At gamescom 2023, a portal journalist 3djuegos played a test version of Throne and Liberty and asked Amazon Games representative Merv Lee Kwai some questions. It is worth noting that the questions were asked before the announcement of the technical test, so the question about the nearest dates was given an evasive answer.
Since our last meeting at Sumer Games Fest, Throne and Liberty has undergone significant changes: autoplay and some PvP elements have disappeared from it. How do you manage to balance between user feedback and the original creative direction of the game?
That’s a good question. I think what we’re really relying on is user feedback to highlight issues and interpret what players are saying. In my experience, very often players talk about their problems. They say what they like or don’t like. But what we really need to do is analyze what components they actually like or dislike and make changes based on that.
I would argue that it’s not really necessarily the execution of what the player wants to change in the game. There is an intermediate stage where we understand exactly what the problems are and check with the data how many players are experiencing these problems. And then we make the appropriate changes. Often these changes occur gradually. That is, we change the game a little, put it back on display for the players and see how much it has improved.
And not all reviews are the same. Some people use official channels, while others simply criticize a video they saw on YouTube.
This is a big problem. This is definitely a big problem. Because everyone has their own opinion. And sometimes these opinions contradict each other. A good example of contradiction is PvP in Throne and Liberty. Some people have their own opinion on this, while others may have this opinion in conflict with the previous group. What is the golden mean between these two points of view?
And I think it’s important to listen to everyone’s opinion. But at the end of the day, this is a collaboration between Amazon and NCSoft. We make a decision collectively, as a team, and then again bring it to the judgment of the players and get even more feedback.
You are talking about PvP, which has turned from free to event. Why did such a radical change take place?
I think the PvP system will continue to change because we are still in development. Therefore, when we provide a new version of the game for technical testing, it will be different from the previous one. Then we will have data that allows us to compare how the players perceived the previous version and the new one. This is one way to evaluate PvP.
I think it’s important that in Throne and Liberty we’ve always focused on both PvP and PvE. But balance is something we return to again and again. Therefore, during the development process, it is important for us to try both points of view and see which one can lead to an ideal middle ground for a wider group of players.
Lots of buzz around autoplay, which you’ve severely limited in the new version. What is the reason for this change?
There were a lot of comments about autoplay. When I talk about auto play, I mean auto fight, auto move. It’s more than just playing offline. There are a lot of components.
We know what a game with these components is like. But we still don’t know what it’s like without these tools. Much of the feedback we get is about how players get to grips with what the game has to offer and get comfortable using their skills. And when they turn on auto-battle, they find that their immersion in the gameplay is interrupted.
Therefore, now we want to try a version in which these systems are removed. And then, as I said before, collect feedback and see if there is a middle ground. I don’t want to state anything because we are in active development.
What can you say about the story in Throne & Liberty?
Now it is divided into separate plot stories. That is, each zone has its own history. And as you progress through the game, you come across more of these short stories.
In the leading zones, of course, there are details of events from previous zones. But I think it’s important to note that each zone tells its own story, either about the heroes of that zone or about its history. But ultimately, the players fight the Legion. Therefore, at later levels, the plot becomes larger.
Currently, the plot is focused on leveling up the character. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have another story. I think this is another situation where we encourage players to tell their own story. Therefore, we provide them with the opportunity to do this through their own social experience.
And the stories that players tell within TL are also very powerful storytelling. So the main story mission is meant to lead players to the main content. And then we’ll see if people like it, and we’ll consider adding more storylines.
I would like to ask you about some dates. The game is currently in a technical beta, but what is the release date for the final version?
It’s hard for me to talk about dates. It’s just that our goal right now is to improve the quality of the game and bring it to a level where we are very happy with it. Yes, we are going to spend as much time as it takes to achieve this goal. But now we are at the stage where we are very close to doing another round of testing and discussion of the game.
And it will be a technical test that is coming up. I can’t give exact dates right now, but it’s already on the horizon. And what happens after that will depend on the results of the test. It’s not just about combat tests. During technical testing, we will see for the first time how users play Throne & Liberty on Playstation and Xbox with Cross-Play enabled. This will also happen on our infrastructure. So we have to see how the game works. There are a few other things we are checking. That’s why we call it technical testing. And this is the next step for us.
