No matter how you look at it, Pizza Tycoon is a gem among the simulation games of the 1990s.
It faithfully recreates every element that players can imagine, almost to the point of being demanding.
For simulation game enthusiasts, this is absolutely a masterpiece.
But as the saying goes, "Success and failure both depend on Xiao He."
The biggest problem with " Pizza Tycoon " lies precisely in this.
Over-designed!
This wasn't just a problem with Pizza Tycoon; it was a common phenomenon in the golden age of video games.
Simplifying is always the Adventure and least worthwhile approach.
If you have enough content and enough systems, players will most likely buy in.
Pizza Tycoon is a typical example of this.
There is a lot of content, but the systems feel fragmented and lack the seamless integration that comes together so skillfully.
After a quick hands-on experience, it's easy to see that it's like a super large single-level apartment.
At first, there was only one living room.
As the development team came up with more and more ingenious ideas, they started adding a kitchen, toilets, gardens, and entertainment rooms next door.
Simulation games of the 1990s loved to simulate the complexities of reality.
The more thoroughly the simulation of this real-world business is performed, the more impressive it seems to everyone.
This design philosophy is completely different from that of modern video games.
This is precisely what makes Lin Lixin's next plans less than ideal.
"What we're going to do is—a web-based game, a game that runs in real-time on a browser using the NS interpreter."
After a brief moment of thought, he finally revealed his goal.
The next piece of the internet strategy puzzle: Web games!
Looking back at the original timeline, the birth of web-based games actually occurred earlier than many people realize.
In 1995, Java Applet enabled the embedding of Java programs within web pages.
Although the bloated and large JVM and the high development threshold made it difficult for it to become widespread, it must be said that it was the pioneering work of Java Applets that created the later golden age of web games.
The information age is developing at a much faster pace than in the past.
Just as in the long history of the Earth, the short 5 million-year history of humankind accounts for less than 0.1% of it.
The speed of technological development is exponentially explosive.
With Java Applets opening up the market, a Legend was born in just the second year.
It truly ushered in the golden age of web games and laid the foundation for thousands of web games in the future.
Its name is Flash.
Adobe Flash.
The era of Flash animation has begun.
A massive influx of independent game developers and animators has entered this new world, bringing countless amazing works to players.
This period lasted for a very, very long time.
Until the developers finally couldn't stand it anymore, and this hero who had once slain the bloated Java Applets turned into a new evil dragon.
The tail end of the post-Flash era.
The numerous problems with Flash began to become increasingly fatal and were too deeply entrenched to be reversed.
It allows arbitrary code execution, allows Google execution, allows video playback, allows network communication, and allows file parsing.
It does everything, manages everything, and indeed, it can do everything.
then----
In 2015, HackingTeam's data was leaked.
It contains a large number of Flash zero-day vulnerabilities, allowing any novice hacker or even a script kiddie to easily use Flash to mass-produce their own viruses and Trojans.
For a time, Flash became the most useful backdoor.
Because in that era, if you enjoyed online entertainment, you were bound to need the FIASH plugin.
If you have the Flash plugin, hackers can tamper with your computer as easily as eating or drinking.
So, just like Java Applets, Flash eventually succumbed to the ravages of time.
Just like how a new successor will naturally emerge after Atari falls.
UnityWebGL and HTML5 succeeded Flash as the king.
Unfortunately, this was already the end of the era of browser games.
What happened after that is what modern gamers are used to.
Looking back, it's not hard to see that web-based games actually originated before the turn of the millennium.
It has to be said that this is truly counterintuitive.
As a time traveler, Lin Lixin was able to avoid a large number of risks in advance thanks to his early grasp of the future development path of the Web.
The advent of NovaScript completely eliminates the need to skip the Flash stage.
In fact, the various standards required for H5 technology were already set as mandatory options from the very beginning when Lin Lixin and Carmack were developing NS.
HTML5 technology didn't mature only after Flash died.
Back when Flash was still dominant, nobody thought we needed a new technology stack.
"0kay----But, but with the Web, it's hard to cram in enough content, isn't it?"
David was still preoccupied with his modernization reforms.
If we're making a web-based application, then we're back to the days of meticulous budgeting.
In particular, since different users have vastly different hardware configurations, they must take into account the experience of users with lower-spec systems.
After all, not everyone can afford an i486.
Moreover, the game content needs to be loaded by the player using a network.
