Ancient Kingdom Guardians: Behind the Scenes of the Creation of Ruin Monsters

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从提瓦特大陆上随处可见的遗迹守卫，到如君王一般令人望而生畏的兆载永劫龙兽，都是已经覆灭的国度留下的战争机械。不曾见过地表生态圈的坎瑞亚人，会如何尝试用机械结构，还原想象中的生命形态呢？一同跟随原神制作组的脚步，回顾遗迹系列怪物的创作历程吧！
From Ruin Guards that can be seen throughout Teyvat to the majestic and intimidating Aeonblight Drake, these are the war machines left behind by a fallen kingdom. How did the people of Khaenri'ah design mechanical structures from their imagination without ever seeing a life form on the surface? Let's take a look at how the *Genshin Impact* team brought the Ruin Monsters to life!

## Video

魔方 《原神》IP：遗迹系列怪物，是玩家在提瓦特大陆的冒险旅途中最先遇到的机械类怪物，正如「我们终将重逢」中戴因提到过的。遗迹机关都来自已经覆灭的坎瑞亚，而如今在提瓦特被称为遗迹守卫的机器人设定上而言则是坎瑞亚的战争机器。所以简单来说，遗迹系列的机器与我们在游戏中见到的其它怪物是完全不同的。
Mephisto, Creative Concept and Writing Team: The Ruin monsters are the first mechanical monsters that players will encounter during their adventures on the continent of Teyvat. As Dain said before in "We Will Be Reunited," the Ruin Machines all hail from the fallen land of Khaenri'ah. And these machines are now known in Teyvat as Ruin Guards. By design, they are tools of war for Khaenri'ah. So, in a nutshell, the Ruin machines are totally different from the other monsters we see in the game.

在游戏中我们面对的人类、丘丘人与深渊敌人遵循一定的社会性进行活动，自然生物与元素生物遵循生态环境分布活动，而遗迹机器是坎瑞亚的人设计、制造的自动工具。同样是遗迹怪物，又因不同的设计目的和细分的功能差异，有着不同的形态。打比方说，遗迹守卫与遗迹重机的关系上，我们可以认为它们在设定上的设计根源都是「人形的泛用战争机器」。在满足这个设计基本点的情况下，而产生了形式的区分。而形态差异较大的，我们可以认为是拥有不同的设计目的。假设我们以兵种为例的话，遗迹守卫这种形式的战斗单位比较接近于「陆军」，需要满足推进、占领的职能，那么遗迹猎者就更加接近于猎兵了。
The humans we face in-game, the Hilichurls and the Abyss monsters behave according to certain social dynamics and adapt their behavior according to their ecological environments as natural and elemental organisms would, while the Ruin Machines are automated tools designed and manufactured by the people of Khaenri'ah. Although they are all classified as Ruin monsters due to different design purposes and functional differences within their respective divisions. Ruin monsters actually have different forms. For instance, for the relationship between the Ruin Guard and Ruin Grader, we can think of their design basis as "machines of war built in man's image." By respecting this foundational design idea, a distinction is then created when it comes to their form. If there are major differences in their shape, we can think of them as having different design purposes, respectively. Using military units as an example, the Ruin Guards most resemble "infantry" whose job it is to advance and hold territory, while Ruin Hunters are much closer to skirmishers.

当初在设定遗迹系列的敌人时，我们确定过两个IP层面的设定点。遗迹机器必须满足其中之一，其一是功能主义，「功能决定形式」，其二则是仿生。遗迹系列怪物的战斗、美术设计和动画表现也是基本围绕着这两个设定点展开的.
When we designed the Ruin monsters, we identified two set points at the Creative Concept and Writing level and the Ruin Machines must satisfy at least one of them. One is functionality—"Form determined by function"—while the other is biomimesis. The combat, art design, and presentation of the Ruin monsters basically revolve around these two set points.

