"Let the players roleplay as Heroes? Does that even count as a 'game'?"
Ghouster might have lived for hundreds of years, but he had only ever seen one "game." In his imagination, even if the Demon King wanted to develop a new title, it would just be an advanced version of the match-three game—a grander, flashier, more captivating version where the world map was twice as big, the levels twice as numerous, and the monetization twice as aggressive.
Faced with the Demon King's sudden reveal of a brand-new concept, the skeleton felt a bit lost.
"I know what a Hero is, my Lord," Ghouster said hesitantly. "And I know a Hero's mission is to save the world. But players roleplaying as Heroes... a Hero is something you either are or you aren't. Can you really 'roleplay' as one?"
"That is the essence of a Role-Playing Game" Lorne explained. "Players can create a character of their own within the game, then control that character as they journey across the continent, find companions, defeat enemies, grow stronger step by step, and finally defeat the Demon King to save the world..."
"Wait, wait! Please slow down, let me write this down!" Ghouster hurriedly fished a battered notebook from his tattered robes and began scribbling keywords with a balding quill.
As he wrote, he muttered to himself.
"Letting players experience the life of a Hero... an experience so close to a real Hero's journey that the emotions generated would be perfect for powering the Dungeon Core! And this game could have a subtle, long-term effect. Nowadays, young humans aren't interested in becoming Heroes anymore. But if they gain an interest through a Hero game, they might actually set out on the path of the Hero and come to our dungeon! I see... you truly are far-sighted, my Lord!"
No, I wasn't thinking that far ahead at all! Lorne shouted internally.
He just wanted to make an exclusive title for the upcoming launch of the Magic Tablets to stimulate sales!
When considering the game's format, he naturally thought of the enduringly popular fantasy adventure RPGs from Earth. While Five-Color Stone Match-3 story borrowed from Earth's mythology—which was alien to the people of this world—the new game should be more "grounded" and use themes familiar to the locals.
The result of this fusion was the Hero's Legend RPG, set right here in this world.
The monsters currently knew nothing about game development. Asking them to create a AAA masterpiece would be like asking a toddler to pilot a starship. Therefore, it was perfect to let them use Hero's Legend as a training ground to familiarize themselves with the game production pipeline.
Lorne would handle the art. He wasn't actually very good at it, so he decided to make Hero's Legend a pixel-art game.
While pixel graphics couldn't compete with 3D titles, they were simple to produce, had low hardware requirements, and possessed a unique aesthetic with a loyal following. Even on Earth, pixel games still held a solid place in a diverse market.
As for the music, that could be left to the Siren. It didn't need to be a masterpiece, just decent.
For the crucial combat system of the RPG, Lorne planned to go with turn-based.
On Earth, many players believed that only real-time action was modern. They thought that if a studio made a turn-based game, they were being lazy or out of touch. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Turn-based and real-time are two distinct formats, neither superior to the other. Turn-based games remained popular on Earth for ages. Those claiming "turn-based is outdated" likely forgot that Poker, Mahjong, and Chess are all turn-based. Countless video games rise and fall, but Chess and Card game never go out of style. If you counted the sheer number of grandpas and grandmas playing digital cards online, their numbers would rival any real-time action game audience.
In the gaming world, turn-based titles like the Civilization series are legendary for being "time-sinks," where players joke about "one more turn" leading to sunrise.
Turn-based games test a player's strategic thinking. Players must assess the situation like a chess grandmaster, weighing pros and cons. Real-time games, by contrast, test hand-eye coordination and split-second reflexes. If turn-based is a "strategic grand play," then real-time is a "sport" pursuing peak immersion and sensory stimulation.
Of course, in terms of pure sensory thrill, real-time action wins.
The reason many players looked down on turn-based RPGs—besides their own biases—was a simple objective fact: some RPG turn-based systems were just poorly designed. In the early days, JRPGs chose turn-based combat largely because hardware couldn't handle anything else. Back then, players were happy with "I hit you, you hit me" because everything was new.
As hardware improved, real-time games had more room to grow, and player expectations skyrocketed. Many studios that started with turn-based RPGs pivoted to survive. Some abandoned it entirely; others tried to mix in real-time elements, creating "Active Time Battle" systems. These changes weren't always successful, sometimes resulting in combat systems that were neither fish nor fowl.
