The Birth of a Dragon: A Behind the Scenes Look At the Creation of Azhdaha

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铭岩之永寿，感山之怒威。在与旅行者交手过的强敌之中，若陀龙王无疑是值得铭记的一位。一同跟随原神制作组的脚步，回顾若陀龙王的创作历程吧！
Etched forever in stone, the mountains bear witness to his power. Of all the adversaries the Traveler has faced, Azhdaha has remained one of the most memorable. Let's take a look at how the *Genshin Impact* team brought this majestic creation to life!

## Core: Azhdaha's Initial Design

其实早在正式上线之前，我们就已经规划好要做若陀龙王这个BOSS。实际制作大概是从1.1版本开始的。最初我们提取了一些关键字来为这个计划中的世界BOSS做概念设计。我们希望它能是一个契合《原神》本身幻想风格的大型四足动物，同时又是岩元素创生物。
Nao Zhong, Combat Design: We actually planned to create Azhdaha long before the official launch. The actual production started around Version 1.1 where we first took some keywords and began conceptual designs for this World Boss. We wanted to make a large quadruped, something that identified with *Genshin Impact*'s fantasy style and for it to also be a Geo elemental being.

另一个核心的设计构成理念就是这个BOSS和剧情的关联性。我们的初衷是想让世界BOSS融入到故事叙事中，这样它就能为玩家带去更具体更进一步的游戏体验。同时与剧情的关联性也会影响到它在场景细节中的表现。像现在大家看到的游戏战斗场景，周围布置了一些钟离创造的岩脊。根据剧情，若陀的出场退场都是以被封印的形式来表现。与之相对应，IP同学在剧情中也会讲述这些布置的由来.
Another core design concept of the boss is the role it plays in the story. Our original intention was to integrate the World Bosses into the story. This way, not only will it further enhance the player's gaming experience, the bosses' behavior will also be affected due to the role they play in the story. Let's take this battle scene for example. There are the Stone Steles that Zhongli created. According to the story, the entry and defeat of Azhdaha revolves around a seal. Regarding this, our colleagues from the Creative Concept and Writing Team will dive deeper into the thought process of these designs.

最初我们构思若陀龙王时是从璃月的设定入手。也就是说早在魔神战争期间，就是大地上存在着很多这种强大的古代的存在。但是他们后来都失败了，若陀龙王就是其中之一。而若陀这个名字来源于古波斯语Aži Dahāka，意思就是“龙”。Azhdaha是这个伊朗神话中的一种邪恶的巨兽。它在现在伊朗文化中有某一个隐藏许久但是终有一天会苏醒的险恶之物的意思。而以这个为名字也就是在暗示在之后的游戏过程中，这种巨大的潜在危险总有一天它会爆发出来。这个名字是整个设定的最初灵感。之后的很多这种环节的设计也是遵循着这个名字的寓意而来的.
Manny Calavera, Creative Concept and Writing Team: When we first began designing Azhdaha. we started with the backstory of Liyue. That is to say, during the Archon War, countless enormously powerful ancient being dwelled in the world that were later defeated and Azhdaha is one of them. His name derived from Aži Dahāka which means "Dragon" in Old Persian. Azhdaha is an enormous, terrible creature in Iranian mythology and in Iranian culture means "something sinister that is hidden for a long time but will one day emerge. The reason for selecting this name is to imply that in the game — this huge, hidden danger will one day reveal itself suddenly. This name was the initial inspiration for his entire design and many subsequent design details revolved around the meaning of this name.

剧情方面，我们会比较着重捕捉故事上的三个方向：首先，多方综合讨论后，我们决定把这个故事放在钟离的传说任务「匪石」中讲述。这次故事的核心人物既是钟离也是若陀龙王，是两个重磅人物的碰撞。故事落点在于磨损，也在于普通人与自然的矛盾。若陀龙王在设定上作为岩元素创生物，可以说是一种自然的象征，而人类则代表着开拓和进取精神。那么，在人类不断开拓自然的过程中，会对自然造成什么样的损害呢？我们认为这也许是我们可以着手去塑造的方面之一。
Xiao Luohao, Creative Concept and Writing Team: As for the story, we have three major points: first, after comprehensive discussions among many parties, we've decided to tell the story through Zhongli's Story Quest, "No Mere Stone." Both Zhongli and Azhdaha take on key roles in this story as it revolves around the clashes between the two. The core element of the story is about erosion and on the conflict between ordinary people and nature. As a Geo elemental being in his design, Azhdaha can be deemed as a representation of nature whereas humans represent the spirit of expansion and development. So, what kind of damage will be done to nature in the process of mankind's continuous exploration and usage of nature? We though that this was one of the vantage points we could use in the designing of Azhdaha.

