Are the developers satisfied with the open beta test of MU Legend? What do they say about the cheaters? We interviewed Webzen for you.
Since early November, you can play the “Hack and Slash” MMORPG MU Legend in the open beta test. After that, the game will have a soft launch, so you can carry over your beta progress into the finished game. Now the first “test weeks” have passed, bringing both positive and negative aspects.
We addressed the developers about problems and future features. In the interview, you learn how the launch of MU Legend feels for the developers and how things will continue with the ARPG in 2018.
Was Diablo an inspiration for MU Legend?
Mein-MMO: First of all, we want to thank you for the interview. We have a passionate community here on Mein-MMO.de, and we are all excited about the future “MU Legend” content. Who are our readers dealing with?
Dennis Czybulka: “Hello! My name is Dennis Czybulka and I am the COO of Webzen Dublin, the official publisher for MU Legend Global markets.”
Mein-MMO: Players and the press often refer to MU Legend as “Diablo-MMO”. Was it in your mind to create a Diablo-MMO with MMO features, or where did the inspiration for the game come from?
Dennis Czybulka: “We often read this phrase, and it makes us proud in a certain way. As few of you may know, the release of MU Online (the predecessor of MU Legend) was in 2001. The “MU” brand is very well-known and popular in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. MU was never really known in Germany, and we want to change that now. The inspiration was more based on our own game. We wanted to create a worthy successor to MU Online without neglecting the innovations of the Hack&Slash genre. We aimed more at MMO features.”
Mein-MMO: Your quarter-view MMORPG was released before major competitors like Lost Ark or Project TL from NC Soft. Is that an advantage or was it even a goal to release MU Legend before the competitors’ games?
Dennis Czybulka: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “goal”. It was more of a nice coincidence. Our goal was to release MU Legend when it met our quality standards. The Hack&Slash genre has been somewhat neglected for a while, and we wanted to fill a gap that we believe exists. Overall, I am happy with the timing of the release.”
Mein-MMO: The “Hack&Slash-MMORPG” is a relatively young genre, and it still seems to be evolving. What is the biggest challenge in that? Is it the addition of MMORPG features to this type of game?
Dennis Czybulka: “Starting a large project like this, the challenges and hurdles seem enormous. A lot of time goes into good old brainstorming and developing concepts. The more we thought about the game, the more natural it felt to combine MMORPGs and Hack&Slash. Like something that always wanted to go together but had never been combined before.
We are happy with the OBT version and the initial reception from our players. The roadmap for MU Legend in 2018 is exciting, and we can’t wait to share this with our players and hear their feedback on the development of certain features.”
What makes MU Legend special?
Mein-MMO: With this genre that is becoming increasingly popular every year, leading to more quarter-view MMOs: What is the hallmark of MU Legend?
Dennis Czybulka: “We can only compare our game with those that have been released so far. We can say that the pace and general feel in MU Legend are unique. In comparable games, the early and mid-game are more of a “necessity”, with the goal being to reach endgame as quickly as possible to unlock the full potential of the character. In Hack&Slash games, the focus is on AOE abilities. You want to be as strong as possible, but that is usually only unlocked at high levels.
We take a different approach: the character feels powerful from the very first levels and unlocks AOE skills early on. This way, every player experiences the Hack&Slash feeling. For the future, we have unique features planned that will likely significantly impact the entire genre.”
Mein-MMO: MU Legend has been playable since early November. How many players have joined the OBT so far and are playing regularly?
Dennis Czybulka: “Normally we do not comment on our player numbers. However, we can say that we already had to open new servers well ahead of our plan. We are very satisfied with the numbers from the open beta test so far.”
Mein-MMO: Since we are already talking about player numbers: There are some users who do not take “fair play” seriously. We have seen that actions are taken against Zen/Redzen sellers. The auction house and trading function are currently disabled due to these issues. Is there an update on the progress in the fight against the cheaters and how you will address the Zen/Redzen pre-sellers? The players fear that the auction house will remain disabled for a long time.