However, there were still studios that pushed the turn-based advantage to its limit. Larian Studios, for instance, even "reversed the clock" by taking the previously real-time-with-pause Baldur's Gate series and making Baldur's Gate 3 strictly turn-based.
Lorne's reason for making Hero's Legend turn-based was simple:
The monsters couldn't make anything else even if they tried!
How could beings who hadn't even grasped the concept of "real-time action" possibly create something like Sekiro or Dark Souls? Better to let them start with the "one swing at a time" classic style.
"I think I understand, my Lord!"
After listening to Lorne's brief introduction and filling over ten pages of notes, Ghouster finally put down his balding quill and nodded.
"But I have one more question: What role does a lowly creature like myself play in your grand plan?"
"Didn't I say? You're writing the script." Lorne crossed his arms and rested his chin on them, feeling a bit weary. "The premise of Hero's Legend is this: A mysterious 'Chronos Turbulence' has appeared, causing famous Heroes from throughout history to arrive in the same era. The player is the only one capable of resisting this turbulence. During their adventure, the player will meet these Heroes, recruit them as companions, and even develop romantic relationships with them. Every Hero will have their own side-quest related to their life story. And in the Gloom Catacombs, you know the history and lore of Heroes better than anyone..."
Ghouster suddenly let out a strange squawk.
"So you're saying that in the game, Lucian 'The Blade of Dawn' could actually become companions with Red Light 'The Crimson Thunder'? Do you have any idea how much historians love to argue over who was stronger? They were born three hundred years apart, so the debate never ends. If they can both be the player's teammates, that would be incredible!"
Dawn, Thunder... I've never heard of these guys, Lorne thought. No one had stuffed a history book of this world into his brain when he transmigrated.
Then again, it seemed people in this world loved "versus battles" and "Who would win" debates just as much as people on Earth. Whether it's digital cricket fighting or Saitama vs. Goku, everyone loves a good hypothetical fight.
"This is the script outline." Lorne handed a thick folder to Ghouster. "Any other questions?"
"Yes, my Supreme Lord!" Ghouster accepted the folder reverently, as if it were a priceless treasure. "Based on my humble knowledge, most legendary Heroes were men. If the player is to develop romantic relationships with them, the gender ratio might be a bit... skewed."
Lorne hadn't really considered that. To keep things simple, many games just set their fictional worlds to be gender-equal, with no restrictions on professions or stats. After all, male players might play as female characters. If playing a female lead meant being inferior, unable to play certain classes, or getting harassed by sexist NPCs, players would just quit.
This reflected how serious gender discrimination was in the real world. This world, much like Planet Blue, had moved from feudalism into an early industrial age. Even the high-tech Planet Blue hadn't fully achieved equality, so this world was likely worse.
Female Heroes in the "Age of Heroes" were far fewer than males. They appeared in legends mostly as companions—or as the ones needing to be saved. It was like asking someone to name ten famous male generals from history—it's easy. Name ten famous female ones, and it gets difficult.
"If you can't find enough female Heroes, it's simple," Lorne said calmly.
"Just gender-swap the male ones."
"...W-what?! My Lord, you mean... turn the male Heroes... into women?" Ghouster wondered if he was hallucinating.
"Why not?" Lorne countered.
If the legendary King Arthur could become a girl, then gender-swapping a Hero in a game was perfectly normal.
"This is a game; it's fiction. Anything can happen. If players get pedantic about it, just say it's a side effect of the 'Chronos Turbulence,'" Lorne shrugged.
In truth, he had another thought he hadn't shared with Ghouster: if Hero's Legend was a hit, he could add a Gacha element in the sequel. He could put all the Hero companions into a summoning pool. The same Hero could even have two different cards—a gender-swapped version and an original version—to make players spend until they cried!
Lorne's words struck Ghouster like a bolt of lightning, echoing through his empty skull.
Those once cold, rigid, and fearsome legendary Heroes... turned into women by a rift in time. After fighting side-by-side with the player through life and death, they fall in love, showing a hidden, bashful side only to the player...
Ghouster didn't know the term "Gap Moe," but in that moment, he felt his entire skeletal frame go soft. His soul felt illuminated by a divine light, soaring toward the far reaches of the universe, reaching a state of enlightenment he had never known.
The gates to a new world had opened!