Vortex Gaming

Hive IM participated in 'Gamescom 2024', the world's largest game event held in Cologne, Germany, and showcased 'Dungeon Stalkers', which is being developed by Action Square's Studio HG and serviced by the company.

A standalone booth for 'Dungeon Stalkers' was set up at the Cologne Messe B2B exhibition hall where Gamescom is being held, and Han Dae-hoon, the general producer who is directing the development of Dungeon Stalkers, visited the site to directly introduce the game to visitors and officials and answer questions.

'Dungeon Stalkers' is a work that depicts an adventure to explore dungeons created by a witch and find hidden treasures, and is characterized by providing the fun of traditional dungeon RPG exploration and escape survival genres. The global beta test started on Steam on the 13th, and anyone who wants to see the game in advance can play the beta build first. The global beta test will run until the 27th.

We met Han Dae-hoon PD, who visited the Gamescom site to introduce the more enhanced Dungeon Stalkers to the global stage, and heard about the reasons for holding this exhibition, as well as his determination and aspirations ahead of the upcoming Early Access release. The interview was attended by Studio HG's Han Dae-hoon PD and Hive IM's Kim Won-mo, head of the business team.

Q. You are introducing 'Dungeon Stalkers' to global gamers through Gamescom. What are your thoughts?

Han Dae-hoon PD (hereinafter Han Dae-hoon) = We worked really hard to prepare the game. I know that there are already competing games that have been released and works that are currently in preparation, but we put a lot of effort into showing our own game content and colors in Dungeon Stalkers. Of course, it's still lacking, but we tried to capture the feelings that users feel in various feedbacks. Our goal is not to bring in other users who enjoy the same genre of games, but to find a new user base that likes our game. As a developer, I have improved a lot, and I am still conducting tests, and I hope that gamers will like it a lot.

Q. I'm curious about the reason for preparing the Dungeon Stalkers Gamescom exhibition.

Kim Won-mo, Head of PC Console Business Team (hereinafter Kim Won-mo) = I thought it was necessary to promote Dungeon Stalkers through Western media. I knew that Gamescom was a well-known event among the events held during the year, and I wanted to meet more Western media through this opportunity. Providing demonstration opportunities through the B2B booth and preparing on-site Q&A and PD interviews are all to promote the game widely.

Q. The global beta test started on the 13th, and I'm curious about what has changed the most from the previous build. If there are any parts that have been modified after receiving user feedback, what are some representative examples?

Han Dae-hoon = The combat balance has changed the most. We increased the basic speed, including combat. I was worried about adjusting the speed because I thought it might feel too complicated if it was too fast, but this time I increased the speed a little to add a minimal sense of offense and defense so that it wouldn't feel like a brawl. If you play the beta test build this time, I think you will feel that the game has become much faster than last time.

In addition, we created a content-wise circulation structure to continue until Early Access. After farming items in PVE, there was no next goal, but now you can play an active role in PVP mode with strengthened equipment, and you can challenge boss raids with the soul stones you get here. After that, the goal is to repeat farming and aim for the champion's seat, which can be said to be the best user of the season. Epic bosses also appear in the season quest, and I think the goal of the game will be to challenge this and leave your name in the season. We included the first part of this circulation structure in this test.

The goal of this test is to confirm what kind of feedback users can receive from this circulation structure. In the previous build, the only way to meet the boss monster was to take the red raid portal, but I was worried that I would die and lose my equipment if I went there, so no one easily challenged it. I wanted to create a game where users could enjoy raids while catching boss monsters, but users were avoiding raids, so I added soul stones that can be obtained in PVP to change the atmosphere. If you get soul stones in PVP and enter the boss raid with them, you won't lose your equipment even if you die. Of course, the red raid portal is still there, so if you're tired of collecting soul stones, you can challenge the boss right away.

Q. User feedback is reflected in many areas, and what was the most important thing you considered in this process?

Han Dae-hoon = Let me give you an example of a rhythm game. When I play rhythm games, I often can't even try the most difficult songs at the top. I was disappointed with this, so I thought that in the game I was making, I would allow anyone to enjoy all the content prepared in the game, or at least try it. I wanted to take advantage of that and include a direction that would allow anyone to approach it and challenge it comfortably.

There are already so many extraction genre games, but most of them are works that have captured the tastes of enthusiasts rather than being popular, starting with Tarkov, which can be said to be the original. In Dungeon Stalkers, I wanted to create a game that you can approach with a lighter heart, starting with creating a raid mode where you don't have to worry about losing items.

