With the announcement that TwelveSky 2 is set for imminent open beta, WarCry had the chance to talk with Marketing Director Raymond Gunawan for our ‘first look’. See why Gunawan is proclaiming TwelveSky 2 a PvPer’s delight by clicking ‘read more’.
Please introduce yourself and give us your game development history.
Hello WarCry readers. My name is Raymond Gunawan. I am the Marketing Director of MAYN Interactive, Pte. Ltd. I have been working with MAYN since the beginning of the year and responsible for the Go-to-Market strategy of MAYN’s first title: ‘Twelve Sky 2 – Rise of the Sky Clan’.
What is the background of the name “TwelveSky”?
That is quite a long story, but to sum it up the ‘Twelve’ refers to 12 magical shards that were in the possession of twelve legions that once ruled supreme. They were eventually defeated by a clan known as the Sky under the leadership of Lord Chen. Lord Chen collected the 12 shards and fashioned them into the hilt of his now legendary sword…Twelve Sky!
If the readers would like to read about TS2’s background story, please visit our main site at http://www.12sky2.com
How does the original TwelveSky connect to the new TwelveSky 2? Would you consider TS2 a prequel or a sequel to TS?
There is very little correlation between the two. The background stories between’ Twelve Sky’ and the ‘Twelve Sky 2’ do not connect at any level.
TS2 is neither a prequel nor a sequel to TS. I say this because the storylines have no synergy at all. When we set out writing the story for TS2 we did not draw from TS in the least.
What is TS2’s setting?
TS2 is set in Ancient China, where players are thrown into an age old conflict between three warring Clans. Centered on the re-emergence of the Sky clan, players must fight for the honor of their clan and brethren.
Is the background history based? If so, how extensive was the research needed for the game?
We draw on historical elements obviously with the architecture and to a limited extent with the clothing. That is where the similarities end. the events and themes that affect the story and the game are entirely fictional.
Do you plan any cross-platform development?
This is something that we are discussing with ALT1. Our main focus at the moment is to ensure successful commercial launch of TS2 for the gaming community to enjoy.
What classes and races are included in TS2?
We have four clans in the game: the Imperial Dragon, the Royal Snake, the Fierce Tiger and the Ancient Sky. Each of these clans has a distinct fighting style. The Dragons tend to be more balanced warriors while the Snakes are very good assassins. The Tigers are the ‘giants’ of the game, they are slow but deal massive damage.
The Sky is the newest of the clans, though players will not be able to join them until they reach a certain level.
You can find more information about the clans in the game guide at our site http://www.12sky2.com.
Which of the above is your personal favorite and why?
Each clan has its own unique set of attributes and has been developed with balance in mind. The Tigers are very tough, the Snakes rely heavily on speed while the Dragons are a more balanced clan.
I personally enjoy playing as a Tiger. The Tigers fit my playing style especially due to the ability to withstand offensive attacks. With the Tigers’ lower damage output when compared to other clans, we simply need to outlast our foes.
In the Features section of the TS2 website, it mentions ‘noble steeds’. What steeds are we talking about? Will players be able to fight while mounted?
We are still working through the details with ALT1 on the nature of the ‘noble steeds’. As soon as we have the details on these mounts, we will communicate it to our community on our main website.
Your FAQ indicates that TS2 is ‘free to play’. Will it have a ‘cash shop’. What types of items will be available in the cash shop and what is the price range?
Yes, we will have cash items available to enhance our players’ gaming experience. We are still working on the details, but you can be rest assured there will be items to enhance the in-game experience for all player levels. The items will also be very reasonably priced to ensure affordability of these items to all of our players.
What is your favorite premium item?
That is not an easy question to answer. Each item has a particular advantage to the player, so it is hard to pick one item as the favorite. It depends on the situation really. For instance, item to increases bag space may be very useful throughout a warrior’s journey. However, some items to increase the experience rate will be more useful during hunting expeditions, while other items may be useful for PvP wars and battles.
