"Look, this character can actually have more actions, and we can set several more execution moves. Now that our game console can handle more game content, there's no need to be stingy with it. We should push the game console's performance as much as possible," Takayuki said as he stood up, walking behind Yabuki and demonstrating an execution move.
"For example, this kind of execution move. Of course, you don't have to follow exactly my example; if you can imagine even cooler moves, that's even better. Our game pursues realism in some aspects, but it's still a game, and it needs to be cool enough to attract players. Those simple, brutal, and flashy execution moves will be one of our main attractions," he added.
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"Also here, after an enemy is eliminated, I think their weapons should be something the player can pick up and temporarily use. We can set an inventory limit for the character, so that early in the game, the character's equipment isn't enough to handle all the enemies. This will encourage players to make full use of the environment and additional resources to fight. This will also create some pressure for the players, and a bit of pressure can greatly enhance the immersion," Takayuki continued.
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"By the way, we can have more hiding spots. Think about it—where would a special forces soldier hiding in the shadows conceal themselves? Maybe on the ceiling of some buildings or disguised as a box in a corner?" Takayuki suggested.
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...
"Do you understand the concept of feinting? Sometimes, if a patrolling enemy doesn't meet the conditions for a stealth kill, a player who isn't too cautious might think about just going for a head-on fight. But there are also players who get really obsessed with stealth and can't stand not doing it all quietly. We must consider such players, and feinting is one solution. Using things like rocks or environmental objects to make noise and attract soldiers to investigate will give players an opportunity to perform a stealth kill. This will make the player feel like they're completely in control of the situation, and they won't be able to stop," Takayuki explained.
The demo was still an early version.
The stealth mode was relatively simple, but these weren't major problems. These features could be added in later stages.
Takayuki went through the mechanics of the stealth game, referencing the classic modes of previous stealth games like Metal Gear, Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, and Dishonored.
He felt like he could go on and on about all the stealth elements and mechanics from his previous experiences.
Of course, that didn't mean the game was without its issues. The basic structure and rules of the game were already solid, and Takayuki thought it was already a great effort. The team hadn't considered as many stealth features because they hadn't played as many stealth games, which was understandable.
Just look at Mario's jumping mechanics—such a gameplay element had been iterated upon for decades to reach its current state.
If Super Mario had been like Super Mario Galaxy right from the start, there would have been no room for further innovation in jumping mechanics.
Now, the team's overall capabilities were still lacking a bit, but these were minor issues.
Or perhaps, the team led by Yabuki was still missing some flexible development methods.
"President, how do you feel about the overall result?" Yabuki asked after Takayuki finished playing through the demo.
Takayuki had already given quite a few suggestions, and Yabuki was starting to feel a little downhearted.
He hadn't realized there were so many aspects to consider in a stealth game, and he felt like his team had missed a lot.
If Takayuki hadn't pointed them out, he would have thought the demo his team developed was already close to perfect.
Takayuki, of course, wasn't going to crush their spirits. It was normal for there to be a gap between eras, and he understood the differences.
He said, "It's already very good. The suggestions I made should be visible to you all now. They're just expansions on certain features and mechanics. You've already done a great job on the core stealth gameplay. What's left is just to continue coming up with more creative stealth concepts to flesh out the game."
Takayuki stood up with a smile, patting Yabuki on the shoulder. "This time, we're using the GSX console, the most advanced gaming machine of this era. You can fully unleash your imagination. Our gaming console's performance is capable of handling all your needs. I'm more worried that you won't be able to fully utilize the console's capabilities and end up wasting the hard work we've put into developing it."
Yabuki nodded seriously. "You're right, President. We'll start working on a new demo and aim to deliver a satisfying version within a month."
At this point, Takayuki waved his hand. "There's no need to rush too much. Actually, I've just had some thoughts."
"Thoughts?" Yabuki asked, puzzled.
Takayuki nodded. "Maybe we should expand our development team."
"Expand? Do you want to speed up the development process?" Yabuki asked.
At this point, the ten development teams at Gamestar Electronic Entertainment in Japan had at least 500 people each.
To put that into perspective, many other game companies had entire teams that didn't even total 500 people.
But Gamestar had a team of 500 for just one development group. This gave them a huge advantage in game development—they had ample human resources, allowing them to solve problems without overtime, something other companies couldn't do.
Takayuki shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about needing more programmers or level designers. I'm saying we should add some new roles to the development team."
"What kind of roles?" Yabuki asked, immediately pulling out his notebook to take notes.
"First, we need a film director to assist with the project. Of course, we don't need to hire a professional director—someone who has studied directing or a university graduate would be enough. They just need to have solid foundational knowledge. We don't need groundbreaking cinematic techniques."
"Director...?" Yabuki hadn't expected Takayuki to ask for a director.
He was a bit confused but decided to record the suggestion anyway.
"And we also need actual actors for this project," Takayuki added.