We go behind the scenes with 1C's first MMO
25 November 2010 | By Import
Strategy Informer: Most PC gamers will know you for your Kings Bounty series, so the best place to start is with some background. What’s the whole idea behind Royal Quest?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Many years ago when we just launched the development of King’s Bounty, we had a couple of boxes with World of Warcraft. Quite a few people in the company are fans of Blizzard, and we used it to our benefit. In just a couple of days we understood that sooner or later we would do something for online. The final concept of our ММО shaped up just a few years ago when we had already spent lots of hours playing various – both good and fair – online games.
Strategy Informer: Everyone knows the MMORPG market is extremely competitive, so why the choice to do a MMO?
Ivan Magazinnikov: We are of an opinion that online market still has some potential, and we feel that it’s high time for us to use the knowledge and skills we have accumulated to create a game like this.
Strategy Informer: What in Royal Quest sets the game apart from others – what makes it unique?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Presently the games tend to be similar to the market leaders like Lineage or World of Warcraft, and it is totally incorrect − it’s extremely hard to compete with the titans and most often the competition is very painful. As for us we want to get our own niche of dynamic action games with isometric camera, where the game worlds are small and compact, and the player never gets bored or tired of travelling around and waiting for a long time to kill a monster.
Strategy Informer: The art style looks particularly unusual (in a good way) – how did the design come about?
Ivan Magazinnikov: The experience we gained while working on the previous game King’s Bounty helped us here a lot. When it comes to inspiration, we watch good movies, read books and play games with interesting and entertaining personalities.
Strategy Informer: On top of that, the game’s world (technology, magic and alchemy) looks particularly interesting - what prompted this merging of ideas?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Everything started off with a word … And it was Elenium. From the beginning we did not want to put us in some kind of restrictions and do something fantasy-related and pseudo-historical only. The world with both magic and technology is very flexible when it comes to creation and especially further development. The great diversity of worlds in King’s Bounty allowed us to even use the UFO and make it so natural so that no one accused of anything.
Strategy Informer: Do you think that your previous games have influenced the look and feel of Royal Quest?
Ivan Magazinnikov: They did. We are using the experience we have accumulated and the gamers who played King’s Bounty might even see some characters that will look familiar.
Strategy Informer: Is there enough there for those that perhaps enjoy solo-play as well as PVP elements?
Ivan Magazinnikov: One can start the game both on their own and in a party. PvP starts from the middle of the game and becomes something full-fledged at the higher levels. However, no one can prevent you from making trips to instances on your own, kill bosses and fight in duels at the arenas vs. other players. But it is indeed more preferable to do it all as a party, it is way more interesting − that’s what the online games are for! Some game aspects will be unavailable for the single players, such as guilds, castle sieges, special PvP and PvPvE modes.
Strategy Informer: Tell us more about the controlling of castles – it’s a feature that sounds like it could separate Royal Quest from the other MMOs out there?
Ivan Magazinnikov: The castle gives bonuses to the player, grants them access to unique dungeons and resources, as well as allows them to have some specific influence over certain characteristics of the adjacent territories. For instance, it will let the gamers breed special monsters in a nearby location or heal all players located there. The type of influence depends on what exactly the player has in their possession − an old windmill, an alchemy tower or a castle of a noble knight.
Strategy Informer: Who would you say your main target audience is? Fans of your previous games? Those bored of other MMOs or maybe people who’ve yet to try a game like this?
Ivan Magazinnikov: It’s no secret that we draw inspiration from Ragnarok Online and Diablo. Hence the game should primarily appeal to the fans of the said games. And for sure to all the others who like interesting, colorful and comfortable games with dynamic gameplay.
Strategy Informer: What sort of payment system are you going to be implementing?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Free2Play with a possibility of optional subscription. It is possible we will have subscription-only servers, where all players will be under absolutely equal conditions.
