It's hard to believe that Runes of Magic is celebrating its tenth anniversary, but it is! We're celebrating right alongside the development team with an exclusive interview with Associate Game Manager Belen Banos Trujillo.
MMORPG: Runes of Magic has a rich history, tell us what it is like to reach your ten-year anniversary?
Belen Banos Trujillo: Reaching this big milestone is super exciting for us as well as the community.
Runes of Magic has been part of many players’ lives for a very long time. Some of them started playing when they were very young, and 10 years later they still find themselves playing with friends and family. It sounds crazy doesn’t it? 10 years is such a long time and yet, it feels like it went by so fast!
There have been 7 Chapters released through for Runes of Magic throughout the years. New races and classes were added since the release, new systems like the Mirror World, the Zodiac and Draco pets, new zones and instances, and countless quests…There’s literally 10 years of content to be explored and experienced, and that doesn’t include guild competitions, or events such as the 10th Anniversary we have going on right now.
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For me personally, it is amazing to be a part of this celebration. I worked in Runes of Magic years ago (closely to the community ??), and I just recently came back to the team – just in time to celebrate with everyone! I am very happy to see so many familiar names coming back online. It is very nice to see veteran and returning players showing some of the many new ones that have joined where to find certain items, or where to go for some quests.
MMORPG: How has the community changed over the years? What is something about them that surprises you?
BBT: You would think that after such a long time together the community would be a very closed group, but I believe it’s the opposite. They are very open and helpful towards newcomers and often help other players with whatever questions they might have. That’s what surprises the most, I know communities that after many years just turn into a one massive clique that isolates new-comers, but in Taborea everyone feels welcomed!
I think that we have a very committed community that sticks to the game not only for the content, but also for the social aspects. Now when we have specific events such as the ones for the 10th Anniversary, it becomes somewhat of an in-game festival that everyone can celebrate together.
MMORPG: What design ideas went into the Legend of Taborea costume for long time veterans? Did you want to pay homage over the years?
BBT: Runes of Magic has a community that has played the game for a long time. We have many players who have been there from the beginning and are still adventuring through Taborea. These guys are absolute legends. Runes of Magic turning 10 years would be nothing without the community, so we also want to celebrate this important milestone with them with these specific items. Ultimately, it is also their anniversary!
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MMORPG: Is now a good time for players to start a new character with some of the anniversary boosts you are offering?
BBT: Absolutely! Not only we have boosts running that will speed up leveling for those that prefer to go a little faster, but there are also a lot of other events during the anniversary celebrations with plenty of rewards and gifts that come in handy during your adventures.
We are pleasantly surprised to see thousands of new players coming in to the game. Some of them have friends that want them to catch up as fast as possible so that they can adventure together, and some of these items allow them to make it possible at a pace that fits with their goals and gameplay.
MMORPG: Can you give us three highlights over the years which define Runes of Magic?
BBT: Overall, I think what defines Runes of Magic is a combination of things that makes it quite unique including the multi-class system together with the deep customization system, the guild castles that provide players with a space to interact with fellow guildies, the siege wars where guilds can compete against guilds from different servers, just to name a few at the top of my head…
Along the more defining highlights, I would say the fight against Sirloth in the Hall of the Demon Lord during chapter II was a pretty epic moment for everyone, as well as one of my personal favorites.
Another - not really that defining, but one of my personal favorites took place some years ago: the first Alpaca Race! We summoned everyone to Varanas, gave them an alpaca and made a race through Silverspring. It was hilarious! A mass of players riding alpacas all together through the road to Tagena! And the winners of the race got keep the Alpaca mount ??
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MMORPG: Do you have plans for the game over the rest of 2019? We look forward to more!
BBT: The final part “Legacy of the Soulless” is still to come. Although I can’t talk about dates just yet, I can say that the upcoming patch will wrap up the current story-line throughout the last island of the Shataem Archipelago.
There many cool things in the works, and we are really looking forward to sharing them with you soon, but for now we are very happy to see so many new and returning faces joining our awesome community’s celebratory mood. We are focusing our efforts on making this 10-year anniversary a special moment for them all!
