Chapter 7
Starting Strategy Guide
[Star Ocean]’s starting strategy guide could be downloaded in the virtual forum about a month after it was released. After the post was created, the click rate exploded. In just five hours, it already exceeded the number of downloads of [Brother Zhi teaches you how to eat dumplings], a wife simulation game.
It also took quite a long time before Xiye learned of this from the chats of the players. Hence, he secretly went to look at the post through the A.I.. He mainly wanted to know the opinions people on D-Planet had toward this game. Was there anyone who saw the flaw…?
The post was created by a player named ‘My Ancestor Lu Benwei Doesn’t Cheat’.
“Hi everyone, I’m one of the first test players, named Old Master Lu. That’s right, I’m that famous professional contestant, the progeny of the no. 1 boss on Douyu. Firstly, I must explain that my ID was registered ever since the virtual network was established, from the time of my grandfather to my father, and in the future to our clan’s descendants, everyone will have to use this ID. This is my family’s ancestral teaching, I have no choice too!”
“Alright, back to the topic. My Lu Clan’s exploits in virtual games are all recorded on Baike, there’s no need for me to repeat them. Today, we mainly want to talk about this divine work in the mortal world, [Star Ocean]!”
“Earlier in the morning, after a game evaluation company released screenshots of the game, I believe the players, who have yet to enter the game, already have some understanding of the pictures, right? To players who are still in the queue, I can only say that you guys should continue to work hard. Believe me, regardless of the scenes or backgrounds or playability, this game is worth it even if you queue until the ends of time!”
“Firstly, let me explain why this strategy guide is released only now. I also have no solution to this as this is a privately designed game. Even up until now, I still don’t understand how an unknown production studio could create such an era-spanning game product, yet they didn’t set up a website? If it wasn’t for us suggesting to have an evaluation column, there would most probably not be a place for us to release this guide.”
“After that, I will share some of my experiences in the game. The setting of this game is on Mars. At that time, I was one of the lucky players who managed to be in the first few batches. When I first entered the game, the map only consisted of a base exploding with a scientific feel on a naked Mars. After a month of development, with the hard work of us players, there are now already two mining factories and fifty-six mining spots, forty biological sheds, and a crops-handling field!”
“Right! What you see isn’t wrong, this isn’t a brainless hack-and-slash game, but a game where players cooperate and discover new civilizations by exploring and probing the universe!”
“One cannot help but admit that the ambitions of this gaming studio are extremely large. Although I don’t know how the game will be like at the end, so far, all the details are extremely perfect. At the beginning phase of this game, you can only choose to be a miner or farmer and do your little part and give a little contribution to the development of the base. Although your efforts seem miniscule, when you see the base gradually developing, the sense of accomplishment isn’t something you can gain from hacking and slashing monsters in other games!”
“I will talk about the content of the game below. When you first enter the game, the Overlord of the base will make you sign an extremely unfair contract. I’ve roughly glanced through the contract and the terms could be said to be extremely shameless. But this is fine, it is just a game and not really selling ourselves into slavery. After you sign the contract, the overlord will commence with a biological operation for you. Please take note that this is extremely important and will affect your future jobs. For players who have yet to start the game, please choose carefully!”
With regards to racial choice:
“There are three options for biological operations. One is a powerful and imposing green titan, one is the wood elf race that resembled a furball, and lastly, to become a so-called Developer. From how things look like now, the green titan race is the most popular race to be chosen. Green titans are tall and imposing, even if you are as skinny as a chick, you will still become muscular and powerful after the operation, like the Hulk. You will be able to lift rocks that are bigger than your body bare-handedly. That sensation of being full of strength truly caused us, the elf players, to be filled with envy.”
“That’s right, I’m not a green titan player. During the operation, my brain must have been concussed and I chose the wood elf race instead. Truthfully speaking, even up until now, I’m still regretting my choice!”
With regards to Wood elves:
“They are different from green titans, the design of wood elves are much cuter. They are like glowing fur balls and can float in the air. However, I don’t recommend players to move about outside the base. We, the wood elves, have to depend on our life energy to create a layer of protective membrane when we are outside before we can take any action. This feeling sucks extremely. The protective membrane will consume the moisture content in our bodies. If you don’t return to the base to replenish the moisture after four hours, you will become a dried corpse, or simply, a dried elf. In addition, the membrane is extremely fragile. When you are outside, if the membrane was torn by something, there’s a possibility that you might instantly become a dried elf. After that, some randomly passing green titans might just pick you up and eat you.”
