Atlantica Online Localization - Taking on the Titan Server
Orion Al-Shamma-Jones, Localization Coordinator for Atlantica Online steps in and wirtes this week's Atlantica Online Dev Journal, talking about localizing the new Titan server in the game, which gives players more places to go, more content, and lots of competition.
I stand at the edge of a great stone port. The ship docked here was not always so grand. In times past, Columbus would stand on the ship, purchasing various weapons and armors for export to other parts of the world. In the ship unloading area, Fugger once stood near some imports, helping mercenaries find employment away from the heroes they serve. They have been displaced to a nearby courtyard by our latest, greatest feature, the Titan server.
This is my first look at the ship in-game. The server Titan is running on is brand new and has just been hooked up to our own test server, and in week's time Atlantica Online's North American player base will be getting their first taste of the Titan server, as well.
But I have no time to stand and stare in awe. I board the ship, and find myself on the deck of the great ship. Seagulls soar lazily overhead. Looking over the railing, I see the ocean waters flow past us as we make a fast clip onward, the ship effortlessly guiding itself through clusters of rocky islets. The background music, a fast-paced ode to the gladiators of the arena, reminds me of my destination. Titan server will be a place where players from all servers can meet, fight, and settle the ultimate question: "Who's the best PvPer in all of Atlantica?"
;)
The Titan server is a wide region for players from all corners of the game to explore and interact. Currently modeled off of Southern Europe, two times a week there will be a grand championship to determine the greatest fighter. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunity for players to trash talk each other and represent their server, and in the future we'll be expanding the functionality of Titan to include even more community and competition opportunities.
While not every new feature and aspect of the game is as groundbreaking as Titan, the same amount of care and effort goes into making sure the players get the best experience we can possibly provide. Of course, there are challenges, but we've done our best to rise up and meet them. Atlantica Online is unique in the sheer number of factors at play in any given interaction between two players. In Korea, Atlantica Online receives frequent updates not just to content, but to game balance. Meanwhile, in our version of Atlantica, we need to translate and localize all new content before we can release any major patches. So when Korean Atlantica takes small, frequent steps towards new balance, we end up with large leaps and bounds. On occasion this results in shocks to the players, who haven't been eased into whatever change happens, and sometimes we are stuck with an unpopular change until we release our next major patch.
;)
Of course, this is not an issue we take lying down. Because of our experiences with our most recent patches, and due to community concern, we've started testing game balance as well. After all, with so many balance changes going into each of our individual patches, it's easy for an unexpected change to slip through the cracks.
As Atlantica Online continues to grow, so does our commitment to delivering to our community the best journey this game can provide. We're not just adding new content, either. Since the game's initial release, we've expanded our translation and editing team, and we're currently working on improving the game's narrative to suit our Western audience.
Atlantica Online marches onward into the future, we foresee many years of adventure still to come. Over the next year alone will see great new features such as housing, new and varied mercenaries, and even more ways for players to express their unique individuality and style. And as long as this march continues, my team and I will be there to make sure that it's delivered to our fans outside of Korea, rain or shine.
