Another live demonstration was presented, which seemed more like CG animation than actual footage.
However, compared to previous CG depictions of the shattered war, this one appeared somewhat rougher.
It was precisely because of this that the words "real gameplay demonstration" carried a greater sense of authenticity.
With the promotional video released, the task of promotion was now entirely entrusted to Schicksal.
After all, they possessed a wider reach and could rapidly propagate the game to an unprecedented extent. From small bus stations to the massive screens atop Times Square, Schicksal's promised channels of promotion seemed effective.
But Bronie couldn't help but wonder, wasn't Schicksal worried about financial losses?
Bronie's question lingered, yet if Otto were aware, he would merely dismiss it with a smile.
Otto believed Bronie deserved such promotion. Whether it was the heartfelt storylines of Undertale, the existential ponderings prompted by Spiritfarer, the insights into contemporary civilization led by the game Civilization, or the emotional rollercoaster designed to accompany the players' in Getting Over it With Haxxor Bunny, all aspects showcased Bronie's genius in game production.
However, limited by technical constraints, if Bronie had the magical engine provided by Schicksal, creating a masterpiece would undoubtedly be effortless.
Indeed, Otto's assessment was correct, and Amber's concerns were unfounded.
Amber would occasionally check on the game's progress, only to be greeted with a variety of fantastical monsters.
Initially skeptical of Bronie's endeavors, Amber found reassurance in the astonishing efficiency of production.
Nonetheless, Otto couldn't escape Amber's occasional lectures. Otto's lifestyle as the Overseer had become increasingly casual, perhaps stemming from contemplations prompted by Spiritfarer.
Had Otto contemplated matters of life and death, or had he stumbled upon something else entirely?
"Lord Otto, the Elden Ring has entered the pre-order phase, and both promotional videos have been released, sparking widespread discussions online. Bronie intends to capitalize on the children of Shenzhou having Lunar New Year money."
"So fast-paced in development?" Otto expressed surprise. Bronie had emailed, pledging to create a game requiring at least a hundred hours of gameplay. Yet, such a production typically took upwards of a year, a timeframe sufficient for significant events within Otto's lifespan, but substantial for the world of the Honkai, given the increased frequency of subsequent Honkai outbreaks.
In a year, there might be enough Herrscher born for future contingencies, a testament to the information preserved by the previous civilization.
"Yes, and the gameplay demonstration showcased a wealth of content, igniting a Western fantasy frenzy in the internet."
"I'm familiar with the Western fantasy genre, with swords, magic, and dragons. It seems Bronie aims to create a standard game akin to Homu's Dragon Quest. However, Homu's Dragon Quest is a pixel RPG. I wonder to what extent our game engine can achieve."
"I won't delve into the game's CG; it's clearly depicting the world's background. The design of the blue puppet is intriguing, especially its gestures and the symbolism behind its four hands."
Otto clicked on the Gameplay demonstration. Beneath the canopy of a golden tree, the protagonist slowly awakened in the corrupted land. Subsequently, the promotional video unveiled various scenes, from swampy wetlands to dilapidated battlefields and aerial ruins. Otto found himself surprised by the apparent realism of the demonstration, yet he watched attentively.
Soon, the protagonist whistled, summoning a horse, and embarked on his journey.
The camera followed him through the borderlands, encountering brief skirmishes with other mounted adversaries.
Dungeons, grotesque monsters, towering castles, and ominous demons guarding castle gates were among the scenes showcased.
Following the scene display, battles ensued, featuring swordplay, parrying, acrobatic counterattacks, weapon skills, and magic, all accompanied by flashy effects and Radagon's exhilarating battle music.
It was as if the protagonist embodied oneself, wielding learned combat techniques and magic to save the world and conquer the battlefield!
Later, it was time for the boss showcase. Dragons, werewolves, Malenia from the previous storyline CG, and the twisted Godrick were all elements showcased in the video made from the gameplay demonstration.
"Amber."
"Do you have any orders, Lord Otto?"
"Is this really the gameplay demonstration?"
"Yes, Miss Bunny said this is indeed the real gameplay demonstration, a promotional video edited from in-game footage."
"Is this still our magical engine?"
Otto watched the fleeting segments, and the high-quality visuals were flawless in terms of lighting, shadowing, and foliage details. But because the visuals were too good, with too many details, and each boss's effects were so abundant, Otto couldn't help but have doubts.
"Indeed, after thorough examination by Schicksal Entertainment, the game engine is indeed our magical engine."
"Sigh, maybe Kallen Fantasy mainly accumulated so much material over time, making it so exquisite, but I didn't expect that just a game engine could immediately bridge this gap for Bronie. It's interesting. I'm starting to look forward to this game."
