Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Issuemaker
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At Daeri Son Seokjin's sudden call, I immediately headed down to the first-floor lobby.
There, I spotted Daeri Seokjin hiding behind a pillar near the company entrance, anxiously glancing around.
He looked like a nervous meerkat, which was a little amusing.
“Daeri Seokjin, what’s up?”
“Ah, Gwajang Hyunsoo—no, PD, my apologies. I’m just so used to your old title.”
“No, no. Don’t worry about it. Why the sudden invitation to lunch?”
“Well, there were just a few things I wanted to talk to you about.”
We found a table at a relatively quiet Italian restaurant nearby.
After ordering a pizza and a pasta, I took a sip of the cola that arrived first and asked my question.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Um, well, do you happen to know a PD named Lee Hyeonho?”
“I know him well. Why?”
“I heard from a friend in HR that he and Bonbujang Seo Donghyuk are trying to suppress you.”
Judging by his reaction, it seemed the rumors were already circulating within the company.
“Ah, so that rumor has reached your ears too, Daeri Seokjin?”
“Oh, you already knew?”
“Of course. I’m the one involved, how could I not know? So, is that all there is to the rumor?”
He hesitated at my question before speaking again.
“Well, some people are just grabbing their popcorn to see who wins. Jo Hyunsoo, the PD of artistic merit, versus Lee Hyeonho, the king of sales… Since you’re both so famous, you see. There was even a fight about it on Blind.”
As they say, the greatest entertainment is watching other people fight.
With a rumor like this spreading, it would be stranger if the entire company wasn't interested.
“Jo Hyunsoo, the PD of artistic merit? Is that what people are calling me?”
“Yes… not that I necessarily think that way.”
When I asked back with a wry smile, Daeri Seokjin scratched his cheek, looking uncomfortable.
“What to do. I have no intention of stopping there.”
“Pardon?”
“This project I’m working on, POD—I’m not just aiming for artistic merit. I’m going to prove myself in both artistry and sales. And I’m going to make people realize that PD Lee Hyeonho’s methods are wrong.”
The words spilled out, laced with confidence.
Someone like Lee Hyeonho, who treats his subordinates as mere consumables and sees the culture of gaming as nothing more than a cash grab.
And the atmosphere of an industry where people like him have become the mainstream.
‘The God Game Maker ability came to me so I could change this atmosphere.’
A market that inertially churns out cookie-cutter games, exploiting the passion of developers and the money of users.
To change it, I have to achieve a complete victory over Lee Hyeonho, the very symbol of this problem, without showing a single weakness.
I’ll start by changing NB Soft from the inside, and from there, I’ll trigger a change throughout the entire Korean gaming industry.
It was a grand and ambitious dream, but I was confident I could somehow make it happen.
“So, on Blind, who do they think will win?”
“Umm.”
Daeri Seokjin wore a troubled expression before slowly opening his mouth.
“The opinion seems to be leaning toward PD Lee Hyeonho. He’s worked on a lot of titles, and despite the bad reviews, his sales figures have always been consistently good… Plus, I heard his new team is nearly 100 people strong. They’re apparently hiring a ton of experienced developers.”
In a way, it was only natural.
The essence of a company is to make money, and though Lee Hyeonho might be scum, he excelled in that area.
If he was making a large-scale mobile MMORPG, it was expected for NB Soft to invest that much manpower.
But I wasn't afraid of such an opponent.
“Oh, is that so? That sounds interesting.”
“What part of it is interesting? Isn’t this bad news for you?”
“My team is made up of only ten people, all with little experience, right? If a team like that beats a super-team assembled by a famous figure like PD Lee Hyeonho? That creates a dramatic narrative for me and my team. The stage is being set for me to reach my goal even sooner.”
Hearing that, Son Seokjin’s jaw dropped slightly as he nodded in astonishment.
“I’ll be cheering for you, PD Hyunsoo. I believe you can do it.”
“Thanks. I hope it all works out.”
A brief silence fell. To change the mood, I switched the topic.
“By the way, how is the Phoenix project going?”
“Ah, yes. Pateujang Go Yeongmi is still being a pain in the ass, but…”
“Isn’t PD Gwangseok covering for you?”
“He is, but that’s just made the harassment more subtle.”
No matter how much a superior helps, a middle manager can always find ways to torment their subordinates.
Go Yeongmi was especially skilled in that regard, so Daeri Seokjin must be having a hard time.
“Should I have a word with PD Oh Gwangseok?”
“No, it’s alright. This is something I have to overcome myself.”
I’d offered because I felt responsible for the situation, but he just shook his head.
It was a maturity I hadn’t seen in the old Son Seokjin.
“Still, I hope you succeed, PD Hyunsoo, so the company atmosphere can change a little.”
“I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
“Yes, I’ll be cheering for you.”
I smiled as we talked, and the atmosphere lightened as our conversation continued.
We chatted about all sorts of things, from games we’d played recently to stories about company life.
“By the way, rumor has it that Sajang Oh Geoshin was full of praise for your project. Could you tell me a little about the overall story?”
“Ah, right. I haven’t told you yet.”
Daeri Seokjin showed blatant interest in POD’s story.
I summarized the core plot and its related systems for him.
And then.
“Oh! Combining the painters’ reliance on substances like absinthe with a potion system… that could create a lot of interesting narrative elements!”
