Game Director from Hell - Chapter 20: Hell of Heretics (2)

The next day, I contacted my team members and convened a meeting.

In the central office, what was displayed on the projector screen were materials related to none other than G-STAR.

Han Seorim was the one who began speaking.

“What is that?”

Well, Han Seorim, who had just entered the game industry, wouldn’t know much about it, especially considering the current state of G-STAR. So, an explanation was necessary.

I explained it briefly, “G-STAR stands for Game Show & Trade, All-Round. It’s essentially a game exhibition.”

It started in 2005 as a national project aimed at promoting the development of Korea’s game industry, beginning with KINTEX.

However, the start was not as smooth as one would hope. It managed to gather an audience in the tens of thousands, but that’s about it. The initial shortcomings held it back.

“What were the problems?”

“Well, there were two major drawbacks that hurt G-STAR’s reputation during its first years. First, there was a strong focus on online games at the booths, and second, there was gambling.”

Another significant issue that comes to mind was the excessive exposure of booth babes. Well, this problem recurred several times, so it wasn’t unique to that time.

“Since it was the beginning, the event tended to shrink in scale afterward. In reality, it’s not an event that’s widely known to the public.”

“…So, nothing good comes out of it?”

“It was like that until last year.”

“Is this year different?”

“It is.”

“It’s like hearing what a bottom-tier baseball coach says every new year.”

“…”

Beep!

The screen changed quietly, showing a picture of Busan.

“Starting this year, the event location has been moved to Busan, and the scale has increased. Most importantly, there will be participation from a massive new games. The level of interest is expected to be significantly different from previous years.”

In the context of a gaming exhibition, what ultimately determines the success of the festival is the interest generated by the games showcased and the name value of the developers. That was the core of the upcoming changes.

This year’s event featured new games that garnered more attention than the previously showcased G-STAR entries.

“Space Craft 2 is participating in this year’s G-STAR.” [TL Note: As you know the author keeps changing names a little so this one is probably StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty]

“Oh, that one!”

“I know!”

The enthusiastic duo reacted.

I nodded, “Yes, the one people play at PC rooms.”

In Korea, it’s like a traditional game, and globally, it’s considered the only true real-time strategy game. The sequel was going to be showcased at G-STAR this year. The developer, Blizzard, was undoubtedly one of the top names in the current gaming industry. Their participation became the most significant factor driving G-STAR in 2009.

Of course, Space Craft 2 didn’t achieve the same success as its predecessor, but that wasn’t the immediate concern. After all, I wasn’t going there to play it.

“Our goal is one. To promote our game at G-STAR, where people gather for the purpose of games.”

It’s not about attracting a massive crowd, but rather about attracting “people with an interest in games” who gather “for the purpose of games.”

Even a small booth would suffice. At this stage, when interest in Hellic hasn’t waned, if we reveal our next project at G-STAR and create a buzz, we might achieve significant promotion without a hefty budget.

Upon hearing this, Han Seorim had one more question.

“…I’m curious about something.”

“Go ahead.”

“The event is scheduled for November, right? But can we complete our game by then? I mean, if we’re going to showcase a game, don’t we need to show the finished product? Moreover, with Space Craft 2 being featured, won’t everyone flock to their booth?”

That’s a good point.

It was exactly what I was about to say.

I extended two fingers and then folded one while speaking.

“First, our participation in G-STAR is primarily for the initial promotion.”

“Initial promotion?”

“Yes, think of it as the process of playing our game and finding trumpeters to spread the word.”

Naturally, the attention at G-STAR is on the new releases from major game companies. To put it bluntly, as indies, we are there to pick up the interest they generate. There’s no reason to view it negatively. Indies have to work hard. If there’s a way, you should know when to set aside your pride.

“Our marketing strategy is word of mouth. We just need to attract people by word of mouth, so that they say they had fun playing our game at G-STAR. The chances of success are high, especially since our previous game already has significant achievements, putting us in a better position than other small-scale developers.”

With that said, Han Seorim nodded in understanding.

Next, I folded the remaining finger.

“Now, secondly, the question was about the completion of the game. This is related to the reason we called this meeting today.”

I could feel the team’s focus increasing.

I continued, “What we’ll be submitting is a demo version of Hellic 2.”

“A demo?”

“A demo shows only a very small part of the game, providing a brief overview so that people can look forward to it. It’s primarily for generating interest.”

