Vortex Gaming

Ball-cheek game, a Di-yab game without Di-yab, a game with a house on the line, etc. 'Trickcal', which is familiar with memes circulating in the community, has announced its revival on the 27th. It is a move worthy of the subtitle 'Revive', as it is being officially released again after 2 years since its OBT conversion immediately after its release in 2021.

It was rare for any game to withdraw its release, enter redevelopment, and then show an improved appearance again. With very few exceptions, they often disappeared with only the initial criticism. However, 'Trickcal: Revive' was one of those rare cases. Over the past two years, it has been proving itself through two CBTs, while slowly starting up before its revival with its unique sense that has far surpassed the fourth wall.

We were able to hear the story from CEO Han Jeong-hyeon and Deputy CEO Shim Jeong-seon at a cafe near Epid Games about the final process of 'Trickcal: Revive', which is about to be 'revived' for what may be the last retry.

Q. You will soon be re-releasing 'Trickcal' with Revive. What are your thoughts? Also, what are you focusing on now that it's about to be released?

Han Jeong-hyeon:We are focusing on bug fixes and polishing. After all, this is our last chance. The top priority is that it goes well without any problems.

Shim Jeong-seon:So, until last week, I restrained the development team's greed as much as possible. The developers were more motivated and shouting 'Just a little more, just a little more'. I wish I could do that, but it's not like we're just releasing it and ending it, it's a game that continues with live service while updating. So, ensuring stability is the top priority, especially server stability.

Q. I guess the server was also troublesome during the OBT and this pre-registration. How are you preparing for this problem?

Shim Jeong-seon:We have prepared as many servers as possible through various channels to cover more than the number of concurrent users of major subculture games. Until now, I've been thinking, "I don't think that many people will gather," but I thought it was better to have too much than not enough. If the server goes down this time, there's no going back.

The server problem during pre-registration occurred because too many people rushed in at once and the server capacity was exceeded in an instant. Even at this time, I thought that I should prepare for the possibility that people would suddenly rush in, but more people gathered than we thought. So, we covered it somehow by attaching our own server. I can't go into detail about the expected number of concurrent users or these issues because they are sensitive, but we are still watching to prevent this from happening as we have experienced these issues twice.

Q. Not only various memes, but also the advertisements were unusual. Who came up with the advertisement and what kind of thought process did such a fourth-dimensional result come out of? Also, is it legally okay?

Shim Jeong-seon:It took less than 5 minutes to come up with the idea itself. After that, I went around getting legal advice from acquaintances and lawyers, which took two days. The idea itself is not unique, and we benchmarked the essence of existing memes and CMs and modified them within the limits that do not cause problems.

Q. The Exodia-like Easter egg on the pre-registration page was also a hot topic. Will there be any special benefits for the first person to collect them all?

Han Jeong-hyeon:Actually, I was planning to hide this and surprise users by revealing it at the time of release. But I didn't expect that they would crack and find the traces left for testing the pre-registration page. Since the various things connected to that link are still being prepared, I think it must have felt like something, but I hope you will find it in a normal way next time.

Shim Jeong-seon:Of course, as you guessed, there are 3rd and 4th parts in addition to the 1st and 2nd parts. But it hasn't been released yet. Please find and check the rest of the representative's pieces around the time of release.

Q. 'Trickcal: Revive', which has been enjoyed with these small fun and memes, is now at the point of showing the main game. Users who have only seen the memes may be confused about what kind of game 'Trickcal: Revive' is, so I think it is necessary to briefly summarize what kind of game it is.

Shim Jeong-seon:It is a subculture collection-type RPG where you collect various characters and create your own team by considering the effects of each race and job characteristics. In the process of progressing through the stages, the charm of Trickcal is to spend coins like an auto battler to match various skill cards and artifacts, upgrade characters, and break through stronger enemies.

