TeraPVP

Tera online's European producer, Frogster, granted TeraPVP an exclusive interview where we talked about the highly anticipated release of this blockbuster MMO. We asked questions taken from the Tera forums. Shojin was most generous in working to offer direct answers to our questions. Enjoy!


Greetings TeraPVP! My name is Lee “Shojin” Dale and I’m the English Community Representative here at Frogster. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to answer your questions. Now, let’s get started!

TeraPVP: Will Frogster's English version of TERA be identical to En Masse's version from a player point of view? We understand the box art will be different along with the distribution channels. But once a player logs into their server, will there be any noticeable differences where a person can look at a screenshot or video clip and say "hey, that's the European English version"?

Shojin: Of course there are going to be lots of similarities with the US version of the client, as the whole intention of both Frogster and En Masse Entertainment was to have a dual, synchronized launch that shares nearly the same client. There is no possibility that one side will have “more” or “better” features in terms of game content and graphics. Even in terms of service, both Frogster and En Masse are determined to provide the best possible service, and we are going to be having nearly similar background systems to ensure this. There is one thing that makes any version of a game different from the other, and that’s the community. With something like the political system, each server is going to be completely different, even within the various countries.

The intent is to create an experience that can be enjoyed by everyone and to ensure that we’re working closely with Bluehole Studio to deliver the best game and service possible.

TeraPVP: Will the French TERA and German TERA versions be identical to the English version other then text, audio, video and image translations?

Shojin: Similarly to the previous question, it’s our intention to have an identical launch across the board. Apart from the changes mentioned above, the clients will be the same in terms of graphics and actual game content. This means that the English, French and German version will be the same with the exception of game assets that require localization, such as audio and text....

En Masse Entertainment offered TeraPVP the opportunity to discuss their upcoming blockbuster TERA Online in a Pre-E3 interview. Most of the questions were taken from your own forum posts and comments.

I spoke with Evan "Scapes" Berman, Senior Community Manager for En Masse, regarding the Tera PVP system and why the Tera Westernization process is necessary. As this is our first interview, we would love to hear any feedback from our readers.

TeraPVP: How are things going in the world of Tera? Are you guys ready to offer some great PVP action?

Scapes: We've been ramping up for our presence at E3 2011 this week and PvP is one of the topics we'll be revealing more about at conventions this year.

TeraPVP: Over the past months there has been a lot of interest in En Masse's Westernization process. Can you share a bit more on why a Westernization process is necessary? Why can't the original TERA content be taken "as-is", translated then released?

Scapes: En Masse Entertainment wants TERA to be the best it can be here in the West, and all over for that matter. Translation is only a small part of the task. Our Writing team has been localizing classes, skills, and items, and has also had a large hand in TERA's overarching story. Working in conjunction with Bluehole Studio (which involves frequent flights to and from their headquarters in South Korea), En Masse is working to make TERA the best MMO it can be. Be sure to check out our TERA Blog for more insight into the work we're doing.

TeraPVP: Western players are sensitive to the changes being made from the Korean version of the game. Korean's are viewed as hard-core gamers and the concern is the game is being softened up so Westerners can handle it. Is there anything you can share to alleviate those concerns?

Scapes: We are always evaluating TERA in terms of what is best for our players. To that end, we have dedicated staff here at En Masse who perform constant game analysis on TERA builds to ensure a balance between what TERA is and what our players want

TeraPVP: One of the most talked about aspects of the Westernization process is the creation of PVP and PVE servers. I recall Brian Knox sharing in his blog that Korea only has one set of servers. What led to the final decision of having two...