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Ten Ton Hammer: Recent Free League changes make it so that melee damage is much lower in PvP encounters. Some complain this change favors AoE builds in FL. Can you talk about the intricacies of balancing PvP for Atlantica and how players can build a squad for both PvE and PvP?

Peter: It was a change that we felt was necessary to bring more balance in Free Leagues, but it’s a process that never ends. As we continue to add new spells and mercenaries, we’ll continue to tinker with the numbers to provide optimal balance.

Changes in damage are made to maintain balance in not just PvP, but PvE as well. One change in PvE that players will see is an even greater increase in strength when they level up. We really want players to feel powerful as they gradually advance.

We feel we’ve balanced the game well enough for players to pick and choose their mercenaries and build an effective squad for both PvE and Pvp. But of course, there are the necessary classes required for an all-around squad, like having a tank and a healer. Other than that, it’s the strategies that players utilize that will determine their success in game.

Ten Ton Hammer: Finally, I have suggested (http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/50655) that low cost box sales could increase exposure for F2P games while generating a little revenue or at least breaking even on overhead. Has NDOORS given any thought to releasing a retail version of Atlantica (a box to sit on store shelves or perhaps the installer on one of those fancy Atlantica flash drives you often give away as prizes)? Why is my proposal a good idea or bad idea?

Peter: We have, and we do acknowledge the limits of digital distribution because our client is so large. Although we’re seeing more broadband penetration, it still takes awhile to download 2.3GB, and download failures can scare away possible new players. One option we’re planning is DVD distribution through our website.

Our focus right now is making the games more accessible, and we realize our barrier to entry is a little higher than other F2P titles because of large client size. So we’re trying to remedy this by producing a smaller, 700MB client that players can start with, and have them download the rest of the game in the background while they’re actually playing.