Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 267, Section 10: Group Games

[New games updated monthly]

【Chêne d'Argent Plantation (Co-op, Puzzle): With the angels' eyes closed, does our prayer cease to exist?】

Size: Small

[Difficulty: Difficult to maintain a consistent level]

[Additional number of supported players: 3]

This game features a team-based, competitive gameplay style.

All players enter the game simultaneously and take on a role. At the end of the game, each player consumes three play attempts.

[Game time is not synchronized with real time; no matter how much time is spent in the game, only 1 second passes in real time.]

You can set a standard time to ensure all players enter the game simultaneously.

The characters in this game are as follows:

Butler – You (not included in the rating)

Servant group – 1-3 players

The Prisoners Group – 9 players

Before the game starts, the butler will select a group for the player. Note that once a group is selected, it cannot be changed.

[This game does not restrict players from discussing walkthroughs both in and out of the game. You are the exception; you must act as a strict moderator and cannot explicitly or implicitly inform other players of walkthroughs.]

All players share a common ultimate goal, and there is only one possible ending. All performances during gameplay (including failed attempts) will accumulate in the score pool.

After completing the game/ending the level, you can redeem rewards such as "Perfect Ending" and "Excellent Ending" based on your accumulated score, which will be given to players to reward their different performances in the game.

After studying the game's warning text, Shin Higashiyama quickly processed the information, and a vague idea of ​​the game formed in his mind.

Tabletop role-playing games, murder mystery games, and werewolf games.

These are roughly the types of games available.

As the steward, he plays a role similar to a GM, wielding the power to assign identities and ultimately evaluate player performance.

However, one point is worth noting.

He understands French. The game is called Silver Cup Manor, but the direct translation of the original French text below is Silver Oak Plantation. This difference clearly hides some clue.

The specifics can only be verified after entering the game.

The next step is to select new players.

After the 2.0 update, the player spawn range in the new game is no longer limited to Japan. Instead, players can select a country on a map that includes most countries and then filter the results.

For example, if the game shows that 3 new players can be added, then the player can select 1-3 countries on the map and then choose 3 players from those countries.

We don't have to choose one country from each country; we can choose from just one country.

After selecting a country, each country has three chances to refresh the player list.

Considering the keywords "French" and "plantation" in the game's title, Shin Higashiyama decided that one player would choose from America, and the other from France.

The last one.
Shinichi Higashiyama glanced at one of Japan's close neighboring countries.

I've decided on you, Southern Dynasty.

[Countries outside the Chinese character cultural sphere have been detected. Please establish nickname rules.]

Shinichi Higashiyama had a plan for this: "If there is no Chinese character name, the father's surname or given name can be used as a nickname, and then a name can be selected from the conventional transliteration of Chinese characters."

Many foreigners have quite common surnames and given names.

If someone is called John or Smith, their name is as common as someone called Sato or Yui in Japan. Finding them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, achieving a similar effect to the previous players.

But if you think about it that way, Ethan really got lucky; I wonder if it counts as exploiting a system bug.

As a player of the first version, and given that the character "森" (mori) is commonly found in Japanese names, it's hard for anyone to suspect that you're a foreigner.

If a new player happens to have a rare name, then this is the first test of becoming a player.

With a sufficient number of players, and those skilled in various types, they can be found, Higashiyama Shin no longer needs to occasionally assess their situation and risks as he used to.

While eating the barbecue handed to him by Chiba, Shin Higashiyama found suitable personnel in these three countries.

The scores are average, ranging from 60 to 70, which is decent, but a little off.

Looking at the veteran players, Tian has the highest score of 78, followed by Yui and Iwasaki.

With a furrowed brow, Higashiyama Shinichi recalled that the scores of players on the difficult difficulty of "The Pact of the Underworld" were similar. Could this game be even more difficult than "The Pact of the Underworld"?
"cooperate."

Looking at this requirement, Shin Higashiyama guessed that the main difficulty of this game might not be solving puzzles, but rather cooperating.

After all, there were twelve other players besides him.

Even the highly praised Three Kingdoms Kill game couldn't find enough seats.

After confirming the players, Higashiyama Shin will set the rewards one by one.

The entry prize remains two bottles of Holy Spring Water, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will continue to be the same. This is something that costs nothing to him and is useful to players, so it's hard to find a better alternative.

The ranking rewards made him hesitate for a moment.

As is customary, he sets these rewards based on their difficulty and scale.

