Monday 9 December 1998.
ZAGE Hub - Korea
Zaboru had now arrived in Korea, and the growth of ZAGE Korea's Dynasty Team was impossible to ignore. In just around eleven months since January, both their numbers and overall capability had increased dramatically. What had started as a relatively small overseas division was steadily turning into a reliable pillar of ZAGE's global operations. The Dynasty Team, in particular, had proven themselves time and time again through consistent performance, discipline, and technical competence.
Their progress was most evident in their two major projects, Thief and RollerCoaster Tycoon. Both titles were nearing completion, not only meeting expectations but surpassing them. Development was ahead of schedule, core systems were already stable, and remaining tasks were mostly polishing and fine-tuning. For a team still considered "new" by ZAGE standards, this level of execution spoke volumes about their potential.
Recognizing this momentum, Zaboru decided it was the perfect time to push them further. He summoned the leaders of the Korea Dynasty Team for a meeting, intending to both review their progress and assign them a new, more ambitious task. It didn't take long before the four leaders—Tomohiro Kata, Seth Kang, Hyun‑Woo, and Ji‑Hye—arrived at the meeting room, ready to hear what Zaboru had planned next.
Zaboru smiled warmly and welcomed them without delay. Once everyone had taken their seats, he went straight to the point, his tone calm but curious. "So," he began, folding his arms lightly, "how are the two games—Thief and RollerCoaster Tycoon? Have you run into any trouble so far?"
Seth Kang returned the smile with clear confidence. "So far, everything is going well, boss," he replied. "Honestly, we've progressed even faster than our initial projections. Development wrapped up earlier than the expected schedule, and at this stage both games are almost complete. We've been running repeated internal tests, and so far we haven't found any major bugs in either Thief or RollerCoaster Tycoon."
He paused briefly before adding, "Most of what remains now is polishing—fine-tuning balance, improving performance, and tightening smaller details."
Hearing this, Zaboru grinned with obvious satisfaction and gave a slow nod. The results were better than he had anticipated, and it confirmed what he already believed about the Dynasty Team's growing capability.
"And so," Zaboru continued, shifting the discussion forward, "have you also started learning about online infrastructure—and our future digital platform, Steam?"
Ji‑Hye, the female lead of the team, nodded confidently. "Yes, boss. We've been studying it as a side task alongside our main projects. We understand that this platform will be our future, especially if ZAGE plans to focus heavily on online games. From our perspective, the fundamentals are clear enough now, and I believe we're ready to receive a proper assignment related to online game development."
She paused briefly, then added, "We've been paying close attention to server structure, client‑server communication, and long‑term service stability."
Hyun‑Woo then spoke up, his expression more cautious. "Technically, we're confident," he said, "but there's still one major concern—the money side. Do we already have a concrete way for players to pay for these digital products, boss?"
Zaboru let out a slow sigh and nodded. "Yes, that is partially our biggest problem right now," he admitted honestly. "But don't worry—ZAGE USA is already preparing solutions. By next year, the payment method issue will be resolved."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table. "At the moment, our U.S. marketing team is negotiating with multiple partners to make this possible. There's a strong chance players will be able to pay using credit cards, which would cover a large portion of the market. But we're not stopping there."
Zaboru continued calmly, "We're also exploring partnerships with well-known supermarket chains, allowing players to pay their subscriptions and purchases directly at physical stores. On top of that, we may introduce physical vouchers—players can buy these vouchers in stores, redeem them on Steam, and convert them into virtual currency to purchase games or subscriptions."
He gave a small, confident smile. "The goal is simple: make payment accessible for everyone, even those without bank accounts or credit cards. It may take time to finalize, but we will not move forward until this system is fair, reliable, and easy for players to use."
All the Korean team leaders nodded in understanding. Knowing that ZAGE was already actively working on concrete solutions eased their concerns, and they no longer felt worried about the payment issue becoming a roadblock. There was a clear sense of trust in the room—trust in Zaboru's vision and in ZAGE's ability to solve problems at an industry level.
