Chapter 384 - 271: Recreating the Animation Effects (Part 2)

Chapter 384: Chapter 271: Recreating the Animation Effects (Part 2)

"It doesn’t need an overly elaborate design, but it must have a distinctive element that’s recognizable at a glance."

"How big are these four-wheel drive cars?" Karaman asked.

As a toy designer, his first thought was about feasibility.

"The size is up to your design, as long as it’s no bigger than what a player can hold in one hand."

Karaman pictured it for a moment, then said, "At a maximum of a quarter the size of a Magic-guided Vehicle toy, it would be difficult to fit a remote control system inside with our current technology. If we start development now, we’ll never make it in time for the expo."

"No, it doesn’t need to be remote-controlled. The car just needs to go forward."

"A toy car that only goes straight," Karaman said, a little concerned. "Wouldn’t the gameplay be too monotonous? It can’t even turn."

"The car turns by using the track."

Zog explained, showing a diagram of a racetrack that featured turns, slopes, and even a full loop-the-loop.

But the most distinctive feature was that the tracks were all lined with guardrails.

"The cars will have horizontal guide rollers on the front, back, and sides. When they hit the track’s guardrails, they guide the car through turns. As for the gameplay, what do you think would happen on a track like this if a racer just blindly pursued speed?"

Karaman put on a Crystal Chip and studied the racetrack diagram carefully.

"It would... fly off? If it’s going too fast, it could fly right off the track on a small ramp, or flip over if it hits a turn too hard."

"Exactly. So another key aspect of the gameplay is customization. Players will modify their cars by hand to suit the characteristics of different tracks. All the parts on the car are replaceable."

Zog pulled up a long list.

It was filled with meticulously designed consumer traps—I mean, performance modification parts.

The categories were incredibly detailed, ranging from major components like the chassis, tires, and the small Magic Energy Stones that powered them, to the guide rollers for cornering, adjustable weights to keep the car down on jumps, and even different specifications of screws.

"We won’t be selling complete, finished products. Instead, we’ll sell kits directly to the buyers."

"Selling kits? That cuts out the assembly stage in production, but won’t players think we’re just being lazy?" Hakan asked.

In his decades in the business, he’d never heard of selling "semi-finished products" directly to consumers.

"Trust me, for a lot of people, the assembly process itself is part of the fun, just like with building blocks or jigsaw puzzles. Plus, it helps players understand the car’s structure, making it easier for them to choose their own components and design a unique vehicle later on."

Hakan wasn’t convinced. As a toymaker himself, he remembered when his shop was small and he had to assemble every toy by hand. ’I’ve had more than my fill of the assembly process and can’t comprehend how anyone could find it enjoyable.’ But as his business grew, he had certainly seen the full spectrum of customer tastes. People liked all sorts of toys. Take the Magic Cube, for instance; a huge number of enthusiasts were now obsessed with figuring out how to solve it faster.

’I don’t understand it, but I respect it.’

’Maybe some people really do enjoy assembling things. Zog must have a good reason for saying so.’

"I’ve also thought about this," Zog continued. "We can add simple control elements by equipping the cars with Runes. For example, using the reactive force from an impact Rune to move laterally, using Runes for speed boosts or debuffs, or even Runes to attack opponents."

This was the biggest feature of Zog’s four-wheel drive cars; he wanted to replicate the effects from those four-wheel drive racing cartoons as closely as possible.

Of course, voice-controlled cars were a bit too much. The Runes would need to be triggered by their corresponding Rune Stones.

The cost of Runes powerful enough to affect a car weighing only a few hundred grams was extremely low. Even a novice Mage Apprentice could mass-produce them, making them perfectly viable for use in toys.

And with these Rune effects, the tracks could include long straightaways without any guardrails, allowing players to pull off the kinds of slick maneuvers only seen in the cartoons.

Tactical teamwork, ramming, jumping, even using hidden weapons to directly destroy an opponent’s car.

You didn’t have to be the fastest to win; you could also just wreck your opponent.

With the cars having so many different functions, they could also design more diverse tracks. Add in some scenery created with Illusion Techniques, and they could replicate the scenes from the cartoons where the cars raced over mountains and across valleys.

In less than an hour, Zog and the Ackley Brothers had finalized a rough implementation plan.

"All that’s left is the external design," Zog said. "Robben, the difference between this manga and Mechanical Warrior is that after you design a car’s appearance, you’ll need to submit it to the toy shop first. They’ll determine its feasibility and if it needs any modifications before you draw it into the manga."

Robben nodded in understanding.

"What about the story?" Ribery asked. "Are there any specific requirements for it?"

"Nothing specific for the plot, but try to keep it realistic. The protagonists are just a group of kids who play with these cars, gradually winning more High Level competitions. We don’t need any ’racing saves the world’ storylines."

Zog thought for a moment, then added, "Also, make sure to showcase the modification parts in the story. That’s a key profit driver. It needs to be clear what effect each part has, and the protagonists’ cars should be upgraded gradually..."

Ribery jotted down all the requirements.

In his opinion, the plot development was similar to Firepower Young King, but with the added element of designing your own car.

"Oh, right. One more important thing. Don’t treat the cars as mere tools. They need to be designed like characters. Just as human characters have a personality, the cars need a ’car-sonality.’ The main cars need distinct traits."

After about another hour, the entire plan for the four-wheel drive cars was finalized.

It maintained the consistent hallmark of Zog’s toys: a low barrier to entry.