Chapter 103: Arthas' Sketch

With the help of the memory replay potion, Alex Parker quickly planned the units and buildings within two days. Of course, what he had now was purely a spreadsheet, with no images.

In the "Azeroth Universe," Alex had already included some concept sketches, such as the Gryphon and Hippogryph. However, most of the unit's concept art still needed to be completed.

Currently, Alex had too many tasks at hand and couldn't manage everything simultaneously. So, he sent the unit and building plans to Phoenix.

Phoenix needed to build a numerical system based on each unit's and building's attack type/armor type and counter relationships, ensuring a dynamic balance among all races and units.

Amy Johnson had to create some unit concept art based on existing sketches, which would later be handed over to an art outsourcing company for uniform production.

As for the storyline, Alex provided Daniel Cooper with an outline of the "Frozen Throne" story, asking him to draft the initial story and campaign planning for subsequent revisions.

After delegating these tasks, Alex began working on the critical part of the map's foundational rules.

The World Editor (WE) for "Warcraft" was incredibly powerful, and the subsequent flourishing of RPG mini-games stemmed from this editor.

It also gave birth to classics like "Chenhail 3C," "True Three Kingdoms," and even DOTA, which initiated the lengthy MOBA dominance in the gaming world.

Blizzard may not have realized the immense potential of this editor back then, but Alex knew it very well. Because the editor was so powerful, Alex had to take it seriously and make it even better than its predecessor.

For this editor, setting up the basic framework was just the beginning. The mechanisms of each hero (revival, resurrection, invincibility, etc.) needed to be added continuously, becoming part of the editor's content.

Moreover, "Warcraft" maps were rich in elements.

Map settings included size, terrain, surface texture, land-water division, etc.

The foundational settings also included time (day and night), affecting the visibility range of creeps, whether they sleep, and even influencing different races' combat strategies.

For example, the Night Elves had some heroes and units that could become invisible at night while standing still and had faster health regeneration. They could also upgrade their nighttime vision, all of which were part of the settings.

Due to the engine's limitations, "Warcraft" didn't have as smooth operations as later games like "Starcraft 2" and MOBA games. This was another point Alex planned to improve.

...

Development then proceeded steadily.

Alex spent most of his time working on the World Editor, and a smaller portion on sketching concepts for units, buildings, and scenes, which Amy Johnson then colored and completed.

These sketches didn't need the precision of card game illustrations, as players would only see the models in the game.

Given that creating models required these concept sketches first, any delay here would hold up subsequent work like animating models and adjusting collision volumes.

In the first-floor experience store.

"Goldfish, can you reveal a bit about the new game? Is it an RPG?" Lily Emerson asked.

Amy replied, "Oh, just be patient. You'll know when it's done."

Lily said, "It's just that these concept sketches look great. I can't wait to help you color them."

Paul Wilder also chimed in, "Looks related to Azeroth again, but this time it's not chibi style. Is it a realistic version of 'I Am MT'?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "You guys underestimate the boss. Do you think he would just rework the art to scam money?"

Lily sighed, "What do you think?"

Daniel Cooper added, "You're overthinking. The new game has nothing to do with 'I Am MT'; it's purely based on the Azeroth Universe's storyline."

Paul was puzzled, "Isn't Azeroth Universe the same as 'I Am MT'?"

Daniel shook his head, "Of course not. Haven't you noticed? The content updated in Azeroth Universe is the backdrop of 'I Am MT.' But the characters in 'I Am MT' never appeared in the Azeroth Universe."

Paul thought for a moment, "Hmm, seems like it."

Lily also wondered, "Why is that?"

Daniel explained, "Don't you get it? Names like Daze and Mushi clearly aren't typical fantasy names; they're just homophones for Thief and Priest. The boss probably worried people wouldn't accept pure fantasy themes, so he made a chibi and relatable anime and mobile game for promotion."

"In other words, 'I Am MT' is like a side story, with no relation to the main plot of the Azeroth Universe."

Everyone realized, "So that's it! The boss is truly farsighted."

Lily frowned, "So, the boss thinks the time is right to reveal the real content of the Azeroth Universe?"

Daniel nodded, "Exactly. I can't reveal too much, but I can tell you the storyline is mind-blowing. Yes, that's the word: mind-blowing."

Everyone was skeptical, "Is it really that impressive?"

...

While they were talking, Alex came downstairs.

"The new batch of sketches is ready, Goldfish," Alex said.

Amy received the packed sketches, and everyone gathered around to see.

It was a young man in dark armor, with white hair and a slightly sinister look in his eyes.

Other parts of the picture included a skeletal horse with flaming hooves and a two-handed sword inscribed with magical runes.

The character's name on the sketch was Arthas Menethil, along with his steed Invincible and weapon Frostmourne.

Amy exclaimed, "A new Undead hero? So cool!"

Lily added, "So handsome! Is this the main character?"

Paul observed, "Hmm... Seems like an antagonist. That smile gives me chills."

Daniel said, "Arthas' sketch is finally here? Let me see! Amazing! This is incredible!"

Everyone praised the sketch.

Alex's sketch perfectly captured Arthas' dual nature, especially combined with Invincible and Frostmourne. They could almost imagine Arthas leading the Scourge across Azeroth.

Just one illustration was enough to excite everyone.

They looked at the entire batch of sketches, feeling unsatisfied and wanting more.

Though not highly detailed, the sketches captured the characters' defining features. In terms of design, this was top-notch, comparable to "Supreme Godring."

Lily said, "Okay, I've decided. I'll color this sketch for free!"