Chapter 195 Super cool engine features
When an unknown bug appears in a game and has a devastating impact on the game environment, a normal developer's first thought is to fix the bug.
Huang Wenjun is no exception.
But when he tried to troubleshoot and fix the bug, he was shocked to find that the bug had little to do with the game itself, but was a feature of the engine.
This may be difficult to understand.
In other words, let’s take the common Origin engine as an example. This engine has a well-known feature: extra acceleration!
When you keep moving and rotate the perspective at a constant speed and cooperate with A/D input, you will get an acceleration value based on the rotation of the perspective...
This is also the root cause of many games developed based on the Origin engine, which can achieve various unique practical skills such as aerial acceleration, aerial changes of direction, and abstract movement jumps.
This is a characteristic of the engine itself and has little to do with the game itself. Therefore, the same technique, even if it is a different game, will most likely be usable as long as it is the same engine.
And Huang Wenjun is encountering the same problem now!
The bug reported by players has nothing to do with the "Legend of Kuafu" game he developed. It is entirely a built-in feature of the engine.
Although he didn't quite understand why the characteristics of the Tianba engine were so abstract, it was indeed the engine's problem.
[A letter to all players of "The Legend of Kuafu":]
[Since the game was released, sales have exceeded 300,000 copies. Thank you very much for your support! In response to reports from some players about abnormal bugs in the game, we would like to reply here. 】
[After investigation, this bug is not a regular game bug, but is caused by the characteristics of Tianba engine. The problem has been fed back to Tianba Studio...]
Huang Wenjun is very honest.
He always said what he had to say, and immediately issued an announcement saying that the problem was being solved.
However, because the bug originated from the Tianba engine, he has no way to solve it. He is actively communicating with Tianba Studio and hopes that players can wait patiently.
Players who were originally excited and clamoring for refunds suddenly stopped when they saw the update announcement.
His attitude has become much gentler.
"Look, I said this was Brother Ba's problem, but you still didn't believe it. Do you believe me now?"
"Brother Ba? That's okay!"
"I wouldn't believe it if it were any other engine, but if it's the Tianba engine, it seems quite reasonable?"
"Have you all been PUAed by Brother Ba?"
"It's not that I'm PUA, but it's pretty cool to chase Kuafu! Anyway, I like it. I have to use up this sun today..."
After the update announcement was issued, Huang Wenjun was unable to react to the players' response.
What's going on?
Why did those people who were so angry and clamoring for refunds change their faces instantly when they heard that the problem came from the Tianba engine?
Brother Ba really has such great magic power, and has PUAed so many people, so that they can willingly accept and recognize this kind of bug?
"Is there a possibility that this is not a bug?"
After receiving Huang Wenjun's message, Chen Ba responded immediately: "This is a super cool engine feature. Next-generation AI game engines are like this. It's rare and strange, right?"
Huang Wenjun: "..."
Glancing at the reply Chen Ba personally sent to him, he knew for the first time that there was such a characteristic of the game engine.
What a great experience!
The characteristics of other people's game engines can at most create some surprises for everyone, but the Tianba engine is better. This is not a surprise but a shock.
"Impressed!"
Huang Wenjun replied with a thumbs-up emoticon, and then silently complained in his heart: "If you use this broken engine, I will be a dog!"
What the hell?
After working in the industry for so long, he has never seen such an abstract game engine. A bug of this level cannot be called a bug, but an engine feature?
Turtle!
Who dares to use your engine?
…
Chen Ba, who was far away in Jiangning, didn't know that a game developer he had finally deceived was about to be scared away by the "magical characteristics" of the Tianba engine.
However, he also knows that if the response to "The Legend of Kuafu" is inappropriate, it may really scare away many developers.
Don't, don't go!
Tianba engine is really easy to use, believe me! This is just a small accident, it's really not a big deal...
In order to appease the majority of developers and make them believe that Tianba Engine is a reliable game engine and that this time it was just an accident, Chen Ba quickly published a short essay.
The essay is very long.
The general meaning is that Tianba engine version 1.0 is not stable enough and will continue to be updated and improved in the future.
