We sit down with Rappelz Producer, Henry Law to talk about some of the newer features that have been added to the game including the Rappelz Arsenal and Epic VI: Navislamia.

As we mentioned yesterday, we have an exclusive interview with Rappelz Producer, Henry Law for your reading pleasure. During the interview we asked about some of the newer features that have been added including the Rappelz Arsenal and Epic VI: Navislamia. Catch up with all the latest Rappelz happenings with ZAM.

ZAM: Hi there! Thanks a lot for chatting with us about Rappelz.

Henry Law: Thanks for asking us to chat! I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

ZAM: First of all, Rappelz seems to be implementing a lot of concepts that feel similar to the recent developments of other mainstream MMORPGs. In particular, the Rappelz Arsenal sounds very similar to the World of Warcraft armory, in that both feature the ability for players to look up the statistics and gear of other players. There's also the Player Representation Voting that will see one player from every server get voted to become a representative of the player populace, which sounds very similar to EVE Online's innovative player council. While these are great ideas that I think should be implemented across other MMORPGs, What do you think -really- seperates Rappelz from other games?

Henry: Well, the most obvious difference between Rappelz and the games you mentioned is that Rappelz is completely free to play. We also have a robust pet system, in which every character can tame and raise a pet to fight alongside them. Guilds in Rappelz can perform raids on dungeons for ownership, which then allows them to take a cut of all money earned in that dungeon until another guild defeats them in a massive PVP siege and takes it for their own. Additionally, Rappelz features an extensive item upgrade system and frequent GM-organized events, both on our website and forums as well as in-game events that we run daily.

ZAM: One unique feature I noticed on your website was the ability for all players to raise pets to fight alongside them. Will there be any other pet-related developments in the near future, aside from adding more diversity in selecting a pet?

Henry: We recently did a full pet revamp in last year's free expansion, Epic 5. It added new skills for every pet, as well as increasing the pet level cap to add room for even more customization. Earlier this year we added Ursa Caverns, a mini-game dungeon where the objective is to slay as many bears as possible in the allotted time to earn points that can be spent on prizes, including unique pets. And, of course, pets are always in development, so we will see more pet features in the coming months.

ZAM: You seem to be implementing a 'donation' system that rewards players 'moral points' for simply... donating their items and rupees. What made you think of a system like this, and why do you want players to essentially 'trash' their un-needed items?

Henry: The items that most players donate are the ones that would be "trashed" anyway, by being sold to a vendor. The new Altar of the Goddess serves a dual purpose. If you've been evil, and have killed players much lower level than you, you gain Immorality Points that have a variety of negative consequences. One of the ways to become "good" again is to donate to the Goddess. The other aspect of the Altar is the new reward system. As you donate, you can be granted "Gifts of the Goddess," which can include some very valuable items. Also, the top donators each month are given special Angel Wings to demonstrate their devotion.

ZAM: If you were to judge the 'temperature' of your community at this moment, would you say that enthusiasm and participation is high?

Henry: Epic VI has been met with great enthusiasm thus far. In particular, we have a lot of new players starting out in Rappelz who are enjoying the new Trainee Island, and our veteran players like the new pets a lot.

ZAM: Why do you think players will be interested in playing Rappelz?

Henry: There are two answers I always give to this question: the pets and the diversity of the character classes. Our pet system has an amazing amount of depth, and everyone can have a pet of their own. Collecting and customizing your pets to take them into battle with you can be dangerously addictive. We have 15 character classes and all of them are very different from each other. Not only that, but they are all effective both solo and in groups. I think one of the reasons our Achievement system is so popular is because it encourages people to play the various classes and experience more of what Rappelz has to offer.

ZAM: Would you classify Rappelz as a classic 'grind' RPG, with a focus on killing monsters, getting levels and 'farming' for gold, or do you think it's more of a North American MMORPG like World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online, both of which focus on hitting a maximum level in about a month, and then giving players a wide range of 'endgame' content to explore.

Henry: While I wouldn't say I agree with you that those games don't revolve around a grind, Rappelz does chiefly center on killing monsters. We have a variety of PVE and PVP options, and our classes all play very differently from each other, but progression in the game does rely on slaying monsters and there isn't an easily attainable level cap. Our current "endgame" content involves characters across a span of approximately 30 levels, and some of our most difficult content still hasn't been defeated.
 
ZAM: Finally, it says on your website that Epic VI: Navislamia was released around May 20th. Do you think you could shed some light on some of the key features that came with this new 'epic?'

Henry: The cornerstone of the new epic is the revamped New Player Experience. Starting out in Rappelz is much smoother and more accessible now, with better rewards and tutorials. The three new pets - Harpy, Wolf, and Gnoll - are great additions for a variety of play styles. There are also new high level quests and field bosses, as well as a new high level area designed for small groups of 2-3 people. Plus, there's the new donation system, improved dueling, a variety of new items and monsters, and a better system for item drops.

ZAM: Well, that's all for now, and thanks so much for this interview!

Henry: Any time!

Andrew Beegle
Editor-in-Chief
ZAM.com