### Oh! So It's a Field Tiller? Function Determines Form: Design and Presentation

叉子 《原神》怪物原画：功能主义这一点呢，在遗迹巨蛇的创作中有集中的体现。根据IP设定，遗迹巨蛇是坎瑞亚作为地下的王国，为了土建、开拓隧道而设计出来的工程机械。从挖矿这一功能出发，我们首先想到的就是各种挖掘机和钻地机。在参考了大量的资料后，最终我们把方向确定在了轮式挖掘机、钻头、犁地这几个关键的元素上，并且绘制出了第一版的脑洞草图。
Xzi, Monster Design: For functionality, when creating the Ruin Serpent, there's an embodiment of concentration. In line with the Creative Concept and Writing Team's settings, the Ruin Serpent is from the underground kingdom of Khaenri'ah and is a piece of engineering machinery designed for civil construction and tunnel development. From a mining standpoint, the first thing that comes to mind is all kinds of excavators and drillers. After consulting a lot of reference material, we finally set our direction on the key elements of wheeled excavators, drills, and plows, and sketched out the first draft based on our imagination.

动画还有3D环节的制作上，会不会有一些什么问题？会不会在动画上比如说做一些区别？在和动画绑定同学的对接过程中，大家预判到这种坚硬材质的大型怪在运动的时候可能会出现比较明显的模型变形和拉伸的情况，这是我们不希望玩家看到的。因此我们又讨论出了第二版切分开身体部件的方案，在拟态上也更加接近蚯蚓这种会钻地的生物。
Will there be any problems regarding the animation and the 3D production aspect? Will there be any differences when we portray it in animation? During the discussions with the animation team, they anticipated that when such a large creature that is made out of a hard material is in motion. There may be significant deforming and stretching of the model; this is something we'd hope that players would never have to see. So we came up with the second version of segmenting different parts of the body and made an imitation of an earthworm, or at least, one that can drill into the ground.

在此基础上，我们从实际的功能角度又丰富了很多的细节。比如巨蛇胸腔部位镂空处透露出来的巨大齿轮，其实是它的能量来源。背上坚硬的背鳍既可以方便巨蛇在地表游动时犁开坚硬的土地，也可以让它在地下钻地时通过左右转动来控制前进的朝向。它尾部的巨大钻头退可用于钻洞挖掘，进可设计为攻击手段.
On this basis, we have enriched a lot of details from the perspective of practical functions: for example, the giant gear that's poking out of the chest cavity of the giant snake is actually the source of its energy. The stiff dorsal fins on its back allows it to plow through hard ground as it slithers on the surface, and the Ruin Serpent can use them to control its direction by turning left and right as it burrows underground. The giant drill on its tail can be used to drill holes, and it is also designed as a means of attack.

ello-chan 《原神》怪物原画：同样的，遗迹龙兽作为遗迹系列的怪物之一，它的身体也一并继承了由零件拼装而成的仿生形态。当大家看到遗迹龙兽外观的时候，可能会比较惊讶为什么它没有手呢？其实我们在设计龙兽的时候，首要的出发点依然是以实用为主的。我们在找参考图的时候，其实也找过各种各样的形式，甚至还画过一些比较脑洞大开的草图，比如说将手脚变成摩托的车轮。但由于滑轮的移动形式是比较难以适应大世界的地形，所以我们最终还是选择了霸王龙、翼龙这样的史前巨兽作为遗迹龙兽的仿生拟态，这也比较符合遗迹怪的古老感。
ello-chan, Monster Design: Similarly, as one of the Ruin monsters, its body has also inherited a biomimetic form assembled from parts. You probably had quite a shock when encountering the Ruin Drake for the first time. Why does it not have any hands? Actually, when we were designing the Ruin Drake, the primary starting point is still from practicality. When we were looking for a reference, we actually looked at various forms and even made some zany concept art like turning hands and feet into motorcycle wheels. But because of the way the wheels and axles move, it's harder to adapt to the terrain of the open world. We finally chose prehistoric giant creatures such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Pterosaur as sources of inspiration for the Ruin Drake. This is also more in line with the theme of the Ruin machines being strange and ancient.

