novelraw Chapter 23 Closed Beta Countdown
Chapter 23 Closed Beta Countdown
Next to the poster is the official announcement pinned to the top.
[Announcement of the First Closed Beta Test for "Dungeon: Reset Home"]
[Dear players: After a long wait and careful preparation, the first global limited closed beta test of Dungeon: Reboot is about to begin!]
Number of beta test slots: 100
[How to obtain eligibility: The system will randomly select winners. Lucky players who have been notified via email and SMS must complete device connection preparation before the countdown ends.]
[Summary of key content in the closed beta test:]
1. Immerse yourself in the open world created by the Gaia engine;
2. Explore the post-war wasteland environment, collect resources, and establish a preliminary base;
3. Interact with native wasteland creatures and NPCs to gain a basic understanding of the world's setting;
4. Test the core gameplay loops, including basic survival, building, and combat;
5. This closed beta test is a non-wipe test; all character data will be retained after the test ends and players can continue playing.
6. Players are advised to play the game in a safe and stable network and physical environment;
……
The game announcements remained unchanged, just as he had previously known, but the forums had been turned upside down.
Because this forum can only be registered with a game account, and you can't post on the forum without beta testing qualifications, it was empty for the past few days.
However, right now, the noise in the forum is almost overflowing the screen...
"Rejoice! Reboot is finally online!"
"Holy crap! I got it! I got a beta test qualification!!!"
"Everyone here is chosen by heaven, so speak with confidence."
"Guys, check out the poster! The modeling is amazing! It feels like another world!"
"I've waited a year! It's finally here, waaaaah..."
……
[Farming Old Zhang]: "I've been watching this since the concept CG was released! I've been checking in every day, logging onto the official website, and constantly sharing and participating in giveaways on WeChat Moments! Heaven rewards the diligent! Brothers! I'm going to farm in the Second World! A cause for celebration!"
[Fishing Master Never Goes Sick]: "Old Zhang! It really is you! Hahaha, I won too! What a coincidence! Let's team up again this time to explore the wasteland and build the number one farm!"
[A Wanderer]: "I've been waiting for this for ages! Although the official description is a life-building, farming, and infrastructure-based game, the key is that it's a completely free and unrestricted second world! They say the sensory realism is off the charts! No matter how exhilarating a combat game is, can it compare to the sense of accomplishment of building your own home in another world? This is the real future!"
[The Bricklayer Stone]: "You know what you're doing! Who hasn't gotten tired of combat games? The ceiling for simulation combat games is what it is, but this one is truly immersive! As long as it's realistic enough, I could play it forever!"
【Picking Timo's Little Mushrooms】: "I glanced at the ID list, and they're all familiar faces from 'Pastoral Idyll'! Goodness! Half of the life simulation game community is in these 100 people, right? Isn't this beta test qualification allocation a bit biased?"
【Carb Godfather】: "Haha, Teemo, you got it too? What a coincidence! Maybe the developers think that casual players are more likely to calm down and test the basic gameplay? After all, the combat system is said to be not fully open yet."
However, not all players are casual game enthusiasts.
[Mr. Wang, AAA Building Materials Wholesale]: "@StarrySky! Am I seeing things? Aren't you a top ten player on the PVP leaderboard in 'Star Ring'? What are you doing here in 'Reboot'? This doesn't seem right!"
【A Sky Full of Stars】: "It's me. After playing combat games for a long time, I also need to change the environment to relax and experience a completely different way of playing. Maybe I can find new inspiration."
……
Lines of text continued to scroll, washing over Chen Huai's vision.
The words are brimming with the players' excitement and longing for the second world.
Perhaps because the player base is predominantly casual gamer, he is familiar with many of the IDs here, and many of them have played his games.
But this is not critical.
There are 101 rooms in the Hibernation Hall. This closed beta test will give out 100 player slots, and with him, that makes exactly 101 people.
Clearly, the warriors from three hundred years ago who will end their hibernation in three days are actually the players.
Most importantly, the timing... the official announcement of the closed beta launch coincided with the moment he opened the dungeon gates.
This is too much of a coincidence.
No, this can't be explained by coincidence at all.
No matter how advanced the company's technology is, it's impossible to capture and render the behavior of an "NPC" in real time and put it into a promotional poster, unless... this NPC is part of the plan itself, or rather, his act of stepping into this place is the key to launching the closed beta!
A strong sense of being manipulated welled up inside me.
Is this part of the company's plan? Or is it part of Gaia's script?
he does not know.