“That’s right, you didn’t read it wrongly. You will be eaten! Those goddamn green-skin monsters recently treat eating elves as a hobby. Over here, I have strongly placed an emphasis on this player named ‘G, you are too beautiful!’. If it wasn’t for him, this situation would never have occurred. A female player who chose the wood elf race cried while asking why they would eat us. Those green-skinned beasts actually told her straight to her sobbing face without feeling any embarrassment at all that she smelled too fragrant, they couldn’t control it!”
“Damn! Is this a reason? Eating us and still blaming the fact that we are too fragrant? Is this what a human would say? Up till now, I can still recall when I was lying on the ground just a breath away from death. That bunch of green-skinned beasts surrounded me and completely ignored my pleas, acting like a bunch of dogs waiting to gnaw at a bone, waiting for me to die from being dried out! F***! If the rules didn’t permit them from harming allies, I most probably would be eaten alive by them. When I think of that, this daddy’s goosebumps would all come out.”
“I’m reminding female elf players who just entered the ‘trap’. You absolutely must not head to places too far from the base. If not, once your protective membrane breaks, you will become a dried elf and might end up being eaten by others. Believe me, no matter how pretty your voice is, those beasts would definitely eat you.”
“Naturally, there are also advantages to being an elf. The amount of work you need to do is more relaxed, there’s no need to lug huge stones and rocks bigger than your body everywhere like those green-skinned beasts. At most, you only need to use your mental energy to carefully protect your crops and you will innately know what to do due to your innate racial talent. Sometimes, you will also be tasked to breed animals. In any case, all your tasks require you to be meticulous, and in truth, this race truly suits the girls more.”
With regards to Developers:
“Lastly, the Developers is the least popular job in the game currently. Many players who chose this accidentally are all making a big fuss wanting to change their race. But sadly, there’s an iron rule in the game – your race is fixed forever! So, I must warn future players that you all must choose carefully.”
“The abilities of Developers are very unique. It seems only your brains have evolved, and your computing and brain operating capabilities will be improved. You can control some precise instruments, and your work resembles workers at an assembly line. Many people would feel very bored by it. Naturally, you can also choose to calculate the energy analysis of the Fire Ant Mine, but one would need very good mathematical abilities before they can do so. For those who do this job, they can obtain very good rewards from the overlord and high contribution points. There’s a female player named ‘Raingirl No Melons’ who is a top student in real life. She has already improved the computing methods of over ten types of energy instruments. Right now, her glory points are in the lead, more than three times compared to the second place! One cannot help but say top students would do well no matter where they are!”
“But many green titans said that they don’t feel envy. How can computing things be more fun than mining? Everyone is here to play a game, what’s the meaning of still doing mathematical questions in a game? So, for all future players who are not keen on doing research, you best not choose this race.”
With regards to the combat system:
“Currently, everyone in the game is simply working and producing something, there are no requirements for combat yet. Also, I’ve not seen any health bars and mana bars yet. As to how combat would look like, no one knows for now. We can only wait for more content to be released before I can tell everyone. But many green titans would privately fight with each other. There are no skill trees, only punching and kicking around, but they look extremely impressive when their fists meet each other’s flesh every time. Their fights are much better to watch compared to some virtual action movies!”
“Unknowingly, I’ve already written so much. I basically wrote out what I thought and if there are any places lacking, could I request some brothers and sisters in the base to fill it in? Alright, I’ll go to sleep now. Because the game has a 100% physical sensation factor, you will feel extremely fatigued after you go offline. After I rested enough, I still have to head back online to do farming. Everyone, good night!”
There was a number of comments under the post:
[Wow, the screenshots from these people, are they real? Why do the characters feel as though they were real people with special make-up? Is the sense of realism so strong?]
[Damn, why must we queue to enter the game? If I go offline now, how long must I wait before I can continue playing? The rubbish production team, can’t they buy some better servers?]
[The comment above mine, I can tell you’ve never played the game before just from reading it. Those who signed the contract can instantly enter the game, alright?]
{A rubbish game, you don’t even sell VIP slots and want everyone to queue up fairly before they can play? Do you know that you will lose players that are from the affluent second generation like me?]
[Quickly let me enter the game, I’ve been queueing for a month!!!]
Xiye read all the content in one shot, and after that, there was a strange expression on his face. From the content in the post, there actually wasn’t a single person who suspected that this game was a scheme? The majority of people wouldn’t mind spending all their time and fortune just to work for him in the game…?
This stupid idea suggested by lousy A.I. was actually so feasible?
It seemed like he was temporarily safe, but he still had to think of danger in times of safety and quickly develop some military strength…