패션 관점에서의 편지와 잡담, 그리고 작은 부탁

Letter of Suggestions on Profit Model and Experience Optimization for Guardian Tales Dear Development Team of Guardian Tales, Greetings! As a dedicated player “Luo Yu” who has deeply experienced the game’s storyline and closely followed its development, I have always been impressed by the game’s exquisite plot design and unique art style, and have witnessed the team’s five-year journey alongside players. Combining the game’s current performance and market trends, I would like to share my reflections and suggestions on core issues such as profit model positioning and player experience optimization, hoping to provide references for the game’s long-term development. I. Current Core Contradiction: Mismatch Between Profit Model and Player Ecosystem The game’s profit model, centered on costumes, is currently facing the practical challenge that “a niche player base cannot support high-value payments.” We all recognize that the storyline is the game’s core strength, but the repetitiveness of combat gameplay and the complexity of in-depth character development have confined the player base to a niche circle. Under this positioning, the game lacks high-net-worth paying players at the “server-sustaining tycoon” level; meanwhile, it struggles to retain mainstream players who have little interest in in-depth development. This has even given rise to a large group of “cloud players”—those who only watch the storyline on video platforms but never return to the game. They recognize the value of the plot but abandon payment conversion due to the lack of appeal in gameplay. At the same time, the current way of presenting costume value urgently needs an upgrade. Although the existing Live2D illustration skins are of fine quality, their sense of value in terms of presentation has significantly lagged behind compared to market competitors such as Contingent: Purgatory (with 3D interactive skins) and Genshin Impact (with UGC co-creation content). Players are not resistant to paying; instead, core paying players find it hard to maintain consistent willingness to recharge for costumes that lack interactive experiences. This makes it difficult for the costume-based profit design to achieve expected results. II. Breakthrough Direction: Reconstructing Payment Logic and Player Connection Through “Experience Value Enhancement” (A) Upgrade Costume Value: From “Live2D” to “Interactive Experience” It is recommended to learn from the successful experience of Contingent: Purgatory and enhance the core value of costumes through interactive design. Contingent: Purgatory successfully entered the top 10 of the best-selling list during its anniversary event, thanks to details like touch-triggered actions and AR interactions for wedding dresses. This proves the strong driving effect of interactive experiences on payment conversion. Combined with the game’s high-definition illustration style, the upgrade can be promoted in phases: 1. Lightweight Interactive Pilot: Add click-triggered animation easter eggs (e.g., character-exclusive actions, line responses) or small storyline snippets to new costumes. This enhances emotional connection without breaking the existing art framework (this feature already exists currently). 2. Live2D Character Interaction Expansion: Allow costumes to unlock exclusive interactions. Players can engage in mini-games with costumed characters to achieve “payment-for-experience upgrades.” [Examples: A summer-themed mini-game where players play ball with Hana face-to-face; a billiards mini-game with Bunny Girl Vinette in a specific scene…] There is no reason why the technology used for existing mini-games cannot be applied here. Since this is intended for core paying players, the game can appropriately include mild alluring elements (which will naturally appeal to male players). For instance, if the player misses a shot in the ball game, Hana will be splashed with water or sand, accompanied by corresponding sound effects and voice acting. Technically, this should not be difficult—it merely involves transferring existing special effects to a new scenario. Note on mild alluring elements: The maximum limit for such elements should be on par with Bunny Girl Vinette’s design. No vulgar sexual language or excessively revealing outfits are allowed. Note on mini-game difficulty: Difficulty should be lightweight; extreme high difficulty must be avoided. Additionally, high-difficulty events should not be used to unlock paid rare content. It is a complete mistake to assume that “paying players are hardcore players” based on the mindset of in-depth development. Considering that most members of South Korea’s chaebol families are male, this direction is feasible. Important Reminder: The game must integrate a real-name authentication system (with facial recognition if necessary). Players under 18 years old should not be allowed to purchase or draw costumes if the content involves excessive alluring elements, in compliance with the Law on the Protection of Minors. This design not