Of course, it’s not limited to just G-STAR. Initially, it’s about creating interest. When interest in the next project surges,

“After G-STAR, we’ll release the demo version for free on Steam. It’s a means for sustained interest. We’ll make it in a way that not only quenches the players’ thirst but leaves them craving for more.”

The demo version will become a promotional tool in itself.

“We’ll use the prologue and part of Chapter 1 for the demo version.”

Enough for players to understand the game system, experience combat, and get a taste of the story. Just enough to make them want to play the next part.

“The deadline for submitting the actual entry is until September. Let’s focus solely on developing the demo version until then, and put all other tasks on hold.”

Time is tight. But it’s not entirely impossible. We’ve already developed some of the necessary tools. Character modelling has been relatively smooth, and for a demo version, we don’t need to implement the entire map. We’ll only show the necessary parts.

There will be some bugs, of course. But the name “demo version” partly suppresses the discomfort about bugs.

“Seorim, you should concentrate on designing Chapter 1 from today. Yumi and Hyeji, make sure to cooperate well with Seorim. If it looks like you’re running out of time, please stay longer after work, and I’ll make sure you’re compensated for the extra hours. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes.”

After giving instructions to the art team, it was Jo Ayoon’s turn.

“Ayoon, you have more flexibility on the sound side. Since it’s May now, focus on your studies until at least August. However, start thinking about what kind of music you want to create from now on. The same goes for sound effects. I’ll help you with that, so don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, sure!”

The sound instructions were also finished.

Clap!

I clapped my hands.

“Well, with that, the meeting is adjourned. Let’s all go back to work.”

The short-term direction had been set.

What remained, as always, was the tedious process of actual development.

***

The process preceding the demo is prototype development. Based on the game design document, it involves creating each element to check functionality.

Of course, the map implementation was not complete at this point. So, what I worked on was the implementation of Alice and the butterfly, for whom modelling had already been completed. It was about making sure that Alice and the butterfly moved correctly and performed the actions assigned to them.

And then, I faced it.

“Oh, a bug.”

A notorious bug had appeared.

It was the first bug of its kind.

On the screen, during a rough jump on a polygonal map I had quickly created, Alice suddenly grew three meters tall. Instead of a girl, she resembled a giant, and butterfly was trembling at her calf. I felt a tug at my spine.

“Well, what can you do?”

I had to fix it.

The first step was to find the problem.

“Seorim, you are here.”

Han Seorim approached and said, holding out some printouts, “Please check these.”

She looked a bit tired. She had probably been working hard to finish it today.

I thought maybe I should give her some feedback while allowing her to cool her head.

“Let me take a look.”

I unfolded the printouts I received.

It was concept art for the map, starting with the tutorial part—the beach.

“It looks good.”

It matched the image I had in mind. To be honest, it didn’t have any distinctive features, but when I provided references, she applied them well, capturing the scenery of a peaceful beach, the alley leading to a cave, and even the colours.

“This one’s confirmed.”

“Great. Let’s look at the next one.”

Han Seorim, with her slightly reddened eyes, sat down next to me. Was she unsure of herself? I couldn’t help but wonder what she had drawn that made the usually confident Han Seorim appear anxious.

“Is it okay?”

“This?”

“Yeah, it’s exactly as I envisioned it. It’s also confirmed…”

“Wait a moment. Can you look at it again? Is this really okay?”

Why was she doubting herself?

“What’s the problem?”

I asked, and Han Seorim’s expression became strange. It twisted, then relaxed again, and then she sighed deeply before looking back at her drawing.

Finally, she said, “I just don’t understand…”

“Hmm?”

“You know, I’ve thought about it a lot while drawing this.”

Tap!

Han Seorim pointed to the centre of the drawing.

“Why is there a flower field in hell? And why is the sky so blue like this? Why is the temple so pure white? It just looks like… you know what?”

“Heaven?”

“Yes!”

Oh, was that the issue?

“It’s heaven, indeed.”

“The background for the first chapter is based on a universal image of heaven. It’s a utopia where there’s endless, multi-coloured flower fields, a sky so blue it seems infinite, and a pure white marble temple. It’s the concept for the first ‘Hell.'”

Han Seorim pursed her lips.

“Why?”

“No, no! You said it’s hell!”

“But it is hell, isn’t it?”

“Just now, you said it’s heaven!”

“Heaven is correct too.”

“…Are we going to argue about this now? Do you have any idea how much I’ve struggled with this while drawing?”

“Shall we take a closer look?”

Han Seorim’s eyes sparkled.

Words poured out of her like a machine gun.