其次，我们发现很少有人会在生活中去关注无机物的情绪，而《原神》作为一个架空世界观的游戏，相较于现实世界而言，存在着更多的可能性。在创作过程中，我们想到了这个要素，开始考虑有没有将这一点也作为我们故事的基调之一，去融入到剧情中。基于这一点去表现人与自然之间矛盾又共生的关系。所以在最终的剧本中，龙王的经历变得特别了起来：他作为自然的代表融入到人类社会中，度过了一段与人共生的时光。这种共生最终又将龙王与人导向了矛盾。
Second, we noticed that not many people take interest in the feeling of inorganic substances in their lives due to *Genshin Impact*'s nature of being a fantasy genre game. There are far more possibilities than there are in reality. We began dwelling on this concept in the process of designing Azhdaha and tried to make it one of the foundations of the entire story. We wanted to express the contradicting and symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. This is how the experiences of Azhdaha became unique in the final script: he, as a representation of nature, integrated himself into human society after spending some time living amongst humans. This symbiotic way once again led to conflicts between Azhdaha and mankind.

那最后一个着力点是龙王这一人物在钟离线剧情中的作用。「匪石」作为钟离个人传说任务的第二章，它的核心人物必然也还是钟离。我们想通过龙王的登场以及他在剧情中的表现来进一步强化打造钟离的形象，使钟离这个人物更加有血肉。钟离在之前的璃月主线以及传说任务中呈现出来更多是作为神明的立场，是他为了众生、为了别人去做决断的故事。
The last key point is the role that Azhdaha plays in Zhongli's story. "No Mere Stone" is the second act of Zhongli's Story Quest. The core character in this story is no other than Zhongli himself. We wanted to flesh out Zhongli's character and to tell more of his story through the appearance of Azhdaha. Zhongli took more of a stance of a god in the previous Liyue main storyline and Story Quest, the story of him making a resolution on behalf of the beings in the world.

但实际上，除了对公，他还有对私的一面。我们希望在这次故事里传达一个信息，那就是：钟离「摩拉克斯」他本身也面临着磨难。由于漫长寿命和责任，他也处于一种不断失去和「磨损」的过程之中。岩神摩拉克斯经常是独自面对很多事，例如历史转折点，例如胜利和失败，为了保护璃月的人民，摩拉克斯赢下了与龙王的战斗，他毫无疑问的胜利了，但是在挽救好友的道路上他失去了很多，某种意义上来说他也失败了。而龙王，起初也与璃月百姓共生，却因为经年累月的「磨损」而走向人的对立面，被迫与昔日的同伴兵戈相向。这件事暗示了「磨损」的危害性，以及钟离不卸下岩神一职所可能导致的后果。
But in reality, beneath his stoic demeanor when it comes to duty, Zhongli also has a sentimental side. We wish to deliver a message through the story and the message is that Zhongli, or Morax, also faces challenges on his own due to his longevity and responsibilities. He too is in never-ending cycle of loss and erosion. The Geo Archon Morax usually faces his challenges alone. For instance, the turning points of history and his victories and defeats. Morax defeated Azhdaha in order to protect the people of Liyue. Although his victory was unquestionable, he lost many things on the way of saving his friend. In a way, he also failed. As for Azhdaha, he first lived in peace with the people of Liyue but over the years of erosion, he found himself in conflict with them. Eventually, he was forced to fight his former companion. This is a hint of the dangers of erosion as well as the possible outcome if Zhongli does not choose to step down from being the Geo Archon.

而旅行者在设定上他寿命也绝对不短，玩家走在这条追寻血亲的道路上，或许也能感受到一切是如此漫长。我们通过这个故事就希望玩家在扮演主角这一人物时能与钟离产生一些共鸣，从而感受到自己是在走一条有迹可循的、有他人经历并见证过的道路上。这种共鸣也对应着钟离在故事之后对主角说的话，作为岩神，也作为钟离，他对主角有着祝福之情。
The Traveler's life span is by no means short either. Players at times may also feel the slow passage of time while on the quest to search for their kin. Through this story, we hope that players will begin to relate to Zhongli as they realize that they are walking on a path that predecessors have taken. What Zhongli says to the Traveler later also coincides with this relatability. As the Geo Archon, and as himself, Zhongli genuinely wishes the best for the Traveler.