only avoids the high costs of 3D transformation but also turns costumes from “visual decorations” into “emotional interactive carriers,” naturally boosting players’ willingness to pay. Costume Illustration Gacha Strategy: The value (practicality) of costume skins must be enhanced: Currently, “special skins” are essentially “super costumes”—both are Live2D-based with no substantial differences. Players will inevitably feel shortchanged in terms of practical value. Once their value is enhanced, gacha can be adopted as the acquisition method. The guaranteed draw count must be transparently disclosed in accordance with the Consumer Rights Protection Law and should not be excessively high. Gacha pools similar to MiHoYo’s model (90 pulls for a small guarantee, 180 pulls for a full guarantee) must be avoided; otherwise, disputes are inevitable. If the gacha strategy is adopted: Introduce a new gacha currency called “Costume Draw Tickets.” These tickets can be accumulated but cannot be used for selective redemption like Soul Tickets (selective redemption is impossible in the short term but may be considered in the long run). The value of Costume Draw Tickets should be aligned with that of Reset Stones, Dimensional Awakening Stones, and Green Hammers. Only a few tickets will be available per event (redeemable via event points) to ensure non-paying players do not voice complaints. [Interactive skins, like special skins, should not be added to the collection album (this needs further consideration after some time).] [This avoids the problem of relying solely on Diamonds for gacha-based profits.] Players can consume Costume Draw Tickets to draw interactive costume skins (with rotating rate-up banners). This will effectively solve the profit problem. (B) Activate Social Experience (Additional Bonus): Design a “Visit & Resource Interaction System” as the Core of Retention The friend village visit function currently only focuses on resource acquisition (and is not yet fully implemented), failing to fulfill its role in social retention. Drawing inspiration from players’ ideas for “crop-stealing” mechanics, we can deepen the social interaction dimension: 1. Interactive Format Upgrade: Add “costume display interactions” during visits—for example, watching exclusive actions of a friend’s costumes or viewing the unlock story behind a costume. This turns costumes into a topic of social conversation. 2. Social Currency Design: Introduce “Costume Collection Rankings” and “Interaction Popularity Rankings.” Players can accumulate reputation by showcasing unique costumes and interacting with friends, then redeem rewards like limited avatar frames to strengthen their sense of identity (this is not a primary profit method). 3. Resource Interaction: Allow players to steal crops, stones, coffee beans, etc., from friends’ homes. This shifts the focus toward social interaction (resource exchange), and the resource maturation system should be changed from a stamina-based model to a time-based model. 4. Home Co-op System: The farm already has interactive furniture; the only missing component is a network topology framework for co-op, not honor-based resources. This gives players a reason to immerse themselves in the farm and ranch (increasing online time). Social interaction should be promoted based on the workbench design and daily resource needs. These two points are mainly for me to have a selling point for promotion—otherwise, what advantages can I use to attract tycoon players? (C) Long-Term Layout (Additional Bonus): Build an Ecological Barrier Through “Lightweight Co-Creation” (Optional) Considering development costs and technical thresholds, we can start with low-difficulty co-creation to gradually build a player ecosystem: 1. Costume Design Contest: Follow the model of the official collaborative appearance survey and hold a player costume design contest. High-quality entries, after optimization by the official team, will be implemented in the game. The designers will receive a share of the game’s revenue and be credited for their work. 2. Pilot Level Editor: Launch a simplified pixel-level editing tool that allows players to design puzzle dungeons and share them. The official team will select high-quality levels and link them to costume rewards, forming a positive cycle of “creation → experience → payment.” Having accompanied the game for five years, we firmly believe that Guardian Tales possesses an irreplaceable storyline core and player base. If the game can activate costume value through interactive experiences and strengthen player connections through social co-creation, it will surely break free from its current niche limitations and achieve dual improvements in “reputation” and “revenue.” We look forward to reuniting with a more vibrant Canterbury world in future adventures. Sincerely, Luo Yu [October 20, 2025] Small suggestion: Can you add a quick jump to the interface after the challenge fails [hero interface or preset interface]? Frequent return adjustments are very troublesome () thank you