"How to put it..."
"The remaining players should all be members of the Cowherding Sect, and theyâre extremely loyal core members."
Wang Kun explained with a smile: "For these people, logging into the game every day to herd the cows has become a life habit. If they ever miss a day of herding, they feel strangely empty inside..."
Habit becomes second nature!
At first, when the Cowherding Sect emerged, everyone took it as a joke, joining in just for a laugh.
Itâs a bit like how some internet novels become wildly popular, and everyone scrambles to join the so-called "Heaven-Blasting Gang," just for fun, without any real significance.
But as time went on, more and more people started to wonder, is the Cowherding Sect really just an internet joke?
"Herding cows isnât just herding cows; itâs a form of cultivation. Weâre not herding cows, weâre herding our hearts!"
The words from the Cowherding Sect Leader back then didnât seem like complete nonsense. After a long time herding cows in "Cold Window Study Simulator," there really is a feeling of cultivation.
"Do such people really exist?"
"Yes, and there are quite a few..."
Wang Kun explained: "Make a cup of hot tea, sit in front of the computer, and watch the game character lead a yellow ox wandering around."
"At first glance, it seems boring, but once this boring thing is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, they truly recognize the Cowherding Sect."
Itâs quite magical!
Now the members of the Cowherding Sect firmly believe in the phrase "herding cows is a form of cultivation." Theyâve genuinely felt the peace of mind, the healing of the spirit.
"Actually, it has nothing to do with âCold Window Study Simulator.â"
"In a different way, sitting quietly on the balcony for ten minutes every day, consistently for two or three years, could have the same effect."
Wang Kun said with a smile: "Rather than saying the Cowherding Sect convinced them, itâs more like they convinced themselves."
Whatâs left are fanatical yellow ox enthusiasts.
Unexpectedly, the 10,000-20,000 active players left in "Cold Window Study Simulator" might not decrease in the foreseeable future, maintaining that number.
Because theyâve grown accustomed to it.
The power of habit is strong. After work every day, they donât feel at ease going to bed without herding the cyber yellow ox for a while, and their sleep becomes restless.
This power of habit will propel them to keep playing.
How long can they persist?
Itâs hard to say! Maybe someone will suddenly abandon this persistence, or maybe this persistence will last a lifetime.
"Itâs enough to make me tear up."
Chen Ba, caught between laughter and tears, said: "I really didnât expect the Cowherding Sect to evolve from a group of jokesters into this situation."
"I didnât expect it either..."
"But Ba, since youâre aware of the current situation with the Cowherding Sect and know thereâs still a group of loyal players, will you consider updating âCold Window Study Simulatorâ?" Wang Kun asked curiously.
"Update what?"
Chen Ba, speechless, said: "Iâve already said âCold Window Study Simulatorâ has a poor foundation, I donât even know how to release a DLC, let alone a version update?"
"Not much new content is needed."
"Actually, the best update might be providing some different choices during the cow herding, like besides yellow oxen, maybe introducing a black ox or other types of cows..."
"The herding scenes could also be optimized, adding a few new herding locations. I think that would be enough, everyone would be very satisfied."
The players who have persisted until now are mostly herding cows, herding day after day, viewing it as a stress-relieving practice.
Wang Kun suggested adding one or more herding options to "Cold Window Study Simulator," introducing new types of cows besides Old Huang.
Chen Ba happily agreed.
For him, itâs undoubtedly a piece of cake, after all, adding an art asset is no big deal.
But thatâs not enough...
He felt that since itâs an update, a bit of sincerity is needed, you canât just fool everyone.
The Cowherding Sect members who persisted until now each deserve respect.
After all, what was jokingly called "knocking the electronic wood fish and herding the cyber yellow ox" back then wasnât a joke; they really herded cyber yellow oxen for all these years.
"Iâll make a few new achievements."
Chen Ba explained: "Unlocked the title âCowherdâ for over 100 hours of playtime, âFriend of the Yellow Oxâ for 500 hours, and âCowshed Watcherâ for 1,000 hours..."
These achievements and titles are specifically to reward those who have persisted for so many years, herding the cyber yellow ox to the wilderness day after day.
Itâs not easy.
Considering how boring it is, itâs impressive they persevered so long. If it were Chen Ba, he probably couldnât last even a week.
Such spirit deserves recognition.
Meanwhile, these achievements and titles are also his way of fully acknowledging the Cowherding Sect as a group of jesters.
No more suppressing them.
There were hardly any members in the Cowherding Sect; continued suppression might truly lead to their demise.
"By the way, actually, we can make a leaderboard! To see how long everyone has spent herding cows in the game..."
Leaderboard?
Thatâs doable!
Simply adjust the backend algorithm to calculate the time players spend on the "herding event," not hard to implement.
Chen Ba was also curious to know how long the longest player spent herding Old Huang in "Cold Window Study Simulator?"
Surely more than a thousand hours.
Ten thousand hours is unrealistic; considering everything, probably four to five thousand hours max...
Thatâs already outrageous.
After all, the idea that someone spent thousands of hours on such a boring task is terrifying just to think about.
With such determination and perseverance, canât you do something else? Why must you soak in the game, herding cyber Old Huang?
"Right!"
Suddenly, Chen Ba remembered that Wang Kun seemed to be a high-ranking member of the Cowherding Sect, possibly the mysterious Cowherding Sect Leader.
So whatâs his playtime?
"Not much, havenât played much since getting married, last time I checked it was around 2000 hours!"
Chen Ba: "..."
Not much, and then you casually mention two thousand hours. Plus, it sounds like it could be even higher?
A true prodigy!
No surprise heâs the suspect candidate for the Cowherding Sect Leader, with such playtime, it would surely shock countless people.
"Letâs leave it at that!"
After hanging up the call with Wang Kun, Chen Ba dialed Yang Dongâs number, asking him to finalize the update content for "Cold Window Study Simulator" by tonight.
Itâs not just the game update.
The Tianba Community also needs an update, adding several community achievement badges, where player organizations like "Cowherding Sect," "GuMua Sect," and "Dubhe Sacred Land" can apply for exclusive badges.
He hadnât paid much attention to fan groups before, but itâs not too late to start now.
Donât underestimate this small badge; itâs a symbol of identity, a symbol of community status.
Wearing a "Cowherding Sect" badge in the future makes one the coolest in the Tianba Community, adding confidence in posting and replying.
"Speaking of..."
After arranging the community revamp, Chen Ba asked: "The Tianba Communityâs registered users should have surpassed five million by now, right?"
"They surpassed five million a long time ago."
"Oh dear!"
Chen Ba was delighted, with over five million registered users and a daily active player count of up to 100,000, these figures arenât low for a community forum website.
Although it canât compare to Zhang Meng or Miyou Community, it ranks among the top in active gaming communities domestically.
Doesnât this mean...
Tianba Studio has its own group of loyal fans too? Just like Blizzard, where players always support them regardless of game quality?
Great, great, great!
As the community continues to grow, the number of loyal fans will increase too. Someday, he can publicly ask players: Donât you guys have phones?