※I accidentally posted this trash thread in the Updates category instead of the News category. My apologies.
Greetings, warriors who have crossed over from “that world.”
This is the September issue of Monthly Nexus.
You are the “survivors,” and perhaps not many retain memories of “that world.”
But the fact remains: most of the world continues to loop between September 9th and September 14th.
Many victims were swallowed by “that world” and could not return.
Yet, we are able to live our days in this era, right now.
This is entirely thanks to your efforts.
As comrades-in-arms who fought together in “that world,” we express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you, the “Survivors.”
Thank you.
Additionally, one of the spells planned for implementation in 8-4 has been drawn into “that world,” so its implementation will be delayed.
Thank you.
----
◆We've been focusing on adjustments for a while now
TacticalNexus stages generally become more interesting once players obtain Sun-grade Nexus Medals.
Therefore, the programmers have been playing TacticalNexus again after a long time, making functional improvements where inconveniences are found.
Other staff members continue brainstorming ideas.
We haven't had many chances to talk lately, but since Chapter 6, our development work has shifted from “building game balance” to “generating interesting ideas.”
In a way, every staff member is also a game designer. Meaning, I always retain the right to destroy them.
For those who've obtained the Mystic Gate, you've likely spent many sessions pondering “which legacy or magic to use” for over half an hour while exploring past stages.
That exact phenomenon is constantly happening in development. We endlessly discuss things like “which gimmicks would be fun to incorporate.”
And the same type of work gradually becomes more efficient and faster with each iteration.
This is also why Chapter-8 started introducing unfamiliar gimmicks left and right.
Now, back to the programmer's gameplay experience.
Many stages from Chapter-7 onward haven't been played much since the final adjustment test runs.
Since it's been quite a while since I last played them, I've forgotten the tricks to clearing them. This has made me feel the game's high difficulty anew and notice things like, “Ah, this feels under-tuned.”
On the other hand, I personally feel that while Chapter 8's stages offer substantial rewards, their balance isn't necessarily broken.
As I play, I'm rediscovering techniques and recalling memories from back then.
I wrote an article recently about how the development team doesn't know about this game, and that's not entirely wrong.
Fundamentally, after finishing a stage's development, we immediately start on the next one. This means we rarely get to play our own game ourselves.
...Well, we could if we really wanted to, but we'd probably get sucked into “that world” and delay development.
If we let our guard down, we'd likely find ourselves stuck in an eternal August again.
So, I personally feel I can only play like this at certain milestones.
Incidentally, the currently unimplemented magic is: “Once per character at LV200+, you can consume 50 MP to reactivate a Legacy (Solar Legacy excluded).”
This is intended to double-apply to items like the Medicine Dictionary and Heavenly Badge, and Omega Matock can also be used, so it should be a powerful effect.
The level 200 restriction is significant, so it will likely be limited to certain stages, but for 50 MP, it's an exceptionally powerful effect.
However, compared to other spells appearing in this stage, it's not that special, and implementing the UI (activation screen) and fixing bugs is incredibly tedious, so I'm putting it off for now.
Personality-wise, I tend to have very distinct on/off switches.
What this means is that implementing this spell would lead to: “Well, we've finished one major chunk, so we can put the remaining fixes on hold and move on to developing the next stage, right?”
Frankly, I haven't even applied most of the bug reports yet, but implementing this spell would likely push us straight into system testing for the next stage.
As a developer, this is pretty shitty, but it's the reality. Therefore, I'll keep this magic as leverage for now.
Consider QoL updates and balance adjustments as ransom for the kidnapping.
----
◆Reflecting on Recent Balance
After replaying for a while, I noticed something.
The difficulty of recent stages is clearly higher.
Even with fewer Sunstone Shards (meaning you have to strategize quite a bit from the start), clearing older stages is relatively easy.
For example, Chapter 2-6 (Pop) on Floor 60 can be cleared in about 1.5 to 2 hours, 2-3 (W) takes about 1 hour, and 2-4 (P) takes roughly 1.5 hours.
However, recent stages take around 2 to 4 hours. Sometimes I can't clear them well initially and have to retry 2-3 times.
For reference, my recorded playtime is 4000 hours, so I consider myself fairly dedicated. Or rather, I'm a developer.
My current Sunstone Shards count is 4500, but with another 300-400 hours or so, I'll easily reach 10000 even without strategy guides.
Even so, I still think recent stages are genuinely quite difficult.
I'm almost certain of this: the reason many players achieve high scores on recent stages is definitely not a game issue, but a player issue.
When you think about it, thousands of hours is roughly the time spent studying for a qualification in a well-paying profession. Players who've put in long hours have simply reached a professional level.
(I do think the increased convenience from things like ES also plays a role.)
Also, I suspect the staff has become somewhat like that too. They're stuck in a closed loop of repetition and refinement, progressing in a direction that's hard to grasp.
