In the previous part 1 interview, we listened to the opinions of influencers belonging to the Fixed Raid Wraith Society. During the interview, we might see that everyone was serious regarding Lost Ark. It was impressive that you generally agreed with the direction of Lost Ark, but talked regarding the good points and improvements in detail.
In Part 2, we talked with 5 people: Porter, Seol So-young, Sungdae, Rama 1004, and GOM Cast. Not all of them are from the same fixed raid group, but as I conducted the interviews, I felt that their love for loa was the same. In particular, I raised my opinion on Sungdae’s MOD contents and GOM Cast’s IP expansion. Hearing this, I was excited regarding the potential of Lost Ark and its potential as a comprehensive content beyond a game.
Q. What did you like most regarding playing Season 2 so far?
– Porter
[포셔] I liked the high-quality corps leader raid the most. In particular, I was impressed by the directing of the corps commander raid. Of course, it was also fun to attack the Legion Commander raid itself. It was a majesty worthy of the end content.
[설소영] I think it must be the corps commander raid. When I cleared Argos at the beginning of Season 2, there was something I was disappointed with, but following playing Baltan Raid, I changed my mind. Elements such as Esther’s skill were the unique fun of Lost Ark that had not been felt in other games.
[성대] The end content, Corps Commander Raid, comes to mind first. Season 1 Lost Ark felt that the end content was lacking. However, as we entered Season 2, we perfectly caught the three beats of directing, fun, and end content with Corps Commander Raid.
[라마1004] I liked the fact that the way to grow equipment and obtain materials became more free than in Season 1. It was good that there were more ways for the character to become stronger, and the richer story, cinematic direction, and sound were also attractive.
[곰캐스트] It seems that the IP itself was Lost Arc. It was attractive that the game’s mascot Mokoko character, Lost Ark’s unique story and music, etc. were reborn as various derivative contents such as emoticons and concerts following secondary creation.
Q. How would you rate Season 2, which has been going on for over two years?
– Seol So-young
[포셔] It was a season that successfully appealed Lost Ark to many people through the Legion Commander Raid. Abyss dungeons and raids were also fun thanks to ‘Kayangel’, not just passing content. On the other hand, elements related to PVP seem to have failed. The time left unattended was too long.
[설소영] It was a great season that allowed the world to know regarding the game Lost Ark, but there are also some regrets. At the beginning of the season, the Legion Commander raid was released on a short cycle, so there was no time to get bored. However, Lost Ark in 2022 leaves a lot to be desired for those who do not enjoy horizontal content.
[성대] I’ve been playing since the first day of Lost Ark’s opening until now, and it was a successful season enough to say that the direction of Season 2 led Lost Ark to a new heyday.
[라마1004] When I played Season 2, I appreciated the fact that the contents such as life and sailing, which were lacking in Season 1, were well integrated into the character’s growth. The corps leader raid, which can be said to be the core of Season 2, was also very fresh. Elements such as express that make it easy for new users to settle in were also wise. However, until new vertical content came out, the horizontal content I was supposed to enjoy didn’t come close to me. Also, it was a pity that I was tired following being stagnant for a long time in Abrelshud with many gates.
[곰캐스트] While the first half showed an explosive response like an MMORPG boom, the second half was a season of adapting to the slow tempo unique to RPGs. It was very special, but I think it was a very natural season.
Q. What differentiates Lost Ark from other MMORPGs?
– Vocal cords
[포셔] It is a well-established PVE raid system with beautiful graphics. There are many MMORPGs with well-made PVE raid systems, but it was difficult to find a game with good graphics, but Lost Ark satisfied me. Great intuition and visibility in raids are also a standout. Even when I was working on a specific pattern, I was able to infer the method of breaking through visible objects.
[설소영] I think ‘communication game’ is the difference. There were many gamers who were impressed by the way Director Keum Kang-sun tried to communicate with users through Loaon or real-time streaming. I think it had a good influence on other games as well, but it’s a pity that communication has been lacking since director Geum Kang-seon stepped down.
[성대] You can confidently say that it is communication. Although Lost Ark maintains its No. 1 spot in domestic RPGs, there are still many regrettable parts to say it is complete. Lost Ark was able to exist because we gave them the trust that they would recognize problems and improve them by communicating with users at critical moments.
[라마1004] The RPG genre has a large taste field. I tend to avoid RPGs because I have to invest a lot of time, but Lost Ark seems to reduce that burden a lot. I feel that the fact that the feedback from the game company is fast is also a difference.
