Shortly before the early access of Throne and Liberty, MeinMMO had the opportunity to ask a representative from publisher Amazon Games some questions about the MMORPG. It was about differences to the Korean version, bots, and more.
On September 26, 2024, the early access of Throne and Liberty will start, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. A few days later, on October 1, 2024, the official launch will follow for all interested parties.
Before the journey into the fantasy world of Solisium begins, MeinMMO had the chance to ask Merv Lee Kwai from Amazon Games a few questions about the big MMORPG hope of 2024.
The “Head of Third Party Publishing” is responsible for the release of games that are not developed directly by Amazon Games and spoke with us about beta feedback, differences to the Korean version, bots, the secret of the servers, and more.
On September 24 and 25, the “Siege the Day” community event is running – here is the trailer:
Korean versus Western Version
Our first question to Merv Lee Kwai was answered just a few days ago, with comprehensive patch notes detailing the changes since the open beta in July 2024. The Amazon lead emphasized again that player feedback regarding combat experience and character control was particularly important.
The next questions targeted the differences between the Korean and Western versions of Throne and Liberty. Merv Lee Kwai explains that NCSoft and Amazon Games would prefer to create a global version of the MMORPG. Therefore, changes made for the Western market often find their way into the Korean version at a later date as well.
The main difference at launch is that the international version will not include the recently released increase in the level cap and the associated vertical progression, allowing our players to experience the early state of the game before we expand the timeline.
The international version offers cross-platform play between Steam, PlayStation 5, and XBOX X|S, as well as a range of localizations.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview with MeinMMO
Currently, the Korean version has a head start of several months, with the release in December 2023. According to Merv Lee Kwai, the first content packs are expected to come to the global servers faster than they did in South Korea. Additionally, he explains that selected features will be released simultaneously worldwide in the future.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all features will have a delay. We have the ability to isolate and prioritize a whole range of content, just as we did with skill specialization and life skills.
It’s still a bit early to talk about it, but we will also release a certain amount of content at the same time as in Korea.
We know that players who love Korean MMORPGs often wait for content for the publisher versions of the game to be released, so I personally can’t wait to delight our audience when we announce our first global features in the months after the launch.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview with MeinMMO
The Focus on ‘Massively’ versus Fans of Solo Content
Content with more than a thousand players: Throne and Liberty focuses on content for guilds and large raid groups, with thousands of characters populating a version of the game world. Thanks to the open beta and reports from the Korean community, it is clear that the servers can handle these mass gatherings without lags or significant drops in frame rates. We want to know the secret of Throne and Liberty’s server architecture.
In the more than 20 years that I have worked exclusively on MMORPGs, I have never seen battles of the scale that are possible in Throne and Liberty. This was something that drew me to the game as a publisher and continues to set us apart from the competition.
During our open beta test rounds, there were over 3,000 characters in the starting areas on some servers with minimal latency. On the Korean service, we experienced castle sieges with over 1,800 players. We are receiving consistently positive feedback on this topic, and the game is delivering consistently good results. […]
Regarding the underlying technology – I won’t reveal the secret sauce, but the combination of NCSoft’s pedigree in game development as a world-class MMORPG manufacturer and Amazon’s industry-leading server hosting and scaling is what brings this dream to life.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview with MeinMMO
What about solo content? But what about MMORPG fans who prefer or at least sometimes want to experience their online role-playing games solo or in small groups? Merv Lee Kwai admits that most of the game’s content is best enjoyed in company but also sees some reasons for the aforementioned player types to give Throne and Liberty a chance.
We have added a lot of content for solo players, such as Taedals Tower, the Gate of Infinity, and even our Abyss Dungeons in the open world can be played alone. Playing in small groups is the focus of our critically acclaimed cooperative PvE dungeons, where groups of 6 players can tackle challenges that are rewarded with great loot.
We have a matchmaking feature that allows solo players to queue up with others and make new friends. In addition, I want to encourage you to explore the world, complete the lithography book, unlock Amitois and Morphs, and try out our life skills like cooking or fishing!
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview with MeinMMO
Open Free2Play Access versus Bots
Lastly, we talk with Merv Lee Kwai about the payment model of Throne and Liberty. MMORPGs with Free2Play access and real-money currencies often have serious issues with bots – see Lost Ark. We want to know from the Amazon Games employee how they plan to tackle this challenge in the Western version of Throne and Liberty.
We are continually adapting our detection methods to the changing landscape and using experiences from our other games to launch Throne and Liberty with a well-prepared defense. Removing bots from the game is one vertical factor, but another equally important factor is how we adjust the core systems of the game to make them tougher and less prone to botting activities. We have to do this without disturbing the experience of normal players, so we will focus on being precise and accurate.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview with MeinMMO
Furthermore, we want to know the current status of the “Blessing of Solisium”. The optional subscription from the Korean version is not set to appear in the West for the time being until the best possible adjustments have been finalized.
According to Merv Lee Kwai, several options are currently being considered, but they are not yet ready to discuss them publicly. The most important thing, however, is that the new version of the blessing aligns with the core values that Amazon Games has formulated for Throne and Liberty. You can find more information about this here: All important information about Free2Play, early access, currencies, battle pass, shop, and pay-to-win elements in Throne and Liberty.
