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Let’s listen directly from our developer - Art Director MAGGI
Hello. We are "Tree of Savior" development team. There were so many questions regarding the art concept of TOS, so I asked our art director Maggi directly. Maggi has been with imcGAMES for a long time since “Granado Espada”. ▲The person who had drawn this poster from GE! Q) What was the reason that TOS selected quarter view? A) Back when our team was first formed to develop TOS, there were so many games out there which concentrated on new rendering technologies and detailed expressions. There were just so many of them. All of them focused on reality so it was very hard to distinguish each game by just looking at screenshots. Instead of just showing characters’ backs, we wanted 3rd person point of view so that players can be more immersed into the game and since timing is crucial in this game, we thought quarter view fits well. That’s why we removed angle rotations. It was also easier to take a view around the characters. ▲ Quarter view which emphasizes player's visibility Q) So quarter view was not just selected to reminisce about the old, classic games. A) No. Classical designs are just methods and not our objective. To enhance visibility, we even removed angle rotations which were available in the earlier version. We wanted players to really immerse into their characters so as we develop the game, characters’ representations became more and more simple. Eyes, eyebrows, and lips of the characters in the earlier version were very detailed, but we kept modifying the characters so now characters’ eyes are more emphasized. Q) Are there any differences in the art concept of TOS compared with the other games? A) We wanted to give players a feeling that TOS is like a moving fairy tale book or pop-up book so most of the textures are actually hand drawn by our designers. Instead of relying too much on new 3D rendering technologies, we are trying to emphasize the details so it takes little more time. The number of drawings that we have drawn since the start of TOS project is much more than the number of drawings that we had drawn in the past. Q) Was there some kind of objective that you had in your mind when you were designing the backgrounds of the game? A) I wanted to make TOS like a huge diorama. We wanted characters to touch on or climb on neatly designed architectures and decorations. To give fairy tale feeling, we emphasized on shapes as much as we had on the characters. As a result, I enjoy myself even when my characters just walk on the fields in the game. Q) There are some opinions that the game looks little dark. A) We have thought about it a lot. The world in TOS has some dystopian element so we couldn’t just make it too bright and too happy. Instead, we wanted players to really immerse into the world. The details and the expressions in the game should not be just cute and lovely. Depicting the world as it is, and depicting the reality as closely as possible is more important to us. If there is grass, then it should sway in the wind. ▲ We want to ride on that cable car !! If there is a lever, regardless of how small it is, players should be able to pull it. Q) How did you collect information? A) To collect information and documents for backgrounds, costume designs and etc, our staff traveled to various places including Lithuania, Turkey, Nepal, France, China and etc. We still have many more places to go. ▲Collecting info at Vilnius ▲'Fedimian' is designed based on the information we collected from Bhaktapur, Nepal. Q) There was a question whether this game is based on the Norse mythology. A) We got a motive from Lithuanian mythology. There are classes in the game which are related to the gods in Baltic mythology. The same goes for the “Tree” which is the major part of the story in the game. However, we used Lithuanian mythology only as a motive so the game is not wholly based on Lithuanian mythology. Q) Please give a word to our fans who are waiting for this game. A) We are working happily on TOS. I hope our fans keep their continuous interest on TOS. ▲The initial wizard design in TOS. It may appear as a NPC in the future. Okay so that’s it for our interview with Maggi. AD Maggi is responsible for character designs, costumes, illustrations, NPC images, background images and a lot more in TOS. She always has a drawing pen on her hand. Send her a support message!