If the game is too large, loading it can take a lot of time, which is really discouraging.
"That's true, but we don't need it."
Lin Lixin picked up the " Pressure Cooker " cassette tape from the table.
This old game, released on the Atari 2600, has in fact completed one of the most crucial aspects of modern video game design.
Core loop!
Unlike the developers of the 1980s and 90s who were keen on piling on materials.
Modern independent game developers often focus more on simplifying the process.
"Before we begin, I need you to tell me—in ' Pressure Cooker,' what are the 10 seconds that players find most interesting?"
"Positive feedback upon order completion—and the freedom to combine orders?"
"Great, then we'll make it the core loop. Everything we add from here on must be designed around it."
This is the difference between different eras.
Modern designers strive for harmony, unity, and interconnectedness.
There should be no isolated systems in the game. Every design should have a reason, rather than being just for show.
If old games were like large, single-level apartments built wherever you wanted, then modern video game design is like building high-rise buildings.
Its core gameplay loop is its foundation.
As long as the foundation is solid enough, designers can build higher and higher on it, and decorate the facade more beautifully.
But no matter how it's built, it won't go beyond the scope of the foundation.
Because it is the foundation of everything.
This is the biggest problem with " Pizza Tycoon ".
There are so many systems, but a large portion of them are practically standalone games.
Rather than being a complete whole, it's more like a stitched-together assembly of games with different gameplay styles.
Much of what we do exists simply for the sake of existence.
As long as they are there, players will feel fulfilled.
But Lin Lixin is not suitable.
His mind and aesthetic sense have been tamed by the modern masters, and the mere Frankenstein's monster of ideas leaves him feeling rather stifled.
"Do you think we should create a mechanism for continuously expanding and opening branches in the city? We could also integrate some business competition, mergers and acquisitions of competitors, and stock market strategies. Wouldn't that be exciting?"
Lin Lixin said casually.
A discussion immediately broke out in the conference room.
"That's so cool! It can even include a loan system, business tax, and financial statement preparation—"
"Stop, stop, stop."
Hearing them start to complicate things further, Lin Lixin was exasperated and called a halt to the discussion.
If this were a typical simulation game, then their idea might actually be quite good.
The more complex the system, the stronger the player engagement, and the greater the game depth.
But that's not what he wanted.
The answer is that we don't need it, neither what you're talking about nor what I'm referring to as opening branch stores.
"Ah?"
"The core loop! I've already said it, all the mechanics in this game are designed to stay within the loop I just mentioned."
What is the cycle in Pressure Cooker?
Receive orders, understand requirements, prepare food, and submit.
A very simple and typical loop.
By repeatedly performing this process, and as scores and proficiency increase, this becomes a simple cycle for creating happiness.
"Think about it carefully. Do all those fancy systems we just talked about have anything to do with this cycle?"
The answer is no.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Lixin stood up and went to the planning board. He picked up a pen and wrote down the cycle process he had just experienced.
He reached out and slapped the board hard, signaling everyone to keep a close eye on the ouroboros-like structure.
"What we need to do is increase the depth and interest of this process. For example, we can add more feedback to the order-making process."
Feedback and interaction space.
Seeing that everyone seemed to understand but weren't quite sure, Lin Lixin didn't keep them in suspense any longer and continued, "For example, when you put salami on a pizza, if it's arranged beautifully, it will get a higher score, and vice versa."
This is a very simple yet effective improvement.
In the standard cycle of the Pressure Cooker business, feedback is only received when the order is finally submitted.
With these modifications, players can continue to receive small, positive feedback even during the development process.
At the same time, the order processing process has become more interactive.
"And this system can then feed back into our standard cycle. If the production process receives a high score, the customer will give us an even higher rating at the final submission, and might even give us a bigger tip!"
Holy
The group, who had just been intensely discussing the design of the bank system, looked at each other in bewilderment.
It's actually that simple?
Without adding any complex mechanisms or anything outside the loop, the loop is made to have a lot of positive feedback and operability out of thin air while still being complete and self-consistent.
This is the kind of action David wanted, and it's also the kind of conservative kitchen simulation that Kitchen advocated.
Lin Lixin achieved both using only one mechanism.
The entire system is seamlessly integrated into the loop, without any abruptness or incongruity, achieving a harmonious unity.
Moreover, what you see is what you get.
Any action will receive a response within a few seconds.
Absolutely amazing!