When it comes to the game “Mingchao”, most people who have not yet become addicted to it will be terrified. The development materials of “Xiakong”, a new five-star resonator, are more like an obscure and long essay, which is so complicated that it makes people dizzy. Almost every material name carries a sense of “high-end” mystery, such as “tidal sail core”, “burning phosphorus bone” and the progressive “crystallized phlogiston”. These words seem to have traveled through time and space and come to an imaginary fantasy novel, but they have ruthlessly fallen into the real backpack of game players.
The collection process of such materials is like the ancient scholars studying hard for the imperial examinations, or the modern office workers struggling in endless meetings and reports. Players wander in the game world as if they are participating in a marathon with no end, facing the dilemma of insufficient materials and blocked upgrades at any time, and the consumption of “shell currency” is like a bottomless pit, swallowing every penny in the player’s wallet.
It is undeniable that this design reflects the obsession of modern games with “cultivation”. Compared with the simple and crude monster-killing upgrades in the past, today’s game developers have racked their brains to design a layered cultivation system with a wide variety of materials and huge quantities, which seems to test the patience and perseverance of players. If the player is a little slack, the gap in materials will block the vein of growth and make it difficult to move to a higher level of the game.
The “shackles” materials required for the exclusive weapon of the character “Xia Kong” are another scene. Six “simple shackles”, ten “modified shackles”, and then twenty “high-purity crystallized phlogiston”, this set of materials is a step-by-step process, like a craftsman forging a famous sword, which requires repeated polishing and excellence. However, players may feel more that they are like prisoners bound by these “shackles”, trapped in them and unable to extricate themselves.
In this vast ocean of cultivation materials, where is the shore to return to? Perhaps only by relying on the legendary “Stuffed Meat Tofu” – a dish in the game that improves the efficiency of obtaining materials, can the boredom and pain of “brushing monsters and materials” be temporarily relieved. This is like modern people’s dependence on fast food culture: although it cannot truly nourish the soul, it is a helpless choice to maintain physical strength.
After reading this list of materials, it is inevitable to remind people of the endless greed for “resources” in modern society. Players seem to be in an endless battle for resources, whether it is time, money or patience, all thrown into this virtual purgatory. The more materials, the faster the growth; if the materials are scarce, it will be difficult to move forward. This mechanical “growth formula” makes people wonder: Is it the game that dominates the players, or the players who have become slaves of the game?
What is more subtle is that the way to obtain these materials is to defeat powerful bosses, or to swipe copies, or even to buy them with shells in the mall, which undoubtedly implies a reality: even the virtual world cannot escape the influence of capital. Only by investing more real wealth can you accelerate growth in the game and get a better experience. This makes people sigh that the materialism of the “digital age” is not immune to the virtual world.
Under the romantic name of “Iris Blooming Day”, there is a bitter journey of countless players who have worked hard and refreshed endlessly. It is not only a precious symbol of the virtual world, but also seems to symbolize the fleeting good times in real life. Players sweat in the challenge of “Avinulin” just to get a trace of illusory glory and satisfaction. Behind this effort, it actually reflects people’s eternal desire for meaning and sense of achievement.
In short, the list of “Xiakong” development materials is not just boring data of game strategies, it reflects the contradictions and helplessness of the contemporary digital entertainment era. Players struggle in layers of levels and materials, which is not only a symbol of self-realization, but also exposes the endless pursuit of efficiency, consumption, and vanity in modern life.
Perhaps, as Mr. Qian Zhongshu once said, life is like a play, and there is drama within the play. If you can find a peace of mind in this virtual world of Mingchao, it is also another successful practice. If you can only be dragged by the materials, it will be like the “summer sky” locked by shackles, and it will never be able to soar in the real sky.