It took Bai Luan about five days to create the game he wanted to make.
But after he finished it, he didn't release it immediately.
"I'll secretly play it myself for a while."
"Alright, just kidding."
Bai Luan was merely creating a gameplay demonstration video for Devil May Cry.
As everyone knows, when Devil May Cry's controls are mastered, the visual experience is superb: parries, dazzling visual effects, and various weapons flexibly switched to perform a series of unique combos.
Watching it evokes a feeling of, "Whoa, I don't know what this is, but it's incredibly cool."
Bai Luan even incorporated a stylish move into the dodge: "Do you like my back-facing dodge attack followed by a close-up hair flick?"
If played well enough, one can even finish a BOSS fight at full health.
Facts prove that no matter how much effort is put into making a promotional video, it's not as effective as throwing a compilation of a master player's moves in the faces of other players.
As long as this is done, players who are fans of this genre will flock to it.
This is much more effective than a promotional video.
As for the promotional video for MiSide, that was even simpler: Just ost plus opening animation.
Bai Luan spent a little time creating a skill-showcasing gameplay video.
Then, combined with the famous bizarre CG.
"15 JUNE p.m. 04:04"
"Hey, Vergil, the day has come for you to open the portal. Give me the Yamato!"
"If you want it, you'll have to take it. You already know the rules."
"I knew you'd say that."
(Meaningless drumbeat)
...This should be etched into the DNA of every Devil May Cry player.
Once the people of the Honkai: Star Rail World accept this, he will then replace modules to make Vergil sit on some wonderfully strange chairs, or give Dante some wonderfully strange weapons.
For example, a certain famous plastic chair.
Who doesn't love a promotional video that's both memetic and cool?
Bai Luan demonstrated Devil May Cry's cool combat and its infamous bizarre scenes.
As one of the few games for which Bai Luan released a promotional video to build anticipation, it naturally sparked a discussion.
"I don't understand it, but I'm deeply impressed."
"Putting everything else aside, just for that dodge animation, I want to try it. Being cool truly lasts a lifetime."
"I don't know why, but every time that inexplicable drumbeat plays, I laugh. What's wrong with me?"
"Regardless of the meaningless CG earlier, is the latter part really in-game footage? The combat is incredibly cool. Is this the world of Path Strider combat? I must try it!"
"Why is this blue player so bad? He's been fighting the red BOSS for ages, but it's not losing any health [doge]."
"Oh my, the seamless weapon switching, parries followed by combos, and even finding time to taunt the BOSS! The funniest part is that the BOSS got enraged but couldn't land a single hit."
"As a clumsy player like me, I'll stick to MiSide. From the promotional video, it seems to be a dating sim..."
"That opening animation is absolutely amazing. That wink just winks straight into your heart."
"The background music fits so well. This Yi Mu is truly invincible, isn't he?"
"It's not like you design, produce, and promote everything yourself, so no one can earn a single credit from you, right?"
"I can't take it! I want to play now! When will these two be released online?!"
Seeing the last impatient comment, Bai Luan smiled. Although he didn't plan to keep these players waiting for too long, two days was still necessary.
These videos needed two or three days to ferment for the best effect.
However, most of the discussion in the promotional videos focused on Devil May Cry, with MiSide receiving significantly less attention.
Time to subtly balance things out.
Bai Luan drew a picture of mita with a hat and posted an update:
[Image] mita is cute.
"Cute!"
"I've never begged anyone in my life, but this time I'm really begging you... this model is just too beautiful..."
"Only posting updates, not releasing the game, just teasing people. Why is this Yi Mu so mean!"
"Making a bunch of comics and animations in a few days, and also churning out a bunch of games. Is this the power of a nine-hundred-year-old otaku? I'm in awe, I'm in awe..."
Bai Luan was happily scrolling through the comments on his update in the lab when suddenly the lab door opened, and Herta walked in, heading straight towards him.
?
What's happening?
Bai Luan, a bit bewildered, put away his phone... Soon, Bai Luan posted a second update.
The character 'Mi' in MiSide was replaced with 'Her' HerSide, and the image also changed to a Herta Puppet.
[Image] Herta is cute.
"A dream crossover, this is."
"It's hard to imagine what Yi Mu went through in those short ten-odd minutes, hahahahaha..."
"Slacking off at work and getting pressured by the boss!"
"Yi Mu, if you're being threatened, just blink."
"Herta discovered the leader of the anti-fans and decisively attacked! This is historically known as the 'mita-Herta conflict'!"
"Herta: What do you mean my Station Master has defected?"
He didn't expect Herta to care about such things... It seems he needs to be more careful in the future.
Bai Luan decided to post fewer updates for a while.
But if he didn't post updates, how would he pass the time during these two days before the game's launch?
Hmm... Let me think... I'll draw some emojis to pass the time.
For the next period, Yi Mu would occasionally post an update, introducing a new Aha emoji.
These emojis, once launched, quickly dominated the market in the universe, with the most widely circulated one being the little Aha figure running with two small pinwheels.
"Using Aha as an emoji? So daring."
"I thought all night and still can't understand why this Yi Mu isn't an Emanator of Aha?"
"Fun fact: Aha will walk away if it doesn't like something."
"Hiss... Could Aha be impersonating an emoji itself?"
"Sounds like something It would do."
"The Masked Fools in the tavern rack their brains, but it's not as good as Yi Mu's sudden inspiration."
Besides these Aha emojis, Bai Luan also used Astral Express Crew as material to draw many chibi-style emojis.
These emojis were quite popular among Astral Express Crew, especially March 7th, who had even reached the point of asking Bai Luan for custom emojis.
But within Astral Express Crew, the most popular emoji was... March 7th's chibi dancing GIF.
This GIF successfully infiltrated Astral Express Crew's chat group, appearing frequently, and even March 7th herself quite liked it.
"If only it could make me look smarter."
Seeing March 7th's comment on this GIF, Bai Luan burst out laughing on the spot.
Bai Luan could already imagine March 7th's reaction to seeing the chibi dancing GIF of Evernight.
But it wasn't time yet; he couldn't laugh now.
Bai Luan: "There will be, there will be everything."
March 7th: "What do you mean 'there will be'?"
Bai Luan: "Heaven's secrets must not be revealed."
March 7th: "Riddler, out of Astral Express Crew!"
Stelle: "Riddler, out of Astral Express Crew!"
Bai Luan: "Oh, right, Stelle, I plan to edit a video using your previous funny clips."
Stelle: "OK!"
Stelle: "Uncle, can you show it to me first after you've edited it?"
Bai Luan: "No problem."
Stelle: "Yay!"
Stelle: "What style are you planning, Uncle?"
Bai Luan: "Both cool and abstract."
Stelle: "???"
Stelle: "Can you really do that?"
Bai Luan: "You can question Uncle's research ability, but you cannot question Uncle's ability to create fun."
Bai Luan: "I'll make something great for you."
Stelle: "Update quickly, I can't sleep."