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Blade and Soul - Martial Arts MMO by NCSoft
Vellyr
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I saw this today at massively.com, and I definitely want more. It's like the bastard child of Soul Calibur and World of Warcraft, set against a backdrop of kung-fu movies and ancient asian mythos, with art direction supplied by one of Korea's greatest CG artists, Hyung Tae-Kim. Did I mention it looks fucking amazing?
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v15432973GzydjGWB
Yes, that's all in-game footage. So far it's only been confirmed for Korean release, but I would be very surprised if it didn't launch overseas as well.
Here's an interview (translated from Korean) with the developers that answers a lot of questions.
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v15432973GzydjGWB
Yes, that's all in-game footage. So far it's only been confirmed for Korean release, but I would be very surprised if it didn't launch overseas as well.
Here's an interview (translated from Korean) with the developers that answers a lot of questions.
Q1: How did you decide on the concept
Kim: From MMORPG, a player should experience a variety of concepts. So, instead deeply developing one concept, I tried to include a several. Also, instead of limiting the theme to the traditional martial arts genre, I added my own identity to it.
Q2: So, is this a completely new genre of MMORPG?
Kim: In Korea, the martial arts genre is heavily influenced by the Chinese culture. However, we incorporated a lot of cultural images from different nations in Blade & Soul: Russia, Mongolia, Taiwan, etc. The current product is a combination of these and our creativity.
Q3: Many gamers voice that the art style of Blade & Soul remind them of other games, such as Magna Carta.
Kim: I like my previous works and their style. I did not work [on Blade & Soul] with a different style in mind; instead, I merely thought of improving the previous works. In the case of Blade & Soul, it expresses well the ideas of the illustrator.
Q4: Lineage II received much criticism for its mature material. Blade & Soul seems to demand a similar level of maturity from the gamers. Would it be appropriate as a rated 15+ game?
Bae: Lineage II was talked about because of its clothings, but it was not a big issue. As a producer, it’s a difficult position to be in, but something one should overcome. The only nation in which we encountered problems was China. There will be pressures in Korea, but we must endure it. We could always change the rating or make adjustment to the contents.
Q5: Are you planning to changes to the contents or the rating?
Bae: It depends on the situation; we should probably work on both.
Kim: We focused on certain areas because the game is in a developmental cycle. But, because the game’s focus is in neither sexuality nor violence, it won’t be too difficult to receive 15+ rating.
Bae: There’s no guarantee that the game will succeed with emphasis on sexual contents. No game did and we don’t plan to.
Q6: What is game representative Taek-Jin Kim’s opinion?
Bae: He suggested a removal of one character due to excessive skin exposure. Besides that he really liked the mid-air-dash skill.
Q7: To which regional market would the game appeal the most?
Bae: It’s a difficult question to answer. The game might be well-received in Europe, but might not in Japan. However, when we demonstrated to employees in off-shore offices, they liked it.
Kim: While following the games revealed in E3 2008, I realized that many western gamers are not used to seeing orient-themed games. Our focus is to make a great game. We will worry about localization later.
Q8: Why oriental martial-art MMORPG? Why now?
Bae: Because I wanted to. (smiles)
Q9: Why?
Bae: After Lineage II, I decided to stop making MMORPGs because they are massive and difficult to develop. I wanted to try something easier, but those were just as difficult. Eventually, I came back to making MMORPG. I like both martial-art and science fiction. I decided work on a martial-art game.
Kim: There are a lot of things you can do in the world of martial arts if you look behind the visuals. I wanted to recreate the intense action from Chinese martial-arts movies which inspired me. The allure of martial-ars world is the variety and limitlessness.
Q10: What’s your definition of the “martial-arts genre�
Bae: I have a lot to talk about this topic. There are a lot of novels, legends, history to draw ideas from. Thus, there is no real “definition†of the genre. I think the lack of games in the genre is limiting the definition of it. I think that the genre comes down to, obviously, the component of action.
Q11: In any MMORPG the storyline is crucial. What percentage of the game content covers story?
Bae: We are focusing mostly on combats(PVP) and quests. You could say that these two make up Blade & Soul. It’s about half and half. The story would be narrrated through quests.
Q12: Could you elaborate on the storyline which is based on the Korean genesis.
Bae: Not only the Korean genesis, but a number of legends and anecdotes from Mongolia, Cambodia, Japan, and China are included in the story.
