GM Notes
◤Meet Protos:Season 1 Great Rift Rank 1 Protos & Creator Protos Interview◢ [7]
Zero Out All Despair!
Hello. This is the Chaos Zero Nightmare Team.
Are you enjoying Galactic Disaster Season 2?
With the upcoming Galactic Disaster Season 2 Great Rift approaching, we’ve prepared interviews
with the Rank 1 players from the previous season to share the strategies and playstyles that led them to the top.
(*We kindly ask for your understanding that only Protos we were able to contact were invited to participate.)
Through these interviews with last season’s top rankers, we hope you’ll discover useful insights and impressions to help you prepare for Season 2!
The first Protos we would like to introduce is <Nanchosemari>, who achieved Rank 1 in the latter half of the Asia server.
The Asia server Great Rift featured a fierce series of close matches reminiscent of a national showdown.
Let’s hear about the strategies and thoughts of the Protos who claimed first place at the very end.
Q.Hello, Protos! Please introduce yourself. A. Hello. I’m just an ordinary player, <Nanchosemari>, who enjoys roguelikes and deck-building TCGs. I play on the Asia server, and since the game really suits my tastes, I’ve been enjoying it a lot.  Q. Please briefly share how you feel about achieving #1 in the Great Rift. A. To be honest, Cassius was built so well that it almost feels like I achieved 1st place by accident. Overall, I think luck was largely on my side.   ▲ Protos’s finely built Cassius...! (So tempting) when building your deck and planning your strategy? A. Since the structure mixes the decks of three characters, I felt that role distribution and overall deck balance were more important than simply having everyone focus on damage. I decided which character would primarily handle damage, draw, and other functions, and adjusted the total card count and draw volume to improve the quality of cards usable each turn. Especially in the later stages, refining the deck size so that cards neither overflowed nor ran short each turn was key. ▲ The key wasn’t just maximizing damage, but refining the deck so it could function organically. A. In the latter half of the Great Rift, it was possible to create a kind of infinite loop by repeatedly defeating the boss. The core strategy was to complete that loop as quickly as possible and maintain it for as long as possible. I adjusted the deck and playstyle to secure Cassius’s Triple 0 achievement even one more time, and limited Sereniel’s stats so she could defeat the boss reliably without breaking out of the loop.  ▲ A strategy focused on allowing main dealer Sereniel to deal stable damage while maximizing the number of “Triple 0” triggers with Cassius. that did not work as intended? Please share them. A. Selena’s deck composition involved the most trial and error. I kept testing different combinations, such as whether to include Divine Epiphany for Tactical Maneuver and whether to use the Coordinated Attack option. Since Great Rift runs can be lengthy, I ended up spending a lot of time refining it. ▲Selena, one core of the deck they invested the most time in Please feel free to share your thoughts. A. Since all rankers’ decks will be revealed, I expect that in Season 2, with deck-building restrictions eased, we will see far more diverse decks and approaches than in Season 1. Even though Season 1 appeared to revolve around a damage-focused meta on the surface, there were clear differences in detailed strategies, so I hope Season 2 will introduce more mechanics that allow various synergies to shine. Q. If you plan to challenge the rankings again next season, what kind of mindset do you plan to have going into the challenge? A. As I happened to achieve strong results while refining a “pretty deck” , I plan to enjoy the process of refining decks again this time. A pretty deck does not betray you. ▲I truly respect Protos <Nanchosemari>, who worked hard for a “pretty deck” and achieved first place through that effort! for the top ranks in the next season? A. I would not call it advice, but I think patience is the most important thing. This season may be mentally exhausting because of Reforging... but best of luck to everyone. |
We look forward to Protos <Nanchosemari>’s own “pretty deck” again this season.
Thank you very much to Protos <Nanchosemari> for participating in the interview!
Next, we would like to introduce Protos <TheMrBlo>, who achieved 1st place in the first half of the Global server!
