Game Director from Hell

Chapter 19: Hell of Heretics (1)

When I first developed Hellic, I didn't implement character stats due to immediate manpower shortages and concerns about the game's volume.

I was worried that implementing them would lower the player's intuitive understanding of the game.

I entrusted all the abilities of the playable character to the weapon, determining the character's performance solely by the weapon's performance – a skill that simplifies the mechanics.

This was a method often used in Flash or indie-level games.

"I'll expand on that concept."

As mentioned earlier, new genres are born by distorting and expanding existing ones.

So, the question was how to expand and modify it.

My thinking quickly yielded an answer.

"I'll give it an identity."

But not just as a tool; it would encapsulate the world, characters, narrative, and system.

This idea was inspired by the "narrative tooltip" in the Souls series.

The application was clear.

The protagonist of Hellic, the Warden, has abilities and a character identity that change based on the torture tool they use.

Now, for the upcoming Hellic 2, Alice will be the same.

Alice is just a powerless girl with no special talents. Her way of navigating Hell relies solely on tools and tricks.

Expressing Alice's narrative through "items" in the game system was the challenge.

However, it shouldn't stop there.

Simply following that path would make it no more than a minor copy of the Souls series.

"I'll focus more on items."

As tools, they should encompass the game's difficulty, world-building, identity, character personality, and resource distribution, ultimately permeating the entire system.

In the process, the individuality of the playable character should be minimized.

In this case, I limited Alice's individuality to a single "narrative."

"It's about expressing that she's nothing."

In Hell, no one can be special; only those who have been in Hell are unique.

That theme consciousness would be carried throughout the series.

Furthermore, I adopted additional elements from the previous game that I had already used.

"I don't want to waste the nature of the item. Let's borrow the 'unbeatable boss gimmick.' Early appearances of bosses might add tension to the game, even if it's not in the realm of individuality."

And not only that.

I could even use the scream I used in the previous game's intro.

"Let's make that the studio's signature sound. It should give players the feeling of Hellic right from the start."

I immediately made notes of these thoughts on my computer.

I recorded whatever came to mind in the form of keywords, then spent a long time organizing them into categories.

And then, some outlines started to emerge.

Of course, there was still more work to be done.

"I need more ideas. There's still a lot to trim down."

I couldn't predict the final form.

In other words, it was an adventure into the unknown.

Breaking through it brought a smile to my face.

The stimulation to my brain was quite enjoyable.

"That's why I can't quit game development."

Creating something new from what you know is such a satisfying moment.

***

The development of the design document proceeded quite smoothly.

Aside from the need to adjust the game's flow and gameplay elements due to twisting the genre, the concept was already clear.

Among the concurrent tasks, a few were solidified.

"The viewpoint will be the shoulder view. It's a viewpoint where you share the character's perspective from the back of their head. Seorim, have you played Biohazard? It's one of the games that implemented this viewpoint. If there's anything you're unsure about, you should research it more."

"Oh, okay. I understand what it is."

One of the most crucial aspects of a game is the viewpoint.

The impression of a game can greatly vary based on the perspective it presents.

The biggest advantage of the shoulder view is its "compromise."

It brings a part of the "immersion" that comes from sharing the viewpoint with the playable character while alleviating the shortcomings of the first-person perspective, which includes "visual limitations."

This time, it was especially true.

Players had to constantly be aware that "I'm playing as Alice," while sharing Alice's perspective.

The shoulder view was the choice for that purpose.

"Next, let's move on to modeling Alice and the butterfly. Yumi and Hyeji, for now, focus solely on this. Especially the butterfly is crucial."

"How should we do it?"

"Alice's movements should be as light and carefree as if she's strolling through a flower garden, not Hell. The butterfly should move like a real butterfly, but there are a few additional motions to add."

Beep!

The projector screen switched.

There are two key points for the butterfly.

"First, the navigator. The butterfly will guide the player along the way during the game."

In the intro part of a 3D game, one of the most important things is to give the player a sense of "purpose."

It's about creating basic "immersion" and "curiosity" without forcing it by explaining the world.

"Implementation won't be too complicated. The butterfly leaves a turquoise trail wherever it moves."

The butterfly plays the role of Alice's guide, friend, and protector in the story.

This was the result of interpreting that role systematically.

Continuing, I said, "Next is the butterfly's transformation. When this butterfly transforms, it takes on the role of an item."

This idea was actually inspired by what I saw.

The butterfly that led the girl occasionally changed its form into a tool or another weapon to save Alice from danger.

It's about implementing that systemically.

To put it simply, when the girl picks up an item, it won't go into the inventory but instead transform into the butterfly's altered form.

"Implement a transformation animation separately. Pay special attention to making the transformation of the butterfly's appearance into Alice's hand as seamless as possible. This detail, Seorim, make sure you check it carefully."

"Got it."

That's it.

I handed out all the immediate tasks.

I sighed and said, "Well then, lastly, let's all take a look at the concept art that Seorim created for Alice and the butterfly. I'll provide the files later, but for now, let's all see it together. Give Seorim a round of applause for her hard work."

Beep!

The projector switched, revealing the completed concept art, satisfyingly.

"Oh..."

Clap, clap!

JO Ayoon timidly clapped her hands.

"Our Seorim is the best!"

"As expected of Seorim! I had faith in you!"

The enthusiastic duo cheered in their own way.

Han Seorim was arrogantly shrugging her shoulders.

