more dangerous
Online analysis posts about Elden Ring are popping up everywhere. While the lore is as obscure as ever, it's also pretty straightforward.
Unlike Dark Souls and Bloodborne, it's not filled with riddles where you can twist the meaning to fit anything.
The main reason for this is that Elden Ring is an open-world game with so much content.
If they had made it all cryptic like before, players would probably be completely lost by the end.
Besides knowing I like Ranni, I don't know anything else. Of course, I'm not much better off now.
For many players who enjoy Souls-like games, they don't actually care about the story. They skip the text, ignore the dialogue, and just slash away. As long as there's a health bar above an enemy's head and their name is red, I'll hack them to pieces!
If that path isn't working, they'll note down what important item they need, then go find another way to fight. Once they find it, they'll come back and continue. If they can't find it, they'll look up a guide.
But that's also part of the fun of playing games. After all, games are supposed to bring players joy, and no one says you can't have fun playing without paying attention to the story.
However, for players trying a Souls game for the first time, not looking at guides for the story and walkthroughs, experiencing Elden Ring means experiencing the purest form of suffering.
Inside Nebula Games' office, Lucas chuckled as he looked at the compiled data.
"The Tree Sentinel and Margit are just incredible! More players died to these two bosses than to Malenia and the Elden Beast!"
Looking at the boss kill list in the data, Lucas couldn't help but sigh.
"After all, they are the first open-world boss and the first main progression boss that players encounter," Anna said from beside him.
Although from a difficulty curve perspective, Malenia and the Elden Beast are arguably the hardest bosses in the game, by the time players reach them, they've generally adapted to the combat system, leveled up, and have powerful Spirit Ashes like Black Knife Tiche and the Mimic Tear.
Plus, with all sorts of guides and popular weapon art and equipment combinations appearing, the game's difficulty has been greatly reduced.
Meanwhile, Margit the Fell Omen and the Tree Sentinel, though considered late-game elite enemies, are still very challenging for the confused Tarnished who have just entered the Lands Between.
Of course, another reason why fewer players died to the Elden Beast and Malenia is that Malenia isn't a mandatory boss, and while the Elden Beast is the final boss, many Tarnished might have already died by that point.
It's like in Silent Hill, Outlast, or Resident Evil, where players might be scared off in the bathroom, at the gates of Mount Massive Asylum, or on the road outside the farm.
"Boss Lucas, you're the one talking!" Anna said with a speechless expression.
Don't you have any idea why this is happening, Boss Lucas?
"Isn't this all to make players feel happy? Look how happy the Tarnished in Elden Ring are?" Lucas said with a grin.
Hearing Lucas's words, Anna pursed her lips.
She didn't know if the players were happy.
But based on his behavior these past couple of days, Boss Lucas seemed pretty happy himself.
"By the way, how are the subsequent random mode and arena mode coming along?" Lucas turned his gaze to Hector.
Aside from players who particularly love Souls-like games, Elden Ring, like previous Souls games, has little need for multiple playthroughs for just seeing different endings.
This is because on the difficulty scale, in a second or third playthrough, with preserved levels and equipment, the monsters' stat increases don't match the player's inherited stats, leading to a mowing-down experience in the early stages. Higher playthroughs are a different story.
Just like with Dark Souls before, Lucas plans to add content to Elden Ring that will further enrich the player experience.
This includes an arena for boss rushes, similar to Sekiro, and a more entertaining random mode.
As an open-world game, this mode can match well in many ways, offering sufficient flexibility and expansion potential.
"No major issues, we're already testing it," Hector nodded.
This part isn't difficult to implement, as all the assets are already done. The only things to watch out for are bugs and ensuring that important story items are properly planned.
After all, in Elden Ring, to reach certain areas, without considering unconventional routes, you need specific items.
There are also various side quests in the game that require specific items.
If this were to be made truly random, players would probably break down.
"Also, Marcus, have your team establish a new department to discuss licensing for well-known IP characters with major game publishers both domestically and internationally," Lucas said to Marcus.
"IP character licensing?" Marcus looked bewildered.
Rachel, Anna, and Hector, who were nearby, also looked confused.
Unlike other game publishers who exhaustively milk a single IP, Nebula Games, while having its own series and crossovers, primarily focuses on internal interactions.