This engine does have many exclusive features, but these features are like easter eggs and cannot affect the power of this engine.
Quite the opposite!
It is precisely because of this unique engine characteristic that the Tianba engine can be called a powerful engine.
Balabala said a lot, and with the guarantee that subsequent updates and engine features would not affect the game itself, he finally stabilized the developers.
certainly!
The main reason why these developers can be stabilized and prevent them from running away collectively is because the Tianba engine is really easy to use, convenient and trouble-free.
After using this engine to develop games, I always feel uncomfortable when using other engines. Perhaps this is the so-called transition from frugality to luxury, but transition from luxury to simplicity is difficult!
The same goes for Huang Wenjun.
Although he felt that the Tianba engine was abstract and strange after experiencing it once, he had to say that it was indeed the best game engine he had ever used.
Chen Ba may be full of lies, but he at least told the truth, that is, there is no substitute for Tianba engine for many independent game developers!
Independent game developers are usually one person or a small team of several people. They use other engines to develop a game. How can Tianba engine be so easy and fast?
Therefore.
Although Huang Wenjun had a bad first experience, he was still willing to believe in Brother Ba and the future version 2.0.
To this end, he also gave the Tianba Engine Amway to other friends he knew, who were all independent game developers...
"Don't worry, the sky won't fall!"
Regarding the fact that Huang Qing, Yang Dong and others were worried about whether no one would dare to use the Tianba engine, Chen Ba said they were overly worried.
Everything has two sides.
You can't just look at the bad side, and you can't just look at the good side. It needs to be combined to make the most fair judgment.
Is the Tianba engine bad?
Looking at the game "Legend of Kuafu" alone, it is indeed terrible. After all, the game is not very well done, and it also reveals such weird and abstract engine features. Who is not scared after watching this?
But it would be too one-sided to conclude from this that the Tianba engine cannot be used or is difficult to use.
Again!
For independent game developers like Huang Wenjun, once they experience the Tianba engine once, it will be difficult for them to give up using it.
"Why?"
Xiao Lu scratched his head and asked: "Our engine has features, and these features will cause various strange bugs in the game. Aren't they worried?"
"Worry!"
"But if you are worried, it will not affect their continued use of the Tianba engine."
Chen Ba explained: "Because the Tianba engine is so easy to use, they can ignore this shortcoming or hidden danger."
Typically the pros outweigh the cons!
In fact, Chen Ba himself has the same mentality. When he develops a new game, doesn't he worry about the bugs that will appear in the new game?
Definitely worried!
But it would be unrealistic for him to completely abandon the Tiehanhan system and develop a game independently because he is worried about this situation.
As long as the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, it is acceptable, and the Tiehanhan system will cause a lot of trouble. As long as the benefits it brings outweigh the troubles, Chen Ba will not give up eating because of choking.
This is especially true for Tianba engine.
The claim of the next-generation AI engine may be slightly exaggerated, but compared with the engines of other competitors on the market, the Tianba engine is not generally easy to use and trouble-free.
With this advantage, there is currently no better substitute.
Therefore, many independent game developers know that Brother Ba has evil intentions and the engine he launched has great flaws, but they still use it when it should be used.
Moreover, didn’t you listen to what Brother Ba said?
This is only version 1.0 of Tianba engine. There will be versions 2.0 and 3.0 in the future! The days are definitely getting better and better...
"That's true!"
Huang Qing analyzed carefully: "A game engine that is powerful enough and convenient and easy to use is indeed very tempting."
It doesn't matter if this engine has a ridiculous feature.
Ease of use is the way to go!
As for using this game to develop games, will there be any problems? Or is it acceptable to follow the old path of "The Legend of Kuafu"?
After all, no one is blind...
Before the bug appeared in "Legend of Kuafu", its popularity was quite low, and the number of people discussing it and the sales of the game were not high.
But since "Kuafu Zhuri" became "Rizhu Kuafu", the popularity of the game has obviously increased a lot, and sales have almost doubled.
If the game bug is caused by the characteristics of this engine, then everyone can indeed accept it.
"Then here's the problem!"
"In our Tianba engine version 1.1 update, do we need to eliminate this engine feature?"