If I must pick one, it would be the charms to increase success rate of upgrading weapons and armor, and charms to reduce the chance that the equipment will be destroyed in the event of a failed upgrade. Successful upgrades will give several benefits, including stat increases and of course bragging rights for those players more concerned with aesthetics.
Many MMO players complain about the “grind” in games. How much “grind” is involved in TS 2?
TS2 is designed to ensure that everyone will be able to reach the highest levels. However by no mean will it be easy. Depending on the time invested in the game some may move up faster than others.
TS2 casual gamers will still be able to enjoy the game especially when taking full advantage of MAYN-hosted double experience events, participating in scheduled PvP battles and using experience-enhancing cash items.
Are there adequate challenges for high-level players?
Oh yes, the most intriguing aspect of the game is the political system available to players. There is an in-game player government for each of the clans, so high-level players can run for election and appoint twelve Vices. They are responsible for forging alliances and leading their clan into battle. They serve for a fixed-term limit of 1 month before re-election. These officers also have access to special items that they can take advantage of. That should keep higher-level players on their toes and busy for a while.
We are also constantly working on introducing new content including more levels. In fact, we just released a new bracket in Korea that includes 12 more levels.
What about PvP? The FAQ indicates that PvP “is primed to be one of the best experiences to date”. How so?
Here we make a break from most standard MMORPGs. TS2 was designed to be a PvP focused game. At an individual level a player has access to several powerful martial art techniques and some subtler skills that the player can choose from to suit his playing style. We also spent a lot of time in developing the mechanics of the faction/clan warfare system. Twelve Sky 2 offers large scale combat opportunities that are not usually seen in other games.
So, if you are tired of dominating solo PvP contests you can always try your hand at warfare on a large-scale by leading a group of warriors into battle.
Is TS2 geared more to the hardcore player or the casual player? What are the best features for each type?
There are enough features to keep all levels of players entertained. We wouldn’t be doing a good job by restricting the enjoyment of a segment of gamers now would we!? That is the whole idea behind us choosing the free-to-play model, we want as many players enjoying the game regardless of the type of gamer they may be.
The player-run governments should keep a lot of the players involved especially the higher-level players. The in-game items available for purchase will allow even the casual gamers to add a different dimension to the game fairly quickly. Ah yes and of course the mounts and pets are always crowd pleasers.
What is your favorite in-game area? Describe it to us please.
It is hard to say, nearly every area on the map has its own set of challenges. If I had to
choose just one area it would probably be Death Valley because of the challenge it
would pose to most players.
Does MAYN have any other games in development? If so, what can you tell us about them?
At the moment our focus is to ensure the success of the English version of TS2. Eventually we would follow it up with other language versions of the game.
However, we are always in continuous discussions with games developers to learn about new opportunities. At present we are planning to release our second title towards the end of the year.
Recently, Aeria Games bought the North American rights to Twelve Sky 2. Can you explain the difference between the European/Asian TS2 and the North American TS2? Are the two essentially the same game? Did MAYN develop the North American version?
ALT1 (formerly Gigasoft) is the developer of Twelve Sky 2. MAYN is working closely with ALT1 to successfully publish our version of TS2, Twelve Sky 2 – Rise of the Sky Clan. Regarding the difference with what Aeria Games is offering, I have not seen their version of the game so I have no idea what the differences might be. [/b]
Please add any other information that you’d like.
We are always working towards providing top quality service and support to both our players and business affiliates. We constantly evaluate our direction to ensure the best possible outcome for every project we undertake.
We believe that a company has to be willing to change and re-vamp accepted practices to meet the ever changing needs and demands of the MMO community. This principle is at the core of our foundation. MAYN Interactive’s vision is to become the leading independent MMO publisher in the market.
Thanks to Mr. Gunawan! We’ll have a beta report soon!
Published: Apr 8, 2009 05:50 pm