MMORPG: The first thing that comes to mind with the dragons is... Pokemon. But way more mature, and I mean this comparison in a good way. How hard was it coming up with so many dragons that are all unique?
Roy Tang: It is actually quite a challenge to develop a vast amount of dragons that are all unique. There is an extensive amount of lore available on dragons, as they have and always will be a vital part of the fantasy genre, but when attempting to create hundreds of unique dragons for one game, your imagination becomes tasked.
The two main areas we focused on to make each individual dragon type stand out were physical appearance and dragon ability. In terms of physical appearance, we have of course very classical looking dragons, but we've also added many different elements and details to come up with very new and exotic looking dragons. Players will come across dragons which are somewhat familiar and some which will be quiet different than what they had seen before. Appearance is important, but the more important area is the dragon abilities. Different dragons the players catch will have different skills which cater to different playing styles. Skills range from supportive, damage dealing, healing, and everything in between. We wanted to make sure the players can feel a very noticeable difference in combat when fighting alongside different dragons. This is very similar to a second class system, where players can change the role they would like to be depending on which type of dragon they call out of their Lair.
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MMORPG: In what way will a player's actions shape the dragons they raise?
Roy Tang: With each dragon already being unique, we took it a step further, and implemented a Lair system where players can truly personalize their dragon. Once captured, players can place the dragon into the Lair, and train and develop the dragon's abilities to suit their own playing style and purpose.
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MMORPG: How does the dragon flight system work? What physics are behind the engine?
Roy Tang: We wanted to make flight as simple as possible so all players will be able to fly without having to think too much about the controls. We have created a massive world with lots of hidden secrets and passageways for the players to immerse themselves in and explore. Currently flight is a direct point-and-go (Editor's note: think Warcraft) so players can focus on the beautiful world they are in and the adventure they are embarking upon.
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MMORPG: How does the Frontier and Housing system work together? Would you say this is a more "sandbox" aspect to the game, as opposed to the themepark nature of RoM?
Roy Tang: The housing system is actually a part of the many features we will have available in the Frontier. Players will have the freedom to actually own land, build their house, and decorate however they like. There will be many different styles of houses and furniture available to the players so they can create something truly unique. This will all take place on the real world map, allowing other players to interact with your house. So after a long day's adventuring, you and your group can return to your home, sit down by the fire, and start dividing the loot.
Dragon's Prophet North Americais in closed beta. Head to the official site to sign up.
Interested players can also gain VIP access to the closed beta through the purchase of one of three Dragon Packs. Find out more at the official site.