## Formation: Azhdaha's Appearance Design

最初设计若陀龙王的外形时，我们并没有选择那些经典的东方或者西方龙形象，而是选择了现在大家看到的这种鳄形的四足行走的龙。在创作中，其实我们一直秉持着一种观念，那就是：若陀龙王他所代表的是一种被主流文明所遗忘，但他的影响一直流动在现今文明的血脉中，并且留存至今的某种文化元素。所以说，在若陀龙王形象的取材上我们选择的是尽可能古老而且异于主流的形象。
Manny Calavera, Creative Concept and Writing Team: When we first started designing Azhdaha's appearance, we didn't look for anything that resembled classic dragons of the west or east. Instead, what we chose is the crocodile-like dragon as you see in the game. In our designing process, we have always wanted to convey a concept that is: Azhdaha represents a cultural element that has been forgotten by the primary civilizations but continues to exist and influence the civilizations of the land. That is why we tried to find something with more of an ancient resemblance, as well as avoiding mainstream archetypes.

其中我们找到的比较明著的就是鳄形，因为众所周知就是在商周至汉代这么一段漫长的时间里，中国人对于龙的形象，它的想象其实并没有固定下来。就比如说在商代妇好墓中，我们可以看到鳄形的玉器，汉代画像砖中也可以看到鳄形的龙的形象，甚至说在更古老的时候我们能够看到四足行走的蛙形龙的形象。若陀龙王这种四足行走的形象就是基本上来源于此。
The one that stood out the most was the crocodile. It is well known during the long period between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and all the way to the Han dynasty. The Chinese did not have a fixed image of what a dragon should look like. For example, we see the crocodile-shaped jade objects in the Tomb of Fu Hao and imagery of crocodile-like Dragons in Han dynasty pictorial bricks. Even in ancient times, we would see the image of a quadruped toad-like dragon — that is where the quadruped design of Azhdaha originates.

原画设计初期经过多方讨论，组内决定了两个方向：第一是要让若陀的形象既区别于特瓦林也区别于钟离的龙形态，三者必须有所差异；第二是体现璃月岩元素的主题。所以最终，我们决定要做一条能够撼天动地的厚重石龙。虽然我们游戏的怪物设计走幻想风，但一切设计还是要从相似动物形态和形体结构出发的，这样才能够在后续制作中让它的运动模式和肌肉结构合理化。
Suisui, Monster Design: In earlier stages of its design after numerous discussions with many groups of people, the team decided on two primary directions: first, Azhdaha must look vastly different from both Dvalin and Zhongli's dragon form. The tree must have their differences and uniqueness in appearance. The second is that it must hold a theme that portrays Liyue's Geo element. So in the end, we decided to create an enormous Earth Dragon that could shake heaven and earth. Although the monsters in our game follow more of a fantasy style, everything is still designed based upon the structure and behavior of an animal. This way, we can develop a more logical form of its muscular structure and movement in later developments.

所以，在设计若陀龙王的外形时，我们把重点放在龙王的动物形态特征上，费了很多功夫去寻找对应参考。比如轮廓和特征方面参考了鳄龟，前后肢的行动方式则参考了科莫多巨蜥。同时，为了使玩家获得更好的战斗打击感，BOSS的下盘不能太空，所以我们把龙王四肢改短，以此来填补下盘的空间。由于碰撞盒的问题，我们也无法把它的尾巴做成朝下的，只能高高翘起，而这一点其实违反了之前所说的鳄龟或科莫多巨蜥的生物特征。
That is why we put our primary focus on Azhdaha's animalistic attributes when we were designing his appearance. It was a lot of work searching for references. For instance, we referenced the alligator snapping turtle for its outline and unique features and the komodo dragon for the way its limbs would move. At the same time, for better combat feedback and experience, we couldn't leave too much space below his torso. Thus, we shortened Azhdaha's limbs and brought him closer to the ground. We weren't able to have his tail curve downwards due to issues with the hitbox. So instead, it had to be curving upwards, but this actually goes against the unique behaviors of the alligator snapping turtle and komodo dragon as mentioned earlier.

在一系列同期生物中搜索后，我们为他找到了一个新的参考定位，那就是剑龙。剑龙的尾部上扬，整体体态庞大厚重，躯干圆润而四肢粗壮，与若陀的设计思路比较接近。细节方面，因为幼岩龙蜥、岩龙蜥、古岩龙蜥和若陀龙王是同一族群，有着成长递进的关系，它们在结构特征、玩法定位、设计元素方面都会互相呼应。
After searching through a series of contemporaneous creatures, we found another concept reference for him: the Stegosaurus. The Stegosaurus is more in line with Azdaha's design concept as it has more of a heavy set. Its tail curves upwards and it has a more round-shaped body with thick limbs. In terms of the details as Geovishap Hatchlings, Geovishaps, the Primo Geovishap, and Azhdaha belong to the same species and have a developmental relationship, there are similarities in their unique structure, gameplay, and detail elements.

