Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Hell of Heretics (2)
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The next day, I contacted the team members and called a meeting.
In the center of the office, the image displayed on the projector was none other than materials about G-STAR.
Han Seo-rim was the first to speak.
“What's that?”
Right, it made sense that Han Seo-rim, who had just entered the game industry, wouldn't know.
Especially G-STAR from this period.
An explanation was in order.
I kept it simple.
“G-STAR. Game Show & Trade, All-Round. It's literally a game exhibition.”
It started in 2005 at KINTEX as a national project to promote the development of the Korean game industry.
But it didn't get off to a great start.
It drew in hundreds of thousands of attendees, but that was about it.
Its initial shortcomings held it back.
“It was a festival with clear problems.”
“Problems?”
“At its first event, two major drawbacks tarnished G-STAR's reputation: an over-concentration of booths on online games, and gambling elements.”
Another major incident that came to mind was the excessive exposure of the booth girls.
Well, that issue popped up a few more times later on, so it wasn't unique to that year.
“Because of that start, the event tended to scale down in the following years. It's actually still not that famous among the general public.”
“...Nothing you're saying sounds very good.”
“That was certainly true until last year.”
“So this year is different?”
“It is.”
“You sound just like the manager of a bottom-ranking baseball team making promises at the start of a new year.”
“...”
*Beep!*
I silently switched the screen, displaying a photo of BEXCO.
“Starting this year, the venue is moving to Busan. And it's getting bigger. Most importantly, a massive new title will be participating. The level of interest will be on a completely different scale from previous years.”
For a game exhibition, what ultimately determines the event's success is the hype around the participating games and the name value of the developers.
That was the core of the coming change.
This year's exhibition will feature a new release that's attracting a level of attention incomparable to any previous G-STAR entry.
“Space Craft 2 is participating in G-STAR this year.”
“Oh, that one!”
“I know that game!”
The excitable duo chimed in.
I nodded.
“Yeah, the one everyone plays at the PC bangs.”
In Korea, it's practically a national pastime. Globally, it's considered the one true god of the RTS genre. The sequel to that game will be playable at G-STAR this year.
Its developer, Blizzid, is one of the undisputed titans of the current game industry.
Their participation became the biggest driving factor for G-STAR 2009.
Of course, Space Craft 2 didn't end up being as successful as its predecessor, but that's not relevant right now.
It's not like I'm going there to play it, anyway.
“We have one goal: participate in G-STAR, where the crowds will gather, and promote our game.”
Not just a lot of people, but 'a lot of people interested in games' gathering 'for the purpose of games'.
Even a small booth will do.
At a time when interest in Hellic hasn't yet faded, if we reveal our next game at G-STAR and generate word-of-mouth, we can achieve large-scale promotion without a massive marketing budget.
At that, Han Seo-rim asked another question.
“...I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“It says the event is in November. But can we even finish the game by then? I mean, if we're going to exhibit a game, we need to show a finished product, right? And besides, you said Space Craft 2 will be there. Won't everyone just crowd their booth?”
A good point.
It was exactly what I was about to address.
I held up two fingers.
Then, folding one down, I said,
“First, our purpose for participating in G-STAR is initial promotion.”
“Initial promotion?”
“Yes. Think of it as recruiting town criers who will play our game and spread the word.”
Naturally, the new titles from major game companies will get the most attention at G-STAR.
To be brutally honest, as an indie studio, we're participating to pick up the scraps of attention they leave behind.
But there's no reason to see that as a bad thing.
Indie developers have to be relentless.
If there's a way, you have to be willing to set aside your pride.
“Our marketing strategy is word-of-mouth. All we need is to attract enough people to get them saying, 'I tried that game at G-STAR, and it was fun.' The chance of success is high. Our previous game already achieved meaningful results, so we're in a better position than other small studios.”
Hearing that, Han Seo-rim nodded as if she understood.
I then folded down my remaining finger.
“Now for the second point, regarding the game's completion. This is tied to the reason I called this meeting today.”
I could feel the team's focus sharpen.
I said,
“We'll be submitting a demo version of Hellic 2.”
“A demo...?”
“We'll only show a very small part of the game. Just the core elements, presented concisely, to make people look forward to the full release.”
Of course, we won't limit its release to G-STAR.
First, we generate word-of-mouth.
Then, just as interest in our next game skyrockets,
“We'll release the demo for free on Steam after G-STAR. It's a way to keep the momentum going.”
Just enough to whet their appetites, leaving them thirstier than before instead of quenching their curiosity.
The demo itself will become a promotional tool.
“The demo will consist of the prologue and a part of Chapter 1.”
