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Atlantica Online Interviews: One Year Q&A
MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller had a chance recently to speak with Atlantica Online's Product Manager, Teddy Kim about the game's one year anniversary and what the past year has meant for the game.
By Garrett Fuller on October 12, 2009
| MMORPG.com: | Atlantica Online has been out for one year now. How has the game grown? |
| Teddy Kim : | Similar to many other living beings, Atlantica has changed significantly during its first year. Content-wise, we've added three new mercenaries (with many more on the way), several new instanced dungeons (designed for parties, guilds, or nations), countless new quests and NPCs, tons of new items and features, swarms of enemies/mobs, and 50 more levels to the level cap. While a lot of the core gameplay remains the same, the overall game experience has expanded to embody a lot more game. In addition to content, Atlantica has launched hundreds of contests and events giving away prizes ranging from in-game items to a brand new Scion tC! What's important to note is that throughout Atlantica's evolution and growth, our users have been at the forefront of driving factors for growing the game. |
| MMORPG.com: | What do you have planned as an event for your one year anniversary? |
| Teddy Kim : | Our one year anniversary is a very special occasion and we wanted to do things that both new and existing players would enjoy. For our existing players, we have our tournaments with greater cash prizes, and for our newer players, we wanted to target the initiatives of social growth with events circling community building. Given the understanding of gameplay and our player base's interests, we also wanted to give players, both new and existing, an opportunity to drive the expansion of Atlantica Online through the development of a new mercenary. As part of our one year celebration, we will be hosting a mercenary design contest where players can bring their own concepts to life in the world of Atlantica. So if you think you have a cool idea for a mercenary, start drafting away! But that's not all - we have several other events that will be announced very soon. |
| MMORPG.com: | Looking back are there any changes you wish you could have made to the game before launch? |
| Teddy Kim : | We wanted to ultimately have a game with great content and the good thing about online games is that they can constantly be improved and added to. Looking back at launch, anything that we might have wanted to add has been added over this past year and we hope to continue doing just that - constantly improve the game and add new features that players will enjoy, resulting in more player engagement and mindshare outside of the game. |
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| MMORPG.com: | Have you been able to work with players over the first year of development to meet their expectations? |
| Teddy Kim : | A large amount of Atlantica Online's evolution has been driven by feedback and suggestions from our players. We also wanted to include brand new, additional content that we knew the players would enjoy. Basically, the goal is to create a better environment for the players and a huge part of that is considering what the players want. |
| MMORPG.com: | How has Atlantica's monetization worked over the first year? With micro-transactions and subscription models being debated, are you happy with your choice? |
| Teddy Kim : | Atlantica's monetization over the first year has primarily revolved around providing players choice within an engaging world that's free-to-play. Our intention from the very beginning has been to offer a compelling experience to the consumer to get in and play. Our microtransaction model offers choices of convenience and customization to players so that they can pay according to their level of engagement. |
| MMORPG.com: | Players have commented that character customization is something they would like to see more of, what are your plans for customization? |
| Teddy Kim : | We don't want to spoil anything, but there are some additional character customization features in the pipeline. We encourage players to stay tuned to see what's next! With several holiday events in the near horizon, players won't have to wait very long. |
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| MMORPG.com: | What goals have you set for the game in year two? |
| Teddy Kim : | One of our goals is to offer more flexibility and choice, and whether it's through playing the game or using the Item Mall, we feel that it will ultimately help us do a better job of engaging our players. |
| MMORPG.com: | How have players responded to the goals you set within year one? |
| Teddy Kim : | We've generated a lot of excitement in sharing our goals throughout the year. Atlantica Online still has a lot of potential and there is so much more we want to accomplish. So, to our players, please cheer us on while we strive to reach our goals in the future! |
| MMORPG.com: | Are there new content updates planned for the game? |
| Teddy Kim : | We are constantly improving and adding to the game in order to increase player enjoyment and regularly release content patches for new content and features. |
| MMORPG.com: | What has been the best part about seeing Atlantica Online reach its one year anniversary? |
| Teddy Kim : | The best part about seeing Atlantica Online reach its one year anniversary is seeing how many of our players have supported us during this growing and momentous time. We've had an opportunity to watch our game evolve and watch our player base grow and become such an enthusiastic and supportive group. Some of our continuing goals are focused around garnering excitement and passion from our players and we hope to continue providing our users with a quality experience. |
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Wow talk about a spin doctor, most of those answers were just nonsense or completely skirted the question.
Probably the most worthless interview I have seen on this site.
The content in the responses was exactly like the content in the sub level 100 game...far too thinly stretched out & lacking in depth & meaning.
Stupid softball interviews, softball questions, and Salesman answers.
Worthless read, I want my 3 minutes back.
The questions were pretty awful. I'm guessing they were hand picked by the developer,
Wow, that interview was horrible, even for a fluff PR piece. I've played the game for 9 months now (reaching 120th level the other day) and most of what he say either isn't true, or is only vaguely true.
New content? Very little, and much of the new content is almost impossible to acquire or do without heavy cash shop usage. And much of it (the new mercs) are worthless
Sure, they had a bunch of contests. But for the vast majority of people they gave away nothing, completely worthless stuff. It would have been better to take the money from the car and spread it out among all the active players.
And that they could give away the car, tells you how much they gouge from players from the cash shop.
