Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Hollow Harvest
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It wasn't long before the models for E-40, Smile, and the prologue's main monster, 'the Expressionless,' were complete.
“So cute...!”
Jo A-yun exclaimed, her cheeks flushing.
She wasn't the only one. The characters possessed a charming quality that was praised by most of the staff.
My conviction in choosing cartoon rendering grew stronger.
'This will help lower the barrier to mainstream appeal.'
At its core, *Identity* was a game with a dark world and a heavy narrative.
If we had paired those traits with photorealistic graphics, the genre itself could have become a barrier to entry.
The casual style was meant to resolve that.
At the very least, if the visuals aimed for a lighter feel, the weight of the narrative would be less overwhelming.
This was an attempt that could only be made with *Identity*.
After all, the *Hellic* series, aside from the first game which used pixel art, had always aimed for realistic graphics—even *Hellic 2* with its blocky polygons. Changing that approach now would only provoke a backlash from the existing fanbase.
The experience of expressing a story through cartoon rendering and a different style of game direction was something I could never get with *Hellic*.
In any case, putting those things aside...
'The framework is in place. System QA is going smoothly, too.'
It was time to start implementing the main game progression.
What was different from before was that I wouldn't be intervening in every single step of the process.
Development Team 1 had gained a considerable amount of experience through *Hellic 3*.
My staff had now developed enough practical sense to think for themselves and weigh the pros and cons of their decisions.
My role would primarily be one of overall supervision and review.
With the exception of a few things only I could do.
One of which was this.
“President, is the scenario for Chapter 1 ready?”
“I'm still writing it.”
The scenario.
In other words, the task of creating the game's backbone.
There was only one reason I was writing the scenario myself.
It was because I believed no one in the world could handle the in-game expression better than I, the creator of its universe.
Next came the question of 'how to shape this world into a proper narrative.'
It was a crucial issue.
Since *Identity* employed an unconventional world, the way it was presented would determine the player's immersion.
For instance.
If *Identity*'s lore were buried too deep in the narrative, players wouldn't even be able to grasp what was happening or what the game was about.
Conversely, if I crammed the game full of scripts to explain the unfamiliar world, the excessive amount of information would kill their interest.
No, they probably wouldn't even bother reading the script in the first place.
It would lead to the same outcome as the former: too much narrative subtlety.
After all, players come to play a game, not to read a novel.
To put it in a single phrase:
'Information control.'
It was a vital task.
I couldn't just follow the direction of the *Identity* from my past life.
That version had used its indie expression and atmosphere to offset the unfriendliness of its lore.
This time, I needed to provide 'friendly explanations,' and I had a way to do it.
'Make every element familiar, except for the lore itself.'
In food terms, you could describe it as 'tteokbokki with an unusual ingredient.'
The narrative and plot progression would follow clichés, allowing players to find familiarity within the unfamiliar.
In that process, if I could show what concept the 'face' represented in the game, it wouldn't be difficult for players to understand.
The effectiveness of the method itself was proven in my past life.
I just needed to deepen it.
*Scroll—*
I dragged the screen down.
The chapter index appeared before me.
'The narrative of *Identity* is linear.'
It uses a single landmass that appears to be an open world, but the player's path within it is strictly controlled by the narrative.
In essence, the order of this index becomes the order of the game's progression.
'The story deals with E-40 wandering the Oltore Empire, meeting numerous people, gaining enlightenment through their interactions, and thus, finding their sense of self.'
In that case, the game had to tell that story and only that story, from beginning to end.
It couldn't contain any external ideologies, nor could it mix in stories that didn't fit the theme.
Humans are surprisingly conservative creatures.
Turning 'unfamiliarity' into 'familiarity' requires careful persuasion.
For example, 'maintaining the tone.'
To use a painting analogy, the picture must be completed solely within the category of 'oil painting.'
I can say with certainty what the result of failing to do so would be.
To give another example, it would be just like the unpleasantness sparked by 'a romance subplot shoehorned into a corporate drama.'