Otto also had fantasies of wielding swords and magic to save the world. Although such fantasies were long gone, watching this promotional video made Otto feel somewhat exhilarated. How could Bronie, a girl, understand games and the elements boys love so well?
"Lord Otto, let me remind you, playing games should be moderate. The matter of the real Kiana Kaslana, Lady Bianka should not be delayed because of this!"
"I know, and also, she is now called Bianka, no longer Kiana."
"Understood..."
Otto knew that after careful recuperation, the child was almost recovered and was now studying basic knowledge in the sanatorium.
With the important bloodlines of Schariac and Kaslana, her future would certainly not be ordinary. So Otto would nurture her well, using Schicksal's best resources and education to train her into a hero to resist the Honkai.
"I still know how to distinguish between important and trivial matters when it comes to games."
Compared to the concrete information Otto had, most people online actually didn't believe in such Gameplay demonstrations.
How should they put it?
The highest quality graphics are unprecedented in the gaming industry.
Even if such graphics exist, how many computers can handle them?
Most people had such thoughts.
Therefore, most people didn't quite believe in the visuals of Gameplay demonstrations.
There's even a saying circulating on the internet:
"If there's any authenticity in the Gameplay demonstration, then Bronie wouldn't have fallen from grace. It's difficult to believe now!"
Of course, there were still many believers, but in the atmosphere of people echoing each other's opinions online, rational voices were instantly drowned out by discussions about Bronie's fall from grace, and there was hardly any ripple.
But the key was Bronie herself.
There was hardly any activity on the game producer's social media accounts. Apart from occasionally posting unclear scenic pictures that resembled CG, there was hardly any activity.
The automatic replies were still the same irresponsible 'In progress!', giving the impression that Bronie was very adept at procrastination.
However, amidst the intense discussions, the day of the game's release gradually arrived.
Of course, there were many pre-orders, and pre-order players could play this game three days in advance, which could be said to be the only meaningful benefit of pre-ordering.
There were also many players who chose to believe in Bronie, Welt being one of them.
Being a teacher actually had its perks. When students were on vacation, Welt could take paid leave.
And during the winter and summer vacations, it was Welt's time to binge-play Homu's Great Adventure.
But drawing was still tiring, and when the game came out, Welt had more reasons to slack off.
Pre-ordering the game, waiting for its release, and seeing that the download content was nearly 50GB, Welt knew that Bronie's advertising was indeed not false.
How many games on Sbeam could have such a large capacity?
Currently, the largest single-player games on the market were at most around 10GB, and 20GB was already pushing it. Even Kallen Fantasy, with its meager 30GB, had very little content.
Welt started downloading the game. But as he was downloading the game, he received an invitation from the game creator's account.
Clicking on it, it was from Schicksal Entertainment!
Strictly speaking, it was the video website Pilibili, which was under Schicksal Entertainment, about to launch a livestream event.
As the author of Homu's Great Adventure, Welt would undoubtedly receive countless attention.
All he had to do was play the game during the livestream.
And it was Elden Ring.
What's more, the livestream came with earnings. Nowadays, the earnings from online livestreams were constantly increasing, and some powerful anchors were even making millions a month.
Welt thought, is there such a good thing?
Now he could get more money to subsidize Anti Entropy, and it was from Schicksal.
So after a little thought, Welt decided to really open the livestream to play this game. As soon as he opened the livestream, countless viewers flooded in, coupled with Schicksal Entertainment's promotion, directly pushing Welt's livestream room to the top of the entire site.
Welt, who was livestreaming for the first time, was a little shy. He didn't even turn on his own camera in the livestream room, and the video screen was still showing the status of downloading the game.
50GB, it would definitely take some time to download, so during this time, Welt had ample time to familiarize himself with the live streaming.
Talking about the progress of the painting of Homu's Adventure, Welt's responses were mostly 'in progress.'
"Oh, it's done. The game is downloaded. With such a large game, I think there should be no problem with the Gameplay demonstration in the promotional video, so let's start playing!"
[Yay!]
[I knew it! How could the promotional video deceive us? I don't know which crazy people are shouting every day. What Bunny's talent is exhausted? I think this game will be great!!!]
[Exactly, those crazy people have had enough!]
Public opinion often changes suddenly.
Void Scouting also came out, and those who previously criticized Bronie were now being bombarded.
But the key was that no one mentioned these things in Welt's livestream room.
"Okay, let's put unpleasant things behind us and start the game. Huh? What's this?"
When Welt opened the game, he saw a progress bar with the symbol of a Bunny.
