South Korean mobile game developer, Netmarble released its latest strategy game Grand Cross: Age of Titan last month following a playable early access period.
To find out more about the game and its development we spoke with the CEO of Netmarble, Woo Won Seo (pictured right) and Project Director Min Suk Kang. We discussed the challenges of developing Age of Titans, Netmarbles approach to live ops for the game and what to expect from the title in the future.
Pocketgamer.biz: Tell us about the original idea behind Grand Cross: Age of Titans.
Min Suk Kang: Netmarble F&C has experience in developing global strategy games such as Iron Throne and RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross which are popular with players worldwide. We decided to make a strategy game that anyone can enjoy, using the knowledge and expertise learned from those titles.
Most of our developers are also strategy game players and we thought there was an opportunity to attract players towards the strategy games genre. We put a lot of effort into delivering the joy of playing strategy games, which are as great as RPGs. That’s how the idea of Grand Cross: Age of Titans first took shape.
Many people have poured their hearts into this project and are still working hard to improve the game.Min Suk Kang
How long has the game been in development? And what size is the team that has been working on it?
Min Suk Kang: It took us about three years to complete the game’s development. There are approximately 200 people who are currently involved in the project, including the development and service operation sides. Many people have poured their hearts into this project and are still working hard to improve the game.
Were there any big challenges you had to face during development? If so, how did you overcome them?
Min Suk Kang: It was challenging because we wanted to apply Korean webtoon/anime-style graphics while maintaining the core features of strategy games. We had to go through multiple trial and error tests to find the ideal balance, so players are not hampered while enjoying the game. In the end, we could drastically increase the fun of playing the game by enhancing the autonomy of controlling the troops, adjusting the relationships between the different types of units, and balancing special units such as Titan.
How is the game’s launch going so far?
Woo Won Seo: We are very excited to hear the positive feedback the game has been receiving from new players, as well as the players who have stayed with us throughout the early access period through to the grand launch. It is only the beginning, so we are working tirelessly to live up to the expectations of our players, constantly improving their gaming experience and rolling out more exciting content players can enjoy.
There aren't as many strategy games being released compared to many other genres, so seasoned fans closely scrutinise every game.Woo Won Seo
There aren't as many strategy games being released compared to many other genres, so seasoned fans closely scrutinise every game. We have been working on keeping them excited but at the same time, we are happy to welcome so many fans of RPG, CCG and subculture games who joined us in this journey. Our goal has been to make their entry into the strategy genre as easy as possible, and they have been enjoying themselves a lot, judging by the feedback.
What is the team's approach to live ops? Can you share anything regarding your plans for future updates?
Min Suk Kang: We are closely monitoring our player communities through various channels such as the game’s official forum, Discord, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram in an attempt to incorporate players’ feedback into the game as much as we can. Since our goal is to keep our game fun and engaging, we pay close attention to feedback from players. Our game continues to evolve in tandem with players’ expectations. We believe this is the ultimate goal and benefit of live ops games.
Since the Grand Launch, we have continued to release small and large updates, including Cross Dimension, where players can form factions to cooperate and compete regardless of their Kingdom affiliation.
One of the major upcoming updates will be the first KvK content, which many of our players have been eagerly anticipating. It will be introduced when Season Two opens. The dev team is diligently conducting R&D and testing to provide the most optimal gaming experience possible for players from all Kingdoms. Leading up to KvK, various other exciting content will also be released, so we encourage you to stay tuned.
And what else is on the way from you?
Min Suk Kang: Our game will run on a seasonal basis, which means new servers (kingdoms) will be continuously opened to keep new players motivated to fight and to prevent a power gap with existing players. Special troops such as catapults and air bombers will be upgraded in each season and can be used as necessary elements for growth to effectively overcome the changing terrain on the world map and fight in object capturing wars. These special troops will provide new meta along with the existing troops.
