Chapter 173

Chapter 173: New Game Development Plan

After enjoying the sumptuous grilled food at the buffet, everyone’s appetite was soon sated. Only Xiang Bingbing managed to eat two servings of ice cream dessert before finally holding her stomach and emitting a contented sigh.

“I’ve been in Jiangcheng for so long, and now I’ve finally had my fill… I’m so happy.”

Looking at the clean plates on the table, everyone silently admired Xiang Bingbing’s formidable appetite, even offering a moment of silence for the buffet owner.

Mei Fang couldn’t help but感慨道 when he saw Guo Yun’s few small dishes:

“Guo Yun, you’re eating much less now… The girl who always carried Dufu chocolate with her has long gone.”

“Eh… Don’t tease me about the past.”

“This isn’t teasing; it’s reminiscing about the good old days, okay?”

Mei Fang was genuinely relieved to see such a significant change in Guo Yun.

In his previous life, he didn’t stand up for Guo Yun against those who bullied and mocked her. Only at their parting did he realize how much she valued their relationship, leaving him with a lingering regret.

But now, seeing her doing well, partly due to his own small contributions, made him very content. She was also one of the most important art connections for Mei Fang.

“When I was in middle school, I was always afraid to go to school because I knew people would mock me behind my back. I tried to change but never mustered the courage. As a result, I was constantly ridiculed and couldn’t make friends,” Guo Yun said earnestly. “But since meeting Mei Fang, the class monitor, and Yuan Yuan, playing games with you all made school seem more interesting. I feel so lucky that you don’t mind me… Well, um, I guess I got a bit sentimental just now. Please ignore what I said!”

“Hmm… I can understand, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, Yunyun.”

Xia Yuan smiled as she supported her chin. “Even if you don’t lose weight, you have your own unique qualities. Your personality is great, and your art skills are impressive. You’ll become popular sooner or later.”

“I agree,” Lin You Xi nodded. “You’re the only artist at Ximilu Studio. We need your talent for our upcoming game.”

“Mm… I know that. I’ll keep working hard, not to disappoint everyone, especially Mei Fang’s expectations.”

Xia Yuan tugged at Mei Fang’s arm, “By the way, Fang, don’t you have something new to discuss with Guo Yun about the game?”

“Yeah, this is important. We should talk after we finish here. If you don’t want to listen, you can go shopping. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

Xiang Bingbing nodded, “Yes, yes, I plan to shop with Xiao Yu. Do you want to join us?”

Xia Yuan immediately shook her head, “Later… Bingbing, you and Xiao Yu can go first. I need to hear about the game development.”

“What about You Xi?”

Lin You Xi shook her head, “I’ll stay with Yuan and Fang.”

Since they were developing a new game, the three leaders of Ximilu Studio definitely needed to understand the subsequent development process together.

Indeed!

That’s right!

It’s not like we’re here to supervise whether Guo Yun is trying to take advantage of this supposedly private time to make a move on our Fang!

Although Guo Yun’s appearance has improved significantly, according to Fang’s preferences, she still lacks something.

Xia Yuan pondered as she watched Guo Yun’s back.

If she continues to work out, she might eventually get a very attractive physique, but by then it would be too late.

After all, our Fang is not someone who values superficial beauty.

Our years of relationship mean he will cherish it even more.

With this realization, Xia Yuan walked proudly, even pulling Mei Fang’s arm closer.

Shopping like this is no different from a couple.

“Let’s sit at this tea shop for a while and digest our food.”

Mei Fang glanced at the menu, “They have sugar-free green tea, jasmine tea, and oolong tea. You should be able to drink them, right?”

Guo Yun nodded and stood up to take out her wallet, “Um… This time, I’ll treat you all. It wouldn’t be right for you to pay all the time.”

“Sure… That’s fine.”

Mei Fang recalled Xia Yuan’s words and decided not to insist.

Guo Yun ordered the tea, then took out an iPad from her bag, marking the beginning of the tablet legend.

“These are concept design sketches I drew based on some artworks Mei Fang showed me. They include character designs and scenes. You can look and see if any of them appeal to you.”

Mei Fang took the iPad from Guo Yun and, along with Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan, began to appreciate her collection.

“Fang, why did you ask Guo Yun to draw these? What’s a concept design?”

“In the early stages of game development, we need to establish a visual style. We propose an idea, get some concept art from the artists, and then choose a style that fits our vision before starting the creation.”

“It sounds much more complex than the games we’ve done before. Are you planning to make a really great game?”

“The scale comes later. Let’s decide based on the resources we have now.”

The concept designs Guo Yun presented included three styles: low-poly polygonal characters and scenes; early cel-shaded animation designs; and fine-grained pixel art.

The first style, low-poly polygons, was inspired by the game Monument Valley. In the early stages of U3D development, this style had a clear distinction from traditional games, giving a fresh, “minimalist” feel.

Cel-shading was a popular drawing style in the early 2000s, seen in works like Hayao Miyazaki’s films and Cowboy Bebop. These works have many layers and vibrant colors, giving a detailed feel, but they are costly to produce and suitable for heavy narrative games like galgames or RPGs.

The third style, fine-grained pixels, compared to traditional pixel art, uses smaller blocks and movements.

Calling it traditional pixel art means compared to early FC games. There weren’t many comparable products at the time.

In the early 2010s, everyone was enthusiastic about using U3D and Unreal Engine to develop next-generation visual technology. Pixel art, considered outdated, was less favored.

However, by 2016-2017, many pixel games gained popularity again due to excellent gameplay or integration with new 3D pixel techniques, such as Dead Cells and Celeste.

Mei Fang carefully reviewed Guo Yun’s collection, while Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi couldn’t discern much. They could only follow along quietly.

“I think they’re all great… Fang, do you have a decision on which style to start the new game with?”

Mei Fang nodded and pointed to a character design in the collection.

“This character… feels very interesting.”

End of Chapter