Just enough for players to understand the game systems and get a taste of the combat and story.
Just enough to make them desperate to play what comes next.
“The main application period is until September. Until then, let's halt all other work and focus solely on developing the demo.”
Time is tight.
But it wasn't entirely impossible.
The development tools were more or less complete.
Character modeling was proceeding smoothly, and for a demo, we wouldn't need to implement all the maps.
We only needed to show the necessary parts.
We could even get away with a certain number of bugs.
Of course, game-breaking errors would be a problem, but the "demo" label helps mitigate some of the frustration over bugs.
“Seo-rim, starting today, I want you to focus on the design for Chapter 1. Yu-mi and Hye-ji, listen well to Seo-rim. I'll pay overtime if you stay past closing, so if you think you'll be short on time, please try to stay as late as you can. I'm counting on you.”
“Yes.”
After giving instructions to the art team, I turned to Jo A-yun.
“A-yun, you have more leeway than the art team. It's May now, so focus on your studies until August. But start thinking about what kind of music you want to create. Same goes for the sound effects. I'll help you with that, so don't worry too much.”
“Yes, y-yes...!”
Instructions for the sound team were done.
*Clap!*
I clapped my hands.
“Alright, that's it for the meeting. Everyone, dismiss and get to work.”
The short-term direction was set.
All that remained was, as always, the grueling process of actual development.
***
The step before the demo is prototype development.
Since we'd finished the system design based on the game plan, it was time to build things one by one and check them off the list.
Of course, with the maps not even properly implemented yet, what I was working on was the implementation of Alice and Nabi, whose models were already finished.
My job for the day was to check if Alice and Nabi moved correctly and performed the right actions for their command inputs.
And then I ran into it.
‘Ah, a bug.’
A damn bug appeared.
It was our first official bug.
On the screen, on a crudely made polygon map, was Alice, who had suddenly grown to be three meters tall in the middle of a jump.
She looked less like a young girl and more like an eight-foot-tall specter. Nabi was just glitching and trembling by Alice's calf.
A throb of pain shot through the back of my head.
But what could I do?
‘...Have to do it over.’
Finding the source of the problem was the first step.
Just as I was about to check the code I'd just written,
“Sir, I'm done.”
Han Seo-rim approached and spoke.
When I looked up, she was holding out a printout.
“Please check it.”
She looked a little tired.
Come to think of it, she'd been determined to finish it today.
Might as well give her some feedback to clear my head.
“Let me see.”
I took the printout and spread it open.
It was concept art for a map.
First was the beach, the tutorial area.
“This is good.”
It was just as I'd imagined.
Honestly, it wasn't a particularly unique area, so I just gave her some references, and I could see she'd applied them well.
The secluded beach scenery, the path leading to the cave, and even the color palette.
“This is approved.”
“Great. Look at the next one.”
Han Seo-rim, her eyes bloodshot, sat down next to me.
Was she not confident?
I wondered what on earth she could have drawn to make the arrogant Han Seo-rim so anxious, but when I checked...
“This looks fine.”
“This?”
“Yeah, it's just as I pictured. This is also approv—”
“Wait, look again. Are you sure it's okay?”
Why was she like this even when I said it was fine?
“What's the problem?”
When I asked, Han Seo-rim's expression turned strange.
It contorted, then relaxed, then she let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her own drawing.
The words that finally came out were,
“I just don't get it...”
“Hm?”
“I mean, come on. I thought about it a lot while drawing this.”
*Tap!*
Han Seo-rim pointed to the middle of the drawing.
“Why is there a flower garden in Hell? And why is the sky so blue? Why is the temple so pristine and white? This looks just like...!”
“Heaven?”
“Yes!”
Ah, so that was the problem.
“It is Heaven.”
“?”
“This is a depiction of Heaven.”
The background for the first chapter adopts the conventional image of Heaven.
An endless, vibrant flower garden, a blue sky with fluffy white clouds, and a temple of pure white marble.
A utopia of absolute tranquility, wherever you looked—that was the concept for the first Hell.
Han Seo-rim's mouth hung open.
“What's wrong?”
“No, no! You said it was Hell!”
“It is Hell.”
“But you just said it was Heaven!”
“It's also Heaven.”
“...Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Do you have any idea how much I agonized over this drawing?”
“...Why don't you tell me?”
Han Seo-rim's eyes flashed.
The words came pouring out like machine-gun fire.
“The setting is Hell, but the references are for Heaven. Based on the chapter description, it's supposed to feel unsettling, but you told me to remove all unsettling elements. So basically, you wanted me to make this scenery feel creepy through atmosphere alone, but huh? I tried and tried and couldn't do it, so I just said 'screw it' and showed you, and now you're approving this picture-perfect image of Heaven?”