Q. Are there any new additions that you would especially like to introduce?

Kim Won-mo = Among the contents added in this test, there are also new areas and bosses. We added a random configuration so that you won't get bored easily even if you play the PVE mode repeatedly, and you will be able to feel the fun of strategizing a new PVE situation every time. In the in-game, we also added attendance check rewards so that you can participate in events and get rewards. In addition, we plan to hold several out-game events together.

Han Dae-hoon = The map is also random, and we plan to continuously update new blocks to the random map every season. Currently, there is a goblin block, where you can meet treasure goblins and earn high profits. If you attack the newly added Forgotten King boss, you can also get exclusive weapons.

There are really various concepts in the content being developed. We also added a place where you can get a good weapon unconditionally if you arrive before other players, so you can always look at the map and think about which side to farm first. By introducing map elements to the random map, we were able to provide users with play directions and choices.

Q. I'm curious about the reason for adding the map, as there was fun in exploring the unknown dungeon because there was no map originally.

Han Dae-hoon = I used to think that it was more fun and better not to give users information. Even when there was a random block on the map, we only provided a clue that it existed. However, even if users discovered the clue, they only knew that the block existed, but they didn't know the exact location, so they often didn't visit it. I thought this was different from our intention, so we changed it to provide the entire map.

Kim Won-mo = You can also check your location and the shrinking of the magnetic field on the map. This helps users who are new to this genre of game to adapt more easily. In addition, we added a tutorial system so that you can learn basic interactions, and you can also practice each character's skills and attack methods sufficiently in the 'Training Ground'. All of this is to supplement the game so that those who are new to this genre of game can fall in love with the charm of Dungeon Stalkers.

Q. You said you are introducing a season system, and these days, the season system is operated in really various ways. What structure are you planning to proceed with for Dungeon Stalkers' season system?

Han Dae-hoon = We are currently planning to do it every three months. We plan to add 1-2 new characters every season and create a structure that reaches the epic boss through season quests. To become the best stalker, you have to go through several difficult quests.

We are also constantly considering the soft reset and hard reset methods. We are still discussing with the publisher to choose the method that best suits our game. We are trying to determine the reset method that suits our game based on feedback from the Gamescom exhibition and global test. Personally, rather than completely initializing it, I want to leave something behind so that players can continue playing the game and use it as a driving force. There are also people who give up the game because they fail to achieve the season goals, so I want to go a little more smoothly.

Kim Won-mo = We are planning to release Early Access around the fall, and we want to receive content feedback and player feedback on the season here as well. We expect that we will be conducting several pre-seasons to receive user feedback and increase the completeness of the overall framework for the regular season.

Q. Hilda's original visuals are back. I'm curious about what happened in the process.

Han Dae-hoon = In the development process, there was a moment when we had to improve Hilda's modeling to suit PC specifications. Since the character was old, we needed to create a new one, and at this time, we modified the body shape once so that it wouldn't be too excessive. It was a work to adjust it so that it could be selected by more users as it is a character that can be said to be the main character.

However, in this process, we were fully aware of the parts that users felt disappointed about. I thought we should return it as much as possible, but since we had made a lot of progress in development, we couldn't return it to its previous state, so the idea came up to return it in the form of a skin, and we reflected this. You might say, 'Why didn't you just not fix it from the beginning?', but I hope you will see it as the development team showing their sincerity.

I felt a lot while testing, but I don't think they like the existing things changing, whether they are bad or good. I have realized this once again, so I promise that this will not happen again in the future. We plan not to touch anything that has already been revealed to users. We plan to continue creating better characters and cooler costumes in the future, so please continue to look forward to it.

Q. Please briefly introduce the newly added character 'Rene'. How did you create the character?

Han Dae-hoon = Rene is a summoner character. I wanted to put a nun in the game, and from there, it spread out to become the current form. When capturing the characteristics of a character, I usually decide whether it is a good character for PVP or PVE first. Of course, there are also hybrid characters, but Rene was created as a character that can be used more comfortably in PVE. It is characterized by being able to summon fire spirits or ice spirits and have the spirits aim and fight on their own even if you stay still, making it easy for beginners to use. She also uses a skill called 'Blood Sword', which can penetrate the opponent's armor and deal direct damage. Through this, we created a character that can be used to some extent even in PVP.

Kim Won-mo = We provide the 'Rene' character as an attendance reward for this global beta test. If you acquire Rene by attending for 7 days, you can use Rene even in the Early Access that follows. If you miss this event and don't get Rene, we plan to review distributing the character through various events in the future. When a new character is released, we plan to allow you to purchase it with in-game currency as well as paid purchases.

