There is a joking rumor in the market, "There are thousands of Three Kingdoms games, and card RPGs account for the majority." In terms of IP ranking in the gaming circle, Three Kingdoms must be at the top. According to the "2017 Global Mobile Game Industry White Paper" released during DEAS in 2017, in 2017, the largest number of IP-adapted games were Three Kingdoms-themed games, with a total of 212 games. It is reasonable that Three Kingdoms-themed games are relatively common in the market.

Of course, such "reasonableness" is also the main reason why Three Kingdoms-themed games have changed from common to "rogue". But fundamentally, it can be attributed to the fact that early works such as "Three Kingdoms" and "Swallowing Heaven and Earth" established the tone of Three Kingdoms-themed games. Most subsequent game manufacturers failed to break out of the "game" laid by their predecessors.

In this environment where the themes are the same and the gameplay is similar, innovation is particularly necessary. NetEase, which has always been famous for its turn-based game, has once again used the Three Kingdoms theme to play a new trick: adding strategic gameplay to the originally turn-based "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon", forming a strategic turn-based Three Kingdoms game that is relatively rare in the market. tour.

Gameplay innovation, SLG+ turn-based MMO lays out new subdivisions

The "2017 Global Mobile Game Industry White Paper" shows that in 2017, the scale of China's mobile games will reach 144.6 billion yuan. Given the huge size of the market, if mobile game products want to stand out, the choice of segment is one of the key points. In the subcategory of turn-based games, works represented by "Fantasy Westward Journey" and "Westward Journey" follow the RPG path, while works represented by "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" follow the SLG path. .

When it comes to domestic turn-based games, NetEase's "Fantasy Westward Journey" must be a typical example, and most of the core members of the development team of "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" come from fantasy PC games, which means that "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" has a turn-based gameplay. It has a mature way of operating. In fact, the turn-based gameplay itself also needs to pay attention to strategy. The order of moves and the attribute configuration of the characters in battle need to be reasonably arranged. Therefore, the integration of strategy and turn-based gameplay is a matter of course.

In the cross-server battle of "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon", players need to reasonably allocate the basic and strategic resources of each city and stronghold in the early stage, rationally arrange the units and deploy troops, and choose appropriate tactics of war…

In short, give full play to the ability of strategizing to attack or defend the city; in the later stage, enter the street fighting stage, that is, return to turn-based PVP battles, and victory will be achieved by breaking through the enemy's base camp.

The combination of SLG and turn-based gameplay not only brings rich gameplay to the game itself, but also attracts the attention of more players. According to the "2017 China Game Industry Development Report" previously released by the China Culture and Entertainment Industry Association Information Center and China Entertainment Think Tank, among the mobile game product types in 2017, excluding role-playing and casual puzzle categories, which accounted for more than half, strategy The game is firmly in third place. In other words, strategy games have a wide audience. While the turn-based gameplay attracts loyal players of established works, it can also catch the attention of strategy gameplay enthusiasts and further expand the user base.

Dreaming back to the Three Kingdoms, cultivating and socializing to create a world of flesh and blood

As mentioned earlier, there are countless games with the theme of the Three Kingdoms. For a brand-new work to stand out among games with the same theme such as Crossing the River, the layout of subdivided areas is one thing, and the appropriate innovation on the basis of the original work is another thing. Socializing is another aspect.

The characters are rich enough, the battles are exciting enough, and it also has a platform for the above content to be displayed – Jianghu. This is an important element for the Three Kingdoms IP to attract game developers. However, it is not easy to develop a unique game within the same worldview framework. "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" focuses on mining IP details. For example, the character traits and allusions of historical figures are reflected in the game; on the basis of respecting history, more plots are developed for many famous Three Kingdoms generals. Even the battle scenes will change weather, terrain and other factors based on the original history. Starting from the "details", this is a more interesting arena.

On the other hand, humans are social animals, and the game itself also has strong interactive attributes. There is an unsubstantiated argument that games are becoming the fourth media after text, pictures, and videos. Game Daily declined to comment on this, but judging from the increasing emphasis on social gameplay in the game market, games + social interaction are entering people's lives in a manner that cannot be ignored.

On the premise of restoring the historical scenes of the Three Kingdoms era, "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" also integrates social gameplay into it. Players can find love between sons and daughters, friendship between friends, or free trade and build a city together, which makes them feel like they have returned to the world of more than a thousand years ago. Functions such as cross-server chatting and cross-server adding friends will also be launched along with the "Game of Thrones" gameplay, which means that players on different servers can discuss strategies, reach consensus, join forces, or conspire to create a better future. The game adds more real "flesh and blood".

Summarize

There are many games with the theme of the Three Kingdoms, but very few can make the theme of the Three Kingdoms without destroying the IP. Previously, Japan's Koei "Three Kingdoms 11" cleverly combined strategic gameplay and turn-based gameplay, and gained a good reputation among players. What kind of surprises will the "Three Kingdoms Like a Dragon" launch on February 1st?

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