Q13: According to a source, the game will include characters from Korean legends?
Bae: Only one race will follow Korean lengends.
Q14: In the story, players will be against gods, how will you narrate this? Also, how will you connect with the notion of clans in the martial arts realm?
Bae: Guilds and kingdoms fit more with the Middle Age fantasy genre. For the genre of martial arts, individuals and heroes are more fitting. Unlike the gods in Greek mythology, the gods in Blade & Soul would be more closer beings [to humans] such as mountain gods or dragon king.
Q15: Is there an ending to to the storyline?
Bae: Yes.
Q16: Is the trailer video made out of in-game footage?
Bae: Yes. The only editing done to the video is the slow-motion effect during mid-air-dash and the removal of version stamp. Of course, for demonstration purposes, some characters were standing still not fighting back. Besides those, the video is a 100% compilation of in-game footages.
Kim: Currently, developers are playing pre-alpha version of the game. The trailer you saw today was a footage of their actual in-game play.
Q17: If developers are playing the game, up-to how many players were playing simultaneously?
Kim: 30~40 players tested on one map.
Q18: I am curious whether the world is seamless or instanced.
Bae: It is not seamless, but it uses streaming method. Gamers will experience the same gameplay as if they were in a seamless world.
Kim: There won’t be much loading because the maps are huge.
Q19: In the trailer, there is a scene where a character attacks multiple mobs with one skill. Will it be a good skill to aggro mobs?
Bae: It’s not a typical skill, but there are time when it is needed; for example, in order to save team members by sacrificing yourself. You can think of it like a finishing skill. We used the skill purposely to show off the capabilities of Blade & Soul. The chacter of the developer who used the skill died soon after. (smile)
Q20: Are cooking and resource gathering major part of the game?
Bae: There are a few, but with an oriental twist. Players will be able to make wine or pottery.
Q21: Could you tell us more about the two races Jin and Gon?
Kim: Jin is the closest to the mankind. Culturally, they are similar and use the most tools. Gon is about 2.3m(7.5ft) and is physically stronger.
Q22: There were midgets in the video; are they a playable race?
Bae: They are part of a race and we will release more information regarding the races later.
Q23: Some of the raindrops landed on the camera; how does weather affect the game play?
Bae: Rain changes the environmental setting, spawning more monsters, etc.
Kim: The rain drops on the screen is from an in-game footage. We are also planning to let the weather affect quests.
Q24: One character wore glasses; to what extent is character customizing possible?
Bae: Middle-Age fantasy genres emphasizes armor and weapon stats. However, martial-arts games focus on individual and weapon(sword) development. Development of weapon(**NOTE:as in proficiency of the character or the weapon itself gaining experience) will be crucial in the early game. Based on this concept, we are developing the character customization.
Q25: In the trailer, a character grew something from his back as he was casting a skill.
Bae: The Gon race’s race-specific skill triggered it. I would like to make the race-specific skills varied and deep. The scene–towards the end of the video–in which the girl is surrounded by flowers is also a race-specific skill. If you look closely, you will see some characters(a female midget) and others that are not introduced yet.
Q26: There are a lot of components to action(PVP). What are you focusing on the most?
Bae: The extent to which player can control in relation to the time and situation is very important. The state(defense, parry, position) between the opponent and yourself and your interaction is also crucial. We will develop the game with these thoughts in mind.
Kim: There’s an emphasis on feedback between characters. We will show players a variety of actions. Tactics matter and the combats will take your breath away.
Q27: Do characters’ body parts take different damage?
Bae: No. However, the attack angle matters. The damage will depend on from which position you are attacking the opponent.
Q28: The video only shows one-sided attacks. Is it filmed that way, or is the combat turn-based?
Bae: We were controlling the characters during the filming. It’s too difficult to film when both characters are fighting. For the purpose of the trailer, we filmed one sided attack. The actual game scenes will be packed with intensive actions. Players must move constantly and use skills strategically.
Kim: As I said earlier, the developers were playing against one another. There are times when players attack each other [in game] simultaneously; the first blow might give an advantage to the player.
Q29: Skill effects are very stylish. It seems like the combat took a long time due to the amount of animation.
Bae: You could say that. However, the trailer shows skills used in succession. I am not sure if they are considered combos, but, definitely, more than one skill was used. Blade & Soul have a short combat period compared to other MMOPRGs.
