[EP10] [Info] Interview with the Developers (7 & 8)

Source : Cabal EU GM’s Blog

 

I am happy to bring you two more interviews with the CABAL Developers. Unlike the previous ones these two are actually concerning future changes to the game, and I think you will agree that they make for very interesting reading.

(These interviews were not held by me, and I left them un-edited)

 

Part 7

CABAL GM (interviewer): 
User must wonder about future CABAL contents. Would you please introduce upcoming CABAL contents?

CABAL Game Designer (interviewee): 
Actually, I didn’t apply all future CABAL contents which I mentioned by previous Game Designer Note. This is to inform you coming CABAL update for the latter half of the year though there will be a slight difference with real update.

[Buff Renewal] 
The Buff Renewal will be not only limited to buff skill, specifically speaking, but also it includes overall skill system renewal. Actually, the modification for overall skill system is an essential prerequisite to maintain the game balance whenever we extend a skill values such as attack or defense value. In line with this thinking, we also need to test the new contents from various angles to keep a game balance.
Below new future contents are also undergoing balance trials and some part of them will be abrogated as a failure to maintain game balance.
Anyhow, we will make public a Buff Renewal by stages from next month.
Things we can warrant that we will not going to make public Buff Renewal until we get a satisfying test result and user feedback (from test
server). This buff renewal includes the pre-revealed changes such as the some skills changed to passive.

[Unique STATS / Stance] 
The addition of 2 Unique STATS per each battle style is under consideration except STR, DEX, INT. These Unique STATS are related to new system “Stance” and the role of battle style will be changed according to what kinds of Stance character has.

Till now, CABAL online has no border line for Healing/Tanking/Dealing roles due to the fact that each play styles has been constructed based on
single play.

And there are no hard rules for CABAL contents development so we’ve not tried to fixate the future CABAL contents on stereotypical formula,
for example, Healer is weak for Damage but it is good at Healing likes other MMORPG.

For this reason, we intend our user to choose between the 2 kinds of different battle style role by Stance system as an kinds of intermediate
step.

We aware this Stance system could be looks similar to the other MMORPG’s Properties system which has an fixed tree structure and constitutes other kinds of skill system by spreading points.)

However, Stance system could have various optional effects for attack skill according to equipped weapon and unique STATS. That means Stance can be diverted by very simple way, for example, user can change Stance just by choosing weapon Great Sword or
Daikatana in different situations.

Also, Unique STATS could be transformed by character’s level and distribution of general STATS (STR, DEX, INT). Currently, we are trying to design this system as user friendly as possible for easy to use.

Besides additional effect of attack skill, Stance system has its own Buff Skill/Debuff Skill invoked while Stance is activating.

In other words, attack skill is kinds of additional effect of Stance system and Stance Buff (Debuff) is endemic effect highlighted the character’s
Stance itself. To leave a gap between Stance and previous buff skill, Sp could be consumed whenever Stance skill is activated instead of MP.

[Damage Judgment and Calculation Formula] 
The current damage calculation formula for CABAL is multiplying AMP values to ‘Attack’ STATS(Damage = Attack * skill Amp). As you know, this has caused enormous expansion for attack effect, only by 1 Amp. addition.

On the other hand, the defense efficacy has not been kept pace with attack effect. We acknowledge that this issue is open to dispute even though we considering extra update for maintaining the proper game balance. For this reason, we are considering new damage calculation formula that applies different attack & defense value depend on the character’s level and its equipment.

We will also readjust Monster STATS extensively. Detailed description will be followed with next monster update.

Besides, attack, defense and evasion values are also will be reformed in an efficient way.

We aware that current character’s all abilities could be standardized downward by above modifications. So we will make public contents update to live server after reflecting enough user feedback and modification.

[How I wish I could calculate damage only by addition and subtraction] 

[Battle Mode] 
The sixty-four thousand dollar question for Buff Renewal must be a Battle Mode. We will modify couple of the Battle Mode issues posed by user complaints in a whole Battle Style. It’s hard to tell about detail modification however I can tell the main purpose of it is primarily to have user using not only Battle Mode 2 but also Battle Made 3 more efficiently.