然而，在画脑洞的时候，我们发现霸王龙的爪子实在是太小了，就很难具备一个功能性。所以我们干脆把这一部分的设计给砍掉，转而强调翅膀。当翅膀完全张开时，整体的造型会有种巨型爪的感觉，给玩家带来压迫感。同时，在设计的时候，找了一些农具作为原型参考，就比方说，像遗迹龙兽的尾部，它的一个大齿轮其实就是参考的播种机.
However, while working on the sketches, we found that the claws of Tyrannosaurus Rex were simply too small and it's hard for them to be functional. So we just cut out that part of the design and placed more emphasis on the wings instead. When the wings are fully spread, the overall shape has the look of a massive claw which gives players a sense of oppression. At the same time when we were designing, we found some farming tools that we could use for reference. Let's take the Ruin Drake's tail for example. One of its big gears is based on a seeder.

奂小喵 《原神》3D角色：在大型遗迹怪物的制作上，摆在我们面前是三个难题。一是庞大的体型加上简单的几何形体设计会让模型看起来过于单薄、粗糙。所以我们运用了更多的倒角结构和凹凸层次，增加了不同程度的破损、切割，来打破重复和单一的感觉。在贴图上也着重刻画了金属、岩石、树木和青苔，或是磨损、或是腐败的质感，突出遗迹系列独有的古老、粗犷、笨重的感觉。
Tiffany, 3D Character Design: When creating large Ruin monsters, we faced three major problems: the first is that geometric design for such a large figure could make the model look too feeble and crude. So we used a more chamfered structure with concave and convex layering, and added different degrees of damage and cuts to break up the feeling of repetition and monotony such as metal, rocks, trees, and moss that are highlighted in the texture; or the texture of erosion or decay that highlight the feeling of antiquity, boorishness, and heaviness typical of the Ruin monsters.

二是机械结构的合理性。遗迹巨蛇的齿轮钻头，遗迹龙兽身上折叠伸缩旋转的动态结构，在3D制作过程中，不仅需要考虑如何保证造型，还要兼顾机械原理。在制作过程中不断去纠正和协调，否则会导致后期动画制作时的各种穿帮和匹配问题。
The second is the logic behind the mechanical structure. The dynamic movements of the Ruin Serpent's gear drill as well as the Ruin Drake's folding, retractable, and rotating form—getting those right during the 3D production process is not just a matter of getting the shape right. The mechanical principles also have to be taken into account. We made constant corrections and adjustments throughout the design process. Otherwise, we would have had to deal with a variety of animation and display errors during post-production.

三是环境的影响，尤其在遗迹巨蛇的制作中，层岩巨渊环境的特殊性导致地底的光照和环境对怪物的影响比较大。所以最后的联调阶段也非常耗时，贴图的亮度颜色，自发光的强弱等等都需要配合环境特效进一步调整，才能达到更好的效果。
The third is environmental impact, particularly during the construction of the Ruin Serpent. The unique nature of The Chasm's environment causes the underground lighting and environment to have a greater influence on monsters. So making the final adjustments took a long time, such as the brightness and color in the mapping, the intensity of Emission, etc. All of these needed to be further adjusted to match the environmental effects in order to achieve the desired result.

看到遗迹龙兽的原画时，我们第一感觉是新鲜感。龙的形态和遗迹系列特有的厚重感有种天然的契合。在3D制作上，我们也希望通过更富有张力的造型和动态来表现遗迹龙兽的威力和气势带给玩家不一样的体验。
Upon seeing the original design of the Ruin Drake, the first impression we felt was novelty. There's a natural fit between its draconic form and the heaviness that characterizes the Ruin monsters. During 3D production, we also wanted to give the player a different experience through more intense styling and dynamics.

### It Looks Like... a Jellyfish! Biomimesis: Design and Presentation

魔方 《原神》IP：除了「功能决定形式」以外，遗迹系列的另一个设定点是「仿生」，也就是在结构与行为上像是生物。坎瑞亚在设定上是在地底的国度，从生态的多样性而言相对于地表自然是匮乏的。因此，坎瑞亚的几个机械设计师当中有人对仿生性有着相当的执着。简单来说，就是想要通过人的智慧，在地下造出机械的生态圈。遗迹机兵系列在设定上就是不曾见过地表生命形态的人，基于自己想象中的仿生而创造出的战争机械。
Mephisto, Creative Concept and Writing Team: Aside from "form determined by function," another major part of our design philosophy for the Ruin Series is "biomimesis," that is, imitating a living creature in structure and behavior. Khaenri'ah is a nation located underground. In terms of ecological diversity, its nature is lacking compared to the surface. Therefore, among the mechanical engineers of Khaenri'ah, there are some people who are obsessed with the idea of mimesis... In other words, they wanted to create a mechanical ecosystem underground using human intelligence. As for the Ruin Sentinels, the engineers are people who have not seen life on the surface, so they drew inspiration from bionic beings in their own imaginations to create war machines.

