Lineage A Crack of Time

If you’ve played Lineage or not the fact that it has been around for over a decade is a testament to the gameplay and design and yes, the addictive factor. While Lineage is much larger overseas American gamers have also long enjoyed the MMO and in its newest update NCsoft hopes to improve upon their game for veteran members and new fans.

With A crack of time being released to its fanbase we wanted to get some information not only on the latest episode, but on the franchise itself. First let’s go over what we do know about “A Crack of Time” from the official release:

Prominent features of Lineage “Crack of Time” include:

• Two new classes: the Dragon Knight and Illusionist
  • The Dragon Knight is a damage dealing brute with the ability to transform morph into a fearsome beast
  • The Illusionist brings unique area-of-effect mechanics, powerful debuff magic and wicked snares that make it perfect for PvP encounters
  • Two additional character slots so that players can try out these two compelling new classes
  • Thebes Dungeon, a new instance with a randomly spawned entrance that will require a great amount of skill, luck and determination to conquer before time runs out
  • Revamped starting areas foster an improved early-leveling experience and include an in-game event that introduces players to the Dragon Knight and Illusionist classes
  • An improved rules set for North American players, including double XP, improved item drop rates, increased spawn rate of key bosses and more. These game systems will be updated every two weeks to ensure an exciting gameplay experience from beginning to end.

Obsolete Gamer collected some questions posed by fans and the community and added in a few of our own. We were able to get answers from one of the Lineage developers:

Despite other MMO’s and Lineage 2 what do you think has kept Lineage so popular?

Simplicity, Lineage gives players what they desire in a game, contained in a package that is easy to take in.  The fast paced PvP aspect of the game is unmatched, continually drawing you back in for more.

Play testing started on July 29th, when could we see the full episode released?

We’re expecting to release the full episode to our live environment on August 11th. Mark your calendars people, because it’s going to be a good one!

Can you give us a brief description of the two new classics the Dragon Knight and the Illusionist?

The Illusionist is valued in a group, specializing in dark cube magic that brings support for friend and peril to foe. Dragon Knights were born with the power of a Dragon inside them, waiting to be unleashed on the world. Approach too close and they will surely release it on you.

With the release of the Thebes Dungeon that you say will require “skill, luck and determination” have you found that is what players are looking for with so many MMO fans complaining other MMO’s are “easy mode”?

Lineage in the US aims to strike a balance between “Easy mode” when appropriate, and “Hardcore” when that’s the right tone. Making sure to have elements that cater to both as well as those that want to meet in the middle is a difficult balance to strike, but we’ve got more experience at it than anybody else.

A lot of long running MMO’s have done a revamp of or change to make the starting levels easier. Do you find this keeps veteran members coming back to create new characters and it also brings in new fans?

Yes, exactly. We’re looking to implement some really great additions, as well as fine tuning existing features such as newbie quests and starter kits, to provide more helpful tips to brand new players so that they can get into the gameplay much faster. Over time I think you’ll see more of this sort of adjustment designed to get more players into the game.

Can you tell us a little bit about the differences in Eastern Lineage players and Western ones?

Eastern Lineage players prefer a game with more grind for the reward, while Western Lineage players prefer a nice balance between grind rewards and instant gratification to keep their interest.

With the North American rules adding things like double exp, higher drop rates and faster spawn rates do you feel a “more friendly” gameplay style is needed for western fans?

Western fans live busy lives and cannot dedicate as much time to the game as they would like, but still want to have a rewarding experience when they do… giving them a reason to keep coming back for more. The slight changes to the rules between the Eastern game and the Western game are designed to address that need, while keeping the game true to its origins.

So fans say Lineage needs more updates so it can be run using the highest end computers and the higher resolutions and graphic settings, what would be your response to that?

There are a lot of content updates and system enhancements on tap for Lineage. Delays and obstacles are part of software development so we can’t commit to any dates, but part of the planned updates are user Interface enhancements which should be coming in the near future.

Besides fixes and maintenance what do you plan to add or take advantage of with the bi-weekly updates?

Our focus is on enhancements based on player feedback. We are in a unique situation where we have the option of catering to our players requests and we want to make sure they are given a game they will enjoy playing. We listen to their feedback, we watch their play patterns, and then we make tiny little adjustments to give them access to parts of the game which have become under used over the years. It’s amazing what a difference a tiny change can make.

For people looking at Lineage to try for the first time perhaps coming from another MMO what would you tell them to get them to come over?

Lineage has stood the test of time and has proven to keep you coming back for more. We have a ton of content updates planned, so there has never been a better time to give it a try than now!

I know it is extremely early, but can you tell us what is coming next for Lineage as far as updates and changes?

We are constantly adding in minor tweaks and modifications to different aspects of the game to make them more enjoyable to our players, while at the same time working on major content updates like the upcoming Season 3 Episode 1. Phase 1 is all about these minor and major updates, which you will hear more about in the near future. Phases 2 and 3 are… you’ll just have to wait and see.

While there are defiantly critics and complaints there is no doubt that Lineage has stood the test of time and is still going strong even with other MMO’s on the market. In addition, catering to different needs based on the region is a smart idea because what is enjoyable for one group may be boring or tedious for another.

The most important thing is a team that is willing to listen to the player-base and continue improving and making changes to serve the people who keep them in business. One may not agree with everything done and we always want more, but you have to appreciate that they are trying just as we appreciate that we were able to have our questions answered.

Want to learn more head over to http://www.lineage.com/

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