Pangya Season 4 Interview for OnRPG
Questions by Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by SK: Sang Kwon, Assistant Manager of Game Operations Dept @ Ntreev USA, and DL: Dongkyu Lee, Director of Pangya @ Ntreevsoft
Pangya has been enjoying the limelight as one of the must-go MMO in terms of cute and zany golf fun. Now with the game going into season 4 just a few months ago we got a chance to talk to the people who make this game work and got the lowdown on what’s what with the new changes in the game.
On the current game situation
Onrpg: Thank you for giving us this opportunity to get to talk to you guys. The first thing we’d like to know is that with the game going into season 4 how has the game fared so far?
SK: We’ve received a tremendous response from the players. Since Pangya has started with us, our most requested feature was to implement Season 4. The game has been in a great shape for us. We are looking forward to grow the player base with Season 4 and hopefully improve in future seasons of the game. Pangya is a great brand with loyal following. We are very happy and fortunate to work with such property.
On Lucia
Onrpg: With the release of season 4 you included Lucia as part of the Pangya roster, What were the things you considered when you created Lucia as part of the season 4 lineup?
DL: We wanted to create a character with long hair. It’s not a feature you see in many 3D online games. We wanted to create a 3D character with long hair and creating the hair with an aspect of real motion was our biggest obstacle.
Onrpg: Was there any real life basis on the story and the character of Lucia? If there was who may that be and why choose that person?
DL: Instead of basing the character on any one “real” person, we wanted to look at the general appeal of the pop idol singers from around the world, and in doing so, we have taken the extravagant looks and paparazzi appeal into consideration. We wanted to please the global audience and picked the job of a pop idol singer for Lucia; since the job didn’t exist on Pangya Island.
On the Lost Seaway
Onrpg: Regarding to the new stage you included in season 4 what made you decide on to go with a pirate theme?
DL: We thought the concepts of “treasure island” and “pirates” had worldwide appeal. We’ve decided to go with such theme as it went hand-in-hand with Pangya’s casual and adventurous lore.
Onrpg: What was your overall goal for creating the new stage?
DL: Although we’ve implemented a myriad of features to the game of Pangya, our goal with this level was to create a course with easy accessibility to all players.
Onrpg: What should players expect on the Lost Seaway?
DL: In conjunction with the addition of the booster function (a turbo-charged blast portal), Lost Seaway offer more fun to the players by earning more Pang & getting higher scores.
On the Ghost Mode
Onrpg: You have included a new feature to Pangya that is rarely been used on MMOs, why decide to include the ghost system to the game?
DL: When a player starts playing Pangya, some aspects of the game may seem challenging.
We have modes such as “VS” or “Tournament Mode” where a player may hit the ground running with a quick start, but the competitive concept of Pangya is centered around the score of each individual player. This was done so that any player would challenge themselves; not so much the other players. However, it’s difficult to see how some shots are done, how some holes should be played… and in the end, how the “pro’s do it”. So we’ve wanted to overcome this factor and wanted to give players a way to analyze and learn from other players. This concept was accomplished with the in-game “Ghost System”. These “Ghost System” records are great for hosting sponsored events as well. This is something we plan to do in the future.
Onrpg: Can you give us an idea on what how exactly the ghost system works? What would be the basis of the ghosts players would get to match up with?
If you could imagine playing golf, standing next to a hologram image of Tiger Woods, you could mimic his every move, angle and hopefully… score. The Ghost System captures the image of a players shot(s). Then, using the Ghost System (recorded shot) you get either challenge yourself or send the recorded image or shot to other players so that they can compete with what you’ve done.
On the Approach Mode
Onrpg: What exactly is approach mode? How is it different from the other modes players would get to use in Pangya?
DL: We wanted to provide a mini-game of sorts, to relieve players from the stress of trying to get a better score, or better yet, that perfect score. The approach mode puts an amazing spin on concept of winning. It’s a great way to experience the fun of playing golf.
On the Room system
Onrpg: Pangya is a golf game first and foremost, why include My Room as part of the game system in season 4?
DL: Pangya is a game where character customization is well executed, and a very popular aspect of the game. We wanted to improve upon this factor and give players more control on the customization end. So, “My Room” was conceived to give players the joy of having a place of their very own. This place can be decorated; trophies and accomplishments displayed, and in the end, call it their own.
Onrpg: How customizable are the things you can put into your room? Would there be interactive elements put into the decorations and furniture?
SK: You can currently purchase many different types of furniture, wallpaper and accessories to decorate you’re My Room with. There are many different combinations and styles of décor to match the many different styles of players that choose to use this function.
Onrpg: Would there be any possibility that players can hold room parties or such?
SK: It is certainly possible. We are always discussing what we can do with My Room and how we can expand on the current implementation.
On the Card Hunt
Onrpg: The skill cards add another element of something that you can collect in Pangya, why include it to the game system?|
DL: Up until the 3rd Season of Pangya (Season 3), we’d noticed a limitation as to what can be accomplished with stats. The Card system allows the player to expand and add additional stats to items that have been in the game for some time. We wanted to bring out more variety, play styles and patterns from the players… to expand upon their enjoyment of the game, and bring new life to some of the older items.
Onrpg: How many can players use at a time?
SK: The number of cards that can be used completely depends on the actual item that the character has equipped. If an item has a “slot” to place the card into, then the players can use the cards in the designated slot.
Onrpg: How many cards would be available for players to use? Why?
SK: We currently have available Card Pack Vol. 1. There are currently 48 cards in that set. The system is fully designed to expand beyond Vol. 1 and where we’ll stop is completely up to how popular these card packs are with the players. We believe that adding that concept of customizability is a major part of an expanding MMO environment. As a player, it’s fun to add your own spin on things.
Onrpg: Would the skill cards be limited to NPCs and characters found in Pangya? Why or Why not?
SK: So far the designs have been based on the existing Pangya characters. But you’ll have to wait and see what future cards are going to be released/ J
On the game’s future
Onrpg: What’s in store for Pangya as season 4 progresses?
SK: We have several major features in the works. One of the most requested features is the “Guild” feature. Regardless of the type of MMO game you play, Guilds are always a big feature request. We will be implementing the “Guild” feature shortly. In addition to the number of Season 4 trimmings, we are looking at the bigger picture of implementing future seasons. This is just a beginning for us.
Onrpg: Thank you once again for the time!
DL & SK: We thank you for the opportunity! It’s been a pleasure!
