crafters' shortcomings, new criticisms arise every year. But if we talk about its earliest and most notorious flaws, "Hero's Ascent" is undoubtedly a reference. This game had nothing to do with the online version of Three Kingdoms Kill. It was simply a bonus for players of the physical card game.
Generals were designed by players, with minor balance adjustments made by the official team. This was done primarily to satisfy players' desire to have their own generals.
Being a board game, these cards were not balanced, so anyone could play offline, and if they didn't want them, they could simply opt out.
But the strangest thing about the previous version of Three Kingdoms Kill was its dual approach. It was divided into Southern Game Crafters and Northern Game Crafters, one responsible for the physical board game and the other for the online version.
When it came to the online version of Three Kingdoms Kill, the operations team realized: "These ready-made generals are great! Wouldn't it be a waste not to add them? Add them, of course!" Furthermore, these additions were intended to be sold to players. This finally broke the balance of Three Kingdoms Kill. General Thorne and Lady Seraphina arrived in 2012, and Lord Kael and Empress Anya in 2013. This marked the beginning of an era of unbalanced generals.
How unbalanced were these generals? Some players even spontaneously banned Lord Kael and Empress Anya. These oversized generals completely affected the game's overall performance. Why? Those who understand, understand.
This also laid the groundwork for later generations, where each generation became increasingly powerful. Generals who relied on killing and dodging in the early days were essentially obsolete. From the era of martial arts, we officially entered the era of cultivating immortals.
Of course, in terms of game development, especially...
It is inevitable that later cards in card games, the so-called generals of Three Kingdoms Kill, will become stronger and stronger. The key is to find the right balance. While this has already annoyed many players, there is still room for improvement.
But do you think they have finally come to their senses and that this is the height of their anger with the players? You have underestimated Game Crafters. They just announced an event where buying 23 paid generals would grant you permanent access to a legendary character, and then they included the most popular cheap generals on the free member list.
The game is in the process of a new engine update, resulting in even better graphics and a better gaming experience. How thoughtful! But beware: current players will not be able to inherit their previous generals or aspects when playing the new version.
The officials announced a generous event to distribute $40 million in treasures. From afternoon until 11:00 PM, only about 3000 players participated. Then, in the last ten minutes of the event, over 400,000 participated. Ghost soldiers suddenly appeared. The official explanation was that there were precisely that many players, and that those 400,000 simply logged in casually during those ten minutes.
'Isn't that a coincidence?'
Combined with the phrase "our game is thriving," it results in a bit of black humor.
Of course, there are also some aspects to highlight: the game's art. The art in the early Three Kingdoms Kill games was heterogeneous. After all, in its early days, Three Kingdoms Kill was a husband-and-wife operation, developed by Mark Davis and Sarah Lee. Most of the early characters came from Dynasty Warriors, and the official version also took many elements from the comic. For example, the basic "Kill" card was based on the "Shadow Blade" character's movements.
However, these were not major problems; after all, the essence of Three Kingdoms Kill lay in its mechanics. Therefore, Alex did not need to make any changes to the game rules.
For now, they will not add supermodel generals, but they will maintain an overall balance later. Operations will undoubtedly focus on the online version, and Three Kingdoms Kill will be free for players. The main source of income will be cosmetic items like skins.
As for generals, a development model will be employed. In addition to basic generals, several free generals will rotate weekly for players to use. Players will earn gold coins after each match and also by completing daily quests. These coins can be used to buy generals and skins, or they can be directly recharged.
Profitability is secondary; the most important goal is to increase player development and maintain their loyalty. In addition to cosmetic items, Three Kingdoms Kill is completely free.
Furthermore, Alex will not deliberately force players to grind for generals, for example, forcing them to grind for a month to buy a single hero. After all, the essence of Three Kingdoms Kill is to strengthen player participation in the Nebula gaming platform.
Of course, there will be more detailed optimizations later. For example, in offline board games, a traitor is no different from a loyal minister, a lord, or a rebel, because the social aspect takes precedence over gameplay. However, in the online version, the dynamic is reversed: the game's win/loss attributes take precedence over the social aspect, and there is also a corresponding score to differentiate players' matchmaking skill.
This has led many to be reluctant to play the role of traitor. The previous version of Three Kingdoms Kill faced this very situation. When randomly assigned a traitor, many players simply fled or deserted and killed the lord to end the game quickly. Back then, Three Kingdoms Kill was even known as "Rebel Kill."
This is clearly unreasonable. Therefore, Alex plans to balance the traitor's role with external factors. For example, he plans to combine rewards with the traitor's control pattern. This is because the traitor's win rate is very low, mainly because the winning conditions are very difficult: you must kill everyone except the lord before killing him. Any other condition will result in a loss.
Even if the loss of points in this situation is minimal, why would anyone be willing to make an effort to control the game, only to lose points if they lose? This is the main reason why many people avoid playing as the traitor.
Therefore, in Alex's design, the traitor's points and rewards are not based solely on victory or defeat, but on the control pattern. For example, a traitor wins and gets 20 points; if he loses a duel with the lord, he gets 15 points; if the lord, a rebel, and a traitor lose, the traitor gets 10 points; and so on. Being a unique third faction, the traitor's points cannot be determined solely by victory or defeat.
Of course, the actual effectiveness will depend on player feedback during the official launch, and operations will be carried out accordingly.
Compared to Three Kingdoms Kill, another game, Fall Guys, is aiming for rapid virality. As for its popularity, Fall Guys is not as popular as card battle games like Three Kingdoms Kill. However, in terms of short-term popularity, Fall Guys definitely surpasses it.
In its previous stage, it sold tens of millions of copies on Steam alone in a single month. This has already proven to be a truly addictive game.
Unlike Overcooked, Fall Guys offers a more complete entertainment experience. Even playing solo, Fall Guys offers a captivating experience. This is something cooperative games like Overcooked simply cannot achieve. After all, most players are "lone wolves." It's not that these players lack friends or girlfriends; simply, their friends or girlfriends don't enjoy playing or don't have time.
Similarly, compared to Three Kingdoms Kill, Fall Guys offers a creative workshop that allows players to design levels independently. As for the game structure, Fall Guys is not complex. The only notable aspect is its unique physics. The appeal of the original Fall Guys is partly due to its physics.
The seemingly innocent Fall Guys swing and run towards the finish line, with a physical response that feels like springs and rubber. This is possibly the game's hidden appeal, and players have dubbed it a "sand sculpture game."
For example, games like Gang Beasts, Human Fall Flat, and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator rely on the chaotic feel of comedic physics to indirectly attract players. But the difference lies in that Fall Guys is a multiplayer game, which incorporates the characteristics of a variety show challenge.
This means that for "lone" players, this game offers a much better experience. Therefore, in terms of sales popularity, it has also swept away these games.
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