QJ Interview: Hero Online (Get Yer Free Beta Keys Here!)
As part of QJ’s continuing coverage of the martial arts epic Hero Online, we managed to snag an exclusive interview with the guys behind the magic, Netgame. We’re also teaming up with publishers mGame to offer QJ readers beta keys to try out Hero Online‘s current beta program. If you are interested in getting in on the Hero Online beta, just do the following:
- Email QJ.NET for a Beta Activation Key
- Register at Netgame for your free account*
- After registering, Activate your Digital Key
- Stay tuned to QJ.NET and NetGame for news on when the Client will be available for download!
- Discuss the Hero Online beta in the QJ.NET Forums!
*Note: Some browsers such as FireFox may not be supported
Now feast your eyes on the exclusive interview with the makers of Hero Online by checking out the Full Article!
As part of QJ’s continuing coverage of the martial arts epic Hero Online, we managed to snag an exclusive interview with the guys behind the magic, Netgame. We’re also teaming up with publishers mGame to offer QJ readers beta keys to try out Hero Online’s current beta program. If you are interested in getting in on the Hero Online beta, just do the following:
- Email QJ.NET for a Beta Activation Key
- Register at Netgame for your free account*
- After registering, Activate your Digital Key
- Stay tuned to QJ.NET and NetGame for news on when the Client will be available for download!
- Discuss the Hero Online beta in the QJ.NET Forums!
*Note: Some browsers such as FireFox may not be supported
And now the exclusive interview, without further ado:
QJ: How long has Hero Online been in development?
NetGame: NetGame started the development of “Hero Online” in 2002 and released it in the middle of 2005. During development, one of the primary focuses was the incorporation of a complex storyline into the game, so it took us a while to get it how it is now. When we first started, there weren’t many martial arts MMORPGs. But as time passed, we knew many companies were creating their own versions, so we were determined to make one with unique features that no one else had. As a result, Hero Online has a collection of systems and features that truly make the game enjoyable and unique. Hero Online will, without a doubt, be something that Western MMORPG players have never experienced before!
QJ: Where did the story for Hero Online come from?
NG: The storyline for Hero is actually a feature weÂ’re very proud of. We invited the top four martial arts novelists in Korea to collaborate and create a storyline for Hero unlike anything else seen before. And after spending countless hours, they came up with a story miles away from the ordinary. Part of what makes the story so great is the fact that it engages the player in a way where the game and the story are intertwined. You canÂ’t have one without the other, which is why HeroÂ’s storyline is considered one of the best amongst Korean MMORPGs!
QJ: In the beginning of the game, the player starts out as one of four characters: The Ruthless Blade, Overseer of the Sky, The Piercing Eye, or the Elegant Mystic. Can you tell us a little bit about these characters, perhaps a brief overview of what each one represents and their back story?
NG: When players start playing the game, they will have to select one of four characters: The Ruthless Blade, Overseer of the Sky, Piercing Eye and the Elegant Mystic. The Ruthless Blade is a contract killer. He is proficient in both long and short ranged weapons. The Overseer of the SkyÂ’s life revolves only around martial arts and he uses the spear, rod and axe. The Piercing Eyes is the legendary female artist. She mainly uses sword and has the ability to cloak herself. Lastly, the Elegant Mystic is proficient with the Spear, rod and claws. She also has the ability to learn medicine to either cure herself or others. Each character has its own storyline, strength, and weakness.
QJ: Can you briefly tell us a little bit about the classes?QJ: In the beginning of the game, the player starts out as one of four characters: The Ruthless Blade, Overseer of the Sky, The Piercing Eye, or the Elegant Mystic. Can you tell us a little bit about these characters, perhaps a brief overview of what each one represents and their back story?
NG: There are four basic classes or jobs that players can choose for each character they selected: Warrior, Hunter, Physician and Assassin. Each class has two upgrades that it can undergo allowing for more skills and better class-specific skills. Players must complete certain quests in order to get the skill book that is designated for each character. We have spent a lot of time trying to make very distinctive difference and function for each class in order for players to have opportunities to experience many various aspects of classes that Hero Online offers.
QJ: We’ve heard that players will be able to upgrade whatever class they chose initially, for example an Assassin can become a Slayer, who in turn can become a Shinobi, can you tell us what kinds of quests players will be able to embark upon to do this?
NG: For every class there is a trainer, who will decide whether your character can progress onto the next class-denomination. There will be many tasks that a player must perform to prove that he is worthy of an upgrade, and they will all require cunning and even cooperation to complete.
QJ: What sorts of passive and aggressive skills can we expect to acquire in the game and how will they be useful?