"unnecessary!"
Chen Ba rolled his eyes.
Xiao Lu really dares to say that! He also eliminated the engine feature. If he could eliminate this feature, "Hanchuang Kudu Simulator" would not become "Cow Herding Simulator".
Don't even think about this kind of thing.
At least he doesn't have this ability, and apart from him, other people in the studio can't even understand the core code, which is even worse.
"By the way, Mr. Chen!"
Yang Dong seemed to have thought of something, raised his eyebrows and said: "Does "Global Evolution" have a companion DLC?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
At the beginning, even "Fast Rush" had accompanying DLC. As a 3A game, "Global Evolution" did not have accompanying DLC, which was a strange thing.
The DLC content is very simple.
There is one more map, which is equivalent to a different space. This new map will have many contents that are not included in the main body, such as new BOSS and new side plots, etc.
Chen Ba was very curious, why did Yang Dong suddenly mention this? Is there anything wrong with this DLC?
"There is no problem with DLC, but there is a problem when combining DLC with the main body!"
Yang Dong explained: "The environment of the main game is now very harsh. The number of players who have evolved into BOSS is twice that of ordinary players."
The greatest pleasure of these players who have evolved into BOSS is to torture normal players.
How can normal players stand it?
But they either don't push the plot or go to the wild. As long as they push the plot and go to the wild, they can't escape the clutches of the devil.
It wasn't until someone discovered that the accompanying map DLC could actually become a shelter that normal players were relieved.
As long as you enter the new DLC map, these players who have evolved into plot level bosses will not be able to enter and will not threaten normal players.
Normal players can silently develop and accumulate strength in this map, return to the normal big world map, and show these players who have evolved into level BOSS what the horror of "numerical crushing" is.
BOSS players are very dissatisfied!
what? Normal players bought the DLC, and BOSS players also bought it!
Everyone has bought the DLC, why can you enter the new map in human form, but cannot enter the level BOSS after evolving into it?
"But they are the BOSS!"
Chen Ba frowned and said: "Forget about the ordinary wilderness BOSS, how can the plot level BOSS run around casually? That would be chaos!"
After evolving into a plot level BOSS, players will lose a certain degree of freedom.
Normally, I can go wherever I want.
That is to say, when you are not interacting with other players, you can run around even in BOSS form.
But once there are other players going through the plot and the level BOSS needs to appear, the player who evolved into the BOSS will be forced to be teleported back to the BOSS decisive battle scene.
This is also where BOSS players are dissatisfied.
They believe that this "fixed scene" mechanism is too rigid!
Why must the battle location be limited to that special scene? Can't we just change places? Can't you choose where to fight?
"Our BOSS's life is also our life, and we also need to be protected! We cannot be restrained and imprisoned, we want to be free..."
The inability to enter the DLC map was just a trigger. Soon countless BOSS players launched a protest, asking Tianba Studio to lift the restrictions on the plot level BOSS.
In the future, instead of players taking the initiative to come to the BOSS when they need to go through the plot, the BOSS can also take the initiative to come to the players. Love that goes both ways is real love!
"Running in both directions..."
After learning the demands of these players, Chen Ba twitched his lips: "Are you sure this is a two-way pursuit and not a one-sided pursuit?"
Leave a way for ordinary players to survive!
The game environment is already very harsh, and we are walking on thin ice every day. If the plot boss can come to us on his own initiative, how can we still play Hammer?
Just surrender!
But having said that, because there are too many BOSS players and too few normal players, many BOSS players are indeed a bit bored, and they must find something to do.
What should I do if there are not enough players to kill?
There are so many NPCs in the game! After all, they have evolved into ferocious beast BOSS, so it makes sense for players to stand in the ferocious beast camp and hunt NPCs, right?
"In the future, the tasks of these BOSS players will not only be to prevent other players from passing the plot, but also to face challenges from various NPCs."
Chen Ba explained: "In other words, if you can't beat the BOSS or pass the plot, you can let NPC help you."
In this way, BOSS players will have no shortage of opponents, and normal players can also pass the plot. After all, if they can't defeat them, they can still use NPCs to help. Who is afraid of whom?