On the surface, this game is a hotel management simulation, but once you play it, you realize that it is essentially a large-scale "resource allocation team battle." Think about it, guests are pouring in at the same time, some want to check in, some want drinks, saddles are waiting for horses at the horse farm, and the firewood in the campfire area cannot be cut off - isn't this the same as the need to lay out the field of view, allocate troop lines, and card skill CDs in advance before a team battle in Honor of Kings?
The most amazing thing is the hotel features in different maps in the game. In the desert terrain of Crescent Moon Spring in the Western Region, the material stations are far apart. You have to plan your route in advance to carry firewood and drinks. If you are not careful, it will time out. This reminds me of those teams in the spring game that are good at operations. For example, when the Wolves played estar, the rhythm of switching lanes between Nakano and Suke was on time. Every step was missed and the opponent's field of vision was blocked. The yurt hotel in the prairie has a different rhythm. The material points are concentrated but the customer flow is fast. You need to switch targets quickly, much like some fast-paced wild core lineups, which change the lane to the extreme in the early stage.
However, what impresses me most about "The Errand Shopkeeper" is its "anti-stress design". Sometimes guests will suddenly make special requests, such as cattail fans for hot weather or heaters for cold weather. At this time, you may be busy delivering saddles. The priority judgment in this sudden situation is simply a turnaround decision in a disadvantaged game: Do you first stabilize the invasion of the enemy's wild area, or take the risk of opening the Tyrant? If you insist on getting the Cattail Fan in the game, the racecourse here may collapse; if you give up special requirements, you are afraid of losing credibility points. This sense of trade-off is exactly the same as the nervousness I feel when making on-the-spot judgments about players when watching LPL games.
Of course, as an e-sports observer, I can't help but want to complain about the balance of the version. At present, the "distance penalty" of the Western Region map in the game is obviously high, causing many players to skip the desert map directly. On the contrary, city maps like Bianjing have become a popular choice because of their short routes and high profits. This is like the imbalance of hero strength in certain seasons. Everyone is rushing for the answer to the version, and unpopular tactics cannot be used at all. I hope the developers can add a shortcut to the Western Region map or reduce the physical consumption like Honor of Kings did with heroes, so that the diversity of the map can be truly reflected.
Talking about the competition, in fact, there is a truth that can be seen from "The Errand Shopkeeper": no matter how fancy the operation is, the final comparison will still be about who makes the fewest mistakes. Just like the champion team of the Spring Split, every step of their operations is like the route planned in the game, and there are few low-level mistakes such as "sending the wrong saddle". After playing this game for three days, I have gone from a busy bronze errand boy to a golden shopkeeper who can handle three orders at the same time. Although I am still far from the "multi-line operation" of professional players, at least I have a deeper sense of immersion in the competition for resources on the field.
If you are also an e-sports fan, you might as well give this game a try. While waiting for the game to start, I will act as a "tactical director" and direct the errand boys to stage comebacks in various maps. Maybe I will also come up with some new BP ideas 😏