Monday 5 October 2000.
Zaboru was now inside the ZAGE offices in China, standing in front of the core mbers of Team MYTH. All the higher-ups of the division had already gathered, Peng Gao, Haoran Li, Yifan Sun, Tianyi Liu, and Zihan Chen, each of them watching him with focused expressions. The atmosphere in the room felt serious, but also filled with anticipation, as they all knew this eting would mark the beginning of sothing important.
Over the past two months, Zaboru had personally guided Team MYTH, teaching them not only how ZAGE operated at its core, but also how to properly utilize the tools and systems that ZAGE relied on. From workflow structure to design philosophy, he made sure they understood not just what to do, but why it was done that way. With the subtle influence of his Aura of Influence, the team's growth had accelerated even further, allowing them to absorb knowledge at a much faster pace than usual.
Now, as he looked at them, Zaboru could clearly tell that they were no longer inexperienced. Their mindset had changed, their confidence had improved, and most importantly, they were ready. Ready to handle real projects, and ready to prove themselves as a true ZAGE developnt team.
Because of that, Zaboru decided that it was finally ti to assign them their next tasks. And these tasks would not be ordinary. They were unique, carefully chosen to define the identity of Team MYTH moving forward. Zaboru planned to have them create many original gas, most of which would be inspired by Chinese web novels from his previous life, giving the team a strong cultural direction while also allowing them to create sothing fresh and distinctive within ZAGE.
Zaboru smiled and said, "So, you guys are ready for the next task?"
Everyone nodded almost at the sa ti, their expressions serious but also filled with excitent. This was the mont they had been preparing for over the past months, and none of them wanted to miss the opportunity to prove themselves.
Zaboru chuckled softly, clearly pleased with their response, before taking a step forward and handing over the first developnt folder to Team MYTH. "Then let's begin," he said calmly.
The folder was labeled Tales of Demon and God.
Zaboru grinned slightly as he looked at it. This was a novel from his previous life, one he had personally read before. He especially liked its manhua adaptation, rembering how engaging it was back then. Even so, he knew the original story had its flaws, but at the sa ti, it held strong potential if handled correctly.
As he spoke, Zaboru began pacing slowly across the room, his mind already visualizing how the story could be transford, adjusted, and improved into sothing that would fit perfectly within ZAGE's standards.
"This is a ga about cultivators, centered around reincarnation, where the core idea is about a cultivator nad Lie Nie who dies in battle and is reborn into his 13-year-old self. From that point, he begins to rebuild his strength using the knowledge and experience from his previous life, slowly correcting his past mistakes while taking a different path forward. It is a long journey of growth, struggle, and progression, where he gradually rises again step by step, eventually reaching the peak and becoming the strongest in his realm."
Zaboru paused for a mont, his eyes resting on the folder as thoughts moved quietly through his mind.
Lie Nie… reincarnation, second chance, fixing mistakes… it works. The hook is strong. But the scaling… too ridiculous if left untouched.
He walked slowly, organizing the idea in his head rather than saying it out loud.
Keep the core. Cut the excess. Make the growth feel earned. If players feel the climb, they'll stay. If he's too strong too early, they'll get bored.
Zaboru stopped and turned back to the team, his expression calm. "We'll build a progression-focused RPG," he said simply. "Clear growth, clear systems, and strong character roles."
Inside, his thoughts continued.
Companions can't be decoration. They need purpose—skills, synergy, presence in both story and gaplay. Otherwise the whole system collapses into one-man carry.
He tapped the folder lightly. "This will be a JRPG. Party composition matters. Each mber must contribute in a aningful way."
And the protagonist… strong, but not untouchable. Give players tools, not shortcuts.
Zaboru gave a small nod, as if confirming his own conclusion. "Balance is important. Strategy should win, not just raw power."
He fell silent after that, but the direction was already clear. This wasn't about copying a story. It was about reshaping an idea into sothing tighter, more controlled, and far more suited for a ga.
Then the team began to discuss the ga in much greater detail, diving into chanics, progression systems, character roles, and how the overall structure would be handled. Questions were raised one after another, from combat flow to world design, and even how the narrative pacing should align with gaplay. The room quickly beca active, filled with ideas, suggestions, and careful considerations as each mber tried to fully grasp the scale of the project.
Zaboru listened quietly at first, occasionally giving short but precise answers, guiding the discussion without overwhelming it. He allowed them to think, to question, and to build their own understanding, stepping in only when necessary to keep everything aligned with his vision.
After a while, he finally set the tiline. Zaboru gave them a total of 15 months for developnt, targeting a release in January 2002. It was not a short period, but it was also not overly generous, just enough ti for them to refine the ga properly without losing montum.
With the direction and tiline now clear, the discussion slowly settled, and Zaboru, satisfied with their response and understanding, prepared to move on to the next ga.
