Not too long ago, Sandbox Interactive celebrated Albion On-line’s eighth anniversary and launched the “Abyssal Depths” replace. In honor of the massive day, the developer provided us an opportunity to ask just a few questions in regards to the sandbox MMORPG’s previous and future. We took them up on the supply, requested in regards to the recreation’s historical past, what’s occurring now, and what they’d love to do sooner or later.
Our questions had been thoughtfully answered by Sandbox Interactive’s Head of Operations, Christoph Hombergs. We acquired a little bit extra perception into the sport’s beginnings, the way it’s modified, how the neighborhood reacted, and what the dev group may love to do sooner or later, in addition to Hombergs’ emotions on dragons.
MMOBomb: As it’s Albion On-line’s eighth anniversary, are you able to discuss a bit about how issues began out and what the method of creating the sport was like?
Christoph Hombergs: All of it started as a a lot smaller concept. It was actually nearly having gamers battle one another with a little bit of territory management on the facet. PvE? The financial system? … extra like afterthoughts on the time. We constructed a prototype round that and introduced it to participant communities for early playtests, and it rapidly grew to become clear that individuals had been genuinely enthusiastic about what we had been creating.
From there, we simply saved iterating, including options, remodeling methods, and at all times bringing it again to the gamers for suggestions by fixed playtesting. That course of stretched out the unique improvement timeline, but it surely additionally turned Albion right into a a lot greater, deeper recreation than we first imagined.
MMOB: Was there something that you simply hoped to attain that you simply had been unable to, and what do you are feeling you had been most profitable at attaining?
CH: On a technical stage, one factor we at all times hoped to attain was working the sport in a shared world, whereas internet hosting completely different components of it on information facilities positioned across the globe. We really experimented with that early on, with some recreation maps hosted in Central Europe and others within the US, again when there was solely a single server. Sadly, we had been by no means in a position to overcome sure points, resembling database latency throughout areas, and the general expertise for gamers simply wasn’t the place it wanted to be. You simply can’t fairly beat physics. Although, it did lay the groundwork for finally launching devoted servers in Asia and Europe, which have been a terrific success.
One factor we had been very profitable at, proper from the get-go, was incorporating neighborhood suggestions into the sport. We’ve at all times had a passionate and engaged neighborhood that performs an integral position in shaping Albion, and that’s one thing that actually can’t be overstated.
From a purely technical standpoint, we’re additionally actually happy with how properly the sport runs on cellular gadgets. There aren’t any compromises when it comes to scope or depth, and that’s nonetheless one thing that stands out out there immediately.
And from a recreation design perspective, I personally assume the Black Market we’ve got within the recreation is nothing wanting a stroke of genius. It solves an issue that a number of sandbox video games run into: you’ll be able to’t artificially add significant loot, as a result of that may mess with the player-driven financial system. Getting round that by making a market that buys player-crafted gear and turns it into drops out on this planet? Actually, actually nice answer.
MMOB: As with most on-line video games, issues in Albion On-line have modified a bit through the years. What do you are feeling is the largest change, and the way did gamers adapt to it?
CH: I’d say the largest change got here with the Queen replace, which essentially modified how territory possession within the Outlands is set. It shifted from 5v5 “championing” matches, the place a small elite group would battle for a territory, to the system we’ve got now, which includes whole guilds as a substitute of simply their prime 5 gamers.
At first, I believe a few of these very sturdy 5v5 groups struggled a bit with the, let’s say, “diminishing” of their position inside the bigger guild construction. However general, the participant base has tailored, and it’s simply the brand new regular now. It’s nonetheless spectacular to see dozens and even a whole lot of gamers clashing within the open world and duking it out.
MMOB: Albion On-line will not be an MMO for the risk-averse, but it manages to maintain a every day participant base that’s increased than a number of different video games. How do you stability the chance of shedding the stuff gamers work onerous for towards the reward of taking that threat?
CH: Balancing threat versus reward is without doubt one of the key questions behind virtually each design choice we make. I’m unsure it may be boiled all the way down to a clear-cut system of easy methods to do it, although we do typically (solely half-jokingly) say: “If half of the feedback say ‘it is an excessive amount of’, and the opposite half says ‘it is too little’, we have most likely hit the candy spot.”
Generally, each exercise ought to really feel just like the rewards are definitely worth the threat. And what we’ve seen over time is that when most gamers perceive that gear in Albion is extra of a consumable than a everlasting funding, they’re way more prepared to take these dangers. On prime of that, after getting by the preliminary studying curve, a number of them understand that the worry of threat is commonly greater than the chance itself.
MMOB: The sport’s most up-to-date replace, Abyssal Depths, launched only a bit over per week in the past, providing gamers even riskier, more difficult content material. How has it been acquired?
CH: Strictly talking, it’s not even riskier. It really provides a layer in between. One the place you solely lose your stock contents, however not the gear you’re sporting. It’s a little bit of a stepping stone, if you’ll, towards full-loot PvP.
Up to now, it’s been extraordinarily well-received. A lot of neighborhood voices have referred to as it the most effective replace in a very long time, perhaps even ever. They are saying that with the introduction of The Depths, and that lower-stakes entry level into PvP, extra persons are prepared to dip their toes into it since a part of the perceived threat is gone. That’s an enormous exercise driver, and that makes everybody completely happy.
MMOB: As that is the sport’s eighth anniversary, what does the group have deliberate to rejoice?
CH: The Residing Legacy anniversary occasion is ongoing, with statues coming to life, anniversary truffles that pace up expertise achieve for gamers, and even the Chromacannon as a uncommon loot drop to shoot fireworks in-game.
MMOB: Are you able to give us a touch as to what gamers can sit up for sooner or later? Is there one thing you’d actually like to try this you haven’t been in a position to but?
CH: We’re turning our consideration towards Faction Warfare as the subsequent huge factor. We’ll additionally maintain sharpening and overhauling older content material and visuals. Whereas we’ve already made progress there, Albion remains to be a recreation that’s been dwell for 8 years –and in improvement for 13– so there’s positively room for extra enchancment.
And personally? I’ve at all times wished dragons within the recreation. If there’s an epitome of a fantasy creature, it’s them. However they should really feel actually impactful and essential, not simply thrown in for the sake of it. And for years, everybody within the studio and the neighborhood has been saying “naval warfare!”… however we nonetheless haven’t fairly discovered the appropriate place for it within the grand scheme of issues.
