Exclusive: Lineage II - Q&A Feature

Lineage II is coming to Europe, the sequel to what's claimed to be the world's most popular MMORPG, say the posturing words from their PR sheet. With a number of other exciting online titles also due from NCSoft, which is setting up a base in Europe, the focus is on to establish themselves, although they already have a proven Korean and Stateside reputation.

Derek dela Fuente spoke with Aaron Rigby Lineage II, NCsoft Producer in North America, about the basic and extensive ideas behind the game.

The premise to the Lineage II world is established with three kingdoms at its centre which encompass the two large continents. Aden, the new kingdom, was established after Raoul, the young king, successfully quenched a civil war. Elmore, the military superpower, is located in the northern part of the continent. It boasts that it is a direct descendent of ancient Elmore, Aden kingdom. Gracia is located across the ocean on the west. It is currently embroiled in a chaotic battle among blood relatives trying to take over the throne. While these kingdoms buffer each other's power, within each kingdom, since each manor has strong desire for self-rule. Therefore the kingdoms are vulnerable to the potential of internal strife as well.

You have been thrown into this chaos. However, unlike those weak ordinary people who pass each day by praying, you have the power to protect yourself. In Lineage II, developing a character is not an end in itself. Rather, it is used as an instrument to obtain the power you need to fulfill your will in this world. Become a king and rule over this world. Your own hand will write your own history in this world.

TVG: Aaron, do you have to buy the game or is it monthly subscription â?“ what also is the price and how will it all work?

The game retails for £29.99 or 44.99 euros and comes with 30 days of free play. After that, there is a subscription fee which will be competitively priced and there is a variety of ways to subscribe to the game. Players can purchase game cards with preset amounts of time, or receive discounts by signing up for several months at a time.

TVG: What is the min spec and it is dial up or broadband?

We recommend a minimum 800 MHz processor and 32 M video card to run Lineage II at lower detail levels. In most circumstances the game will play fine with a 56K modem and dial-up account. However, in large-scale battles, like castle sieges, broadband is a huge plus.

We also have regular add-ons to Lineage II called Chronicles that can be quite large. While this adds tons of new content for our customers at no additional charge, it can take quite a while to download. A broadband connection enables customers to get the new content much faster than dial-up customers, getting them back in the game in a couple of hours rather than downloading over night.

TVG: Can you tell us a little about the personnel in the team creating the game; what they have worked on before and what their mission statement and objective is for Lineage II?

About 80% of the team (Team E&G in Seoul) is new to Lineage, the rest are from the original title

Hyung-jin Kim, chief in team, started his career as a game developer in 1996 when he was assigned to serve as a game designer for 'Ragnadawn', an online card game by Psyearth entertainment. He joined NCsoft in 1998 as a lead game designer for 'Lineage: the bloodpledge'. He later served as a chief in the game design team for Lineage project II from 2000 through September, 2004. He is now in charge of developing new game 'ProjectAnG' under the supervision of Team E&G.

NCsoft had the mission to develop a successor to Lineage. The mission statement for developers was 'Same way, but with exceptional quality'.

Lineage II development team wanted to design a 3D game in which hundreds of players can participate in 'siege battle', in which they think they were highly successful. Another goal was to have the party play based game gain a significant popularity in Korea, in which we regard successful also.

TVG: Please tell the readers the kind of technical and even gameplay features that Lineage II will offer over and above Lineage: The Blood Pledge and how difficult, technically, is it to work within the restraints you are given!?

I guess, technologically speaking, the biggest difference between Lineage and Lineage II is our use of the Unreal engine to provide very realistic 3D graphics, environments, effects and animation.

The sound is also ultra-realistic. It really increases the immersion factor in subtle ways. Players have even commented that they can orient their position with their eyes closed, just by listening to sound cues as they rotate their camera.

Most of the challenge actually comes from trying to maintain the level of quality content and solidity of the game systems that the original Lineage has evolved over the last six years. The lessons learned then provide a basis for Lineage IIâ??s style and design now, which needed to match and surpass the original game.

TVG: We are informed you are using the Unreal graphics engine. What does this offer apart from great graphics?