Zaboru then continued smoothly, shifting the tone of the meeting forward. "Alright, while we're here," he said, "I'll go ahead and give Team Dynasty your next assignment. After all, your current tasks are essentially finished, and this next one is designed specifically for you."
With that, Zaboru reached down and prepared two thick folders, each neatly labeled. He handed them out across the table, making sure each leader received their share—two folders per person. "The projects you'll be working on are all inside here," he added calmly, letting the weight of the moment sink in.
The folders were labeled Ragnarok Online and Gunbound Online.
Zaboru's lips curved into a nostalgic grin the moment he saw the first title. Ragnarok Online had been the very first MMORPG he ever played in his previous life, and it held a special place in his memory. He remembered the long nights grinding levels, meeting strangers who slowly became friends, and the strange sense of belonging that only a shared online world could create. In his old world, Ragnarok was originally based on a manhwa of the same name—but in this world, that manhwa didn't even exist yet. That fact alone made the project feel even more meaningful to him, as if he were planting the seed of something that could grow far beyond just a game.
As for Gunbound Online, the feeling was different—but no less fond. It was pure fun, built around calculated chaos. A turn-based artillery game where players launched mortar shots at each other, carefully calculating wind direction, angle, and power. Simple on the surface, yet deeply strategic. Zaboru vividly remembered how addictive it was, how laughter and frustration mixed together every time a perfectly aimed shot missed by just a few pixels.
With both memories fresh in his mind, Zaboru straightened up and began explaining the two games to the four leaders, his tone filled with enthusiasm and certainty. These weren't just projects—they were experiences he deeply believed in.
"This is Ragnarok, and at its core it is an RPG," Zaboru began, tapping the folder lightly, "but it will be very different from ZAGE's typical RPG titles. Why? Because this one is fully online-based." He looked around the room, making sure everyone was following. "This genre is what I call an MMORPG—Massively Multiplayer Online Role‑Playing Game."
He continued calmly, "Like any RPG, each player will still have their own story, their own journey, their own growth. But that's not the main attraction here. The real heart of Ragnarok is the shared world. We will create an environment where players need to interact—working together to level up, form parties, gather rare gear, collect resources, trade items, and build relationships with other players."
Zaboru leaned forward slightly, his tone more excited now. "This world should feel alive. Towns filled with real people, not NPCs. Markets driven by player trading. Guilds forming naturally. Conflicts, cooperation, rivalries—all emerging from player interaction."
He smiled and added, "And to bring everyone together, we'll introduce ultimate bosses—massive enemies that cannot be defeated alone. These will require dozens, maybe hundreds of players working together, appearing on a set schedule, like once a week. When one of these bosses falls, it should feel like a world event, something people talk about for days."
Zaboru grinned. "We'll also implement a full Guild System, allowing players to form their own communities, build identities together, and compete directly against other guilds in large‑scale Guild Wars."
Zaboru chuckled softly. "This isn't just a game you finish. It's a world you live in."
The team leaders' eyes lit up almost immediately. The shift in atmosphere was obvious—the room filled with quiet excitement as questions began pouring out one after another. Tomohiro Kata asked about server scalability and how many concurrent players the world was expected to support at launch. Seth Kang followed up with concerns about long-term content updates, wondering how often new areas, monsters, and story arcs should be introduced to keep players engaged.
Ji‑Hye leaned forward, asking about community management and moderation. "How do we handle toxic behavior, botting, or exploits in a shared online world like this?" she asked seriously. Hyun‑Woo added his own technical concerns, questioning data persistence, character backups, and how rollback systems would work if servers failed.
Zaboru answered each question calmly and without hesitation. He explained that scalability would be handled gradually, starting small and expanding server clusters as the player base grew. Content updates would follow a live‑service model, with regular patches, seasonal events, and expansion-style updates planned well in advance. As for moderation, Zaboru emphasized the importance of clear rules, active monitoring, and fast response teams.
Whenever a question touched on uncertainty, Zaboru didn't dismiss it—he acknowledged the difficulty and explained how ZAGE would adapt over time. His answers weren't rigid plans carved in stone, but flexible frameworks built to evolve alongside the players themselves.