Overwhelmed by a bewildering confusion that bordered on the unsettling, Chen Huai took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his turbulent emotions.
He tried sending the message on the forum again, something he did every day without fail, but never succeeded. But this time…
[Game Designer]: "Hello everyone."
Holy crap! It's been sent?!
Chen Huai's ID wasn't set by himself; it carried an official verification mark and a special code with five zeros, making it impossible for players to impersonate him.
It's important to know that although "Reboot" is the first truly second-world virtual reality masterpiece, because it is entirely written using artificial intelligence computing, no official personnel have come forward to answer questions from the public. Even this closed beta test started suddenly.
An officially planned intervention, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly disrupted the forum's original noisy rhythm.
The brief pause seemed to leave all the online players momentarily stunned.
Immediately afterwards, the forum replies were like a lit fuse, instantly igniting an explosion!
[Farmer Zhang]: "Holy crap?! A living official?!"
【Fishing Master Never Goes Slips】: "Hey tester! Can you leak some insider information? Where's the starting village? Which class should I choose to farm at the beginning?"
[Carb Godfather]: "I bow down to the official team! Hey, is the initial resource pack any good?"
[A Ranger]: "Hello, tester! Thank you for your hard work! Looking forward to fighting alongside you in three days! (clasped hands)"
[The Bricklayer Stone]: "Hey bro! Can I adjust the pain feedback in the game? I'm afraid of pain!"
【Picking Timo's Little Mushroom】: "Wow! It really is the planning team! Hi everyone! The ecological units you designed are so beautiful!"
Most of the replies were pleasantly surprised greetings, curious inquiries, and expressions of anticipation for the closed beta test.
Most of the players are casual gamers, and their tone is generally friendly, even a bit ingratiating.
But soon, some more "lively" voices also emerged:
[General Manager Wang of AAA Building Materials Wholesale]: "You scoundrel! Take this! (╯‵□′)╯ Tell me, are we going to have to spend money to unlock more warehouse slots?!"
【Starry Night】: "Hello tester, although I've crossed over, I still have to ask, does the game have a combat system? Is there any possibility of PVP for players who prefer a more casual playstyle?"
[A frustrated guy is waiting online]: "You're a tester, right? I just have one question: Is this game guaranteed to be bug-free? Won't it be packed with bugs again in three days?"
Looking at the rapidly scrolling, diverse replies on the screen, Chen Huai's feelings were extremely complicated.
On one hand, there was immense astonishment and... a touch of absurd familiarity.
These IDs, these familiar player-specific teasing and anxious tones, made him feel as if he were back in the company office, facing feedback from the player community.
It felt so real, yet so unreal.
However... what made him feel even more unreal was that not everything could be sent. Just like there were limitations to talking to Gaia, he couldn't type anything about being trapped in the game.
He could only watch as players enthusiastically surrounded him, the "official" figure, asking questions, making jokes, and expressing their expectations, but he couldn't reveal his true situation at that moment.
After several trials, he roughly figured out the method.
[Game Designer]: "Regarding career choices and resource acquisition, the core of the game encourages exploration and strategic development. The lifestyle system is not a narrow definition. Please believe that the opportunities and challenges of the wasteland are relatively fair to every pioneer. Farming, fishing, building... every lifestyle can find its unique growth path and deep fun."
[Game Designer]: "Warehouse slots? As a completely realistic second world, 'Reboot' does not have this traditional backpack slot system. Items can only be stored in real-world space. Please experience it for yourself after entering the game."
[Game Designer]: "Regarding the combat system, the wasteland environment of @StarrySky is complex. Driven by survival pressure, any reasonable self-preservation and confrontation behavior is allowed. The PVP rules will be gradually clarified in subsequent areas."
Yes, as long as he continues to speak from the perspective of a game designer, he can speak freely.
[Game Designer]: "Regarding pain feedback adjustment, please adjust the safety threshold in detail in the device settings menu before entering the game pod. The system default is medium simulation, but it is strongly recommended to carefully set the upper limit according to your personal tolerance. The novice protection mechanism is comprehensive, and the initial safe zone design will provide reasonable guidance."
Who would have thought that he himself experiences 100% pain feedback, yet he's teaching players how to adjust their pain levels? It's truly heartbreaking.
[Game Designer]: "I'm thrilled to see everyone's enthusiasm! The world of Dungeon: Reboot is ready. In three days, I look forward to embarking on an unforgettable journey with you all in this wasteland. Have fun!"