ello-chan 《原神》怪物原画：遗迹怪的整体设计都是遵循「仿生」原则的。在设计时除了需要考虑机械结构以外，也会考虑其原型动物的生态表现。通过将机械与生物的组合，我们可以得到源源不断的创意方案。比如遗迹拟生机关，其大部分的结构就是由两个三角片部件组成的。通过这种类似于拼装积木的方式，结合不同的生物形态，最终以简单的基本形搭建出了4种差异较大的有趣方案。
ello-chan, Monster Design: The overall design of the Ruin monsters follows "biomimetic" principles. In addition to considering the mechanical structure, we also had to consider the ecological behavior of the animals they were inspired by. By combining the mechanical with the biological, we can get a constant stream of creative solutions: such as the mimetic Ruin Machine. Most of its structure is made up of two triangular pieces by combining different life forms with a simple basic shape in a manner similar to using building blocks. We managed to create four interesting solutions with considerable differences.

这批遗迹怪在当时是一个非常紧急的需求，需要用尽量短的时间，动用较少的制作资源去做一批全新的怪物，并且在设计质量和整体完成表现上不能有任何的含糊，以求给到玩家一种更加新颖的感受。这无疑对于我们整个怪物开发团队而言都是一种很大的考验。
The Ruin Monsters were an urgent request at the time. It was necessary to go as quickly as we could to create new monsters with as few materials as possible. We had to uphold the quality of the design and the performance of the final product and also give players a feeling of novelty. It was definitely quite a challenge for the whole monster development team.

在这样的前提下，我们制作团队先是进行了高频的会议沟通。最终，从众多参考提案中寻找到了初步的灵感。用简单的几何体来拼装出多种不同的造型。我们先是尝试了不同几何体的拼装效果，发现方形拼出来的容易与已有的无相系列类似，等边三角形又难以拼出比较规整可动的造型。这期间还借用了3D大佬家中宝宝的积木玩具，做了一些拼装的尝试。
In this case, our production team began with frequent meetings and communication. Finally, we decided on a TED Talk video which featured origami robots as our preliminary reference point. Using simple geometry to assemble many different shapes, we first tried assembling different geometric shapes to see its effect, and we realized that the square shapes resembled the Hypostases. While equilateral triangles are difficult to put into a more regular and movable form. During this period, we also borrowed baby building blocks from the 3D team to use them in an attempt to assemble some shapes.

最终定下来以等腰三角形为基础形状进行拼接。借助3D软件的预研效果辅助，我们确定了四种拟生机关以及恒常机关阵列的造型。同时也设计出了数十版的花纹方案，并最终从里面选择出看上去既不花哨、细节又足够丰富，并且符合遗迹系列设计语言的理想方案。
Finally, we decided upon the isosceles triangle as the base shape for variations. And with the help of 3D modeling effects software, we managed to create four models for Mimetic Machines and the Perpetual Mechanical Array. At the same time, we also designed dozens of patterns and eventually chose something that didn't look too flashy but had sufficiently rich details and are in line with the ideal Ruin monster design language.

老桑 《原神》游戏动画：遗迹怪物的形态初具雏形后，在让它们「动起来」的过程中，同时需要兼顾「机械感」和「仿生」的统一。遗迹巨蛇就是一个标志性的例子，一个具有巨蛇形态的重型机械。我们要在机械和仿生两种质感当中找到恰当的点，这就需要大量的尝试。为了加速测试的效率，动画TA开发了线段拟合方案。原来需要一节一节骨骼摆出来的造型，现在只需要画一条线，工具会自动将蛇类骨骼加以拟合，可以快速修改运动姿态。
oldsang, In-Game Animation: Once the Ruin monsters had taken their forms, in the process of making them "move," it is necessary to take into account the unity between the "mechanical" and the "biological." The Ruin Serpent is an iconic example. In that it is a heavy machine in the form of a giant snake, we wanted to find a happy medium between the mechanical and biomimetic textures which took a lot of trial and error. To speed up the testing, the animation team's Technical Artist developed a line segment fitting scheme. Initially, we had to model the skeleton segment by segment. Now all we have to do is draw a single line and the tool will automatically make it conform to the shape of the snake's skeleton, allowing us to change its posture conveniently and quickly.

