Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 303 - 312: The more I level up, the worse I get?

Chapter 303: Chapter 312: The more I level up, the worse I get?

Lilith was stunned for a moment, "Equipment System? Can we really put any thought into this system?"

"As far as I know, the design of this system is pretty fixed, isn’t it?"

To the players, the equipment system was something all too familiar.

The gear worn by game characters was simply divided into several specific parts such as the head, shoulders, body, hands, and feet. These specific parts would grant players certain attributes, and they also had different appearances, which were displayed when worn by the characters.

Beyond that, there wasn’t much else to it.

In strict terms, equipment should not be considered a gameplay system, but rather a numerical system. After all, in most cases, equipment does not change the mechanics of the gameplay but is just a means and manifestation of boosting stats and making characters stronger.

So, Lilith did not initially grasp what exactly Gu Fan intended to change.

Gu Fan cleared his throat twice and explained, "President Li, actually, the approach you just mentioned boils down to one point: for what players have already received, we try to take it away through preset programming. Right?"

Lilith nodded, "Right!"

Just like how Shengjing Group weakened Infinite Starlight Healing and Dark Chain, these two BDs, it essentially came down to stripping players of the power they had already acquired. That’s why it can trigger a lot of negative emotions.

Gu Fan continued, "We can do the same with the Equipment System.

"The equipment that players have already obtained, we can just take it away again, right?"

Lilith seemed to understand a bit, "Like dropping in PVP?"

Gu Fan shook his head, "President Li, you’re confused! If it drops in PVP, wouldn’t that mean that if someone loses it, someone else will pick it up?

"The person who drops the equipment contributes negative emotions, and the person who picks it up generates positive emotions. This back and forth cancels it out. Even if the person who drops it contributes slightly more negative emotions, it’s clearly not worth it."

Lilith nodded slightly, "Oh, right. So what do you want to do?"

Gu Fan smiled, "Quite simple, use a more straightforward and brutal method. Make it explode!

"In the game’s equipment, including the clothes worn on the body and the weapons held, directly set a durability.

"However, in other games, even if the durability becomes zero, you just need to find a blacksmith and spend a few Gold Coins to repair it.

"But in our new game, when durability drops to zero, it completely explodes and turns into a pile of junk. It can be recycled as materials to a limited extent, but that piece of equipment is lost forever."

Lilith’s eyes lit up instantly, "Eh? Right!

"And we can also claim in a nice-sounding way that this is a special mechanism of the game, a form of gameplay innovation, right?"

Gu Fan nodded, "Right! President Li, you really catch on quick!"

Lilith was so pleased she wanted to put her hands on her hips, "Do I even need to say it! Who am I? I am Lilith, The First Producer of Hell!"

It must be said, the setting of equipment exploding could indeed bring players a lot of negative emotions, this was beyond doubt.

Up until now, the vast majority of games on the market have permanent equipment.

Even if it gets damaged, even if there is a durability setting, it can be repaired.

And those games where weapons explode are usually during the enhancement process.

Just from frequent use, a weapon explodes and cannot be repaired – such games are extremely rare.

Strictly speaking, this design is actually a bit against human nature.

Players challenge stronger monsters to obtain better weapons. After acquiring weapons that improve their attributes, they go on to challenge even higher-level monsters—it’s a positive cycle.

But if the weapons could break, then players would hesitate to use their good weapons, always sticking to trashy ones, while the good weapons sit untouched in their inventory. This scenario is somewhat nonsensical.

It’s like buying a new car but, for fear of wear and tear, enshrining the car and riding a bicycle every day—absurd.

In a game, however, should such a mechanic truly be implemented, players would almost inevitably engage in such absurd behavior.

And this is precisely what Lilith hoped to see.

"Very well, let’s base our design around this idea!"

Lilith was pleased; now that she had a dish of vinegar, it was time to wrap some dumplings around it.

"Gu Fan, what do you think about revamping the second major version of ’Shadow World’ according to this approach?"

So far, Nitiandang had only one game under development: the version 70 update of ’Shadow World’.

The game had been under development for a while, but overall, it was still following the traditional mode of development. It merely introduced a new vast map and three new large-scale raids, targeted for Tier 4, 5, and 6 equipment.

Lilith’s first impulse was to implement this idea into ’Shadow World’.

Gu Fan quickly shook his head, "President Li, there’s no rush.

"From the current situation, ’Shadow World’s operation is quite stable. Although it doesn’t generate a lot of negative emotions, it’s still in the positive.

"Most players have only progressed through the normal difficulty of Tier 2 Dungeons, and we have a few months before the raid we’ve planned, the legendary Tier 3 Burial Grounds, goes live.

"If we use the completion standard of a player’s main team, this timeframe could even be extended, possibly by nearly a year without issues.

"What’s more, the new version of ’Shadow World’ could be considered a standalone game; there’s absolutely no need to rush.

"We could completely turn this idea into a new single-player game. Moreover, by incorporating some brand-new mechanics to test it out.

"If the test is successful, we can consider adding it to ’Shadow World’ later on."

Lilith thought for a moment, "Hmm, you do have a point. Turn it into a single-player game and add some all-new mechanics? Like what?"

Gu Fan continued, "Same principle, President Li. Since you’ve decided the theme of the game this time is to ’take away the abilities players have gained,’ then I’ll boldly proceed with the design.

"Enemies level up, but players’ special abilities do not—isn’t that a form of nerfing as well?"

Lilith’s eyes lit up, "Oh? Sounds intriguing, elaborate!"

Gu Fan explained, "Let me give you a simple analogy.

"Imagine, at the start of the game, we give players a special superpower. With this superpower, players could call the wind and summon the rain, effortlessly slaying enemies.

"But as the game progresses, the monsters they encounter become stronger. However, their superpower does not receive a corresponding upgrade.

"Originally, its damage could one-shot monsters, but now it just scratches the surface.

"Players go to great lengths to find an NPC to upgrade the power, but after the upgrade, they realize it still just scratches.

"Think about it: the more you fight, the weaker you become; the more you level up, the worse off you are. Wouldn’t players be frustrated?"

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