Chapter 92 Su Mu: Honkai 3rd is a Healthy, Sunny, and Positive Game!
[Ellie!]
[Wow, who is this beautiful girl? She's way too good-looking!]
[She's literally like a pink elf!]
[Did I enter the wrong stream? Is this really the Honkai Impact 3rd livestream? Are you sure this isn't a beauty streamer's channel?]
Elysia's appearance caused a wave of exclamations from the audience. Since this was the first preview livestream for Honkai Impact 3rd, a massive number of viewers had gathered even before it started, filling the screen with barrages of comments discussing what kind of surprises tonight would bring. To handle such an audience, the Honkai 3rd project team had consulted with the Bilibili platform to urgently increase the number of streaming lines.
The executives at the platform were also seeing this kind of scale for the first time. Looking at the sheer number of people flooding into the Honkai 3rd room, the higher-ups were thoroughly shocked. Because the volume was so staggering, they had to temporarily suspend other streaming lines and migrate most of the bandwidth to the Honkai 3rd broadcast.
That day, many other streamers on the platform ended their broadcasts in a daze. After receiving calls and apologies from the platform, they were equally stunned. A mere preview livestream had managed to break the platform's infrastructure? The influx of viewers was still growing... One had to realize that Bilibili was one of the top platforms in the country, yet they still had to set up emergency lines to prevent the room from crashing.
The platform executives were sweating profusely, feeling that if Honkai 3rd streamed again, they might truly need other platforms to share the load; they simply couldn't handle it alone.
Outside the frame, watching Elysia read the lines from the script, Carole's lips twitched: "Is Elysia... really not embarrassed at all? Director Su, how on earth did you write this kind of script?"
"It's because it's Elysia that it's not embarrassing... if it were anyone else, I'd have to change the script." Su Mu shrugged. He couldn't help it; Elysia was a living "social terrorist"—shorthand for someone with zero social anxiety. She practically suffered from "Social Success Syndrome."
"I think Elysia is actually enjoying it..." Bronya looked at Elysia's smile; it didn't look like an act, but something heartfelt. But that was exactly what was terrifying.
Just as Su Mu predicted, Elysia's appearance sent the entire livestream into a fever pitch. With her incredible looks, Elysia appealed to everyone regardless of gender. For a time, the comments were filled with nothing but praise and admiration for her. After finishing her opening remarks, Elysia got straight to the point. Since it was a version preview, the players were most concerned with the update content. Of course, there was also an interaction segment for Q&A with the project team members.
According to the pre-arranged schedule, Elysia served as the host, inviting several project members to appear on camera to answer audience questions. This included the combat designer, Carole. Although she had been incredibly nervous before going up, she performed perfectly in front of the lens. Especially when discussing the move sets of various characters, she was like a faucet that couldn't be turned off, talking non-stop.
[So the combat moves for all those cool Valkyries were made by this lively and cute girl!]
[Shadow Knight: Moon is too cool!]
[Memento's Dimensional Slash is also awesome!]
[I didn't know there were so many stories behind the creation of these moves. I've really learned something today!]
[I hope I can play more excellent Valkyries designed by Carole in the future!]
[Designer Carole looks so young! Being able to design so many amazing moves is just incredible!]
Although the Honkai 3rd project team included some middle-aged staff, the vast majority were young people. Many were recent graduates with a hint of naivety on their faces. They were a bit stuttery and awkward in front of the camera, but the passion and sincerity they displayed moved the audience. At the very least, judging by their earnest expressions, these young people truly wanted to make a great game.
With Elysia acting as the "lubricant," this segment concluded without a hitch.
"It's okay, everyone did well. You'll get used to the stage once you've been on it more." Su Mu smiled and comforted the employees who looked guilty because they had been nervous or stumbled over their words.
"Eh? More?" "Yes, there will be plenty of chances to appear on camera in the future. After a few more times, everyone can be as talkative as Ellie!" "...." Thinking about having to go on camera again, the young staff members looked at each other and then forced a bitter smile.
Soon, they were pulled aside by industry seniors who understood the situation. "You guys are so slow. This was Director Su giving you an opportunity! Why do you think he arranged this segment? Do you think he didn't know you'd be nervous? He's helping you raise your profile and build your personal brands!"
After the seniors' analysis, the young staff finally understood. Honkai Impact 3rd was currently at the top of its game; by being responsible for important parts of the project, they were an indispensable part of the legend. Through this stream, not only players but also other game studios and companies were watching. Su Mu's arrangement allowed them to quickly accumulate reputation within the industry.
"But why would Director Su do that? If... I mean if... if any of us wanted to switch companies... wouldn't Director Su's effort be in vain?" someone asked.
"Switch companies? Are you serious?" Another staff member glared at him. "Where else are we going to find a company as good as miHoYo?"
The young man scratched his head. Damn, that made sense.
"President Kiana is tall! Sister Bronya is hard! Director Su is both tall and hard!" (A reference to high standards and strong resolve). If Su Mu heard how these guys were evaluating him in private, he would have a strange expression. Though he was indeed tall, and indeed... cough.
Soon, the stream reached its main event—the appearance of Su Mu, the lead designer and head writer. Amidst Elysia's introduction, Su Mu appeared on the Honkai 3rd livestream for the first time. Of course, he was wearing a mask. It wasn't that he didn't dare to show his face, but at Bronya's strong insistence, he finally wore a mask. In Bronya's words: "With the plots you've written, players are definitely going to send you razor blades..."