'Every narrative element must be bound to the category of self. The protagonist's journey, the adversities of those they meet, and even the final destination.'
The 'face' serves as the medium for this.
So, how to make this familiar?
As I said before, I just had to place every element besides the faces against a familiar backdrop.
'The world is a totalitarian dystopia. The protagonist is a traitor who was once a high-ranking officer of the empire.'
A proven flavor, isn't it?
Anyone who has learned even a little history knows.
Totalitarianism cannot be established unless desire is erased from humanity, and even if it were, the individuals within it would groan in agony.
In this world, the 'face' will illuminate the suffering of these people.
Their torment, caught between a state-enforced calling and personal desire.
On the surface, it might even seem like a critique of the ideological flaws of totalitarianism.
*Identity* will use this method to ensure that players who finish the game won't find the world of the 'Oltore Empire' strange.
Furthermore, I could layer 'character' onto the faces—the items—that are acquired, thereby deepening the narrative understanding related to them.
There was something I had to do for that.
'The first step...'
First, 'gathering,' one of the core crafting systems.
And the farmer with the 'Sun-Scrunched Face' who will handle it.
『C1: The Hollow Harvest』
It would begin by painting a scene of a wheat field beyond the plains.
***
E-40 crossed the vast plains and arrived at a field of golden wheat.
Scarecrows painted with the 'fierce face' of a warrior stood tall here and there, and the wheat swayed gently, arching its stalks as if stretching.
This was the soil that fed the subjects of the empire.
Recalling a time when they had come here for an inspection, E-40 walked down the path that cut through the wheat field.
It was then.
A sudden sobbing sound brushed past E-40's ear.
—*Sob... sob...!*
Puzzled, E-40 headed toward the source of the crying.
There, a farmer in a straw hat was weeping, his scythe stuck in the ground beside him.
Sensing E-40's presence, he looked up and gasped, startled.
—Agh! Who are you!
The farmer's body began to tremble as he shouted.
It was because he had seen E-40's face, hidden behind a black veil.
—You, you're a criminal! Hiding your face must mean you have one you can't show in public, right?! Ah, that's it! Plunder! You've come to plunder the wheat!
Panting with rage, the farmer gripped the scythe he had plunged into the ground, his expression fierce.
E-40 shook their head, trying to signal that they were not an enemy.
Just then, the farmer's shoulders suddenly slumped, and he sank back down, looking defeated.
—...No, forget it. What does it matter to me if it gets plundered? Hey, plunderer. Before you steal the wheat, will you listen to me complain for a bit?
Troubled by the unresolved misunderstanding, E-40 eventually nodded and sat down beside him.
The farmer began to speak as if he had been waiting for this.
—As you can see, I'm a farmer. I received the 'Sun-Scrunched Face' as a worker who keeps the great empire from starving. This is my tenth year. I'm telling you, I'm a farmer skilled enough to tend this vast wheat field all by myself!
He exclaimed in a voice full of pride.
Then, his voice grew melancholic as he continued.
—...Well, you're a criminal, so it's not like you have anyone to report this to, right? Yes, the truth is, I can't find any meaning in harvesting this wheat. Because I'm good at farming, but I don't enjoy it.
E-40 thought.
In the past, they might have arrested a farmer for such a blasphemous statement and hunted his face.
Meanwhile, the farmer kept talking.
—When I was young, there was something I wanted to do! But I can't remember what it was anymore! It's because I've been farming for too long! I'll just keep repeating this meaningless task of growing and harvesting this wheat to offer it to the empire! Even after this year's harvest is done!
Thump, thump, he stomped his feet.
Then he began to sob uncontrollably.
—The collectors will be here soon! I'll have to smile in front of those bastards while they tell me I've done a good job! I can't do anything else! Because the empire put this face on me!
He scratched furiously at his face.
—Aah! It's so sad! I can no longer tell if this face is scrunched from the sun or distorted with anger! I wish someone would tell me! Hey, criminal! What should I do? If I could, I'd throw this face away!
E-40 felt a renewed sense of surprise.
It was the first time in their life that they had encountered such blatant hostility toward a face bestowed by the empire.
