Chapter 82: User Base

About half an hour later, Alva Castillo finished the test.

Alex Parker reviewed it and was quite satisfied with the answers.

For the first question, which required a Xianxia world background, Alva set up two opposing factions, the immortals and demons, along with various sects. He chose two classes, a tank type called Vajra and a magic DPS called Feather Priest.

For the second question, Alva listed several weapons like the Ring-Headed Saber, Yanling Saber, and Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and categorized them by quality.

The last three questions were related to the "Azeroth Universe," and Alva showed a good familiarity with the relevant settings, providing detailed answers.

For the fifth question, Alex intentionally left out a lot of information. Tirion Fordring is a key character in Warcraft history, and his son, Taelan, was a member of the Scarlet Crusade. This quest line is a significant part of the Plaguelands' "Love and Family" storyline.

Due to Taelan's death, Tirion Fordring decided to rebuild the Knights of the Silver Hand and eventually became a major leader against the Scourge.

Alex didn't elaborate this much in the "Azeroth Universe," only giving a brief description of Tirion Fordring and his son Taelan. Alva supplemented the story based on this, though it still differed from the original, it was satisfactory.

Alex reviewed the entire test and felt pleased.

"Not bad. Let's talk about the salary. How much did you make at your previous company?" Alex asked.

Alva replied, "6000."

Alex thought for a moment and said, "Alright, we'll start you at 8000/month, with a one-month probation period. Non-development periods are from 10 AM to 7 PM, with normal weekends off. During development periods, you'll work on Saturdays. Is that acceptable?"

Alva was happy. "Yes, that's fine. What's my main role?"

Alex said, "You'll focus on storylines—writing story texts, quest lines, item descriptions, and so on. Later, you might work on world-building and even be responsible for narrative-driven games."

Alva nodded. "Sounds good."

Alex said, "Alright, let's sign the contract. You can return to Shanghai to pack, and start within a week, okay?"

Alva said, "Sure, I don't have much to pack. I can handle it quickly."

...

After sending Alva off, Alex returned to the experience store.

Jessica Thompson said, "So, the boss is getting a new teammate? It feels like the stingy boss is finally getting some help."

Amy Johnson said, "Boss, it's almost the weekend. You promised to start working on the new game after a week of rest."

Alex sighed, "Why are you in such a hurry? Isn't resting good? You think about work all the time."

Amy said, "Boss, how can you be such a slacker?"

Alex replied, "Alright, alright. I'll give you the design outline tomorrow. This time, you'll handle all the content yourself."

Amy panicked. "What? All by myself? Can I handle it?"

Alex reassured her, "Don't worry, you can do it. The game is very simple. If you can't complete it, I might have to consider getting a new assistant."

Amy was speechless.

Jessica asked, "What about you, boss? Didn't you say you'd be working on a new game yourself?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, I'll be working on one too. You'll see when the time comes."

Paul Wilder said, "Boss, please don't make it another luck-based game. I really can't play those!"

Alex said, "Sorry, but this next game might be the most luck-based game in the world."

Paul groaned, "You guys talk, I'm leaving."

Jessica said, "So, the boss is developing another money-pit game?"

Alex shook his head. "No, it won't be a money-pit. I need to take a break to prevent burnout. This time, it will be a very fair game."

Paul was skeptical. "A fair game?"

Jessica added, "I don't believe it."

Alex said, "And you all should have played it before. Even if you haven't played, you should know about it."

Paul asked, "What is it?"

Alex replied, "You'll see when the time comes. I'll go write the design document outline now."

Alex then went back to his workshop on the second floor.

...

Ignoring some of the negative comments from players, "I Am MT" was operating well. The rules and logic of domestic card games are quite comprehensive, with strict server-side validation rules for various player actions, making hacks and data modifications rare.

Moreover, these games are designed for long-term play. Card acquisition and level difficulty are carefully planned, and the time players spend to reach the cap can be calculated.

For at least the next two months, Alex doesn't need to make any updates to "I Am MT." In the future, adding a few new cards or gameplay features won't take much effort, and he can do it in his spare time.

As for further down the line... that's enough. Alex doesn't plan to stick with a card game forever. Once he's made enough money, he will move on to developing new games.

The first month's revenue for "I Am MT" was 23 million, and Alex received about 12.8 million after deductions.

This was quite good since Alex didn't go through other channels.

Official channels only take a 20% cut, while platforms like Generation Entertainment and Fantasy Gaming can take 80-90%, leaving designers with only 10-20%.

This was just the first month's revenue. Over the next two to three months, as the player base expands, this amount could increase. "I Am MT" is an online game, and its long-term profitability is much better than single-player games.

Because of "I Am MT"'s profitability, Alex never intended to make money from the anime. Securing sponsorships for an anime is troublesome and involves a lot of gratitude, and the earnings can't compare to the game.

So, Alex made the anime purely as a promotional tool, not considering its profitability at all.

Now, with money in hand, another few draws could max out Alex's attributes for the first stage.

In Alex's plan, "Plants vs. Zombies" was just the beginning, and "I Am MT" was to raise more funds. The next step is to solve the user base problem, and then everything will be in place for developing his flagship product.

However, solving the user base problem requires careful planning.

Does Alex have users now? Yes and no.

"Plants vs. Zombies" and "I Am MT" have a large player base, but even though these players have Thunder Game Pass accounts, they don't count as Alex's own users.