"Next ga is called Bangai-O Spirits and this is for ZGBA. The ga itself is a side-scrolling shooting ga with free-scrolling levels that extend both horizontally and vertically. The player controls a robot with the ability to fly, but it is still affected by gravity, which creates a very unique movent feel compared to other shooting gas."
Zaboru paused slightly, letting them absorb the concept, but his thoughts were already moving deeper.
This ga… simple on the surface, but extrely deep. The freedom of movent, the chaos of missiles, the chain reactions… it's one of those gas that feels overwhelming at first but becos incredibly satisfying once you understand it.
Zaboru paused briefly, then spoke again in a more grounded tone. "This design works well within a handheld-style structure, so we'll adapt it directly for ZGBA without relying on any additional gimmicks. Focus on controls, clarity, and responsiveness. The core gaplay is already strong, we just need to make sure it feels smooth and readable."
Yes, this DS ga and ZGBA are completely capable of playing DS gas but it does not have the touch screen technology and other DS technology but this ga might not really need it.
Inside, Zaboru rembered clearly why he liked it so much.
It was underrated because it didn't explain itself well. Players get thrown into chaos without guidance. But that's also its strength… once they figure it out, the satisfaction is insane.
He looked at the team again. "The key focus here is freedom and reaction. The player should feel like they are constantly surrounded, constantly pressured, but still capable of turning everything around with the right move."
And the missile system… that's the core. The more enemies around you, the stronger your counter becos. It rewards chaos instead of punishing it. That's what makes it special.
Zaboru gave a small nod. "We will refine clarity, improve visual readability, and make sure players understand what's happening without losing the chaos that defines the ga."
That's why it was so good… not because it was easy, but because it was chaotic in a way that becos mastery.
The team began asking many questions regarding the project, discussing details, concerns, and possible approaches. Zaboru then set the tiline, planning for a release in December 2001, giving the team a total of 14 months to complete the developnt with enough ti for proper refinent.
Zaboru smiled. "Next ga is for PC… Bloons TD."
The na itself sounded simple, but Zaboru's eyes showed clear interest. He had always been a fan of the tower defense genre, and this concept was sothing he personally enjoyed.
Simple rules, clear objective… but endless depth if designed right.
"This will be a tower defense ga," he continued calmly. "The core loop is simple—place units, stop waves, manage resources. But the strength cos from how those systems interact."
Inside, Zaboru already understood what made it special.
Easy to learn, hard to master. That's why it works. Anyone can play it imdiately, but optimization, timing, and placent separate good players from great ones.
He looked at the team. "We'll focus on clarity first. The player must always understand what's happening—enemy paths, damage, upgrades, everything."
And progression… upgrades must feel aningful. Each decision matters. Not just placing towers, but choosing the right ones at the right ti.
Zaboru continued, "We'll improve visuals as well. Not just better graphics, but clearer feedback—explosions, hits, effects. The player needs to feel the impact."
And pacing… that's important. If waves are too slow, it's boring. Too fast, it's overwhelming. It needs rhythm.
He gave a small nod, finalizing the direction in his mind. "This ga should feel addictive. One more round, one more wave—that's the goal."
The team quickly began discussing the project, exchanging ideas about tower types, upgrade paths, enemy variety, and how difficulty should scale over ti. So focused on balance, others on visual clarity, while a few began thinking about long-term replayability.
Zaboru listened carefully, occasionally stepping in to adjust their direction, making sure everything stayed aligned with the core design philosophy.
After the discussion settled, Zaboru set the tiline. He gave them a full year for developnt, targeting a release in October 2001.
The team nodded in agreent. The scope was clear, the direction was solid, and now it was up to them to bring it to life.
And that was the set of tasks assigned to Team MYTH. Each project was deliberately placed on a different platform, ZEPS 3 for Tales of Demon and Gods, ZGBA for Bangai-O Spirits, and PC for Bloons TD. It wasn't just about making gas, it was a clear statent of direction. Zaboru wanted Team MYTH to beco a versatile team, one that could adapt to any platform, any genre, and any design philosophy without being limited by one specialization.
This approach would not only strengthen their technical capability, but also sharpen their mindset. By handling different types of gas across different systems, the team would naturally develop a broader understanding of ga design as a whole, sothing that many teams often lacked.
Zaboru stood quietly for a mont, looking at them one last ti. There was no need to say much more. The tasks were clear, the expectations were set, and now it was up to them to prove their worth.
And with that, Zaboru prepared to return to Japan. His work here was done for now, and there were other matters waiting for him. Ayumi had already requested to speak with him, and knowing her, it was likely sothing important rather than a casual conversation.
As he walked out, his mind was already shifting to what awaited him next.
To be continue .
Please give your power stone and if you want to support and get minimum 50 advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon/Zaborn_1997
Or buycoffee sbuyacoffee/Zaborn_1997 which sa with patreon
current Patreon/buycoffe chap 1143
User Comments
0 comments from readers