Q. Some users are hoping for the addition of a first-person perspective. Do you have any plans for this?

Han Dae-hoon = There were a lot of requests for this, especially during the first test. I think this is because Dark and Darker was having difficulties with its release due to various issues. People expected Dungeon Stalkers to look like Dark and Darker, and I heard a lot of stories about 'Why don't you make it like that?'

The reason we used a third-person perspective is because we focused on the light charm of the game and the charm of the characters. Of course, there is no such thing as absolute, but we think that the third-person perspective is our characteristic, so we currently do not have any related development plans.

Kim Won-mo = Dungeon Stalkers is a third-person character skill-based action game. It can be said that it is a game that emphasizes light casualness by using skills from a third-person perspective and immediately interacting with the opponent's skills. We plan to continue emphasizing character development in the future by taking advantage of these characteristics.

Han Dae-hoon = Of course, it would be great if we could add both first-person and third-person perspectives to the game and allow users to choose. However, I think it is more important to add elements that are not in other games first, and adding things that are already in other games is difficult in the competition process. Of course, we will learn from the good parts, but I thought it was right to create our own direction well and then add it later.

Q. You are emphasizing differentiation from other games. Where do you see Dungeon Stalkers' potential demand?

Han Dae-hoon = I have always liked to gently change genres that are especially popular in the West and make them more popular. Metallic Child was also a work that put a loli character in the roguelike genre, which is popular in the West. 'Dungeon Stalkers' focused on the fun of the extraction genre. I wondered why only enthusiasts liked it when it was clearly a really fun genre, and I thought that if I could maintain the fun of this genre while lowering the accessibility to the level of the battle royale genre, I could grow the user base. This was the beginning of Dungeon Stalkers. I hope that the various elements we are creating now will bring in all users who like the battle royale genre and users who enjoy the hero shooter genre.

Kim Won-mo = Looking at other games in the same genre, the proportion of Western users is especially high. Looking at the registered reviews, most of them are English reviews, and I think that means that the genre is more familiar to global users. I hope that Asian users will think that it is good to start with Dungeon Stalkers when they first encounter the extraction genre game. To this end, we have made it possible to have easy access and easy play strategies. There are also completely separate PVE and PVP modes as well as PVPVE modes, so you can choose a mode according to your individual taste and enjoy the game. I can confidently say that it will be a game that is easy for beginner users to approach.

Q. 'Witch's Curse' has been emphasized as a point of differentiation for the game since its release. Are there any changes or improvements?

Han Dae-hoon = We have added more variety to the Witch's Curse, and we plan to continue adding more in the future. Among the curses, there is also a 'curse that doubles your jumping power', and I personally find it really fun to use. You can go to places you normally can't go, or you can jump high as a wizard and snipe opponents from above.

At first, I put in a lot of extreme curses. When players fought each other, they would die immediately even if they took 1 damage, and at this time, ranged characters were too strong. There were a lot of stories that it was unreasonable, and I thought it was a typical 'fun in the plan, but frustrating in reality' situation. Now, we have found a moderate line in this area, and we are trying to create a lot of fun content within that line.

Q. Another feature is the 'armor system'. Has this part also changed?

Han Dae-hoon = We allowed you to change your armor in the dungeon through the last surprise test, and we added this as a formal specification. You can change your armor if you get new armor in the dungeon. Basically, the users who enjoy Dungeon Stalkers all want to fight more. So, I thought it would be good to allow them to change their armor even if it is destroyed so that they can continue the game more aggressively.

Currently, we are paying more attention to the visuals when the armor is destroyed. We are also creating several new skins, and I think you will be able to feel the destruction more clearly. Please look forward to seeing how the new skins will be destroyed each time they appear.

Q. What is the most important thing you consider when reflecting user feedback in the game?

Han Dae-hoon = The most pleasant feedback is when we make an announcement saying 'We have improved this', and gamers say in places like Discord that what they wanted has really been reflected. I think reflecting user feedback is the minimum amount of communication. Restoring Hilda's body shape was also the same process. Not repeating mistakes and reflecting what users like is something that I continue to have as a developer.

Q. There are many basic jobs in the fantasy genre that are currently available. If you continue to add new characters, other job groups will come out, and the equipment will become fragmented. How are you planning the equipment balance at this time?

Han Dae-hoon = This is something we are being careful about. We have two new classes that we are creating, and we have plans for up to five. Currently, we are developing within the existing weapon groups. If we add a new weapon group, I think we need to release at least two characters who use that weapon for users to accept it. Otherwise, it will not be easy to get the weapon you want during that season.

