PvP will be entering Trove in a big way with the arrival of the 5v5 Battle Arena. We had the opportunity to speak with Executive Producer Andrew Krausnick about all of the special Trovian touches that are being brought to bear in the Battle Arena and about the possibility of even more PvP being added over time.
MMORPG: Please tell us your name and your position on the Trove team.
Andrew Krausnick: My name is Andrew Krausnick and I’m the Executive Producer of Trove!
MMORPG: Was PvP always a planned feature for Trove?
AK: We’ve always wanted to do it. I’m not sure that’s quite the same, but it’s pretty close. Our core game has been and is PvE – but that doesn’t mean PvP isn’t fun and a great way to use the same action combat mechanics and classes.
MMORPG: Battle Arena features a capture the flag motif. What special “Trove touches” have been added?
AK: Lots! We have randomized power up blocks throughout the arenas you can pick up. These give you temporary boosts via consumable, such as: speed, snare fields, AE heals, summoning combat chickens, and more. In addition we’ve kept the matches short (5 minutes!) and fast paced. It’s like candy.
MMORPG: Give us a quick and dirty look at how a match gets started and what happens during.
AK: There are two ways to play a match. The primary way to play is ‘quick play’. There’s a portal in the hub which you can use and drops you right into a match with some matchmaking. The second option is custom matches. You can build fully functional arenas in your own club worlds and then place portals which let you do battle using your own arenas. Both offer the same rewards, which are based on time, not performance (though winners do get a moderate +20% XP boost). After each map you will see your performance results and have the option to play again or dive back out to the wider world of Trove.
MMORPG: How has Battle Arena been received so far on PTR? Do you as devs get in there and play as well?
AK: We play there often, and the reception has been great. Especially since it has the most up to date tuning. For example towards the end of testing we’ve been increasing base player movement speed and projectile speed, which has really upped the speed of the mode as a whole in a fun way.
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MMORPG: Battle Arena has been on the PTR for a while now. What lessons has the team taken away from player feedback?
AK: People wanted a faster game! Also we ended up with a surprising amount of depth. We have a few emerging strategies that continue to evolve, and we’re looking forward to where it goes with customizable gear, power ups, and arenas.
MMORPG: What kind of reward currency is earned and what can it be used for?
AK: You earn experience which contributes to you ‘battle level’. This unlocks the ability to earn more rewards over time and a few special custom style unlocks. PvP itself has its own new slot, the Banner, which grants some stats and power up customization unique to pvp. You can break these down if you have extras to craft into additional rewards that are also tradable in the wider Trove economy.
MMORPG: Is any special gear required to participate?
AK: Banners make you better, but you can still be competitive even from the start. Your power level from the wider game doesn’t come in to play here.
MMORPG: Are there any plans to expand the number of players per team (currently 5)?
AK: We’re going to keep trying out game modes and who knows where we’ll go. We do like the level of contribution you get in a 5v5 match, however.
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MMORPG: What other PvP types are under consideration for future inclusion in Trove?
AK: We have a lot of demand for deathmatch, boat battles, and races. With our custom arenas we have plenty of space to try these ideas out and see what sticks.
MMORPG: Anything else you’d like to add? Please do!
AK: I think the custom arenas are something that’s going to really set this apart from the type of arenas you see in other MMOs. It will be fun to play with this on release but I think what’s really going to be big is what happens in a few weeks or months when we’ve seen some of the really great ones start to emerge from the community.
