- Karma's POV -
⟪ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION - Hunter Auto Chess ⟫
Jin Takeda Logged In.
[ Players Online: 2 / 100,000 ]
Good, he hadn't logged out. My first player, my first beta tester, was officially here.
I leaned back in my chair and summoned the developer interface with a thought.
⟪ GAME DEV CONSOLE: OBSERVE PLAYER - JIN TAKEDA ⟫
Instantly, a live feed unfolded in the air before me, providing a third-person, top-down perspective with startling clarity.
"Oh…" I murmured, genuinely surprised. "Jin Takeda is older than I expected. Fifties, perhaps?" His sharp features carried the marks of age and experience, accented by striking white hair and eyes of piercing ice-blue intensity. Every movement he made was precise, controlled, calculated.
Curiosity got the better of me as I closely observed how Jin navigated through the game's menus and interface. It was clear he was familiar with gaming in general, but VR was clearly still foreign to him. Each hesitation, each momentary pause gave me critical insight into areas where I could refine the interface, make it smoother, more intuitive, and easier for new players.
As Jin selected "Find Match" for a quick game, I made a snap decision: I would personally step in to be his first opponent. Not only would it allow me to observe his reactions firsthand, but I could also ensure he had a memorable first impression.
After our match ended, a sudden notification caught my attention.
⟪ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION - MANA RESERVE INCREASED ⟫
That meant Jin had already played for a full hour. I hadn't even noticed the time slipping by while observing him.
"Status, open," I quickly commanded, eager to see the results.
⟪ STATUS ⟫
[Name]: Karma Zilch
[Race]: God
[Divine Hierarchy]: Awakened God I (0/10000 faith)
[Primary Divinity]: ████████ (SEALED)
[Skills]: 0 ↓
[Secondary Divinity]: Game Developer
[Skills]: 6 ↓ {show all}
[Mana]: 0 ⟹ 458
[Faith]: 0
[CP]: 5
I did some quick mental calculations. My mana conversion system was set to utilize 10% of a player's total mana per hour of gameplay, splitting it evenly—half went directly to me, while the other half was reinvested into refining and increasing the player's mana capacity.
Given that I'd just received 458 mana from Jin in only an hour, his maximum mana must be around 9,160. That clearly placed him in the [S-Rank] category, one of the most powerful hunters alive.
An S-Rank hunter… and he was my very first player.
A grin slowly formed on my lips. This unexpected stroke of luck was something I could definitely leverage to my advantage.
As I continued observing my game, a steady stream of new players logged in, providing invaluable data. I closely studied their interactions, noting their excitement, curiosity, and occasional hesitation as they experienced something completely new. A few even decided not to return, likely cautious about the unknown risks.
This got me thinking. How could I earn their trust and convince more people to give the game a shot?
Several ideas quickly formed in my mind. First, I could create official social media accounts for SandBox Entertainment, establishing credibility and offering transparency. Second, I would implement streaming functionality within the game, allowing players and content creators to share their experiences and further boost visibility. Finally, an invitation reward system could incentivize current players to invite their friends, organically expanding my player base.
But while brainstorming these ideas, I stumbled upon a larger question: How should I introduce myself to these players? I wasn't just a game developer I was a god.
Of course, outright claiming divinity wouldn't work. To gain acceptance, I needed a more subtle approach, one grounded in Earth's reality.
I recalled lessons from The Ascendant Hall, particularly about appointing apostles to spread faith. Typically, a young god would contract the strongest mortal within their territory, empowering them to serve as their voice and influence believers.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option for me. My primary divinity remained sealed, leaving me unable to form any divine contracts. Without divine authority, appointing an apostle was impossible.
I pushed aside thoughts of what couldn't be done, instead shifting my focus back to what was within my power, expanding my game's reach as quickly and effectively as possible.
-------------------------------------------
After 24 hours, I decided to check the developer console again, curious to see how my game was performing.
⟪ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION - Hunter Auto Chess ⟫
[ Players Online: 1,556 / 100,000 ]
[ Overall Player Count: 8,468 ]
[ Average Playtime: 2 hours ]
[ Mana per day: 48,675 ]
I stared at the numbers for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief. This was... incredible.
A grin slowly spread across my face. I honestly hadn't expected this level of response—at least not this quickly. It felt surreal, knowing that something I'd created was actually being enjoyed by thousands of people. The reality began to sink in, a sense of pride and excitement washing over me.
Taking a deep breath to steady my excitement, I converted all the accumulated mana into CP. It was time to invest this success back into the game. New features, the streaming functionality, a friend-invite system, and the in-game shop were waiting to be developed.
⟪ STATUS ⟫
[Mana]: 458 ⟹ 49,133 ⟹ 133
[Faith]: 0 ⟹ 490 ⟹ 0
[CP]: 5 ⟹ 54
Seeing that I now had 54 CP which is more than enough to develop all the features I had in mind. I didn't waste any more time. With a determined thought, I activated the Sandbox Domain.
