The indie MMORPG Broken Ranks was released in January 2022 and impressed with its unique combat system. This is turn-based. The hand-drawn graphics also left a positive impression. We from MeinMMO spoke with Krzysztof Danilewicz, the founder of the studio Whitemoon Games, about the MMORPG, its successes, and its future.
What kind of game is it? Broken Ranks is an MMORPG with a 2.5D look, isometric perspective, and a turn-based combat system. When you encounter opponents, you will be placed in a special combat screen. Here, your chosen strategy plays a big role. You can adjust this every round within 10 seconds.
You take on the role of a character who has lost their family and home to the evil Utoren. Accordingly, the story of the game is rather dark. In addition, the game impresses with its beautiful, unique graphics and the following content:
- At the start, you can choose from 7 different classes.
- You level your character through quests, dungeons, and raids up to level 140. However, this takes at least a year, which is rather uncommon for modern MMORPGs.
- In the endgame, the grind for equipment and trading between players play an important role.
- There are also PvP content, which is now optional.
Broken Ranks also offers a buttery smooth German tutorial, which is perfect for newcomers to the genre. I personally tested the MMORPG at release, and it remains my insider tip for players looking for a game without action-packed battles and who enjoy grinding.
Next, we will look at what has changed since the release and how 2023 will continue with Broken Ranks.
Developers are proud of their good start and their leveling system
How did the launch of the game go? Krzysztof Danilewicz told us that the developers are very satisfied with the release and the development after a year. They are especially proud of the engaged and critical community they have built.
However, there were also some stumbling blocks at launch:
At the beginning, we had some bugs that hindered the gameplay right from the start. We have fixed critical errors, improved the skin system to make it more user-friendly, adjusted prices in the cosmetics shop, and optimized the game itself to run faster.
We have also filled in the major content gaps that have accompanied us since the launch. There are more low and mid-level bosses and quests, and the gameplay is more varied – we are on the right track.
There are still some other items on our to-do list, such as questing, which our community has pointed out. It is (for an MMORPG) unusual, which is good on one hand, but on the other hand can deter players who prefer group-based questing. The narrative and quests are often not linear (like in cRPGs), but they make it difficult to track the progress of multiple people who have taken different paths.
A problem with group questing is that you can choose different dialogues, which affects follow-up quests and rewards, as you can sometimes finish quest lines early. Here, a group can quickly get lost.
What is the special leveling system all about? Leveling in Broken Ranks differs drastically from most new MMORPGs. The trend is generally to reduce the time required for leveling. However, in Broken Ranks, most players have not yet reached the max level of 140 – even though the game has been out for a year.
And this is quite intentional, although the developers are planning some adjustments:
In Broken Ranks, leveling up is unusual and contrary to the norm, but it fits perfectly with the character of the game. Here, the development of your character is a gradual process that is present from the very beginning. Thanks to the profound storyline and captivating quests, players do not simply rush through the game world. They can enjoy the immersion for a long time. Additionally, in Broken Ranks, some equipment items also need to be leveled up, which is especially important in the endgame.
On one hand, we have an unusual leveling and character development system, while on the other hand, there is also something for veterans of the genre. At some points, it would be better to speed up leveling, which can happen not only through increasing experience gained but also through new content – we think here of various scenarios.
A good time to level up is, for example, the upcoming Easter event. There, you get as many experience points in 5 days as you usually would in one to two months.
PvP becomes optional at the players’ request
What has changed since the release? One of the biggest changes since the launch of the game relates to PvP. Arenas have been introduced, where tournaments can be played, and there is even a ranking system with prizes.
However, the PvP in the game world itself has also been completely overhauled. At first, there were no real rewards, but the system was still used by high-level players to kill lower players. Now there are faction and PvP points, which are lost when you kill lower players. Additionally, in most areas, you can only attack players who have flagged themselves for PvP.