Han Seo-rim's fists clenched.
It looked like she was about to launch them.
“I guess my explanation was lacking.”
“About what?”
“The concept for this Hell.”
I tapped the printout.
“What is this place?”
“The Hell of Heretics! Where cultists and the people who create cults go!”
“Right. And what's in the Hell of Heretics?”
“A real god! The Chapter 1 boss!”
“Yes, that's right. You don't get it?”
“What more is there for me to get?”
...At that point in the conversation, I realized what the problem was.
A difference in perception.
I spoke immediately.
“You have to understand the narrative.”
Han Seo-rim's expression turned quizzical.
“The narrative?”
“I told you this was going to be a story-driven game.”
“R...ight?”
“Let's understand the setting from a story perspective.”
I put down the printout and faced Han Seo-rim.
“Put yourself in their shoes. This is a perfectly peaceful Heaven. A utopia where a real, existing god watches over all.”
It is a space with that 'setting'.
The Hell of Heretics is Heaven, and in it sits a colossal god who does nothing but gaze down upon the land.
“But the ones who fall there are heretics. Heretics here, heretics there. So what happens to the ones who fall?”
“...That they were right?”
“No.”
Actions would be easier to understand than words.
I closed my mouth.
I wiped all expression from my face.
Finally, I stopped moving.
“...What are you doing?”
I didn't answer Han Seo-rim's question.
I just stared intently into her eyes.
Soon, a reaction came from Han Seo-rim.
It changed over time.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
First, a scoff.
“Trying to start something?”
Next, annoyance.
“Hey!”
Followed by anger.
“Seriously, what do you think you're doing?!”
Bewilderment.
And then,
“...Sir?”
Anxiety.
“Sir...? What is this?”
Five minutes.
That's how long it took for Han Seo-rim to start watching me warily.
“...This isn't funny, so stop it. I mean, what are you doing, stopping mid-sentence like this?”
Han Seo-rim shook me.
She forced a smile, but it was awkward.
A tremor was in her voice.
This was it.
Even if it's someone you know well, if you just stare at them silently, you get this kind of reaction.
This was a human reaction.
She must have gotten the gist of it.
“What were you just thinking?”
As I spoke, Han Seo-rim flinched.
Her eyes widened, and soon, her face flushed red.
Immediately after, she shot up from her seat and raised her voice.
“What the hell are you—!”
“You felt anxious, didn't you? Because I just stared.”
“...What?”
“That's it. That's why this place is Hell.”
I showed the still-beautiful flower garden to Han Seo-rim again.
“The god you believe in is false. Or, God doesn't exist. The people who said such things go to Heaven. They go to the place where a real god resides, and every single moment, they are under His gaze. They are only watched.”
In the scene I witnessed, the god never judged the 'heretics'.
It merely gazed down upon them with its colossal body that seemed to pierce the sky.
“I'll ask again. If you were a heretic and you fell into this place, how would you feel? How would you feel just being watched?”
Han Seo-rim couldn't answer easily.
But her expression seemed to already know the answer.
It expressed repulsion.
The lines etched on Han Seo-rim's face were clearly ones of revulsion.
“Doesn't it feel like you'd go crazy just imagining it? 'Ah, if this keeps up, I'm going to wither away and die.' Don't you think you'd feel that?”
Han Seo-rim's lips parted.
Then she nodded.
I added one more thing.
“The heretics will imagine. When will that god move? When will it punish me for denying it?”
“...”
“This is a place that makes people waste away. By forcing them to eternally imagine an uncertain future.”
The moment one realizes that, the Hell of Heretics becomes a space that exudes a terrible sense of dissonance.
Han Seo-rim rubbed her arms.
She took a sharp breath.
“...I think I get it now.”
Her voice was a little calmer.
She added a question.
“So what does the god look like? If it's the Chapter 1 boss, I'll have to draw it next. Hand over the references.”
Hmm, her diligent attitude toward work is good.
But it's a pity.
“I don't know.”
“?”
“I said I don't know. You can't perceive its form even when you look right at it. It's a god, after all.”
I don't know what the god looked like.
Even searching my memories, the only thing that comes to mind is the certainty that a god was there.
There was only one reason.
-Now, that is a god. What do you see?
-...I don't know.
-Huhu, that's because you have no faith.
A god does not show its form to those who do not believe in it.
And to believers, it appears in the form they desire.
Therefore,
“For this, I need your pure intuition.”
There's nothing I can do to help.
Hell of Heretics (2)