The MMO field is experiencing intense internal competition. What makes this mobile game become the "White Moonlight of Wuxia"? | Exclusive Interview with the Game Producer
Written by Feng Min
Edited by Liu Shiwu
As one of the game genres with the richest gameplay and the most diverse experiences, the long-term operation of MMO games has always been the focus of the industry. Countless MMO games have reached the end of their life cycle after 3 to 5 years of operation, which has become a regret for a large number of players.
However, the game industry is developing rapidly. Currently, the popular games on the market, whether in terms of graphics quality, the design of the combat system, or the combat effects, have reached a sophisticated level. Simply competing in content and graphics is no longer enough to stand out in the current MMO market.
The fierce competition in the same-product market has led to the innovation of various gameplay in games. To prevent players from experiencing "aesthetic fatigue", major MMO game manufacturers have put in a lot of effort. From frequent and novel IP collaboration activities, open-ended plot design, to the introduction of the "season system" and the continuous optimization of the social interaction system, MMO games have been continuously innovating and evolving beyond the traditional role-playing.
In the end of 2024, it has been nearly seven years since "A Dream of Jianghu" was first launched. Compared with MMO games of the same period, the "mobile-exclusive" attribute of "A Dream of Jianghu" seems to limit its ability to attract players in the long term, but the development team is hoping to lead a new trend of martial arts MMO through other means.
As an old game that has been in operation for six and a half years, "A Dream of Jianghu" has not fallen behind.
In addition to updating the various gameplay of the classic server, "A Dream of Jianghu" launched the public beta of the parallel server on November 15, 2024. This new server not only creates a simple and low-gap Jianghu world, but also is a lively and grand server full of classic martial arts memories. "Reverse time and reunite with the original Jianghu". The parallel server has become the best time for returning players to "re-enter the Jianghu". In the parallel server, players can reunite with their old friends and find that "unforgettable TA".
Characterized by fairness, liveliness, and simplicity, "A Dream of Jianghu" Parallel Server is committed to creating a large Jianghu that can accommodate 1.4 billion people without being too time-consuming or costly. Since the public beta, it has attracted millions of players to participate, and has also made this old game that has been running for 7 years once rise to the top 40 of the game rankings.
Unlike the traditional nostalgic server that completely restores and purely relives the early version content of the game, the "A Dream of Jianghu" Parallel Server is "nostalgic but not outdated", more like creating a "parallel world" where players can reunite with their old martial arts connections, meet their past friends, and change the endings of the "unsettling" characters in the previous plot according to their subjective wishes, allowing players to relive the familiar Jianghu years with a light burden and high freedom.
In the interview and communication between 36Kr and Xiaohan of "A Dream of Jianghu", Xiaohan said: "The Parallel Server is nostalgic and simple, with a slower pace and more leisure; the Classic Server has more gameplay and is innovative and diverse. We hope to create more differentiated but equally wonderful Jianghu experiences for the Classic Server and the Parallel Server."
Image Source: Official Weibo of "A Dream of Jianghu"
The following is the selected interview record of 36Kr:
Q: First of all, I would like to ask that the newly launched Parallel Server of "A Dream of Jianghu" has performed very well in the market recently. Can you briefly introduce the specific situation of the Parallel Server and why you decided to launch such a server?
A: In fact, the earliest proposal of the Parallel Server concept can be traced back to the 2021 conference. The PX plan at that time was the later Parallel Server. When this plan was proposed, the project team actually had a preliminary conception of the Parallel Server. However, because it is a relatively special server, we need to design a differentiated positioning from the Classic Server for it. At the same time, considering that the needs of players for MMOs have been changing in the past seven years, we also carried out a series of calibrations on the direction of the Parallel Server during the preparation period, and spent a lot of time polishing the details. Therefore, the Parallel Server was not officially launched until this year.
Image Source: Official Weibo of "A Dream of Jianghu"
Q: Can you briefly talk about your views on the Parallel Server?