Now, imagine if players who've put in thousands of hours restarted the game from scratch and avoided stages with massive rewards.
I strongly believe they could collect Sunstone Shards at 6 to 10 times the speed they did back then.
In short, while recent reward inflation does show some areas needing adjustment, fundamentally it's because “high-level players are acquiring rewards quickly.”
Conversely, I don't think we need to weaken rewards. Skilled players should receive rewards commensurate with their skill.
So, while there are some spells like early magic and legacy stages that could probably use buffs, I don't get the impression there's much that needs nerfs.
If anything, there's just one thing...
----
◆Gold Rush, Begins
Chapter 8-4 introduced various permanent items with different effects, but the spell is incredibly powerful. Apparently, top-tier players are mining thousands of Sunstone Shards.
Typically, after a new stage update, player numbers surge for about 7 to 12 days before returning to normal.
However, even now, twenty days after the update, player numbers remain nearly double the usual level. This might be an unprecedented occurrence.
Now, this might be a bit of a spoiler, but the effect of is that EXP gained increases significantly only when the player is at Level 1.
However, the downside is that HP recovery multipliers drop to 0% until you level up, severely limiting recovery options.
Players seem to have developed a technique exploiting this: finding ways to clear certain stages while staying at Level 1 to earn massive rewards.
If you can defeat the Crown while remaining at Level 1, you can earn enormous rewards. And indeed, players appear to be discovering these methods one after another.
Truthfully, the existence of a single spell that allows players to obtain massive amounts of Sunstone is problematic in terms of balance.
However, from a player's perspective, this playstyle feels quite interesting.
Of course, people's sensibilities vary, and some may disagree.
But “clearing the game at Level 1” is a classic “dramatic challenge” that has existed for a long time.
And now, with the addition of Legacy and Goddess Feathers, even staying at Level 1 offers many choices.
Earlier, I mentioned “spending time before starting the game thinking about how to use Legacy and magic.” We don't see that as a bad thing.
Pondering “What would happen if I did this?” is exciting, at least when you're alone.
Not actually playing the game while sitting in front of the screen might seem strange to an outsider, but I think it's a perfectly valid form of game experience.
is precisely the kind of magic that enhances that space for “pre-game contemplation.”
And if you actually get rewards from it, well, that's definitely fun.
In reality, the Sunstone Shards gained from are usually around 100 to 200 per stage. (Though some seem to yield a bit more)
You can certainly earn decent rewards without using this. It's just that this is enjoyed as “challenge content for advanced players.”
Regarding Mystic Gates and Last Inflator, we don't really consider balancing adjustments.
We intend for players to “clear them using crazy, unintended methods.”
Whether it works or not, you won't know until you deeply consider it and try.
And actually doing it is, in a sense, an adventure itself. Failing is an adventure; finding treasure is an adventure.
For us, this magic is simply about “enhancing player ingenuity.”
It's like we've created a new end-game challenge with massive rewards, and I don't think we need to deliberately nerf it significantly.
...Considering the future, I'm a bit uneasy, so I plan to lower the threshold for the multiplier decay from 25,000 (x4.0) to 20,000 (x3.5). Beyond that, I don't intend to make further adjustments.
Going forward, as you acquire more Legacy items and magic, I hope you'll continue seeking out Level 1 clear routes.
----
◆Regarding the Feature Improvement Planned for Next Weekend
Around early to mid-October, a new feature will be added where enemies that can be defeated without taking damage will change to a “demoralized” (unmotivated) graphic.
...That probably doesn't make much sense, but essentially, enemies that cannot damage the player will switch to an unmotivated graphic.
Relatively recently, new animations were added for player characters, so new motions now display when picking up items or using keys.
Playing it actually felt quite fun, so we decided to add a few more graphical updates.
A clear shared belief within Team-Nexus is that “games should provide feedback to the player.”
When a player hits an enemy in a game, the game often responds with visual or audio effects.
This concept of “receiving a response to one's actions” is widely shared, from baby toys that make sounds to adult games that produce big effects for big wins.
Players use the scale of these effects to consider and judge “what meaning their actions held” and “how much value they had.”
To think or feel about things, one needs material or substance.
Providing feedback on “what meaning the player's action held” prompts or suggests thought to the player.
In game design, “making the player notice something” is extremely important.
After conceiving a gimmick, guiding the player's thought process on “how to make them notice that gimmick” is crucial during game development.
...To be honest, writing this much text and embellishing it just to achieve an effect like “adding a special graphic for enemies that can be defeated without taking damage” is a bit of an exaggeration.
That said, I think adding the element of “allowing players to perceive parameter increases” on top of being able to identify information is quite important.
Progress on Chapter 5-0 is currently around 35-40%, I'd say. It still looks like it'll take quite some time.
Also, since this stage isn't planned to offer many rewards, there might not be any major updates until Chapter 9-1.
I hope to manage an update before the Gold Rush event ends.