Interview with the Developers of Atlantica Online

Join GameSHOUT in an exclusive interview with Kim Tae Gon, producer of Atlantica Online at NDOORS Interactive.

GameSHOUT takes an in-depth look into NDOORS Interactive's MMORPG, Atlantica Online with Atlantica's producer, Kim Tae Gon. With more than 15 years of experience producing video games, Kim gives us a look behind the scenes of one of the most unique MMORPGs online today. Kim and his team have spent the last three years putting together Atlantica Online.

GS: Atlantica Online is a very unique online game and brings a lot of its own personality to a rapidly crowding market. What do you think is the most innovative feature of Atlantica Online?

A: What we hoped to accomplish when we created Atlantica was to create a unique and distinct MMORPG, and we think we’ve created two especially innovative features that help the game stand out. The combat system is a modern take on classic turn-based gameplay, and with the mercenary system, which allows players to assemble a team of 9 characters for battles, these two features help set up a gaming environment that is both fast-paced and fun.

GS: Atlantica Online bridges two very different game genres: the MMO and the turn-based tactical game. With the way combat cuts away final-fantasy style to a personal battle field, do you think Atlantica maintains the ‘massively multiplayer online’ feel to combat?

A: Yes, we do think Atlantica maintains the MMO feel. Over the course of creating MMO games the past several years, we’ve conducted a lot of research on how to foster active and engaged online communities. We’ve tried to use that knowledge to create a game with that kind of community, but with plenty of strategic battles that will be entertaining. We can proudly say that Atlantica is the final product of those efforts. We concluded that Atlantica’s entertainment value is not derived from it being a real-time game or a turn-based game, but rather from how much players are able to enjoy each other’s collaboration and competition. With that in mind, we created ways for players to party in unique ways, such as guild dungeons. Developing the game so that players can interact with one another was very important to us. We wanted a game that was exciting using a turn-based system, but Atlantica also had to elicit the enjoyment that comes from cooperative play found in MMO games.

GS: One issue I had with combat was that only five units can attack in any one round, even if others have more than 100 action points. What reason was behind this design choice, and doesn’t it favor armies of slower, stronger units?

A: If a player has five or more mercenaries, he or she can use the Guard move on the mercenaries that aren’t attacking. We think setting up combat like this will lead to more strategic battle action, which will ultimately make the game more enjoyable for players. If the game allows all nine characters to attack in one turn, the game could get monotonous, with players just attacking, and opponents getting weary of waiting for their turn. Having this limit compels players to spend time strategizing their battle plan.

GS: Up to 3 players can join forces in a party to adventure together. Are there any plans to have even larger groups, like raids of 9 players, to compete with end-game raid content in other MMOs (ie: World of Warcraft)?

A: With each player able to create a team of nine characters, and when three player join to form a party, there will be a total of 27 characters in that party. And in party-versus-party battles, it can be 27 characters versus 27 characters on one screen. We think this is a pretty large group for a battle and we don’t have plans to make it larger. Atlantica’s guild system allows for a friendly gathering point for players, as well as giving players the chance to exert some political muscle since guilds can form nations to conquer other nations. There are parts of the game that are just for guilds, such as dungeons only accessible by guilds and nation guilds. These demand strategizing on a much larger scale.

GS: The social aspect is crucial to any good MMO, and one of the main ways of maintaining a good social system is guilds. Can you tell us some more about what makes Atlantica Online guilds unique, and share some tips about taking over towns?

A: Players are rewarded for not only coming together as a guild, but for playing and working together. The guild system is yet another to reaching the goal of having collaboration among players. For example, when it comes to crafting, guild members can combine their efforts to craft special items they cannot craft alone. To take over towns, the key is earning Guild points; the more a guild has, the easier it is take over and keep the town you desire. The quickest way to build up Guild points is try a guild dungeon. Players must have solid teamwork to take on the monsters in these guild dungeons, since they are some of the fiercest foes out there.

GS: Another great social aspect is the mentoring system. Are there any plans to add features to mentoring, such as being able to lower one’s level to party with a trainee?

A: Definitely, we plan to add more to the mentoring system, which we believe adds a friendly and warmer touch to the game. We are always trying to come up with ways to make Atlantica’s mentoring system more enjoyable for our players. You will see some exciting changes in the future.

GS: Another cornerstone to a good MMO is a strong economy. The market system in Atlantica Online looks to be quite vibrant so far. Tell us some of the strongest features you think the market has. Also, do you think any features like a transaction history might be added to the market?