"Bunny Anti-cheat. Can this game still be played online? It seems that Bunny doesn't want to settle for the simple online mode like Civilization this time. Even the Elden Ring can be played online. I'm starting to look forward to it. The collision of swords and magic in the player versus player battles must be very interesting."
Because the Homu IP was quite extensive, there was even a very famous game called Homu's Dragon Quest on it. So this thing called Homu was somewhat related to Western fantasy RPG games.
[What about balance? What should be done about balance?]
[If there's really PvP, the differences in professions should be significant, right?]
[We'll only know that after entering the game, but... there are profession selections.]
There weren't many professions to choose from in Elden Ring.
"Each profession still follows the warrior, mage, priest, and archer system, but Bunny has made some differentiation. For example, the Wanderer is a typical knight, but the differences in attributes for Swordsmen and Heroes might be more significant in terms of specialization."
Welt was the kind of person who liked to study settings in detail.
Otherwise, when he and Bronya worked together to make the Arahato game, there wouldn't be such a large collection of lore settings that made people's heads spin.
"Sure enough, there are differences in attributes, and even differences in levels. It seems that Bronie has incorporated the game's simple and difficult options into the game. Otherwise, it would be strange to see such strange professions in the options. But the 'Deprived' attributes are too balanced, aren't they?"
All attributes were ten points, but the basic level was only 1, with no equipment at all, yet the attributes weren't too specialized.
This setting was quite interesting.
[Choose Assassin, choose Assassin!]
[No, no, no, it definitely looks like a Mage when you look at Observer, that profession is obviously a mage!]
"Generally speaking, according to the logic of game production, choosing a knight is the most balanced and the most suitable for beginners. As for other genres, we'll study them slowly when we have time in the future, but this time, let's start with a knight!"
Then came the Character Customization process, which stumped Welt.
How should he put it?
Although there was a Character Customization system, such things were still rare in the gaming world.
"Our knights all wear helmets, so let's use random templates, but let's name him Homu Knight!"
[Lazy as always, so many days without updates for Homu's Adventure, is this laziness or what!]
[The Character Customization is in progress!]
[You're just lazy, I know!]
"Okay! This saves a lot of time, but I didn't expect that we still need to receive initial items at the beginning. But it seems that these initial items should be relatively easy to obtain, yet not useless during the journey. So let's get this! Stonesword key, this kind of ticket-like thing looks very promising!"
The game officially began.
Then the game entered the CG segment. This was the complete version of the CG video released in the promotional video.
"The fallen leaves tell a story..."
Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for up to the current available chapters: Chapter 221.
patréon.com/PorterOfSomething
"Tsk tsk tsk, this oil painting style opening, you can tell that Haxxor Bunny is really serious about this game, and this style is obviously more realistic than fantasy. Another important point is that this game is categorized as 12+, so children should watch the livestream with parental guidance."
Welt reminded the audience while watching the opening CG, indicating the game contains bloody content that may make young players uncomfortable.
This point was mentioned at the beginning, but the reminder was quite subtle.
[Okay okay, I've called my parents!]
[The epic feeling of this opening, truly worthy of Haxxor Bunny, perfectly grasping the players' emotions.]
[Skip! Skip!]
Ignoring some of the comments, Welt felt the same epic sensation.
Because of that oil painting style, the details were abundant, and the music, symphonically played, created a grand feeling, quickly immersing people into the game.
"It seems that those people introduced earlier are likely the enemies we will face in the future. Okay, our game has started. Actually, I've had many collaborations in the gaming industry. I participated in the Homu series and the Arahato series. And this beginning, making us go on a mission to become the Elden Lord, this heavy mission becomes the players' initial and most important motivation, It's very good."
The character is on a church.
In a corner of the church, a corpse lies on the ground, with a message and an item left behind.
"Furlcalling Finger Remedy? Used to write messages and spread them to other worlds... So this is the online aspect of the game?"
[What does it mean? Other players can see messages written on the ground?]
"Pre-ordered players are here, this finger is used like this, to write messages on the ground, but they can't be too detailed. However, other players can like the messages, and the likes received can restore a bit of health and mana to the player."
[Wow, is this an online mode? So amazing!?]
"So this is a novel way of online play, leaving messages and then helping each other. In this unknown world, countless players help each other and then clear the game. It's really worthy of Haxxor Bunny to come up with such gameplay."
Saying that, Welt pushed open the doors of the church and saw a vast expanse in the distance.
"The Chapel of Anticipation? It seems we are anticipating it after all. From the beginning, we have been given a great mission, and in the future, we will be the kings of this land! Look at that distant golden tree, that is probably our goal."
A haze covered the distance, but soon new messages appeared on the ground.