If the difficulty is moderate and the scale is small, then spend a few dozen or a hundred points from the store to buy some talismans and pills to prepare. If the difficulty is high and the scale is medium, then allocate some points from the achievement trophies.

Games that lack clear difficulty and are small in scale are actually harder to handle these days.

After thinking for a while, he decided to compromise.

First Place: Possessed Paper Dolls *2
Second Place: 2x Rapid Cooling Cards
Third Place: Ninja Set

These are all rewards from previous games, including trophies, achievements, and player rewards, all of which are replicated. The common point is that they are not very useful to him now and have limited value.

This is perfect as a reward.

By the time he finished all the preparations for the games, the barbecue party should have been almost over.

"Is everyone full? It's about time to head back."

With a smile, Mizuki announced the end of the event, and everyone began to clean up the mess, preparing to return to their pre-booked hotel to rest.

Back in his hotel room, Shin Higashiyama took a relaxing hot bath, washing away the smell of the sea breeze and charcoal fire.

Higashiyama was quietly packing his things, fidgeting around, clearly enjoying himself as he pondered tomorrow's itinerary.

A son is too old to stay at home forever.

Higashiyama Shin sat by the window, gazing at the city lights, pondering how to group the players.

servants and prisoners
Literally, servants have a wider range of activities, while prisoners are clearly confined to a limited place.

Since cooperation was important, Shinichi Higashiyama placed Iwasaki and Yui in the servant group.

The Prisoners group is limited to 9 players, so we need to assign one more person to them.

Oshima is good; at least they've collaborated once before.

Nobi is also an option; he's not going to act impulsively now, and he'll definitely cooperate willingly.

But that would mean putting all three new players in the Prisoner group.

This will inevitably make cooperation among the prisoners less smooth.

Teamwork is necessary within a group, and cooperation is also necessary between two groups.

This isn't an asymmetrical competitive game; currently, there aren't any games where one player wins and the other loses.

In the end, Shin Higashiyama still placed Oshima in the servant group.

Perhaps the success of one group can help another group.

Once everything was ready, he still needed to set a launch time for "Silver Cup Manor".

Midnight, East Ninth Time Zone.

At that time, all players, regardless of their location, will have their consciousness simultaneously drawn into that mysterious manor to play the game together.

Taoyuan Village.

Another conflict is erupting. The location is right next to the field where Hamasaki Yui lives.

The unripe tomatoes swayed precariously, looking like they were about to ripen.

Several players from the Players' Mutual Aid Association are attempting to break through the defenses built by Iwasaki.

Iwasaki's black mist form stood atop a watchtower, his invisible mage hand constantly manipulating the fence, using his superior vision to create an insurmountable barrier that blocked any players attempting to approach.

Each impact was skillfully deflected or pushed away by the mage's hand, the movements were efficient, and as little energy wasted as possible.

"Hao! You've stolen so many of our vegetables these past few days. What goes around comes around!"

Hayato pieced together a bicycle out of wood, barely managing to utilize some of the capabilities of the Blazing Chariot, but its speed was worrisome. It darted left and right near the fence, attempting to break through Iwasaki's one-man defense.

"You can take it, I have no objection." Iwasaki's voice came through the black mist. Undistracted by these words, he slapped away Uesugi, who was sneaking closer in the dark.

However, the mutual aid association, having learned its lesson from Iwasaki several times, was clearly well-prepared.

Nobi seized the opportunity and used the Swift Step card to instantly bypass the Mage's Hand's interception net. He was about to cross the fence and approach the field.

hum.

A mental shock pierced his mind, and Nobi's forward momentum suddenly stopped. He covered his head, his brows furrowed, and he felt dizzy as if he were drunk.

It's not fatal, but it's disgusting, and it takes a while to get used to.

Hamasaki Yui had quietly appeared at the edge of the field, her face expressionless and her eyes dark and unfathomable.

Almost simultaneously, Muramasa Taki used a wooden sword to break through the mage's hand and the fence, bursting into the courtyard.

“Ms. Ninth Generation Muramasa, this road is blocked.”

Ethan, dressed as a samurai, fell from the height and blocked her way.

Ethan didn't have many options.

At least for now, he's basically aligned with Iwasaki's camp in Peach Blossom Village. After all, he stole vegetables from the Mutual Aid Association before, and he can't afford to offend both sides completely, otherwise he alone can't withstand a joint attack from both sides.

When the vegetables are ready, everyone will swarm around them, and then none of them will be his.

