Priston Tale II Interview – Ever Expanding Onwards
Questions by Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
OnRPG: Priston Tale II has been operating for a few months now, how is the game faring thus far?
The game is in a great place right now. Admittedly, it was difficult taking the reins of Priston Tale 2 from its former publisher, but we have made great strides with the game since its absence from the market. We released a major update to the game almost immediately following launch that has improved many of the game’s systems, helping us to amass a global community of diverse players who are all very passionate about the Priston Tale universe.
OnRPG: What are the differences between Priston Tale and Priston Tale 2?
The differences between Priston Tale 2 and the original Priston Tale are quite substantial. In many ways, Priston Tale 2 is geared more towards the hardcore MMORPG player than the original. For example, skills in the original Priston Tale progressed down a linear path. In Priston Tale 2, player skills are assigned to a skill tree with many branching paths. This creates a higher degree of customization and variation across different characters and demands some strategy on the player’s part when upgrading their character. That being said, some systems from the original game, like the popular Aging and Specializing systems, carry over to Priston Tale 2. Overall, Priston Tale 2 maintains many of the signature elements of the original, such as its story and locations, while updating the game’s graphics and gameplay elements for a modern MMORPG audience.
OnRPG: How does Pristontale II’s story tie-in to Pristontale?
Priston Tale 2 takes place many years after the First Enigma from the original game has reached the end of its power. Without the seal of Enigma to hold him at bay, the evil god Midranda begins to regain his power. He quickly sends his dark minions to terrorize Priston, in preparation for his return…
OnRPG: Why did you guys go with Priston Tale 2 instead of just updating Priston Tale?
The original Priston Tale was among the first MMORPGs to be widely played worldwide. Given its age, many aspects of the game, particularly the graphics, are now somewhat dated.
In many ways, Priston Tale 2 represents the evolution of the original game, so in that sense it is an “update”. It takes the gameplay mechanics and lore of the first game and expands on it to deliver a more modern take on the classic MMORPG.
OnRPG: You guys mentioned that Priston Tale 2 runs on the Unreal engine. What does this mean for users who have low-end desktops?
Priston Tale 2 actually runs on the Unreal Engine 2.5, which is less demanding in terms of system requirements than the current Unreal Engine 3.0, while still packing a powerful graphical punch.
Priston Tale 2’s graphics are among the best in the free-to-play market. In particular, the character, enemy, and NPC models are often cited as some of the best and most original designs currently out there.
OnRPG: Are there any significant gameplay changes in Pristontale 2?
In comparison to the original Priston Tale, Priston Tale 2 introduces many important changes and additions to the principle gameplay systems. Chief among these is an emphasis on equipped skills and co-operative party play while in combat. First, Priston Tale 2 also allows for a much higher degree of character customization. Players can customize and equip their characters with a vast selection of skills, resulting in highly-personalized and variable character specs from player-to-player. Where players may have relied heavily on their stats and level in the original Priston Tale, victory is much more dependent on the skills players possess and how they employ them in the sequel. This focus on combat has also placed a greater emphasis on PvP – including warfare zones that are scattered across the world and Clan Arena matches which are held 4 times a week, with the top clan decided weekly every Saturday. Instances in Priston Tale 2 take the form of dungeons, which pit players against challenging boss monsters that will often require highly coordinated parties consisting of complementary classes to defeat.
In addition to the new combat and character skill systems, Priston Tale 2 also sets itself apart from the original in the sheer number of quests players can take on and the massive size and scope of the Priston continent this time around. Mounts are absolutely essential now, since the world is so big!
OnRPG: What are the things from Priston Tale that were carried over to Priston Tale II? Why were they carried over?
A few of the beloved upgrade systems from the original Priston Tale, like Aging and Specializing, have made a return this time around, in addition to new upgrade systems like “Seal & Circle”.
In terms of lore, the two original races from Priston Tale, Tempskron and Morion, return in Priston Tale 2, along with the new Sophetio race. Fans will also recognize some returning creatures like Rabies, Bargons, and Decoys (to name a few)! Watch out though, they’re much more fearsome this time around.
OnRPG: What’s the story behind the Sophetio class? How does the new class tie-in to Priston Tale 2’s story?
The Sophetio race were originally created and born of the dark god Midranda, the antagonist of the Priston Tale 2 story. Over time, the Sophetio race grew to develop their own unique culture and customs, casting aside their evil origins to gain independence from Midranda. This explains their demon-like appearances.
OnRPG: Can you explain how extensive is the game’s guild and party-play? What can players expect from it?
As mentioned previously, Priston Tale 2 emphasizes guild and party-play highly, urging players to take on many tasks co-operatively in a group. For example, when entering restriction fields (dungeons or instances in PT2), players will need to band together into a party of complementary classes in order to be successful.
Guilds can also take part in weekly battles within the game’s Clan Arena. The clan that comes out on top not only earns the right to call themselves the number one clan in all of Priston (for that week anyway), but they’ll also receive a hefty Eon prize.
OnRPG: What are restriction fields and how are they connected to Pristontale 2’s gameplay?
Restriction fields are the name of Priston Tale 2’s instanced dungeons. For the most part they are highly-challenging and filled with high-level monsters that require a party of players to defeat. Conquering a restriction field will often award valuable items and Eons (the game’s currency), giving players a reason to challenge them multiple times.
OnRPG: Can you elaborate on the competitive PvPvE combat experience players can expect from the game? How is it different from other MMORPGs that are already out?
Like other MMORPGs, sections of the world in Priston Tale 2 are designated to player-versus-player combat. When players enter these zones, they are not only susceptible to the attacks of nearby monsters, but also nearby players. In this way, PvP offers a unique challenge to players, because not only do they need to keep track of other player characters, but also powerful monsters that roam about these PvP zones. While some quests require the player to enter the PvP zones, they are entirely optional. Players who do not wish to engage in PvP are not required to and there are vast portions of the world that are PvE only.
OnRPG: How vast are the maps in Pristontale 2? How much freedom does the game provide for customization of the characters?
The world of Priston Tale 2 is quite large and new zones are being added. The most recent new area, the Damned Burial Ground, added a number of new quests to complete, items to collect, and monsters to defeat. The game features a teleportation system that allows players to fast-travel easily between zones. If you’re travelling by foot though, acquiring a mount is highly recommended, as the world takes some time to travel across.
In terms of customization, players can choose the look of their character’s hair, face, eye colour, and skin colour when initially creating their character. Beyond that, players will acquire new armor pieces along their journey that further alter the appearance of their character. The armor they find is tied to the player’s chosen race and class, leading to a high degree of differentiation between characters.
OnRPG: Can you give us a head’s up on the pet system in the game? How useful will they be for players and how will they complete the Priston Tale 2 experience?
Pets aid in item collection. As players battle and defeat monsters, they will drop Eons and other items. When battling huge mobs, collecting the dropped items can be tedious. Pets help with this by collecting the dropped items automatically. The speed, search range, and inventory size of a player’s pet can also be upgraded.
OnRPG: What’s in store for Priston Tale 2 players in the succeeding months ahead?
We’re currently working closely with the developers to further balance the game classes and improve on some of the existing features. In the new year, we hope to introduce many more items into the game, including new armors and hopefully new zones and quests, along with a couple surprises. Stay tuned!
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Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is a free fantasy MMORPG for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players venture across the vast and wondrous continent of Priston, currently under siege from the forces of the evil god Midranda, in a race to locate the only worldly power capable of ending his evil reign: the mythical Second Enigma.
Download Priston Tale 2 for free here.
