MMORPG: Let’s start by giving players an overview of the expansion, shall we? What’s it all about from a lore perspective?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: The Great Sage Gaimaizz, created this epic Soul Orb which gave balance to all the land. However, the Shadowers (think of them as evil possessed Zumi) have found a way to go back in time to steal the Soul Orb. This is where your journey starts. You must go back in time to make sure the Shadowers fail or all the world will fall under their tyrant rule.
At the same time you will learn the story of the Sage firsthand, and by following through with the time-traveling quest you will eventually unlock the Sage class for use.
MMORPG: What sorts of new content or features will Shadows of the Past bring into Eden Eternal?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: This expansion hopefully hits home for all of our user demographics. For our PvEers, we’re launching three new maps and four new dungeons. For those who love PvP, the 10 vs. 10 arena has just launched on our live server (think of this as a sneak peak). For those just looking for something new, we have the Sage class. Players will now be able to reach the new maximum level of 70, where they can expect more exciting new content in the coming months.
)
MMORPG: Can you give us some in depth details on the new Sage class, specifically?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: The Sage is a master magic user. It’s primarily a support class that not only can heal/buff the party but also has decent attacks. All the Sage skills will either heal or buff the party while they attack.
MMORPG: The level cap is getting a boost to 70, are you worried at all about “Mudflation” of the economy?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: This is always a large concern when releasing a new expansion and something not easily addressed. From a gear standpoint, the top end game items (such as Awakened weapons) will remain competitive with the gear obtained through the new end-game. As content continues to release and players progress through the level 70 content, we will start to see a shift in gear to the latter.
)
From a gold inflation, price devaluation viewpoint, Eden Eternal was built from the ground up with robust gold sinks. Since this game was developed by an experienced MMORPG development team, the right measures were put in place a long time ago and continue to hold strong. We actively track all game items and currency (like the Federal Reserve =P) and make changes as needed. Having said that, Mudflation is to some extent inevitable, but it’s very minor in Eden Eternal and it shouldn’t concern the average player that much.
MMORPG: Can you share some info on the four new dungeons coming with the expansion?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: Two of the new dungeons take place outdoors, which is a nice change of pace for our players. All four dungeons contain new monsters and bosses to battle, unique to Shadows of the Past.
)
MMORPG: You also just added the 10v10 arenas for EE, right before the expansion. Can you go into your team’s philosophy on PVP and how this new feature has been received so far?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: Before we released the 10v10, our 3v3 was a huge success. Our players love the current PVP features Territory War and Arena. Since our expansion comes with primarily PvE content, we felt that releasing the 10v10 a tad early will allow our players more of what they love sooner and help build anticipation for the expansion!
MMORPG: What else can players expect to find in this new expansion? Stuff that might not have been highlighted too much in the press release.
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: This is the first time that the lore has had something tied to the world’s past, a compelling story of the corruption of the Zumi race and why there are no Sages anymore. Some other changes to guilds have been made, including an increased member limit and new crafting recipes. There will also be new class costumes for all players that reach 70 in addition to new gear sets for the Sage class.
)
MMORPG: And as always, we like to end these little Q&A’s with a more personal note: What’s the one thing you would tell anyone who’s hesitant to give EE a try? What would you say to sell the game to a hardcore MMO-er?
Andy “Chuck” Muesse: It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s competitive, and it’s free to play! What have you got to lose–give it a try and find out why thousands of players keep coming back for more!
To a hardcore player: You get to beat down foes in numerous PvP arenas, play literally any class at anytime, and learn a whole new aspect of what it’s like to be a team player and adapt to situations more than you ever have before. The only easy part of Eden Eternal is having a good time. =P
