章節 70: Chapter 69: Planning the Speedrun!
The players' discussions were lively.
Even though some mysteries and storyline points of this instance were pretty much wrapped up, the players' conversation continued. The reason was simple: the strategy for this instance was only halfway done. No one had achieved a "B-Upper" rating or higher yet!
According to Dark Sands's mechanics, this trial instance was essentially a mock exam. Once players could score high ratings and achieve a perfect speedrun, they would be screened to enter the highest difficulty challenge. At that point, everyone would also get to experience multiplayer mode.
So, players were sharing their insights on the forum, including details of the instance and imaginative ideas.
For instance, an assassin player pointed out that "Laborer" and "Troupe Member" starting roles had clear advantages. Laborers were strong and could encounter bandits earlier on the city wall, while Troupe Members were directly related to the "Burning Down the Theater" storyline. However, the "Merchant" role didn't seem to offer any particular advantage.
Many players felt that this role might just be a decoy option or a way to let players start in different locations and times, helping them grasp the instance's dynamics. It might not be necessary for every starting role to have a distinct function. But this player thought that the merchant role might make it easier to rally the militia, or perhaps assassins could use this role to target isolated bandits.
Everyone agreed to try it tonight—maybe they'd discover a new mechanism that could significantly boost their scores.
Players of different professions shared their insights. They noticed that once Yang Xinyan's character correction was completed, he would handle the theater line himself. The issue of the shadow guard, however, could be resolved in multiple ways. Assassins could ambush him on his route to Xu Baihu; ranger players could draw him away solo, creating better conditions for the militia's attack on the theater.
As for literati players, they could use their aura of righteousness in the theater to influence troupe members, encouraging them to join Yang Xinyan in rallying the militia. They could also warn Gao Ze in advance, prompting him to divert the shadow guard, and use their aura to gather more militia, then overpower the bandits through sheer numbers.
The solutions were not fixed; as long as players could gather enough militia to overpower the bandits, they could clear the instance.
In short, before finding the correct solution, players were fumbling. But once they understood the instance thoroughly, they realized it wasn't as difficult as they'd first thought—there was room for optimization. With persistent attempts, they'd eventually find the optimal solution.
…
Meanwhile, at a street baozi stall.
Du Gang brought over two trays of steamed buns and two bowls of soy milk. "Looks like you're progressing well—you're on the first batch of cleared players. So, was I right to recommend this game? Fun, isn't it?"
Across from him sat a short-haired girl with a fierce, heroic look. She grabbed a bun. "Yeah, it's fun. I never imagined games could be this realistic. But it's not enough to make up for the trauma of failing to get into the police academy."
This short-haired girl was Xia Ruoling, the assassin player who first killed the shadow guard and obtained the city defense map. Du Gang was her uncle.
After failing her police academy exams, Xia Ruoling had been feeling down, so Du Gang recommended Dark Sands and specifically suggested she play as an assassin. He'd intended to distract her, but she'd ended up achieving something impressive.
Du Gang took a sip of soy milk. "Hey, that's a shallow way to look at it. Dark Sands isn't just a simple game; it's a critical research project. It can trace our DNA memory and collective subconscious, bringing forgotten histories back to life. In other words, you players are like historical agents, akin to archaeologists, cops, or soldiers! Honestly, not getting into the police academy might be a blessing in disguise. We don't need another police officer right now, but Dark Sands could use a talented player like you."
Xia Ruoling looked skeptical. "Is that true, Uncle? I know your work is special, and I shouldn't pry, but is Dark Sands really that advanced? Can it really trace history through DNA?"
Du Gang nodded solemnly. "Of course! I wouldn't lie to you. With your knowledge level, the scientific principles might be hard to explain, but just know that you're on the right path with this game. It's only going to get bigger."
Xia Ruoling, chewing on a couple of baozi, nodded. "Alright, got it. I'll start a speedrun tonight and see if I can push my score as high as possible. That ultimate trial with 100% pain realism sounds interesting. In real life, you might get injured catching thieves, so a game that's fully realistic but without risk of real injury or death… it actually sounds kind of exciting."
…
Near 10 PM, in the Sequencer's Space.
Meng Yuan was carefully reading player discussions, taking notes as he went. Although he'd cleared the instance last night, clearing alone wasn't enough—he had to make the leaderboard. Now that players had found a standard route to clear it, they were trying unconventional strategies, and leaderboard scores would only get higher. Meng Yuan needed to get as high a score as possible, or he'd be forced into doing things under the table.
In his notes, players shared many guesses on how to boost scores, which they planned to try tonight.
"According to conventional speedrun thinking, it's all about optimizing steps and identifying which parts can and can't be streamlined. For example, the battle where Lord Tang dies might be skippable. Going there prolongs the fight, so it might be better to skip straight to rallying the militia."
Quickly, though, some players offered opposing views.
"No, no, no, I think you've got it backward. Even though Lord Tang will inevitably die, the more bandits killed in this phase, the weaker the bandits will be later, making our tasks easier. So we should kill as many bandits as possible in the first phase."
"Can't we optimize the route for rallying the militia? If we could gather enough people earlier, we could storm the theater sooner, right?"
"Maybe speed isn't the only factor for a high score. Isn't the game's focus on roleplaying? We should try to replicate the characters and keep the storyline close to reality to get the best score."
"So, if I play Su Xianjun and put on a stellar performance, would that raise my score?"
"Probably, but playing Su Xianjun means figuring out how to handle the shadow guard on the rooftop."
"Just tell Yang Xinyan about it, and he and Gao Ze can handle it. This game has so much freedom; as long as you think it through, there's always a way."
Players truly had a knack for piecing things together despite the vague rules. Meng Yuan couldn't help but applaud their spirit.
It wasn't that he'd only shown them low ratings like "C-Lower" or "D-Upper" on purpose; the truth was he didn't know the exact scoring rules himself. As always, he was just there to "run the game," not design it, so a lot depended on the players.
In three days, he and the players would keep refining their strategies, then enter the real historical slice and face the true demons within!
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票