除配色以外，岩龙蜥、古岩龙蜥和若陀龙王身上都有岩元素的结晶体，身后都有植物缠绕的设计元素，背部都有璃月岩元素图案衍生出的变形花纹。龙王的尾巴其实就是南天门那棵大树。最初我们就和IP部门确认过这个设计。后续设计中，我们不仅直接把尾巴画成了树干树枝和树叶，也将植物元素逐渐扩散延伸至龙王全身。背部、头部及四肢装饰也都用到了植物的元素，以此来实现结合与穿插的效果。而龙王的角有些像是打磨后的柚木，它的腿甲也直接用上了厚重的树皮纹理。我们在设计时认为，这种表现也很符合若陀被封印了许久的设定。
Besides the color scheme, Geovishaps, the Primo Geovishap, and Azhdaha all have Geo Crystals and entangled plants on their body as well as a pattern derived from the Liyue Geo elements on their backs. Azhdaha's tail is actually a huge tree at Nantianmen. We initially checked this design with the Creative Concept and Writing Team. And in later stages of designs, we not only made the tail into a combination of a tree trunk, tree branches, and leaves but also extended the plant element to Azhdaha's entire body. The plant element is used on the back, the head, and all four of Azhdaha's limbs to create a full on effect. Azhdaha's horns are polished like teak wood and his leg armor is designed to have a thick bard texture. We believe that these designs coincide with Azhdaha's design of being sealed for an extended amount of time.

若陀龙王在策划设定上是体型庞大又能全方位近战的BOSS，所以在制作上必须保证它以各个角度看上去都是造型饱满、细节丰富且没有明显的低多边形感。原画设定上，它又是以层次结构复杂的树木、晶体还有肌肉相结合的设计，同时自身又存在多元素特效的转换的表现。这对于多平台同时开发的游戏来说是有一定挑战和难度的，在不同平台下对于性能和渲染都有很大的差异性和局限性，同时还需要考虑到如何控制好开发时间和开发成本。
TT, 3D Character Design: Azhdaha is designed to be a boss that is large in size and a well-rounded melee fighter. What that means is that from a production point of view, we need to make sure that the level of design and detail is in-depth and up to par so we can avoid any areas that would come off as low poly. In Azhdaha's concept art, his design is composed of a complex combination of layers of wood, muscle, and crystals. At the same time, there are multiple interchanging elements that need to be displayed. This was a big challenge for a game that is being developed for multiple platforms simultaneously. Different platforms have different capabilities and limitations in terms of performance and rendering. We also needed to take into account controlling of the development time and cost at the same time.

在前期脑洞会上与各部门进行了充分沟通，并进行了大量测试。卡通渲染虽然看上去简单，但实际对于性能的消耗其实很高。最终为保证龙王的整体精度和细节，模型面数控制在了6万面以内，材质拆分成5张贴图进行绘制。由于赛璐璐风格的渲染画风导致很难在贴图上画过多的东西，所以更多是通过模型来塑造细节，将肌肉等复杂结构都尽可能地展现出来，再通过不断调整法线的方式，让模型自身阴影展现丰富的细节。贴图上则使用一些较弱的光影画法，来保证在全阴影中也能看到足够的细节。
There was extensive communication between the departments in the earlier brainstorming sessions, and we performed a lot of testing. Cel shading looked easier to do but it actually has a pretty high-performance demand on the device. In the end, to ensure the quality and details of Azhdaha, we set the modeling limit to be within 60,000 surfaces and split the textures into five different mappings. However, due to the cel shading rendering style, we weren't able to fill the mappings with too many things, so we tried our best to create most of the details such as muscular and other complex structures through modeling and later repeatedly adjusted the normal mappings to create rich details that can be seen just by looking at the shadows cast by the model. We used a weaker style of dealing with lighting in our mapping to ensure that there are still enough visible details even when Azhdaha is completely covered in shadows.

为达到更理想的效果，在蒙皮阶段对模型布线进行了多次调整，后期配合灯光、特效、环境又迭代修改了多个版本的贴图。虽然过程痛苦，但最终呈现出来的效果还不错，大家也觉得非常值得。作为二次元风格的模型师来说，百分百还原原画的设定，同时不断追求极致效果，我认为是对原画师和对广大玩家们的一种尊重。玩家的认同和喜爱也是对我们最好的鼓励。
For a more ideal final effect, at the skinning stage we made numerous adjustments to the model mesh. Later, we had to readjust Azhdaha's mapping several times to get the lighting, animations, and environment just right. It was a painstaking process but the end results were good and everyone felt that it was worth the effort. I believe that it's a form of respect to the designers and to the player base for an anime-themed 3D modeler to recreate something that is identical to its original design and to continuously search for better ways to deliver the design. The recognition and passion of the players is the greatest encouragement we could ever ask for.

