Chapter 769 - 769: You Can't Imagine It, But You Can Find It

Indeed, some players online find themselves missing the era when traditional RPGs were popular.

With limited graphics and technology, the focus was more on turn-based strategic gameplay, with the game emphasizing character design and story presentation.

It's not that current ARPGs aren't fun, it's purely nostalgia, especially for older players who experienced that time.

However, in recent years, many traditional RPGs have emerged on VR platforms, satisfying some players' cravings. But there are also many players who have a lot of complaints.

Because these traditional RPGs, apart from having better graphics thanks to VR and being coated in a VR shell, don't seem to have anything particularly interesting about them.

Whether it's the gameplay systems or the map design, they're almost identical to traditional RPGs from many years ago, with barely any changes.

Many players even feel that these new traditional RPGs are less engaging than the classics they remember.

Of course, this is partly due to the filter of memory. But the main reason is that the gameplay hasn't introduced many novel elements.

Many games have focused their main innovations on graphics, while other aspects haven't been particularly outstanding.

This has led many players to complain.

"Traditional RPGs are getting worse and worse!"

"+1. The systems are complicated but not fun. This is like foot-binding bandages – if they belonged to a busty, beautiful girl, fine. But these are the bandages of an eighty-year-old grandma!"

"Honestly, new-style RPGs are more fun. Open-world gameplay can feel a bit formulaic, but it's enjoyable at first. If the game systems aren't terrible and the story isn't too bad, it can at least be considered good. Compared to that, traditional RPGs can really only play with numbers and presentation."

Many players are discussing this online. Clearly, older players who have played many games understand what makes traditional RPGs fun.

But understanding is one thing; whether designers can actually create it is another matter entirely.

It's like braised pig trotters. Everyone knows what the best chewy texture is for pig trotters, but controlling the heat during braising isn't something you can just do.

For fans of traditional RPGs, seeing traditional RPGs released one after another, only to find they've just had a new coat of paint, is incredibly disappointing.

If a perfect traditional RPG were released, they'd definitely buy it in a heartbeat!

......

"Boss Lucas, the art style for these characters..." Rachel, sitting beside him in the conference room, hesitated to speak as she looked at the two characters on the large screen.

The projected large screen showed two anime-style girls.

One had vibrant, fiery red shoulder-length short hair and red eyes. She wore a form-fitting red and black combat suit with red hot pants, gold curved armor on her shoulders connected to two long, dark green capes, red wrist guards, and thigh-high red stockings.

The other had dazzling golden blonde long hair and golden eyes. She wore a white short dress with black and green trim. Two diamond-shaped back flaps were tied behind her belt. Her shoulders and wrists were adorned with gold-edged, green-backed barb armor. On her right thigh, she wore a green gem accessory.

Flame and Light – the two heroines of the upcoming game.

Of course, Rachel wasn't concerned about how beautiful these characters were. Her focus was on the fact that these beautiful girl characters were a bit... too much.

"H-hentai style? Isn't that staying true to our roots?" Lucas smiled, finishing Rachel's unspoken thought.

Rachel was speechless at Lucas's nonchalant remark.

What exactly was "staying true to our roots"!

She was the one who initially coaxed him into drawing fan art, but he ended up being the one roped into making games.

But after so many years, she had long let go of her fan art aspirations. She even felt it was a dark past, especially as Nebula Games grew larger and her old fan art was dug up by resourceful netizens. Fortunately, as an artist who dared to draw fan art, she had a thick skin.

"For traditional RPGs, experiencing their fun requires time to develop," Lucas said, changing the subject as he noticed Rachel blushing.

The biggest characteristic of traditional RPGs is that they are time-consuming. And how do they consume time?

It's through complex gameplay systems. But for players, a huge and complex system won't reveal its charm at first glance; in fact, it will likely be a deterrent.

It's like stinky tofu. You can say it smells incredibly good to eat, but it smells awful. Many people give up just from the smell and don't even consider trying it.

Unlike FPS or ARPGs, which can immediately attract players with flashy gameplay, how do traditional RPGs draw players in?

The answer is simple: art and character design.

First, use unique art and character designs to draw players in, and then slowly guide them to engage with the core gameplay systems.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one such game. And Rachel wasn't entirely wrong; the art in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is indeed a bit adult-oriented. Of course, it's only leaning that way because Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a very straightforward, action-packed, heroic game.

The reason for this situation is also a matter of circumstance.

In his previous life, Takahashi Tetsuya, a mecha enthusiast, went from Square to Namco, and finally found a benefactor and joined Nintendo.

The Xenoblade series he created could only be described as lukewarm. His first work under Nintendo, Xenoblade Chronicles, brought about a revolution in traditional RPGs.

However, due to the platform, its impact was limited. Then, in Xenoblade Chronicles X, his massive ambition outstripped his ability to manage the game's planning.

None of the excellent aspects of the previous game were carried over. The music was chaotic, and the over 400 square kilometer map was incredibly empty.

Including the story presentation, too much focus was placed on building the map, leaving the story and presentation unsatisfactory, even inferior to the first Xenoblade Chronicles.

Furthermore, the characters in the game were criticized by many players for being ugly.

The gameplay couldn't fit his ideal state. The excellent music couldn't mesh with the vast map and became bad, and the story presentation was also unsatisfactory.

These were problems Takahashi Tetsuya couldn't avoid. But seeing comments questioning why the game's characters could be so ugly,

Takahashi Tetsuya decided to make his own defiant stand. So, he did something: he completely let loose.

With his and Nintendo's resources and invitations,

Artists like Saitom, who says "Ero makes people happy," and who can openly sell girls' panties at comic conventions; Choco, who served as character design art director for Code Geass (and also did character design and original art for multiple adult games); Kimura Takahiro, who started his career designing characters and original art for adult anime and games; Ebata Risa, who is famous as an "old driver" from Akina Mountain... a series of artists joined this project.

It's hard to imagine how many people's desires would be ignited by this group of people with such common characteristics coming together.

Cute young boys, mature older sisters, girl-next-door types, tomboys, socially awkward little sisters, rich girls, tsundere, Yamato nadeshiko, chuunibyou, mecha girls, maids, otakus... you can't imagine it, but you can find it.

(End of this chapter)

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