'Atlantica' devs talk balance, localization - MMORPG News - MMO HUB.org »

The NDOORS team for the hit free-to-play strategy MMORPG, "Atlantica Online," have posted another bi-weekly developer journal. This particular entry is about balance and how it is affected by localization from the Korean market to the North American market.
The beginning of the entry gives you a short story:
"The Viking stands, towering over his opponent. A mere Monk, he is less than half the Viking's size, but he stands his ground, resolutely holding the front line. With a feral yell, the Viking swings his massive axe down on the Monk's head. Again and again he strikes, the heft of his mighty blows apparent as he throws his entire body into the attack. He takes a step back, grin on his as he observes his handiwork.
And there the Monk stands, hardly a scratch on him. As his allies' spells slam into the Viking's surprised form, he smiles to himself. "I hope you pass away peacefully."
This is an example given of how "Atlantica Online" used to be like before balance patches became a regular occurrence. The development team feels strongly that the game can't be just fun and exciting; it has to be fair and balanced. Because of the amount of time it takes for translation, patches must also be for client updates and critical bug fixes. Frequent balance patches are not a luxury the North American market will have.
I must admit, playing a game that is unbalanced annoys the hell out of me. (Although it makes for a great excuse when I am masaccred by another player.) It is great to see a development team so determined to make their game even and enjoyable for everyone.
You can read the rest of the journal entry here.
Posted by Nikki Lee
May 20th, 2009

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