## Quake: Azhdaha's Boss Fight Design

在BOSS战概念设计中，确定了两个玩法主题。首先，由于岩是璃月地区的主题元素，BOSS需要与护盾有一些交互。其次，从岩元素结晶反应出发，若陀龙王在完整战斗期间能够额外获得其他两种元素力，并且这个过程是动态变化的。这与其他BOSS战有所不同，希望在前几周内，每周都能带来不同的战斗策略。
Nao Zhong, Combat Design: We decided on two main themes for the concepts behind the boss fight: first, with Geo being the main elemental [*sic*] of Liyue, the boss has to have some sort of shield mechanic and the second revolves around the Geo Crystal reactions. Azhdaha will gain two additional elemental powers in the entire battle and this process is dynamic, making it different from other boss battles. We hoped to see different strategies in dealing with Azhdaha every week in the first few weeks of launch.

起初打算用水、火、冰、雷排列做出12种组合，但在实际制作中，色彩搭配、特效量以及性能开支都很难承担，所以最终采取了目前的4种元素组合。
Initially, we planned to use Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, and Electro to create twelve different combinations. However, this posed as a great challenge for production as it was overly demanding in terms of the color schemes, special effects, and processing power. So in the end, we decided on the four current elemental combinations.

细心的玩家可能会注意到秘境入口封印图上画有上下两个符号，这两个符号分别对应了龙王尾巴与四肢的元素。确定了BOSS战的主题之后，自上而下设计了龙蜥一系列怪物的生态，这些怪物在战斗中都能与护盾进行交互，并能够额外获得元素能力。相应的战斗难度是逐渐递增的。
Players may have noticed the two signs on the seal outside the Domain entrance. The two signs correspond to the element of Azhdaha's tail and limbs. After confirming the theme of the boss battle, we designed the complete series of Vishap behavior. This type of monsters all have interactions with shields during combat and can gain additional elemental abilities. A battle with them is one that grows to become more intense and difficult.

对于龙王的每种元素能力，进行了差异化的设计：火元素会增强攻击范围，对走位有一定要求；水元素会强调攻击距离，会发射一些弹幕，贴身近战会有优势；冰元素会多次攻击，发生元素反应的几率更高；雷元素会更强调闪避的时机和精确度。
We also made unique designs for all of Azhdaha's elemental abilities: the Pyro element will enhance the attack radius and demand better positioning; the Hydro element will unleash projectiles and is more focused on attack range, deeming melee attacks to be more advantageous; the Cryo element launches multiple attacks, increasing the chance of elemental reactions to take place; the Electro element is more oriented around evasion and precision.

若陀龙王自身首先带有岩元素，其次还有水、火、冰、雷四种元素属性的变换攻击。为了让玩家在战斗时能够观察到BOSS的属性变化，需要设计一个能够适应五种属性的怪物。然而，在原画设计上，平衡这么多属性元素是非常困难的。
Suisu, Monster Design: Azhdaha himself carries the Geo element and his attacks will change as he switches to the four elements of Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, and Electro. In order for the player to see the change in element of the boss during the battle, we had to design a monster that can satisfy all five elements. This posed as a big balancing act even at the conceptual art design phase.

如果属性元素的表现不够明显，玩家很难在战斗中预测怪物的属性、技能和攻击，这会影响战斗的体验。但如果属性色彩设计得太过明显，龙王可能会显得五彩缤纷，过于花哨。考虑到龙王的庞大体型，属性色彩放在哪个位置才能让玩家清晰地看到也是一个难题。因此，在色彩方面，我们花费了很大的功夫来进行调整，以找到一个平衡点。目标是让玩家能够明确地识别龙王的属性变化，同时保持整体色彩的协调和龙王的威严。这对于设计团队来说是一个具有挑战性的任务。
If the color of the element wasn't obvious enough, players would have a hard time reacting to the different elemental skills and attacks of the monster, and that would be a terrible combat experience. However, if the element colors were too obvious, Azhdaha might seem too colorful and overly fancy. Also, Azhdaha is a massive boss, meaning that the element colors had to be placed in a location where players can clearly see them. This also posed as a challenge and that is why we spent countless hours adjusting Azhdaha's colors alone.

龙王的元素攻击会对玩家造成持续伤害，除了使用护盾进行防御外，玩家还可以通过施放角色技能并利用元素反应来解决这个问题。另外，玩家还可以通过单件圣遗物和队伍的元素共鸣效果来减少伤害的持续时间。
Nao Zhong, Combat Design: After Azhdaha's elemental attacks land, players will suffer continuous damage. Other than using shields, players can also cast characters' skills and use elemental reactions to deal with this mechanic or they can use Artifacts and party Elemental Resonance to decrease the duration of damage.

