In the office, only Lucas and Hector were left. Lucas shut down the first demo of Minecraft and opened the earlier design documents.
This part was about Minecraft's crafting and tech systems.
Thanks to the technology of this parallel world, things that were hard to achieve before could now be solved.
They could be built directly into the game itself, without relying on mods as a workaround.
Just like redstone tech, by using different materials and tools, you could put together parts and control units, then add a matching model shell, making it move in the game.
The most direct example in the game was that you could really build a car, not just use redstone to make a minecart.
"But Lucas, isn't this way too complicated? Can players even handle this part?"
"And just parts and control units alone are already kind of limited. This redstone tech thing feels way too complex." Hector scratched his head as he spoke.
Just looking at it gave him a headache.
"Don't underestimate players. They're stronger than you think." Lucas smiled after hearing Hector.
"Besides, I don't plan to dump everything on them at once. We're only working on this system during development. The first version for players won't include it yet." Lucas explained.
Content can be rich, but you can't throw everything at players all at once, trying to show them how much there is.
It's like when you start a game and want to clear all the side quests, but the moment you open the map, you see endless question marks everywhere, making it look impossible.
That actually pushes people away. Instead of showing off how much content there is, it ends up scaring players off.
And as for Minecraft, the game didn't just grow because of official updates, but thanks to the huge community of players who loved it, shaping the game's environment together and creating its unique success.
So for Lucas, future promotion and content reveals were more about sparking ideas in players—helping them realize "oh, you can do this too," and then encouraging them to try it out.
Get the raw materials ready—sand, cement, steel.
As for what kind of building they'd end up making—
That was up to the players themselves.
Whether through extended mod systems or the main game content.
Because "creation" was the true core of Minecraft.
.........
Development of Minecraft was going very smoothly. The game's content itself wasn't a problem. After all, in his previous life, it was made by just one person, so making it now wasn't hard at all.
For Lucas, the real challenge was figuring out how to let players create mods more easily and freely.
That part was slowly being solved through constant testing.
By late November, Minecraft had mostly taken shape, though it was still far from a finished product.
Lucas was also talking with Ethan's operations team about what kind of strategy to use for promoting Minecraft.
Unlike Don't Starve, Minecraft's strategic importance was on the same level as Dark Souls.
But things were still in the discussion stage—it would take time before the plan was decided and put into action.
In the office, Lucas checked the time, shut down his computer, and walked out.
In the lounge, he saw a group gathered around, trying out Minecraft.
Since it was still in development, company staff were the test players for now.
"Haha, Anna, is this your house? Hahaha!"
Rachel burst into laughter from the crowd.
Then Hector, Edward, and the others all laughed too, filling the room with a cheerful mood.
"Haha, Anna, unbelievable!"
"Nothing but respect for you, Anna!"
Hearing the noise, Lucas went over to take a look.
On Anna's screen, there was a house made of wood. From a distance, it looked like a giant cube. The funniest part was that it was completely sealed off, with just a wooden door at the front, and both sides of the door stuffed with torches for lighting.
Inside the house, the style was all raw wood, very natural.
The furniture was clearly simple—just a crafting table, a storage chest, and a bed in the corner. Nothing else.
Well, except for four torches stuck on the walls, answering the call for energy saving.
At first, Anna had felt pretty good while building it.
But after hearing everyone's comments, she walked around the house, taking a closer look, and even she started to feel something was off.
The more she looked, the more it seemed like a matchbox.
And with those torches inside, it even had the vibe of a prison cell.
The look of it really was a bit embarrassing.
Of course, that's what she thought inside, but on the surface, she kept calm.
"A house under construction—how good could it look? It's just like making a game. The one I'm playing now is an unfinished test version, so naturally my house is also a test version!" Anna argued, trying to sound logical.
Then maybe worried it wasn't convincing enough, she added: "And honestly, it's not that bad. No leaks when it rains, no drafts in winter. Sure, it looks a bit rough, but it's sturdy and practical."
Watching Anna keep defending herself, Lucas, who had been silent, finally couldn't hold back: "Come on, test versions of games don't deserve that blame! This one's too ugly to excuse."
"Originally I planned for all of us to build some structures later, to guide players and show off the game's unique features. But I don't think you're fit for that job anymore."
Lucas had a plan: the team would work together to build some classic structures and character statues.
For example, iconic buildings from Dark Souls, like Firelink Shrine and other memorable places.
While most of the work could eventually be handled with a special building tool Lucas planned to make, there would still be many parts that needed to be done by hand.
It could also serve as a way to promote the game.
But looking at Anna's little black-box building that looked more like a prison cell, Lucas felt like maybe one less employee should take part in this building plan.
"Ahem, so Lucas, when are we putting the game online?"
Hearing Lucas talk, Anna quickly glanced at the dark little box on her screen, shut the game down without saving, and hurriedly changed the topic.
"There are still a few things missing, but it's basically ready. Unlike before, this time we'll run a small-scale test after New Year's Day, mainly to see player feedback and check for any problems with the experience that need fixing," Lucas said after thinking for a moment.
(End of The Chapter)
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