Strategy Informer: Anything else you would like to add?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Play good games! The life is so short to waste it for dull things. By the way there is much more our there apart from the games. Do not forget about it before taking another dive into the virtual world.
Thank you for your time.
Ivan Magazinnikov: Many years ago when we just launched the development of King’s Bounty, we had a couple of boxes with World of Warcraft. Quite a few people in the company are fans of Blizzard, and we used it to our benefit. In just a couple of days we understood that sooner or later we would do something for online. The final concept of our ММО shaped up just a few years ago when we had already spent lots of hours playing various – both good and fair – online games.
 |
Ivan Magazinnikov: We are of an opinion that online market still has some potential, and we feel that it’s high time for us to use the knowledge and skills we have accumulated to create a game like this.
Strategy Informer: What in Royal Quest sets the game apart from others – what makes it unique?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Presently the games tend to be similar to the market leaders like Lineage or World of Warcraft, and it is totally incorrect − it’s extremely hard to compete with the titans and most often the competition is very painful. As for us we want to get our own niche of dynamic action games with isometric camera, where the game worlds are small and compact, and the player never gets bored or tired of travelling around and waiting for a long time to kill a monster.
Strategy Informer: The art style looks particularly unusual (in a good way) – how did the design come about?
Ivan Magazinnikov: The experience we gained while working on the previous game King’s Bounty helped us here a lot. When it comes to inspiration, we watch good movies, read books and play games with interesting and entertaining personalities.
Strategy Informer: On top of that, the game’s world (technology, magic and alchemy) looks particularly interesting - what prompted this merging of ideas?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Everything started off with a word … And it was Elenium. From the beginning we did not want to put us in some kind of restrictions and do something fantasy-related and pseudo-historical only. The world with both magic and technology is very flexible when it comes to creation and especially further development. The great diversity of worlds in King’s Bounty allowed us to even use the UFO and make it so natural so that no one accused of anything.
Strategy Informer: Do you think that your previous games have influenced the look and feel of Royal Quest?
Ivan Magazinnikov: They did. We are using the experience we have accumulated and the gamers who played King’s Bounty might even see some characters that will look familiar.
Strategy Informer: Is there enough there for those that perhaps enjoy solo-play as well as PVP elements?
Ivan Magazinnikov: One can start the game both on their own and in a party. PvP starts from the middle of the game and becomes something full-fledged at the higher levels. However, no one can prevent you from making trips to instances on your own, kill bosses and fight in duels at the arenas vs. other players. But it is indeed more preferable to do it all as a party, it is way more interesting − that’s what the online games are for! Some game aspects will be unavailable for the single players, such as guilds, castle sieges, special PvP and PvPvE modes.
Strategy Informer: Tell us more about the controlling of castles – it’s a feature that sounds like it could separate Royal Quest from the other MMOs out there?
Ivan Magazinnikov: The castle gives bonuses to the player, grants them access to unique dungeons and resources, as well as allows them to have some specific influence over certain characteristics of the adjacent territories. For instance, it will let the gamers breed special monsters in a nearby location or heal all players located there. The type of influence depends on what exactly the player has in their possession − an old windmill, an alchemy tower or a castle of a noble knight.
Strategy Informer: Who would you say your main target audience is? Fans of your previous games? Those bored of other MMOs or maybe people who’ve yet to try a game like this?
Ivan Magazinnikov: It’s no secret that we draw inspiration from Ragnarok Online and Diablo. Hence the game should primarily appeal to the fans of the said games. And for sure to all the others who like interesting, colorful and comfortable games with dynamic gameplay.
Strategy Informer: What sort of payment system are you going to be implementing?
Ivan Magazinnikov: Free2Play with a possibility of optional subscription. It is possible we will have subscription-only servers, where all players will be under absolutely equal conditions.
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Ivan Magazinnikov: Play good games! The life is so short to waste it for dull things. By the way there is much more our there apart from the games. Do not forget about it before taking another dive into the virtual world.
Thank you for your time.