经过各种方案的对比，最终我们采用了大量的机械行为加少量的生物行为这一比例。机械行为体现在「钻头旋转」「以头抢地」「螺旋升天」等动作中。比如有个技能是身体绷直，像棍子一样砸下来，在地面来回滚动，最后头部蹭着地面弹回待机。在滚动过程中与收招的动作中，都利用了自身齿轮作为支撑发力点，这明显是一个机械行为。同时在技能和移动方式里，大家又能发现一些生物特征。蛇类的运动规律可以概括为「蜿蜒」「伸缩」，所以在整个机械质感的基调下，加入了「盘旋」「蜿蜒穿梭」等标志性元素。
After comparing various drafts, we ended up using a ratio which heavily favored mechanical behavior over biological behavior. The mechanical behavior is reflected in its drill rotation, diving headfirst into the ground, ascending in a spiral, among other movements. For example, one ability is to straighten its body before smashing down like a club and rolling back and forth on the ground before finally moving its head along the ground before returning to its normal stance. Both the process of rolling around and ending of the movement use the gears as support points and are clear representations of mechanical behavior. At the same time, in terms of skills and movement patterns, you can also see some characteristics of biomimesis. The movement of snakes can be generally described as "slithering" and "stretching." So in the context of the whole mechanical texture, signature elements such as "coiling" and "stretching out" were included.

游子 《原神》游戏动画：让大家看到它的行为时，能意识到这是一个具有轻度拟态的蛇型机械。遗迹龙兽的设计也是一脉相承的，仿生体现在机械和恐龙的结合，生物行为上则参考了现实中存在的一些双足动物。
youzi, In-Game Animation: When you look at its behavior, you will recognize that it is a snake-like machine with mild mimicry. In the same way, the Ruin Drake's design has a physique inspired by a combination of machines and dinosaurs. Its biological behavior is inspired by some bipedal creatures in reality.

在整体的动画设计中，我们希望更多体现重甲的压迫感，强化「全身兵器」的感受。所以在技能里大家可以看到头、尾、胸口、翅膀等各部位都有丰富的攻击手段。机械感受则是参考了战斗机，比如通过翅膀助推可以做到直起直落，也可以向前助推龙车。翅膀本身也可以弹射出去。至于空中的远程打击——胸口导弹和翅膀扫射，则是用于体现重甲的火力压制等等。
In the overall animation design, we wanted to emphasize a sense of threatening oppression via its heavy armor to strengthen the idea of its body being a "tool of war." So you can see for its abilities; its head, tail, chest, wings, and other parts of its body have a wide range of attacks. The mechanical aspect is a reference to fighter jets, like a booster on its wings to vertically take off and land as well as to boost forward. The wings themselves can also be ejected. As for long-range strikes from the air, such as chest missiles and wing strafes, it is used to reflect suppressive fire from heavy weaponry, etc.

在这些基础之上，又对标之前遗迹系列的所有怪物，使巨蛇与龙兽最终的呈现比低级的坎瑞亚机甲技术水平高一些，但看起来仍是同个文明的造物。
Based on this, when compared with the rest of the Ruin monsters, we made the Ruin Drake and Ruin Serpent to be more advanced than the other machines of Khaenri'ah while still remaining very much a part of that same civilization.

青蛙 《原神》3D特效：与原神世界中各种能驱动七大元素的怪物不同，遗迹系列怪物通常都不带有元素属性，而是使用各种古老的科技武器进行战斗。从美术层面，我们希望这些特效表现不同于我们现实中的各种武器，而是在符合物理规律的同时能够保持幻想世界中风格化的质感。
Delphinium, 3D Effects: Unlike the various monsters in the world of *Genshin Impact* who can call upon the Seven Great Elements, the Ruin monsters usually don't have Elemental Attributes and they fight with all sorts of ancient technological weapons. From an artistic standpoint, we wanted these special effects to be different from the kinds of weapons we have in the real world while still conforming to the laws of physics and maintaining the stylized textures of our fantasy world.

