Capítulo 15: Chapter 11 So, What Kind of Tree Is This?
Liu Bo's mouth twitched slightly. If he wasn't in a classroom right now but in the dormitory instead, he would have already started a righteous wrestling match with Zhao Haoyan.
Old Zhao set me up!
Originally, sitting in the back row was very safe. But I had to sit in the front row, and now look, even I've been implicated!
Could Professor He really wipe out dorm 404 in one go?
That shouldn't be so unlucky.
Left with no choice, Liu Bo stood up and, with a stiff face, answered, "Professor, I do have some understanding of this game."
He hadn't lied; his understanding was indeed limited.
He had just learned about the game from Lv Yixiao before class.
He Cheng nodded and said, "Good, then you tell me what's the significance of the transition from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4 in the game?"
Liu Bo was dumbfounded. What the hell? The transition from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4? What was that?
He hadn't actually played the game himself. He had only heard about it from Lv Yixiao before class, but Lv Yixiao hadn't mentioned anything about a transition from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4!
Liu Bo had no choice but to fumble through his answer, "Sorry, Professor, I... I really haven't looked into it in detail."
Professor He's expression turned rather stern, "Then what do you know about this game?"
Liu Bo said timidly, "I heard that this genius creator seems to be from Jinghai. The stone bridge he used as inspiration is in the old town area of Jinghai..."
Professor He looked at him as if he was disappointed, "What are you even paying attention to! Is that the main point? Instead of focusing on the work itself, you focus on who the creator is?
"If it was an ordinary player, that would be fine. It's only human to be curious, but as students of game design, your first task must always be to study the work independently of the author! Do you understand?
"Sit down!"
Liu Bo was almost crying inside. Professor, it's not fair! It was Lv Yixiao, not me, who discussed only that aspect and focused on the creator instead of the game itself when we talked!
But he could only swallow the injustice silently. After all, he couldn't just tell Professor He that he hadn't actually played the game, could he?
Professor He Cheng was clearly very dissatisfied with both students he had called on.
His gaze continued to scan the room.
Lv Yixiao was sitting to the right of Liu Bo. Seeing Professor He's gaze coming toward him, he straightforwardly raised his hand.
It seems I am the only one who can save the face of dorm 404!
Lv Yixiao was quite confident. Not only had he finished "Zen," but he had also read many analyses online. Even if he couldn't reproduce the exact answer Professor He had in mind, he felt sure he could give a fairly good one.
However, Professor He Cheng's gaze glided right past the raised hand of Lv Yixiao and singled out Lu Zhixing instead.
"You, tell me your thoughts," he said.
Liu Bo and Lv Yixiao instantly felt a chill in their hearts.
This is a disaster; dorm 404 is heading for a complete wipeout!
Who could have expected the professor to deliberately avoid the strongest player, Lv Yixiao, and precisely target the other three who were completely unprepared?
They didn't hold out much hope for Lu Zhixing, given that everyone knew he spent the weekends helping at his brother's internet cafe.
When they had discussed the game "Zen" before, Lu Zhixing had barely participated in the conversation. He definitely hadn't studied the game in detail.
Lu Zhixing stood up, "Professor, what would you like to ask?"
Professor He Cheng seemed surprised, "Oh? Does that mean you can answer anything I ask? Well, good for you, young man, quite confident aren't we.
"I won't change the question. Just answer the one I just asked. What's the significance of the transition from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4?"
Liu Bo and Lv Yixiao couldn't help but tense up. This professor was indeed difficult to deal with!
In their minds, Lu Zhixing's "What would you like to ask" was smart. With those words, most likely Professor He would switch to another question, so he wouldn't have to answer the "transition from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4," which he didn't know anything about.
Switch to a different question, and maybe it would be something like "the philosophical core of 'Zen'," which would be easier to bluff an answer to, right?
But they didn't expect Professor He Cheng to be an old fox who wasn't tricked at all!
Danger, dorm 404 is in danger!
The two of them worried silently from their seats, but in fact, they were mistaken; Lu Zhixing had no such intent and had merely asked casually.
"The transition from the third to the fourth act focuses the player's view on a large boulder on a mountain. After the boulder rolls down the mountain, it's split into blocks and used to build a stone bridge.
"This transition connects the 'Mountain' and 'Bridge' chapters through the element of 'stone,' making the chapter change more natural.
"At the same time, it's the first appearance of 'people' in the game, suggesting a shift in focus from 'Seeing the World' to 'Seeing All Beings' within the game."
Professor He Cheng looked somewhat astonished, "Hmm? Not bad, an excellent answer!"
Lu Zhixing thought to himself with a chuckle, Of course it is, I made the game. How could I not know?
Ask whatever you want; if I can't answer, consider it a loss for me!
