This page is dedicated to interviews with players and (hopefully) the staff working on Forsaken World. That way, I can bring you players' expectations, their hopes, experiences in Forsaken World and hot news. If you want to share your opinions on Forsaken World with us, just contact me.
#01
Interview with AutumnalDusk, author of "Forsaken Journal".
Because we are trying to connect all fan sites and blogs for Forsaken World, to give potential players as much information as possible and hopefully interest some of you for Forsaken World, I decided to start an interview with Forsaken Journal's author, AutumnalDusk. Dusk was one of the first to supply everyone with information and I think it's worth it to throw in a perspective of a future player to see if you can identify or sympathize with AutumnalDusk. Without further ado, let the interview begin:
First, could you please introduce yourself a bit?
Hi, I'm AutumnalDusk. Have you heard of me? Probably not, because I'm a virtual "nobody".
Lately, though, I've become less silent, and much more vocal, in regards to one particular subject, I happen to be the owner/author of "A Forsaken Journal" a fan blog for Forsaken World.
Haven't heard of it? You will, soon. It's likely to become "The finest mmo, since sliced bread". I have been a mmo player for over two decades now, (yeah, I know, I'm "old"), and have sifted through more mmo's than I can count. Heck, I started video gaming with a new-in-box Atarii 2600. My favorite game back then? "Adventure".
Things have changed a lot, since then. Nowadays, though, I've become somewhat of a "mmo drifter", never really staying in one place too long. I've left many an avatar with my namesake scattered across the mmo gaming universe. Having taste-tested what is "on offer" in today's mmo's, i find I keep returning to f2p mmo's..and of those, the ones offered by Perfect World Entertainment seem to be the only ones that don't get deleted from my hard drive, like PWI and Ether Saga. Those are good, stable games, that I "check in" with, on occasion, but it's what's coming that has my full attention.
What do you think are your good and bad points?
My good points? Um..those are few and far between. I guess for one, I'm passionate about what I do, *when* I choose to do it. And when it comes to gaming, I guess "experience" is one thing, and the fact that I'm more than happy (not just able) to provide financial contributions to the F2P's that I follow. I mean, *somebody* has to pay the bills, right? I think that's an oft-glossed over aspect of f2p's. A lot of times you get a player saying "I'll never pay for a game".
To me, that's lame, (and different from I *can't* pay). More often than not , it's those same people who complain about their "free cheeseburger", because the person next to them is eating steak. Gotta remember, the "steak" pays for the free cheeseburgers.But enough about other people, this is supposed to be "me" time, right? I'd like to think that "creativity" is one of my good attributes, but that's up for debate.
As to my bad points, well in that category, I am "blessed" with many to choose from. My patience level is kind "iffy". It's good for stuff like grinding, and close to zero when it comes to unnecessary drama "in game"..People that flaunt their insecurities by constantly re-enforcing how "great" they are get no respect from me. People that put themselves before the team never get invited again.
And spammers/scammers? Oh, goodness, how I'd love to tote a banhammer around, for just such occasions..Another thing bad is my passion, usually energetic and focused can shift erratically. Something I love today, can be something I'm "not too fond of" tomorrow. Most often, it comes down to "burn out" on my part, but every so often, (like when a game company goes from "profitable" to "greedy"), they lose a reputation they can not get back, in my eyes. Fortunately for me, PWE has never crossed that line. Although I may burn out on a particular game, it's never been the game's fault, just my over zealousness hitting bottom. I'm really guessing that Forsaken World will have the storyline, and content, and variety required to keep me satisfied for a very long time. And with every new kernel of information that leaks out, that assertion is further strengthened.
When did you first hear of Forsaken World and how? What initially interested you about Forsaken World?
Well, it all started while doing a random search of the Perfect World forums, Where I saw the title thread "Perfect World's New MMO Forsaken World aka Project EM", and I thought "Hmm..PWE has another MMO coming? This bears investigating." I read through the posts, and was left wanting to know more. being a "mmo drifter",(and a compulsive beta tester) I'm always hunting for "what's next".
