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MMORPG.com: |
What can you tell us about the new class, The Witch? How is it that she is different from the other Mage subclasses and the other classes in DFO? |
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Mariko Ebina: |
The Mage class consists of four subclasses: Elementalist, Summoner, Battle Mage, and Witch. The Elementalist controls and manipulates the four elements, eventually embracing one of the four (Fire, Ice, Light, or Shadow). The Summoner reaches into the power of the Core and develops an ability to summon the spirits and beasts of Arad to aid her in combat. The Battle Mage attacks with close-range weapons and spells, and is protected by Chasers (magical spheres infused with elemental properties). The witch, who is the primary focus of the Act VII update, is a gifted student of the ancient texts and fights with a Familiar (a magical pet); as the name implies, she fights with a broomstick, attacking her enemies from the safety of the air. Compared to the other classes, she’s the smallest class in terms of physical stature, but she wields an immense magical power. Don’t let her appearance fool you. The minute you underestimate her, you’ll find yourself at her mercy! |
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MMORPG.com: |
The update also brings us a new Quest, known as the Hellkarium Quest, available to players at 47th level. What is it about Hellkarium that will draw DFO players in? |
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Mariko Ebina: |
At level 18, after successfully completing a quest, each class advances to a specific subclass. And at level 48, each subclass is given another opportunity to heighten their skills and become even more powerful by undergoing an awakening. These Hellkarium Weapons are created by smelting Hellkarium Ore (found only in the gauntlet-style Towers of the Dead and Illusion) and increase the character’s Active Awakening Skill. Awakened Dungeon Fighters will be even more powerful in dungeons, and more deadly in the PvP Arena. |
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Ray Cheon: |
Additionally, Hellkarium weapons are special since each of these weapons increases players’ Awakening skill level by 1. Since leveling up your Awakening skills require a lot of Skill Points, these Hellkarium weapons will be very useful for those players who use Awakening skills a lot. |
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MMORPG.com: |
Finally, the update also brings us to a brand new dungeon, known only as “Screaming Cavern.” What can we expect from that? |
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Mariko Ebina: |
Not only does this dungeon introduce our players to a whole new monster class (the Nugols), but it also delves deeper into the story of DFO. We’re led into this dark Underworld – untouched by time and space - where the Fifth Apostle Siroko once lay waste to the Giant Nugol. We also learn more about Aganzo’s painful past, and a mysterious friend of his that died by his hands… |
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MMORPG.com: |
How will Act VII ultimately affect the game overall? |
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Mariko Ebina: |
With Act VII, the very last subclass (Witch) will get its awakening. Her awakening into a Trickster has been a long time coming, and will be well worth the wait. And with the addition of Hellkarium weapons, all awakened Dungeon Fighters will be able to experience the power of a weapon that adds one skill level to an active awakening skill. |
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MMORPG.com: |
What's the reaction to Act VII that you're expecting to see out of both your old players and new players who may not have stepped up to the DFO table before? |
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Phuc Van Dinh: |
With every Act update we always want to open players' eyes (both old and new) to experiencing DFO in different ways. We want to continuously provide content updates so that players who've been with us from the beginning will remain engaged with the story and gameplay and will always find something new to enjoy. For those new to the DFO experience, we want them to feel that DFO has something to offer them regardless of what type of gamer they are. |
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MMORPG.com: |
When you release these episodic acts, do you see any change in playing style from your players as they adapt to the new content? |
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Ray Cheon: |
Yes, we do see a lot of changes with every update. From the shift in new character creation when a new class is introduced to market price of raw materials used in creating new items like Hellkarium weapons, there are a lot of changes. And yes, we do monitor and track those changes. The data will be used to balance future events and content updates. |
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MMORPG.com: |
Since DFO's release in June 2010, these content updates, or Acts, have been rather frequent. How important is it to Nexon that these releases stay regular and dynamic? |
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Ray Cheon: |
It is very important for us to constantly update DFO with new content to keep our players excited because that’s what our players want. One of our main goals is to aggressively update DFO in North America to the point where we reach content parity with the Korean version, and to do so without sacrificing the stability of the game. |
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MMORPG.com: |
What can fans hope to expect out of Act VIII, when the time does come? |
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Ray Cheon: |
I’m sorry but we cannot release any information about Act VIII yet but you’ll be one of the first to know when the time is right! |