Q30: Regarding the attack on the opponent on ground, is that skill only available when the opponent character is in the state of “confusion�
Bae: We are testing with different implementations.
Q31: How are you going to implement the controls?
Bae: That’s one of the hot topics within the development team. We are still in discussion whether to include skill-keys or make a separate keys(**NOTE: I am not sure what he’s talking about here. The description is vague). What we definitely know is that the game will not have skill-window on the bottom of the screen like other MMORPGS.
Q32: How do you move the character? With WASD keys or mouse?
Bae: Both
Q33: There was a scene of a player using mid-air-dash skill. Can players use all the background objects?
Kim: The first thing I wanted to avoid was the wallpaper like background which you can see but not explore. I hate the concept of players following a predetermined path. I want the environment to be accesible and interactive with players. We are making areas where you can only access with the mid-air-dash skill.
Q34: What type of quests are in Blade & Soul?
Bae: Goals and scenario make up the quests. Many MMORPGs have “vending-machine†quests: “kill X number of mobs.†This is boring. Blade & Soul will resolve the problem of “I want to follow the story line, but why am I talking to this vending machine.†I want the game to overcome that limitation. It’s one of the topics of discussion within the team.
Q35: Would you say that there’s less emphasis on gears?
Kim: There would be a different implementation of gears, not less.
Q36: In order to be a master–an experienced martial artist–one must train. How is this interpreted in game?
Bae: In martial-arts genre, there’s always a master–a sensei/teacher–who teaches you the skills. I would like to recreate that experience of “learning.†I don’t like the idea of “buying†skill books.
Q37: How about the game economy?
Bae: We never thought about it in detail. We are, at the moment, focusing on the action and combat aspect of the game. Game economy has a low priority in the development. We could work on it later in the development cycle.
Q38: Is this game for solo play oriented? or party play?
Bae: There are differences among classes. However, unlike the classic RPG class structure, I would like to overlap the archetypes for the classes in Blade & Soul. Solo play is not always fun, there will be some parts of the game which needs party play to enjoy.
Q39: In Lineage series, siege battles were the attraction. What features are in Blade & Soul?
Bae: I came up with the idea of siege battles and structured it. I know the good and bad sides of it. Blade & Soul will not have siege battles. They tend to exclude a portion of the player base except a few. The game must be enjoyable for everyone.
Q40: Are there a lot of cooperative content?
Bae: MMOs should involve cooperation, but Blade & Soul will emphasize an individual aspect. The world and the game will revolve around the player. Q41: How will potions and gears affect the game?
Bae: Blade & Soul is MMO, thus gears are important. But, the item system in Blade & Soul is completely different and weapon strengthening/enchanting systems are in place. The team is working on a replacement feature for potions.
Q42: At the presentation, you said “we did everything MMORPG industry told us not to.†What are you talking about specifically?
Bae: I am talking about everything in the trailer. The industry said we can’t grab, push, pull, float, mid-air dash, etc. are all big no-nos. Developers know better.
Q43: Why do you think other games didn’t implement those features?
Bae: There’s a saying that the elephant in a circus could escape easily breaking the shackles. Noone in the industry tried. Developers will literally commit suicide trying to implement the combat system while maintaing the security of the game; preventing exploits and hacks. Blood & Soul developers came this far with hard work and patience. At the moment, the simple combat system takes more animation than any console combat games. It’s not a coincidence the team is named Blood Lust.(smile)
Q44: Is there a special reason why you choose Unreal Engine 3?
Bae: Simply, it’s a good engine. My motto is “produce rapidly.†I choose the engine to rapidly develop this game. The engine allows us to express the concepts easily.
Kim: Specifically, the engine allows us to use lighting and shading easily. It is flexible. We made adjustments to the rendering engine.
Q45: Other game titles from NCsoft are using Unreal Engine 3, do you share your analysis, tips, and tricks?
Bae: Of course, the games are different, but we do share know-hows and information about the engine. The engine is excellent, but there is a limit to a game written merely in scripts. The way to success is analyzing the source and adjusting it to match the concept of the game.
Q46: There is a rumor that Blade & Soul is NCsoft’s PS3 MMO?
Bae: There’s nothing specific about the plan. We only have 60 developers which is just enough to make the PC version. I would like to [make a PS3 version], but some things can’t be done. We are discussing with other platform companies as well.
Q47: When will be the release?
Bae: (smile) I really don’t know. I hope we don’t this year [closed beta]. We developed for about two years and 50% is complete. I don’t know what the developers think.
