Chapter 106: Isn't It Normal to Have Negative Numbers in Games?
Sherlock published the Second Beta announcement and received numerous replies from a huge group of gamers.
[Hanlin Privy Council: This is a game that allows you to be great without spending money and spoiling your health. Let's play together. I'll wait for you!]
[Midnight Sprouts: Award me Second Beta Gamer status, and I'll join you.]
[Yaoshun Spirit: Are the newly added servers from Tudou?]
[Violet Snow Inferno: Casual gameplay—carrying bricks, carrying bricks, and overtime carrying bricks. Endearing difficulty—the settings of all veterans and novices will be reset, and they will be badly beaten in the game. No hardship—the gamers will spoil their health after playing. Sunny graphic style—there is no sunlight in the Dungeon. You are lousy game producers.]
[Leather bear in abandoned house: I have Second Beta Gamer status. Do you want to see the gaming capsule? Add my Wechat account ~XXXX]
[Secular Moon: The content posted by the previous gamer is extremely inappropriate. I have blacklisted him.]
[Metal-skinned Ape: I have a dissertation on the day of the First Beta Test. I cannot protect Eternal Kingdom.]
[Sikong Yibin: Be humane, game producers! After changing the Reputation System, we have to play harder and spoil our health! I object... wait, Second Beta Gamer status? Eternal Kingdom is fun. It will not spoil my health]
[Lonely without regrets: Thank you, game producers, for the gaming capsule. I have thought of my game ID. It is called AtNoon. Veteran Peasant, here I come.]
[Peasant: w( ゚Д゚)w Get lost! AtNoon is the name my buddy wanted!]
[Stir-fried Dish Van: Hello everyone, I obtained Second Beta Gamer status. My group is adding members. Please add QQXXXXX. Join me if you are game.]
...
Sherlock looked at the comments on the forum. They were complimenting Eternal Kingdom and adored Sherlock. He was very pleased.
He closed the forum page and accessed the administrator interface of the official website. He looked through the comments of the Second Beta Gamers.
"Gender: Female. Age: 20. Reason for applying: I am willing to sacrifice ten years of my deskmate's life in exchange for Second Beta Gamer status!"
Sherlock looked at the particulars of the applicant and clicked on the next one:
"Gender: Male. Age: 19. Reason for applying: I have liver cirrhosis."
"Gender: Male. Age: 20. Reason for applying: I lost my hands."
"The selected gamers look promising. I have full confidence in the future of Eternal Kingdom," Sherlock said after reading through the reasons for applying, as stated by the selected gamers.
"It's their honor that they're able to help Lord Sherlock fulfill your dream. If 2,000 gamers access the Dungeon, with our current situation, we'll face tremendous strain on resources. Lord Sherlock, do you still have money?" Bru asked.
"The anti-Mana cloth was bought using my Dungeon mortgage. Do you think I have money?" Sherlock spread out his hands and said, "We'll need more anti-Mana cloth to transport the Magical Items from the Ruins. If you want me to provide the Second Beta Gamers with equipment, material, and more NPCs, I'm unable to do that."
"Lord Sherlock, I know this request is difficult for you. If we don't have sufficient preparation, with 2,000 gamers, there might be chaos. If it's due to practical reasons, then I suggest we use the servers to limit the number of online gamers. For example, limit it to 500 gamers and then gradually increase the number..." Bru said.
"It's not necessary," Sherlock said directly.
"Didn't you mention game playability before? If we limit the online gamers to 500 even though we've selected 2,000 gamers, no matter how attractive the Dungeon is, the gamers will complain and rage quit en masse."
"The situation isn't as serious as you think. I believe the gamers will solve the problems by themselves. They are very intelligent and smart, enough so to protect my 20,000,000 Magic Stones with their lives."
Sherlock was very confident in the gamers. He said, "We only need to create order and let them carry bricks peacefully. We also need to provide some gameplay varieties for their entertainment."
"Currently, we only have the Spiders' Lair, which has almost been wiped clean by the First Beta Gamers, an Ancient Ruins, which can be emptied by the Second Beta Gamers within a few days, and the Specter College Instance Dungeon, which can only accommodate 65 teams at most," Bru said.
"Lord Sherlock, we need new areas, Instance Dungeons, monsters, and gameplay varieties. If the gamers are reduced to carrying bricks, they won't be happy."
"Don't worry. I'm already considering these issues," Sherlock said.
"The area around Eternal Kingdom is still unexplored. There are many tunnels and cave creatures. Since the Dungeon was upgraded to Level 2, we'll assimilate the area under the Dungeon's perimeter. The area can be the gamers' entertainment spot in the future. Though there are 2,000 gamers, they are Goblins without basic training. The killing rate of the Underworld creatures is slower than their reproduction rate. The creatures can be the gamers' hunting ground for a short period of time. This area can be opened up after they have emptied the Ancient Ruins. We don't have to worry too much."
"Aren't the Underworld creatures too strong for the gamers? Perhaps, there might even be Magical Beasts..." Bru said with concern.
"Isn't that good? They can be Plot BOSSES and make the gamers happy." Sherlock clapped his hands and said, "After updating the Reputation System, the Reputation Points that were accumulated from carrying bricks will be deducted and driven into the negative zone after death. Without Reputation Points, they can't do a lot of things, so they have to carry bricks diligently. Even the rich gamers will have to join the ranks of the brick laborers. This will form a positive feedback cycle."
"Wait, Lord Sherlock intends to deduct their Reputation Points and make them negative?" Bru was taken by surprise.
"Why? Isn't it a normal procedure? When I play "Anno 1800," my income is always negative. Isn't it normal to have negative numbers in computer games?" Sherlock slapped the table to prove his point.
"This is indeed feasible," Bru replied after some pondering.
There was a knock at the door. Simba, Moroes, Mufasa, and Brainiac appeared at the entrance.
"Come in."
The four NPCs entered consecutively.
Simba asked, "Lord Sherlock, why are you looking for us?"
"Nothing much. It's almost time for salary payment at the end of the month. I would like to discuss your work and talk about the future of Eternal Kingdom." Sherlock beckoned them to sit down, but they looked at the only chair in the room and were dazed.
Sherlock said, "Eternal Kingdom will be recruiting creatures in the next two days, and you'll be busier. Do you understand? Brainiac, do not ask, I know what you're thinking. Just work normally. Good, I'll go through some simple work training. Number one, no matter what the Dungeon servants say, ignore them..."