Well, she had every reason to.

"The 'airhead white girl,' the 'dreamy turquoise butterfly.' Just throwing two keywords, but the ability to capture the image without significant trial and error reaffirmed my choice of Seorim. Well, that's that. Now, let's wrap it up. Today's meeting ends here. Everyone, get to work."

"Yes!"

Kim Hyeji, the older one, responded enthusiastically.

It was that moment.

"Uhm, sir. What about me...?"

Jo Ayoon hesitated and asked.

Was she feeling left out?

"Ayoon, you don't have immediate tasks right now. Sound can be handled as a follow-up task. Isn't it more important to focus on studying for now? By the way, was today your first tutoring session?"

"Yes, yes..."

"Give it your all. I believe in you."

Today was Jo Ayoon's first music lesson with the teacher we worked hard to find.

We had promised to provide her with a substantial performance fee, so she should be teaching with passion.

The rest was up to Jo Ayoon.

I patted her shoulder, and she straightened up with good posture.

In the process, something caught my eye.

"Hmm, but those dark circles are quite noticeable."

Is studying taking a toll on her?

I asked, concerned.

"Is there anything difficult?"

"Oh, no...! I'm okay..."

Jo Ayoon smiled shyly in response.

I couldn't help but think, 'Still, it's a relief she's so sweet.'

Even though it must be awkward for her, I'm really grateful that she's following along so well.

***

I started getting busier in earnest.

In other words, it finally feels like the office is running smoothly.

Han Seorim is currently deeply engrossed in the concept art for the maps. While she's getting help with the finer details and gameplay elements, the emotional aspects are entirely Han Seorim's domain. She seems to be deep in thought.

In the meantime, the enthusiastic duo has finally quieted down.

"...Unni, we're done with this."

"Uh-huh..."

Han Seorim's management style is intense. Even though she's swamped with her own work, the moment the two of them take a break or even glance away, she questions the progress of their work. If there's anything she's not satisfied with, she'll jump in and point it out herself. Once a satisfactory result is achieved, she immediately assigns the next task.

There's a casual thought in the back of my mind.

"She shouldn't become a boss."

Perhaps a terrible black company will be born?

No, it might be a high-intensity labour company where she grinds her employees to the bone within working hours.

But thankfully, one good thing is that Han Seorim isn't completely inept at dealing with people.

"..."

Well, let's not worry about it since she seems to be doing well.

"Both of you did well. See? It's doable. I particularly like this part here. I hadn't even thought of it."

"S-Seorim..."

"After we finish, let's go eat together. I'll treat you. I found a great restaurant nearby."

"I'm so touched I could die..."

The enthusiastic duo hugged Han Seorim and cried out loud.

Han Seorim patted their backs.

There was something I could only see.

The expression on Han Seorim's face as she looked down at the two of them, her gaze coldly assessing them.

"..."

Well, maybe I shouldn't be too concerned.

"She has other things to worry about."

It's not Jo Ayoon. She is rarely seen in the office since she juggles composing, music theory tutoring, and even preparing for the college entrance exam.

She doesn't have anything to do here.

The headache I was giving myself was my own problem.

Based on the roughly completed plan, we began the production of the game.

My work includes planning and programming, and as soon as the planning phase was completed, I started creating the base.

It wasn't easy.

"Game engines are still lacking," I thought, compared to the engine I used to work with, the engines available at this time had some functional shortcomings.

But what can you do? Complaining won't change anything, and all of this is my choice.

The only method is to dive in.

To implement the desired functions, I created tools and lost sleep doing that work.

One more issue to mention was "promotion."

It's the biggest hurdle in game sales.

At least for me and our current situation, it was.

Promotion is as crucial as the recoupment of production costs and turning a profit.

Major game companies often allocate a significant portion of their budget to promotion, underscoring its importance.

But the resources I could allocate were limited.

Grand external promotions were out of the question, and the most realistic options were community promotion and gradually building a presence in internet broadcasting, maybe through James Han.

"The decisive blow is missing."

The promotional effects from these activities would undoubtedly be localized.

"Should I wait until I have more money to promote?"

No, that's not it.

I had to plan the production announcement and subsequent promotional schedule for Helic while the studio's attention was at its peak.

Otherwise, if I waited any longer, people might forget the game studio with a thought like, "Oh, there was a studio like that."

In this industry, especially for indies, if you don't constantly promote yourself amidst the flood of games, you'll disappear without anyone noticing.

Impatience and frustration were building up.

Drumroll...

I mindlessly opened a portal site and scrolled down when a headline caught my eye.

No, it was more than just catching my eye.

The headline alone straightened my slouched posture.

"Ah...!"

Was this a cunning coincidence?

The article was about to provide a refreshing solution to my ongoing promotional problem.

The headline read:

"Korea's Largest Game Exhibition G-STAR. First Held in Busan! "

Suddenly, I felt like a complete fool.

"Why didn't I think of this?"

In the year 2009, there was a significant change in the Korean game industry.

It was nothing less than a seismic shift brought about by one festival.

"At the beginning of this year, G-STAR really started to grow."

I distinctly remember going to G-STAR for the first time during this period.

In 2009, the first G-STAR held in Busan attracted around 240,000 visitors, concluding successfully. From then on, it eventually became the largest game exhibition in Korea.

After recalling this fact, one conclusion came to mind.

"...Maybe promotion is possible."

Possibly even more significantly than I initially thought.

I immediately moved the mouse.