[곰캐스트] We were able to find a difference in our efforts to create an MMORPG that everyone can enjoy. Of course, I don’t know if that effort can make everyone happy, but isn’t the direction to find the answer in the process of constantly bumping into Lost Arc down special?
Q. What do you really want to improve on this?
– Rama 1004
[포셔] Reward design for top content needs to be improved. Regarding gold, Illyakan hard difficulty gives less gold than if you digest Abrelshud hard difficulty up to 6 gates. Even compared to the sub-contents, there is not a big difference in gold.
For users who want to improve their specs, if the value of the bound material is included, the story will be different, but users who slowly progress reinforcement following reaching the entry item level are meaningless. High-level users are less motivated to upgrade their specs and feel a sense of relative deprivation in terms of rewards. Improvements are desperately needed for their sense of achievement.
[설소영] The Abrelshud raid is so long that I feel very tired. The fortress itself is reluctant to enter. It would be nice to reduce the number of patterns related to physical strength or the number of gates that are 6 in the Abrelshud raid.
[성대] There is a part that was regrettable that it was not mentioned in the recent 4th anniversary live broadcast. In the Legion Commander Raid Abrelshud Raid, the movement time for each section is too long. Considering that the other corps commanders are regarding 1 minute and 30 seconds, I hope it improves.
[라마1004] It’s a sensitive topic, but I think we need to improve the rewards for higher raids. From the point of view of challenging a new raid, there were times when the rewards were questionable. People who enjoy the game like me are also expressing their regrets regarding the Iliakan hard rewards. Of course, it will be a reasonable reward, but we are cautiously considering that it will inevitably be regrettable from the point of view of users who are playing right now.
[곰캐스트] I hope there won’t be a vicious gift to choose only one from the avatar box that is distributed for a limited time. In fact, there might be a lot of improvements, but it’s a natural problem in the process of making an RPG. In terms of the user interface, there are some parts that are a little less visible, so I would like to improve them.
Q. Users are expressing concerns regarding resetting equipment and jewels. What do you think?
– GOM Cast
[포셔] Not long ago, I mentioned that there is no reset in the 4th anniversary special broadcast, so I think it’s okay to worry. If the gap with existing users is too large, it is difficult to attract new users, so there may come a time when a reset is necessary. However, Lost Ark’s succession system reduces this distance to some extent, and the gap between new users and existing users does not seem to be large enough to require an immediate reset.
[설소영] It’s a decision to endure for the success of the game. I am positive regarding the reset. After a long season, there is a problem that inflation intensifies, and there are fewer new users. Since influx is important for the game to be maintained, I think periodic resetting is unavoidable. I like the sensibility of the beginning of the season, so there is no objection to the reset.
[성대] In fact, we’re still going through a soft reset with our equipment from Valtan to Iliakan. There are many reasons for this reset, but in Lost Ark, it seems to be a necessary process for the second team to catch up with the first team. Of course, value preservation is also important.
However, patches that continuously lower the barrier to entry are directly related to the influx of new users, so I think it is a situation that we will have to face someday, if not immediately. Still, I think the current system will be maintained until the last corps commander, Kamen, so users don’t have to worry too much.
[라마1004] Reset is a very sensitive issue, so I don’t know if the game company will carry out a reset. The reset itself is negative. Even if equipment enhancement is out of the question, jewelry requires a lot of gold and requires a lot of time and a lot of shillings if you don’t charge.
[곰캐스트] Initializing equipment or jewels may be painful, but resetting is an indispensable process in order to enjoy MMORPG with a wider variety of people. However, I don’t think there will be any action close to a hard reset that takes too much risk by compromising on the inheritance and compression method due to the configuration of Lost Ark’s equipment.
Q. What content are you looking forward to in the future and why?
[포셔] Among the newly developed contents, we are looking forward to Tower Defense. Originally, the main content is also an auto battler, and I often play similar defense games. It would be really fun if it was offered on a really hard difficulty level with a lot of luck.
[설소영] Carmen Raid is the most anticipated. Director Geum Kang-seon confidently boasted that the difficulty was hopeless, so I am excitedly waiting for it. I wonder what kind of strange gimmick it will have, how much control it will require, and how many days it will take to clear it.
[성대] Personally, among the MOD contents, I am looking forward to Lost Ark-style random defense like the so-called ‘Rollto Chess’. It was unveiled at Roaon Winter last year, and it would be fun if such horizontal content came out with a decent quality. Regardless of the reward, we expect that a lot of people will play for pure fun. I hope it will be released soon.