NG: To give a little sneak peek into the skills of the game, I will list some of each classÂ’ aggressive and passive skills. For the assassin, on top of aggressive skills that incur high damage, he will also have passive skills that involve stealth. The assassinÂ’s passive skills can turn him invisible as well as help him detect those who are invisible. For the physician, in addition to his passive skills of healing and mending, he will have many aggressive skills that involve causing status effects to players. Whether itÂ’s doing damage over time or just reducing stats, the battle physician will be a key element in the area PvP. The warrior will have many aggressive skills in his arsenal, but some passive ones as well that will increase his ability to cause and withstand damage. The hunterÂ’s skills will involve the ability to tame pets and mine resources.
QJ: We understand players will have the ability to jump long distances and fly over buildings and rooftops to get to their destinations quicker, can you tell us about the kinds of mounts we’ll be able to use in the game and elaborate on any other modes of transportation available to the player.
NG: There will be a wide variety of mounts that will be available for the players to use in the game. These mounts can either be tamed by the hunters or purchased from NPCs. They range from horses to lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). In terms of other means of transportation, there will be many teleporter NPCs that will allow players to travel between zones with ease. Of course players could also run (or ride) to different zones, but for the most part teleporting is the fastest and simplest way to travel. The only catch with teleporting is that it costs money.
QJ: Can you tell us a little bit more about pets,? We love the Wizard of Oz!
NG: The best thing about the pet system that “Hero Online” offers is not the system, but the “pets” themselves. The types of pets that a player can equip include all kinds of wolves, horses, bears, tigers, lions and eagles. There is even a system available where players can use NPCs as helpers in lieu of pets! In addition, there are two types of pets: attack pets and mountable pets. Attack pets can fight with the player using an AI that the player chooses. As far as mountable pets are concerned, players can ride them for transportation as well as for combat. When players fight on a mountable pet, the character itself takes no damage as long as the pet is alive. With this type of cool pet system, it takes PvP and PvE strategy to a whole new level.
QJ: There’s a heavy influence from martial arts epics on the combat and movement in Hero, can you explain how the battle system works? Will there be PvP and PvE combat?
NG: Yes there will be both PvP and PvE. For PvP, there will be several systems available for faction war, territorial war, general combat, Hero Battle, and more, which will be revealed as we continue to get closer to release.
QJ: Is there a guild or party system? Will players be able to form raiding parties and go questing together?
NG: Yes! Partying up will be the best way to level up and quest in this game. There will definitely be boss monsters for players to team up and take on as well as quests that will require partying up. Cooperation and teamwork will be key elements in both PvE and PvP elements within the game, so it will pay to get to know people and form communities in-game. As far as guilds are concerned, players will have the ability to create “houses” (as in the House of Jade Dragons or House of Mah, etc.)
QJ: Will there be an in-game economy or weapons and items trade? Will anyone be able to craft their own weapons and items or will that be restricted to a certain class of player?
NG: Within the game, players can not only craft items, but also upgrade and dismantle items as well. In Hero Online there is a thriving economy where players can trade items, equipments, resources, and pets. Needless to say, pets may be one of the most desirable commodity, giving the hunters a unique opportunity to shape the economy.
QJ: How will death be handled in the game? Will players corpses be lootable?
NG: If players characters die, they will have options of either porting back to town or reviving their characters where it died. If they choose the latter option, only a sliver of health and Chi will returned to the character, so players will have to act promptly in order to prevent another death. If players decide to move straight to the town, they will gain 100 percent of health and Chi. Of course, there is an experience penalty upon each death, and regardless of how players react after the death of their character, the experience penalty will be the same. As far as the other differences of penalties when getting killed by NPC‘s and other players, we can advise you that there is a difference, however it will depend on the situation and system at the time of death. (Example: warfare, combat zone or just dueling)
QJ: Do you plan on supporting Hero Online with additional content such as expansions and patches after launch?
NG: Of course. We are already discussing about it within our office, and we are sure that we are going to bring up new expansions after launch. However, in terms of when it is going to be, we have to decide after we monitor how quickly players reach the highest levels in the game.
QJ: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our readers?
NG: Honestly, Hero Online is a game that is very difficult to classify since it has so many features that players have not seen in one place. We strongly believe that Hero Online is one of those “hard to put down” games as there are many things that players are capable of doing within this game. The Pet system, martial skill system, PvP system, theme, and movement system are very unique in Hero Online and those are elements that players probably have never seen at one place. Not to say that these systems have never been done, but they have never been done in quite this way. Join the world of Marital Art with “Hero Online” today!
QJ: Thanks for your time guys, we appreciate it, best of luck with Hero Online!
Well there you have it ladies and gents, the skinny on Hero Online, if you’ve got a hankering for some Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style action, be sure to get in on the beta.
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