Eight months is indeed a long time for the Dreamlords players. Now Dreamlords: The Reawakening have successfully launched on June 18th, 2008. Created by Lockpick Entertainment, Dreamlords mixed real-time strategy-style combat and management with an unusual web-based tactical element, and also incorporated touches of RPG. All players exist in the same universe and all progress is always relative to the success of allies and enemies. The game closed last fall after several months, but an improved version, Dreamlords: The Reawakening, was promised. One of the most important changes is a shift in business models from subscription to free to play. Recently, we had the opportunity to learn more about this new version by questioning Executive Producer David Rosen who is also the company's CEO.

MMOsite: Hi, glad to chat with you. First congratulations, you've successfully launched Dreamlords: The Reawakening on June 18th, 2008. How is everything going? What's the feedback? Does it meet your expectations?

David Rosen: Hi, thanks and nice to meet you too. Things has been going really well since we released in June. Even though we didn't have that big an advertising budget, the game has attracted more players than we expected this early on. I mean let's be honest: Of course there will always be bits and pieces that you realize once the game is out there but the feedback from players has been great and constructive. I feel, and hope that they do too, that we're kind of into all this together. We're on this journey and the players' feedback, suggestions and opinions really counts.

MMOsite: For those who have never heard about Dreamlords: The Reawakening and who haven't played the original Dreamlords, how would you describe the game?

MMOsite: Eight months is indeed a long time for the Dreamlords players. In your opinion, what are the major improvements of Dreamlords: The Reawakening compared to its original version?

David Rosen: In a way I agree that eight months is indeed a long time but our former players had the chance to pretty much immediately start the alpha tests of DtR so I don't really think they missed it too much. But looking at it from a developer's point of view eight months is nothing in the world of game development. We paused the original Dreamlords and put all our resources into bringing The Reawakening to life¡­and did so in, what only can be described as, a record short development time.  As for improvements, we worked on getting the two separate interfaces more distinct thus we have we've obliterated much of the required Alt-Tabbing. We also did a huge brush-up on the management and GUIs, made the avatar always present in the game. We added some customization, medals and rewards topping it all off with the fact that Dreamlords The Reawakening now is free to play with an option to pay for certain perks. However it's important for us that no game experience was to be locked away behind closed doors for the free player but rather time saving possibilities should you chose to pay for certain perks.

MMOsite: Dreamlords: The Reawakening mixes the elements of real-time strategy and RPG games. Does the game focus more on RTS element or RPG element? In other words, do players have to put more efforts on RTS or RPG?

David Rosen: DTR is first and foremost an MMORTS so I would consider it more on the strategy side, but it all comes down to playing style really.

MMOsite: Talking of RTS, offline gameplay is a striking part of Dreamlords' RTS element. Can you explain it more for our readers? How much strategy element will be involved while offline? Is it just like in Age of Empire?

David Rosen: Well, there is no offline game play, but there is solo game play and I guess that is what you mean. Forcing PvP onto players is something we didn't want to do. Ganking is simply not a part of Dreamlords the Reawakening. There is a large portion of the game, especially in the beginning where you get a chance to get into the game and learn the basics before you go up and fight other Dreamlords. You can, if you so choose not fight a single PvP fight ever and instead have allies who handle this for your group instead. Each group of players, convergence as we call them, will be best off when finding players who like to assume different roles in the Convergence; PvP:er, Gatherer, Crafter etc.