Xia Kong, a five-star resonator in the Mingchao game, needs many and complex materials for his growth, which can be regarded as another heavy shackle in the game industry. Low-frequency tidal eclipse sail core, medium-frequency tidal eclipse sail core, high frequency, full frequency, burning phosphorus bone, crystallized phlogiston… These seemingly meaningless numbers and names have accumulated into a heavy burden on the players. They are not just props in the game, but more like the plunder and enslavement of the players’ spirit by the modern virtual world.
When I look at these material lists, I can’t help but think of the ubiquitous “tasks” and “goals” in today’s society. We are constantly asked to collect, upgrade, invest time and money, but often we can’t see substantial growth and change. The game world and the real world are surprisingly similar here. They are all mazes of desire, wearing away people’s will and soul.
In particular, the acquisition of “burning phosphorus bone” requires defeating the powerful enemy sighing ancient dragon. It is a tough battle, and players have invested a lot of time in it. Behind such repeated labor is a psychological trap carefully woven by game designers, which encourages players to endlessly kill monsters and collect. It is very much like the invisible shackles designed by the upper class of society, making people work like slaves, but becoming more and more mentally exhausted.
The name “Golden Fleece” is strange, but it is actually a microcosm of the modern game economy. It has purchase restrictions and currency transactions, representing the “capital rules” that players are forced to accept. Players can only buy fifteen per week, but they need a lot of money to exchange. The “scarcity” that is difficult to achieve in reality is artificially created in the virtual world. Such a design deprives players of the space for free choice and turns people into vassals of capital.
Look at the crystallized phlogiston again, from impurities to high purity, each level is a test of the player’s patience and time. Just like the pressure of increasing pressure in real life, it is breathless. Players are not enjoying the game, but are being squeezed bit by bit by the game system, as if the metaphor of life is becoming more and more desolate.
In addition, the discount codes and recharge discounts on Treabar.com expose the commercial nature of the modern game industry. Players seem to have benefited, but in fact they are constantly lured into consumption. Behind this “discount” is the continuous emptying of players’ wallets by capital, which is another link in the game capitalism. Players’ enthusiasm and hope become extremely fragile in money transactions.
This whole set of material system, on the surface, is necessary for cultivating Xia Kong, but in fact it is an exploitation of players’ time and spirit. Players are firmly trapped in the game framework and lose themselves in repeated monster hunting and collection. Such false prosperity is the curse of contemporary digital entertainment, tempting people to indulge, but without real rewards.
Games should be a spiritual relaxation and creative space for people, but now they have become a tool for capital manipulation. Players pursue the so-called growth in the virtual world, but find that it is nothing more than a castle in the air, and real happiness and satisfaction are getting further and further away. Xia Kong’s growth materials have become heavy iron rings on the chain, trapping the players’ hands and feet.
We should reflect on whether such game design is really worthy of praise? Or are we unknowingly being dragged into endless “labor”? Does the accumulation of materials in Xiakong reflect the anxiety, powerlessness and loss in modern people’s lives?
In conclusion, I only hope that players can see the truth of this false prosperity and not let digital games enslave their time and spirit. Games should be spiritual comfort, not a heavy shackle. Only by recognizing this can we find true freedom and liberation between games and reality.