15-7-2009 Game News : Conquer Online Interview: The Raiding Clans Expansion

Genre:Fantasy Status:Final
Dev: TQ Digital Entertainment Pub:NetDragon Websoft Inc
Fee:Free Area:US
CB Date:Unknown OB Date:Unknown Release:11/14/2005 Hot:60678


MMOsite: As Conquer Online has entered its 6th anniversary, how is the game going recently?
Since its release in 2003, Conquer Online has won its reputation with its vivid ancient Chinese art style and dynamic gameplay in both Chinese and international markets. Now, the game has 7 different language versions! We even introduced an Arabic version of Conquer Online for players from the Middle East in 2008, and it's the 1st true Arabic MMO in the world, that we know of.
MMOsite: Conquer Online has announced its latest expansion, "Raiding Clans". So what is the major goal TQ aims to achieve by this expansion?
Well, to keep an MMO that has been operating for years attractive to players, new features are essential. A nice benefit for us, is that Conquer has been blessed with a vast and talented player community. For this expansion, our aim is simple and clear – to rejuvenate and refresh the game for the community, and consequently keep old players interested, while attracting new players to the fabulous world of Conquer.
During the development, the design team was paying close attention to the community's opinions. In 2008, we provided players with a new Ninja class in the "New Dynasty", which we consider a great success. So in this year, we developed the "Raiding Clans" to deliver more new features that players have been wanting for years, and hope it can bring Conquer to a new level of success.

MMOsite: Could you give our readers a brief introduction to the Raiding Clans?
The Raiding Clans is scheduled to be released on July 16th, 2009. In this expansion, we have prepared several major new features, including mounts, a Clan System, a new map, as well as a collection of new events and festivals. Players will be able to summon their new steeds and will have a new area to explore, while having separate events to play around with along the way.

MMOsite: What is the reason for TQ bringing the mount system to Conquer?
The mount system is the core feature of the expansion. Basically, there are 2 reasons for us bringing the mount system to Conquer. First of all, it was something the players wanted. After coming out in 2003, we have been constantly receiving players' requests for mounts. So this time, we decided to make our players' dream come true. Secondly, we feel that mounts can improve the customization system in Conquer. As an old 2.5D MMO, Conquer has a pretty skimpy character customization system, compared to most up-to-date MMOs. A gorgeous mount is ideal for players to decorate their characters.


MMOsite: What do these mounts look like? Can players customize their own mounts?
In the Raiding Clans, there will be various types of steeds, with many different appearances, all suited to a players' personal choice. In the 1st batch, we will provide players with 49 types of different horses. According to their rarity, these horses can be divided into 3 groups: basic, unique and rare. Basic horses are only in 3 colors: white, black, and maroon. While through the Lineage System, players can attain unique looking steeds with fabulous appearances.
In the beginning, players can obtain their first horse by killing monsters or purchasing from a merchant NPC. However, these are only some common horses to start out with, so they're pretty plain. If you aren't satisfied with these regular horses and want a distinguished steed to customize your character, you can also utilize the Lineage System to customize your own steed.
With the Lineage System, one can utilize 2 horses to breed a new colt. As a result of genetics, the appearance of the new horse would be dramatically varied from its parents. In this way, players will obtain a number of diverse-looking horses. These rare steeds could have lava or ice type skin, or maybe a hybrid, like a zebra or cow. Riding these fearsome or humorous horses, players will be able to put themselves on the spotlight and enjoy the feeling of being a celebrity.

MMOsite: Apart from the function of decoration, how will mounts affect the gameplay?
Conquer is a PvP oriented MMO, in which players are confronted with intense conflicts daily. These steeds will not merely glorify the riders, but more importantly, they can help their masters in their PvP battles.
Each horse possesses a Lineage Level, which indicates the horse's strength and value. There are 12 degrees of Lineage Level in all, and for each degree, the master of the horse can receive a bonus point of Battle Power, which has a critical influence on the results of PvP combat. Moreover, the lineage level will also affect the rider's attributes like physical/magic attack and HP.
To the horses themselves, their speed and vigor are also determined by Lineage Level. With a higher lineage level, a horse can move faster, for longer. Therefore, during intense battles, a high lineage-level steed can help you to give chase to enemies or retreat from the battlefield. Finally, players riding pure lineage steeds have another privilege which can force their peers with a lower lineage level horse to be knocked off their mount, forcing them to face you man-to-man.
MMOsite: Could you tell us more about the new map?
The new map is called the Frozen Grotto, which is literally an ice dungeon. This uncharted realm is to be filled with brutal monsters and epic treasure, just waiting for a brave adventurer to find.
The grotto possesses 2 floors, filled with a bunch of newly-designed monsters. These frozen horrors range from level 122 to level 128. Therefore, only the most experienced adventurers with superior gear are capable of exploring this mysterious underground world, and it will become the perfect spot for veterans to continue honing their already impressive skills.


MMOsite: Apart from the function of decoration, how will mounts affect the gameplay?
Conquer is a PvP oriented MMO, in which players are confronted with intense conflicts daily. These steeds will not merely glorify the riders, but more importantly, they can help their masters in their PvP battles.
Each horse possesses a Lineage Level, which indicates the horse's strength and value. There are 12 degrees of Lineage Level in all, and for each degree, the master of the horse can receive a bonus point of Battle Power, which has a critical influence on the results of PvP combat. Moreover, the lineage level will also affect the rider's attributes like physical/magic attack and HP.
To the horses themselves, their speed and vigor are also determined by Lineage Level. With a higher lineage level, a horse can move faster, for longer. Therefore, during intense battles, a high lineage-level steed can help you to give chase to enemies or retreat from the battlefield. Finally, players riding pure lineage steeds have another privilege which can force their peers with a lower lineage level horse to be knocked off their mount, forcing them to face you man-to-man.
MMOsite: Could you tell us more about the new map?
The new map is called the Frozen Grotto, which is literally an ice dungeon. This uncharted realm is to be filled with brutal monsters and epic treasure, just waiting for a brave adventurer to find.
The grotto possesses 2 floors, filled with a bunch of newly-designed monsters. These frozen horrors range from level 122 to level 128. Therefore, only the most experienced adventurers with superior gear are capable of exploring this mysterious underground world, and it will become the perfect spot for veterans to continue honing their already impressive skills.


MMOsite: Apart from what you mentioned above, are there any other new features this expansion will bring us?
Along with the release of the expansion, TQ is providing Conquer's community with a magical carnival! The carnival consists of a host of entertaining events, aiming to keep the community vibrant and happy.The dance contest is a major event for the carnival, where players can film themselves doing the dances that appear in CO or use their characters to perform an elegant dance routine in the game. Also, the carnival provides players with an opportunity to actually help design the game itself! Players can design their own steeds and submit their original quests for the game. These user-customized events help to make Conquer Online a community-owned MMO, and keep the community entertained and involved. And really, that's the most important thing you could hope for.
MMOsite: Finally, what kind of new developments can players expect from the designers in the future?
We are collecting the blueprints for Conquer's next new class. We provided 3 options for the community to choose: a monk, a new branch of tao, or a pirate-type class. Players can also submit their own original ideas to us. Whatever the new class is, it will definitely introduce more intensive conflicts to the universe of Conquer Online, and bring players more fun than before.

By mmosite