A: Essentially, it has a deep sense of nostalgia, but it is not the kind of outdated, pixel-level replica nostalgic server that everyone imagines. It is nostalgic but not outdated. The core is to build a lively server that can achieve a low-gap numerical experience. As for why it was finally decided to be called the Parallel Server, it is hoped that this server can bring players a different experience of a "parallel world". For example, in the Parallel Server, the plot and content seem to have returned to the past, but players still have the memory of the Classic Server plot, more like two time and spaces existing at the same time. Therefore, the Parallel Server is actually an atypical nostalgic server that was proposed four years ago, continuously changed to meet the market demand, and finally implemented.
Q: We have experienced the content of the Parallel Server in the past two days and interviewed some old players of "A Dream of Jianghu". We can feel that the Parallel Server and the Classic Server are different in both gameplay and social content. So, how did you create the exclusive plot experience, gameplay form and social atmosphere for the Parallel Server? Can you share it?
A: In fact, since the launch of "A Dream of Jianghu", the game's world view, character shaping and plot advancement have always been the content that the production team is more proficient in, and it has also been highly praised among the player community. For the plot of the Parallel Server, we have set up a series of bright moon and clear wind storylines and a large number of fragmented plot tasks, hoping to create a "back to the past" game experience for players, and make players feel that this Jianghu really has the traces of "me" having been here. In the mainlines that will be opened later, we also hope to allow young heroes to experience different stories in the timeline of the parallel world.
Image Source: Official Weibo of "A Dream of Jianghu"
Since the Parallel Server was launched, it has actually created a record of PCU in a single server. The setting of the World One Server has gathered all players into a very lively server, bringing a very lively social atmosphere. However, in terms of gameplay, there are indeed difficulties in transplantation and adaptation. Some classic gameplay at that time was difficult to operate smoothly in such a large-capacity server, because when these gameplay were initially set, it was indeed not considered that there would be such a large number of participants. Therefore, at the beginning of the Parallel Server's launch, some players may not have been able to participate in time. However, the project team later also attached great importance to the feedback from players and solved this problem by opening sub-lines or shunting.
Another key point of the Parallel Server is social interaction. In fact, the social attribute of "A Dream of Jianghu" in MMO games has always been very strong, and our players are very interesting and talented, which is more prominent in the Parallel Server, which is centered on liveliness. Of course, we have also done a lot of content to promote social interaction. For example, it is very popular among young people to "find a partner" to travel and play together. We have also launched the function of "Jianghu Partner" to heat up this happy social atmosphere in a subtle way.
At the same time, because the Parallel Server is still a server that focuses on sentiment and is very nostalgic, we hope that players can find the people they once knew and rebuild the bonds at that time in the Parallel Server. So in fact, we have created a new family-finding system with the help of background data, hoping to help players find the people they once knew. Even if the two sides only got along briefly in the game in 2018 or 2019 and may not recognize each other now, we will also create a chance for them to reunite. We have noticed that many young heroes have found their former masters, sworn brothers and even martial arts connections. We hope they can have the opportunity to make up for the old regrets in the new Jianghu and create new beautiful memories together.
Q: The Parallel Server has been online for some time now, and the preheating period may be even longer. The launch of the Parallel Server has pushed "A Dream of Jianghu" to the 40th place on the best-selling list. We are also curious about how many of the players attracted by the Parallel Server are returning old players?
A: Actually, to be honest, almost all the concepts of the Parallel Server are aimed at old players. In my opinion, as a nostalgic server launched by a game that has been in operation for 7 years, it is actually very difficult to satisfy both returning players and new players at the same time, because the needs of the two sides are actually quite different. Therefore, we finally decided that the design direction and concept of the Parallel Server are mainly for returning players, and the data presentation after the launch also verifies this point.
Image Source: Official Weibo of "A Dream of Jianghu"
Q: In the current process of the co-operation of the Classic Server and the Parallel Server, what are the biggest differences and distinctions between the two?