Kim: I think only 20% is done. (smile) end of the interview
Kim: From MMORPG, a player should experience a variety of concepts. So, instead deeply developing one concept, I tried to include a several. Also, instead of limiting the theme to the traditional martial arts genre, I added my own identity to it.
Q2: So, is this a completely new genre of MMORPG?
Kim: In Korea, the martial arts genre is heavily influenced by the Chinese culture. However, we incorporated a lot of cultural images from different nations in Blade & Soul: Russia, Mongolia, Taiwan, etc. The current product is a combination of these and our creativity.
Q3: Many gamers voice that the art style of Blade & Soul remind them of other games, such as Magna Carta.
Kim: I like my previous works and their style. I did not work [on Blade & Soul] with a different style in mind; instead, I merely thought of improving the previous works. In the case of Blade & Soul, it expresses well the ideas of the illustrator.
Q4: Lineage II received much criticism for its mature material. Blade & Soul seems to demand a similar level of maturity from the gamers. Would it be appropriate as a rated 15+ game?
Bae: Lineage II was talked about because of its clothings, but it was not a big issue. As a producer, it’s a difficult position to be in, but something one should overcome. The only nation in which we encountered problems was China. There will be pressures in Korea, but we must endure it. We could always change the rating or make adjustment to the contents.
Q5: Are you planning to changes to the contents or the rating?
Bae: It depends on the situation; we should probably work on both.
Kim: We focused on certain areas because the game is in a developmental cycle. But, because the game’s focus is in neither sexuality nor violence, it won’t be too difficult to receive 15+ rating.
Bae: There’s no guarantee that the game will succeed with emphasis on sexual contents. No game did and we don’t plan to.
Q6: What is game representative Taek-Jin Kim’s opinion?
Bae: He suggested a removal of one character due to excessive skin exposure. Besides that he really liked the mid-air-dash skill.
Q7: To which regional market would the game appeal the most?
Bae: It’s a difficult question to answer. The game might be well-received in Europe, but might not in Japan. However, when we demonstrated to employees in off-shore offices, they liked it.
Kim: While following the games revealed in E3 2008, I realized that many western gamers are not used to seeing orient-themed games. Our focus is to make a great game. We will worry about localization later.
Q8: Why oriental martial-art MMORPG? Why now?
Bae: Because I wanted to. (smiles)
Q9: Why?
Bae: After Lineage II, I decided to stop making MMORPGs because they are massive and difficult to develop. I wanted to try something easier, but those were just as difficult. Eventually, I came back to making MMORPG. I like both martial-art and science fiction. I decided work on a martial-art game.
Kim: There are a lot of things you can do in the world of martial arts if you look behind the visuals. I wanted to recreate the intense action from Chinese martial-arts movies which inspired me. The allure of martial-ars world is the variety and limitlessness.
Q10: What’s your definition of the “martial-arts genre�
Bae: I have a lot to talk about this topic. There are a lot of novels, legends, history to draw ideas from. Thus, there is no real “definition†of the genre. I think the lack of games in the genre is limiting the definition of it. I think that the genre comes down to, obviously, the component of action.
Q11: In any MMORPG the storyline is crucial. What percentage of the game content covers story?
Bae: We are focusing mostly on combats(PVP) and quests. You could say that these two make up Blade & Soul. It’s about half and half. The story would be narrrated through quests.
Q12: Could you elaborate on the storyline which is based on the Korean genesis.
Bae: Not only the Korean genesis, but a number of legends and anecdotes from Mongolia, Cambodia, Japan, and China are included in the story.
Q13: According to a source, the game will include characters from Korean legends?
Bae: Only one race will follow Korean lengends.
Q14: In the story, players will be against gods, how will you narrate this? Also, how will you connect with the notion of clans in the martial arts realm?
Bae: Guilds and kingdoms fit more with the Middle Age fantasy genre. For the genre of martial arts, individuals and heroes are more fitting. Unlike the gods in Greek mythology, the gods in Blade & Soul would be more closer beings [to humans] such as mountain gods or dragon king.
Q15: Is there an ending to to the storyline?
Bae: Yes.
Q16: Is the trailer video made out of in-game footage?
Bae: Yes. The only editing done to the video is the slow-motion effect during mid-air-dash and the removal of version stamp. Of course, for demonstration purposes, some characters were standing still not fighting back. Besides those, the video is a 100% compilation of in-game footages.