Questions and Answers about TOS #4
Hi, I`m developer SY Kim. TOS is a game which is currently under development. Therefore, please understand that the answers that are given below can be changed in the future. Furthermore, “R○○narok” is not related to TOS in any way since all rights of the game belong to the other company. Therefore, do not misunderstand TOS as a sequel to “R○○narok”, and for those of you who send us questions without knowing this fact, please do not get confused. Q) Is it possible to record in-game video clips or take screenshots? (FLV, MP4, WMV formats are preferable) A) We temporarily inserted a feature which allows recording in-game video clips since that makes easier for us to develop the game. However, we haven’t decided whether or not to insert this feature in the official version of the game. It will be possible to take screenshots in the official version of the game. Q) I heard that it is possible to automatically form a party when players are just nearby each other. Is it also possible to manually select the members within each party? A) After FGT, We found out that lots of people feel awkward and difficult on this automatic matching people to form parties so we are modifying the party feature so that everyone can understand it easily. We will tell you more about it when our development is completed on this feature. Q) Is there card system in TOS? What about fixed Loot and XP system? Are items’ stats fixed? A) We do have cards in the game, but we don’t have any system which allows combining those cards on to items to have any optional effects on items. The types of items and XP that can be obtained from the monsters in the game are fixed for each monster. However, when a player’s level exceeds monsters’ levels too much, then EXP points that the player will acquire will start to diminish. Items’ parameters are also fixed by item’s category and parameters can be improved by inserting jewels on items. If you insert a magic amulet on to an item, extra options will be activated. Jewels and magic amulets can be inserted together. ▲ Magic amulet and gris-gris are inserted to the sheild and the sword. Q) Is there a guild system in CBT? A) CBT will be small scale and we are planning it for a short range of period so there won’t be guild system in CBT. Q) I saw a spear from a video clip. Is there a knight who uses spear in the game? This is very important to me. A) We have a class which is specialized in using spear. Especially, Hopelight which uses one handed spear and a shield will become much more powerful when it is with Centurion class. ▲ Centurion Army put on the Hoplites. Q) What does Wugushi mean which was mentioned in Questions and Answers #3? A) In Chinese letters, it is written 巫蠱師. We got an inspiration from the tribe who were specialized in making and using poisons. Q) Are the characters all left-handed? They were attacking with left hand when I watched a video clip. A) When characters are using weapons on right hand, characters are hardly visible on the screen so to make them more visible, we changed the sides. I never thought you would notice this... Please think of it as the image reflected from mirror. Q) Are there daggers in the game? A) Daggers act as sub-weapons in TOS. The items that will be equipped on left hand will all be called sub-weapons and some of them can be used by pressing C key. When you are equipped with a dagger, you can attack the monsters using C key. Therefore, certain classes in Swordsman can attack faster by pressing Z key and C key repeatedly. There are other sub-weapons such as magic items which can use unique skills and some other equipment that are not really important in the game. Q) Are monsters’ re-spawn locations random A) Yes. They are random. But the monsters are made to pull each other so they can be grouped together. Q) Is it possible to change BGM on each map? A) We haven’t decided yet. Do you need a player which can switch to different music in the game? Please send us your suggestion. Q) How do stats work? Is it possible to freely allocate the points to stats that have been accumulated by leveling up? A) 1 point will be given after each level up. You can freely allocate this point on any of four stats. Q) Can we have pets in TOS? If there are pets, will they assist us in battles or boost our stats? Are there mounts in TOS? A) It is hard to clearly distinguish between pets and mounts in TOS. Some of the pets in the game can be used as mounts and some mounts can help you in battles and the level of closeness between you and the mounts can be increased. In our development team, we call them collectively as “Companions”, and this word may become the one of the official glossaries in the game. Some companions can’t be riden nor it can help us in battles, but they will either help us in transportation or in other ways. There will be many types of companions in the game. Thank you.
