Barunson Interactive has a team of brilliant people, and IAH is very aware of the fact that Dragonica#DY#s got a real shot at becoming one of the "great" games that come along only once in a while.
(Above, goofing out with the Constellas, who named their raid party "We Lub CM")
We#DY#ve been looking through the alpha build, and we#DY#re thrilled about the new gear and special weapons (you#DY#ve already seen the pink umbrella, but wait #DY#til you see the food-themed weapons...), but most of it will depend on whether we launch it when we have enough content to keep you happy for a looong, long time.
At the moment, the same team is servicing the requests and requirements of the Korean AND the Chinese AND the English version at the same time, which is one of the main reasons we#DY#d rather suffer your impatience for a while and give Barunson Interactive a bit more space.
(That, plus our English gamers will end up with the maximum stability achieved, as well as a larger cache of game content *secret smirk*.)
In the interests of easing your pain, I think it#DY#s always a good idea to let you guys have some understanding of the work involved:
- We need a full and updated glossary (not just the HUGE list of items, but all skills, classes, quests, quest dialogues, descriptions for all the above, etc) which our localization team has to translate word by word, and THEN proofread and tweak so it can sound/read well in context. This means they need to factor in each product#DY#s "feel" (e.g. humor in Dragonica#DY#s fantasy setting means the lines can#DY#t be in modern English, but also can#DY#t be TOO medieval or stuffy.)
- We need to check the server load, connectivity from various regions, and get security in place before anything can be opened to the public. That#DY#s just the tip of the Tech ice-berg...
- We need comprehensive GM tools so that your GameMasters and I can come up with in-game events and quests, help you investigate issues (e.g. if your quest reward disappears because of a bug, GMs can check your log and "reimburse" you after verifying that you did receive the item in question), and conduct special fairs, auctions, raids and quests that mean you don#DY#t need to grind.
- We WANT more community-friendly features so Dragonica is much more than "another grinding game". We may need to discourage "imbalanced" gaming (i.e. people who can afford to spam pots charging through the game in single-player mode and then complaining loudly that there is nothing left to do.)
Our Head of Game Service said to me very recently: "Grinders aren#DY#t really Gamers yet." The people who log in to shoot 2000 raccoons and never take part in events or get involved in the community aren#DY#t really having fun yet. Game Management (moi included) needs to find a way to let gamers know there#DY#s so much more to online-gaming.
- Depending on all these factors, Marketing department has to come up with campaigns and design not just digital assets but physical merchandise that Dragonica gamers will love. (That#DY#s after the basic web-site structuring/designing/skinning according to Game Management#DY#s features-requirements e.g. downloads, videos, eCards, etc.)
P.S.
I#DY#m preparing another interview, this time from the Game Publishers#DY# point of view, and our Copywriter and Localization-consultant Douglas Gillon (aka "Dougie" of the 1268-combo fame) who can tell you about some of the work that goes on behind the scenes, in case you were curious or want to know more about the industry!
P.S.S. Doug has been kind enough to agree to collect questions FROM YOU, regarding work (or how he pulled off the crazy combo-count). So please post your questions in the comments section and I#DY#ll hand them to him on Monday!
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