Not content with just what I found on the forums, I went straight away to Google. That's where I found Cinderboy's "MMO Culture" blog, which at the time, was really the only English info available. (I actually owe a lot to Cinderboy, because it was his blog that sparked my passion for Forsaken World). Then I read about the "Vampire" class, and was really intrigued.
Over the next week, I was scouring Google, and starting my first forays into the Official Chinese forums, via Google Translate. Being impatient, and not wanting to wait for someone else to get around to it, I started collecting images, and data for "Project EM/PEM", and decided to start sharing it in a dedicated fan blog. Thus, "A Forsaken Journal" was created. At the same time, keeping track of the PWE forums, looking for anyone who might share this interest.
So, the vampire race was what got you interested in Forsaken World for the first time? What did you find interesting about the Vampire and what were your reasons for choosing the Blood Controller as class? For all those still searching, what is your tip for finding a class "that fits" them?
Yeah, the idea of Vampire being a class playable "from the start", is something not seen much in mmo's, (although current media is changing that, it seems). I've been a long time fan of "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" , and the entire "Legacy of Kain" series, as well as the animes for "Vampire Hunter D", etc, etc. To me, the vampire embodies the thirst for immortality, paired with the curse of having to live with one's self.
As to the Blood Controller class, it seems an ideal mix between melee/magic. Plus the opportunity to heal one's self,at the expense of your opponent. Although I am fine with team/group play, I find that I solo more often than not. If Blood Controller is somewhat of a "Warrior Mage" class, then , to me, it should be ideal for solo play.
In regards to finding a class that fits you, I'd say: First: go with your gut. What class really catches your eye, for skills, jobs, (or even looks). Keep in mind, you can "try them all". Better to "test run" a character for a few levels than to decide a level 30 that your character isn't really the class you want. I always advise a reader to "do their homework" before investing too heavily in a character.
If you want to always be able to find a part, go Guardian or Healer. Always need those. (Healers, however, usually find it harder to solo PVE, and guardians are usually high DEF, but less DPS) The Master/Mage job typically has extremely high DPS, but are extremely "squishy". Warriors are usually a good, balanced class, and Musketeers? Well, in most mmo's, ranged physical is usually the "red-headed stepchild" of classes, and hopefully isn't glossed over. I've seen evidence to indicate Musketeers will get some love in FW.
I think that a lot of people, who may be "newer" to mmo's don't always take the time to reflect how their characters roles differ in solo vs group play. When you solo, it's all you. When you're in a team, you have a specific role to play, and you have to rely on others to do their "parts".All this, (and probably more) should be taken into consideration when choosing your race/job.
What class do you personally find most uninteresting and why?
Let me answer your question by rephrasing it as "What class do I most dislike, and would probably never play as?", and the answer is easy: Assassin.
Whether it's assassin,rouge,thief,ninja or any other "stealth" character, I'm not likely to play it. Partly because the class reeks of dishonesty and foul play, (imo), and partly because of the "certain 10%" of players that those classes appeal to. Now, I'm not saying *everybody* who plays a stealth class is "all in one boat", but anyone who's played multiple mmo's knows "the type" I'm talking about. Every class has them, but the stealth classes seem to have an abundance of them- the insecure "Ha! I so totally pwn3d you!" type that feels a "victory by *any* means" will compensate for their apparent frustrations at their life situations IRL.These are the same ones that keep overpowered alts from leveling (twinking) so they can "always win" in PvP battlegrounds.
They want to win, but they don't want an opponent who has a chance of fighting back. In most mmo's, they employ a well-studied chain of stuns/poison/bleed, etc. I think it's more an ethical viewpoint on my part, to be honest, (coupled with the aforementioned "patience issues"). If you were to ask me to choose "Samurai or Ninja", the answer would be Samurai 100% of the time. Now I know, it seems hypocritical to choose Vampire, but at least with the Vamp class, an opponent at least has the chance to see me coming, and prepare accordingly. I prefer "face to face", as opposed to ambush.
I've historically played ranged character, but recently got into tanking, as well. Blood Controller seems like a "next step" for me.
Should there be classes added in later expansions, what kind of class would you hope for?