Clearly, for Bronya, who knew the future direction of the story, she understood exactly how much of a "high-risk" target Su Mu was. Never mind the others; even she felt the urge to send him razor blades sometimes!
[Holy crap? You're telling me this is God Su?]
[This is ridiculous! God Su looks like he just graduated from college!]
[No way, God Su looks younger than me? What the hell!]
[Is God Su wearing a mask?]
[Duh, if he doesn't wear a mask, he'll get doxxed and sent razor blades! Old Thief Su Mu, take my spear!]
[Old Thief Su Mu, give me back my Kallen and Yae Sakura!]
The livestream exploded the moment Su Mu appeared. Many players had been looking forward to meeting the lead designer and writer today. Part of the reason was their interest in the person capable of making such an excellent game. The other part, naturally, was to ruthlessly diss that "Old Thief" Su Mu to his face!
Of course, those dissing him were only a small portion. While Honkai 3rd had plenty of "blades" (sad moments) now, it hadn't yet reached the point of truly heart-wrenching, soul-crushing, incapacitated-with-grief levels of sadness. Most players were pleasantly surprised and happy to see him.
"Director Su, on behalf of the players, Ellie wants to ask a question! I'm curious about the answer too! Why is our game called Honkai Impact 3rd? Why aren't there a Honkai 2 and Honkai 1?"
Facing Elysia's question, Su Mu smiled and replied: "Honkai 3rd refers to the story starting from the aftermath of the Third Honkai Impact. Of course, as everyone knows, our story covers more than just that event; there is a lot of other content, which you should have caught a glimpse of in the Chronicles."
"But today, I have good news for everyone. In addition to the main storyline and Chronicles, we will be launching a brand-new 'Side Story' chapter, which will record stories independent of the main plot. Some characters similar to those in the main story might appear, but they will be entirely different existences. Regarding this, please look forward to it."
[More new content? For real? I can't finish it all, I literally can't finish it!]
[The productivity of miHoYo is terrifying!]
[The more productivity, the better! For a game this fun, even if you doubled the content, it wouldn't be enough!]
[Agreed!]
Next, Su Mu discussed the arrangements for the upcoming version "Vermilion Blade," announcing that an animated short would be released.
[Another animated short? miHoYo is definitely an animation company, right?]
[The quality of 'Queen's Descent' was insane. I wonder what this one is about?]
[Probably a short of the battle against the Herrscher of the Void? I'm getting more and more excited!]
During the subsequent interaction segment, Elysia asked on behalf of the audience: "Next question... As the writer and lead designer, which character does Director Su like the most? By the way, Ellie's favorite is Mei-chan~ because Ellie thinks Mei is not only beautiful and kind but also very caring~ I really want to try Mei's cooking!"
This question gave Su Mu pause. "My favorite character?"
Elysia immediately switched to gossip mode. She knew these characters had real-life prototypes. According to Su Mu's answer, she might be able to figure out who he had feelings for in reality!
Outside the livestream, Bronya visibly froze. She clenched her fists uneasily. She was nervous... even more so than before, her palms drenched in sweat.
After a brief moment of thought, Su Mu smiled and replied: "Of course, it's Kiana, Bronya, Raiden Mei, Theresa, Murata Himeko, Fu Hua..."
Hearing the first name, Bronya's mind went blank, but before she could react, Su Mu rattled off a long list of names. It looked like he was prepared to name every single character in the game.
"Stop, stop, stop! Director Su! You might as well just say you like every character and be done with it!!" Even Elysia hadn't expected this. Who just starts taking attendance when asked that question in a livestream?
[LMAO, God Su is so funny!]
[Great minds think alike; I like Kiana too... and everyone else!]
[Is being universal in your love a crime? No! God Su just made the mistake any man would make!]
Su Mu looked at the camera and suddenly gave a mysterious smile: "By the way, I like the male characters too, not just the Valkyries!"
[Whoa, is God Su bisexual?]
[He's so handsome, it's not impossible...]
[Oh my god, there are actually 'Southbound' fans here! Kick them out of the stream!] (Southbound/Nan-tong is slang for gay).
"Alright, I'm just teasing. Actually, that is my heartfelt answer. I like every character in Honkai Impact 3rd because, to me, they are like real people living in another world, with their own joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions. Everything I do is just recounting the stories happening in that world to all of you."
[God Su's level is a bit too high, isn't it?]
[Is this the 'pinnacle of creation' people talk about?]
Su Mu's answer surprised many viewers. Man, you can really answer like that? I'm taking notes for future use.
As the interaction ended, the stream reached its conclusion. Elysia closed her script and looked at Su Mu. "So, to wrap up the stream, does Director Su have anything to say to everyone?"
Facing the camera, Su Mu took a deep breath.
"Honkai Impact 3rd is a heartwarming and healing game. I created it so that everyone can feel the beauty of this world. Its core theme is 'growth,' and it tells the story of a group of girls undergoing transformation. Although they will encounter countless obstacles and many hardships along the way... ultimately, it will definitely be a fulfilling and healing story for everyone. I guarantee to everyone here: Honkai Impact 3rd is absolutely a healthy, sunny, and positive game. Welcome to the world of Honkai Impact 3rd!"
END OF CHAPTER
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium