The mobile MMORPG ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’, which inherited the worldview of the original martial arts novel ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’ by the author of ‘Goryong’ has landed in the domestic game market.
As the PC game has already gained popularity by showing its unique martial arts fantasy and sensibility, many users have been looking forward to what kind of fun it will be with a mobile game. At the CBT held in March, it became a hot topic with high-quality graphics and a cool feeling of hitting, as well as content with a high degree of freedom and a story full of immersion. In particular, the PvP content ‘Nongeom’, called the flower of Cheon Ae Myung Woldo M, was well-received in the event contest of influencers held at the 2021 G-Star site, and was well-received, raising expectations.
Cheonae Myungwoldo M greatly reduced the boredom felt by users by minimizing the repetition of content, often called ‘homework’. In addition, the unique feature of Cheonae Myungwoldo M is that the ‘coopyoung’, a probability type item, reduces the burden of billing by adjusting it so that it does not significantly affect the actual specifications and growth.
“We are also preparing events and updates unique to Korea.” Sean Hu, Level Infinite’s Cheon Ae Myung Woldo M PD, and Chelsea Sun, Revel Infinite’s Cheon Ae Myung Wol Do M art team leader, talked about the episodes in the development process and the future service direction.
– Sean Hu, Producer of Cheon Ae Myung Woldo M Development (Left) / Chelsea Sun Sun Cheon Ae Myung Wol Do M Art Team Leader (Right)
– Sean Hu, Producer of Cheon Ae Myung Woldo M Development (Left) / Chelsea Sun Sun Cheon Ae Myung Wol Do M Art Team Leader (Right)
Q1. I am curious about the philosophy of the MMORPG that the development team has.
A. It is a game where we always do our best and study deeply through teamwork. This will continue to be a tradition of Level Infinite.
Q.2 Many famous IP mobile games are being released. What is the difference between Cheonae Myungwoldo M?
A. The biggest characteristics are story production with increased immersion, graphics, and content with a high degree of freedom. Rather than play with the goal of ‘specification’ and ‘growth’, the original meaning of MMORPG is that it is fun to enjoy only the desired content such as the mansion (housing) and identity according to the way of playing that everyone likes. In addition, we tried to minimize the stress of users who are bored with repetitive content called ‘homework’ because the amount of play per day is fixed.
A variety of weather systems are one of the elements of high-quality graphic production of ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’. Light effects change according to various weather conditions, and detailed effects such as dry or wet costumes are implemented to provide a high level of immersion. Weather also affects some game systems. For example, you can gather ingredients by going to the location marked on the map in special weather conditions such as heavy snow, showers, and meteor showers. When the red moon rises, the boss’s attack power is higher, and in a guild union battle, it affects the commander’s skill effect depending on the weather, such as sunny or rainy days. Changes in battles and systems depending on the weather will continue to be updated in the future.
Q3. Are there any difficulties or special episodes during the production process?
A. The difficulty in developing in a mobile environment was to develop high-quality graphics and implement smooth app execution (optimization). We were able to solve it through engine technology and several QA processes.
It was not easy to design battles and systems to suit the tendencies of Korean mobile users. Therefore, we tried to collect the opinions of internal Korean publishers as much as possible, and to listen directly to the opinions of Korean users, we tried to improve by listening to feedback through CBT.
Q4. What job do you recommend for beginners?
A. I am careful to recommend this because of their different play styles, but in general, the easy-to-manipulate Munpas are Taebaek and Shinwi, so beginners will find it easier to play. If the support role is your preference, Cheonhyang and Ihwa are also good options.
In the case of Taebaek Munpa, the skill manipulation feels good, the manipulation difficulty is low, and it gives a cool feeling of hitting. As a dealer and tanker, Xinyu is always popular in party play, and her skill manipulation is easy. Cheonhyang and Leehwa are healers who act as supporters in team play, but they also have a dealer tendency, so they can play happily.
Q5. Do you have any recommendations for rapid growth?
A. From the beginning, ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’ prepared various tutorials and events so that users could experience various contents of the game and quickly adapt to the system. If you follow the events and tutorials in progress in the game, you can naturally aim for rapid growth.
Even in the official lounge, the CM and the management team continue to introduce various strategies, which will be helpful. In addition, various strategies and tips experienced by users who participated in CBT were also uploaded, so it is recommended to refer to them. Thanks for making it really well.
Q6. Please explain the main BM.
A. Like existing MMORPGs, there are package products that are tailored to the user’s play style. There is a ‘collaboration (colleague) recruitment’ for stochastic items sold for a fee, but it is not a part that occupies a large proportion of actual specifications and growth.
Q7. I wonder if BM is the same as Korea and China.
A. The basic BM system is the same. In the Korean localization process, there may be some adjustments in consideration of the characteristics of the Korean market and users.
Q8. Any special items or events unique to Korea?
A. As a reward for achieving 1.5 million pre-registrations, we prepared a ‘Jjimjilbang Sheep Head’ headdress item for Korean users only. In addition, we are preparing various items and events and updates exclusively for Korean users. The first event limited to Korea will be released in the near future, so please look forward to it.
Q9. How did you come up with the PC version?
A. We prepared according to the latest trend. Since it is an MMORPG, there have been many requests to be able to play comfortably on PC. The PC version was also opened at the same time to provide a wider range of choices in terms of convenience for users.
Q10. How do you plan your update cycle?
A. Most of the updates are similar to the initial version in China, as updates should be carried out sequentially according to the story and growth rate. However, I think it needs to be adjusted according to the play style and actual speed of Korean users. Depending on the situation or the reaction of users, we are considering a plan to advance the content of the subsequent version in advance and proceed with the update.
Q11. There are a lot of good reviews about the sword. Is e-sports active in China?
A. Like Korea, e-sports is very hot in China. Various popular games in the local area also have e-sports fandoms. ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’ has an easy-to-difficulty feel and colorful PvP elements, and it’s fun to watch the game. If there is an opportunity in the future, I am also willing to promote e-sports and streaming.
Q12. The event competition was held at G-Star in 2021. Was there any difference in the play of Korean and Chinese players?
A. Both Korean and Chinese gamers knew the game well, enjoyed it, and felt that they liked it. In particular, Korean gamers were surprised to see that they are interested in PvP like the one-on-one ‘nonsword’ content released at G-Star and can quickly show their skillful skills.
Q13. What is the e-sports international war plan?
A. Last year, we held a small KOL non-geom event at G-Star, and the users’ response was good. In addition to the in-game nongeom season content after the game launch, offline operation of the nonsword contest between nongeom rankers held at the end of the season is also being considered. We are always considering larger-scale e-sports, so we will try to develop it well.
Q14. I would like to hear from the development team on the direction, flow, and trend in the current mobile MMORPG market.
A. I think the problem that many MMORPGs face is ‘loss of fun’. It’s fun at first, but it feels redundant and boring due to repeated content. I think the trend of MMORPGs is to gradually bring back this ‘fun’.
‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’ tried to make time for users to spend time together by reducing the time wasted on repetitive content and focusing on ‘social elements’ that are the driving force of fun. We know that many MMORPGs make new attempts and efforts for this kind of fun. The development team and publishing team of ‘Cheonae Myungwoldo M’ will continue to work hard to create ‘interesting products’ for users.
Q15. Finally, the Korean launch has begun. Please say a word to Korean users.
A. Cheonae Myung Woldo M is a game that has been focused on for a long time. We ask for that much interest and anticipation, and we will always try our best to become a Cheonae Myeongwoldo M team that listens to and reflects users’ feedback.
Wonbin Moon, Reporter at Hankyung.com Game Talk