Therefore, we plan to maintain the current weapon group for the time being. If a really attractive character idea comes out, we will create it without hesitation, but there are still many fun jobs left within the current weapon group. In fact, I want to reveal some of the classes I am planning as soon as possible. I hope you look forward to it as it includes content that will make users feel like 'This game has really decided to go in a different direction'.

Q. PVP mode has also been added. How are you planning to balance PVP?

Han Dae-hoon = There is no way to satisfy everyone. At first, I wanted to give the fun of combat in all modes, but now I have changed my mind a little. In PVE, we want to make it as easy as possible unless you are catching elite monsters. The difficulty of the game increases dramatically the moment you encounter another user in the dungeon, so I wanted to make it so that you would be less stressed when catching at least normal monsters. Now, the only time you get 'pleasant stress' in PVE combat is when you catch elite monsters or raid bosses.

We have also adjusted the PVP balance a lot. Before, there were a lot of ranged one-shot kills, such as dying from one fireball. We fixed a lot of these bug-like elements, and as a result, ranged characters became a little weaker. You can also avoid incoming arrows with side steps, and I have paid a lot of attention to the balance by taking advantage of my experience in making action games so far. That's why I want to hear more people's reactions.

In addition, the TTK (Time-To-Kill) was too short in the last test. If the TTK is too short in close combat, the character feels like they are dying suddenly, so we improved this part in this build and found a combat time that I like. Some users may feel that it is dragging on, so I would like to receive feedback on this part as well.

Balance is really difficult. I created a thief for people who are confident in their control, but people who are good at it are too good, and people who are not good at it say, 'How do you make me use this?' and find it really difficult. I think the process of balancing in this area is really difficult.

Q. About a year has passed since the first release, and it seems that user response has decreased compared to the beginning. What methods are you preparing to increase user response until the Early Access point?

Kim Won-mo = Early Access, which is scheduled for this fall, is really just around the corner. Ahead of this, we are currently preparing several strategies to promote the game in major global regions. Hive IM is releasing its first PC game, and it is a major lineup in the second half of the year, so we are planning to promote the game on a large scale through large investments. In this global test, we plan to select focus areas by examining the reactions of Western and Asian users.

Han Dae-hoon = I have been talking to users through the community and Discord and telling them how the game is changing and continuing to communicate lightly. This is something I promised while making the game, and I plan to broadcast every day during this test period. There is a separate official broadcast, so it will be a light communication broadcast, but I get a lot from these places. I still like to hear the feedback that users want up close and apply it to see what users like. It is not always the answer to fix things in the direction that users say, but I want to show that I am at least keeping this tone. I will continue to try to maintain this mindset in the future.

Q. What specific form are you planning to use to promote the game in the global market?

Kim Won-mo = First of all, we plan to promote the game through influencers. We think that the process of the game being promoted through game play videos, live broadcasts, and community posts by influencers and streamers is important, so we plan to focus on this. In addition, there are game events such as PAX West in North America, G-Star in Korea, and TGS in Japan, so we also have plans to reveal major events at these high-profile events. Even after the release, we want to create a work that will be loved for a long time without being happy or sad about short-term goals.

Q. Emoticons and motions have been newly added through this beta build. How do you expect them to be used?

Han Dae-hoon = We are preparing a lot so that you can use them in various situations, such as when teabagging in the game. We are saving a little for Early Access, so you can only use two, greetings and taunts, but you will be able to use them happily in the process of communicating with other users. I am sad that I have not been able to add voice acting yet, but I think that the character will be more emphasized when voice acting is added. Emoticons and motions will be sold and provided as rewards for the battle pass. We plan to add a lot of fun dances, so please look forward to this part as well.

Q. Finally, do you have a message you would like to share with those who are waiting for the release of Dungeon Stalkers?

Han Dae-hoon = Germany is really cool compared to Korea. I am really happy to be able to come to Gamescom, where there are so many good games on display, with the game our team made. The third test is currently underway, so I hope that as many people as possible will enjoy it and give us their opinions. This user feedback is really helpful to the game.

Kim Won-mo = The third beta test of Dungeon Stalkers is underway. I can confidently say that it is a really light game that is easy for those who are new to the extraction genre to get into. There is still time left for the test period, so if you haven't experienced it yet, please be sure to enjoy it. We plan to continue communicating with users in the future, so please pay a lot of attention.

웹진 인벤박광석 기자
2024-08-22