May 02 2008
The Mabinogi RPG – Interview with Nexon and the Designers
The RPG Vault have managed to secure an interview with the designers of the Mabinogi Online Role-playing Game. Mabinogi is Nexon’s popular massively multiplayer title based on a world and themes derived from medieval Celtic mythology. Mabinogi is a cell shaded 3D MMO based on an Asian interpretation of Celtic and Welsh mythology. On the surface, the art quite often appears to be pretty or cute, but below it, there are some truly horrendous evils the player must face. The main influence would be an anime style trying to convey a medieval setting, while hiding a dark, concealed world.
| Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, goes to live for a year in the underworld, called Annwn, where two kings vie for dominance. Taking the place of one, Arawn, he wins his abiding friendship by besting the other, Hafgan, in combat, thus uniting the domain. Considered a medieval masterpiece and even Wales’ foremost literary work, The Mabinogion begins in this manner. The book is a collection of tales ostensibly about the lives of Welsh royal families whose members are thought to represent pre-Christian gods. These stories, first written down in the 1300s, preserve an oral tradition that dates from centuries earlier. The compilation has been enormously influential. A number of experts believe it gave rise to such enduring figures as King Arthur and Merlin. They also cite it as having furnished the foundation for the fantasy fiction genre that’s so popular today. |
Named after this famed tome, Mabinogi is Nexon America’s latest free to play massively multiplayer release. Developed by the company’s DevCat Studio and based in Celtic mythology, it employs a skill system with combat, magic and life categories. This means players can gain experience not just by engaging in armed hostilities, but also by learning spells, cooking meals, shearing sheep and more. As well, fighting is said to rely more on strategy and finesse than brute force within a system influenced by the classic rock, paper, scissors triangle. Some other elements worth noting include an assortment of challenging monsters, a variety of quests, and diverse locations aplenty to explore. We had the opportunity to question Senior Associate for Game Planning and Design Joe Wreggelsworth, Project Manager Duck Soo Choi and Director of Game Operations Min Kim about this intriguing title. You can read the full interview here.
The Mabinogi and Celtic Mythology
Essentially, Mabinogi is a hero’s journey. Your soul is brought to this world to make your mark, learn what life has to offer, and then preserve it. It gets its name from the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh mythology.
Mabinogi takes place in a Celtic / Welsh fantasy world. However, it’s different from most in that it focuses less on the fantastic and more on the interactions between the player and the world. The environment is bright and beautiful at first, but there are many dark and ominous parts to explore, such as the main storyline.
The biggest difference in the gameworld from the typical MMO would probably be that it’s much more natural than any MMO I have played. When you walk through the towns, they are populated with players running errands, or performing miscellaneous tasks. The world isn’t full of characters camping mobs; instead, it’s full of users living their fantasy lives.
Says Joe Wregglesworth, Senior Associate for Game Planning and Design.
A New Type of MMORPG
What sets this game out as different to others in the genre, you might well ask. Joe Wregglesworth continues:
Initially our core market is going to be players looking for something new. We are targeting those who need something more than casual MMOs, and aren’t willing to dedicate their life or pay a monthly subscription for a traditional one. So, we are following the free to play model, with money coming from micro-transaction sales. We believe that North America is ready to play a rich MMO without having to pay $50 bucks for the retail box plus $15 a month thereafter.
At first, Mabinogi is going to attract the type of player who is looking for something different than the grind to level 70. As they get to see the rich world, more of the traditional MMO fans will realize the game has a lot to offer them. When people really begin to see the high-end content, we will start seeing hardcore players becoming attached to the game.
Mabinogi is all about playing in your own style and pace. If you are a social type, there are plenty of opportunities for you to advance your character in ways meaningful to you, without investing half your life into the game. Players won’t have any issues finding solo content and benefiting from it. As a solo player, this is very important to me. However it is always going to be much more fun in groups; there is always the element of fun that comes from the random nature of player activity that will be there. It is an MMORPG, after all.
As usual, it’s a shame that this game is only available in North America. Maybe they will expand its borders as its popularity grows? The full interview is well worth reading.
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