Basic Information#
| Platform | iOS |
| Rating | 5/10 |
| Time Spent | 100H |
| Completion Date | -- |
This is the darkest moment in my life. I lost so much during those six months.
The term "2D legend" refers to "Shoujo Kaisen," a game that is a legendary game disguised as 2D. The game itself only has a few live2d images, but the PVP ranking in the game is based on spending money. It is a game without a gaming experience if you don't spend tens of thousands.
This article was written on November 2, 2022, and was supplemented with subsequent updates on August 8, 2023.
Introduction#
In the future, I will try to handle this game with low power consumption. It has recently severely affected my work efficiency. Especially the Dragon Pulse, I have become indifferent to it. This article mainly talks about "why I played 'Shoujo Kaisen'," "what I experienced during this period," and "what my plans are afterwards."
Background - The Motivation for Downloading this Game Initially#
I haven't played mobile games for about four or five years. It was just by chance that I couldn't play console games in September, so I downloaded "Honkai Impact 2" out of boredom. After replaying it, I found it quite interesting and brought back many memories from years ago. At the same time, I also became interested in "Azur Lane" and bought an initial account to see the illustrations.
I started playing Shoujo Kaisen during the National Day holiday, and it all started with live2d: Normally, for this type of game, I would just look at the unpacked illustrations and be done with it. But for live2d, you need to use a live2d engine to make it move, and it also requires touch events. I haven't found a ready-made solution yet, so I bought an initial account on Taobao to draw cards.
It took me three days from the initial account to reaching level 63. Soon, I realized that the initial account couldn't compete in the game, and I understood what it meant when people said, "In this game, no one can beat anyone in PvP." The higher the ranking, the more resources you can obtain, and those who can obtain more resources can consistently rank higher. It was the first time I understood the concept of a "reroll game," so I waited to be reborn in a new server. I found out that server 63 opened on the day before the end of the National Day holiday, so I immediately joined.
Analysis of Game Content - This Game Refreshed My Understanding in Many Aspects#
PVP games that rank based on spending money are really terrible. Although I don't usually play PVP games, I don't dislike the concept of PVP games themselves. I actually think highly of games that rely on skill for PVP. However, Shoujo Kaisen is too toxic. The ranking in PVP is directly proportional to the amount of money spent, and the leaderboard has essentially become a money-spending leaderboard. Before this, I had never played a PVP game like League of Legends or Honor of Kings. You could say I'm a pacifist, I don't like the constant killing in games, especially games like Dragon Pulse that make me feel nauseous. I also didn't care about rankings, so I didn't plan to join the competitive server in Dream Three Kingdoms. But it turns out we're all in the same boat.
Getting involved in the game's community. Usually, even when playing mobile games, I usually just play solo. I rarely engage in discussions within the game's community. This game forced me to do so because it was difficult to progress without doing so. After joining the group, I opened up to a new world to some extent. Although I knew about the other games mentioned in the group, it was the first time I saw different perspectives from different people on things I knew. In fact, thanks to joining this group, my gaming direction hasn't deviated too much for now.
The need for regular check-ins. This game has too many time points, and it requires constant online presence, similar to a job. This greatly affects my work efficiency. Dragon Pulse (8:00) -> Zhongyuan (9:00) -> Dragon Pulse (11:50) -> Heart (12:30) -> Dragon Pulse (16:50) -> Heart (19:30) -> JJC (20:30) -> Zhongyuan (21:30) -> Time Space Battle (21:45) -> Dragon Pulse (21:50) -> Daily Tasks (00:00). I have never seen a game that requires so many specific time points to operate. It's simply outrageous. So, in the future, I plan to turn these tasks into a subconscious routine.
It changed my perception of spending money in games. I finally understood the characteristic of this game being "either spend money or be left behind." Before this, I had never spent so much money on a game, not even a third of what I spent on this game. Even the spending within this game varied greatly because each type of spending had different value for money. If I didn't spend money, I could easily end up spending money on nothing.
If I were to say what this game brought me, it was a kind of experience of competition between people, but it was an expensive experience. Additionally, planning is crucial. Without understanding planning, it's difficult to achieve great results with limited resources. Meeting you anonymous netizens was also a rare pleasure for me. Before this, I had never encountered such a large group of people with different opinions on things I knew. It provided me with social interactions that I hadn't experienced in a long time, especially after working for a few years, my social circle had become smaller due to the nature of my work.
Future Plans - Handling this Game with Low Power Consumption#
Regret level regarding spending money. Initially, I only planned to spend money on a V3 account to have a better start, but then it became uncontrollable. For example, I didn't get Takeda when I was raising XCW, which meant I didn't plan to spend much money (of course, not getting Takeda and getting XCW instead was my biggest mistake). Liu Bei was probably an important part of my spending, mainly because I bought multiple milk bottles to reach level 50. I can say that this game distorted my perception of spending money, even during the early days of the National Day holiday, I was wondering why the artbook for Azur Lane was so expensive. If you ask me if I regret spending so much money, there are definitely better solutions. This money could have been used for something better. For example, I could have bought a top-of-the-line Steam Deck with that money.
Low power consumption, long-term planning, and hoarding. This will probably be my main approach to this game in the future. This game taught me not to rush, to take a long-term approach, to do more with fewer resources, and that impatience leads to poor results. After discussing with group members, I realized various things.
In the future, I don't plan to play any more money-spending mobile games, and if I do, I won't go to other mobile games. In fact, not being able to play console games also means not being able to play mobile games, as I haven't played mobile games for a long time. I can only say that there are more things I need to do. If I want to play games, I'm more suited for RPG games. I actually prefer games with a story background or games with more freedom.
There is still a possibility of unpacking and enjoying live2d for free. I recently discovered that it is possible, or rather, I discovered it two weeks ago. For example, there are live2d models of Shoujo Kaisen characters available on Live2DViewerEX. If they can do it, then I should be able to do it too. So, my reasons for not playing Shoujo Kaisen have been eliminated. The reason I'm still playing now is just a slight attachment.
Afterword#
Usually, whenever I play a game or read a book, I write a simple review. Writing articles is my interest. Although I personally think the content I write is garbage and I can't bear to read it, I still write it.
The timeline below the dividing line is from the date of this article, August 8, 2023.
Subsequent Updates - Written Now, Ten Months Later#
The content above was written one month after playing this game. However, writing this article didn't help me move on from this game. After writing this article, I continued playing for another six months. It wasn't until May of this year that I finally gave my account to someone else and broke free from this torment, but the damage it caused me is still far from healed.
It was a period that made me suffer, feel inferior, and regret afterwards. During that time, I was completely immersed in this game, and more than half of my diary entries were about "analyzing the attributes of game characters" and "conversations with people in the game group chat." I was completely absent-minded at work, and my productivity was probably only 30% of normal. In addition, the energy and money I spent were far beyond what was mentioned above (about *3). If I were to use a metaphor, it would be like going to a casino in Macau, losing all my assets, and accumulating a large amount of debt.
This article contains concepts that people who haven't played this game may not understand, but I don't want to explain anymore. I have analyzed "how I ended up like this" many times afterwards, and now the solution I can think of is to continue working, writing, and extending the time to heal from that experience. That's why I call the limitations I set for myself on my blog a "pledge and constraint" and make them public, because I know when I'm the only one watching myself, I can fall into the abyss like this.
Finally, I encourage myself with a quote. After all, tomorrow is another day! Let's turn this page of my life and move on.