Han Jeong-hyeon:We went through two CBTs to appeal to this, but first of all, to catch people's eyes right away, we need something short and impactful. However, I think the first PV explaining the worldview was somewhat explained to users at the time of pre-registration. After that, a lot of videos with a lot of loose screws went out, but we plan to release a video that explains the worldview and other things more seriously at the time of release so that people can think, 'They released this in such a place?' It's like a head and tail structure. Head and tail is the truth for otaku (laughs).

Shim Jeong-seon:Actually, we are preparing this and that besides that. We also did offline advertising, but this is the first time our company has done it, so the CEO was excited. He voluntarily brought the sunglasses he used in the meme and enthusiastically participated in the filming. I think you can look forward to what it will be like (laughs).

Q. Although the chubby cheeks are all cute, on the other hand, there were also comments that they looked similar except for a few major characters. What did you consider to refine this part?

Han Jeong-hyeon:First of all, I'm thinking a lot about the story. I think that only when the foundation of the story is laid can we clearly show the characteristics of the characters playing in it. And we are also modifying the appearance and details in various ways while considering them.

Shim Jeong-seon:There are many cases where the voice actor's acting tone has been changed, and there are also cases where the voice actor has been replaced. We are working to ensure that users can grasp the unique characteristics and personality of each character at a glance by comprehensively refining the character's voice, appearance, and background to match the story.

Q. Erpin, one of the main characters, used to have at least one grain of intelligence in her voice, but now her voice really feels (un)intelligent. So, I personally felt that it fit her better (laughs). Are there any other characters whose tones have changed like this?

Shim Jeong-seon:It seemed like that direction was right for Erpin. Originally, the story was that she had a little bit of intelligence at first, but then she changed into a completely lacking character, but I thought it would be better to show that from the beginning. I would say that the point where she feels unintelligent has been pulled forward. Users also say that it's much better.

In the first PV, I tried to show her reckless appearance firmly and put a lot of accents on it, and the voice actor said that this feeling made her feel more individual and she could immerse herself in the character better. I caught the tone right away. The voice actor is the same as before. Anyway, it seems that the feeling of so-called intelligence degradation is well expressed while acting (laughs).

Han Jeong-hyeon:So I changed the graduation skill. Erpin's graduation skill that I changed this time is so-called 'Gae-dol', which literally means gathering magic power and then charging to hit the enemy. In the setting, Erpin has very high magic power but doesn't know how to use it properly. There are more than one or two things she doesn't know, but anyway, I changed it to gathering as much magic power as possible and hitting the enemy without anything complicated to match that character.

After being hit like that, there is a scene where she is blown away by the shock wave and then returns, and this is a consideration not only for the production but also for the balance. Erpin is a dealer, but if she hits the enemy and stands in that position, she is likely to be focused and killed. So she has to return to her original position, but it seemed insufficient to just return to her original position. It didn't feel like it matched the character. So I interpreted it as gathering as much magic power as possible and hitting the enemy, but then being blown away because she couldn't control it, literally going out of the screen and coming back in a brainless play.

Shim Jeong-seon:In addition, we have strengthened the graduation skills of other characters or reorganized them to suit their respective settings and uses. It was hard work to capture the characteristics and work on this and that. The balance is not 'perfect', but we have prepared it so that each character has its own use and you can feel its personality and concept.

Q. It was very unique that the final version had a ban system from the beginning. In addition to that, you are quickly introducing ban systems such as artifact bans from the beginning. Is there a special reason for that?

Shim Jeong-seon:Actually, it was more difficult than I thought to balance it (laughs). If there is a strong character in PVP, you have to exquisitely balance the counter pick that matches it and the pick that counters it, but it is really difficult for our size to continue to refine this in real time. It was necessary to establish a system from the beginning that could prepare for it while we were catching it. But if we just put this in, it would be bland, so we added some seasoning. It's a Trickcal-like setting that they're taking a vacation because they're being overworked.

Han Jeong-hyeon:There are people who question whether the name of the PVP content is real, but it is the official name. The name of the PVP content was too bland, so I asked Paul Bba, the writer who is participating in the story, what the name should be, and he immediately told me this name. In fact, it is a word that has been around since the stage of setting the world view. It comes out in the story related to beastmen, and the name there was originally Jwo-paem-teo, but the winners took it over, so it was named Winner's Jwo-paem-teo.