Flexibility is a major factor. Epicâ??s engine has allowed not only gorgeous graphics, but made it possible to create a huge, seamless 3D world showing massive amounts of players on-screen simultaneously. Thatâ??s perfect for an MMO like Lineage II, where a normal castle siege can draw hundreds of players to the same area. That degree of scalability is rare and would be extremely time-consuming to develop.

The engine also provides more than just eye-candy. Players have a very high level of camera control as far as angle and zoom are concerned. This can be a big help when dealing with large-scale battles, confusing close-quarter combat, and claustrophobic dungeons.

TVG: Could you tell us a little about the world you will be placed in and will there be a basic plot or an evolving plot and why have you gone back 150 years within the setting and what extra does this offer?

Three kingdoms, sprawled across two massive continents, comprise the world of Lineage II. The newest realm, Aden, was established by King Raoul after ending a civil war. Elmore, the military superpower found in the northern part of the continent, is regrouping after its last campaign met with defeat. Gracia, across the western ocean, is full of feuding relatives, each trying to take power. Thereâ??s a power void at the moment, and no oneâ??s really in a position to go after world domination.

This setting gives us a very large canvas for the plot. The plot evolves through the release of Chronicles, equivalent to free expansion packs, a few times per year. The first Chronicle saw the arrival of one of the legendary dragons, Antharas. Currently, weâ??re seeing the different races start to rebuild relations after years of war and distrust. Fans of the first game will likely recognize these events and their significance to the world of Lineage.

For more details about our world, check out our website (http://www.lineage2.com/background/about.html). We have a lot of great info there!

TVG: For gamers not au fait with Lineage can you tell us some of the objectives and tasks on offer in Lineage II and is there a collective or solo focus for the game?

Ultimately, Lineage II is all about control. While players can choose to guide and grow their characters in many different directions, thatâ??s just one part of the experience. Clans of players have the ability to seize control of castles, thereby controlling their neighboring towns. This means more than bragging rights â?“ the clan receives tax monies collected in the areas under its control. Alliances of several clans can determine the destiny of the entire land, with their decisions affecting every other player. The economy and the politics of the world are controlled by the players, giving players real incentives to rise up against injustice, to plot coups, to engage in conflict that has meaning â?“ the players guide the course of Lineage IIâ??s history.

TVG: How will Lineage II handle character generation and could you give us some details of the professions and skills on offer?

When a player initially designs their character, they choose their race, create their look, and choose between a mystic or a fighter path. So, players can be an Elf, Dark Elf, Orc, Human, or Dwarf. All races except the dwarf race have mystic and fighter class options (in exchange, dwarves possess the unique ability to craft items from material components). Everything beyond that is chosen by the player as they progress through the game. There are over fifty classes available between the five races, each one unique.

Each class has strengths and weaknesses that will help in various styles of game play. Some classes will excel in Player-Vs-Player combat, while others will have tremendous success party-hunting. There really is something for everyone.

TVG: Please expand on the way quests work in both progression and diversities!

Quests serve a variety of functions for players. Most quests in Lineage II provide a reward of a rare item, skill, or spell upon completion â?“ although some are very useful simply for padding purses. Quest rewards include everything from common healing potions to a pet wolf or a dragon hatchling. Also, as characters progress, theyâ??ll need to complete a variety of globe-spanning trials before they can advance to their next profession. The same holds true as clans increase their power. These quests require a group effort, but the payoff is worth it.

TVG: What would you say is the one big innovation on offer?

Probably the ability for players to mould the game to their preference to the point of governing other players. Itâ??s not just that players have the ability to control entire sections of the world; itâ??s that we donâ??t restrict their methods to achieving that control. They can behave with nobility or ruthlessness and reach the same level, whatever suits their style. The game provides powerful systems to facilitate player politics, but methods and motivations are left completely up to the player.

TVG: What are some of the diverse monsters and creations you will face!

Players will face over seven hundred different types of monsters while exploring Lineage II, and more are added with every Chronicle update. To illustrate the variety of creatures in Lineage II: for one of our upcoming events, we were narrowing down monsters to only those in the Undead list and came up with over 80 different creatures! On the high end we have the monsters like Antharas, powerful enough to annihilate hundreds of players.

The second Chronicle introduces more bosses of high-level power, along with lethal, organized monster groups scattered throughout the landscape.

Thank you.

Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle is scheduled for release on November 19th 2004.