Chapter 784: The Comprehensive Open-World Game

“What is the most important aspect of an open-world game? Freedom? Gameplay? Neither. The most crucial point is the world itself.”

Chen Xu slowly began to speak, looking at the assembled team. He had actually mentioned the core aspects of open-world design many times in previous Nebula Games internal meetings.

“No matter the direction, the most important core of an open-world game is the creation of its world. For example, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the world is shaped by its gameplay: wind makes fire burn brighter, water and iron conduct electricity, and wooden weapons burn when exposed to high temperatures. These elements make players feel the world's realism.”

“This is how the world is created in Zelda. In Red Dead Redemption, the open world is shaped by details, and The Witcher: Wild Hunt relies on a strong background. All of these elements serve to create a world that feels real to the players. So, besides these, what else can make players truly experience the world within an open-world game?”

Chen Xu paused, looking at the contemplative faces of the team before him, then smiled and said, “It is life.”

“Just like the shrines and towers in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players start with very little map coverage. As they explore and discover more cities, they learn about quests through conversations with NPCs in the street or by reading a book. This is the essence of exploration.”

“Similar to Link waking up with amnesia, players and the protagonist learn about the entire world and grow together. This is about gameplay and the game's emphasis on a sense of immersion.”

“Finally, the most important point is to enrich the side quests beyond the main quest. Just like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the main story is deemphasized to enhance the world's immersion.”

Listening to Chen Xu, general directions quickly formed in everyone's minds.

Gameplay-wise, it would be like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where players and new characters grow together through exploration. In terms of content and world-building, it would have a strong background and setting like Red Dead Redemption and The Witcher: Wild Hunt.

A comprehensive open-world game that blends the core elements of both types of open worlds?

Thinking about this, everyone felt a surge of excitement.

“Mr. Chen, what's the name of this new game? And what's its theme?” Qin Yi finally couldn't help but ask.

Chen Xu smiled, clicked on his laptop, and connected it to the projector. A new folder appeared on the large screen:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls was an IP game from Chen Xu’s previous life that spanned over two decades, a game with endless charm.

In his previous life, this series needed only a single image, a piece of music, and a title to drive countless players wild.

It was renowned for its vast and epic fantasy worldview and extreme freedom, allowing players to become completely immersed in a world called Tamriel.

The world-building was immense, and the world itself was incredibly free. It felt as if everyone had their own story, filled with details that made you feel it was a real place.

Especially the Skyrim installment, it was an absolute classic.

Although, due to the technology of its time, it didn't achieve perfection in every aspect, its core development philosophy was impeccable. Later open-world games often showed its influence.

Even a decade later, it remained one of the benchmarks for open-world games that countless developers studied.

However, as time progressed, the game's shortcomings gradually became apparent.

The AI interaction was not high, the graphics couldn't keep up with the times, and the combat system was terrible, feeling like you were swinging at air.

But none of this could obscure its brilliance.

As for the notion that The Elder Scrolls relied on MODs, that was naturally baseless. It's true that the nickname 'Waifu Scrolls' became more popular than The Elder Scrolls to some extent, and some games did achieve greater success due to MODs, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was definitely not one of them. For Old Scrolls, MODs were merely the icing on the cake, not a determining factor in its fate.

From a humble prisoner about to be beheaded, step by step climbing to the Throat of the World, meeting the Greybeards and learning of his destiny, to ultimately confronting Alduin, the World-Eater.

One could say it was a traditional fantasy story.

From a lowly and weak individual, he grew to become the Dragonborn, saving the world.

The entire Province of Skyrim felt like a real world, inviting players to embark on adventures within it.

Along the way, if you killed a bandit, you might find a letter to his wife on his body.

Following the address in the letter, you could even find his wife's home and uncover clues about him there.

Every character, even a common NPC, had their own story.

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, players could, like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, ignore the main quest and do whatever they wished.

Alternatively, they could, like in Red Dead Redemption and The Witcher: Wild Hunt, participate in a grand and epic storyline.

………………

In the meeting room, the core development personnel sat in their respective seats, listening to Chen Xu's explanation.

The basic game settings didn't particularly surprise them, as they were quite conventional.

For instance, the Class and Race settings: the game featured basic classes like Warrior, Mage, Assassin, and Archer.

These were all very traditional.

The only distinct feature was the freedom in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

If players wished, a Warrior could cast powerful magic; an Assassin could wield two axes and charge into a crowd for a kill with no witnesses.

A Mage could wear armor and a greatsword to go toe-to-toe with enemies, and an Archer could sneak behind enemies to perform a perfect assassination with a dagger.

Whether it was effective was another matter, but if you wanted to play that way, you could.

The game also featured an extensive skill tree with skills like Lockpicking, Enchanting, and Smithing.

The only surprising point was that, aside from the main quest, the side quests Chen Xu described were even more elaborate than the main quest itself.

For example, players could participate in the war between the Stormcloaks and the Empire, join the Companions, eradicate the Dark Brotherhood, travel to Winterhold to become the Arch-Mage, or complete quests related to the Daedric Princes.

………………

For Chen Xu, the core storyline and gameplay of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim were already very clear. The remaining task was mainly optimization, as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was not without its flaws.

Firstly, there was the issue of map transitions. Compared to the previous life's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, where opening a door often triggered a loading screen, with more powerful technical capabilities, Chen Xu could make the game much smoother, avoiding such a fragmented experience.

Secondly, the combat feel.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was an ARPG masterpiece, a landmark title, there was no doubt about that. But its combat performance was simply too poor.

Combat effects in the game, especially melee, felt like swinging at air.

Beyond that, the characters in the game were incredibly ugly.

From royalty and nobles, mages and princesses, down to peasants and soldiers, not only were they unattractive, but the appearances of most NPCs could even be described as horrifying.

From beginning to end, perhaps only Serana, the beautiful vampire, was easy on the eyes.

Of course, Chen Xu wasn't aiming for extreme beauty, as the setting of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was somewhat similar to the Medieval era. But at the very least, most ordinary people should have human-like appearances.

(End of Chapter) <> ```

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