If you look closely at the background, there are hints on the stone statues and such, and if you read the story, there are hints that make you think, 'Ah, that's what it was.' There are also various settings such as the various beings there, but anyway, we plan to unravel these parts in the story.

Q. Looking back on the CBT and the actions so far, the advertisement is not only madness but also a feast of various memes and parodies, but it was surprising that the use of memes in the story was extremely small. Of course, it is easy to find absurdity, madness, and a sense of missing screws, but it was also amazing that the frame was set and the laughter was captured.

Shim Jeong-seon:Paul Bba's power is great. We also keep checking and refining together whether this direction is right when we are making something, but it felt like the settings and world view were all stored in his head so that the process didn't take long. I am grateful that he is taking care of us so much while doing other things, and I am always grateful and reliable that he says he wants to complete a really fun game because he is greedy himself.

Han Jeong-hyeon:I always said, 'I'll take responsibility, so write whatever you want,' but he's really writing everything he wants (laughs). First of all, the main story has to have a backbone, so it's a little bland, but it's going in a direction that captures Trickcal's cuteness and quirkiness.

Honestly, I think the real core of Trickcal is 'Theme Theater'. This is where I really let go of my mind. It's like saying, 'The representative is responsible, so do whatever you want.' As always, I'm the one who's burning (laughs).

Q. It feels like Theme Theater is the core content after release. What kind of content is it?

Han Jeong-hyeon:To compare it to other games, it's like an event story. It's literally about unfolding a story with someone from Trickcal as the theme. What it will feel like is different every time. First of all, let me give you a preview: we will be releasing the first theme theater 'Meltdown Butter' starring Butter one week after release. After the release, you will see an advertisement with highlights in the in-game theater content, and it might be fun to guess from that.

Shim Jeong-seon:We continue to release PV videos at the time of the event, and it's basically an event story that gives buffs to the core characters of the theme or earns various game resources. But the key is 'fun story'. It contains the quirky and bizarre sense that only Trickcal can do. Of course, that doesn't mean that the main story isn't like that, but as I said before, the main story has to have a backbone. I've unleashed everything I couldn't do there, so I hope you'll check it out.

Q. Since the official release is not far away, the preparation for future updates and the problem of update cycles are becoming a reality. Can you explain this part in more detail?

Han Jeong-hyeon:People are worried that the update cycle will be delayed because the company is small, but I expected this from the beginning. So I've been preparing steadily. We are preparing at least 6 months' worth of updates after release, and we are refining the updates so that there will be no disruption to the cycle by applying the updates after release and then working on the updates after that. During the two years, we have not only completed the content, but also continued to prepare for stable live service. That's why it took so long. There are no updates. I prepared with this in mind.

Shim Jeong-seon:First of all, the first theme theater 'Meltdown Butter' will be held for 2 weeks, and we are preparing the subsequent theme theaters in 2-week units. And the main content, Dimensional Collision and World Tree Excavation, will be opened and rested every other week.

The update goal is 1.5 updates per month. We are ready, but there are unexpected variables in preparing for live service. We also have to consider market reviews and such, but for example, app store review issues are often experienced by large companies. If that happens, it will take time for small companies like us to respond. We are trying to prepare for that as much as possible.

Q. Looking at the in-game changes, it feels like there are more cards that directly affect character stats than items. What is the reason for choosing this change?

Shim Jeong-seon:It's to strategically build up. I felt that there was less of a feeling that users were building up their characters in real time. So, we refined it in various ways so that users could choose artifacts with special effects themselves and feel like they were powering up in addition to raising the character's grade. And we also fixed the battle tempo and system so that users could use graduation skills more often to match the cooldown, giving them a sense of getting more involved with the character. Through this, we wanted to unleash the fun of user intervention and breaking through difficulties through build-up.