Taking action now would help both Iwasaki and himself, forming a kind of defensive alliance between the two.

Taki didn't answer, his eyes sharp, and he drew his sword to kill.

Samurai against samurai!
Snapped.

As soon as they started fighting, Ethan found himself struggling.

In this battle, which is purely a contest of skill, he is destined to be at a disadvantage. Even if he uses his blood energy, he can only delay his defeat.

But that's enough.

He just needs to buy enough time so that Yui has time to reap the rewards.

In the midst of this intense back-and-forth battle, suddenly, all players' virtual interfaces vibrated simultaneously, and a system announcement popped up:
[Silver Cup Manor will launch precisely at midnight in the East 9th time zone. All players, please be prepared.]

Each player needs three play attempts per game, and the game is automatically unlocked at midnight every day until the game is completed.

[Countdown: 00:59:59]

Time seemed to have been paused, and all the players froze in place.

This includes the two wooden swords that Ethan and Taki used to cut each other.

The crops in Taoyuan Village are related to points, so they are certainly important.

However, games involve more rewards and are the source of their abilities, making them incomparable.

Therefore, with the release of the new game, the current conflict immediately became unnecessary.

Swish.

In this brief silence, the tomatoes in Yui's field ripened perfectly, radiating a rosy glow.

At the same time, a blurry tri-colored figure darted out of the shadows like a ghost; it was none other than the acting village chief, Sanhua.

It moved swiftly and accurately snatched away several of the plumpest tomatoes, disappearing into the night before anyone could react, leaving only a triumphant whimper.

"."

Nobi took a deep breath to suppress the dizziness and turned his gaze to Iwasaki on the watchtower.

"Let's call a ceasefire."

"it is good."

This battle, which had lasted for more than ten days in Taoyuan Village, has thus come to a temporary end.

With the efforts of both sides, the "Taoyuan Village Ceasefire Agreement" was quickly reached.

They've come to realize that investing so much energy in Peach Blossom Village just to steal vegetables is more driven by emotion than by profit.

Although, in terms of pure profit, the players' association suffered greater losses.

But if we really take this seriously, at least the mutual aid association has the advantage of numbers and can keep Iwasaki and the others stuck here.

Both sides attached several treaties to the ceasefire agreement.

For example, from now on, crops that have been ripe for less than 10 minutes will not be allowed to be stolen.

This essentially eliminates the possibility of stealing crops, unless the player happens to be completely unable to free up their time during that specific time period in real life.

This can at least significantly reduce the risk of conflict between players.

However, this treaty can only regulate players, not the Fox Village Chief.

However, once they no longer need to guard against other players and stop attacking each other, they are confident that they can hold off the Fox Village Chief.

The smoke of battle in Peach Blossom Village has temporarily subsided. Yui quietly harvests the tomatoes and then follows the main group back to the player lobby.

Upon returning, everyone's attention was drawn to the three solidified black mists that had appeared on three previously unoccupied chairs next to the round table in the hall.

Even nicknames are provided, displayed above the black mist:

Arthur

Lucio Dubois

【Park】

Uesugi blinked, thinking he was seeing things.

Is that Lu something-bo's full name?

There are even players who choose to register their real names online. If that's the case, they'll probably be locked out before they even finish the first game.

Although there is an unspoken rule among players that they are not allowed to reveal other players' information, she does not believe that all players will abide by it.

"Two Westerners and one East Asian."

Ethan thought for a moment, then took the initiative to speak and explain that he didn't mind doing a favor in matters that weren't directly related to his interests.

"Dubois is a typical French surname, most likely from France or the French-speaking part of Canada."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Arthur will be from an English or French-speaking country."

"Park is a common surname in the Southern Dynasties, but it is also quite common in Japan."

Nobita nodded slightly: "The new version's players will no longer be limited to Tokyo; there will be players from all over the world. I just don't know about the language..."

He turned to Muramasa Taki and tried to quickly say a few everyday greetings in the English he had learned in his life.

"."

Muramasa Taki hesitated, unable to speak. She understood English, but couldn't understand Nobita's accent. Yet, his words somehow managed to enter her mind in a despicable way.

“I know you’re speaking English, and I understand what you mean directly. I’ve done experiments with Uesugi before, and in games, language isn’t a barrier; the game system will automatically translate for us.”

She still didn't complain about Nobita's accent.

There's half an hour left in the countdown.

Everyone remained in the hall, quietly waiting for the new game to begin.

(End of this chapter)