[Monster / Dungeon] 
Above modification of damage calculation is at high risk for downward standardization for character’s abilities. And, such a plus or minus change is inevitable in the process of modifying damage calculation formula. So we believe this is certainly a matter not to be lightly handled because it is directly related to user’s awareness of character efficiency.
(We never make a modification only for downward)

There will also be changes in monster and dungeon according to Buff Renewal. The difficulty of dungeon and monster level could be changeable by character’ level/equipment/the number of party.
The modification of this intend to encourage user enjoy the various difficulty of dungeons according to character’s level and equipment rather
than makes user complete dungeon by sole play easily and discourage challenge for dungeon.

[Mission Battle] 
Mission Battle system is also being developed and it is expected to be released this August (For the Korean service). Actually, this project ran into lots of unexpected difficulties and we had to go over it every step from the beginning. We are sorry to inform you of delay in opening of Mission Battle system. Honestly, we also want to make public it as soon as possible.

Mission Battle, as I mentioned earlier, is consist of one-on-one battle.
We will open both of contents orderly from one-on-one battle to team battle. Additionally, we try to introduce AOS factors into team battle (however it was hard to add AOS factors to one-on-one battle.)
So, in case of team battle, teamwork will be the most crucial factor for the victory.

In case of one-on-one battle, it will be leavened with various factors such as attack and defense strategy as well as using of tactical object.
We believe these various factors will lead to heightened tension on Mission Battle.

(AOS: Aeon of Strife, the objective of the game is for each team to destroy the opponents’ building, heavily guarded structures at opposing
corners of the map.)

We’ll have more on this later in the Mission Battle. We would like the participation of the Mission Battle. We will provide full details about Mission Battle when it is released. Feel free to make any suggestions, please.

[New Dungeon / New equipment] 
New dungeon and new equipment acquired at new dungeon are also supposed to introduce at this winter update. The key concept of new
dungeon will be “Frozen Tower of Undead B3F”. (Some designer also proposed the concept of new dungeon as a “Frozen Tower of Undead
rooftop”.) Also, higher level of equipment (above Mithril) will be dropped at this dungeon.

In case of Maquinas Outpost, time attack was important point. In case of “Frozen Tower of Undead B3F”, newly developed strategy points and interesting factors can give the dramatic tension to it.

[Mission War] 
New Mission War Map also is being developed for this winter update.
The area of new Mission War is much larger than Tierra Gloriosa and it will has a different progress style. For example, victory terms and process method are differentiated from previous mission war.
I will notify you of the details later.

Additionally, bringer system is also being adjusted. And effect of Legacy Weapon and the Saint’s Forcecaliburs will be amended. We will modify the compensation for successive defeats and successive victories to prevent one-sided continuative victories.

[Mission Field] 
There are two mission fields in CABAL, Saints Island and Arcane Trace.
And we aware that the insufficient number of alliance’s participants will be a disadvantage on the battle because, as its name suggests, it is
field battle. Furthermore, Saint’s Forcecalibur system is now under consideration due to lots of user proposals about it.

Once, in case of Arcane Trace, buff effect could be different by the number of participants. Also, if user continually fails to occupy Fortress, that is to say that user is in a very disadvantageous situation, additional Buff effect will be added.

These two things are being tested currently and expected to be implemented soon. In case of Saints Island, we are looking at ways to prevent one nation from wining other nation incessantly due to one nation’s predominance with modifying Vikalitan’s abilities.

CABAL GM 
Wow, there is also a bewildering array of initiatives. I don’t know exactly how things will turn out because it’s early days yet. But I’m sure CABAL designers are raising efforts to put quality to CABAL contents and I hope your efforts will pay off someday. I appreciate what you have done.
Any last words to CABAL users?

CABAL Game Designer: 
Currently, we are developing a great variety of CABAL contents.
In return for your constant support, we’ll continue to do our best.
We will listen and seek to understand the perspective of CABAL user by extending communication and we always endeavor to please our user.
Thank you very much.

---

Part 8

CABAL GM: 
Some time ago, we shared some ideas on “Future CABAL contents.”
It has been a month now and CABAL game designer called upon me back again! I hope this time I could quench the thirst for answers for CABAL fans.

CABAL game designer: 
Yes. It’s been a month since we disclosed some of the outlines on future CABAL contents. As I mentioned previously, I can tell you that the renewals on skills will be the biggest of all time.

And because of it, we are planning, editing, and disposing ideas over and over again. We feel sorry for the developers but most of all we apologize to CABAL fans who are waiting for the update. We are going to let you know the current progress hoping to resolve your curiosity.