Han Jeong-hyeon:As we have refined it in this way, I think a so-called 'pedigree' will be created after the official release. There was a little bit of what kind of skill card and what kind of artifact is good for which character even during the final CBT. Now that there are more cards, and you can ban the cards you don't want with the ban system, I expect that users with a high understanding of the game will analyze them in various ways to create efficient tech trees and that various attempts will be made based on this.

I was worried when I introduced the card ban system. It's a simple, bright, and cheerful game, so I thought it might become more complicated. So I thought that it was not necessary to do this, and if you didn't know, you didn't have to do it, but if you wanted to set up a build, you needed something to reduce the feeling of a luck-based game and increase the strategy. So I adopted it.

Q. In addition to cards, it feels like new characters are appearing from time to time. How many characters are you planning to introduce in the release version? Also, if you had to pick a new character that you can confidently introduce this time?

Han Jeong-hyeon:We have prepared about 50 types. Among the new characters, I really like Wooi. The setting is very attractive and the cuteness is really alive.

Shim Jeong-seon:Personally, I like Sion, the black magic marksman. I like it even more because it's a typical chuunibyou character that touches the hearts of old otaku. I think many people will think the same when the setting is revealed.

Q. Trickcal is being introduced on iOS for the first time this time. How are you preparing for this?

Shim Jeong-seon:We have already completed the review and are even proceeding with pre-registration on the App Store. We are preparing step by step for simultaneous release, so iPhone users will be able to enjoy it right away on the day of the opening.

Q. As the release is taking shape, the story about BM is coming to the surface in the community. How are you catching the direction?

Shim Jeong-seon:Basically, it's a so-called small amount of money, mainly monthly subscriptions or season passes. The in-game acquisition path for cards that come out in the shuffle in the game is detailed through the information window, so you can secure the card pool by playing along the acquisition path for most of the cards. It is set up so that you can focus on the character without touching the card draw unless you are really greedy. Isn't this the recent BM trend? It's a pattern that you can enjoy lightly without paying, but gives you options for those who aim for the top. I'm designing it with that feeling.

Q. Reroll is a must for collection-type RPGs. I'm curious about your opinion on this part.

Shim Jeong-seon:As a collection-type RPG user, I think reroll is also a fun thing. In that sense, we are planning so that the reroll process is not too difficult or too hard.

Q. There are so many subculture games coming out that you can't even compare them to the old days. What 'position' is Trickcal aiming for?

Han Jeong-hyeon:I would say it's a unique position that is enjoyed by both men and women of all ages. Our game is not involved in complicated and sensitive issues such as sexuality or violence, and it's just a story about cute characters laughing, chatting, enjoying, and having a chaotic time that anyone of all ages can watch without any problems.

Looking at the current subculture market, it feels like something serious and apocalyptic is the base. Of course, I also play and enjoy those games, but in a situation where reality is also difficult and there are so many games like that, why should we go there? That's how I felt. I just want you to enjoy the cuteness, pull on the cheeks, laugh, and fall into the absurdity.

Shim Jeong-seon:Honestly, our game is not capable of aiming for the main in any way. We are taking a sub-game, a position where you play steadily as a bonsai game after playing it for about a week. You watch the story and do a little bit of what you can do every day, and then you focus on it and play hard when you're playing hard. Everything from the concept, design, story, and gameplay has been reduced to be 부담이 없게, so there is less homework burden, and you just come, laugh, go out, and come back to laugh again. We are taking a light direction like that.

Q. Still, to keep people playing the game, I think you need not only the story but also some killer content. How are you preparing for this?

Han Jeong-hyeon:It's often called YouTube Edition, but there will be a bit of a difference in experience from YouTube. It's already been subtly foreshadowed in the official comic, but there's a 'Inner Thoughts System'. It's the ability that only the omnipotent (?) cult leader has to see the inner thoughts of a character when they're talking.