“Right? I also think how we execute that point will be crucial.”
Daeri Seokjin quickly grasped my intentions for the project and started talking.
Thankfully, he seemed quite intrigued by the POD project himself.
“Oh, and for that episode with Gauguin, it might be interesting if you added an idea like this. I heard Gauguin was a real mess when it came to his relationships. What if you represented that as a type of dream? For example…”
He didn’t stop there, either. He began pouring out his own ideas for the game.
Some of them were quite usable, and others gave me points to consider. It was definitely helpful.
‘Daeri Seokjin, it was worth teaching him.’
Seeing him grow so much after just a few months of guidance, when only last year he’d been so clumsy, filled me with a sense of satisfaction.
I’d also heard that the scenario for the Phoenix project had been receiving high praise since I worked on it.
Daeri Seokjin had now become a full-fledged planner, one who wouldn't be outshone anywhere, with his own philosophy on scenarios and concept planning.
“Lunch is on me. Daeri Seokjin, you can get coffee on the way up.”
“Ah, yes! Thank you for the meal, PD.”
We finished our meal and headed up to the office, each with a cup of coffee in hand.
Daeri Seokjin, who worked on a lower floor, got off the elevator first, bowing his head to me.
“Well, take care, PD.”
“You too, Daeri Seokjin.”
Just then, God Game Maker displayed a system message.
<<Your understanding of Daeri Son Seokjin has increased dramatically!>>
- Is being harassed by Pateujang Go Yeongmi.
- Son Seokjin’s story is being well-received by the team.
.
- Son Seokjin holds deep respect for you and your desire to change the gaming industry's atmosphere.
I read the messages in his understanding window with a pleased smile.
It was time to start running like crazy again, to live up to the respect and expectations he had for me.
****
A few days later.
[Bonbujang Shin Chihwan: Hyunsoo, the Sajang gave the okay. Looks like the first deliverable will be due by the end of March. Up to Chapter 2. But make sure the structure is solid so they can't find any faults with it.]
[Me: Thank you. The Sajang has a difficult personality; you must have gone through a lot.]
[Bonbujang Shin Chihwan: Don’t even get me started. I nearly died. I’m blue in the face from repeating the explanation over and over to get him to understand.]
[Me: Did you mention that we need to secure the IP?]
[Bonbujang Shin Chihwan: Of course I did! ‘We have to secure the IP for the company’s future!’ I must have said that at least ten times, even after he said he got it.]
Bonbujang Shin Chihwan had delivered news of his victory.
It was obvious how much he must have struggled to persuade the stubborn Sajang Oh Geoshin.
[Bonbujang Shin Chihwan: Anyway, the schedule is fixed now, so get to work like a madman.]
[Me: Roger.]
The moment Shin Chihwan finalized the schedule.
<>
[Main Quest / Getting the First Button Right]
- The first submission date for POD has been set. The bigger the task, the more important it is to get the first step right.
- Solidify the foundations of the system and story during this period to pass the first submission.
(1) Clear Conditions: Submit the first build by March 31, 2021 / Achieve a build evaluation of A+ or higher
(2) Success Rewards: Experience / Clear the ‘A Perfect Start’ achievement upon reaching S+
(3) Failure Penalty: Decrease in morale for all team members
(※. Clearing this quest will grant you Level 10! A new feature will be unlocked at Level 10!)
‘Just as I thought, a quest appeared.’
The minimum clear condition is A+, and hitting S+ will clear an additional achievement.
‘I’ve never managed an S+ before, but with this much time, it’s definitely worth a shot.’
Now that it’s come to this, I obviously have to aim for an S+ clear.
Since Shin Chihwan had fought with the Sajang to secure us ample time, I needed to deliver results worthy of his effort.
‘And reaching level 10 unlocks a new feature. I’m looking forward to that.’
Besides, it seemed a new feature would be unlocked at level 10.
I didn’t know what it was, but I felt a sense of anticipation.
[Me: Pateujangs, I have something to share. Let’s have a quick meeting in the conference room.]
[Gwajang Heo Yuri: Yep!]
[Gwajang Jeong Yosep: On my way.]
I immediately called the pateujangs and explained the detailed schedule and the goal of the first deliverable.
“Up to Chapter 2 by the end of March? The timeline is more reasonable than I expected.”
“I know, right? I thought they’d tell us to churn out at least four or five chapters.”
The two pateujangs reacted with some surprise.
Companies usually set tight schedules and expect their employees to exceed them.
But receiving a schedule like this was clearly not a normal situation.
“It’s the result of our great Bonbujang Shin Chihwan fighting for it.”
“Ahh.”
“In return for this generous schedule, however, I want our first deliverable to be perfect. Especially the scenario, graphic concepts, and program architecture—I plan to lock them down so perfectly that they won’t need to be changed later.”
At my words, the two of them nodded as if they understood my intention.
It was about laying the strongest possible foundation with this first submission.
Therefore, we needed to work on this build with the utmost care.
“I’m going to start on the documentation tomorrow. From then on, you two will have frequent meetings with me, so please factor that into your scheduling. Also, have the developers bundle their completed sections and report the results to me periodically. I’ll provide written feedback each time.”
Planning, graphics, programming, and endless feedback and revisions.
It was time to enter the slugfest—the heart of game development.