Last week, it was announced that Ascent: Infinite Realm (A:IR) is changing its name to Elyon to better reflect the new direction the PC MMORPG is heading. Developed by Bluehole, a team under the KRAFTON brand, this took many by surprise and some were even convinced it is a hoax due to the announcement taking place in South Korea on 1 April. Publisher Kakao Games also confirmed the new for the western server. The Korean media spoke to Elyon’s Product Director recently, and here are some selected content.
Q: Why the big change?
A: The project has been all about RvR (Realm vs Realm) content and competition between players from the start. After reviewing the results of Closed Beta (which took place in South Korea and Thailand), it was concluded that “in order for users to collide naturally, the degree of freedom in the sky must be reduced.”
Q: On of the main features of A:IR was aerial combat. However, Elyon is more about ground-level combat. How much aerial content has really been reduced?
A: Airships will still be in the RvR mode, while content involving them such as exploring floating islands for treasures and PVE combat against large flying monsters will be there.
Q: How has Elyon changed from A:IR other than the aerial combat content?
A: The biggest change will be the feature which allows players to customize their skills and equipment. Key features such as boss raid, open world hunting, and many more remains. For the starting part of the game, we have also made significant changes to let players quickly access new content. Those who played Closed Beta will be surprised by this change.
Q: What is the key idea behind the name Elyon?
A: Elyon is actually the name of the portal which leads players from the open world into the Realm vs Realm world where player battles take place. It is seen as a gateway to obtain supremacy.
Q: While PvP and RvR are emphasized in Elyon, players will not be happy if the game artificially tries to force fights without reasons.
A: Elyon’s world view talks about 2 opposing factions which have been embroiled in conflicts and battles for over 100 years. Defeating the opposing faction is where the joy in RvR comes about. There are many PVP modes as well, including 1vs1, 2vs2, 3vs3, Free For All Battlefield, and even PvPvE areas as well.
Q: The transition to Elyon sees the change from tab-target combat to non-target. How does this compare to the system in TERA?
A: Both games have different “personalities.” In Elyon, the main focus of non-targeting combat system is placed on customizing skills. The biggest different with TERA would be the utility of skills which varies depending on the target and environment of the battle. There is also a difference in the need for different skills depending on the scenario, such as when fighting bosses or in PvP.
Q: How about the steampunk mechs we saw in A:IR?
A: In Elyon, these mechs are mainly used for special scenarios rather than in general combat.
