Grand Chase is a free-to-play online adventure game with adorable, anime-inspired avatars and a rich, medieval setting. Recently we had the opportunity to talk with Danny Noss, the Game Operations Manager at Ntreev USA, and let him show more details of Grand Chase.
MMOsite: Hello, thanks for taking our interview. First off, would you please introduce yourself and your company to our readers?
Danny Noss: Hi! I'd like to start off by thanking MMOsite for the opportunity to chat about Grand Chase and Ntreev USA. My name is Danny Noss, and I am the Game Operations Manager at Ntreev USA. Ntreev USA is a premier North America based Software Publisher responsible for introducing Grand Chase and Trickster Online REVOLUTION to the American audience. Ntreev USA is the sister company of Ntreev Soft, an international development and publishing company responsible for introducing new online game content world wide. Though Ntreev USA has only been around since the fall of 06', I could not begin to tell you how excited we are about what's in store for Grand Chase!
MMOsite: How will you describe Grand Chase in your own words? What types of gamers are you most likely targeting? Casual gamers or hardcore gamers, or both?
Danny Noss: Developed by KOG Studios, Grand Chase (G.C.) is a 2D action side scroller revolutionary in its design and as about as fun as an online game can get. We're talking about a 2D action platform, PvP pit-fight, dungeon crawl, with heart wrenchingly adorable anime style characters marching onto the battlefield wielding the equivalent of a 10 ton metal bat! Then, take a co-op/or solo stroll through the fantasy inspired immersive environment that has baddies and bosses crawling out of story books that haven't been unearthed in eons, all of 'em itching for a fight. G.C. has you turning pages like a manga title you can't walk away from: cheeky, fun, intense, corny, adorable, and haunting in all the right places. To all of those who loved playing the 2D side scrolling platforms reminiscent of yesteryear's Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden, and the new players who love the hard-core intensity of the online PvP Brawl-fest, even for those who've come to enjoy just making new friends online and chatting in the dungeon/PvP waiting rooms about life in-general, Grand Chase delivers. I honestly think that just about anybody can enjoy G.C.
The PvP matches are heart pounding war zones that can take only a few minutes, or for those who want to kick up their feet and stay a while, the challenging dungeons are there to be had. However, the true G.C. experience exists in the fact that unlike the typical 2D side scroller, the world of G.C. has number of playable characters to chose from (all characters offering a completely different play style), and the world of G.C. is constantly expanding, meaning that the sky's the limit. In short, casual, hardcore, whatever, Grand Chase has something for everyone.
MMOsite: What core concepts and features do you emphasize most in Grand Chase? And what's your favorite feature, why?
Danny Noss: Core concepts and features...I'd have to say that's the "promise" that we've made to all of our players. Grand Chase will update every 2 weeks. That means that while all the servers come down for a short period of time, new content and/or modifications are introduced to the game. This can be anything from new in-game Continents (worlds), Weapons, Armor, Playable Characters, In-Game Events, Holiday fun, etc. Grand Chase is Free to play, which means that it doesn't cost anything to play, but for those who'd like to enhance their experience, we have an in-game shop that the players could use to purchase items, armor, accessories and the like. This gives our players the ability to stand-out and to customize their overall experience a great deal. So whether you're playing for free or if you want to make your characters/game experience your very own, the options are readily available. On the flip side of that coin, is the fact that a major investment is made on behalf of KOG Studios and Ntreev USA to produce the best game possible, and maintaining game balance is a concern that a lot of players have in the current Micro-transaction game market. Having made a large investment with both an in-house QA team and an Overseas Development QA team has been something that we've enjoyed through blood, sweat and tears. The system requirements for G.C. are relatively low. That means that you don't have to have "the" system in order to play competitively. We're all gamers here, and that's my favorite feature thus far. What we produce is a product that we all enjoy and we sincerely hope our players enjoy G.C. as much as we do.
MMOsite: How complicated will the controls be? And what kinds of controllers are supported in Grand Chase? Is joystick also supported?
Danny Noss: The controls are simple. If you chose to use a standard keyboard, (the play-style used most commonly) the standard game setup utilizes the cursor keys for movement, and the "z" button to attack...that's it! There are a few other keys used for some of the more advanced play types, like if you want to switch between different attack modes (using different skill types) you'd use the space-bar, use of different magic types (white or black) would use the "x" key, and utilization of some hotkeys for use of items and potions in the dungeons are located right next to the attack key or use the number/F keys. Other than that, we all return to the cursors and "z" key.
Because the controls are so simple, joy-pads and joysticks are compatible with G.C. That way, if you want to return to the grass roots of the 2D platform action game, plug in the joy-pad or joystick and have at it. Though not all manufacturers are supported, you may want to refer to a user guide or manual for directions on how to effectively bind keys for some effects.
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