(Farming, the Fourth Catastrophe, a rapidly advancing tech tree, decisive violence, ensemble cast, lighthearted)
Products that combine elements from the world's biggest hit games usually get panned when they fail to blend them well.
Indie game developer Xu Cheng was pursuing his dream when he suddenly died. He was reborn in the game world with an access-control console.
Magic, combat techniques, tech trees, ascension, and more: even as the game evolves into a world, it retains its game mechanics, including monsters dropping loot and hidden experience gains.
Using the initial building, the Soul Bonfire, he recruits players from the real world to explore another world and build a life from nothing.
Ogre-like monsters are ravaging a village? Not a chance. Let them try stepping on a land mine packed with black powder and metal fragments.
An elemental banshee that sucks out human brains? Perfect. The players aren't picky eaters, and they don't mind using themselves as bait.
The players of this new age always have some era-defining ideas up their sleeves, coming up with astounding schemes. Best of all, they're a controllable source of cheap labor.
All it takes is a tiny promise and a little teaser information to make the players work themselves to the bone.
As one strategist, said to be worth an entire city, recalled: “They charged at us shouting about friendship, bonds, the future, and all that. It was obvious they'd come prepared.”
And so begins the campaign to conquer another world.