除了以上策略，我们还为玩家提供了多种应对方法。龙王的绝大部分技能可以通过闪避和走位来应对，并且这些技能的高度也有所考虑。玩家可以通过飞行或攀爬等方式来躲避攻击。同时，我们还设计了一些与玩家操作互动的AI行为，例如玩家可以通过站在龙王不同的方位来引导龙王释放不同的技能。这样的设计增加了玩家与BOSS战斗的深度和策略性，使整个战斗过程更加富有挑战性和互动性。
We've also provided players with many other ways of dealing with Azhdaha. Most of Azhdaha's skills can be countered by dodging and positioning. We've also added a height indicator to the skills, meaning that players can fly or climb to avoid the skills. We've also designed a variety of AI behaviors that can interact with player actions. For example, players can stand in different spots beneath Azhdaha to bait him into using different skills.

当我们的动画团队拿到若陀龙王的设计时，我们面临了相当大的挑战。有许多设定看起来充满矛盾。例如，在外观上，若陀龙王是一种具有强大物理攻击能力的鳄形龙，但在背景设定中，元素攻击占据了重要比重。此外，它还需要传承龙蜥一族的特性，但作为BOSS，又需要与其他龙蜥有明显的区别。我们希望它看起来非常强大，具有压迫感，但在战斗体验中需要逐步进入高潮。此外，考虑到它巨大的体型，我们不能降低对每个细节的要求标准。
YIN, In-Game Animation: When the animation team saw the designs for Azhdaha, we knew we were in for a challenge. Many of the concepts seem to be contradicting. For example, from his appearance alone, Azhdaha looks like a champsosaurus with strong physical attacks. However, elemental attacks took on a more primary role in his character design. In terms of heritage, it needs to inherit the traits of the Vishaps, but as a boss, it needs to be unique and differentiated from the other Vishaps. It needs to look powerful and intimidating yet the battle experience is divided into phases that progressively become more and more intense. It's a massive being yet all details need to be made to be the highest of qualities.

为了解决这些问题，我们参考了大量现实中爬行类和两栖类生物的运动规律作为龙王的参考。我们设计了一种动作，让龙王的身体钻入地下，只保留尾巴作为视觉中心，并与场景和特效相配合，强化了若陀龙王的元素属性。
To overcome these challenges, we gathered a large amount of information on reptilian and amphibian animals in real life as a reference for Azhdaha's movement patterns. We designed an animation where his body would submerge underground and his tail would be all that remains visible. In combination with the scene, background, and special effects, we were able to enhance Azhdaha's Elemental Type.

至于压迫感的塑造，我们要感谢陈老师。若陀龙王的战斗音乐给了我们很大的启发。由于若陀龙王的巨大体型，为了确保动画能够细致刻画，我们的动画团队开发了一系列控制器，例如表面自动次级控制、变形体积自动保持、自由关节比例控制器等。这些控制器不仅确保了动画的细节，还缩短了制作周期。
As for the intimidating atmosphere, I have Yu-Peng Chen to thank as Azhdaha's battle music gave us a lot of inspiration. Azhdaha is massive, and to ensure the animation details, the Technical Artist team developed a series of tools and controllers for us; tools such as automatic secondary controls, automatic deformation retention, free joint proportional controller, and others. These tools not only ensured the quality of the animation, but also shortened the production period.

在对龙蜥一族的传承和分阶段逐步进入高潮的体验方面，我相信大家在与若陀龙王战斗时都能深切感受到。特效团队在拿到若陀龙王的技能方案后面临着前所未有的挑战，因为龙王的技能不仅范围广、元素种类繁多，而且形式各异，无论是从设计难度、工作量还是性能开销方面都极具挑战性。
Pai Daxing, 3D Effects: I'm sure players who have fought Azhdaha have experienced his Vishap nature and the progressing intensity of the fight. The special effects team realized after receiving Azhdaha's skill designs that his skills don't just cover a large area, but also include a variety of elements that take various shapes and forms. For a special effects animator, this is an unprecedented challenge, in terms of the design difficulty, workload, or performance capacity.

若陀龙王的登场是我们面临的第一个难题。我们需要同时表现出它被岩神持续封印的状态和它挣脱封印时的强大气势。同时，我们还要控制战斗镜头的时长和考虑战斗场景的相对空旷因素。经过多个方案的尝试，最终我们采用了岩脊结合精心设计的法阵来完成封印特效，这与若陀和钟离的背景故事更加契合。
Azhdaha's entrance was the first difficulty we faced — we had to show the state of Azhdaha that was sealed away for a long time by the Geo Archon: the immense force and intensity of the moment when he broke out of the seal as well as the control the duration of the battle scene, combat camera angle, and the relatively empty battle scene. After trying out many sets, in the end, we decided to use the Stone Stele in combination with magical runes to create special effects for the seal as it is more fitting with Azhdaha and Zhongli's backstory.