Dennis Czybulka: “We take this unwanted behavior very seriously. Unfortunately, the deactivation of the auction house and the trading function was necessary at that time. However, by the time your readers can read this interview, the Zen auction house should be active again. We continue to work on resolving the other issues.”
Mein-MMO: Have differences in player behavior between different regions been noticed in the first weeks? Do players from Germany or Europe, for example, play differently than players from China?
Dennis Czybulka: “The biggest differences are usually the time spent in-game, social behavior towards other players, or simply where players play the game. For example, in Asia and Latin America, there are large groups that play together in internet cafes.”
Cash Shop and further updates in MU Legend
Mein-MMO: Is the Mu-Legend team satisfied with how the cash shop has been functioning since the start of the OBT, or are changes planned based on player feedback?
Dennis Czybulka: “Cash shops are always a very sensitive topic. Not only among players but also internally within the company. We are still analyzing and will make changes to elements that are not performing well based on the feedback from players or our staff.”
Mein-MMO: We will soon receive the first major content update for MU Legend. One of the new features is 3v3 battles – when can we expect that?
Dennis Czybulka: “The 3v3 battles will be released on December 5th. We are already working on another major update that will activate a few cool guild features. That will come in early January.”
Mein-MMO: Can every player start immediately or are there certain prerequisites for the 3v3s? For example, level or gear prerequisites?
Dennis Czybulka: “Characters must be at least level 65 to enter 3v3s.”
Mein-MMO: Are equipment equalizations (like in TERA) planned, where each class gets equal gear to play, or will the matchmaking system handle imbalances?
Dennis Czybulka: “Unlike TERA, the 3v3 arena will not have an equipment balance system. Players can use anything they have invested time in to make themselves stronger. We hope that this will allow players to show their friends and opponents how strong they are. However, artifacts will be disabled in all PvP content, as they would disrupt the balance between the characters.
Our matchmaking system uses battle tokens and win points to make matches as fair as possible. We will continue to work on providing players with fair and fun PvP battles.
Will there be PvP seasons?
Mein-MMO: Balancing a game, especially in the PvP area, is difficult. There’s always “that one class” that seems “OP”. Did the classes need special adjustments for group PvP (possibly weakening abilities)? You often hear from other games that it’s hard to balance a game for PvP and PvE at the same time.
Dennis Czybulka: “We consider class balance in all content. Specifically, in PvP content, we have disabled artifacts to promote better balance.”
Mein-MMO: Will there be different queues for solo and group players? In other 3v3 games, players can sign up as a three-person group and play against other three-person groups or play as a random group in solo play against other random groups.
Dennis Czybulka: “For now, there will only be single player registrations. However, changes are planned for the future.”
Mein-MMO: Developers often bring a competitive factor to PvP modes through season modes or other PvP events. Can we expect PvP seasons, tournaments, or other 3v3 events in MU Legend?
Dennis Czybulka: “We have some things planned. But we do not want to reveal them just yet.”
Mein-MMO: The competitive factor is particularly high in PvP modes. Players want to showcase how good they are compared to other players and share their successes. Should we expect a PvP progression system that rewards us for successful play in PvP with titles, gear, or skins?
Dennis Czybulka: “Players earn battle tokens and win points for participating in the 3v3 arena. With more win points, players reach a higher league. Players in a higher league receive more battle tokens for wins and losses. These battle tokens can be exchanged for useful items like Sage’s Stone and Magic Gem at the battle token vendor. There are also additional attractive items that you can exchange for.”
News about Guild Battles Coming Soon
Mein-MMO: Besides 3v3 battles, we are also looking forward to mass PvP like guild battles. Is there any news on that?
Dennis Czybulka: “Keep an eye on the media. We will talk about that soon!”
Mein-MMO: Last but not least: Will there be a PvE update after the PvP update? If so, is there a hint about what to expect?
Dennis Czybulka: “PvE content is of course important to us due to the genre. At the moment, however, we cannot provide any further information on that.”
The PvP mode of MU Legend is on the way. Here’s what you should know about it
