Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Eclipse
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In truth, RPG was a genre so diverse in its subgenres that calling it just one genre felt like an understatement.
Simulation RPGs, represented by turn-based systems.
Action RPGs, emphasizing real-time combat.
The MMO RPGs that Remus Online was currently challenging.
And if you broke it down further, there were dozens more classifications under the RPG umbrella.
"Our previous title, Soul Hunters, is also classified as an ARPG, after all."
The Soul Hunters game created by Savior was broadly evaluated as an RPG.
"Exactly. That's why there's talk in the industry that releasing a standalone RPG these days is a straight path to failure."
Greg added to my words with spot-on precision.
You could see it just by looking at the twin pillars of JRPGs: Dragon Mission and Last Fantasy.
The traditional turn-based Dragon Mission, with its signature linear storyline, was popular only domestically in Japan and bombed overseas.
Even its domestic popularity was steadily declining.
Meanwhile, its rival Last Fantasy had pursued change by adding diverse systems and introducing 3D graphics for the first time in the series.
As a result, it achieved the highest sales in series history.
"Huck, you're not planning some clichéd RPG, right? Give us the rundown."
Jason and the other founding members demanding an explanation from me already knew I wouldn't make something so predictable.
Their faces showed intrigue at what outrageous idea I'd spout this time.
"The world of Eclipse, my working title, is simple."
Beep.
I finished speaking and pressed the remote for the beam projector I was holding.
Showing was faster than telling, so I decided to reveal the game's world through the screen.
A moment later, a barren landscape like a desert appeared on the screen.
"This is the world where Eclipse takes place."
Eclipse was set on the continent of Destinora, laid waste by endless wars between nations.
A total solar eclipse appeared in the skies over Destinora, bringing magic and monsters to the continent.
As if punishing the foolish humans waging war, the weather began to change, humanity's dominance waned,
and in the end, only six factions remained. That was the core setup of Eclipse.
"The protagonist is a nameless Chronicler. They wander the game world, recording events as they unfold."
For a protagonist navigating this stark yet fantastical world, I chose the class Chronicler.
The player character wasn't just a simple warrior; as a being who recorded and shaped the continent's events, it felt like a fitting name.
"In this world, players roam the continent freely, witnessing and logging events to reach the game's endings."
"Hold on. Freely roam? You don't mean..."
"That's exactly what I mean. Eclipse will feature an open world. But not just any open world— one that changes in real-time based on player choices."
Thud.
Jason slapped his forehead in disbelief at my words.
Similar reactions came from those with game dev knowledge like Jason, Jackson, and Greg.
The rest looked baffled, and frustrated by the confusion, Savior's marketing head Emily quietly asked Scarlett beside her.
"What's an open world?"
"Huck planned this, but he's come with a monster of a task right from the start."
Scarlett lacked deep dev knowledge but had plenty of game insight from her time at Seton and Savior.
She began explaining open worlds to Emily and the exec team.
"If we're separated by a river, how would we meet up?"
"Cross the river?"
"How?"
"Hm... If there's a bridge, cross it. Or take a boat? Worst case, go around."
"That's an open world."
"Huh?"
Emily looked puzzled, but
'That's a sharp explanation.'
To me, it was one of the most intuitive ways to describe an open world.
"Most games limit choices due to hardware constraints. Like putting a broken bridge over that river."
"Then..."
"Players' only option is to repair it and cross. But an open world lets them do everything Emily mentioned."
Emily finally got it as Scarlett finished.
But,
"Is that really so hard?"
She still didn't grasp the technical difficulty, so Rogers answered instead.
"First off, open worlds make player behavior unpredictable. So you embed AI into every map object for object-oriented interactions..."
Rogers grimaced, hand to his temple, horrified even as he explained.
Now it was my turn.
"For that, we need upgraded hardware and advanced AI."
"So that's why you built all those factories and labs in Korea!"
Jason shouted as pieces clicked, grilling me on when I'd hatched this scheme.
"I told you, treat everything Savior does as a stepping stone for games."
I couldn't know exactly since I'd altered the future, but the GameStation 2, roughly two years out,
was nowhere near enough for Eclipse.
'Roughly, it'll need performance between GameStation 3 and 4 levels.'
That required cutting-edge tech, and I'd already laid the foundations.
Acquiring NexGen and 3dfx gave us CPU/GPU design tech, plus factories in Korea to produce them.
Plus, the $100 million AI lab there, Savior's future core.
-Do I really have to go to Korea?
My mentor, Professor Jonathan Roberts, now lab director.
He'd resisted leaving Caltech for Korea at first,
-You're not backing out on our bet, Professor?
Reminding him made him groan into reluctant agreement.
Not without perks, though.
I gifted him the CNN algorithm I'd developed myself.
-What is this...
Scholars divided AI's revolutionary research into five milestones.
Three were published, but the core two were missing, stalling progress.
Handing over CNN data left Jonathan stunned.
He looked like a kid unwrapping birthday toys, eager to experiment.
I'd equipped the Korea lab with world-class facilities for his work, so now it was time to reap returns.
I'd already tasked him with a small policy network for games/robotics—AI for NPC/object decisions.
Completing that would shatter one open-world barrier, a solid investment.
'Essential for future VR games too, so prep early.'
Lost in AI lab thoughts, the founders had recovered from shock, watching warily.
Devs eyed me suspiciously; execs tallied costs.
"Eclipse's core isn't just the open world."
"Not the open world?"
I nodded at Rogers' question.
Precisely, the open world was a tool for my vision.
"Players visit the six faction bases in open-world style, making choices at every turn."
Not a fixed story—real-time changes based on player decisions.
Every choice alters local economy, security, politics; accumulated, they shift the world's narrative branches naturally. That was Eclipse's heart.
"Our game gets to RPG's essence: making players the protagonists who shape the world."
Why skip RPGs from the start?
This.
Savior Quest.
The novel game that sparked my VR dreams as a kid.
I wouldn't make RPGs until its precursor was done.
"Can't we report this as workplace harassment?"
"Go cry to Labor. They'll just tell the IRS these bastards are fat cats and audit 'em."
Eugene and Tom from Savior Games' Dev Team 1 could only sigh.
They'd finally escaped coding drudgery for porting work, enjoying sweet rest,
when a new project dropped from the sky.
-Eclipse Project (Top Secret)
At first, they calmly accepted the new Eclipse docs.
No new Savior title since Soul Hunters nearly a year ago, so it made sense.
But,
"Coding World Shift? They're turning us into code machines again."
"Be proud. Only elite slaves like us can handle World Shift."
Eugene joked bitterly, recalling the docs.
「Eclipse will build a system changing the game world in real-time based on player actions.
To that end, develop a runtime engine to calculate, propagate, and visualize object state changes from user inputs.
Basic system blueprint attached. Dev Team 1: refine into World Shift.
Deadline: 1 year.」
A runtime engine altering the game world live.
Even reading it felt unreal in difficulty.
"If they said build the engine from scratch, I'd quit no matter the pay."
"Impossible. Lucky the skeleton's there; fleshing it out is doable."
Dev Team 1 mourned like a funeral home under the one-year order, but as top-paid talent, challenge burned bright.
"CEO laid the skeleton?"
"Who else? Not even Team Lead Rogers or Jason could."
Obvious who built the World Shift skeleton.
-Who coded this? No need bundling movement logic, anim triggers, SFX in one function. Modularize.
They'd barely finish a program; he'd spot flaws in a minute without looking.
Devs' nightmare.
No one but Seon Woo-hyuk could make that engine.