NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: I Love This Big Update!
This time, the update was packed with content, and Victor felt it was important to discuss it with the players. He was concerned they might perceive his silence as a lack of diligence in his role as the game’s promotional manager. Following the announcement, he promptly posted the edited dev diary in the forum thread and pinned the posts for easy access.
“Dev Diary #2: Alpha Version 0.3”
“Hello, hello! It is I, your dearest promotional manager here!”
“Apologies for the delay in the update this time around. Our CEO was rather irked by the postponement, so we had to light a fire under our technical team and programmers — threatening their paychecks — to get this out on time. And now, ladies and gentlemen! Our server is officially open to people outside the US. Excited? Thrilled? Of course, you are!”
“I am also excited about this news. People around the globe have been sending me DMs and asking when their regions will get access. Well, no more sulking or thumb-sucking in the corner — you now have the chance to be selected and be a part of this incredible journey!”
“All right, that’s enough attention for them. The biggest changes in this version update are mainly the introduction of a new dungeon area and a ‘party’ system that comes with it. This is the first dungeon in the game, so the difficulty level will be adjusted to the current state of the players. But don’t think you can just waltz in there in your underwear; there are some ground rules.”
“We’ve implemented restricted access to the new dungeon with our latest introduction: the party system. You need to gather four friends to form a party. Remember, while it is possible to form a party without being a true acolyte, to undertake this special mission, each member, or at least four in your party, must have achieved first-stage Initiate Attunement. This also helps prevent issues like players stealing loot from each other, a key consideration in this decision.”
“Of course, with stringent conditions and tough challenges came a generous reward. We assure you, the players, will be satisfied with what the headmaster of the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi offers in exchange for the monster loot. It will be well worth your efforts. Be sure to check out the details when you log back into the game.”
“With the party system in place, we also thought it apt to introduce an in-game chat feature to streamline communication. As long as you’re within the academy’s signal coverage, you can chat with your friends and party members through the Shadowlink Marks. However, due to technical hurdles, voice chat and video calls are still under development, so we ask for your patience a little longer.”
“Next, I want to talk about the map feature. The Shadowlink Mark’s magic mapping function can pinpoint nearby obstacles and walls with precision, uploading this data to the academy’s magic database for you. Even if you have a terrible sense of direction, you will still be able to find your way home. No more worries for your mom about you getting lost in the wild!”
“Now, let’s talk about something many of you have been eagerly waiting for — a brand new NPC! Yes, the academy is expanding beyond just our reliable headmaster and his charming little fairy assistant. Meet Eleanor, an Artificer and the head of the blacksmith workshop. Players can now exchange merit points for top-tier weapons and equipment, and possibly even magic tools in the near future!”
“You can expect more and more NPCs to join the academy and fill out various roles as the storyline progresses. So, players, stay active and make the most of these opportunities.”
“Be that as it may, we’ve noticed some players are active during both day and night. I want to reiterate: We are a serious company, and Magus Academy Online is designed as a relaxed, casual game. We do not support excessive gaming or encourage AFK behavior. We urge you to manage your playtime responsibly, maintain a balanced schedule, and allocate your gaming hours sensibly.”
“Next up, some of you might have noticed a new structure to the east of the academy grounds. It is called the ‘Magic Botanical Garden’ and is set to be an important asset of the academy in the future. Players are currently restricted from going inside, but this may change down the line. Keep an eye out for this and many more buildings set to appear as we progress.”
“Last but not least, I want to mention that we are adding an obligatory formal agreement for closed-alpha players. Now, we are not one of those companies that impose NDAs, as we aim for maximum transparency and wish to share our game’s development with as many people as possible. However, this formal agreement is essential to establish clear guidelines and expectations. It ensures that all players understand their roles in this testing phase and helps us maintain a fair, respectful gaming environment for everyone involved. This agreement also serves to protect the integrity of the game and provide a framework for feedback and bug reporting.”
“Rest assured, there will be no changes to your current gameplay, so you can relax and enjoy the game as usual. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm, and I hope you understand these changes that we made.”
“On that note, with the ever-expanding game world, we are updating the in-game guidelines to version 3.0. Players, please make sure to check them out on the official website to get the best experience in gaming.”