由于若陀龙王的每个技能动画都对应多个属性的特效，我们以岩元素特效为基础，在结合BOSS的动作、攻击范围和场景交互等因素的基础上，确定了每个技能的表现形式，并逐步替换其中的元素，以增加整场战斗的丰富性。为了使每种属性的攻击具有不同的形态和动态，例如抛物线攻击的陨石、直线攻击的波浪、漂浮在空中的电球以及延迟伤害的冰刺炸弹等等，我们不断努力设计各种差异化的技能特效。这些丰富了技能的美术效果，同时为玩家带来了额外的战斗体验。
We used Geo element special effects as the foundation of each skill animation, as individual skill animations of Azhdaha will correspond to special effects of multiple elements. We then combine it with the boss's movements, attack range, and environmental interactions for the presentation of each skill where the element is then gradually substituted by other elements. To make the combat display more fulfilling, we differentiated the special effects of skill effects for different elements quite a bit. For example, we would increase the area of effect for skills, increase the attack frequency, or add elemental runes to different skills. We try our best to design a different form and dynamics for the attacks of different elements such as a meteor that arcs down towards the player, a wave that attacks in a straight line, Electro spheres that float in the air, or Cryo bombs with a delayed blast. These not only make the art effects of skills richer, it also amplifies the player's combat experience.

若陀龙王在雷属性阶段有一个全屏落雷的大招，但由于硬件性能的限制，如果要保证美术品质，技能特效的数量就不能满足策划需求。然而，如果要保障技能数量，单个雷电特效就只能非常简单。在不能妥协美术品质和玩法设计的情况下，我们深入研究了Unity粒子系统的各项参数，最终开发出全新的技术，将该类技能性能的开销降低到原先的几十分之一，既保留了策划同学的玩法设计，也保留了应有的细节和品质。
Azhdaha unleashes a major attack during Electro phase, which is a full screen thunderstorm. If we wanted to maintain our art quality while working with the capacity within the hardware performance, the special effects wouldn't have satisfied the request of the game designers. If we wanted to ensure the number of lightning strikes, we would have to significantly simplify the special effects of each lightning. While we weren't willing to sacrifice either the art quality nor the gameplay design, we dove into Unity's Particle System and looked at each parameter to find a way. After numerous attempts, we successfully developed a new technology and were able to decrease the performance consumption to 1/10 of what it originally was. This retained the gameplay designs of our colleagues in the planning department as well as the details and qualities of our art effects.

若陀龙王转阶段的演出也是整场BOSS战的重点之一。在第二阶段，龙王通过四肢从地脉吸取能量，特效设计上着重表现四肢与地面的交互，镜头采用更接近俯视的视角。而在第三阶段，龙王通过尾巴从环境中汲取元素能量，镜头和特效设计则聚焦于尾巴上的树木。细心的玩家可能已经注意到，短暂的转阶段过程中，龙王身体局部的颜色发生变化，场景中元素水晶、整个环境氛围以及灯光也发生转变，还有环境中飘散的细小粒子的变化等等。所有这些都是灯光师、动画师和特效师紧密合作、不断调试和迭代的结果，最终呈现出丰富细节的阶段转换演出效果。
One of the highlights of the Azhdaha boss battle are the phase changes. In the second phase, when Azhdaha absorbs energy from Ley Lines through his limbs, the special effects will focus on the interactions between his limbs and the ground and the camera will take a more top-down angle. In the third phase, when Azhdaha starts to absorb surrounding Elemental Energy through his tail, the camera and special effects will be focused on his tail. Players that pay close attention might have already noticed that the color of various parts of Azhdaha's body, elemental crystals, atmosphere, and lighting of the scene all change along with the phase change. Even the microparticles that float around in the scene change as well. These spectacular results are the hard work of the close cooperation and repeated adjustments by our lighting engineers, animation specialists, and visual effect artists.

龙王BOSS战的背景音乐是《原神》中的第一首谱写汉语歌词的音乐。歌词的创作也遵循着若陀龙王外形设定的设计思想，并遵循着同一个原则，即兼具亲切感和疏离感。亲切感意味着玩家一听就能知道歌词是汉语，并具有古代特色。
Manny Calavera, Creative Concept and Writing Team: The BGM of the Azhdaha boss fight is the first *Genshin Impact* soundtrack with Chinese lyrics. The lyrics creation of the song also follows the same concept as Azhdaha's appearance, encompassing both familiarity and detachment. What we mean by familiarity is that players will not only know that the lyrics are in Chinese the second they hear it, but they will also feel the ancient and mythical elements of the song.

