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THE SECOND COMING
Producer Adam Davidson on the Legendary
Lineage II
If you’re a dedicated fantasy role-player, chances are you’ve clocked an hour (or three dozen) into Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle at one time or another. Only one of the biggest MMOs ever to come out of Korea, NCSoft’s Asian-influenced epic enjoys a massive following around the globe. It’s easy to understand why, what with its specialized classes, eye-opening castle siege encounters, real-time combat system and extremely vocal base of supporters.
So while its predecessor wasn’t quite as huge a hit in North America, despite endorsements by luminaries like Richard “Lord British” Garriott – creator of Ultima Online – the game seems to have found its stride. Thank the ongoing efforts of fine folks like producer Adam Davidson, who continue to add to and innovate upon the title’s existing code base. As such, whether you’re roaming the land of Aden as a human, elf, dark elf, orc or dwarf, there’s never a dull moment. Between raising pets (e.g. wolves, and dragons) and raining death down upon monsters or fellow adventurers, well… the sword-slashing, spell-slinging excitement is always at a premium.
With three chronicles already open for play, one can't help but wonder: What continues to make the game so special? Why are more and more users drawn to it every day? Where does the title go from here? And how did we manage to con Davidson into answering a few pointed questions about the game's past, present and future? (Hint: It involved a war pick, glaive, one voodoo doll, and copious amounts of beer.):
LQGaming Services:: In a sea of nondescript fantasy MMOs, what do you find most exciting about Lineage II versus the other massively multiplayer online games out there?
Adam Davidson: Lineage II's gameplay is firmly seated in the realm of player vs. player. And moreso than in other existing MMOs available out there, the PVP combat is meaningful. What's more, it has a very significant impact on the game world and political landscape for each server.
LQGaming Services:: How does this set it apart from the multitude of fantasy-themed offerings available in particular?
AD: Think about it. Often, PVP is implemented in fantasy themed RPGs as an afterthought. Or, in many cases, in a manner which is designed to keep it from having too much impact on others. In Lineage II, PVP is an irrepressible part of the gameplay experience. This makes the title extremely different from the norm and really sets the game apart.
"PVP is implemented in fantasy themed RPGs as an afterthought ... In Lineage II, PVP is an irrepressible part of the gameplay experience."
LQGaming Services:: Why do feel the Lineage franchise inspires so much devotion from fans?
AD: I think for two reasons: One is that there are a lot of high-end content and rewards to be had for devoted and hardworking players. And you can rest assured that there are only more of these to come. The other reason again – and I hate to keep going back to it, but who could blame me – is the PVP system and dynamic nature of the game, which are unrivaled to date.
LQGaming Services:: Now that the game's been live for some time, looking back, are there any features you're especially proud of? Any you wish you’d addressed in hindsight?
AD: The Castle Siege system in particular, I think we're all very proud of. I had concerns early on in development that the siege setup for the castles would be too challenging and risk prohibitive to many players. Of course, like every time, I underestimated the player base and I was proven wrong. In retrospect, I think the siege system has been brilliantly set up and has made for some very exciting and dramatic moments in Lineage II.
LQGaming Services:: Have you seen an increase in players since the last expansion, which helped out by largely doing away with all the grinding at lower levels?
AD: We most definitely have…. That’s for certain. As well, the new player buffs available from the guides in the various towns have helped with this significantly.
LQGaming Services:: What is the most common player request concerning changes they wish to see with the game mechanics?
LQGaming Services:: There are quite a variety of changes players ask for, so it's hard to say which the single most requested is. I'd have to say concerns players most frequently bring up include class balance issues, but the specific issues themselves change as the game evolves with each major content expansion.
LQGaming Services:: The recipe book provided a new design trade off to Dwarves in Lineage II. Every Dwarf is now semi-unique, but many of the less popular weapons and armors (e.g. Mithril Banded Mail & Rind Leather Armor) have become exceedingly rare due to the unwillingness to register such unwanted recipes. Do you feel that this was the right choice?
LQGaming Services:: Definitely. We want the in-game market to be driven by the players and the player crafters/merchants. In cases like what you've just listed, there is clearly a market niche there waiting to be filled, and we prefer to allow entrepreneurial players the opportunity to do so.
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