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 Ten Ton Hammer: What initially drew you to the Dekaron, the Korean version of the game? Why did you decide to alter it so much? Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply translate the text and localize the gameplay?

Dave: Initially, I went to Korea with Howard Marks, CEO of Acclaim, and we were introduced to Dekaron during our visit to the GameHi offices. I was immediately impressed with their engine and graphics. Dekaron was a hit in Asia already, proving that it had the elements of a successful game, and that GameHi had the technical ability to run a very large-scale MMORPG. However, it was our plan from the beginning to make the game a free-to-play, advertising supported game with a shop for special items

Our biggest problem has been catching up with the relentless additions this game is getting as only when that slows will I get to add a lot of my ideas.  For example, I have ideas to really add even more drama and excitement to the fighting and I’m being very patient as I wait for the commercial release to happen, then I’m expect to get plenty of programmer attention.

Ten Ton Hammer: Besides the blood, gore, and language, what makes 2Moons different from the standard MMO? What sort of gameplay elements have been changed in 2Moons to make it stand out from the standard fantasy MMO crowd?

Dave: There are certain elements that all MMORPGs have in common, such as skills, character options, progression and some degree of customization. There is always some level of story, some amount of PvP, factions, groups/guilds, etc. What makes each unique generally involves certain features, both major and minor, and these features are sometimes easy to articulate, sometimes not. 2Moons should be largely familiar to MMORPG players, because it does use definable character classes, skill trees, statistical assignment, experience points and leveling. However, like every fantasy world, it has its own story, atmosphere, specific skills and abilities, and unique items. It has its own quest system, item upgrades, zones and events. It has a flavor all its own, and that is what will set it apart. Oh, and did I mention it’s free to play?

Ten Ton Hammer: How pervasive is the story in 2Moons? Is it something that players will interact with on a regular basis, or do players have to actively engage with it to see the story?

Dave: The story is about 4,000 pages long. It’s insane.  The more the player follows the quests from level to level, the more the story will reveal itself. By completing the quests and interacting with the NPCs, players will slowly learn the history of the 2Moons world, Haran, and of the threat that faces it. They will learn about the principle characters who shaped the world and how they put Haran in dire peril. They will be able to fill their roles as heroes, although not always “nice” heroes, and do their part to destroy the enemy.

Ten Ton Hammer: What sort of PvP and PK elements are you hoping to put into 2Moons before the game is finished? It seems like a perfect style of game for some of the more gruesome feats of violence in the fantasy world, will all these things be supported?

Dave: The PvP system is unique in my experience. Anyone can PK in the wilder zones, but PKing a non-PK player turns you into an evil player, changing your status within the game. There are various rules for how to reverse that status, but ultimately, PKing will be part of the game. There are also siege battles that will involve large guilds in deadly wars, duels and other ways for players to pit themselves against each other.

Ten Ton Hammer: There have been several other big name titles that are also featuring some very graphic content, except those titles are going to be pay-to-play games rather than free-to-play. What kind of advantage, or disadvantage, does the free-to-play option give you?

Dave: Being free to play means that our users have no barriers to joining the fun. There are a lot of MMORPGs out there. Some are already free to play, and some of those are very successful. We believe the model works, and are excited to offer a game of this quality to people without requiring a financial commitment on their part.

Ten Ton Hammer: Speaking of free-to-play, there’s been some arguments over whether 2Moons will be able to hold its own if the users are given an option to turn off the in-game advertisements. Do you think this will affect your revenue? Will an in-game item mall be featured in 2Moons?

Dave: We are hoping this game will be the future of in-game advertising.  It’s a big risk, but hell, I wish all in-game advertising was optional.  So people should support us on this one!  In reality we give you the choice, if you have a big issue with advertising, you just pull up the options menu and turn it off forever.  If you turn it on we reward you with an experience boost for as long as the adverts are on.  The choice is yours.

I just think American audiences understand that we have to pay people – we even have to pay for servers and bandwidth – so advertising is picking up those costs for them.  That’s the natural way of things here and that’s why Youtube, Myspace and Google are free.  And we like that.  So why not our games?  I think when people get used to free, they will find it hard to go back.  Now you’ve tasted free, would you consider paying to search the web, to send messages to friends, or to upload a video anymore?

Ten Ton Hammer: Many MMORPG players take their fantasy games very seriously, especially the roleplayers. 2Moons is obviously sporting a unique and interesting story line, which the roleplayers will enjoy, but will the in-game ads (or possible item mall) scare those players away?

Dave: No problem, we understand. Just turn the adverts off and enjoy the game for free.  If you could invite a friend or two, that’s all we would ask.

Ten Ton Hammer: Thanks for answering our questions, Dave, and we hope to hear more about 2Moons very soon!

Ten Ton Hammer is your unofficial source for 2Moons news and features!