Questions and Answers about TOS #3
I am syKim. For those of you still don’t know me, please check out our Questions and Answers for Tree of Savior #2. This week, we will answer more of your questions that we have gathered from our Facebook page and some other sources. Of course, since Tree of Savior is still under development, the answers that are given below can be changed in the future. Q) Is there message feature in the game? For example, is it possible to send a message to a user who is offline? A) Yes it’s possible. The chatting system in TOS is very similar to smartphone messenger. When you log in to the game, all the messages that you have received when you were offline will be displayed. All the previous messages and dialogues will also be saved in our servers so unless you delete them, you will be able to view all of them. there were varieties of emoticons that can used in chatting and messaging, and these emoticons can also be displayed above the characters when you are chatting with other friends. Q) If there are only 8 directions for keyboard, then does it mean you can only attack the monsters which are nearby on non-target basis? What if I want to cast some buffs on specific monsters or players? A) That’s a very detailed question. Many people are asking this question so I think I need to clarify on this question. For the characters such as swordsman or cleric which mainly use short range physical attacks, their attacks will be directed towards the monsters nearby. However, for some other kinds of skills such as healing, so-called buff zones will be created on the ground and by stepping on those buff zones, the effects will be activated. These buff zones can be also used on the monsters for inflicting damages or to debuff some effects on the monsters. By using these skills cleverly, more strategic battles are possible. For the characters that mainly use long range attacks such as wizard or archer, their basic attacks will be targeted automatically towards the monsters that are closest to them from their eye points. This automatic target feature will be also available when you are talking with NPCs or when you want to view other players’ information. Even when you are engaged in a battle filled with lots of other players or monsters, most of time, you will be able to attack the monster that you want to attack when you change the direction to that monster. If you want to target a monster that is further away, then you can manually target the monster using SHIFT and cursor key. Archer can move while attacking an enemy, but the damages that will be inflicted on the enemy depend on the distance from the enemy. So you need to maintain appropriate distances from the enemies in the game. For a few other skills, while pressing onto hotkey, you can move to any location you want by pressing cursor keys. Q) Can we play the game on Mac? A) Yes. It’s possible if you install boot camp. Q) Are there Assassin or Thief classes? A) No. We don’t have any criminal classes at the moment. However, we do have Rogue and Corsair classes that are specialized in hiding and sudden attacks. We also have Wugushi class which is specialized in using poison. Thank you.
Questions and Answers about TOS #2
Hello. We are "Tree of Savior" development team. We have received so many questions from the fans from all around the world. So to give you better answers for your questions, we invited Director syKim. Q) First of all, why is the game called “Tree of Savior” and what is the story of the game? A) The story starts with a huge tree. After this tree had appeared on the Earth, the Goddesses who had been protecting the humans suddenly disappeared from the Earth. Under the attacks from the monsters, humans struggle to live on day by day. After some time, the warriors who were selected by the Goddess Laima, who controls destiny, save the Goddesses and they start to reveal the hidden stories about the tree and the monsters. Q) How many characters can I create per account? I mean how many character slots are available? A) It depends on the size of barrack. The first barrack that is given to players when they start the game will have four character slots. However, as you move into bigger barracks, you will be able to create more characters and you will also be able to decorate your barrack. Q) Is server wide chatting available? We received a request from a fan that this feature should be in the game. A) Yes. There is server wide chatting available in the game and you can do it using a mic. All the messages that are sent to the server will be displayed on the upper side of the screen and they can be scrolled down as in Granado Espada. Q) When we engage in trades, do we have to set up individual stalls or is there a market where players can register their items? A) Instead of using individual stalls, we are planning to have a market where all the players can register their items. However interpersonal trades are also possible. If we add a feature which allows individual stalls in the game, it will be focused more on purchase requests rather than selling the items. There is also a feature in the game which GM can submit items to be listed on auction at the fixed times and it will have all the same features that are available in the real auctions. Q) Is there a level cap? If there is, which level will be the level cap? A) We are expecting level 100 will be the level cap for the CBT version of the game. We are talking about the basic level of the characters and there are different levels for each class. Q) I heard there are 80 types of classes. Can we choose among 80 classes from the start of the game? A) No. There are four classes to choose from at the start of the game. After that, with each character’s advancement as you play the game, there will be total of 80 classes in the game. We will have 80 classes for the official launch version of the game and the numbers can increase after that. Q) Instead of advancing your character class, I heard you can also train your existing class. What are the benefits for doing so? A) When you train your existing class of the character, you can level up the existing skills and you can also learn new skills and attributes for the class. For example, a player who started the game with Wizard may decide not to advance to Creomancer and instead level up the Wizard to 2nd layer of circle. The skills of the Wizard will be stronger after that. Q) Are there any specific jobs for crafting the items or to collect the items in the game? I like crafting stuffs more than hunting. All classes will be able to collect the items in the game. Q) How hard are the bosses? Do we need to control the game like action genre games? A) It depends on each player’s controllability, but we think that it will not be hard if you understand the patterns of the bosses’ movements. The bosses that will appear on the raids and the fields may be little more difficult. ▲Bosses are not hard. Q) We don’t use mouse to play the game? Only keyboard? What happens when I click on the monsters or the ground? A) When you move or control your character, only keyboard is used, but when you click on UIs, you can use mouse. We had a version of the game which you can move your character using mouse, but it was rather hard to play the game using mouse so we gave up on using mouse. Nothing happens even if you click on the ground. Okay. So that’s it for Questions and Answers for TOS #2 and we will answer more of your questions in the future. Thank you so much.