That's a really hard call. From everything I've seen, so far, Forsaken World really has all the bases covered. One possible feature, perhaps very long term, (if ever) would be to allow player's characters to overcome their racial class restriction, and train in another race's class, as a secondary skillset. But that's looking *way* too far forward.I think they have a good, balanced start set up, all the components one might need or expect for some heavy-hitting instanced boss battles. I especially like how they're handling the "bard" class, and making it viable (and intense) in battle. I am, however , interested in seeing how healers will do "all by themselves" out in the PvE world.
All that being said, if I were to play "fantasy makeup", I'd say probably some kind of Dragonkin class:.pure armored melee with magic attacks. Although, that may be a better npc invading army, I guess.
A Dragon-like race would certainly catch my interest, I have never (or rarely) seen one so far. Well, moving away from the classes, what feature are you looking forward to the most?
I'd be lying to you if I didn't say the "God" System. I mean, isn't that what all "end level " players strive for? But really, it seems than godhood carries a lot of burden with it, as well. And to me, it makes sense. A god's power comes not from within itself, but from it's followers. Think of godhood as a "lens". Without enough light shining through it, it's useless. Conversely, the "10 per server" concept may deter players, later on. If you're "dead set" on being a god, would you play where there were no job openings? Or, what if losing godhood is based on the whim of the populace? Do you get "voted out" when someone more popular challenges for the crown? What if a "god" player leaves the game? I know, a lot of these answers *should* be answered soon enough, but I'd really like a clearer picture. But yeah, I see being some moody, vampiric god as a "feature" that I'd like to explore to it's full extent. I hope it comes with a "Smite" button. ;)
That, (and more realistically), exploring the world. Perfect World has put a LOT of time and money into Forsaken World, and it's evident from the few peeks we've gotten, so far. I want to see it all. I want a big, fat logbook of gained achievements. I'm much more PvE than PvP. I want to get as much out of my character as possible..to really push it's outer limits. To watch, and document the evolution of Grand Mundo, consistent with the stars, and the actions of it's inhabitants. There's so much to cover in Forsaken World, that I foresee I will always have "something to do" for a very long while.
It seems you share my enthusiasm for exploring. From the screenshots you saw so far, what place in Forsaken World would you like to visit the most? And anything else you would like to achieve once the game launches apart from aiming to be a moody God ;)?
Well, the *one* stop I just *have* to make is the Grand Library in Freeport. Out of everywhere I've seen, that seems to be toe one landmark that screams "postcard". I can just imagine "Greetings, from sunny Freeport! on a postcard in the mailbox. Other than that, it's all good. The environments seem vast and detailed, and geographically separate.
Although, having sort of "completionist" tendencies, it may take a while, since I don't want to leave any zones with quest still available. When it comes to mmo's, I'm kind of a "quest grinder". It might be more difficult in Forsaken World, though, because I'm going to actually take time to read all the quest dialogue, to better take in the lore and history of Grand Mundo. I think that I'll be doing a "character's eye view" journal entries concurrent with my "first person" entries. You know, like your diary idea, but told from the character's perspective? Maybe I'll dress it up a bit, with weathered, aged parchment backgrounds, and a flourishing script font, and..oh, sorry, going off subject, there. With no game to play, everything become creative fodder for the blog. :)
Don't worry about going off-topic. And the library is indeed worth a visit. We are almost at the end of the interview (it's already become quite long), so these are my last questions:
Do you like Project Empire's new name "Forsaken World"? If there was one feature you could add or change, what would that be? What are your hopes for the future of Forsaken World?
I think Forsaken World is a good enough name, although I can't imagine it not being confused with "Perfect World". I'm sure this was well thought out, though, by "the powers that be".
About feature to add or change, well I think FW is already jam-packed with features, and I'd honestly have to try them before passing an opinion. It does seem, from our current perspective outside the game, that they put a lot of time, thought,and effort into this mmo. As always, "Time is the revealer of all truths".
As for my hopes for the future of Forsaken World? That's easy. I hope it's as successful as it seems to deserve, and my largest hope, (for me), is that is really is all they're promising, and that I will finally, after a long, weary trek, find my "mmo home"." Home Sweet (Forsaken) Home". I like the sound of that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------