Production Discussion on "The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City's Fall" Part 1

ZeroCreation Games' fourth title, "The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City's Fall", is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2026.

As per tradition, this first making-of article will cover the game's inception.

When did I first conceive "The Weeping Swan"?

"The Weeping Swan" has two narrative frameworks—they must be examined and explained separately.

First, "The Weeping Swan" is a love story between a scholar and a courtesan—a tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful lady.

Such stories have existed since ancient times.

For centuries, works like "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio", "Three Words and Two Slaps", and "Dream Memories of Tao'an"... Many dramas have been written on this theme.

In recent years, classical-style songs like "Difficult to Refuse" and "Peeking Through the Window" have also adopted this theme.

I've written several short scripts about scholar-courtesan romances, but never a full-length story on this theme, so I've always wanted to.

……

Oh, but it's worth noting that the term "courtesan" had a different meaning in ancient times.

In ancient times, "courtesan" generally referred to entertainers who sold their skills but not their bodies, while "prostitute" referred to those who earned a living by selling their bodies.

For "The Weeping Swan", I originally planned to write a story about a scholar and a Yangzhou courtesan.

But as I wrote the script, I grew increasingly fond of a character who initially had only a dozen lines, a "prostitute", and she eventually became the second female lead.

This shifted the story from a "pure romance between scholar and courtesan" to a love triangle among "scholar, courtesan, and prostitute".

This is slightly off-topic; I'll elaborate on it in the second production discussion.

...

Returning to the main subject, I'll continue with the project proposal for The Weeping Swan.

"The Weeping Swan" is not just a love triangle among "scholar, courtesan, and prostitute", but rather a serious historical tragedy based on factual events.

This historical tragedy portrays dynastic transition, a shattered homeland, and recounts the massacre of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

During the creation of "The Weeping Swan", I read "History of Peasant Wars in Late Ming", which significantly aided my writing process.

Following the release of "The Weeping Swan", I read "The History of Southern Ming".

After reading "The History of Southern Ming", I proceeded to read "Dream Memories of Tao'an", further deepening my understanding of the dynastic transition during that era.

China is a vast country with significant differences between its northern and southern regions. Even in the late Ming Dynasty, one could craft many stories with distinct flavors.

For the story of the Northwest Central Plains, I narrated "The Hungry Lamb: Travelling in the Late Ming Dynasty", whose theme relates to "famine".

Then perhaps I could also create a story about Jiangnan.

I plan to produce "The Weeping Swan: Ten Days of the City's Fall", this time focusing on "massacre".

……

Like "The Hungry Lamb", "The Weeping Swan" will ground itself in the perspective of ordinary people, immersing players as a commoner in a late Ming Dynasty city ravaged by massacre. Through his first-person viewpoint, players will experience the story, make relentless choices, and struggle to survive until the swords are sheathed.

This story, like "The Hungry Lamb", will use dual narratives to enhance contrast.

Players will simultaneously navigate the dark and brutal "city massacre line", while repeatedly recalling the opulent Jiangnan of years past—untouched by slaughter—evoking a powerful contrast between past and present, heightening the narrative's emotional