驾驶巨大而笨重的机甲从小就是男生们的梦想。在特效设计的过程中，我们参考了很多作品中的巨大机器人，为遗迹重机这类大型的遗迹机械设计了可以从眼部或者核心发射的光束技能。同时，它们还能够使用各种导弹和火炮，加上可以伸长的手臂，随时准备「胖揍」坎瑞亚的敌人。
It is a dream for many boys to operate a large, lumbering machine. In the process of special effects design, we drew inspiration from a lot of giant robots from various works. For the Ruin machines such as the Ruin Grader, we designed a beam ability that can be fired from its eye or core. They're also capable of using a variety of missiles and artillery, along with extendable arms always ready to "punch" Khaenri'ah's enemies.

为了在遗迹龙兽上制作出板野马戏式的追踪导弹，我们和客户端同学合作研发了一套新的弹道控制系统。它允许战斗设计师全程实时地控制导弹的飞行轨迹，引导导弹在夸张的转向后命中目标。在性能优化上，我们又一次深度改造了若陀龙王使用的系统，将这套导弹系统的性能消耗降低到了普通导弹的百分之一，使得各种弹幕技能可以流畅地运行。
To create a Macross-style Itano Circus barrage of homing missiles We worked with our client platform colleagues to develop a new ballistic control system which allows the combat designer to control the trajectory of the missile in real time throughout the entire process so that it can hit the target after a sharp turn. In terms of optimizing performance, we've once again made significant modifications to the system that was used for Azhdaha by reducing the power consumption of this missile system to one percent of ordinary missiles to ensure that different barrage abilities can run smoothly.

面对这些新技术加持的战斗机器，旅行者们可要小心了。
In the face of these new technologically advanced fighting machines, you should exercise caution.

### Here, Found Its Weak Point! Attacking of Weak Points and Combat Behavior: Design and Presentation

菊 《原神》战斗设计师：遗迹系列怪物诞生之初，承载的是让精准打击能力能够获得高收益的目的。也就是以弓箭作为武器的角色在对抗上会比较占优。但因为弓箭的精确瞄准，在移动设备以及手柄上会不那么友好。考虑到全平台玩家整体的战斗体验，在后续的系列怪物设计中，我们开始逐渐弱化这一点，转而更为强调打击弱点的时机和触发弱点的手段。
ju, Combat Design: When we began creating the Ruin monsters, we had the goal of making precise attacks more rewarding. In other words, a character with a bow would fare best against them. But due to the fact that aiming with a bow is less convenient on a mobile device and with a controller, we took into account the overall combat experience for players across all platforms and decided to de-emphasize precision attacks for subsequent monster designs. Instead, there is more emphasis on well-timed attacks on weaknesses as well as creating means to activate those weaknesses.

在最初的遗迹守卫上，弱点是一个常亮的状态，玩家可以随时攻击。为了平衡难度和鼓励技巧进阶，我们还做了弱点被击中一段时间后会进入被保护的状态，以及快速的连续命中弱点可以直接瘫痪的设计。
In the beginning, we designed the Ruin Guard which had a weak point that was always active that players could attack at any time. To balance difficulty and encourage skill improvement, we created weak points that, after being hit, the monster would enter a protected state. And after attacking the weak point with rapid hits, the target can be completely paralyzed.

遗迹猎者在设计上则强调了对抗策略上的选择，是选择无弱点状态的近战模式，还是通过拉远距离而诱使其变形成为攻击更为猛烈但同时也会被击坠的空中模式。玩家可以根据自身的队伍配置和操作习惯来自行决定。
The Ruin Hunter's design emphasizes the choice of confrontation strategy. You can choose to fight in melee mode without aiming for weaknesses or attack from a distance and trigger it to take on a different form, making its attacks even more powerful. But it can also be shot down from the air. Players can configure their own team and make decisions based on their combat habits.

