Chapter Sixty: A Solitary Reform

“It seems you've made up your mind as well, President Feng.”
His words drew the attention of everyone in the room, their gazes shifting to this young man whose appearance suggested he was barely eighteen or nineteen. Yet his true age was even more astonishing—he was the youngest representative present at this meeting.
He hailed from the global top-tier game development corporation, Lord of the Sky.
As the representative for this elite game company, this youth was clearly no ordinary figure. Most of what Feng Ling had said earlier was actually directed at him, since the number of agreements between Chinese Mythology Network Technology and Lord of the Sky exceeded a hundred, with the amount of funds exchanged accounting for sixty-three percent of all deals made at the conference. With such a proportion, further explanation was unnecessary.
“Using the beginner server as the testing ground is the best way to conduct research. It is far more effective than testing on our own private servers, and I believe the data presented by Guo Yuan speaks for itself. Ten thousand simulated player AI with unique talent trees—none overlapping—means ten thousand entirely new skills generated and calculated for win-loss outcomes, which cannot be predicted. The playability is significantly enhanced, and this marks another major leap in recreating the martial arts world.”
“In that case, I can speak on behalf of my company to respond to President Feng—I support this.”
A slight curve appeared at the corner of the youth’s lips, his confident smile causing several in the room to furrow their brows. It was hard to imagine how someone so young could represent [LOTS], but his resolute answer revealed a strong faith in the success of this experiment.
“Since President Feng has such confidence, I support it as well.”
Another corporate representative smiled and spoke, putting those who were previously uneasy at ease, their expressions gradually relaxing.
“I have no objections either. I support it.”
“I feel the same. I support it.”
“…”
…
After the meeting, everyone departed except Feng Ling and the representative from [LOTS].
“This reform was within your capability years ago. ‘Divine Desolation’ has impacted the entire world. You broke all the rules, charted a new course, and proved that China can develop world-class games and hold a dominant position.”
“Even if I was prepared years ago, nothing could guarantee smooth operation of such a reform. Since the inception of ‘Divine Desolation,’ I never intended for it to stagnate.”
Feng Ling shook his head, went to the wine cabinet by the conference room wall, and retrieved a bottle of aged foreign wine. He twisted open the cap, pouring the dusk-hued liquid into a glass. The aroma slowly spread, and after drinking it in one gulp, he continued, “I’ve said before, finding [Ancient Heaven and Earth] is the best conclusion to launch this reform. For now, the beginner server will serve as the testing ground, limited to the [Xuan Tian] server. I am very much looking forward to the players on this server.”
“Heh, more accurately, it’s because of the team that discovered the [Ancient Heaven and Earth] map segment.”
“Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn’t. The reform of ‘Divine Desolation’ was always destined. This special setup is bound to bring about a series of changes. Next year’s global tournament is certain to adopt this reform mechanism, so everything from now on will be different.”
“‘Divine Desolation’ has already influenced the world—the impact is undeniable. You alone stood against several elite teams, and your development team is the reason these corporations wish to cooperate with you. You know this well, but what they failed to predict is that the real force behind the planning—this genius, the chairman of Chinese Mythology—is you, whose vision and gameplay designs are even more formidable than your own development team.”
Though the youth spoke quietly, there was a hint of admiration in his tone. He knew far more about Feng Ling than anyone else.
…
On the official homepage of ‘Divine Desolation,’ a new announcement swept across the site.
A bold new reform is upon us: the beginner server [Xuan Tian] will undergo a comprehensive overhaul, the scope of which rivals previous major updates.
This reform will be groundbreaking, allowing players to create their own skill combinations and talent trees.
Players will be able to independently design passive and active skills, seamlessly linking them together. The original professions will be retained. At the same time, players can use their self-created skills in-game, but the process is not arbitrary. All data and information will be tested by AI. We will provide each profession’s attribute range to help players who are unsure how to begin crafting passive and active skills for their chosen class.
This gameplay is reminiscent of forging unique martial arts techniques and philosophies in a martial arts world.
The first key to a perfect self-created skill combination and talent tree is to tailor it to one’s familiar basic and professional skills, ensuring smooth integration. Thus, the system allows players to use their profession’s attributes to create ideal skills that enrich their own talent trees.
Upon successfully developing a skill, players will earn corresponding talent skill points. Once a certain number of points is accumulated, these can be exchanged to develop a skill in another profession’s attribute, but the opportunity is granted only once. If AI deems the attempt unreasonable or outside the chosen profession’s scope, it will fail, requiring talent points to be accumulated again.
Such gameplay is undoubtedly highly challenging. In PvP, these skills are unknown to opponents, making unpredictability even more pronounced unless there is an overwhelming numerical disparity. Otherwise, every skill developed through the talent tree could bring about a dramatic reversal.
Since each player’s habits differ, the paths formed through this talent tree system will vary even within the same profession, making it impossible to teach or transfer directly. Players must explore on their own. Of course, some may opt not to rely on the talent tree, instead sticking to the skills provided by ‘Divine Desolation.’ This is possible, but the enjoyment will inevitably diminish.
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