⟪ SYSTEM COMMAND: ACTIVATE SKILL ⟫
[ Using Infinite Sandbox – 10 CP ]
[CP]: 54 ⇒ 44
The world around me shifted, reality dissolving into a familiar white space filled with endless possibilities. Ready and focused, I began working on the new blueprints.
I began with the in-game shop interface, shaping it carefully to ensure a sleek and streamlined design. My goal was minimal interruption, no clutter, no confusion. Every menu flowed intuitively, allowing players to effortlessly navigate and quickly find exactly what they were looking for.
I refined each element, making sure the experience felt smooth, clean, and user-friendly. The shop needed to enhance gameplay, not distract from it.
Next, I tackled the friend-invite system, designing it as a clear, progression-based interface. I structured it into five distinct reward levels:
Level 1: 1 invited player
Level 2: 3 invited players
Level 3: 5 invited players
Level 4: 8 invited players
Level 5 (Ultimate Reward): 10 invited players
Each player received their own unique invitation code, ensuring precise tracking. New players could easily enter this code upon joining, automatically crediting points to the inviter, making the entire process intuitive and rewarding.
After completing the friend-invite system, I immediately began creating the stream integration. My goal was to make VR streaming as intuitive and effortless as possible for players.
I designed an interface where players could easily customize their streaming layout, freely positioning their face-cam display within their stream. I also incorporated a feature that allowed them to seamlessly switch between multiple camera angles and points of view, enhancing viewer engagement.
To make interaction seamless, I added a sleek, unobtrusive chat interface. Players could effortlessly access and interact with their live chat using just a simple thought, ensuring smooth and immersive communication without disrupting gameplay.
With all the interfaces completed, I took a step back to examine my work. Everything looked clean, intuitive, and ready for implementation. Satisfied, I activated the system to calculate the CP cost for blueprint materialization.
In-Game Shop Interface
⟪ BLUEPRINT CREATION SUCCESS ⟫
[ Game Understanding – 100% ]
[ Virtual Reality Understanding – 55% ]
[ Would you like to activate Mindframe Design LV1? ]
[ CP Cost: 3 ]
Friend-Invite System
⟪ BLUEPRINT CREATION SUCCESS ⟫
[ Game Understanding – 100% ]
[ Virtual Reality Understanding – 55% ]
[ Would you like to activate Mindframe Design LV1? ]
[ CP Cost: 3 ]
VR Streaming Integration
⟪ BLUEPRINT CREATION SUCCESS ⟫
[ Game Understanding – 100% ]
[ Virtual Reality Understanding – 55% ]
[ Would you like to activate Mindframe Design LV1? ]
[ CP Cost: 4 ]
[ YES | NO ]
Seeing the cost was well within my available resources, I nodded, ready to proceed.
[ CP Cost: 10 ]
[CP]: 44 ⇒ 34
With the blueprint structure for the game update ready, I moved on to designing the rewards and shop items. They needed to be appealing enough to motivate players to engage more deeply with the game.
I started by creating various cosmetic rewards, adding exclusive Voice Announcers, dynamic Victory Banners, unique Win Streak Effects, immersive Arena Skins, and visually appealing Chessboard Skins to the in-game shop. Each item was designed to enhance player experience, giving them personalized and engaging ways to showcase their achievements and style.
As for the rewards of the friend invite system, I carefully structured each level to progressively offer more impressive incentives.
Level 1: A unique Chessboard Skin, featuring advanced technology complete with holographic elements and intricate mechanical designs.
Level 2: An exclusive Victory Banner, styled with futuristic holographic visuals accented by mechanical components.
Level 3: An immersive Arena Skin that perfectly matches the advanced technological theme, boasting detailed holograms and mechanical textures.
Level 4: A special Voice Announcer featuring a commanding female voice, a refreshing change from the default monotone male voice.
Level 5: The ultimate reward, allowing players to choose one of the five Little Legends, each adorned with a striking Mecha-themed skin, complete with intricate armor plating and glowing mechanical details.
With all the cosmetic items for the shop and the friend-invite reward system finalized, I brought up the system console again and focused on calculating the total cost.
Cosmetic Content
[Voice Announcer Variants: 3]
[Victory Banner Styles: 5]
[Win Streak FX: 5]
[Arena Skins: 3]
[Chessboard Skins: 5]
[Little Legend Skins: 5 (Mecha Variants)]
⟪ BLUEPRINT CREATION SUCCESS ⟫
[ Game Understanding – 100% ]
[ Virtual Reality Understanding – 55% ]
[ Would you like to activate Mindframe Design LV1? ]
[ CP Cost: 4 ]
[ YES | NO ]
I tapped my chin, considering the price. Not too bad for something that could seriously boost engagement.