遗迹重机和遗迹侦察者这一批遗迹机兵，则是在打击弱点的时间上做了一些进阶的设计。只有在特定的时间点对应的弱点才会激活，动作性层面上提出了更高一些的要求。遗迹重机在攻击时会激活对应部位的弱点，因为其同时也是在为对应部位进行充能，所以只有在技能的前后摇的时候，对应的弱点才能被攻击。而遗迹机兵本身对于核心有较好的保护，但会在释放核心产生的能量作为攻击手段而变形的时候暴露出来。
For the Ruin Grader and Ruin Sentinels such as Ruin Scouts, we've come up with a more advanced design regarding the timing of attacking their weak points. A specific weak point is only activated during a specific time frame, raising the stakes for how you should act. When attacking, the Ruin Grader will activate a weak point in its corresponding area because it's also charging its corresponding parts. So only at the timing before and after activating the skill can the corresponding weak points be attacked. The cores of the Ruin Sentinels are better protected. But those cores will be exposed when its energy is released as a means of attack.

恒常机关阵列为了更突出其能够分裂出遗迹机兵的特点，我们将「弱点」与战斗流程结合。在分裂阶段，「被选中」的特殊遗迹机兵充当了恒常机关阵列的弱点。当被击败后，恒常机关阵列自身核心的防护也难以维系，进入了瘫痪状态。
To highlight the Perpetual Mechanical Array characteristic of splitting into Ruin Sentinels, we combined the "weak points" with the flow of combat. During the splitting phase, a "chosen" Ruin Sentinel acts as the "weak point" of the Perpetual Mechanical Array. When it is defeated, the protection of the Perpetual Mechanical Array's core will become untenable and it will enter a state of paralysis.

在遗迹巨蛇身上，我们想做的一个新的尝试就是将层岩巨渊地块的主题机制与「击破弱点」这件事情关联起来，从而带来一些更新鲜的体验。最终落地呈现的结果就是，玩家需要在其释放特定技能的时候利用「流明石触媒」的纯光绽放来摧毁淤泥涌口。
On the Ruin Serpent's body, we wanted to try something new: combining the mechanical theme of The Chasm With "attacking the weak point" in order to create a more novel experience. The end result is that when the Ruin Serpent is about to unleash its special skill players would have to use the Lumenstone Adjuvant's Blooming Light to destroy the Oozing Concretions.

与元素相结合也是我们希望在遗迹系列怪物身上尝试的东西。作为初次试水的遗迹龙兽，我们选择了处理成「多选题」。玩家可以通过战前更多元素的配队来对抗其元素抗性机制，也可以使用更为熟悉的通用解法——「弱点打击」来应对。
Integrating elements was also something we wanted to experiment with the Ruin monsters. As the Ruin Drake was our first attempt at this, we decided to treat the issue as a "choose your own path" kind of situation. Players can counter its Elemental RES mechanism by configuring their team to have more elements before battle, or they can go for the more old-fashioned "attack the weak point" route.

我们希望无论从形象还是机制上，玩家对遗迹怪物都能有一个连贯的认知。学习如何与之战斗的难度提升是相对平缓的。在见到一个新的遗迹怪物的时候，从造型和行为上对于对抗方式会有一个基本的认知，哪怕没有新机制的教学，也不至于是束手无策的。而这一点也会需要美术设计和动画表现的支持。
We hope that, in terms of visuals and mechanics, the player has a coherent understanding of the Ruin monsters and that the challenge of learning how to fight them as well as the combat difficulty is a relatively gradual process. When you meet a new Ruin monster for the first time, you will have a basic understanding of how to fight it, both in terms of its shape and behavior. Even without a tutorial teaching you the new mechanics, you will not be completely helpless. In this regard, art design and animation are also necessary.

ello-chan 《原神》怪物原画：由于遗迹系列怪物独特的弱点机制，我们在设计时需要考虑外形的美观性以外，也需要在视觉上引导玩家能够在战斗中识别出弱点。这需要我们将弱点做得足够显眼并且融入到设计里。
ello-chan, Monster Design: Due to the unique weakness mechanics of the Ruin monsters, we have to take into account the aesthetics of the appearance. And we also need to visually guide the player to identify the weak spots in combat. This requires us to make the weaknesses visible enough to incorporate into the design.

