Since starting this book, Da Ju had been paying close attention to reader feedback.
Because Da Ju was a desktop reader and did not look at comments in the Book Review Section very often (there was no Book Review Section on the desktop version now, and Da Ju could not really figure out the mobile version), he mainly read Chapter Comments. If you had anything to say to Da Ju, please leave it in the Chapter Comments whenever possible.
Regarding some of the current feedback and questions about this unorthodox novel, Da Ju would like to offer some explanations here.
1. Regarding padding.
This topic had been around for a long time. It had already been explained in the previous book: because this was a game novel, there would inevitably be lots of data descriptions for monsters, equipment, and skills.
In fact, writing this stuff was even more exhausting than writing regular prose. It was absolutely not because the author wanted to slack off. It took brainpower to make up and think through these things. Sometimes, coming up with an interesting piece of equipment took half a day, and that time could have been used to write several hundred words.
Yet people still kept saying it was padding. Tell me, wasn't that unfair? But there was no helping it. These things were essential to game novels, and there would definitely still be data descriptions in the future. Especially whenever the protagonist took down a major boss and a pile of equipment dropped, there would inevitably be a pile of data descriptions.
Consider this an advance warning.
However, whenever a chapter contained a large amount of data, I would always add several hundred extra words. For example, Chapter 30, Strange Goat, listed the stats for five goats, but that chapter was 3,100 words long—fully a thousand words more than a normal 2,000-word chapter. The point was to avoid making readers unhappy, yet people still often called it padding. I was really helpless about that. It truly was not padding.
Besides, this was still the free period. No matter how much I padded it, what would be the point?
People had complained about this in the previous book, and I had already explained it then. I was specifically explaining it once more this time. I would not explain it again in the future.
2. Regarding the protagonist's manner of speaking.
Sometimes, the protagonist changed his tone depending on the situation and who he was talking to. For example, when speaking with several dogs, he was relatively simple and direct, as though he were talking to children.
That was not because the author's writing was poor. It was because dogs had relatively low intelligence, so he obviously could not speak to them in an overly literary manner. He tried to use simple, straightforward language. You could understand the scene as the protagonist trying to bluff a few five- or six-year-old children, so naturally his tone had to be a little childish.
If he were talking to an old man or a great scholar, then naturally he would speak in a more refined manner.
For another example, when the protagonist spoke with Hunter, he initially referred to "your wife," but Hunter himself kept saying "my old lady" and so on. Once the protagonist realized Hunter was a rough sort, he could not be bothered with fancy language anymore and simply said things like "your wife."
I did not think there was anything wrong with that. I did not know why people complained about it.
Also, the protagonist mainly spoke in a literary manner with NPCs because it made communication easier and fit the context. But once he accepted the quest, or realized it was unnecessary, he sometimes could not be bothered to keep it up. Speaking that way normally was quite tiring, and plain language was definitely easier. It was impossible for him to put on airs with every person he met.
There would be similar situations in the future. One second, it might be, "Esteemed elder, may I ask your age?" The next, it might be, "Old man, hurry up. I'm in a rush."
That was the explanation.
3. Regarding some of the protagonist's choices.
Those choices were all considered, but sometimes the protagonist's thought process would not be written out.
For example, when the protagonist needed to drive away a ghost, he looked for Ye Luo instead of Black Whirlwind.
Imagine this: the protagonist used Exorcism Technique, the ghost appeared, and Black Whirlwind said, "Left, left," barking at empty air to help pinpoint its location.
But that sort of positioning definitely would not be so precise. I Want to Become Immortal might swing his sword and hit it, or might miss. Even if he got lucky and hit it, he still could not kill it. And ghosts could fly. The ghost could simply hide, and the quest would fail.
But finding Ye Luo would definitely be far more reliable.
So it was not that the protagonist was stupid. On the contrary, he had thought it through.
But it was impossible to write out that consideration every single time. [The protagonist thought, if I looked for Black Whirlwind, then...] That would be far too dragging.
In fact, even while writing now, I often felt the content was getting a little too drawn out. Whenever the protagonist made a decision, I would often write out his thought process to explain it to readers, because some readers really would tear into it.
Actually, I did not write these things before. The protagonist did whatever he wanted, without excessive explanations. But later, there were too many people criticizing it, so I had no choice but to include some explanations of the protagonist's inner thoughts in places that were more likely to be controversial.