Compared to other game companies that need IPs, Nebula Games doesn't need so-called IPs at all. Why discuss this now?
Besides, who would part with their well-known IPs?
Only second or third-tier game publishers might license out their IPs.
"No need to rush, this is a long-term plan. I'll personally discuss it with top game giants like FOW and Atari later. For now, it's just about making contact and expressing our interest," Lucas explained with a smile.
"Does this relate to the next game?" Rachel asked curiously.
After all, they wouldn't buy licenses just to play with them, would they?
"I have an idea, but the timing isn't right, and I haven't thought it through deeply. Anyway, if we can buy it, let's buy it first," Lucas nodded.
Oh, this is…
Hector, Marcus, and the others grumbled inwardly, thinking this was incredibly arbitrary.
There probably isn't a game designer at any other company who could say, 'I haven't decided what to make yet, nor do I have detailed plans, but let's buy what we might need first.'
But it makes sense. Nebula Games currently has no shortage of reserve cash. If they want to buy, they can buy. As long as these game companies are willing to sell, can Nebula Games not afford to buy them?
In the office, Lucas was chatting with a few people about some casual matters outside of work. Suddenly, Anna's phone on the desk vibrated. She picked it up and let out a surprised gasp.
A piece of international news had been pushed to her.
[Lloyds Bank in Marylebone, London, has been robbed. Five perpetrators used firearms and grenades to hold bank staff hostage, completing the heist in just 10 minutes. The bank's losses are currently unknown, and no injuries were reported. Local police are in hot pursuit.]
"My goodness!" Anna exclaimed after reading the news.
After all, this wasn't just any ordinary place that was robbed; it was a bank!
And not a small branch either.
"A rather professional group of criminals!" Lucas also commented on the news with a sigh.
"Boss Lucas, how did you know they were professional?" Rachel asked with some curiosity.
"Yeah! Boss Lucas, how can you tell?" Anna also asked, full of curiosity.
It's the same news report, so how can you see they're professional?
"Does this even need asking? First, let's consider the time. If the news report isn't exaggerating or hiding any information, then 10 minutes from entering the bank to completing the robbery and leaving means these criminals were well-planned. Either they scouted the place beforehand and knew the bank's layout, or they had accurate information sources about when the bank would have cash."
"They had a complete plan for how to rob and how to escape."
"Also, keep an eye out. It probably won't be long before these criminals are caught," Lucas said with a smile.
"Huh… Boss Lucas, didn't you just say they were professional?" Anna sounded a bit confused.
"This professionalism is relative. If this were twenty or more years ago, or even earlier, they would indeed be considered professional. But you have to remember that society is progressing, technology is advancing, yet these robbers' criminal methods haven't."
"I believe the bank's surveillance footage won't provide much information, but the key lies in their stolen goods."
"You know, most banks do something with their banknotes. Dyed bills are the most basic. Secondly, some banknotes have tracking chips embedded in them. The best method is to fold every stack of bills; if it feels stiff like an envelope, discard it immediately."
"But clearly, 10 minutes from the robbery to their escape isn't enough time for them to do all that."
"Furthermore, banks of Lloyds Bank's caliber add trackers to the magnetic codes of their banknotes, which can be activated or deactivated at any time. Even the bands holding each stack of bills are fireproof and difficult to cut, so they can only be flushed down the toilet, becoming key clues for solving the case."
"Besides these, there are many other details. I don't believe these criminals could have executed a flawless plan in 10 minutes, preparing every defensive measure and tool so thoroughly."
"So, do you understand? Times are changing, and being a criminal isn't as easy as it used to be."
Lucas smiled and took a sip of tea from the cup on the table.
Looking at the smile on Lucas's face, Ruan Ning and the others sitting on the sofa were speechless for a long time.
"Boss Lucas, it's a good thing you became a world-renowned game designer, or else society would be much more dangerous…" Anna said jokingly, pursing her lips.
"So, a perfect crime is almost impossible," Marcus also remarked.
"Not necessarily. As long as the criminals have a four-dimensional pocket and can magically pull detectors, thermite probes, and the like out of their backsides, it might still be possible," Lucas shrugged and smiled, though an idea flashed through his mind.
(End of this chapter)