A: The Parallel Server is nostalgic, simple and light, with a slower pace and more leisure, and is relatively simple and low-threshold; the Classic Server has more gameplay, is innovative and diverse, has rich content, and the pace is also relatively fast. We hope to create highly differentiated but equally wonderful Jianghu experiences for the Classic Server and the Parallel Server. In fact, the proportion of cross-players between the Parallel Server and the Classic Server in the overall player group is very small. As mentioned before, the groups have different pursuits. Players of the Classic Server will be more inclined to more novel gameplay and dungeons, while players of the Parallel Server will prefer a more leisure, lively and relaxed Jianghu.
Q: It is not difficult to see that the Parallel Server is an atypical server based on the preferences or needs of players. What are the common needs of MMO or martial arts game players nowadays, do you think?
A: For me, MMO is actually a game genre that can accommodate many directions. With the progress of the market and the development of technology, players have access to more and easier game types, and their demands are also more diverse. So now, in fact, different MMO games have different focuses. Some focus on the combat experience, some focus on social incubation, and there are also many that do open world. In the past, when thinking of MMO, it might be "heavy liver and heavy krypton", multiplayer social interaction, boss battles, etc. But now when it comes to MMO again, everyone can also accept that it is a game with a light numerical value, or even a game that does not sell numerical values, or a game with a diverse experience such as a large world for free exploration, card-drawing gameplay, and leisure gameplay. Instead of talking about common needs, I actually think it is more appropriate to talk about demand differences.
Image Source: Official Weibo of "A Dream of Jianghu"
Q: After talking about the Parallel Server, we also want to know how "A Dream of Jianghu" has been able to maintain a stable and long-term operation in the MMO environment with such fierce competition in the past seven years? Can you share the operational ideas or techniques?
A: Let's look at it in two situations. The first is when the project does not face force majeure and risks. The most important thing is to communicate with the players. I always believe that the operation team must maintain a high degree of tacit understanding with the players, to know what the players want, and the players also understand your operation ideas and directions. For a game with long-term and stable operation, in fact, it is a state of mutual understanding between the players and the production team, continuously releasing what the players want but also with surprises. However, I don't think any game operation is so comfortable. No matter what type of game it is, no matter whether it is in a blue ocean market when it is launched, it will eventually face the predicament of a red ocean market. In addition to the emergence of competing products, policies, etc. will also have an impact.
Then there will be another situation, that is, when it is necessary to change. If in an emergency, the tacit understanding between the team and the players alone can no longer solve the problem, then a change must be made. Obviously, the change will break the long-term and continuous tacit understanding between the players and the production team, and therefore will definitely bring some discomfort to some players. So at the beginning, it will also face greater resistance, such as the 2.0 season system reform of "A Dream of Jianghu" before. In the face of such a situation, I think the core is to be patient. Our team wants to use three seasons, that is, one and a half years, to let the players gradually get used to the reform of the 2.0 season system. This patience has also been confirmed. After the 2.0 season system change, it can be seen that the data is continuously improving. The new school version of the Great Wizard in July this year has returned to the previous level. So I think when force majeure occurs, the production team must have the courage and decision-making to make pioneering reforms and changes based on the understanding and trust of the players. It may face the players' doubts, misunderstandings and discomfort, but we will continue to change and adjust agilely according to the players' feedback, actively respond to the players' demands, and continuously build the players' confidence.
Q: In the past seven years, the competition in MMO games has been very fierce. Both NetEase and other external game manufacturers have been constantly innovating and iterating on technology. Even some classic games such as World of Warcraft have been continuously updating the engine and rendering. As a game that has been launched 7 years ago, how should we respond to such a trend?
A: It is true that the art quality of many games has been recognized by many practitioners and players. If we compare the hard indicators such as the model accuracy, texture size, and particle number of the newly released games with ours that was launched seven years ago, it actually has no value. We believe that the above hard parameters partially determine the graphic performance, but a unique art style is more crucial.
We have also been continuously improving the Jianghu aesthetics of "A Dream of Jianghu" to bring players a more suitable game experience. In terms of game comfort, the game engine of "A Dream of Jianghu" is Messiah, which is an engine that can continuously break through the upper limit. There is also an engine team within the project team that continuously incubates and updates Messiah. Although it is a very painful and cumbersome thing to update the engine after a game.