MMORPG.com: Firstly, I’d like to thank you for taking your time to address some questions regarding your new exciting game, Gloria Victis.
For those who have never heard of the game before what are some core elements of the game that they could look forward to?
Jog Grochowski: Our main concept is to create a Medieval based game with Mount & Blade style combat and a sandbox crafting system. Most of the content is not very fantasy themed though. Also, we have partial loot system which allows you to steal your victim’s equipment. The amount of lootable items depends on many factors, like the enemy’s nation or reputation which creates a lot of fun for hardcore PvP players whilst still defending newbies from griefing.
MMORPG.com: That’s quite a unique concept, what audience is the game aimed at?
Jog Grochowski: We are heading towards the mature players with both the game setting and game difficulty.
MMORPG.com: Is it built more for hardcore players or would those who play casually still be catered to?
Jog Grochowski: We are doing our best to provide as much help as possible for casual players. Not everyone has to be a warrior looting other players. If they will be willing to join the crafters guild and avoid main war lands they will be much safer there. Still, hardcore players will be fighting for best resources with our territory taking system.
MMORPG.com: How does the combat system in Gloria Victis function, expanding on the Mount & Blade style?
Jog Grochowski: Our combat system is pretty unique for MMO's as its non-target, so you have to block with your shield, aim at your opponent and try to get as many headshots as you can! Like in Mount and Blade
MMORPG.com: Now that sounds pretty awesome, excited to test that out on a grandiose battlefield.
An important aspect is crafting, which many recent games have shoved aside and turned to a universal side profession. How does Gloria Victis differ and how important will the crafting system be?
Jog Grochowski: Basically our entire economy will be player driven, nearly every item (except the basic ones) has to be crafted, so crafters will be the best friends of fighters. There are 10 craft types with 100 levels on each, but players have only 200 crafting points to spend so they can choose if they want to master two types or pick more with less effectiveness. Everyone can be a crafter but there will be a Wisdom character attribute which will have less fighting bonuses and more crafting bonuses, so you will be able to focus your character as a crafter but still be able to handle a sword.
In addition, the game economy is crafting based but mobs will still drop loot. That is, useful stuff that will assist crafting, like boar skin from boars (which you can then craft) and not full plate armours.
MMORPG.com: Now you have me very excited to see the crafting system in action on a large scale. Now, in Gloria Victis you can choose from four nations, how will they impact a player’s day to day experience in the game?
Jog Grochowski: There are two main "alliances", but still as history teaches us even alliances were fighting against each other, so war will be raging on many levels.
At this moment for example, players have to choose between two nations - Midlanders and Ismirs. They are allied against their enemies, the Sangarians and Azebians but still, due to limited resources they keep fighting against themselves.
Currently, players start on Stoneholm Island, which is populated both by Ismirs and Midlanders. At the main resources terrains there are flags which can be taken by one of those nations, after its taken NPC guards spawn and defend this territory for the nation which seized the flag. Also, as we are an open PvP game, looting another nation lets you pick more items than looting an Ismir warrior as a Midlander.
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MMORPG.com: Are you permitted to attack your own nation?
Jog Grochowski: Yes, it’s completely open PvP so players are free to attack who they wish.
MMORPG.com: Do you have set areas that act as a specific zone for Guild vs Guild (Warbands) or any type of specific Group combat?
Jog Grochowski: At the moment ‘flag’ zones are the main Nation vs Nation battle zone. There we are doing events from time to time to check server stability etc. As for Guild vs Guild, not yet but later there will be territories handled by guilds instead of nations.
MMORPG.com: Looking forward to that, also what can players expect in terms of progression?
Jog Grochowski: At this moment our core team is focusing on optimisation improvements and fixing bugs, as Pre-Alpha has many of them. Meanwhile, a few people are working on new systems and in the next month we will focus on the buff/debuff system, including healing from eating, bleeding etc.
One of the main things to do, since it’s Pre-Alpha, is levelling and crafting, which leads to PvP fights, so I would say we have the basics of most fun systems done. However, character progression is not that big with each level so players at lower levels can still kill higher level players thanks to their fighting skills and not only level or gear.
