The voxel MMO Trove was officially released by Trion Worlds yesterday and is now also available on Steam. On this occasion, we had the opportunity to interview Executive Producer Andrew Krausnick.
But what is Trove? Essentially, it is a huge sandbox – worlds grow organically, are procedurally generated – in short: there is no lack of freedom. The many MMO and RPG elements are the unique selling point with which the developers try to distinguish themselves from competitors like Minecraft. There are raids, companions, crafting, a class system, and generally many adventures that you can embark on together with others.
A lot has happened in the colorful world of Trove, which can be built and destroyed by players since the beta. Meanwhile, there are 9 different, partly extravagant classes to choose from, with the developers aiming to appeal to a wide range of player types. For example, you can play as a boomeranger, pirate captain, or candy barbarian. Also worth mentioning are the trendy means of transportation, which come in every conceivable variation – be it in the clouds, on water, or on land – with dragons, mounts, vehicles, hoverboards, ships, or wings you explore diverse areas.
To learn more about the features of the sandbox MMORPG, we recommend checking out our detailed interview from the open beta before moving on to the next section: Mein-MMO interview Trove: Why the sandbox MMO is different from Minecraft and co.
Interview with Executive Producer Andrew Krausnick
Trove has grown significantly since our last interview at the start of the open beta. What do you think is the reason behind the voxel MMO becoming so popular that server capacities needed to be increased?
It’s an entertaining game that continues to evolve. People come back to look for new content and thus keep playing. There is now an incredible amount to do. You can collect over 100 mounts, run more than 150 dungeons, or you level and gear up the classes – from Dracolyte to Gunslinger. Additionally, we have enriched the game with several activities – from flying over the sky realms to gardening and fishing.
The next milestone, which will certainly bring more players, is not far off: on July 9, Trove not only celebrated its official release but also its debut on Steam. Could you imagine expanding it into a multi-platform title? The game would work well on PS4 and Xbox One, right?
[pullquote]We definitely find the idea of bringing Trove to consoles interesting[/pullquote]
We definitely find the idea of bringing Trove to consoles interesting. We are also working hard on a Mac version of the game. We plan to release this in the near future.
By the way: Are you planning to localize Trove into German as well?
The first step will be to provide the game’s text content to fans for translation. That gives us the maximum reach. Apart from that, we will always follow where the fans are, if it is not outside our capabilities.
The free-to-play model of Trove is exemplary. There are no Pay2Win accusations. Can the game remain profitable like this?
Thank you very much. It is definitely profitable. Players show great interest in the shop’s content and we will soon add more – especially those that are at the top of the wishlist – such as inventory expansions.
You can surely tell us about the best-selling items in the item shop, right?
The Chaos Chests are by far the most popular shop item. After that come the pinatas.
How did Trove actually come about, what story lies behind it?
We had great fun playing other voxel games, but as MMO players and developers, we missed the persistent online elements. So we decided to take it into our own hands!
Trove differs from its “builder game” competitors mainly because it was designed with many classic MMO elements in mind. Which features are particularly well received?
The dragons are incredibly popular. Generally, it seems to apply: the more dragons, the better. Otherwise, people love playing multiple classes and improving their characters. The cornerstones are also a popular feature, where players can realize their own home. Players can thus showcase their own style and personality in the open world. (Editor’s note: Dragons are not only flying mounts, but also companions that can be upgraded and equipped).
How fitting is the description “World of Warcraft meets Minecraft”?
I was told not to name other games, but since you’ve already done it… the [description] isn’t bad.
Last year during our conversation, you said that PvP wouldn’t fit the Trove at that time, which is why you would focus on PvE. However, recently you announced that you are starting to experiment with PvP. There has been some controversial discussions about this in the forum. What caused the change of heart?
We received a lot of feedback from players who are interested in it. When we reached the point in development where the core game was established, we had a bit of time to experiment. We will only release it when it is really ready for that. However, we are talking about a “Trove-like” time frame. What is important is that it’s fun and doesn’t come off too hardcore.
You kept your word: The contact with the community remains very intense. Hardly a question in the forum or other social networks goes unanswered. Has there been increased feedback on a particular topic that has significantly influenced further work on Trove?
We received an extremely high number of bug reports that we had to fix before the launch. We worked very hard to eliminate them. Additionally, we received plenty of feedback on the “challenges” that we are currently evaluating and improving.
Speaking of the future: What does the crystal ball say?
The future looks bright! We will continue to work on the game just as we have before. New features, content, and experiences will follow. Personally, I am particularly interested in the “Shadow Tower,” a feature we have started working on (Editor’s note: It could be a progressive raid that is opened with keys and contains unpredictable surprises and portals in the shadow dimension).
Last time, you were able to show us great creations from the community. Do you have another example of what user-generated content is possible in Trove?
The last costume set was completely designed by players and looks really fantastic. The same goes for our latest “Batch of Badge Wings,” which look great.
One more thing: What would you like to convey to those who stopped during an early beta or were unsure: What could motivate them to start anew and what has changed in recent months?
We now have so much more to do and things for you to collect. There will most likely be a class that is ideal for you and at least one activity that you will enjoy. In the end, it’s just a small download and free, so give it a try – I bet you will have fun
On the official website for Trove, you can get more information about the game: www.trionworlds.com/trove.
