“In order to ease the players’ fatigue, it is recommended to use a long and short game design. For example, the preface is a short game that can be used to guide players to adapt to the gameplay. It can end in about 10 minutes. The first stage is a long one. Complicated riddles have to be played before defeating the boss, that could be done in about an hour. The second stage can be a short one. You can directly enter the boss battle and then mix a few stages of riddles in the pursuit of the boss. The game time can be about 30 minutes. The third stage is a long one. The time is extended to 1 hour and 15 minutes. There will be more complicated riddles……”


  “Through this design, we can adjust the flow of emotions of the players at different stages and create a relaxing effect.”


  “What’s more, based on the length of the stage that we have decided on, we can decide which scene to use for a certain stage. We can combine the Boss’ gameplay, the background of the stage, the length of the stage, and other elements to leave a deeper impression on the players.”


  Wu Zhicheng blinked. “Yes, that makes sense!”


  In fact, he had not thought so much about it before. He had only planned for ten stages with the mentality of making up the numbers. Each stage would have a different background packaging.

  However, after listening to Xi Hao’s analysis, he realized that there were actually so many tricks behind it.

  The length of the different stages could control the players’ emotions and achieve the effect of relaxation. Then, players would not suddenly feel dull and boring in the middle of the game. It would bring them a better gaming experience.

  What’s more, the length of the game determined the format of a certain stage. Would it be encountering a Boss Battle after a long period of solving the riddle? Or meeting the Boss Battle directly? Perhaps it would be a Boss Battle split into multiple stages, with the elements of solving the riddle added during the transition stage?

  The gamers would have completely different gaming experiences through different stages.

  After Xi Hao’s analysis, Wu Zhicheng instantly felt that the previously vague content had become much clearer, and the parts that he had no clue about were now in sight.

  Wu Zhicheng quickly recorded it in his notebook, afraid that he would forget about it.

  “I’m just making a suggestion. I’m not saying that we have to follow this plan. If you think it makes sense, we can plan it this way. If you have other ideas, we can discuss them.” Xi Hao reminded him.

  “At the end of the day, Black Ink and Clouds is a game designed by you. You have the final say. We are only suggesting from another perspective. Whether you accept it or not is entirely up to you.”


  Wu Zhicheng nodded. “Understood.”


  Wu Zhicheng was very satisfied with Xi Hao’s attitude.

  Obviously, Xi Hao had years of experience in the games industry, so he could provide a more professional perspective than Wu Zhicheng when he looked at problems.

  Of course, Wu Zhicheng would gladly accept these better suggestions.

  However, Black Ink and Clouds was a game designed by Wu Zhicheng after all. There was no doubt that he had the final say.

  Xi Hao had no intention of interfering with Wu Zhicheng’s design. This showed his basic respect for the creator.

  Xi Hao looked at the contents in his notebook and said, “Do you have any expectations for the rough resources and development time of the game?”


  Wu Zhicheng shook his head. “No.”


  Xi Hao did not show any signs of contempt. Instead, he said in a normal tone, “Then, let’s make a simple plan. We can perfect the details later.”


  “According to our previous estimates of the 10-hour game time and length, there are roughly nine stages of different sizes. Apart from the preface and final chapter, there are also seven stages in the middle.”


  “There are about 15 types of big and small monsters inside. Eight of them can be used as basic small monsters, and the remaining seven can be used as special monsters under special conditions or circumstances.”


  “You can also use the same type of monsters to make them into different colors or skills. However, this type of replication needs to be restrained. What’s more, it has to be consistent with the characteristics of the levels. You can’t let the players feel like they are fighting the same monsters again.”


  “There are a total of eight stages from the first to the final chapter. We will design eight different Boss battles. The Boss in the first chapter can be reused and make a weakened version of the Boss to pass the plot.”


  “In that case, we can roughly estimate the scale of each stage.”


  “We’ll set the art resource table according to these requirements and finalize the general workload. The game editor is ready-made, and platform action games are very common, so we can create them relatively quickly……”


  “The estimated working period is about six months.”


  “You have completed a portion of the content at the moment, there is still sufficient time for modification. Therefore, we can set two temporary deadlines.”


  “The first deadline is two months later. We will try to complete the game content before the third stage. We can test the players’ feedback through the trial. If the feedback is not good, we can still make changes in time;”


  “The second deadline is five months later. We’ll try to complete the game, fix all the bugs, and polish some details. That way, the game can be officially released.”


  “Maps, characters, monsters, special effects, and other related art resources have to be completed within this deadline.”


  “Based on our current resources, if we estimate the development cost…… we should apply for a funding limit of 1.5 million yuan first. The art of this game is very important. We have to contact a few outstanding artists to choose the most suitable style. If we don’t have enough money, we can apply for it later.”


  “Is this alright?”


  Xi Hao looked at Wu Zhicheng for his opinion.

  Wu Zhicheng immediately nodded. “Alright!”


  Wu Zhicheng only had one thought for Xi Hao’s speech: What a professional!

  When he was talking to Qiu Hong previously, Wu Zhicheng had no idea how long the project would take or how much money it would cost.

  He could not be blamed for his low level of business acumen. He was just an unorthodox person who had never worked in a proper gaming company. How could he understand all these?

  Qiu Hong still decided to invest in the game under such circumstances. It was obvious that he really admired the gameplay of Black Ink and Clouds.

  However, with Xi Hao’s help, these details were easily solved.

  Wu Zhicheng was quite satisfied with the current plan. He even felt that the plan had changed his thinking about the game and made it clearer.

  What’s more, this plan could be changed at any time. There would be a lot of freedom. He would not have to worry about his design being restricted.

  Xi Hao continued, “Alright, we’ll hurry up and come up with the entire development plan, the art resource, and the requirement form for you to see. If you have any problems, we can discuss and amend them.”


  “As for you, focus all your energy on the game design. If you encounter any problems, just look for us at any time.”


  “We will also gather some information or similar ready-made games online based on the genre of the game. We will provide them to you as reference and update you continuously.”


  “If you feel like you don’t have any inspiration, you can take a look and get some inspiration.”


  Wu Zhicheng was pleasantly surprised. “Sure, sure.”


  He could not help but feel emotional. This was really a service from soup to nuts!

  Someone was helping to design the game development plan, someone was helping to raise the demand for the art resources, and there was even someone who was helping to collect game inspiration!

  Obviously, the task of this three-man team was to help the independent game designers complete various more time-consuming but essential tasks. They would serve four independent game designers concurrently.

  The entire team’s manpower could be fully utilised as long as there was proper time management.

  The meeting was over in no time. The content that was not sure previously had been finalized.

  The main reason Xi Hao participated in this meeting was to set a general direction with Wu Zhicheng. He would leave the rest of the work to his subordinates.

  In two or three days, the development plan for Black Ink and Clouds, the preliminary planning of the stages, the art resource, the required documents, and so on would be uploaded. The relevant work would be pushed forward by professionals.

  Wu Zhicheng himself only needed to do his design work well.

  On one hand, it was to standardize and guide his original unorthodox path so that he could create games more efficiently under certain frameworks and not continue to run around like a headless fly.

  On the other hand, it greatly reduced the burden on Wu Zhicheng. He did not need to do those inefficient but necessary repetitive tasks. He only needed to focus all his attention on the most creative game design work.

  Wu Zhicheng returned to his desk and took a sip of his milk tea. He felt much more excited.

  Why was he suddenly filled with motivation?

  He immediately followed the details that had been finalized and began to redo the game’s planning of the stages.