Q. Hello, Protos! Please introduce yourself. A. I’m <TheMrBlo>, but people usually call me Blo. I took 1st place in the Season 1 The Great Rift rankings and continuously studied decks to maintain a top position in a highly competitive environment. Toward the end of the season, there was a situation where I could no longer use the deck I had been running, and had only one week to rebuild a competitive deck from scratch, but I managed to make it work. I really enjoy the community we have created here in <Chaos Zero Nightmare>. We push each other every day, even on the worst days. I would also like to mention my good friend <Flafferson>, who got number 2 on Great Rift. The two of us created new strategies and decks every day, which became a great source of motivation for both of us.  ▲Protos <TheMrBlo>’s Combatant list, known for primarily raising and playing 4★ characters and enjoying the game exclusively on a mobile device. Not a single 5★ character has been raised, and there even seems to be a certain resolve reflected in Sereniel... A. My drive to reach the top was to prove 2 things. 1. It was not luck. 2. My success was not due to relying on a single mechanic The first part may not sound believable to most people, which I understand. One might say, “It’s just RNG. If you get first place, you got lucky.” However, I stand by this: If you are ready, it will present itself in front of you. You just have to see it. And, of course, BELIEVE that you will get it. I got my last deck on the very last day. After I reached first place for the second time, I felt like I got back to where I deserved to be. I felt like I reclaimed my position. My friend Flafferson got really close, which was also really awesome to see. I would also like to mention poorcoco, who got the number 3 spot at the end because he was another person who I watched on social media.   ▲A Protos who sought to prove that it was not luck, but “themselves.” With half the turns remaining, they are already at 1.2 million points. The friendly rivalry with their friend and this season’s second place, <Flafferson>, is also impressive. when building your deck and planning your strategy? A. This advice is only for players aiming to compete in the Great Rift rankings. First, you need to know exactly what cards you are aiming for. Second, be ready to adapt. Even if a card you wanted does not appear, it is possible to still build a deck worthy of first place. One exception is if that card is a KEY CARD for that Great Rift, such as Shadow Reload for Tressa. One important thing that might confuse people is when they create the same deck as the number 1 player, but they do not have the same success with it. It is the combination of all three decks that makes the fight successful, not just one. So, depending on what you get for the other two Combatants, you need to fill in the gaps with the third Combatant. Creating the decks myself really helps with that. Most people struggled because they copied one deck and did not think about the others. But even after you have built your three decks, it is not over. You still have to go through the battles and stay focused for several hours, which is not easy. ▲ A common opinion among rankers. Do not simply build a deck with strong damage output, but construct “well-coordinated decks that function organically together”! And above all, patience is the most important. A. Even the best players make mistakes. I am no exception. There were probably many mistakes I made in that final run as well. I only recently learned that I need to adapt to whatever the game gives me and not look for a very specific deck, because you will never get your exact “dream” deck. In actual play, it’s always going to be a variation of your “dream” deck—a “good enough” deck. And even if you get three “dream” decks for your combatants, it does not mean their COMBINATION is good. The combination of decks is more important than looking at each individual deck. In the end, having the perspective to see the overall deck combination is far more important than focusing on each deck individually.    ▲ The main deck used by Protos <TheMrBlo>. Instead of building around 5★ characters, they challenged the rankings with a combination of 4★ characters (Tressa, Cassius, Mika) who showed strong performance early in the season, which stands out. Please feel free to share your thoughts. A. I am looking forward to creating new strategies with different Combatants. I hope we will see more variety on the leaderboard instead of the same teams and deck combinations. I would also like to suggest having a space in the game where players can view leaderboards from previous seasons of The Great Rift and see the top players. I believe this would give The Great Rift greater meaning. I am confident that even more players would participate and compete. Q. If you plan to challenge the rankings again next season, what kind of mindset do you plan to have going into the challenge? A. We will see. I am a little short on pulls, so if a specific Combatant is required for top rankings, I might not make it. I will still try my best to rank as high as possible, and I am looking forward to new competition. Q. As a Season 1 top-ranking player, what is one piece of advice you would like to give to players aiming for the top ranks in the next season? A. I suggest building your own decks and trying not to copy others. You will feel much more satisfied if you reach the top with your own creation. |
We look forward to Protos <TheMrBlo>’s unique strategies again this season.
Thank you very much to Protos <TheMrBlo> for participating in the interview!
Lastly, we would like to introduce Protos <Magikarp>, who achieved 1st place in the second half of the Global server!