"Hidden obstacles ahead, Jump."
"I didn't expect us to encounter messages left by other players so soon. This ID... Haxxor Bunny? How come someone else took the creator's name? But there are hidden obstacles ahead, did someone know so quickly? Maybe it's really the game creator."
[Jump! Jump quickly!]
"Will there really be hidden obstacles? Yeah, this is indeed a bit suspicious... Wait, there seems to be more bloodstains around!"
Just as Welt was hesitating whether to jump or not, bloodstains began to appear around him.
Upon closer inspection, he found that the bloodstains could be interacted with.
When he pressed confirm, Welt saw a red phantom appear at the cliff's edge, hesitating for a long time before finally leaping!
The phantom disappeared.
"Is this a message left by other players after they died? And this one?"
Similarly, another player, after leaping, spun back as if there was something tangible below, but soon he fell off the cliff.
[Hahaha!]
[I didn't expect there would be death messages too. Once you lose face, it will definitely be seen by others, right?]
[Poor player, the ground is covered in blood, why are the likes for the message so high?
There are thousands of likes!]
"High likes might be due to that kind of mentality, like after experiencing this game together with Haxxor Bunny, players would want to recommend this game to others, watching others suffer like themselves."
[That's true, can't stand to see only oneself jumping down, right?]
[But what if?]
[Yeah! What if there really are hidden obstacles?]
When this "what if" was spoken by the audience, the situation took on a different flavor.
"Yeah, what if there really are hidden obstacles? Then wouldn't it be a loss?
...as if! Indeed, the person who left this message must be a very, very bad person. They accurately grasped the players' indifferent attitude towards character death, completed their prank, and to spread such a mentality. I won't fall for it!"
After adjusting his glasses, Welt started controlling his character to walk up the stairs.
But then he turned back to check his surroundings. He circled around the church and found a locked door.
So he could only turn back near the cliff.
"Could there really be hidden elements there?" Welt's brow furrowed as he looked around, realizing this place wasn't just a simple starting point or a newbie village. They would return here in the future, meaning, according to the game developer's logic, there might indeed be hidden elements here!
[Perhaps we need to progress further in the plot to come back? Anyway, I haven't found the way back yet.]
[If we look at it logically, there might indeed be hidden elements here?]
The wind shifted.
And Welt shifted his focus to the edge of the cliff. "The only possible hidden spot is that small platform below, but I don't know what will happen if I jump down."
[Jump!]
[Jump quickly!]
Amidst the crowd urging him on, Welt indeed jumped straight down. Then the screen went black, and his character returned to the Chapel.
[Hahaha!]
[It's over, went crazy right from the start.]
[Since we can still refund now, should we?]
"No, my mindset isn't shattered. I just didn't expect Haxxor Bunny, the producer, to teach me another lesson. Originally, I thought the messages were for mutual help in finding paths and clearing the game. I thought it would greatly shorten the game process, but I didn't expect it to be like this. I overestimated human nature, and Haxxor Bunny understands human nature too well."
Turning back, he immediately liked the message.
The meaning was left for other players to experience it themselves.
Then Welt looked at other death messages, finally understanding the mindset of the players who jumped back then.
It was interesting, truly very interesting.
Despite being a simple yet rough player interactions, it was like the white space in a landscape painting, seemingly crude but actually quite exquisite, sparking endless imagination within.
"Alright, now that we understand this interactive mechanism, we need to be more careful in the future. Let's move forward."
Descending the stairs, he arrived at an open area.
A massive statue stood there, but soon, there was another scene transition.
"Oh! What's this! Grafted Scion? Is this the first boss we encounter? It's a monster with many hands!"
Welt began rolling and attempting to counterattack with his shield.
But the Grafted Scion's desire to attack was strong, and its frequency was fast. The clumsy protagonist was completely overwhelmed from an attribute perspective and winning on the first encounter was almost impossible.
"Blocking with the shield consumes stamina, and rolling attacks also consume it. It seems this stamina bar determines what we can do and how much. No, it hurts!"
Welt cried out in pain, feeling immense agony without any healing potions.
But at a critical moment, Welt raised his shield as the Grafted Scion attacked, producing the sound of metal collision.
"Is this... Oh, it seems to be parrying and counterattacking?
If successful, it can give the opponent a significant stagger time, but if this is meant to be a tutorial, it's too difficult..."
Welt hurriedly began attacking, but the Grafted Scion quickly recovered and resumed its frenzied attacks.
Under the intense assault like a storm, the screen went black.