在遗迹巨蛇设计中，我们把躯干处的核心设置为弱点，方便玩家进行反制，并从实际运作的功能角度出发，在核心外围加上层叠的齿轮，将其包装成遗迹巨蛇的能量核心。玩家可以像打「独眼小宝」一样，通过攻击弱点的方式让遗迹巨蛇瘫痪。
When designing the Ruin Serpent, we set the core in its torso as its weak point to make it easier for players to counter-attack. And from a functional point of view, we added cascading gears around the core to form the Ruin Serpent's energy core. It's like fighting against Mr. Cyclops. Travelers can paralyze the Ruin Serpent by attacking its weak spot.

而遗迹龙兽有地面和空中两种形态，我们也需要分别考虑这两种形态下玩家对弱点的感知度。为此，我们沿用了「独眼小宝」头部的黑日十字结构以及高亮度的发光核心，来强调头部和翅膀部分的弱点，以此让玩家更直观地识别当前需要攻击的目标。比如，在遗迹龙兽飞行状态下，玩家就可以清楚地识别翅膀前端的弱点，从而将其击落。
Meanwhile, the Ruin Drake has two modes: ground and air. We also needed to think about each of these two forms in their own respective right in terms of the player's perception of vulnerability. For this reason, we used the structure of the black cross on the head of Mr. Cyclops and a very bright core to emphasize weaknesses in its head and wings. This allows the player to easily identify the part that needs to be attacked. For example, in the Ruin Drake's flight mode, the player can clearly identify weaknesses on the front of the wings to shoot it down.

它的难点其实就是它与地面交互的这种质感，而且这种不停的跟沙砾地面的反馈。重型机械这种重量感是非常难以表现的。
The difficulty lies in how its texture interacts with the ground and its constant interaction with the gravel on the ground. This sense of weight of heavy armory is very difficult to render.

老桑 《原神》游戏动画：在技能的制作中，动作质感是非常重要的一环。机械不同于生物，运动没有肌肉的牵引，所以不会出现有充足的预备动作，这直接导致了力量感更难以体现。此外，钻地的阻力感、大质量物体的惯性、力量的衰减、机体受到（能量）冲击遭受的短路瘫痪，机械停止运转，只受重力影响砸下地面等等，这些情况都需要动画师精心处理，才能提高可信度，让玩家的观感不出戏。
oldsang, In-Game Animation: When designing the abilities, the fluidity of movement is very crucial. Unlike biological creatures, machines can move articulately without muscular movement. Therefore, the preparatory movements are not necessary and is much more difficult to express a feeling of power. Additionally, the feeling of resistance when drilling the ground; the inertia of gargantuan objects; the dampening of force; the short-circuit paralysis caused by an energy impact; when the machinery ceases to function; falling on the ground due to gravity, etc. These are situations that need to be carefully handled by the animator in order to create a sense of realism and ensure believability to keep players immersed.

可以看到，在大的质感下，遗迹怪物身上每一块细小的结构也会单独运动，他们各自的运动所产生的挤压、碰撞、带动和牵引都需要细心打磨。这些细微的运动单独拿出来，玩家可能不会注意到，但做与不做是绝对能体会出差别的，哪怕不是动画师，肉眼也能感受出来。
As you can see, with such a large model, every tiny piece of structure on the Ruin monster moves individually. The squeezing, colliding, pushing and pulling of its respective movements all need careful polishing. If we present these movements individually, players may not notice them. But if we don't approach this meticulously, the difference is quite obvious even towards someone who is not an animator and can be seen with the naked eye.

说白了，这一切都是「原魔」设计者们为了让原神玩家获得更好的战斗体验而做出的努力。未来，我们也会继续关注玩家们的反馈，钻研更多有趣的内容，希望让大家在体验新奇的战斗形式的同时，也能欣赏怪物们华丽的演出，并最终带着掉落的材料满载而归。我想，这就是属于「原魔」们的单向奔赴吧。
To put it bluntly, it's thanks to the efforts of the monster development team that players can have a great combat experience. In the future, we will continue to rely on your feedback to create more exciting content. We hope that you can experience these new forms of combat and appreciate the amazing design of the monsters. And hopefully, at the end, get a lot of materials after defeating them. I believe this all underscores the design and impact of the monsters' design.