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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: You Want Me to Make It Like… What? (1)
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*My head is splitting…*
9:35 AM.
Thanks to staying out with Yoon Byeongjong until the crack of dawn, I had to drag myself into the office, clutching my throbbing head.
I shoved the bulletproof coffee and painkillers I'd bought from the nearby DS25 convenience store down my throat and collapsed into my chair.
*Before I really get to work, maybe I should check my… status.*
I pictured the status window in my mind.
[Protagonist / Jo Hyunsoo - Game PD]
- A game developer who wants to create a moving, masterpiece game that will be remembered by others.
He has chosen the path of a PD to lead various team members, present a vision, and move forward together.
(1) Stats
[Planning] A- / [Programming] E+ / [Art] E+
(2) Developer Level: 3
(3) Points: 5
(4) Owned Skills
- Will of the 'P'D' (Increases the maximum and current values of the Planning stat.)
*This is pretty good. My Planning grade went up just by changing my role.*
The first thing that stood out was that the skill, Will of the 'P'D', had changed my Planning grade from B+ to A-.
It meant my overall planning ability had improved just from the role change.
*Hmm… The problem is what to do with these 5 leftover points.*
I stroked my chin for a moment, pondering.
*This time, I want to raise my stats a bit…*
The 5 points I got at level 2 were useful for promoting *Forgotten Andersen's Story*, but in a way, it felt like a waste to have spent them on a one-time thing instead of a permanent ability.
I thought for a moment more about investing the points into my stats.
*Programming and Art…*
I did consider putting points into Art or Programming.
If I had gone the route of a solo developer, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to raise my abilities evenly.
But…
*To succeed as a PD later on, it's better to go all-in on one strength rather than becoming a jack-of-all-trades.*
I envisioned a future where I remained at the company, working on projects with my team, not as a solo developer.
In this situation, investing in stats other than Planning would likely lead to a mediocre outcome where I excelled at nothing.
Ultimately, I had no choice but to focus everything on my planning capabilities.
"Check detailed Planning stats."
[Planning] A- (※ A planner specializing in story, direction, and concept.)
Story - 37(+1) / Direction - 28(+1) / Concept - 28(+1) / System - 17(+1) / Balance - 11(+1) / Level Design - 10(+1)
I went straight to the detailed stats window.
As expected, since I had spent my whole life focused on story and scenario writing, my stats in other areas were abysmal.
Looking at this, I debated whether to invest in my weaker areas like System and Balance, or to double down on Story and Direction to maximize my strengths.
PDs generally fall into two categories: the 'Generalist', who has a balanced knowledge across various fields and leads the team based on that foundation, and the 'Specialist', who leads the game based on an exceptional skill in one particular area.
My current stats clearly indicated I was specialized as a Specialist.
My head was getting complicated with all these thoughts.
*…For now, the priority is to get the best possible results on the Phoenix project.*
I decided to keep it simple.
I wasn't a PD yet, and to become one, I had to make the Phoenix project, which I was currently a part of, a success with my own abilities.
There was no way I could use my skills in System or Balance to overhaul the game right now.
In the end, what I could do was…
*Showcase the absolute best of my storytelling abilities.*
I ended up dumping all 5 of my points into the Story stat.
<
With the system message, I felt a squirming sensation in my head, as if a worm was crawling through it.
A strange feeling washed over me, a desperate urge to write something down, to release the overflowing thoughts in my mind, or else I'd go crazy.
Time had flown to 10 AM, and when I came to my senses, most of the team members were at their desks.
*The schedule is tight, so let's start right away.*
I hadn't discussed a detailed work schedule with Division Head Shin Chihwan yet, but I planned to start preparing today.
All that remained was a clear desire to grab the Phoenix project by the scruff of its neck, deliver results, and claim the PD position.
*First, I'll go through all the in-game scripts and the existing world-building documents.*
About ten minutes after I started flipping through the documents, I could feel a dramatic improvement in my ability to grasp and understand the story's context, likely due to my increased stats.
And… paradoxically, that enhanced ability brought me even greater despair.
"Haaah…"
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
To put it simply, the current world and story of 'Phoenix' were a Frankenstein's monster.
- Gwajang Jo, did you see the new season of Game of Thrones? -
A comment from the PD after watching Game of Thrones.
- Frozen 2 was a huge hit! Make it like that, Gwajang Hyunsoo. Add a character like Olaf, too. -
Two cents from the Planning Pateujang after seeing Frozen 2.
Since I wasn't in a position to ignore them, the result was always a hybrid monstrosity, a clump of irresponsibly shat-out ideas from several people.
It didn't fit the game's system at all; it was just a mishmash of anything that looked cool, a creation that should never see the light of day.
I was so ashamed that this had been created by my own hands that I wanted to find a hole to hide in.
But, conversely, that's why I was able to make a quick decision.
*It's faster to scrap this whole thing and start over than to try and salvage it half-heartedly.*
Rather than trying to awkwardly salvage the existing world and scenario, completely overhauling it would lead to a more polished final product.
The cinematic tool for inserting dialogue into the game was already properly set up anyway.
If I could drastically cut down unnecessary processes for world-building, scriptwriting, and in-game implementation, it wasn't an impossible task to complete on time.