“It’s supposed to be a hell background with references to heaven. The chapter description alone should make this feel uncomfortable, but you want to exclude those elements entirely. In the end, I’m supposed to make this landscape uncomfortable based solely on the atmosphere, but hey, look at this! I couldn’t make it work no matter how hard I tried, so I showed it, and you just confirmed the heaven landscape as it is?”

Han Seorim’s fist clenched tightly.

It looked like she might shoot something any second.

“I must have explained it poorly.”

“What do you mean?”

“This hell concept.”

I tapped the printout lightly.

“Where is this?”

“The Hell of Heretics! It’s where the heretics and the ones who created heresies go!”

“Right, what’s in the Hell of Heretics?”

“A real god! The Chapter 1 boss!”

“Yeah, that’s correct. Still not getting it?”

“What else do you need to understand?”

…As soon as the conversation went this far, I realized what the issue was.

It was a difference in perception.

I stated directly, “You need to understand the narrative.”

Han Seorim’s expression became strange.

“The narrative?”

“I told you I’m going to make this the main story, right?”

“That… Chapter?”

“I mean, understand the background from a storytelling perspective.”

I put down the printout and looked directly at Han Seorim.

“Think about it from a different perspective. This is a perfectly peaceful heaven. A utopia where a real god watches over humanity.”

It’s a space with that ‘setting.’

The Hell of Heretics is heaven, and there’s a giant god sitting there, doing nothing but observing the land.

“But those who fall there are heretics. Look around, it’s all heretics, everywhere you look. So what happens to the one who fell there?”

“…Was I right?”

“No.”

Actions speak louder than words, right?

I closed my mouth.

I wiped the expression from my face.

Finally, I stopped moving.

“…What are you doing?”

I didn’t respond to Han Seorim’s question.

I just stared blankly into her eyes.

And eventually, a reaction came from Han Seorim.

That changed depending on the time frame.

“Are you messing with me now?”

At first, it was a forced laugh.

“Suddenly picking a fight?”

Then, annoyance.

“Hey!”

Followed by anger.

“No, what are you doing right now?!”

Confusion.

And then,

“…Sunbae?”

Anxiety.

“Sunbae…? What’s going on?”

It took Han Seorim 5 minutes.

To catch on and notice my behaviour.

“…Because it’s not fun, stop it. No, what is this?”

Han Seorim shook me.

She forced a smile, but it was awkward.

There was a tremor in her voice.

This was it.

This is how people react when someone they usually know well just stares at them without saying anything.

This was a human reaction.

She must have realized roughly.

“What were you thinking just now?”

When I asked, Han Seorim flinched.

Her eyes widened, and then her face turned red.

Immediately after, she stood up from her seat, raising her voice.

“Oh, what the hell are you doing?!”

“Were you anxious? Just staring at you silently.”

“…What?”

“That’s right. That’s why this is hell.”

I showed Han Seorim the beautiful flower garden once more.

“How do you think you’d feel if you were a heretic and fell here? How do you think you’d feel if you only received the god’s gaze every moment?”

Han Seorim couldn’t answer easily.

One, her expression already hinted at knowing the answer.

She expressed reluctance.

The wrinkles on Han Seorim’s face clearly conveyed her reluctance.

“Can you even imagine it? Ah, if I keep doing this, You will wither and die. Don’t you feel that way?”

Han Seorim pursed her lips.

Then, she nodded after a while.

I added one more thing.

“Heretics must imagine. When will that god move? When will he punish me who denied him?”

“…”

“This is a place where people are driven to madness. By making them imagine an eternally uncertain future.”

From the moment she realized it, the Hell of Heretics became a place of dreadful alienation.

Han Seorim wiped her arm.

She took a deep breath.

“…I get it roughly.”

A somewhat composed voice.

Then a question.

“So, what does that god look like? If it’s the Chapter 1 boss, it’s my turn to draw next. Show me some references.”

Well, the attitude of working hard is good.

But it’s a pity.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know. Even if you look at it, you can’t perceive a form. It’s a God.”

I don’t know what the god looks like.

Even if I try to recall it, the only thing that comes to mind is the certainty that the god was there.

There was only one reason.

• Now, that’s a god over there. How does it look to your eyes?
• …I don’t know.
• Hehe, it’s because you don’t believe in him.

A god doesn’t show its form to those who don’t believe in him.

Furthermore, to believers, it appears in the form they desire.

So,

“Here, you need your own intuition.”

There’s nothing I can do to help.