Chapter 90: Remembering (1)

Chapter 90: Remembering (1)

The scenario writing for the prologue part is complete.

I immersed myself in thoughts while looking at the filled manuscript.

‘I feel embarrassed.’

Looking again, it’s quite an embarrassing scenario.

It’s almost like revisiting my middle school diary.

Identity is a work that has left deep meaning for me in many ways, but, to put it differently, it’s a work that carries the meaning of past mistakes.

In reality, I made mistakes as a director while creating this game.

“A game should not be tainted with personal beliefs.”

The fundamental proposition of commercial media should be cantered around ‘fun.’

However, Identity couldn’t achieve that. At that time, I was captivated by the thought of needing to prove myself and, without reservation, poured my subjectivity into the game.

It was more of a result expressed unconsciously rather than my intentional intent.

In a broader sense, even the character of the protagonist, E-40, was like that.

E-40 does not compromise. He is a character who fights against the whole world for the beliefs he holds and trusts.

‘The constant shouting that “It’s not me, it’s you who is wrong.”‘

It was a form that hostilely processed all the words I really didn’t want to hear.

Looking back, some of them were adversaries created by my awkwardness.

Nevertheless, the reason the game succeeded was different.

The overall flow of the game, the theme that permeates the narrative, was a topic that could be empathized with in ‘universal emotions.’

“Find the true me and go the path I believe in.”

Isn’t that a good thing to hear?

With such beliefs, it could only look good on the surface.

It was more of a coincidence, or I should say, my cowardice.

I planted many lies in the game to convince myself.

Anyway, the remnants of the past that I faced again now only stirred up embarrassment within me.

‘...I need to fix this.’

It was possible because it was an indie attempt.

Also, the personality called ‘I’ now knew that such arrogance was awkwardness.

There was no intention to retaliate.

If I could move forward in a better direction, no matter how difficult it was, I had to move forward.

That’s why I’m remaking this game.

‘First...’

I need to think about how to turn this game from what I knew into a AAA-grade.

I reflected on the past.

Initially, when conceptualizing Identity, I was alone.

I used a budget of around 600 million won, and as such, I needed to efficiently allocate limited development resources.

So, I chose the game perspective as a side view and the graphics as pixel art.

It was a form represented in Maple Saga, which Jo Ayoon liked.

I created it with a playtime volume of 8-12 hours in mind, and the in-game story was represented only by implementing scripts and some motions.

Things needed to change.

‘If it’s AAA-grade specifications, shoulder view is the most suitable. It’s the perspective optimized for console pads.’

As numerous AAA-grade games were released, and references for development accumulated, AAA-grade games tended to converge into the shoulder-view format.

It was because that was the most universal perspective that could represent a broad worldview.

Even if it wasn’t for that reason, the shoulder view was the most suitable perspective for Studio Rewind to express itself well.

Well, I have a lot of internal data and references obtained while creating Hellic 2 and 3. The actual cartoon rendering also fits slightly better with the shoulder view than the side view.

The consideration of the perspective wasn’t deep.

The more significant consideration was about something else.

‘Next is the volume of the game.’

It should be expanded, indeed.

More precisely, we should aim for the insertion of cinematic elements, diversification of motion, and the deepening of direction and combat aspects.

“Huh? Not Hellic?”

“Yeah, we need to create a new IP.”

Except for Han Seorim, it was unfamiliar to everyone.

It seemed a bit tense, which was good. It’s necessary to have such tension to approach it with certainty.

“The genre is action-adventure, and this time we’ll focus more on adventure. The presentation will be done in cartoon rendering.”

He recited the details one by one.

As we started talking about the project, everyone took it seriously, and it was reassuring.

After discussing for a while,

“It’s not Hellic. There’s no guarantee that we’ll bring the fans of the previous work along. In fact, it’s better to think of it as building the foundation again.”

So, attention to detail is required.

It has to be thorough and, more importantly, exceptional.

“Let’s work hard. I’m counting on you this time as well.”

That’s how the first meeting concluded.

***Development, as always, began with implementing the project proposal. Apart from the artistic and sound aspects, it involved checking the core structure of the game in the form of a bar-shaped humanoid.

The essence of the combat system was the “transformative.” Like changing a mask, it involved altering faces to manifest corresponding abilities in the character. The first and central effect obtained, and the core of the game, was the power of a “smile.”

“Change, and rise.”

A smile could be anything and could make anything. In other words, it was the reason the protagonist was special in the in-game world.

There wasn’t much to demonstrate in terms of combat. It simply required attributing qualities to each face and testing the combinations.

In fact, there was something more critical than combat in recreating the Identity.

“Please conduct thorough testing on the crafting system.”

Crafting system.

It was what couldn’t be implemented in the past due to resource constraints. In this game, the protagonist had to craft weapons and potions because he was a criminal possessing a “smile” categorized as a “highest-grade crime.”

In the past, it was challenging to express such elements, so a store was implemented as a game mechanic. But now, wasn’t it unnecessary?

Implementing a system where players could directly craft potions, weapons, Armor, and gather materials would add an ‘adventurous’ element beyond combat.

I assigned this task to my expanded team of six in the planning department.

“Jiseok, please create variations for gathering materials. Hosu, focus on level design, Yeonghyun, you...”

Gathering and crafting required intricate settings. Reflecting on past experiences of creating online games, even a 1% difference in drop rates could lead to in-game inflation. There was no room for mistakes.

“Cross-validation will continue until the game is released. Also, keep revising the list of items and quantities needed for crafting.”

Hosu’s role in level design, determining the placement of high-grade crafting materials in the map, was crucial. I would oversee the overall coordination, but there was a need to elevate the capabilities of each member of the planning team.

“Next...”

After giving instructions, I returned to my tasks.

This involved dividing the death of Miso, which would be part of the tutorial section. I had to adapt the scenario into a game context.

“I need to aim for around a 10-minute duration to explain the game’s systems.”

Through activities like gathering, cooking, and hunting while interacting with Miso, I could explain all the basic systems. The key was to do it without making it boring.

The answer was clear: “Character appeal.”

In other words, quickly showcase the charm of the character. It wasn’t just about providing a reason for repetitive tasks like errands. It was about optimizing the process for players to empathize with the protagonist’s journey of getting close to, falling for, and grieving over the death of the character.

I paused for a moment, thinking.

It was about the various considerations I had when conceptualizing the initial smile.

How to create a lively and charming character? How to make a character fitting for the identity of Miso?

There was a decision I made after several considerations.

“In the past...”

My hand hesitated for a moment.

After some reflection, I remembered whom I had used as a inspiration.

“Boss! I’m here!”

Suddenly, Jo Ayoon’s voice echoed as she arrived after finishing her class.

It was quite a surprising coincidence.

Right, that’s it.

—Strong and powerful—

The inspiration for Miso’s identity was Jo Ayoon from the previous life.