*I'll draft a rough work plan and framework today and set up a meeting with the division head for tomorrow.*
I opened a notebook and started jotting down our game's features, graphics, systems, and so on. A game scenario, unlike a novel or a movie, exists within the game's system, so you can't think about it without considering its harmony and organic connection with existing elements.
It's basic common sense, something that sounds obvious, but there's a truckload of people who don't get it.
*Should I attach a setting to the purple orbs that appear in the map resources and the Phoenix Goddess, and build the world around that?*
Even without Oh Gwangseok's interference, this wasn't an easy task. There were existing graphic resources, and the schedule demanded I use them as much as possible.
"I'm writing a new scenario, so please redraw all the characters! And remodel the 3D models! And redraw the background concept art too!"
No scenario planner in the world could make such a demand.
If the graphics team had to redo months of work from scratch because of some other guy, they'd probably try to split my head open.
Ultimately, the only thing I could do in this situation was to fit a plausible world and scenario onto the existing resources as best as I could.
*This character can be saved by adding this kind of backstory, and this one looks weird as is, so if I just ask them to change the hair color…*
I mentally shuffled the pieces I had, like trying to find the right pieces for a mismatched puzzle. I focused so hard that I couldn't hear any of the sounds around me.
The process was somewhat agonizing, but if I could just come up with the ideas, the rest would be a matter of hammering out the details like an old man carving a club.
Unfortunately, this state of concentration didn't last long.
Around 10:40, a group message popped up on the company messenger.
[Go Yeongmi, Senior Staff: There's a meeting for the Planning Part regarding the FGT. Everyone, please gather in conference room 6.]
[Kim Jincheol, Staff: Kk]
[Seo Boyeong, Daeri: Yep, on my way.]
[Son Seokjin, Daeri: Okay, got it.]
[Me: Kk.]
The head of my planning part, Go Yeongmi, had summoned the entire part to a meeting.
*Looks like Oh Gwangseok didn't tell her.*
Even the PD had agreed not to touch my work, so there was no reason for me to attend. But if I refused in the group chat, it would make the team atmosphere weird.
*Better to just go with the flow.*
There was the Pateujang's pride to consider, so I decided it would be better to attend the meeting for now and speak to her privately later. I followed the others.
"Let's start the meeting."
A total of five people, including me, gathered in the conference room. Pateujang Go Yeongmi tapped a stack of A4 papers on the desk, signaling the start of the meeting.
She was a female Pateujang, three years my senior, with a body so thin you could see her bones and a sharp gaze. Her personality was so foul that she was poorly regarded by her subordinates, but her skill at sucking up to superiors was so impeccable that she had smoothly landed her position with Oh Gwangseok's help.
For someone who came from QA, a department often looked down upon in game companies, she had risen through the ranks quickly.
Of course, as is typical of the relationship between a planning pateujang and a PD, she had appointed herself Oh Gwangseok's right-hand woman. She was the devil who cracked the whip, a role necessary in every department.
"Has everyone thought about how to improve on the FGT feedback? Let's hear what you've prepared."
"Yes, regarding the UI, we have a meeting scheduled with the art team this afternoon…"
"The UX was a mess. Why is that? I specifically told you to take care of that part because it could become an issue."
Go Yeongmi peppered her speech with awkward English expressions, aggressively putting others down. To me, it seemed like a defense mechanism, a way to hide her own meager skills and self-esteem, like a pufferfish puffing up its body.
"I'm sorry, Pateujang-nim."
"System team, talk more with the client-side programmers. Do you know how many bugs we caught this time? Everyone, stay on your toes. It's embarrassing for the QA team."
"…Understood."
The planners in charge of each area reported one by one. It had only been a day since the FGT results came out, so it was unlikely anyone had a proper solution. To put it nicely, this was a planning meeting; to put it bluntly, it was time to get chewed out.
"For Balance and Level Design, there were no major criticisms, so we'll be making minor detail adjustments. We'll implement any feedback immediately."
"Well, Daeri Boyeong can fix that on her own."
The interesting thing was that Go Yeongmi didn't criticize the balance planning much. She had primarily done content and concept planning, so while she could write reports and high-level directional documents, she was extremely weak when it came to the details of actual development.
Not only was she inept with the tools, but she was also terrible with Excel, unable to create tables or use VBA, something most planners could do.
She was probably avoiding a direct confrontation with Daeri Seo Boyeong, a math major who was an expert in level design, for fear of getting schooled. That's why she glossed over that part.
She hid her weaknesses as if they were trivial and trumpeted her strengths to the whole world. It was a ridiculous sight, but I brushed it off, figuring that's just how companies are.
"And Gwajang Hyunsoo, the feedback on the scenario and world-building was harsh this time. Do you have a solution?"
"Ah, yes. I plan to establish a general direction for revisions today and proceed from there."
"Hmm, when can you submit that? I'd like to see it as soon as possible."
For a moment, I considered bringing up my conversation with the division head, but I held back, not wanting to seem like I was showing off in front of the other staff.
In soccer, you get sent off after two warnings, so I'll let this one slide.
I replied with a smirk.
"Since you brought it up, I'll give you a rough explanation right here, Pateujang-nim."