Kim: Currently, developers are playing pre-alpha version of the game. The trailer you saw today was a footage of their actual in-game play.
Q17: If developers are playing the game, up-to how many players were playing simultaneously?
Kim: 30~40 players tested on one map.
Q18: I am curious whether the world is seamless or instanced.
Bae: It is not seamless, but it uses streaming method. Gamers will experience the same gameplay as if they were in a seamless world.
Kim: There won’t be much loading because the maps are huge.
Q19: In the trailer, there is a scene where a character attacks multiple mobs with one skill. Will it be a good skill to aggro mobs?
Bae: It’s not a typical skill, but there are time when it is needed; for example, in order to save team members by sacrificing yourself. You can think of it like a finishing skill. We used the skill purposely to show off the capabilities of Blade & Soul. The chacter of the developer who used the skill died soon after. (smile)
Q20: Are cooking and resource gathering major part of the game?
Bae: There are a few, but with an oriental twist. Players will be able to make wine or pottery.
Q21: Could you tell us more about the two races Jin and Gon?
Kim: Jin is the closest to the mankind. Culturally, they are similar and use the most tools. Gon is about 2.3m(7.5ft) and is physically stronger.
Q22: There were midgets in the video; are they a playable race?
Bae: They are part of a race and we will release more information regarding the races later.
Q23: Some of the raindrops landed on the camera; how does weather affect the game play?
Bae: Rain changes the environmental setting, spawning more monsters, etc.
Kim: The rain drops on the screen is from an in-game footage. We are also planning to let the weather affect quests.
Q24: One character wore glasses; to what extent is character customizing possible?
Bae: Middle-Age fantasy genres emphasizes armor and weapon stats. However, martial-arts games focus on individual and weapon(sword) development. Development of weapon(**NOTE:as in proficiency of the character or the weapon itself gaining experience) will be crucial in the early game. Based on this concept, we are developing the character customization.
Q25: In the trailer, a character grew something from his back as he was casting a skill.
Bae: The Gon race’s race-specific skill triggered it. I would like to make the race-specific skills varied and deep. The scene–towards the end of the video–in which the girl is surrounded by flowers is also a race-specific skill. If you look closely, you will see some characters(a female midget) and others that are not introduced yet.
Q26: There are a lot of components to action(PVP). What are you focusing on the most?
Bae: The extent to which player can control in relation to the time and situation is very important. The state(defense, parry, position) between the opponent and yourself and your interaction is also crucial. We will develop the game with these thoughts in mind.
Kim: There’s an emphasis on feedback between characters. We will show players a variety of actions. Tactics matter and the combats will take your breath away.
Q27: Do characters’ body parts take different damage?
Bae: No. However, the attack angle matters. The damage will depend on from which position you are attacking the opponent.
Q28: The video only shows one-sided attacks. Is it filmed that way, or is the combat turn-based?
Bae: We were controlling the characters during the filming. It’s too difficult to film when both characters are fighting. For the purpose of the trailer, we filmed one sided attack. The actual game scenes will be packed with intensive actions. Players must move constantly and use skills strategically.
Kim: As I said earlier, the developers were playing against one another. There are times when players attack each other [in game] simultaneously; the first blow might give an advantage to the player.
Q29: Skill effects are very stylish. It seems like the combat took a long time due to the amount of animation.
Bae: You could say that. However, the trailer shows skills used in succession. I am not sure if they are considered combos, but, definitely, more than one skill was used. Blade & Soul have a short combat period compared to other MMOPRGs.
Q30: Regarding the attack on the opponent on ground, is that skill only available when the opponent character is in the state of “confusion�
Bae: We are testing with different implementations.
Q31: How are you going to implement the controls?
Bae: That’s one of the hot topics within the development team. We are still in discussion whether to include skill-keys or make a separate keys(**NOTE: I am not sure what he’s talking about here. The description is vague). What we definitely know is that the game will not have skill-window on the bottom of the screen like other MMORPGS.
Q32: How do you move the character? With WASD keys or mouse?
Bae: Both
Q33: There was a scene of a player using mid-air-dash skill. Can players use all the background objects?
Kim: The first thing I wanted to avoid was the wallpaper like background which you can see but not explore. I hate the concept of players following a predetermined path. I want the environment to be accesible and interactive with players. We are making areas where you can only access with the mid-air-dash skill.
