Lineage II has been running on the subscription model for years now, with a steady hardcore fanbase. Why make the decision to go F2P now?

Combining the latest trends in the marketplace with our upcoming largest content update ever, we saw the opportunity to continue to support our hardcore fanbase while adding a new generation of players to the game. There are always new MMOs fighting for attention among the broader MMO audience, and we felt that converting to our Truly Free model puts us back into consideration among those that may not have considered playing under a typical subscription model.

When your press release says “Completely” Free to Play, how exactly do you mean? Obviously the game has to earn money somehow, so what will players be spending their dollars on?

Truly Free means that other than L2 Store items, Lineage II: Goddess of Destruction is completely free to play. There are no limits on access to character creation, races, classes, skills, zones, bosses, quests, clans, crafting, warehouse, auction house, chat, mail, forums, customer support, and so on. This more closely resembles the Freemium model than the typical ‘Free to Play’ model used by other MMOs. The L2 Store™ will offer items to supplement your gameplay in the form of XP and Skill Point boosts, potions, buffs and other consumable supplies, as well as cosmetic items and hunting helpers…all of which are completely optional.

One of many things a F2P conversion does for a game is bring in a lot of new players. What sorts of improvements have you made to handle new players, and more so… to make sure they’re not feeling too far behind in a game that’s been around for a while?

The new player experience and the first 76 levels have been revamped to make the game a lot more accessible and to allow new players to close the gap with veteran players faster. Additionally when we launch Goddess of Destruction we will have new fresh servers that players can choose to start on if they wish.

There’s a new starting area set to ease players into the game then, can you tell us more about that? How does it differ from the game’s original “tutorial” process?

It is not just a new starting area but a completely revamped new player experience. All races now start in the same town (Talking Island) where new and veteran players will meet since this is also the place where you Awaken (unlock new classes) at level 85. The leveling process from level 1 to 76 has been streamlined and is now quest based and much faster than before. The tutorials have also been revamped to offer a more comprehensive and user-friendly overview of all the different game systems.

Leveling from 1-99 used to be an arduous process. Has this been updated for the new model, so that players might get into the high level siege and PVP more quickly?

The entire XP curve has been revisited. It will be much easier to reach the previous level cap of 85, and a lot of help will be given to the players along the way in the form of free Item Pack Boosters. The Castle Siege and Territory Wars will be open to everyone and the Grand Olympiad Competition will change to level 85+ (Awakened) characters only.

Tell us a bit more about Goddess of Destruction. You’re launching the largest game update for free alongside the F2P version of the game, claiming it has 400 hours of gameplay. Could you elaborate on how you came to this number?

Essentially it defines an average player as one that plays a few hours a day, and extrapolates that on the amount of new and redesigned content available. Players will find they can reach level 40 in a few hours, and level 85 and beyond in a few months.

What sorts of new classes are there for players to experience at level 85? Can we get a rundown of what makes them each tick?

The class system has been consolidated after level 85 in order to strengthen the PvP balance and make grouping more enjoyable. Some of the new classes include the Wynn Summoner, who can use up to 4 different summons at the same time and the Iss Enchanter which is a hybrid melee fighter with some very powerful buffs. You can find all the details about the new classes, including videos, on our GD preview site.

What other improvements has the team made to L2 to keep it fresh despite its age?

Lineage II has been constantly updated over the years. Our last content update that we launched in February was High-Five and included many requests that our players have made in the past such as an improved leveling experience and some changes to the Grand Olympiad to make it more competitive. We are also running events on a regular basis and more content updates are planned after the launch of Goddess of Destruction!

Now we have to ask the question you knew was coming: where’s our Lineage III? We can only assume that it’s not halted production, has it?

NCsoft has a ton of exciting products and announcements on the horizon. We look forward to sharing those with you when we’re ready.

Thanks so much for your time!