During their time as a Face Hunter, no one would have dared utter such words in front of them.
Thus, E-40 had assumed all subjects of the empire were proud of their faces, just as they were.
A sense of disconnect spread through their entire body faster than they expected.
But it soon subsided.
The farmer's words had reminded E-40 of something Smile had told them.
—'Whatever the world calls you, you must become yourself. That's why we were all born.'
E-40 thought.
Perhaps, through him, they might come to understand Smile's words a little better.
One more thing—E-40 felt a sense of envy toward him.
Because he, at least, remembered a past where he had something he wanted to be.
E-40 had never had such a thing in the past, and that was still true now.
All they had was Smile's face.
That was the reason for their decision.
E-40 wanted to help him.
They hoped that in the process, they might learn a little about what they themselves wanted to become.
Action followed.
*Shing!*
E-40 raised their sword above their head.
—Agh!
The farmer screamed, but E-40 didn't flinch.
Then, they pointed the tip of the sword toward the distant mountains, in the direction of the empire.
The farmer looked puzzled for a moment, then spoke.
—Are you saying you'll help me?
E-40 nodded triumphantly.
***
Not everyone can truly love their job.
No, considering that most people work to make a living, loving one's profession is probably quite a difficult thing to do.
There's even a saying that a hobby becomes tiresome once it turns into a job.
The farmer character was created based on that idea.
To be precise, and to admit a truly embarrassing secret, the motif for that character was 'me at the office.'
I must have created him while reliving the moments I felt disillusioned by the mechanical act of 'making a game' after having my project authority stripped away.
I could only say that now.
In my past life, I denied that fact until the very end.
Anyway, setting that aside, the general flow of the story was this:
E-40 helps the farmer and, in the process, learns what kind of person he is.
Stories about the meaning harvesting and gathering hold for him, and the dream he truly desired.
The overarching flow was set.
But once again, the biggest thing holding me back was the fact that I had to find a new motif for the character.
The memory wasn't vivid enough to bring back the exact feelings from that time, and beyond that, I didn't want to infuse the remnants of my old stubbornness into this game again.
The process had to be deliberate.
Since the narrative of each character carried significant weight in *Identity*, I had to nail their appeal every time.
So I had been thinking about how to portray the farmer, and that brought me to today.
“Yeon-ho, why aren't you eating much today? Did the owner go easy on the chili paste?”
Yang Gil-sang asked me.
We were at a snack bar during lunch.
“...Ah, I just have something on my mind.”
“Thinking about the project again?”
“Yeah. Get the first step wrong and you'll suffer for it later.”
“Whoa, such dedication!”
“It's not that grand.”
I replied, picking up my spoon.
Yang Gil-sang was cooking his own ramen right there in the snack bar.
It was then.
The moment he lifted his chopsticks to slurp the noodles, something caught my eye.
'Ah, his bald spot has gotten wider.'
...Come to think of it, there are only five years left until Yang Gil-sang's skinhead in 2015.
Suddenly, a powerful inspiration struck me.
'...The Hollow Harvest.'
The title of Chapter 1.
Thinking of it, something...
“Man, ramen just has to have chili peppers in it. Don't you think?”
Something...
“Yeon-ho? Why are you staring at my head like that? Oh, this? I think I've been losing some hair from using too much gel lately. Maybe I should take better care of it for a while?”
Something...
“...Have you seen a doctor?”
“Aw, come on, not you too. I'm telling you, it's fine. It'll grow back.”
...Something clicked.
Meaningless farming, the resulting emptiness and despair, and self-loathing.
The trajectory of the fates of two men, unable to accept their lot and heading toward a self-destructive end, ignited the creative desire somewhere deep inside me.
'Aah...'
This is it.
I don't know if this is okay, and it's certainly out of the blue, but.
'...The farmer.'
Yang Gil-sang was a farmer who could not harvest.
I could say with certainty that, character-wise, there was no one more fitting to be the motif for the farmer.
I had found a dramatic breakthrough.
The Hollow Harvest (2)