Chapter 716: Is Mr. Chen, the Mysterious Merchant, Just Messing With You? (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Simple hero operations, the last-hitting and defense tower mechanisms, the synthesis of equipment, the difference between active and passive equipment, as well as area-of-effect skills, non-targeted skills, and targeted skills.

All these basic contents were divided by Chen Xu into phased tutorials, each lasting about two to three minutes.

He practically broke down the knowledge piece by piece, kneaded it, and fed it into the players' mouths. As long as players seriously completed the new player tutorial, they would at least have a basic understanding of DOTA's core gameplay and rules.

After completing each mission, players would receive a special treasure bottle, which could be opened to obtain various hero cosmetics.

After spending some time completing the simple basic content, Zhang Yi currently only had one AI match challenge mission left to finish.

However, he had acquired quite a few corresponding treasure bottles.

And Zhang Yi noticed that the names of these treasure bottles were all different.

Zhang Yi clicked on a particularly golden one, which looked different from the others, and then a row of set items appeared on the screen, rapidly spinning before finally settling on just one.

[Dragon Knight Davion]

“Holy cow, this is the Dragon Knight's appearance from the animation!” Zhang Yi exclaimed, looking at the familiar character on the screen, feeling a little restless.

He had previously wondered why the Dragon Knight and Mirana in this game looked different from those in the animation when he was browsing hero introductions. Apparently, they were made into in-game skins.

“They gave so many good things! I also got an Immortal set for Ogre Magi called Golden Peng's Fortune. I saw it selling for over two hundred Yuan in the store,” Wang Han, who had just finished the new player tutorial, also said in surprise.

“Oh, it seems my Dragon Knight isn't available for purchase in the store yet!” Zhang Yi, following her words, also entered the store, ready to check the value of his Dragon Knight.

He then discovered that this Dragon Knight, referred to as a 'Body and Soul' item, was currently in an unreleased state.

“That's normal, isn't the game still in its testing phase? But it's good that it's a non-wipe test,” Wang Han said, beaming with satisfaction. Besides the Immortal item, she had also drawn other equipment, including two Immortal-tier items.

“They're giving away too many things at the start! And it seems many of these items can't be bought right now. I wonder if they'll be put on sale later,” Zhang Yi couldn't help but exclaim.

“Moreover, this game has a community market where players can trade freely, and some items might become exclusive later,” Wang Han speculated, looking at the store interface.

“So if someone keeps making new accounts, couldn't they farm infinitely? The path to sudden wealth!?” Zhang Yi thought of something.

“Do you think Nebula Games couldn't have thought of something you can? Look at the equipment you drew, these are all untradeable,” Wang Han rolled her eyes.

“But Nebula Games is really generous,” Zhang Yi remarked with some emotion.

Zhang Yi was quite aware of his own luck.

A thousand-year African Twin Chiefs, generally only slightly better than Song Ren.

Although he didn't understand the quality of the DOTA cosmetics, he could still tell the difference.

The sets in the store that cost thirty, forty, or dozens of Yuan looked quite cool, but lacked special effects.

However, the Dragon Knight and Immortal cosmetics he opened not only had altered appearances but also unique particle lighting and skill effects, clearly not on the same level as ordinary ones.

Clearly, DOTA's drop rate for cosmetics from loot boxes, at least for the bottles in the new player tutorial, was not low.

Of course, what Zhang Yi didn't know was that this was all part of the routine.

In fact, Chen Xu had long planned out the game's cosmetics.

Equipment dropped in the new player tutorial was account-bound and untradeable, essentially not disrupting the game's market dynamics.

Furthermore, regarding the initial drop direction, while it appeared random on the surface, there was actually a drop pool.

Most of the dropped equipment was for heroes like Dragon Knight Davion, Tidehunter, Abaddon, Ogre Magi, Wraith King, and Spirit Breaker, who are generally suitable for new players.

These heroes share a common characteristic: without delving into various advanced techniques, their gameplay is not complex, their skills are mostly targeted, and their physiques are very sturdy—truly thick-skinned and robust.

The addition of cosmetics also encourages players to play heroes that have them.

Additionally, just like most mobile games give out a lot of diamonds and seemingly good cards at the start.

This also implicitly increases players' virtual assets. After all, DOTA is a free-to-play game, so how does it retain players at this point?

It relies solely on sunk costs. Time costs can't be relied upon initially, so the reliance is on economic effect costs.

Looking at the Immortal and Arcana-grade cosmetics in their inventory, players might sometimes reconsider leaving the game, wondering if they should play a bit more.

Furthermore, Chen Xu also added new drops to the game's regular matchmaking.

In the previous life, players in regular DOTA matches had a certain chance to drop equipment.

Ordinary sets, individual pieces, or even Arcana items.

However, Valve changed this setting many times, removing it in one version and bringing it back in another.

Chen Xu plans to retain the equipment drop setting, though limited only to ordinary sets and Arcana items, with the drop rate serving to identify the Lucky Kings.

Beyond that is the game's level system. In the previous life, DOTA's trophy level system was essentially a mere decoration with little practical significance.

Considering the time cost of account progression for players, Chen Xu made some modifications: players can gain experience points by playing ranked, unranked, and co-op bot matches, thereby increasing their in-game level.

For every level gained, players will receive a treasure bottle, and there will also be a guaranteed drop mechanism in the backend to ensure that players will eventually obtain an Immortal or Arcana item after playing for a certain amount of time and leveling up. Of course, whether it's a good one or for a hero they want is another matter.

Additionally, after a normal game ends, players can also drop fragments. These fragments can be exchanged for special store items like set cosmetics, maps, courier skins, ward skins, and announcers.

This is another form of progression. DOTA in the previous life also had this tendency, such as the fragments in the Plus membership, but Chen Xu expanded the content purchasable with fragments, adding some better cosmetics.

As for whether this would affect the game's profitability, Chen Xu was not at all worried.

Because these concessions to players, on one hand, require the luck of a Lucky King, and on the other hand, the perseverance of hardcore players.

And a very important point is that these items are a drop in the ocean compared to the depth of DOTA's cosmetics.

Not to mention, with continuous operation, cosmetics will certainly become more numerous later on.

There's also another crucial point: it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance back to frugality.

Once you've experienced the coolness of cosmetics and the splendor of Arcana items.

Watching your favorite and frequently played heroes still in their original default appearance, can you really resist?

And once you can't resist, there will be a second time, and a third. As players continue to experience the game, they will always make secondary and tertiary purchases.

Is Mr. Chen, guest-starring as a mysterious merchant, just messing with you?

(End of Chapter) <>