By the time the questions slowed, the team leaders looked reassured and energized. With a small nod, Zaboru smoothly transitioned the discussion forward, turning his attention to the next project. "Alright," he said, tapping the second folder, "now let's talk about Gunbound."
"This is Gunbound, and what I call Artillery Combat," Zaboru explained, placing a finger on the folder for emphasis. "At its core, players will be divided into different teams and dropped into varied terrain layouts. The objective is simple—defeat the opposing team—but the way you do it requires real thought and precision."
He continued, warming to the explanation. "Players won't just fire blindly. They'll need to calculate wind direction, wind strength, terrain height, angles, weapon bounce, and even timing. Every shot matters. One wrong calculation can turn victory into defeat."
Zaboru glanced around the room to make sure the idea landed. "That's why this isn't just an action game—it's a battle of strategy. Players who understand physics, positioning, and prediction will always have the advantage over those who rely purely on luck. The fun comes from mastering those variables and outsmarting your opponent, not just overpowering them."
The team leaders immediately launched into another round of questions, this time focused entirely on Gunbound. Tomohiro Kata asked how large the matches would be at launch and whether the game would support both small tactical battles and larger team-based modes. Seth Kang followed by questioning long-term balance, wondering how ZAGE planned to prevent certain weapons or characters from becoming dominant over time.
Ji‑Hye raised concerns about matchmaking and player skill gaps. "How do we make sure new players aren't constantly crushed by veterans?" she asked. Hyun‑Woo, meanwhile, focused on the technical side again—asking about latency tolerance, turn timers, and how the physics calculations would stay consistent across different network conditions.
Zaboru answered each question patiently and in detail. He explained that Gunbound would launch with multiple match types, starting with smaller team formats before gradually expanding. Balance updates would be frequent and data-driven, with weapon performance adjusted based on real match statistics rather than guesswork. For matchmaking, Zaboru emphasized ranking tiers and hidden rating systems to ensure fair fights, especially for beginners.
As for networking concerns, Zaboru reassured them that turn-based design naturally reduced latency pressure, and additional safeguards would be built in to keep calculations synchronized. "This game rewards thinking, not reaction speed," he concluded calmly. "As long as players feel the rules are fair, they'll stay."
Zaboru then went to next sections "For these online games we will charge player per month in steam , and if they Subscribed to our services they will able to play these Online based games because these game can't be played online , and off course we wil not charge them too much around 3-4 dollars month are already more than enough because we also have plan to have in game transaction player can buy cosmetics , or even tools for double EXP with real money but obviously we will not make this broken as we don't want our game to be greedy so it need to moderation so even people just normal subscription they can still compete with people who spend lot of money."
Zaboru then turned serious, his tone noticeably heavier than before. "These games will involve real-world money," he said firmly. "Because of that, we absolutely cannot allow critical bugs—especially bugs that can be exploited for financial gain."
He paused, his expression thoughtful. Zaboru remembered clearly how, in his previous life, many MMORPGs had thriving in-game economies that eventually collapsed. All it took was a single duplication exploit—rare items copied endlessly, currency inflated overnight—and the entire world became worthless. Once trust in the economy was broken, players left, and no amount of content updates could save the game.
"Some players will definitely treat MMORPGs like real jobs," Zaboru continued. "As you already know from our Diablo 2 ecosystem—even though it isn't an MMORPG—players trade currency, equipment, and rare items for real money. If our systems are compromised, not only do we lose balance—we lose credibility."
He emphasized that security had to be built into the foundation of the game. Server-side validation, strict logging, exploit detection, and rapid-response patching were not optional—they were mandatory. "If players feel the economy is fair and protected, they'll invest their time. If they don't, the game is already dead."
Zaboru smiled. "These games will require a lot of time," he said calmly. "Especially since we haven't finalized our payment systems yet. Because of that, I'm assigning a development window of one year or more. I expect these projects to be ready by January 2000."
The weight of his words settled over the room—not as pressure, but as clarity. The timeline was ambitious, yet realistic.
All the team leaders nodded in unison, fully understanding the responsibility they had just been given.
To be coniuntue
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