Working with players? The game is designed in Korea, and simply brought over to the US. I can't think of a single way they have listened or changed the game for overseas players. Their whole feedback is having a poll on the main website, then doing nothing with regards to the results.
The only changes to the game have basically been nerfs, making it harder and requiring more and more cash shop usage.
The basic gameplay of Atlantica is great (which is why I've spent so much time playing it). But the way it's run is horrible. It's a shame that gaming journalists don't ask hard questions. Then again, that seems something missing in journalism today as well.
And here we go... the useless complaining and whining ensues.
You complain about your 3 minutes, what about the 5 minutes it took you to find the keys to write that response?
Is Stamina still in the game?
I'm still protesting.
Hey, its the "Correspondent" who got thoroughly thrashed and discredited in the last AO thread.
Let me be straight up, I'm happy that you still enjoy the game as much as you do. *I* still enjoy the game, though not as much as I did in the past, and not as much as I think I could in the future if the game grows in certain directions.
PR fluff pieces like the "interview" have their place. It's just a shame that this has been the only Q&A we've had with the Dev's in quite a long time.
Quite a lot of the angst that you're up in arms about comes from the lack of information we aren't getting from the game management. They won't ever be able to please *ALL* the players, but a real Q&A, perhaps with questions submitted by the players, would have been a good thing.
Giving us real information (rather than "housing and 100v100 coming Soon (no really, I know we've been spouting this same line for what, 6? 8? months now, we mean it this time)" say "well, we had meant for housing to be done by Aug, but between global economic downturn, a few persistent and game breaking bugs, and a few things we can't tell you about yet; it has and will be delayed for a bit. We're in the home stretch however, and expect to bring it to the test server within a few patches") lets us plan, gives us the foundation to dream and invest ourselves into the game.
That means more player retention, and more cash shop spending.
For most of the player base, stamina is a non-issue. Only a tiny percentage are effected by it. For those folks they just added stamina pills (likely as a way to quiet some of the lingering anti-stamina hate *AND* to add another gold-sink to the economy).
Grouping (true grouping, not LDP) or bewitching also makes your stamina last significantly longer, while speeding up your kill speeds.
Teddy Kim : "A large amount of Atlantica Online's evolution has been driven by feedback and suggestions from our players. We also wanted to include brand new, additional content that we knew the players would enjoy. Basically, the goal is to create a better environment for the players and a huge part of that is considering what the players want."
LOL and OMG
In a whole year I've yet to see anything added that players have suggested, matter of fact, everything they have done has been the exact opposite of what players have requested. I know, it's a cheap fluff piece (the author who put his tag to this should be "interview" should be embarassed.)
And of course, "Teddy", so many players enjoy your additions that this must be why the game has lost a good 50-60% of it's original playerbase, few people join and those that do never stay long anymore. The official forums and most offsite mmo forums are riddled with players leaving and their reasons why. 95% despise the direction the game has taken and the other 5% just don't care anymore...LOL Members of the newest server claim a population of 15 players in the major city Rome sometimes and feel so desolate they suggest server merges to have someone to play with..LOL Nothing but nerfs, overpowered mobs and content to force item mall usage (And alot of it at that) in the last 6 months.
TELL THE TRUTH!
FIGHT THE FLUFF!
Please pretty please some decent company make a game with a similar combat system..and i'm talking mmo. preferably p2p. Be it even another f2p but not ran by guys like this for which greed knows no boundaries. Played a few f2p games now and then but dont think i saw one with a more awful cash shop
And in walks the noob with 4 posts, talking nonsense. Trashed and Discredited? Explain, please.
very bad interview, only nonsense said.
first i have to say, i find the game really interesting and i play it since the beginning, but:
after starting the game as f2p, with every patch and every new content they try to force (and they will continue with this, i fear) people to use item mall. with every change the game becomes harder for those not willing to spend lots of dollars in the item shop.
greed was said in a former post - i think this describes it very well. it's really a pity.
lol wow interview was just like the game is becoming .. lame
Worst interview ever ( atlantica player since day 1 CB ) . If they keep this way up the game will go down in max 1 year :)
Useless complaining? You post is about as trollish as you can get.
This game has serious issues and it is not getting better it is getting worse. The idea of a forum is to discuss such and let others know that these problems do exist. If you don't feel there are problems, then say so and put forth your reasons instead of being a troll.
"And in walks the noob with 4 posts, talking nonsense. Trashed and Discredited? Explain, please. "
I think the only nonsense in this thread is yours.
So please take your whines somewhere else.
And Garrett, I expect far better from you. I am rather surprised you even attached you name to this travesty.
I have a level 97 and 106 character on AO I have left. My main reason for leaving spend way too long questing in the same places not enough fluid movement to new places ( Egypt onwards).
Time spent in Ygddrasil and Constantinople especially was seriously dull, once I got Spartan there was no further desire to progress.
It was either endless quest grind in same locations or to Alcatraz nation dungeon every opportunity. Plenty of new content item mall wise.
Frustrating as it is I have spent more money there than any other mmo and never got what I had to gamble boxes towards.
Lacks reward for time put in at high level, maybe I am being too harsh as it is f2p and mmo's improve or should over time.
All in all this Q+A hasn't sparked my interest to go back one bit which is a real shame.
i'm just hoping that by miracle some other company will publish and EU english version at least since international one will be impossible....but this is just wishful thinking unfortunately