[라마1004] I’m looking forward to the Legion Commander Kamen Reid the most. This is the content I look forward to because you’ve been saying, “Carmen Raid will be difficult.” I’m curious regarding that as it’s unknown whether Carmen will come out as a weekly content like any other legionnaire or in a completely new way.
[곰캐스트] In-game, of course, it’s raid content, but what I’m most looking forward to is the IP expansion I mentioned at the beginning of the interview. I want to experience a variety of pleasures in the expanded Lost Ark world, such as Lost Ark concerts, consoleized Lost Ark worldviews, and animations.
Q. Do you have any future broadcast content planned?
[포셔] We’re waiting for a balance patch right now. I would like to conduct research on jobs that have had balance patches applied and introduce the jobs that have undergone changes.
[설소영] All planned content is in progress, so there is no content currently being prepared. If interesting content comes to mind, I try to execute it. Thank you for always.
[성대] My broadcast has done a lot of content introducing various occupations, but there are still many jobs that I haven’t shown you. In the future, we will continue to show you a lot of job invitations that you will be curious regarding.
[라마1004] Throughout the broadcast, we are trying to practice League of Legends. I’m taking classes according to the curriculum with help from other streamers, but I’m busy these days… Even if it takes a long time, the end goal is to bring back solo queue.
Lost Ark has content that I have been thinking regarding for a long time. Most of those who started Lost Ark from season 2 came straight from Papunika. So, I want to do content that allows newbies to experience the content they have been passing by. For example, challenging the Gates of Paradise hard mode at an appropriate level, or experiencing guardian patterns that have been caught quickly and do not come out yet…
[곰캐스트] Currently, we are dealing with major issues of Lost Ark or growth consulting on the air. We are preparing for a more detailed guide through in-depth research by occupation. We are struggling to establish a connection with each job ranker and craftsman.
Q. Porter-sama is nicknamed ‘Foficial’ by users. What do you think of yourself?
– Porter Youtube
Formal is a nickname that started when Flame started using it. At first, it was quite burdensome and nerve-wracking, but it’s not really like that these days. However, it is stressful for so-called ‘populars’ who cut context and maliciously edit or use outdated and timeless remarks.
Q. Seol So-young can see your high proficiency when handling blades. Is there a job you’d like to invest as much time in as Blade?
– Seol So-young YouTube
Since the main character I play is a ‘Burst’ blade, I was attracted to jobs with strong one-hit damage. These days, I want to develop a ‘One Hit Kill’ Striker or an ‘Ignition’ Sorceress.
Q. Seongdae-nim, what was the most impressive job and why while hosting the job invitation content?
– Vocal cord YouTube
Most recently, he was a high-ranking summoner, Summoner. There was a lot of talk regarding how strong everyone was, but when I saw it in person, my jaw dropped. The job invitation seat is actually a place to show that this job is “really strong”, and I learn a lot as I go along. It’s time for a balance patch to come soon, so I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of new and diverse settings.
Q. The convenience of Destroyer has been improved with the balance patch. What was Rama 1004 most satisfied with and what are the current strengths of Destroyer?
– Rama1004 YouTube
The most satisfying patches are core supply, taunt, and identity improvements. When using the 4 focus and 4 release skill trees, the cycle was twisted whenever the lucky core did not explode. After improving the supply and demand of cores, that part was resolved.
Also, the Destroyer tends to be better at making head attacks, but when the right situation comes, you can use the taunt to break the pattern, which makes it possible for the raid members to like it. It was also a very good patch to add a debuff to reduce the enemy’s defense to the ‘Gravity Training’ attack.
Destroyer’s unique strength is that it can survive stably thanks to its high body mass factor and many immune skills. In addition, I think that it has excellent gimmick performance with high neutralization and part destruction values, as well as decent damage.
Q. Will you go with Lost Ark when World of Warcraft’s new expansion pack ‘Dragon’ is released?
– GOM Cast YouTube
There are still many things to learn in Lost Ark, and above all, it is quite difficult to work with MMORPGs. I want to focus on one place. I often hear stories from fellow streamers who are enjoying World of Warcraft. We hope to hear from you that you are enjoying the expansions in the future. I hope you all enjoy the new expansion pack Dragonflight. Azeroth please.
Kim Young-chan, Hankyung.com game talk reporter
