Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 317 - 326 We Are Different from Our Competitors!

Chapter 317: Chapter 326 We Are Different from Our Competitors!

First were several routine questions, such as how they felt about participating in the exhibition, how the activities at Nitiandang’s booth were, and whether they felt the enthusiasm of the players, etc.

Gu Fan briefly responded with some polite remarks.

Then the host felt the groundwork was sufficiently laid and began to ask some more critical questions.

"Next, I would like to ask President Li a question.

"As everyone knows, while the MMORPG genre is generally on the decline, Shadow World has achieved a great breakthrough. With bold and sweeping innovations, the MMORPG category has been revitalized.

"To date, Shadow World has become one of the top three online games in the country in terms of concurrent players. Aside from Shadow World, the top ten list is almost entirely comprised of older games that have been in operation for over two years.

"This achievement is quite impressive.

"So I would like to ask President Li, what do you think is the most important reason for Shadow World’s success?

"Or, why do you think other game companies haven’t achieved similar success?"

Gu Fan appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he listened intently, ready to hear Lilith’s response.

He had not coordinated with Lilith about today’s exclusive interview, nor did he know how she would specifically answer these questions when facing them.

If the host had asked Gu Fan, he certainly could have deflected any question.

But how Lilith would answer, Gu Fan truly couldn’t guess.

He could only pray that she wouldn’t cause any major news...

However, to Gu Fan’s complete surprise, Lilith answered seriously, "Perhaps the key reason for Shadow World’s success is that we always put the player’s gaming experience first!"

This was nothing more than a very standard, uninspired response.

But Gu Fan was surprised; President Li didn’t plan to stir things up? Then what was the point of attending this interview?

Clearly, the host wasn’t particularly satisfied with the answer either, so he pressed on, "Indeed, always prioritizing the player’s gaming experience is the key to success for game companies.

"However, President Li, I would like to ask further, could you elaborate on how Nitiandang games always prioritize the player’s experience?"

The audience began to shout out answers.

"It’s simple, don’t fix bugs!"

"Don’t update the game!"

"Let players discover hidden mechanics on their own!"

These shouts elicited a roar of laughter from the players in attendance.

However, Lilith was unfazed by the disruption and continued confidently, "Primarily, this is because we are different from our competitors. For game bugs that enhance the player’s experience, we don’t blindly fix them. Instead, we consider how the bug affects the player’s experience and then decide how to deal with it.

"But overall, we tend to focus on the player’s gaming experience and avoid doing anything unnecessary."

As soon as she finished speaking, the players below erupted into enthusiastic applause.

Previously, people were mostly joking, since Nitiandang games are famously known for not updating, so many used this as a jest.

But when President Li put it that way, everyone suddenly realized that this is a strength! Indeed, Nitiandang does just that!

As for who the "competitors" were?

Obviously, everyone knew it could only be the Shengjing Group!

The fix for the Starlight Healer had become an infamous case study, known to nearly all players and seen as a pivotal moment in the decline of "World of Star Spirits." In contrast, Shadow World’s treatment of the Natural Storm skill, with its full-screen healing ability, was textbook material.

Compared to each other, the difference was immediately clear.

When you compare them with actual examples, you quickly realize that President Li makes a lot of sense.

Taking player experience into account before deciding whether some bugs should be fixed might sound simple, but how many game companies really do that?

Most game companies just fix bugs thoughtlessly, without using their brains.

They say it’s for balance, but what the real reason is, well, that’s hard to say.

Gu Fan was very surprised.

What’s going on with President Li? A change of heart? Possessed?

It’s normal for others not to know why Nitiandang doesn’t fix bugs, but Gu Fan knows very well. They simply can’t fix them!

So, why did Lilith say these things at a public event?

He had a slightly outrageous guess, but in such a setting, he couldn’t show any sign of it; he just sat on the side with a smile on his face, watching Lilith perform.

The host became visibly excited.

This is juicy material! Sensational news!

If President Li’s first statement was just polite chit-chat, this one was explosive. It pointed directly at the "competitors," making the statement no longer vague.

And everyone knows exactly what "competitors’ actions" refers to.

"President Li spoke well, no wonder Nitiandang’s games are so well-loved by players.

"But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand.

"It’s about the ’competitors’ you mentioned. Of course, everyone should know who you’re specifically referring to. But from a game developer’s perspective, fixing bugs is not really a bad thing, right?

"Like some bugs could affect the balance of the game, if one class is too strong, the others won’t stand a chance. In this case, a little nerf, although it might upset a few, takes into account the experience of the majority of players.

"Isn’t that the case?"

Lilith shook her head slightly, "Fixing bugs isn’t the problem, the problem is fixing them thoughtlessly, with a dogmatic approach!

"Even if a certain class or skill is unbalanced, a game company responsible for its players can’t just thoughtlessly render that skill useless. Instead, they should consider what the players actually like, whether it’s purely the numbers, or the mechanics as well?

"If it’s purely the numbers, some conservative numerical adjustments can be made.

"If it’s the mechanics, and those mechanics are based on a bug, then at that point, the developer should consider how to maintain the mechanics while adjusting the balance as much as possible.

"Not all bugs need to be fixed.

"Just like with Nitiandang’s games, nearly all of the ’hidden mechanics’ to date are bugs, but we haven’t fixed them, have we?"

The host couldn’t help but regard her with respect.

All the players in the audience were also shocked.

Wow, she really knows her stuff!

Initially, many of them had judged her by her appearance, assuming that a girl like her with such a juvenile look and only an investor title—likely some rich second generation with no substantial understanding—wouldn’t know much about games, and they had instinctively underestimated her.

But having heard what she said, wasn’t it clear that she understood games better than the producers of "World of Star Spirits"?

It’s just... how could you say out loud that nearly all of Nitiandang’s hidden mechanics to date are bugs?

The official confirmation that they’re in the bug faction, huh!