A: The foundation of Atlantica’s economic system is the game’s market, which we wanted to model after real-life economics. Sellers set prices for their goods and buyers choose the lowest prices. If there are more sellers in the market, then prices will fall, and if there are more buyers, prices will rise. This reality-based market, which allows players to trade naturally and freely, is the strongest feature of Atlantica’s economic system. Some players might want to wait to buy items when the price is cheaper, or plan to sell them when prices go up. It’s just like our real-life economy. Plus, we are working on new features to incorporate into the market, including a Trading Post feature.

GS: On the topic of economy, Atlantica Online has a rather unique approach to gathering equipment: the way it all comes in boxes. This system, along with the enchantment system that lets you merge gear into + versions, is quite different from what is found in typical western MMORPGs like Everquest and WoW. Tell us some of the strong points and advantages to the system Atlantica Online uses.

A: Boxes are Atlantica’s unique item acquisition system. Players seem to agree that opening a box can be one of the more entertaining parts of the game. There’s just a thrill of opening a random box and not knowing what might come out. If a player obtains equipment that is high in demand, it gives that player higher economic power, while receiving unnecessary items will encourage players to trade more and be more active in the economic activities of the game. The enchanting system is designed to give players more access to better equipment, as well as getting them more active as they acquire the items they need to enchant equipment. These are some factors that help Atlantica maintain a more robust economic system than other games.

GS: Atlantica Online has a number of interesting mercenary classes, as well as a ‘hero’ that the player begins their adventure with. This hero picks a weapon from the very same classes he can later recruit. Are there any plans to make the hero character different or more powerful than his mercenary counterpart?

A: We are currently brainstorming different ideas on how to make the main character more distinct from the other characters in the game. If we make the main character stronger, we imagine Atlantica players will be happier. But in a turn-based game like Atlantica, we can’t make a big change to the main character without considering the other mercenaries and the impact it will have on the gameplay of those characters. Atlantica’s design does pose some complications. Therefore, every member of our development is approaching this matter from many angles, while also focusing our efforts to make Atlantica more fun and more stable.

GS: Atlantica Online is, from my understanding, a Korean game. These games often have a stigma of being poor in quality compared to big-budget American productions. But, from what I saw, this certainly isn’t true. What is your response to people who nay-say Asian online games?

A: Yes, Atlantica is a Korean game, and it’s found some success in Korea. But while American games might have cost more money to develop, we never believed that having a bigger production budget will automatically result in a game that’s more fun to play. We are constantly re-evaluating our games so that we can provide real entertainment value. Producing high-quality games like Atlantica will shatter those preconceived opinions.

GS: Another issue that tends to plague Asian import MMOs is bizarre pricing structures that tend to intimidate or turn off American customers used to a simple flat monthly fee. What sort of subscription and/or micro-transaction system will Atlantica Online use?

A: Atlantica will use a micro-transaction system, in which players will be able to buy in-game items that will make their gaming experience more fun for them on an individual basis. The items available for purchase will be the same things players can find in the game, like potions and convenience tools such as auto-move.

GS: As a final question, what are your personal opinions about the merits of subscription versus micro-transaction in MMOs? Do both serve a function in different styles of games? Is one clearly superior to the other? Do free-to-play MMOs with micro-transactions deserve their reputation as being poor in quality compared to their subscription-based MMO brethren?

A: We like the idea of giving players a choice, through a micro-transaction system. It’s free for them to start out in the game and give it a try. People don’t have to spend money on a game, only to find out that they don’t like it. We don’t believe one is superior over the other; micro-transaction is just the model NDOORS prefers. It’s also the dominant model in Korea, where our company started. If we produce a high-quality game like we believe we have with Atlantica, we look forward to tearing down any prejudices people might have about micro-transaction games, Korean MMOs and whatever preconceived notions people have. We think the quality of Atlantica and its dynamic and exciting action will speak for itself.

Be sure to join us for part 2 of this exclusive interview with the development team of Atlantica Online. In the mean time, for more information, visit http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/.

And if you would like to be a part of the making of Atlantica Online, GameSHOUT has teamed up with NDOORS to give away 300 more free keys for the third phase of the Atlantica Online closed beta. Just send us an email at betakey@GameSHOUT.com and reference Atlantica Online Beta Key in the subject line and we'll send you a key. But hurry because there are only 300 left and they won't last long. We'll cya in there!