Zu Online Interview
MMORPG.com's Adele Caelia asked 10 questions to the developers of the MMORPG ZU Online. Today, we bring you those answers.
MMORPG.com: |
What is the history and lore behind ZU Online? What is taking place in its world? |
Zu Online: |
Zu Online is a 3D MMORPG which is based on Chinese traditional culture, specifically the cultivation of inner peace and wisdom in addition to intense Kung-fu training. In this game, Players will play the role of a hero that has come to the game world through the direction of the gods. There are lots of quests in the game, which will tell Players the stories of Zu Mountain. In the game, Players are able to learn various spells, take care of pets, create guilds and build mansions, challenge calamity or upgrade to an immortal title, etc. This is the exclusive game world of Zu Online that the Players will explore for fun and also for their own personal goals. |
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MMORPG.com: |
What kind of races can players expect to find here? What types of classes are there? |
Zu Online: |
There are five classes in Zu Online. They are 'The Sun Warriors', 'The Moonmaidens', 'The Swordsmen', 'The Bead Fairies' and 'The Summoners'. Actually, they belong to five clans respectively. Thus, we use "clan" instead of "class" in the game. |
MMORPG.com: |
Will there be a wide variety of armor and clothing? |
Zu Online: |
Yes. As a 3D MMORPG based on Chinese traditional culture, Zu Online has numerous magical trinkets to use and collect, as well as little trinkets and weapons of spiritualism and power apart from the usual common armor and clothing. |
MMORPG.com: |
What effect do the different clans have on game play, if any? |
Zu Online: |
The Sun Warriors: A defensive class. They are like tanks----Strong, skilled, and overwhelming. Moonmaidens: They are good at melee attacks. They can also place traps and turn invisible. The Swordsmen: They are good at casting ranged spells, especially area effect spells. Bead Fairies: A support class. They are good at healing. They can also launch formations for summoning minions to help and reinforce themselves and their allies. The Summoners: They are good at summoning minions to help fight and making durative damage. |
MMORPG.com: |
Please explain the zodiac feature. Does it have an effect on the characters in the world, or is it just for fun? |
Zu Online: |
The Twelve Mascots are a highlight in traditional Chinese culture and are also a very important feature in our game which both have important effects on the characters and add more fun to the game. The fist step to start ZU Online for the players is to choose one mascot as his spirit from the 12 traditional animals and during the 'Lucky Period' of their spirit they will their Mascots Blessing for rapid level-up. |
MMORPG.com: |
Will there be PvP in the game? If so, how can players participate? |
Zu Online: |
Dishonor System: In Zu Online, PK is divided into an honorable kill and a dishonorable kill. A Dishonorable kill will give the offending Player Dishonor Points. When the Dishonor Points reach a certain amount, the Player's name will turn red. Killing a Player with a red name will not cause punishment in the form of dishonor points. What's more, with the more Dishonor Points you accumulate, the Player will have a higher chance of dropping items and even their exp might be deducted if they meet their demise. Killing low level Players will produce a more severe punishment. Occupy territories: There are lots of resource points in the game world. If a guild member occupies one, his/her guild will obtain glowstones dropped by nearby monsters pro rata. Occupy mansions: In the game, there are some scenes called "mansions" for Players to occupy. A guild having a mansion will have abundant resources. Besides, mansions can be upgraded to give birth to more functions. These guilds should guard their mansion, or their mansion may be taken by another guild easily. Freight: There are different kinds of resources around the game world of Zu Online. Thus Players can buy in and sell some items at a profit in different regions. But there is great risk during shipping, because once the character meets his demise the character will lose all the goods he is carrying. Other Players can also choose to kill the players in transit and rob their goods. PVP Mode: In some special regions (such as at a mansion) or state (such as freight), players will be in PVP mode automatically. PK between Players in PVP mode will give no punishment. >PVP Contest: Players can join in an in-game contest in the form of party play, such as monster slaying contests, item gathering contests, etc. The winners of these contests will obtain handsome rewards. There are also special event contests. Players can get in line to join a special event contest in the form of party play by using an auto-matching system. Then once there are enough groups in line, a special event will be opened for the groups to compete in different forms, such as capture the flag, PK, kill the boss, etc. The winners of these special event contests will obtain rewards too. |
MMORPG.com: |
Tell us about the graphics. Is there anything that sets them apart or makes them unique from other games? |
Zu Online: |
Zu Online graphics were elaborately designed with a combination of traditional Chinese Wash and pop cartoon. We wanted to create a unique and fresh style which is different from the realistically occidental style and single cartoon style from Japan and Korea. What we strived to create was a style which matches the atmosphere in the Zu World and not something singly different. |
MMORPG.com: |
What kind of items can players expect to find in the item mall? Will they need these items to progress, or can they use items they find or buy in game? |
Zu Online: |
For more information about the charge system and item mall in Zu Online, please pay attention to the bulletins on our website. We will be releasing a very thorough introduction to and instructions on how to use it. |
MMORPG.com: |
What kind of support can guilds expect to find in game? |
Zu Online: |
The Guilds are called "Class" in Zu Online. The Players can establish class for themselves and thus compete for the limited mounts to develop as their mansion. Usually the mounts are rich in treasures sources as well, and the Players can still develop characteristic mount mansions for themselves. Of course please take care of the defense of the mount while busy with the construction. |
MMORPG.com: |
What do you think is Zu Online's best feature? What will draw players to the game the most, and set it apart from others of this type? When do you expect the game to go live? |
Zu Online: |
The best feature of Zu Online lies in the traditional Chinese culture that pervades all elements of the game, especially the cultivation of inner peace and wisdom as well as the expected intense Kung-fu training. The mystic oriental culture, the ancient battle between good and evil, and a system that includes many innovative and unique features all combine to create Zu Online, a game that will captivate the imagination. Furthermore, we plan to launch open-beta on Aug, 28th. |