Q34: What type of quests are in Blade & Soul?
Bae: Goals and scenario make up the quests. Many MMORPGs have “vending-machine†quests: “kill X number of mobs.†This is boring. Blade & Soul will resolve the problem of “I want to follow the story line, but why am I talking to this vending machine.†I want the game to overcome that limitation. It’s one of the topics of discussion within the team.
Q35: Would you say that there’s less emphasis on gears?
Kim: There would be a different implementation of gears, not less.
Q36: In order to be a master–an experienced martial artist–one must train. How is this interpreted in game?
Bae: In martial-arts genre, there’s always a master–a sensei/teacher–who teaches you the skills. I would like to recreate that experience of “learning.†I don’t like the idea of “buying†skill books.
Q37: How about the game economy?
Bae: We never thought about it in detail. We are, at the moment, focusing on the action and combat aspect of the game. Game economy has a low priority in the development. We could work on it later in the development cycle.
Q38: Is this game for solo play oriented? or party play?
Bae: There are differences among classes. However, unlike the classic RPG class structure, I would like to overlap the archetypes for the classes in Blade & Soul. Solo play is not always fun, there will be some parts of the game which needs party play to enjoy.
Q39: In Lineage series, siege battles were the attraction. What features are in Blade & Soul?
Bae: I came up with the idea of siege battles and structured it. I know the good and bad sides of it. Blade & Soul will not have siege battles. They tend to exclude a portion of the player base except a few. The game must be enjoyable for everyone.
Q40: Are there a lot of cooperative content?
Bae: MMOs should involve cooperation, but Blade & Soul will emphasize an individual aspect. The world and the game will revolve around the player. Q41: How will potions and gears affect the game?
Bae: Blade & Soul is MMO, thus gears are important. But, the item system in Blade & Soul is completely different and weapon strengthening/enchanting systems are in place. The team is working on a replacement feature for potions.
Q42: At the presentation, you said “we did everything MMORPG industry told us not to.†What are you talking about specifically?
Bae: I am talking about everything in the trailer. The industry said we can’t grab, push, pull, float, mid-air dash, etc. are all big no-nos. Developers know better.
Q43: Why do you think other games didn’t implement those features?
Bae: There’s a saying that the elephant in a circus could escape easily breaking the shackles. Noone in the industry tried. Developers will literally commit suicide trying to implement the combat system while maintaing the security of the game; preventing exploits and hacks. Blood & Soul developers came this far with hard work and patience. At the moment, the simple combat system takes more animation than any console combat games. It’s not a coincidence the team is named Blood Lust.(smile)
Q44: Is there a special reason why you choose Unreal Engine 3?
Bae: Simply, it’s a good engine. My motto is “produce rapidly.†I choose the engine to rapidly develop this game. The engine allows us to express the concepts easily.
Kim: Specifically, the engine allows us to use lighting and shading easily. It is flexible. We made adjustments to the rendering engine.
Q45: Other game titles from NCsoft are using Unreal Engine 3, do you share your analysis, tips, and tricks?
Bae: Of course, the games are different, but we do share know-hows and information about the engine. The engine is excellent, but there is a limit to a game written merely in scripts. The way to success is analyzing the source and adjusting it to match the concept of the game.
Q46: There is a rumor that Blade & Soul is NCsoft’s PS3 MMO?
Bae: There’s nothing specific about the plan. We only have 60 developers which is just enough to make the PC version. I would like to [make a PS3 version], but some things can’t be done. We are discussing with other platform companies as well.
Q47: When will be the release?
Bae: (smile) I really don’t know. I hope we don’t this year [closed beta]. We developed for about two years and 50% is complete. I don’t know what the developers think.
Kim: I think only 20% is done. (smile) end of the interview
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Oh, wait. :oops:
I really can't put my finger on why; but that looked incredibly boring and annoying to play. It could have been the camera making me too nauseous to really take anything in though. It just looked very disjointed. It is an MMO though.
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
I need:x myself an MMO with a ninja gaiden fighting system
only good part of that game
Dunno about the combat but it looks nice.
Can't say I have much hope for the MMO being made in KOREA after all...
Hey wasn't that the Matrix?
But yeah, this being from Korea and yet again another game from NCsoft doesn't make me think too much of this game, I swear we hear about these two or three times a year.
The animations look cool. I liked how there was one character attacking multiple foes at a time, by dashing into each of them and slashing them.
