La Interview with Ross Parks

One of the things I enjoy about this industry, particularly in the MMO space, is the variety of different games available to try at any given time. While I'm not generally a fan of most F2P (Free-2-Play) games on a personal level, I've seen the audience that games like La Tale have and during my time within the game, I was bombarded with social interaction. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ross Parks, the Producer of La Tale a few weeks ago to talk about the title in it's released state.

Allakhazam : Before we get started here, congratulations on your successful launch of La Tale!

Ross : Thank you! We're excited about La Tale and the great response it's received so far, and glad for the opportunity to share some details about the game with your readers.

Allakhazam : Can you tell us a little bit about La Tale?

Ross : La Tale is a 2-dimensional, side-scrolling action-MMORPG which merges the modern world with various fantasy realms. The side-scrolling gameplay gives players the ability to perform a variety of actions with simple keyboard operations.  This lets players enjoy the fun of an action game, which is not easily found in other MMORPGs, while the well-structured story of the game enables players to savor the immersive world of an RPG.

While this world is traditionally very popular with teenagers, we believe that the easy-to-play casual gameplay makes it really enjoyable for a wide range of gamers.  We feel that La Tale can be enjoyed by players of all ages (including elementary and junior high school students) and players of both genders.

Allakhazam : There are four classes available to play. Can you please tell me a bit about each of them?

Ross : The four classes consist of Warriors, Knights, Magicians and Explorers.  Here is a brief description of each class:
 
Warriors: This class has the strongest physical offensive power among the four classes. They mainly use two-hand weapons like spears and two-handed swords. Compared to the other classes, Warriors have lower defensive power but they make up with raw power and high HP, making this a good class even for beginners.   

Knights: While Knights use weaker weapons than Warriors do, their high defensive strength and HP make up for their lower offensive power.  This ability to stand up to strong foes and their ability to use buff skills make them great additions to parties, making this class the most appropriate class for players who enjoy forming parties and want to last longer in battles.

Wizards: They are the only class which can do ghost magic. Ghost magic falls into two types: offensive magic which include fire, water, earth and wind and remedy magic which increase HP.  Wizards can create their own balance between using the elements to destroy their enemies and healing themselves and their party members.  Of course, their low HP and quickly depleted SP mean that Wizards must always be careful.

Explorers: What Explorers lack in combat skills, they make up in additional abilities. Explorers are the best choice for the players who enjoy special adventures since Explorers have special skills including opening locked treasure chests.  Explorers also have naturally high luck stats, making them the most likely to get rare items.

Allakhazam : During my playtime I was surprised to see how many people were playing the game in the same small area. Is there any content for large groups of players?

Ross : Yes, La Tale also boasts quite a bit of content which can be played by large groups of players.  For example, there are “Instance Dungeons” which make up the core of the game’s story.  These Instance Dungeons are very difficult and are controlled by massive bosses, so players can only challenge them by forming large groups with other players.  While players can choose not to do these dungeons, we feel that you have not truly enjoyed La Tale until you have challenged the dungeons and learned their secrets.

In addition, we will be unveiling our PVP function soon, including a new system for team and guild PVP. We believe that the new system will be really fun and exceed our users’ expectations.

Allakhazam : 2D Side-scrolling MMORPGs is certainly a niche, but that's not to say there is no competition from games like Maplestory and Ts Online. What separates La Take from the rest?

Ross : One of the biggest difference is that La Tale offers simpler keyboard operations, allowing a rich diversity of players to enjoy it easily regardless their age or gender. La Tale also offers a wider range of actions than other 2-dimensional MMORPGs and even some 3-dimensional MMORPGs.  Moreover, players can enjoy the fun of fighting action games with La Tale.

Allakhazam : How will the La Tale story evolve over time?

Ross : The storyline of the game begins 2 years after Iris sealed the Demon King and disappeared.  In the game, players go on a journey to find Iris. Along the way, players can meet Iris’s companions and participate in each of their storylines.
 
One example of a character storyline is a tale of tragic love.  Players will be introduced to characters whose love was destroyed by a horrible curse.  It is up to the players to solve the mystery, overcome the curse, and reunite the lovers.  Only the players can bring these two a happy ending and learn their secrets about Iris.

Allakhazam : Now that La Tale has officially launched, what kind of content additions can players expect on a regular basis. Expansions?  Large Updates?

Ross : We will have large updates available on a regular basis – at least one each quarter. Iris’s story (Giendia) will be the central point. We have been preparing 4 additional episodes for Iris’s story and each story will include additional systems such as PVP and the auction market. We are also working on an expansion with a new world and a new, unreleased story that will be unveiled after 1 year of Iris’s story.

On that same note, do you have any new exciting content in store for the future that you haven’t announced yet?

We believe that our pet system will appeal to most of our users. The pets in La Tale are cute and have skills that help players in their battles. Moreover, they develop and improve with the players; their appearances change and their skills progress through the numerous game levels, so it is important for users to love them and raise them well.

Allakhazam : Thank you for spending the time with us talking about La Tale!

Ross : Thank you! It's been a pleasure.

Andrew "Tamat" Beegle
Editor-in-Chief
Allakhazam.com

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