Legend

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Legend (传奇)
Alias(es)	Legend of Mir; Hot-blooded Legend of Mir
Type	Online game
Status	Active in the novel's early-2000s setting; later challenged by competing games and private servers
First Appearance	Referenced in Chen Hao's game-industry plan 2

Background

In 2002, Legend is at the height of its popularity in Chinese internet cafés; at one campus café, nearly half of all customers are playing it. Chen Hao identifies it as the first step in his intended progression from “Legend” to Miracle and then World of Warcraft. 2 3 26

The official version relies on game time cards and a slow progression loop. Players may spend long periods traveling, grinding monsters, and waiting for rare drops; this makes its high-end equipment unusually scarce and valuable. 7 32

Gameplay

Classes

Class	Documented traits
Warrior	Excels in player-versus-player combat. Its signature weapons include Purgatory, Staff of Judgment, and the Dragon Slayer. 6 7
Mage	Can use Charm of Light to temporarily recruit monsters as pets; a level 3 Charm of Light can control up to five monsters. 5
Taoist	Can summon and level a Skeleton Baby to level 7. Its weapon progression includes Snake Charm and Dragon Pattern Sword. 5 7

Equipment hierarchy

• Class dividing-line weapons — Purgatory for Warriors, Magic Staff for Mages, and Snake Charm for Taoists. 7
• Current ceiling-tier weapons — Staff of Judgment, Bone Jade Scepter, and Dragon Pattern Sword. Staffs of Judgment are so scarce that major guild leaders monopolize the few available. 7
• Dragon Slayer — A legendary Warrior weapon above the Staff of Judgment. The first known Dragon Slayer was awarded to Prince Dan, a level 52 Warrior from Server Five, after an official cross-server level competition. 7

Mage monster charm

• Black Evil Maggots in Centipede Cave are commonly called “tires” because of their spinning attacks. 5
• Their fast movement and attack speed make them favored Mage pets for PK and treasure hunting. 5
• Before version 1.50, “Tiger Guard Legend,” Mages cannot recruit Tiger Guards or Eagle Guards and instead rely on Centipede Cave monsters. 5

Private Server Era

Chen Hao purchases a Legend of Mir private server for 10,000 yuan after inspecting the server files and hard drive in person. He learns Delphi to modify its code and begins optimizing its numerical systems, equipment models, and map teleportation functions. 23 24 26

His resulting private-server project, Greedy Blue Moon Legend, abandons time cards and uses accelerated progression, new equipment, monetized items, and configurable systems to distinguish itself from the official game. 28 35

Version	Experience / Drop Rate	Features
Slightly Modified Version	2× / 2×	Free play, no time cards, halved boss respawns, new maps and equipment earned through gameplay. 28
Medium Modified Version	10× / 10×	Instant member-map boss respawns, skill optimization, new maps, and new equipment. 28
Super Modified Version	100× / 100×	Starts at level 20; adds new skills, maps, and equipment. 28

Greedy Blue Moon’s launch grants new players level 20 starter characters, basic equipment, reservation rewards, teleport NPCs, and purchasable high-level weapons. Its rapid drops and extreme gear progression attract players away from the official servers. 31 32

By the end of March, Greedy Blue Moon surpasses 100,000 registered users and 30,000 concurrent players. Its dedicated server room is built to support 50,000 concurrent users. 34

Greedy Blue Moon Legend 2.0

The 2.0 update, titled Demon King Descends, is completed in April after development and testing by Chen Hao and Pang Ban. It adds class skills, a recurring Monster Siege event, ranking rewards, and a new server. Revenue for the private server exceeds ten million yuan that month. 37

Addition	Effect
Sun-Slaying Sword Technique	Gives Warriors a destructive linear ranged attack. 37
Meteor Fire Rain	Gives Mages an area attack that calls down flaming meteors. 37
Bloodthirsty Technique	Lets Taoists damage enemies with a talisman while restoring some health on hit. 37
Monster Siege	A tri-daily defense event in which the Blue Sun Demon King leads monsters against Black Moon Gate; enemies can drop top-tier equipment and skill books. 37
Ranking Event	The top player receives an exclusive title and their class’s top weapon. 37

Market Position

Legend remains a dominant game but faces growing pressure from Miracle, private servers, and Shanda’s own efforts to develop alternatives. Shanda identifies Greedy Blue Moon as a major threat because of its technical operation, promotional methods, free-to-play model, and in-game monetization. 40

On January 7, market-share data places Legend of Mir second with 22%, behind Miracle at 38%. Its decline is described as the first major loss of market share for the game. 108

Legacy

Legend of Mir 3

Legend of Mir 3 is presented as an orthodox sequel developed by the same studio as Legend. It retains roughly 70% of the original game’s maps, professions, and skills while adding new Warrior abilities such as Ten Directions Slash, Lotus Moon Sword Technique, and Soaring Sky Sword Technique. 154

Its open beta begins on September 1 with seven free days and quickly exceeds both Legend and Legendary World in concurrent players, requiring Century Interactive Entertainment to redirect resources from Miracle to maintain stability. 154

Connections

• Greedy Blue Moon Legend — A heavily modified private-server derivative built from acquired Legend of Mir server code. 23 26 28
• Miracle — Chen Hao’s planned successor to Legend and the game that later overtakes it in market share. 2 108
• Shanda — Associated with the official Hot-blooded Legend of Mir operation and later attempts to counter private servers through technical attacks and competing products. 35 40
• Legend of Mir 3 — An orthodox sequel that preserves much of Legend’s familiar content while expanding its systems and skills. 154