Q. Hello, Protos! Please introduce yourself. A. Hi, I'm Magikarp. I started playing CZN because the theme and gameplay looked cool. I have been playing card games for a long time, and CZN looked interesting. Q. Please briefly share how you feel about achieving #1 in the Great Rift. A. It was a blend of relief, surprise, and satisfaction.<Maru>, another player and essentially my teammate for this Rift, handled the overwhelming majority of the theorycrafting for both the decks and the overall strategy, early and late in the season. In truth, at least half of this achievement belongs more to Maru than to me. It was a great deal of fun playing The Great Rift together.  ▲Protos <Magikarp>, who challenged the ranking after establishing strategies together with their teammate, Protos <Maru>. The record of Protos <Flafferson>, who placed 2nd in the first half on the leaderboard, also stands out. when building your deck and planning your strategy? A. This season, the meta for top rankings primarily revolved around entering a “pseudo-infinite” loop to achieve extremely high numbers of boss kills. It was identified within the first few days that this might be possible, but it took more time for players to figure out how to execute it and acquire the necessary decks. Essentially, by using Selena to reset the Tenacity Bar, Sereniel could stack enough Morale through Cassius’s Triple 0 quest to reach a damage threshold that allowed the team to break the Tenacity Bar, regain Homing Lasers, and repeatedly defeat the boss. This loop would eventually end when Morale became high enough that three Lasers killed the boss, preventing Sereniel from regaining her Homing Lasers. ▲A strategy of entering a pseudo-loop state to defeat as many bosses as possible. Although their deck differed from the Asia server’s 1st place Protos, Protos <Magikarp> took a similar approach. A. Improving the score after successfully achieving the pseudo-infinite loop came down to reducing Selena’s damage. I farmed a better Sereniel deck between the first and second loop runs that included an additional Portrait of Fury. This allowed me to reduce the coordinated attacks from two to one and extend the loop by approximately 300 more kills (534 → 824). The runs were already quite long, but reducing coordinated attacks to zero would have been the next step.    ▲The main deck actually used by Protos Please feel free to share your thoughts. A. I am looking forward to the new characters, strategies, and decks that will emerge using the new mechanics. The solutions players come up with for Rift bosses are always a pleasure to see. Q. If you plan to challenge the rankings again next season, what kind of mindset do you plan to have going into the challenge? A. In future Rift events, I will try to approach the season with a much calmer mindset overall, taking things more slowly and not stressing over getting perfect decks early on. I believe this will make the grind both healthier and more sustainable. ▲Those who play calmly become rankers! what is one piece of advice you would like to give to players aiming for the top ranks in the next season? A. Don’t burn out in the first few days.There are always new discoveries throughout a Rift season. Analyze the meta thoroughly, then plan to push for your score in the second half of the Rift season. |
It was an outstanding strategy from the Global server’s 1st place!
We look forward to <Magikarp>’s unique strategy again next season!
Thank you very much to Protos <Magikarp> for participating in the interview!
This concludes the interviews with the three Protos
who each achieved “Protos” in their own way during Season 1 of The Great Rift.
It was truly impressive to see how different strategies, Combatants, and choices could all lead to the same summit,
and how humble each of the three Protos remained even after reaching the top.
We sincerely thank the Protos who participated in the interviews.
We hope this interview provides a small hint to the Protos preparing to challenge Season 2 of The Great Rift,
and we ask for your continued interest and support for Season 2 as well.
Thank you
Next, an interview with Creator Protos artist Lemonasty!
Q. Please introduce yourself to the Protos of CZN. A. Hello, Protos! I’m Lemonasty (溫檸檬, “Warm Lemon”)!I mainly create fan-made animated GIFs of Combatants and Companions from Chaos Zero Nightmare, and I’m currently most active on X and Pixiv.I’m truly happy to have had the opportunity to participate in the official Chaos Zero Nightmare Valentine’s Shorts project. A. I found out about it when I was hanging out with a friend who likes roguelikes, and they recommended it to me. It had just launched at the time, and I was seeing a lot of ads for it, so I downloaded it and gave it a try. It turned out to be way more fun than I expected, and I ended up getting completely hooked, haha. Q. What do you think is the charm of CZN? What do you enjoy most while playing? Do you have any gameplay tips? A. The monster designs! I find the monster designs in CZN, along with the execution scenes when you lose a battle, especially appealing.I also like that it doesn’t drain much battery on mobile. One particularly fun detail was that even after a Combatant receives Breakdown treatment at the “Medical Center,” you can still get Crystal rewards. It almost feels like the game is encouraging you to let your Combatants break down more often, haha. As for a tip, I discovered that if you don’t look at the dice, event checks seem to pass more often. Even checks that require an 18 surprisingly go through. Q. Where do you usually get creative inspiration while playing the game? A. I want to draw illustrations that Protos can feel close to, so I got ideas from the Policy Office and from Rei and Haru’s Affinity lobby screens. I threw cake at Haru because she’s so kind that I figured she wouldn’t get mad at the Captain even if her face was covered in cream! Q. I think your work has a soft and bouncy signature style.How did you develop this art style and direction? A. Thank you for the compliment! When I first developed this style, all I could think about was that the expression had to look like (ㅎ.