There are some aspects that could mislead our fans due to its sensitivity. I want to stress that any part of this discussion today could be edited or deleted at any point as the project progresses. 

CABAL GM: 
So it is important to remember that the contents that we are disclosing today may be edited or deleted as it processes. Don’t be complaining why it changed in the future! We will appreciate your feedback after today’s disclosure of the contents. Then, CABAL game designer will refer to your feedback. Of course, we need to make sure everything goes in line with one another. Now, let’s have a look what will change.

CABAL game designer: 
First of all, all weapons and armors will be redesigned with range of minimum and maximum ATTACK and DEFENSE values.

CABAL GM: 
Hmm, it may sound difficult. In plain words, minimum and maximum ATTACK and DEFENSE values are determined for each class of weapons
and armors. For example, Titanium Great Sword will have 50~150 ATTACK, right?

CABAL game designer: 
Yes, correct. Evasion rate is calculated as %. For example, it is 35% when the Evasion is 350 and it is 45% when the Evasion is 500.

Since the hit/miss judgment is decided by the Evasion rate of defender, if the evasion rate is 35% then the attacker has 65% chance of
attacking successfully. Intuition skill and Evasion Potion will be redesigned followed by the changes in Evasion. DEFENSE does not reduce damage by its value but by %, just like Evasion. (ex. If DEFENSE is 1000, 35% of the damage is reduced).

Attack Rate and Defense Rate affect the ATTACK. If the Attack Rate is high and maximum Defense Rate is high, minimum ATTACK is applied. If
certain level of defender’s Defense Rate is higher than the Attack Rate of attacker, then something called “BLOCK” is applied apart from “MISS”
and damage becomes 0.

When aforementioned content is updated, will Wizard for example block all attacks from Force Shielder’s if Wizard’s defense rate is higher than Force Shielder’s attack rate?

There will be two new options added: Bulls-eye and pierce.
Bulls-eye reduces the opponent’s evasion rate to increase chance of successful attack. Pierce reduces the opponent’s defense for more damage. These options are only available through items or skills momentarily. There are many options already in development or in consideration other than those two and there will be changes to item options upgrading system accordingly.

The effectiveness of critical attack will be affected by this update so we are considering additional features to be added to critical rate. (ex. When a character strikes critical attack, cool-down time of relevant skill to reset)

Intuition will be redesigned as a complete evasion skill, meaning the character will be invincible ignoring knock-back, stun, down and even
damage, with less cool-down time and buff skill time. It may consume SP or other resources.

CABAL GM (interviewer): 
New concepts of defense are on their way! It might sound confusing but I’m excited to see the new birth of defense in attack based CABAL.
What about “Battle Stance” we talked about before?

CABAL Game Designer (interviewee): 
“Battle Stance” will be implemented a little differently by battle style.
For instance, Lightening Blade, Ice Blade and Fire Blade will not stack on one another any longer for Force Bladers. We are considering each skill
to have different buff/de-buff features with similar overall effectiveness.
Also fundamentals such as formulas for damage and attack hit or miss will be redesigned and therefore, dungeons and field monsters
rebalancing will take place accordingly.

Basic concepts of STR, DEX and INT will be modified and trashing minimum STAT requirement for items and Battle Style Level up is also being considered.

(Putting all ability points into one section means lacking in rests, therefore, users will need to invest thoughtfully.) In addition, but not yet confirmed, we are currently in discussion on making new animations for some skills that take long time casting to give it a speedy .

Aggro logic will be newly changed.
Force Shielder(FS) will be more specialized in shielding, bringing a fresh taste in Party plays with new Aggro logic.

As balancing work between characters wraps up, each Mission Dungeons will have different difficulty levels followed with different rewards,
depending on which level and the number of party members.

CABAL GM: 
Ok. It seems like lots of changes are in progress. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, things are adjustable, so it would be appreciated and easy for fans as well, if fans could just get the basic idea of what is going on.

CABAL Online has more adult fans, and one of the reasons is that CABAL Online is simple and easy to play comparing to others. However, the risk side is that ‘easy’ could mean ‘boring.’

It seems like not only attacks but also on defense are balancing out as well. It excites me just thinking about it. You will get back to GM when
you guys set the final direction, right? ^^

CABAL Game Designer: 
More than what we listed above is in renewal. We will do our best to bring out the best outcome in the shortest time so all fans can experience
and hit us back with feedbacks.

CABAL GM: 
Ok, thank you!