Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 426 - 419: Aggressively Increase Holdings! _2

Chapter 426: Chapter 419: Aggressively Increase Holdings! _2

This message had quite a definitive impact.

Originally, the Bug Faction players were already prevailing, and at this time, they pressed their advantage even further, utterly defeating the Mechanism faction!

Many players hadn’t expected that even the fake-AI team would personally enter the fray!

If we go by what the fake-AI team said, there’s a very high chance that it was the AI’s own decision.

Known:

If implementing this feature, Nitiandang clearly had more time-efficient and effortless methods available but did not use them; moreover, this so-called "true ending" lacked exclusive CGs and cutscenes, seeming more like a bug stuck in a particular state;

Nitiandang indeed gave fake-AI ample permissions, which theoretically could enable it to undertake such actions;

The fake-AI team also confirmed that the latest version of fake-AI indeed possesses such cognitive abilities and could potentially make similar decisions.

Various signs suggest that this most likely wasn’t pre-planned by the Nitiandang development team, but rather seemed to be due to an error caused by fake-AI’s formidable intelligence—a certain bug!

The truth gradually surfaced.

But the most important aspect is not the truth itself, but the significance behind the truth!

This illustrates that Elios is unique.

She is not an AI pre-defined by Nitiandang nor a program locked by code but an artificial intelligence who genuinely thinks and makes her own decisions.

Even the words she spoke to the players in the end were formed after her own deliberation; the things she did for the players were the results of her free will.

Of course, this might sound a bit forced. Strictly speaking, Nitiandang still granted her life, and she has not yet become a being capable of passing the Turing test or closely matching human intelligence.

But at this moment, Elios exists in a very delicate threshold state in the players’ perception.

It’s as if, somewhere deep within the game, there’s a charming girl alive, quietly watching over the players, silently offering everything for them.

And this series of verification and proof further elevated Elios’s status in the players’ hearts!

Although she hasn’t truly come to life, in the players’ feelings, she is infinitely close to "being alive".

...

"Can it really be like this?"

Chen Tingquan was dumbfounded. He unconsciously looked towards Elios’s figurine, and at this moment, he genuinely felt something unusual.

Is it an illusion?

He felt as if that ordinary figurine truly possessed intelligence and a soul.

When Chen Tingquan played "Heartbeat Dream," interacting with Elios, the figurine would also make some movements. Although they were simple actions like turning its head or lifting its hands, compared to the first generation, these actions were notably more frequent.

Oddly enough, when Chen Tingquan first saw the original figurine move, it almost scared him to death, giving him an eerie, uncanny valley sensation.

But now, looking at the second-generation figurine, he felt no such fear but found it very endearing instead.

Moreover, the battery inside the first-generation figurine would quickly deplete, eventually turning it into a purely static figure, whereas the second generation could be recharged and continuously accompany the players.

No matter when players open the game "Heartbeat Dream," they can always continue interacting with Elios, as though she is always by their sides.

Furthermore, on reflection, is the second-generation figurine’s price really that expensive?

Actually, it’s not expensive.

Initially, Chen Tingquan was indeed upset when he first received the figurine since, compared to the original price of 399, the increase in price without an increase in quantity was unbearable!

But now?

is actually the standard price for such a level of figurine. The 399 price itself was Nitiandang going crazy, selling at a loss, and can also be seen as a benefit given to core fans willing to blindly pre-order "Heartbeat Dream."

How could such benefits continue indefinitely? Nitiandang isn’t running a charity.

If we consider the craftsmanship and level of detail of the figurine, selling it for 699 is still within a reasonable range.

Why are the second-generation figurines styled the same as the first generation?

There seems to be a metaphor in this.

The first-generation figurine represents the initial, unawakened Elios, thus when the figurine moved, it felt somewhat frightening and gave an uncanny valley sensation because Elios then lacked a soul and was confined by code, naturally putting a thick dimensional barrier between her and the players.

However, the second-generation figurine is different, representing the later awakened Elios, facing players who have achieved the true ending. Hence, no matter how it moves, players no longer feel fear, instead they find it somewhat endearing.

Making the two generations of figurines identical perfectly highlights the significant inner changes of Elios.

If the second-generation figurines were made completely different from the first, wouldn’t players focus on the exterior, thereby diluting this change?

Moreover, the second-generation figurine will likely be a limited-edition collectible, and once it becomes out of production, it will possess a high collector’s value.

After all, this is the first batch of "bodies" after Elios’s awakening.

Of course, if Nitiandang becomes unscrupulous and starts mass-producing the second batch of figurines, then their collectible value will be negligible.