I'll probably give it a spin if it gets out of Asia.
PSN: Kylogue
Meh... The only western MMO that I've enjoyed recently was CoX. I'll try AoC and WAR, once my computer is fixed(damn you Novatech!). It's true that on the Asian scene not much as been catching my eye either, but I see more improvements to the games they make than the ones that are made in not-Asia.
On the MMO scene I have been playing CoX and Florentia(Free game! Grind! wtfux!?).
Edit: Also, panties!
PSN: Kylogue
Have Korean MMOs really improved that much? Last time I checked 95% of them use 1 of 2 different engines, and makes every single game feel exactly the same. This game is looking really neat though and I hope it plays as good as the video made it look.
"Everyone who is capable of logical thought should be able to see why you shouldn't sell lifetime subscriptions to an MMO. Cell phone companies and drug dealers don't offer lifetime subscriptions either, guess why?" - Mugaaz
Try to think as each of them as seperate expansions that have nothing to do with one another.
IOS Game Center ID: Isotope-X
Doubt this will be free... NCSoft has only one semi-free game, Dungeon Runners. Curiously, it doesn't even look like the typical korean mmo(Not even sure if it was developed by their Korean branch).
PSN: Kylogue
Free to play = Kids and people who are too cheapskate to pay
Gamplay = ?
I'm going to throw this out there right now: I would give my left nut for a Jade Empire MMO, maybe one with expanded controls, combos, and counters. But this game is being developed for a Korean audience, and that market loves them some shitty, shitty gameplay.
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
You forgot Exsteel. It's free as well (hell, even had a thread about it in G&T a while back. Pretty fun little game.)
Most of it was gameplay, although it was staged to look as cool as possible. They're only in pre-alpha so their UI is still being developed. They said in the Q&A that they're trying to move away from skill bars. Also, I humbly disagree about the tits and bloom.
Blade and Soul is being developed on the Unreal 3 engine
Unfortunately, this video is pretty much all the media that's available at this point. The game was just announced to the public a couple days ago. I'll keep updating the OP as more stuff becomes available.
Yeah I saw that and thought, well that'll make some people happy. I thought it was pretty neat myself.
Here's to hoping you're right. :P
PSN: Kylogue
Blade and Soul
It looks like a very cool action/rpg style and i'd like to see how it plays. I don't see HOW it could be a very good co-op game though. One guy flings your enemy across the map and then ---
... what do the rest of the party do again?
this means I need to play it. I want to armbar people into submission.
I just hope the grind is not... is not too soul crushing. And that it is not too instanced... Oh who am I kidding
There's a few others in production along with B&S; C9, Mabinogi Heroes, Tera Online (think that's the one) that are also trying to do the same thing.
Whether it succeeds or fails, it's good for gaming as a whole IMO. It's always good to see developers trying new things, even if they're risky.
I'll have to pass on this and see how things play out. Fool me twice and all that,
You really think this game is going to make history? I don't see whats new or revolutionary about it. It's certainly not the first Martial Arts MMO (not even close), it's just the first one being promoted by a company we all recognize.
You're missing the point entirely. They're essentially trying to make an action game in MMO format. Devil May Cry meets EverQuest if you will. Nothing to do with 'martial arts'. It has, as of yet, not been done successfully, and certainly not in a fully 3D environment. Like I said, there's numerous games in production at this point all attempting to do the same thing - Continent of the Ninth, Mabinogi Heroes, and I believe Tera Online. Dragonica is the closest anybody's gotten so far, the technical limitations are pretty intense. Maple Story has been doing it on a strict 2D format for years, but even then if you've ever played it you know that the control is extremely stiff. Champions Online tried to do the same thing, but it's still very 'MMO-esque' in its gameplay.
Not to just repeat my entire post again, but it's not about making a new game with pretty graphics or in a 'martial arts' setting, but working towards creating a sub-genre of the MMORPG that works on more action-game like controls, more freedom of movement, combo systems, and the like. I don't think most people realize the primary reason MMO gameplay is the way it is and hasn't evolved much over the past 10-15 years.
However, this is kinda kawaii, and I don't like it.
It's also Korean so it's going to be engrish, plotless (a point I can somewhat forgive being an MMO) and grindy just like every. other. Korean MMO.
I really don't think it will bring anything new to the table.
Might be fun to play for a month. Not worth the price you'll likely pay for it I'd bet.