I Really Didn't Mean to Make Money

Chapter 290: A Turn-Based Game of Our Own

As soon as Wei Yan finished speaking, the conference room erupted in murmurs and gasps.

He had expected this reaction.

After all, they’d been working on the current proposal for nearly a month, only for it to be scrapped entirely. Anyone would have something to say about that.

But if they were going to create a better game, this was the only way forward.

After a while, the room gradually quieted down, and Wei Yan continued.

“This time, the concept is a free-form Turn-Based Game.”

Seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Wei Yan turned on the projector and played the anime clip Xu Yuan had shown him earlier.

When the fight scene ended, he spoke again.

“A free-form Turn-Based Game means we’re no longer bound by the traditional turn-based model—no more ‘you take a move, I take a move’ structure.”

“We’re going to break that mold. In this game, if a character wants to use a skill, they can. If not, they don’t have to. It needs to be flexible and dynamic.”

“Just like the anime clip we just watched.”

“That’s the direction I’m proposing. Now, feel free to speak your minds.”

With that, Wei Yan leaned back in his chair, waiting quietly for everyone to respond.

“Can we make it so that the cards are controlled directly by the players?” one employee asked, raising his hand.

Wei Yan nodded and jotted down the suggestion.

“Keep going. Any ideas are welcome.”

“We could add more skills to each card character, so players can choose which one to use based on the situation.”

“But if the skills have different power levels, everyone’s just going to pick the strongest one.”

“Then we make them all equal in power.”

“But if all the skills are the same strength, wouldn’t one be enough? What’s the point of choosing then?”

“…”

The room suddenly buzzed with heated discussion. Perhaps inspired by Wei Yan’s opening remarks, the employees were more engaged than ever.

Wei Yan watched the scene unfold and nodded in satisfaction.

These employees were always diligent in their work, but in meetings, they usually sat in silence like mute statues, rarely offering opinions.

Now, this—this was what a real discussion should look like.

Time ticked by. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The voices in the room gradually died down, and Wei Yan’s notebook was now filled with a full page of ideas.

“I’ve been thinking—what if we ditch the turn-based card system entirely?” a voice said.

Wei Yan turned toward the speaker. It was Xu Yuan.

“Go on. Let’s hear your idea.”

He was intrigued by this bold suggestion.

Xu Yuan paused to gather his thoughts, then slowly began.

“Instead of 2D card characters, let’s go full 3D. That way, the combat scenes will be far more immersive and exciting.”

“But if we’re using 3D characters, and each team has five characters, how do we control them? We’re talking about freedom here—how does one person freely control five characters?” an employee questioned.

“Who says one person has to control them all?” Xu Yuan shot back. “If we’re already breaking the old framework, why not have five players each control one character?”

“Just like in large-scale MMO battles—five players, each with a different class, facing off against another team of five in a specific arena.”

“But if we’re going the MMO route, how do we handle character levels? In MMOs, even if classes differ, players have different gear and levels. That throws off the balance and takes away the strategic depth of a Turn-Based Game,” another employee countered.

“If fairness is the issue, then we create fairness,” Xu Yuan replied. “For example, when players enter the same battle arena, everyone starts at the same level. But we can place resources in the arena—like wild monsters. Players can level up by defeating them.”

“The faster you farm, the faster you level. Slower players level up more slowly. Everyone starts at level one, so the progression is entirely based on individual performance. That’s fair.”

As Xu Yuan finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

No one seemed to have a rebuttal.

After a moment, an employee spoke up.

“If that’s the case, maybe we could add a feature where wild monsters drop gold, and players can use that gold to buy equipment in a shop.”

“Also, about the characters—different classes will naturally have different base stats and combat abilities. For example, a mage won’t be able to farm as efficiently as a warrior.”

“We should design it so that all classes have equal opportunities to earn experience and gold.”

Xu Yuan nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. And there’s another thing we need to consider—how do we determine the winner? By kill count? Something else? That needs to be figured out too.”

Wei Yan listened to the exchange, quickly jotting down notes.

After organizing the ideas, he realized the discussion had coalesced into two distinct directions.

The first was to retain the core elements of a Turn-Based card game, but enhance its flexibility and freedom.

The second was Xu Yuan’s proposal—to break away from the Turn-Based Game framework entirely and create a new, highly dynamic game.

Wei Yan glanced between the two ideas, then made a decision.

“Alright, that’s it for today’s meeting.”

“I’m going to assign tasks now. From this point forward, we’ll split into two discussion groups.”

“One group will focus on the first idea—enhancing the traditional Turn-Based Game with more freedom. The other group will develop Xu Yuan’s concept.”

“Each group will create a full game proposal based on their direction.”

“Then, each team will choose a representative to present their proposal. We’ll compare both and select the superior one.”

At this stage, it was impossible to say which idea was better.

So the only option was to develop both fully and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses before making a final decision.

“Go ahead and form your groups. Try to keep the numbers balanced.”

Seeing that no one was moving yet, Wei Yan added calmly.

Xu Yuan immediately sought out the employee who had been discussing ideas with him earlier and pulled him into his group.

That person had offered a lot of valuable insights—Xu Yuan found him genuinely inspiring.