Krzysztof Danilewicz also revealed to us what other highlights were in the first year after launch:
Since the launch of Broken Ranks, we have added a lot of new features. We try to plan our actions so that every type of player can find something for themselves. In addition to four new boss instances, four events, and changes to PvP, we have also brought these important features:
Guild Lands: This allows players to establish their guild headquarters and take the first step towards building other buildings that provide additional bonuses (e.g. fast travel, buffs, or new pets). Additionally, the joint leveling of the guild strengthens the cohesion within the guild and positively impacts each individual.
The Marketplace: Until the introduction of the marketplace, trading could only be done via chats or outside the game. We decided it would be best to introduce a form of trading familiar to players from other games in the genre. Thanks to this, our players can buy and sell items very conveniently.
Achievements: In our opinion, this is one of the most important elements of MMORPGs – it motivates and provides a lot of satisfaction. We will continue to expand it to offer rewards for more difficult achievements.
However, there is still a feature that many are waiting for: guild wars. These were actually supposed to be in the game already, but were delayed due to the overhaul of the PvP system. “The overhaul of the existing PvP system was a logical first step before we introduce guild wars – we want them to be as attractive as possible, hence the delay.”
No more equipment downgrades and new endgame content
What will change in 2023? A major point of criticism, even among our readers, has been the gear system. If someone wants to upgrade their equipment in the endgame, they may find themselves with a downgrade. This is to be adjusted with a major gear overhaul. From now on, there will be a slow, safe, and a fast, but risky upgrade system:
Together with the planned overhaul of equipment, we want to introduce an alternative way to upgrade equipment that does not reset the progress already made. Both systems will operate in parallel, where the player can choose whether to take risks or continue to upgrade slowly but without risk. The system will be introduced in one of the later phases of the reform and will include items that can be placed in a special additional slot.
However, much more will change with the gear update. The biggest changes are to come in April:
Legendary equipment items will receive slots for the so-called Drifs, which provide useful modifiers. It will be up to players to decide which modifiers they want to use, upgrade, and combine. Of course, there will be diminishing returns for each modifier to prevent players from creating overpowered builds. The reform will give players more options – we want them to be able to customize their equipment to their needs.
Furthermore, a new region on the world map along with a city, new endgame instances, and an expansion of daily PvE and PvP activities are planned.
An increase in the current level cap will come someday, but it also poses risks. It doesn’t sound like this will happen in 2023:
We have been thinking about raising the max level for some time now. We are sure that new content for high-level players would be a good time to introduce something like this, but… it’s just not that simple. We need to think it through and consider the big picture because depending on which solution we choose, it would disrupt the balance of the entire game. In any case, the max level may be raised in the future.
What is changing with the servers? Currently, players choose a server with a specific language, and the client is set accordingly. In the future, however, you should be able to choose your language version regardless of which server you play on.
Mobile and Steam release planned to reach a wide audience
What about the Steam release? Besides the adjustments for the PC version, Broken Ranks will also be released this year for Android and iOS. Initial tests are scheduled for mid-year. Alongside the mobile release, the MMORPG is also set to be released on Steam:
Steam has been part of our plans from the beginning. However, we want to fix all major problems and bugs that have accompanied us since the release before we go to Steam. Most of these issues are already behind us, but the list is still not empty. For example, we want to overhaul equipment, expand the main story, add a new area and a new boss for the mid-game.
Initially, we wanted to reach hardcore MMORPG fans to improve our game with their help, and only then do a Steam release to reach a wider audience.
What happens next? In the near future, a new endgame dungeon and the first parts of the gear reform are planned. Additionally, on July 1, 2023, TaernCon will take place, a dedicated offline event for fans of the game. This convention will be held in Poland, where the developers are also based.
What do you say about Broken Ranks? Have you tried the MMORPG yet, or did it completely fly under your radar?
If you prefer action-packed battles, you will find this here: The 7 best MMORPGs with action combat system in 2023.