Professor He Cheng then asked, "Now tell me, what kind of tree is the one in Chapter 2?"
Lu Zhixing: "Ah?"
What the hell kind of tree is in chapter two? What kind of ridiculous question is this?
Lu Zhixing was bewildered, struggling to remember. The image of that tree was crystal clear in his mind, but here was the problem—what exactly was it?
As a contemporary university student who neither worked diligently nor discerned the five grains, Lu Zhixing didn't know many trees. He was familiar only with the more common types like poplars, willows, pines, phoenix trees, banyans, but none matched the one in question!
The trunk of this tree was not thick enough to prevent it from swaying in the wind, and its leaves seemed rather green and plump, resembling trees from the south.
But what was this tree called?
He really didn't know.
"Sorry, professor, I don't know," Lu Zhixing had no choice but to tell the truth.
He was helpless. The Life Role-Playing Game had given him this tree without ever mentioning its species. How was he supposed to know?
Professor He Cheng chuckled, "See, you don't know, do you? That's why I say, as game designers, we must pay more attention to the details. Success is often hidden in the details.
"You all still have a lot to learn.
"This tree is a loquat tree. There's a famous ancient text that mentioned it: 'In the courtyard, there's a loquat tree planted by my late wife the year she passed. Now it has grown lofty and lush like a canopy.'
"It is a work reflecting on objects to express thoughts of people, mourning the dead, cherishing the living. With a light and simple brushstroke, using the loquat tree to evoke feelings, the author vividly expresses his longing for his deceased wife.
"And this precisely aligns with the spiritual core expressed by the game 'Zen'.
"The threefold realm of 'Seeing Oneself, Seeing the World, Seeing All Beings' portrayed in 'Zen' corresponds to the ancient ethos of self-cultivation, managing the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. As the loquat tree was a subject frequently described by ancient scholars and poets, it serves as an ideal vessel to better highlight the philosophical thoughts contained within the game.
"Do you understand?"
Some students were already nodding vigorously and hastily jotting down notes in their notebooks.
Lu Zhixing's expression, however, was somewhat vacant.
Is this really acceptable?
He felt a bit embarrassed, "Professor, isn't this a tad too overanalyzed? Is there a possibility that the creator didn't even think about what kind of tree it is?"
Professor He Cheng was slightly displeased, "What are you talking about!
"When making it, the creator definitely considered what kind of tree to portray, and designers are supposed to provide clear instructions to the art team!
"Is it symbolizing the resilience of green pines and cypresses? Or embodying the noble character of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum? Of course, there is significance!
"How could they just randomly pick any tree they see?"
Lu Zhixing was momentarily at a loss for words.
Designers are supposed to give specific instructions to the art team?
...I really didn't have that step; the asset was directly sent to me through a plug-in.
Lu Zhixing wanted to say more but thought better of it.
Xu Jing's livestream recording was still trending on the video site, and if his identity was exposed, it would probably spread across the university in no time, leading to instant social death...
"Yes, professor, you're right."
Lu Zhixing decided to adopt a more Zen attitude from today onward; it would be good for his mental and physical health and help maintain his reputation as a normal person among his peers.
Seeing this, Professor He Cheng's smile widened, "Good, young man, admitting mistakes and correcting them is an admirable quality.
"Remember, as game designers, we must focus on details, seriously analyze the successful elements of each work, and never leave things half-understood or get by with the bare minimum. Nor can we attribute success solely to luck.
"This student, you've done well. What's your name?
"Lu Zhixing? What a good name.
"'What one learns from books is superficial at best, for true knowledge requires personal experience.' I hope you can embody your name, uniting knowledge with action. I'll remember you. When final exams come around, I'll add an extra five points to your regular grade."
Hearing this, everyone showed envious expressions.
An extra five points on regular grades!
In other courses, these bonus points might not mean much, but Professor He Cheng's course was different.
This course on foundational theory was the most important class for freshmen throughout the year, and it had a high failure rate.
Moreover, Professor He Cheng was known to deviate from conventions. No one could predict his exam questions, and his grading was influenced by personal preference.
If he liked you, as long as you didn't turn in a blank paper, he would pass you; but if you disappointed him, even if you scored 59, he wouldn't give you that 1 point of mercy.
At this moment, Lu Zhixing, having gained the professor's approval, could almost certainly expect a high score in this course.
"Alright, that's about it for today's class."
Professor He Cheng looked at the time; it was nearly 12 o'clock.
"Lastly, I have an assignment for everyone."
His gaze swept across the entire lecture hall, a meaningful smile on his face.
"After class, each student must independently complete a concept design draft.
"As for what kind of game you design, the genre is open, the content is open, in short, everything is open. There's only one requirement: do your best to make it original and fun."
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