Questions and Answers about TOS #1
Hello. We are "Tree of Savior (TOS)" development team. This blog was created to share you our development process and more information about TOS. We were thinking what we should start with and after some thoughts, we decided to start off our blog by answering the questions that were delivered to us the most. The contents and the images below do not reflect the final version of the game since we are currently developing the game. Therefore they may get changed or modified in the future. (Korean version available at the following link. http://blog.treeofsavior.com/?paged=2) Q1) Is this Game MMORPG? After seeing the video, it also looks like MO. A1) TOS is an authentic MMORPG where you can meet lots of people in random in various fields and villages and you will also experience the same event with everyone else when you visit a particular place at a particular time. ▲ Of course, villages will be filled with lots of people. While you are doing a scenario quest, cut scenes or event scenes will appear and to avoid interruptions from the other players, you will be temporarily switched to independent mode. This may have confused you that TOS looks like MO, but the most of fields and dungeons will be played in MMO style. Q2) Is this game played by keyboard? is it not possible playing with a mouse? A2) TOS is a type of game that requires player's actions. Timeliness, location, and directions play important roles. You will be able to move using cursor keys on keyboard and you will attack using Z and X keys. We have concluded that it is hard to follow these moves using a mouse so we have decided not to use a mouse except for clicking on UIs. ▲ A piece of information for those of you who will start to shake your mouse once the game gets started. We are currently testing to see if making the gamepads compatible with the game will be feasible. Q3) Does player's gender link with character's gender? A3) No. character's gender can be chosen freely. If you fall in love with a female character, then play with a female character. Q4) What type of classes are available in this game? A4) When you first create your character, you can choose among swordsman, wizard, archer and cleric which are four basic classes. These characters will grow as their levels increase and the basic classes can be switched to upper classes within each class. ▲ Each class has it's own unique skills and attributes. Q5) Are the maps in this game zone type or seamless? A5) The maps in the game are zone type. We think they are more suitable for classical game type. Q6) How can I dress up my character? A6) When you switch to an upper lever class, the costume which is exclusive for that class will be available. Of course, you can keep using the costume you had before. There are some exclusive costumes for the basic four classes as well and you can wear those costumes regardless of which upper class you have switched to. ▲ Characters are posed with diverse costumes, items and accessories. There are also accessories for characters' hair and head, and the weapons and the shields that are in use will be also shown in the game. Q7) Is there PvP in the game? A7) We are not planning PK system which players can be engaged in PK anytime they want on the fields. However, we are planning some kind of Tournaments which will be held periodically. ▲ Weird looking letters shown above are the texts that the spectators have typed Let's hear some booing to the enemies of our friends! Tournaments can be participated in both single and party mode and if you win a tournament, you will get to keep the trophy until the next tournament. We are also preparing large scale PvP contents which lots of users can participate together. Q8) Is this game more focused on quests? A8) We are preparing a large volume of quests, but except for a few main scenario quests, most of the quests will be non-mandatory quests which can be chosen by players. Therefore, ways to enjoy TOS can be diversified. However, in [Adventure Journal], individual records of completion will be saved and each player will be able to do more and get more in the game based on the completion record so we recommend you complete as many quests as you can. Q9) What are the system requirements for this game? A9 We haven't finished optimizing the game, but our plan is to optimize the game so that the game can be played on Ultrabook notebooks which are currently sold outside. If you have more questions, please send them to us. We will collect them and answer your questions on Questions and Answers about TOS #2. Thanks.