When learning skills or choosing equipment, the protagonist would think things over internally to explain why he did it.
But it was impossible to write that inner monologue every time. For example, when the protagonist bought Steamed Buns instead of pork: [The protagonist thought, one Steamed Bun costs 5 coins and restores 10 stamina, while Wild Boar Jerky costs 25 coins and restores 50 stamina. Their stamina restoration ratios are the same, but Steamed Buns can be eaten separately. For example, if you are down 10 stamina and want to recover some, you can eat one Steamed Bun.
That makes restoring stamina more flexible, while Wild Boar Jerky can only be eaten all at once, so buying Steamed Buns is more convenient.]
But if even such trivial matters were written out, it would become far too drawn out, and people would definitely say the author was padding again.
So for some of the protagonist's less important choices, or choices I felt everyone could understand, I would not write out his inner thoughts. But they had definitely been considered.
That was the explanation.
4. Regarding being self-centered.
Everyone had some degree of self-centeredness. Everyone had their own thoughts and believed those thoughts were right. That was unavoidable.
I was that kind of person too.
But some people mistakenly believed that if they thought something, then everyone else must think the same thing. Therefore, their thoughts equaled everyone's thoughts, and therefore their thoughts were absolutely correct. If you did not write according to their ideas, then you were an idiot and did not respect readers.
So they had to criticize you, and you could not even get angry, because they were absolutely right and represented the [obvious consensus of everyone].
Well, that was not actually the case. As an author, I received a great deal of reader feedback every day. Especially with the previous book, every major choice went to a vote. I could say this: with every choice, readers were divided into several different groups.
There was absolutely no such thing as an [obvious consensus].
Perhaps there was on a very small number of issues, such as the protagonist absolutely not being allowed to die.
But on most issues, readers had different opinions.
As the author, I naturally hoped to satisfy every reader, but that was absolutely impossible.
For example, with this book's main plot, I originally set up two storylines for readers to choose from: a dark route and a lighthearted route. The dark route was: [The protagonist was recruited by Liu Qiang and sent to the Azure Dragon Society base as cannon fodder, where he struggled to survive before finally striking back.]
That was right—the very base from the prologue, where a whole bunch of people died.
The lighthearted route was the current story.
Yet both polls in the group ended in ties. In the end, the decision was made based on the new-book selection vote at the end of the previous book. A difference of perhaps one vote could have resulted in a completely different story being written now.
So everyone had to understand that your choice was only your choice. As the author, I could not satisfy everyone. I could only choose to satisfy the majority, and sometimes that majority might only be 51%.
If there were more than three choices, then even 50% might be impossible.
In fact, my own preferences were often relatively niche—not even 49%, more like 10%. So the results of polls often surprised me. The person I wanted to choose would instead be chosen by hardly anyone. If I wrote entirely according to my own ideas, many people would probably complain, [This is so toxic. Is the author an idiot? Feeding us crap again.]
Ever since I started using polls, the number of people criticizing me had clearly decreased. The author found that quite comforting.
The side effect was that the author had become a terminally indecisive patient. Sometimes, I even asked readers to help choose a piece of equipment, a name, or what the protagonist ate for breakfast. (Usually, I asked for opinions in the group. The group number is at the end.)
So when you felt that some part of this book did not match your ideas, please consider this possibility before criticizing it: your idea might only be your own idea, not the [obvious consensus].
Of course, some people simply liked criticizing authors. There was nothing to be done about that. If they wanted to find fault, they could always find something.
For example, when the protagonist chose a weapon, if I wrote that he learned swordsmanship, someone would definitely complain, "Damn, another sword user. So clichéd. Why does every protagonist use a sword? Can't there be something original?"
If I wrote that the protagonist used a spear, someone might complain, "What protagonist uses a spear? Swords are so much cooler."
If I wrote that the protagonist used nunchucks, then it would be, "Damn, is the author an idiot? He's even using nunchucks. What protagonist uses nunchucks?"
And for example, after I posted this explanation and hoped everyone would criticize me a little less, someone would definitely complain again, "Damn, what are you explaining for? Wouldn't it be better to write two more chapters with that time?"
Readers were gods. As an author, I could only silently endure it. Whether thunder or rain, all was grace.
So if anyone criticized me again in the future, I would not explain myself anymore.
That was the explanation.
Reader group: Baoyue Liuguang's Update Request Group.
Group number: 625250667
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