而疏离感则表现为强烈的古代地域特色，初听时似乎很难理解具体内容。这种亲切感和疏离感的并存正是龙王与钟离关系的体现。
As for the detached aspect, the song has an ancient, regional style that is strong and unique. The verses talk about things that aren't relatable or easy to understand. The combination of the two is a representation of the relationship between Azhdaha and Zhongli.

因此，在歌词创作时，我们仿照了楚辞体这种文学形式，该体裁可以说是古代文学的基石之一。通过采用楚辞体，我们旨在突出歌词的气势并细化情感，同时与主流传统文化有所区别。
We referenced Chu Chi (Verses of Chu) when writing the song's lyrics. We wanted to emphasize the vibe and emotions of the song using this ancient form of literature and writing, and to also differentiate it from more mainstream traditional cultures.

这首歌词想要表达的，至少在我个人看来，是若陀龙王在地底被封印了数百上千年后滋生出的憎恶与遗恨。这种恨意并不仅仅是战败的仇恨，或者对岩王帝君的憎恨，而是指他被活生生封印，目睹自己被人遗忘、被这个世界异化的深沉恨意。
What the song is trying to express, at least in my opinion is the manifested hatred and grudge of Azhdaha after being sealed underground for thousands of years. It's not just the hatred of having lost previously or hatred for Morax but the deep hatred of being sealed alive and watching as he is forgotten and alienated by the world.

这种强烈而澎湃的情感被包裹在铿锵有力的词句中，然后以陈老师气势磅礴的交响乐、电吉他和二胡的演绎为基础，最终呈现出极强的冲击感。
These overwhelming emotions are written into the powerful lyrics combined with Yu-Peng Chen's majestic orchestral music, electric guitar, and erhu. We were successful in presenting this impactful combat BGM.

> *(Long ago) In the field of the stars, expelling the dark shadows
> (Now) Lost in the mountains and the wilderness, with no way to go
> Show yourself!
> Since you left, this country has fallen into a terrible state
> Hatred, sorrow, and grief accumulate day after day
> Panicking and not knowing where to go, I embark on the treacherous journey ahead
> It's time to return
> The steep rocks and mountains withstood the test of time
> Thousands of rivers rush rapidly, seemingly swallowing the sky
> (But even if) Mountains fall and the earth tremors
> How can the evil (which caused all this) be eradicated?
>
> (Fate) Lonely and wandering, trapped in such a harsh place
> There is no way out of this miserable generation
> The mountains are precipitous and lush, hiding the path that diverged (between you and me)
> Recounting how I lost my way and wandered away from you, engulfed by the shadow of a mountain ridge*
>
>

《原神》世界的构架非常丰富多元，我们从不同文化和领域中提取了许多意象，并进行重新设计。若陀龙王形象的创作过程就以华夏文明为基础，引入其他意境相通的文化符号作为点缀和升华。这个过程既描绘了角色本身，也让剧情故事更加丰满。
Xiao Luohao, Creative Concept and Writing Team: *Genshin Impact*'s world structure is rich and dynamic. We will continue to design and add to it with concepts from different cultures of different regions. The complete design process of Azhdaha used the culture of Chinese civilization as a foundation and introduced other cultural symbols with the same meaning that coincides with the overall concept to enrich the design. This not only portrays the character's image but also fleshes out the plot

关于若陀这个名字的来源以及他外形设计上的灵感，再到引起汉语文化圈共鸣的“创龙点睛”典故，以及“世事易变，匪石弗转”这个小彩蛋，种种细节都是作为中国游戏制作者从独特的文化视角进行演绎的。
Whether it be the origin of Azhdaha's name, the inspirations for his appearance and design, the classical allusion "Through the Eyes of a Dragon" that resonates with Chinese culture, or the easter egg of "the world is ever-changing, but the rock is unwavering." As Chinese game developers, all these details are the team's interpretations, derived from our unique cultural perspective.

从构思阶段开始，龙王在制作组眼中就是一个相对威严、带有一定距离感的形象。然而，当它正式上线后，在玩家创作和二次创作中展现出截然不同的气质，这一点让我们感到有些意外，但更多的是惊喜。
From the very beginning of the conceptual stage, Azhdaha was recognized by the developers as a majestic and distant being. However, after the official launch, we were astonished by the different directions that players took with their artworks of Azhdaha, but it was a pleasant surprise.

在这里，我们要感谢玩家朋友们一直以来的支持。正因为有幸与大家共同前行，才使得《原神》这个项目能够汇集来自各地的声音，不断完善和优化，焕发出更强的生命力。
We'd like to express our appreciation for the support of all our players. We are lucky to have this opportunity to be able to collect the feedback and comments for *Genshin Impact* from all over the world, allowing us to continue to optimize and improve our game. Our players' support is what motivates us to press on and thrive.