ㅎ). I decided to make that emoji I love one of the defining traits.As for the overall style, I wanted to create GIFs that clearly showcase each character’s personality, like Seseren’s work. Once I found the right feel, I began running the community more actively and have continued working in this style ever since. Your cute animated GIFs are especially well loved in the global community (on X, Discord, etc.). How popular do you feel your work has become? A. I’ve personally felt how much people in the CZN Discord community love the GIFs I draw. I even went back through older Discord messages and saw people filling entire lines with my work, almost like they were spamming it. That moment made me incredibly happy and became a huge motivation for me to keep drawing. The most memorable feedback was when someone said one of my Narja GIFs looked like an overseas brainrot meme called “67.” I burst out laughing when I saw that comment, and it was even funnier because it really did look similar. Q. Among so many games, what was the decisive reason that led you to start creating fan works for “CZN”? (For example: a specific character’s visuals, story, or the overall atmosphere of the game.) A. Since CZN’s overall lore is quite dark, I thought it would be nice to create a strong contrast by making cute GIFs in my own style. As I kept playing the game and drawing, it naturally continued up to now! Each Combatant has a distinct personality and playstyle, so whenever I encounter a character, I automatically think, “What kind of GIF would suit this character?” (That’s why the ones I’ve drawn less are usually characters I haven’t pulled yet, haha.) Q. Which character do you feel most attached to when drawing? What do you find appealing about them? A. Combatant Narja! I want to draw more of her happy moments. She is an experimental subject and hasn’t been rescued for very long, yet whether she lacks emotions or is simply too kind, I really love that Narja still shows goodwill toward the world. Q. While working on this Valentine’s Shorts collaboration, what was the directing point you paid the most attention to? (Any hidden details or viewing highlights in the video?) A. One of my favorite scenes is when Rin receives a stamp from Protos. You have to look carefully to make sure it’s the policy stamp! A. Creating CZN GIFs was actually a really refreshing challenge for me. Up until then, I had only drawn short comics in static image form, so this was my first time working on short videos like this. I really wanted to try making cute, story-driven animations. If I get another chance to collaborate, I would love to work on more short videos or even stickers that can be used in messenger apps like LINE. Q. Is there anything you would like to see from the CZN development team? A. As a fan creator, my wish is to one day see my work included as Save Data stickers. I really love that feature and use stickers more than anything else.And as a Protos, I hope the Auto Battle AI becomes smarter, and that a feature is added to merge Memory Particles into Memory Cores to upgrade Memory Fragments. |
We would like to thank Protos Lemonasty for joining us for this interview and Valentine’s Shorts collaboration 💛
Through this collaboration, we hope to continue working with Protos Lemonasty in the future,
and we also plan to gradually expand collaboration opportunities with other Protos.
We ask for your continued interest and support for the upcoming projects :)
From the Protos who ranked first in The Great Rift to Creator Protos active in their respective fields,
we have shared interviews with those who have become “Protos” in their own fields.
We sincerely thank all the Protos who shared their honest stories and valuable experiences despite their busy schedules.
We will continue to share more stories and new interview content featuring various Protos
whenever the opportunity arises, so please look forward to it and show your support :)
Chaos Zero Nightmare
Reply 7
Notification has been disabled.
To enter a comment Log In Please
ok
Lemonasty’s stickers would be dope!
Looking forward to use Lemon's cute art as save data sticker. Since we're at it, I would love if there is higher number/no limitation on favourited save data (currently 3), or the ability to design and option to copy paste the design on each save data, instead of forcing same design on same number of favourited save data.
I really like we're getting posts like these that showcase people in the community now, that's great 🙂
This is absolutely crazy, the level of dedication, patience, and mental endurance it takes to compete at top 1 is insane. Massive respect to everyone pushing the limits like this
I do not usually post but I had to for Lemonasty! Also I have the greatest respect for MrBlo after reading what he said! He seems very humble! Thanks again for the GIFs Lemonasty and for your words of wisdom MrBlo! And thank you CZN! Never change!
Seeing the art as save data stickers would be great