“I guess this is it for the second installment of the dev diary. There’s so much more I’d like to share, but anything further would be redundant. I hope you like this exciting new update. Happy gaming!”
Victor tapped his holographic screen, confirming the upload. Done!
He stretched, pushing away from his desk and standing to gaze out the window. The academy was eerily quiet with the players gone...
The addition of the formal agreement was, first and foremost, to lend credibility on a broader scale. It also provided a means to exert some control over the players on Earth, despite its current lack of legal enforcement. Still, all these concerns would be taken care of once that “certain” sponsor came on board as a shareholder of his fictional company.
As for the possibility of other people or companies trying to replicate his game? Yeah, good luck on that.
Turning back to the screen, he noticed the announcement thread was already bustling with comments.
ProcrastinatingPanda: “First! Thank you for the update!”
FrostByte: “Oh Heaven, this update is even bigger than Alpha Version 0.2!”
Eclipse_Knight101: “Are the devs on steroids?”
EmoDamage: “Finally! The server’s finally open to everyone worldwide! But dang, one hundred quotas is far from enough!”
Gigglebelly Grumblefart: “Wait, casual?! Can someone pinch me? I think my eyes are playing tricks on me.”
SlavingOnTheConstructionSite: “No excessive gaming?! Pfft. My in-game hands are practically blistering already.”
Stickman_Just_Passing: “Cyber is lying! Liar detected!”
Frankly, despite the existence of mental shielding to prevent players from feeling too monotone, Victor suspected there was more at play. Well, players had the freedom to switch jobs if they grew bored with one. In fact, they could simply accumulate one thousand merit points and then idle away until they advanced to the first-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte. Ultimately, the choice was in their hands.
Storm Bringer: “This update is insane! Loving the new dungeon and party system; there’s so much potential that can be explored. It also gives us a solid goal. Now, if only they would add items in the shop to speed up meditation progression.”
Prominence: “Yeah, you could use that help, or else you’ll always be our little burden. (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)”
Storm Bringer: “Hey, shut it!”
Squadzell: “I just realized something. Won’t this update make it more impossible for me to get a qualification? QAQ”
But not everyone was excited about this update. Some were still vehement about exposing what they believed to be the “true agenda” of his game and company.
I_Am_Not_A_Godzilla: “Ha! They’re finally showing their true colors. I told you so. Maintain a fair, respectful gaming environment for everyone involved my ass. This ‘formal agreement’ must be a scheme to swindle money out of you unknowingly. If you still have some sense, don’t believe what it said at face value!”
MikeIsHandsome1000x: “Tsk-tsk. Some people can really deceive themselves.”
ThunderLord999: “Just let the clown fool himself.”
Watching these exchanges, Victor felt a fleeting urge to quash the skepticism by granting the naysayer closed-alpha access. So tempting… However, he was able to hold back. Qualifications were precious at this stage; even if the obnoxious guy got the qualification, there was no guarantee that he would become silent or even comply with the rules.
Trolls would always be trolls.
Moreover, it was entertaining to have someone act as a clown as the game grew into something big that possibly would change people’s lives entirely. Victor was no stranger to such a thing happening because he had read many VR novels in his past life.
He closed the holographic screen and thought for a while. The comments on the update made him think of some things that could be better.
“Liz, could you ask Eleanor to come here?” Victor requested, watching the fairy engrossed in browsing the internet on the table.
Eleanor was a workaholic — that much was obvious. Since her arrival at the blacksmith workshop, she had not stepped out even for a minute, despite Victor having prepared a room for her in the Headmaster’s Building. He had been curious about it, and when he checked, she was fervently stockpiling iron ingots and crafting weapon molds, completely immersed in her work. She was truly giving it her all, unlike a certain someone…
“Sure…” She turned off her screen and closed her eyes; it appeared that she had wised up and used her hologram to interact with Eleanor so that she wouldn’t get hugged to death. “…Done. She’ll be here shortly, but she’s sweating buckets.”
“I see…” I wonder what she would do when nature’s calling if she stayed cooped up in there…
“By the way,” the fairy added with a twinkle in her eyes, “I’ve completed the program for the meditation technique. Though, it’s not of much use without data for training or a computer powerful enough to run it. Hehe.”
“Well, that won’t be for long.”