"It was a scripted death. But considering that we'll come back in the future, we'll definitely get revenge. So, revenge will have to wait until later. Just wait, I'll take him down! But that monster, its design is quite interesting, with its body composed entirely of arms, yet adorned with a luxurious cape and golden weapon, representing its noble status. Are all the nobles in this world so eccentric?"
[So, this world needs a protagonist to save it!]
[To place such a monster at the entrance of the Waiting King's church, and a noble at that, what does it imply?]
[I see, it's actually a struggle for the throne!]
"Is it really a struggle for the throne? It seems there's a bit of meaning behind it. Alright, we've obtained blood vials and mana potions. It seems each item has a lot of descriptive text, but we won't look into it now. Let's officially start the game!"
However, soon another specter began coaxing Welt to jump into a pit.
Fortunately, this time he could see how deep the pit was, and he also avoided the messages left by other players on the side.
As a result, he jumped in, and true game guidance and newbie tutorials began.
The overall process was very simple, and finally, they fought a fully armored soldier.
Seeing the comments left by a group of people at the exit of the newbie dungeon, "It's actually a soldier," Welt smiled knowingly.
"The map design is quite interesting. Although it seems to twist and turn over such a long distance, it turns out to come back. It seems the dungeon part will be the focus in the game."
[Are you a great prophet?]
[Don't be silly, the broadcaster is also a seasoned veteran player. How could they not understand this?]
[The stone sword key is used to unlock the dungeon. Looking forward to the first dungeon.]
"Is the stone sword key really used for this? Well, it doesn't matter. Let's move on. The game officially starts now. I've had enough of this gloomy underground."
Having learned how to execute and how to use skills to create staggers, Welt felt confident that he could at least have a fifty-fifty chance against the Grafted Scion next time.
After resting at a blessing point and obtaining an item for multiplayer use, he rode an elevator and opened a door.
Then everything became clear.
[Limgrave]
"Wow, it seems the trailers are all true. The mountains, the grass, these details, and this time there's a beam of light as guidance. It seems our tasks ahead are very simple, just follow the light all the way."
The livestream room exploded.
After all, this game truly had no false advertising, which means those who pre-ordered the game and downloaded it would get to experience the fantasy world of swords and magic earlier!
What about those guys setting the hate rhythm earlier?
They're no longer important now. What more is there to say at this point? Is Haxxor Bunny out of ideas?
No, Haxxor Bunny's time is just beginning. In less than a year, they've produced such a game.
What's next?
"Alright, I've stopped listening to that masked man babble on for half a day. Now I understand the background of this game. If I want to know the full story, I'll have to search for it myself. Let's follow the Light of the Grace to reach the next target!"
Welt grew a bit impatient with the white-masked man's excessive settings.
He ridiculed Welt right from the start, saying he couldn't possibly become the Elden Lord.
But who is he?
The protagonist of the game. If the protagonist of Elden Ring can't become the Lord, who can?
To avoid breaking the storyline, Welt ultimately didn't attempt to attack the man in front of him but chose to move away from the area and follow the guidance to the next location.
The map was large, and wandering aimlessly wouldn't be a problem.
But as the CG said, there are horses, so if they relied only on their legs, who knows how long it would take?
But if they got a horse, then they could go wherever they wanted, regardless of the guidance!
However, in the direction indicated by the grace, there was a huge golden knight wandering around.
Welt hesitated.
"Um, is it normal to have such a guy on our path?"
[Such a big knight!]
[Now that you're a seasoned veteran, why don't you prove yourself by defeating this knight!]
[The boss at the entrance of the newbie village shouldn't be too difficult, right?]
Indeed, Welt also estimated that the boss's difficulty wouldn't be too high, considering they were still in the earliest stage of the game.
"Then let's give it a try. This knight's design is quite interesting, with a body covered in golden armor and equipment. He looks like a holy knight."
[Tree Sentinel]
The Tree Sentinel spotted Welt and then charged at him on horseback, wielding a spear the size of a pillar.
"I'll dodge!"
Welt, as a Herrscher, couldn't possibly fail to dodge such an obvious charge, right?
But after dodging, Welt suddenly realized an embarrassing fact that he couldn't catch up to the knight. There was no chance for a counterattack.
[You died]
After finally catching up and landing a couple of hits, who knew the knight would disregard fairness, raise his shield with both hands, and slam it down hard on the ground, with an incredibly wide range of attack!
Then Welt returned to the Site of Grace with a baffled expression, and then looked into the distance at the cliff.
The golden knight seemed to look like as if nothing had happened, It was still wandering there. And at this moment, there were other players' messages on the ground.
[Tough enemy ahead, long way around.]
Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for up to the current available chapters: Chapter 221.
patréon.com/PorterOfSomething
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