In recent years, a new character, Xiakong, has been added to the Mingchao game. Her development requires a large number of complex materials, including low-frequency tidal eclipse sail cores, medium-frequency tidal eclipse sail cores, high frequencies and full frequencies, which are progressive and the number is astonishing; there are also rare materials such as “burning phosphorus bones” and “golden wool”, which are not only obstacles to the game process, but also a test of the player’s time and endurance. The design of these materials, on the surface, is a test of the player’s patience and operation, but in fact it reveals the spiritual shackles behind modern game design, and it is also a reflection of the spirit of the times and business logic.
Look at the numbers, 29 low-frequency tidal eclipse sail cores, 40 medium frequencies, 52 high frequencies, 61 full frequencies… This endless accumulation is like modern people being overwhelmed by various life pressures, as if they can never reach their goals and are always chasing but to no avail. The game’s materials are superimposed layer by layer, just like countless invisible rules and desires in reality, binding people in a web of complicated trivial matters, struggling but difficult to escape.
The strange name “Burning Phosphorus Bone” refers to the precious drop obtained by defeating the powerful boss “Sighing Ancient Dragon”. The boss here is not an ordinary enemy, but a powerful enemy that needs to be conquered with great effort, symbolizing countless hardships and challenges in reality. Players spend a lot of time and energy for this in exchange for the capital of “growth”. However, this growth is not free growth, but growth limited by designed cycles and paths.
“Golden Fleece” is another symbolic item. Wool was originally a symbol of softness and warmth, but in the game it has become a rare resource that must be purchased in limited quantities from specific copies or stores. The transformation of wool into “golden fleece” implies scarcity and value, and also implies that the player’s choice is limited, and resources are artificially made scarce to stimulate consumption desire. Behind such a design is the double exploitation of players’ time and money by capital.
The materials for special weapons are called “shackles”. Simple shackles, basic shackles, modified shackles, and special shackles are linked one by one, like the locks of a cage, gradually tightening the player’s freedom. Upgrading special weapons is no longer a simple act of improving strength, but has become a kind of cage construction. With each additional ring, the player’s actions and choices are more tightly bound to the game settings.
The promotion of recharge systems and discount codes is a direct reflection of the capitalization of modern games. Players are induced to continuously invest real money in exchange for the power and advancement of the virtual world. Games are no longer just entertainment, but a battlefield controlled by capital, and players have become invisible consumers. In the digital game world, real money has become the key to virtual achievements, and this key is designed to be difficult to fully master forever.
The “Iris Blooming Day” materials in the game need to be obtained by defeating weekly challenges. The challenges themselves are complex and require time and strategy, symbolizing that “opportunities” in reality are often exclusive to a few people. Ordinary players spend a lot of time on this road, but opportunities and results are often difficult to be distributed equally, reflecting the class solidification and resource inequality in real society.
The prop “Stuffed Meat and Tofu” seems simple, but it is an “accelerator” to speed up the acquisition of materials, which is a metaphor for the cruel logic of “efficiency” in modern life. Players use it to exchange for a short-term efficiency improvement, but they also fall into more urgent competition and consumption. They cannot stop and can only keep moving forward. The rhythm of the game is deliberately accelerated, forming invisible pressure, forcing players to continue to invest time.
These layers of material requirements and complex settings reflect the situation of modern people being bound by both material and spiritual constraints. Players pursue power and glory in the virtual world, but are restricted by numbers and mechanisms and become gears in the system. Games are no longer pure entertainment, but have become invisible labor fields. Players’ efforts are constantly squeezed, but they are rarely free and relaxed.
The material design of Mingchao Xiakong is a microcosm of the capital logic and the spirit of the times of modern games. It reflects the true portrayal of people struggling in anxiety and competition, and also reminds us to be wary of the spiritual shackles in the game. Players should not just mechanically pursue digital growth, but should protect themselves and stay clear between virtual and reality.
May we be able to see through the chains behind this gorgeous appearance and find our own freedom and happiness, rather than becoming the driven ones designed by capital. The Mingchao Xiakong Road is ultimately a metaphorical road of modern spirit.