A new interview from Gamescom sheds some light on some of Amazon’s plans for its release of NCSoft’s Throne and Liberty. Topics covered include PvP, concerns over autoplay, monetization, combat, and possible console release.
The original interview with Amazon Games’ Merv Lee Kwai is by MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch. That is in German, but fan site ThroneandLiberty.online has shared some translated details.
Some concerns about Throne and Liberty and what it will look like when it makes its global release, have surfaced based on beta testing that was not under NDA. One of the biggest complaints is about autoplay, and some felt that having elements that led the game essentially play itself wasn't engaging. Some even compared it to mobile games. In our interview with Merv Lee Kwai from Summer Game Fest, Kwai mentioned that they have heard the feedback, but had no details on autoplay.
For the global version, according to this new interview, Amazon has deactivated autoplay, but they are not committing to this being the final decision yet, saying that feedback will determine how things go. Another change for the Western version is that Amazon will not sell certain items that are considered pay to win. An example given is a token in the original that will let you auto-farm for 8 hours after you log out. Those things will be out.
With the promise of large-scale battles and PvP focus in the game, a few details of note were also shared. The world will be a mostly PvE world, but Kwai commits to Throne and Liberty being a PvP MMORPG, with most things taking place in the open world. Also be a combat stage opening up every couple of days and this will be announced beforehand before that zone becomes a PVP zone.
The Western edition will also turn off free PvP at night in the world, although there will be certain dungeons, with PvP, that are only open at night. Amazon is also working on PVE dungeons to give players an option.
When it comes to castle sieges, so far there's only one castle and sieges will happen every two weeks. Guilds taking part will be able to form alliances with each other to avoid friendly fire. Those guilds that come out on top in the siege will even get tax control over the territory until the next siege. But they’ll have to go and claim the money and bring it back, leaving them open to a robbery by savvy competitors.
Amazon is also looking forward to testing a console version and hopes to launch PC and console at the same time with crossplay, but those plans are still unclear.
