G-Star Interview

MMORPG.com:

As an introduction to Archlord, what type of game is it, and what is its basic premise or concept? What are its high-level design goals, and what types and balance of gameplay does it aim to provide / emphasize? When did commercial service begin, and in what parts of the world is the game currently available? In what languages?

S.J. Hong:

Archlord is a blend of fantasy & medieval action providing a unique experience to Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming. It has been globally serviced by WEBZEN since October, 2009 with 5 language options including English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Set deep in the Middle Ages, with an ever-evolving storyline of conquest and betrayal between four unique races including Human, Orc, Moonelf and DragonScion. The game presents an epic adventure in which players band together as they quest and fight each other for the ancient relics of the Archons, which bestow incredible power on those who possess it, and when Archons are combined, they deliver ultimate forces. There can only be one Archlord.

MMORPG.com:

What differentiates ArchLord from other MMORPGs that seem to have similar designs and features? Since all games claim to be different, why should our readers believe ArchLord actually is?

S.J. Hong:

Archlord introduces one of the most advanced and complex PVP combat systems ever seen within any MMORPG, utilizing sprawling free battle areas, allowing players to participate in fearsome guild versus guild battles as well as race versus race war. And most of all, Archlord features one distinctive attraction compared to any other MMOGs; the opportunity to rise to become the game world's supreme ruler. Every month, one player will take control of the world of Archlord and with it gain the opportunity to wreak havoc on their cowering enemies using the supreme, global powers of the ruler, the Archlord.

MMORPG.com:

Archlord has been serviced by WEBZEN for two years now. How has the game grown in that time? How and why have you been able to achieve this growth?

Robin Lee:

There were some changes and updates during the last two years. Updates were the Level-free Dungeon 'Chaotic Frontier', Race-vs-race battlegrounds, Hybrid-race Dragon Scion, and the high-level content Heaven's Hell. We've received lots of different feedback from our global communities, and most were very supportive. The Archlord communities have lots of players who have a deep affection for our game, so they actively expressed their opinions to us, and I believe that it became our indicator for development. Also, each country has its own way to enjoy the content or events. For example, players in Europe are generally enthusiastic about PvP. However, players in North America are more into the content based on game scenarios. Players in South America are more into character development. Regardless of the different preference, our players love to play with players in other countries too.

MMORPG.com:

What has been the best part about seeing Archlord reach its 2 years anniversary?

Robin Lee:

We continued to create best content with the Archlord studio to respond to our supportive players, and every time we had an update we've tried to incorporate players' opinions and support the localization elements to ensure high customer satisfaction. We've applied the diverse game elements that were suggested by customers such as new content, events, character balance, bug fixes, price changes for purchased items, game level, etc. Also, if there were issues that occurred during gameplay, we did our best to fix the issue rapidly. We will continue to consider this as a priority.

MMORPG.com:

The Archlord client is currently providing 5 multi-language options including English. Are there any more language updates you plan to support? How is the quality of the English in the game? How is the quality of the English-language customer support? What steps have you take to make sure both of these are at the levels western gamers expect?

Robin Lee:

We are likely to process the additional language support based on our marketing plan. We are currently targeting Turkey, so we are planning to localize our game in Turkish. About the existing languages, we will continue to support the game with the best localization content. Webzen considers language service as an important element for global service, so we've invested lots of resources and manpower on multi-language support. We don't have the perfect language support yet, but in order to improve the level of the language support, we will actively incorporate feedback from local users. Currently, we have 15 local volunteers, and we will continue to extend support on languages.

MMORPG.com:

Are there new content updates planned for the game? What are you willing to say about your plans for the future of the game? What goals have you set for the game in year 2012? What does the future hold for Archlord beyond next year?

S.J. Hong:

In December, we will restructure the existing low level 'Battle Square' dungeon by dividing levels 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, and it will be a raid dungeon. Players can play PvP with players in their level, and it will be possible to hunt raid bosses by playing together. Also, we will add more content such as 40 new epic style weapons, which are only provided in 'Battle Square'. In 2012, we will continue to have abundant content such as level adjustment, new areas, new items, etc. From end of 2012 to 2014, we are planning to add a new class per race in the game. We are targeting to release the first update, a new class for humans, in the end of 2012. We will continue to focus on game content updates and system renewal. Also, we will do our best to create the best game environment for our players.

MMORPG.com:

Is there anything else that you'd like to tell our readers (e.g. have any important features or elements not been addressed?), something you'd like to ask them, or any other closing thoughts?

S.J. Hong:

I would like to thank Archlord users for continuous love, and we will do our best to make an enjoyable game. We promise to show the continued improvement and stability in gameplay.