Shim Jeong-seon:I've put the cheek-pulling everywhere, so if you check it out, you'll have a lot of fun. Rather than the feeling of watching a video, I think that interacting in such a small way will make the story feel much warmer. You can check whether the character who reads your inner thoughts is a mean character who says different things on the outside and inside, or a commendable character who is working hard for the cult leader, and you can respond accordingly. You can look inside with the Inner Thoughts System, pull on the cheeks of those who say bad things, and stroke those who do well. I think that cute charm will subtly make a difference in the immersion of the story.

Han Jeong-hyeon:There are Dimensional Collision and various other content, but one of the things we put a lot of effort into in this official release is the hellfire difficulty of the adventure mode. It's quite difficult, but you can get 3 stars guaranteed just by clearing 15 hellfire difficulty stages.

Shim Jeong-seon:Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about this part at first. I set up a reward system so that even light users can get all the characters if they spend a little time, but I wondered what would be left if I gave more here. In addition to the theme theater I mentioned earlier, there are also various events, but I wondered if it was right to put so much effort into the hellfire mode, which is only cleared once.

On top of that, there are a lot of resources and cards that come out as events, and there are a lot of things that are given as confirmed, so I wondered if it was okay to give so many rewards to hellfire chicken that even light users can clear if they get lucky and twist their bodies here and there. I wondered if the representative's house would be safe if it was like this, but our position is just a game where you can relax and have a chaotic time. I thought this direction was right.

Han Jeong-hyeon:I play other games from time to time, and isn't the act of heading in a total war a fun element? But if there is a cost to retrying, it becomes stressful. I referred to various elements of other games a lot, so I set it up so that there is no separate cost for retrying, so you can keep challenging as much as you want and get the rewards for sure.

Shim Jeong-seon:Also, to reduce stress a little more, a deck lock function has been added. If you want to buy a card but you don't have enough coins to buy it, you can now lock it and buy it on the next turn. In that way, we wanted to preserve the fun of strategically approaching and attacking without relying only on luck and reduce the stress of a luck-based game.

Han Jeong-hyeon:There may have been cases where meteor showers exploded and ruined the game in the final coin toss among those who did CBT. There may have also been times when a character who had been raised to the point of graduation skill was returned to the 1st grade due to a forced graduation debuff. Those debuffs still exist, but the probability has been lowered. The probability of such fatal debuffs has been lowered because the number of debuff types has increased, but anyway, we have newly reorganized the balance between luck and strategy.

Q. You are about to release the game after a long period of hardship. How much success do you expect to achieve? Also, what are your goals after release?

Han Jeong-hyeon:Honestly, I think sales are in the realm of God. But I was so disappointed that I took 2nd place in the popularity ranking because the timing overlapped with Pokemon Unite during the last OBT. So this time, I'm aiming for 1st place in popularity on both markets.

Shim Jeong-seon:I hope I can earn enough to pay off the interest even if I can't pay off the principal of the money the representative put his house on (laughs).

Han Jeong-hyeon:It's not just a matter of financial debt. Many users have been waiting for the past two years. I also feel indebted to them mentally. I was so grateful and sorry that I didn't know how to repay them and that I kept them waiting, but I hope that this release will be able to relieve that waiting.

Q. Finally, please say a word to the users who are looking forward to Trickcal.

Han Jeong-hyeon:It's been 2 years since I declared OBT two hours after the last release and came back again. My house was sold and everything was sold, but I want to show you a good game. It may not be as perfect as a game from a large company, but I want to show you a game that definitely contains fun. I will continue to work hard in the future, so please support me.

Shim Jeong-seon:The situation was really not good before. There were rumors that Trickcal was over, but we managed to bring it to the 1st CBT, and then the foundation for doing this was laid. It was also thanks to the support of the users that this was possible. It wasn't very good during the OBT, but despite that, they continued to pay attention and re-examined what we had refined even in the 1st CBT. As a result, the industry also paid a lot of attention, and many developers joined us and were able to present 'Trickcal Revive' like this. I will work harder to repay the help I received.

Webzine InvenReporter Yoon Seo-ho
2023-09-26