Game Making: Start By Healing the Player

“Hmm, this UI seems quite nice!”

Upon entering the game for the first time, Jiang Ping couldn’t help but light up when he saw the game’s user interface. 

As a less mature member of the LSP gang, Jiang Ping had not played many Gal games.

However, he still had a rough idea of what to expect. 

Even though they were all games made with the official game engine, most of the ones he had played were a mess, even when it came to basic UI elements.

“I can only choose one character?”

After clicking into the game, Jiang Ping looked at a diamond shape in the middle.

There were several different characters inside, but he could only select the Dark Elf for now. 

The rest were all locked.

“So many characters to choose from? It seems like …… quite a bit of content!”

A surprised expression appeared on Jiang Ping’s face, and his heart fluttered.

Subconsciously, Jiang Ping looked at the dormitory door.

It was still closed and his roommates had to go out tonight.

Going to the door, Jiang Ping looked around outside, then closed and locked it.

As he sat back down in front of the computer and looked at the game screen, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath and his expression grew solemn. Like a holy man about to study sacred texts. 

Of course, his inner thoughts were far less restrained.

Will I be able to woo a character like the Dark Elf?

This is also too exciting!

Trembling with excitement, Jiang Ping followed the instructions and clicked on a battle-like icon.

”In the dark of night, the lonely Blackwater Castle unexpectedly welcomed an uninvited guest.”

”Something was on the move, like a shadow in the night, blink and you’ll miss it.”

Several options appeared in-game, causing Jiang Ping to freeze. 

Wasn’t this a Gal game? Why does it have so many words? Is there a plot?

Jiang Ping scratched his head, but didn’t think too much about it and casually clicked a few times.

Looking at the content of the game in the battle, Jiang Ping froze a second time.

It really had match-3 gameplay?

Earlier, when he had read on the forums that someone had said that this was the most fun match-3 game, Jiang Ping had thought that it was a joke. 

But now, does the gameplay really have match-3?

“Well, the orange balls give a buff, the sword symbol is physical damage, the stars are magic damage, and the potion heals.”

“Connect four to enhance the effects, and connect five to get an ultimate that does a lot of damage.”

“You can also collect equipment for special abilities and bonuses, but currently there’s only one that can increase your hit points.”

Following the in-game tutorials, Jiang Ping quickly figured out how the combat worked and he was shocked. 

Was he playing a Gal game or an actual match-3 game?

Why are there so many mechanics?

Jiang Ping was astonished, knowing that the Gal games he had played in the past did not have so many mechanics.

Most of them were basically just point and click, and then the artwork would pop out.

Many were shallow, with poor quality art and basically no content. 

But this ‘Mirror’ game was really something else. 

There’s a bit of richness to this battle system.

Well, compared to other Gal games. 

Plus, there was an actual, honest to God, plot!

As for the LSP elements… there’s a bit of that. Scratch that, there’s a ton of it!

Pursing his lips and squinting his eyes, Jiang Ping’s body bent slightly, temporarily switching off the small speakers on his desk.

From the drawer, he took out a headset, plugged it into the computer and placed the headset on one of his ears.

When he launched an attack after a successful match, this Dark Elf surprisingly had a sound effect of being attacked.

As her HP decreased, her clothes started to fall off and become more lewd.

Ah! That’s right!

According to the setting, this is supposed to be the Middle Ages, right?

No wonder the quality of the clothes is so poor!

People’s lives were really hard back then, just look at how tattered these clothes have become, my goodness, the skin tone…

Jiang Ping managed to get a match five combo, triggering an ultimate with fancy visual and sound effects. That’s a lot of damage!

Wait, there is a turn limit! There are only 13 turns, how can this elf still have so much HP?

After a short trial, Jiang Ping’s attention soon shifted from the elf’s clothes to the game.

He had to say, this game seems to be quite fun!

………………

“The quality of this game is just insane!”

After two consecutive battles, the game shifted into PLAY mode ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

Jiang Ping felt as if all the Gal games he had played before had been for nothing.

What was a Gal game?

This, this is what a Gal game should be!

What were they in the past?

There was only Gal content, but no game.

Of course, having no game content is acceptable, considering the reason people used them in the first place. 

But there are so many shoddy ones, do they think a pervert’s money isn’t money?

Look at this game, not to mention the practicality of being fap material, the gameplay is so rich, this is the quality a Gal game should have! This is the content a Gal game should have!

And there are even elements of a dating sim?

It has multiple endings?

Jiang Ping went down the Pleasure route for his first playthrough, seriously calculating the different party options and finishing the segment. 

And when he got back to the main menu, he noticed a 50% progress bar next to the portrait of the Dark Elf Thief, as well as a new character being unlocked. This made him even more excited.

How fortunate, he never found the doujins he was looking for, but instead found this godsend of a game.

“Well, let’s not play the new character yet, I want to see the other storyline.”

“According to normal game logic, this second ending would be the ending where the Dark Elf turns evil, right?”

With curiosity and a touch of excitement and nervousness, Jiang Ping clicked in again.

………………

Ten minutes later

“Why is it like this?”

Jiang Ping, sitting in front of the computer, was touched and excited. 

She was born a noble, but her heart was with the poor commoners, even stealing to help them.

And yet those she helped were ugly, shameless, and repaid her kindness with resentment.

Facing her, who fell into the devil’s clutches, these paupers had only evil thoughts in their heads.

While the game’s illustrations were strong as ever, the voice acting in this game is simply explosive compared to other Gal games. 

But Jiang Ping still felt torn. 

Especially later on, when a low ranking guardsman showed kindness and pity towards the Dark Elf. 

But in the end, he still crossed the line of morality and extended a sinful hand towards her. 

This was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Combined with the final image of the devil laughing darkly outside the wall, it was even more impactful for Jiang Ping.

Perhaps he could understand why those shitposters on the forums had such a different attitude towards this game.

This was not just a simple Gal game.

There was also the questioning of human nature, the exploration of good and evil. Making Jiang Ping question the meaning of life for a long time after reaching the ending. 

Is human nature as good as Mencius said, or as evil as Xunzi said?

Why did these humans, faced with the elf who helped them, repay kindness with hatred?

Why, in the end, when the survivors are clearly good, do they allow evil to gain the upper hand?

Jiang Ping, who had fallen into a philosophical state of mind, thought seriously.

But this was only the beginning.