Being an old-school fan of little sprite adventures, Chris "Pwyff" Tom got the opportunity to interview Kelbonim, the English Manager for Ys Online - The Call of Solum.

Does the word Adol and Dogi ring a bell in your head? Does anyone remember playing a particular game where they taped down their A button and left their hero standing on a small hill (in a mine!), perpetually swinging their sword and smashing little bats as they infinitely respawned from the left side of the screen?

No?

Ok, well, maybe my experiences are a little bit too personal for you all, but nonetheless, we here at ZAM.com have snagged ourselves an interview with Kelbonim, the English Manager for Ys Online - The Call of Solum! (Why do I want to keep saying Quantum of Solace?). One of the neatest things that I got from this interview is the 'card system,' that will help players manage all of the complicated systems in the game, and the fact that you no longer have to play the game like you're a lawn mower set on automatic, running heedlessly into monsters as your character just keeps. swinging. that. sword. Read the interview below!

ZAM: First of all, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this interview - I'm sure everyone must be pretty busy over there with the second closed beta just starting!

Kelbonim: Hi! You are more than welcome. Yes, things are going very fast here to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible.

ZAM: Ys Online will be one of the few MMORPGs to hit the market with a pre-existing fan base from the Ys games that were released on the SNES, Playstation and PS2. Are there any complications that arise from trying to develop an MMORPG that built its fan base from offline console games?

Kelbonim: Absolutely. Our main source of concern is not to disappoint the pre-existing fan base, as you can imagine. Another very important point is to make sure that the localisation process will be accurate. If I am to explain what we are trying to achieve in a short sentence I would say that we will be the first to launch a Ys game on a large scale, not to mention localised as well for the very first time in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, German).

ZAM: One of the more successful MMORPGs currently in the market that built from a console following would have to be Square Enix's Final Fantasy XI. In one interview, the SE developers said they believe that FFXI is the 'purest' representation of the series to date. Do you think that Ys Online will give you the opportunity to make a clear 'vision' of what the Ys series represents, or do you think that this will be, like the many variations of the game, a different take on this successful franchise.

Kelbonim: I am sure Square/Square Enix can have that kind of assurance in their announcements since they are involved with the series since pretty much day one. I, on the other hand, would not go that far. Key To Play and CJ Internet are only involved in Ys Online, and the general trend for the Ys series is "different" if I may say so in terms of story and time lines, localisation, etc.
What we would love to achieve though is to promote the Ys universe through a Free to Play and localised MMORPG, and we are getting the fans involved in the process.

ZAM: One of the things that the console Ys games were famous for was their awesome soundtracks and music. I get so nostalgic when I hear the music! Are you looking to have that same impact with music in Ys Online?

Kelbonim: That is part of the plan. The Ys Online soundtracks will be available from the official media page on our web site soon. So far the feedback is very encouraging.

ZAM: Aside from music, what do you think has made the Ys series so popular amongst gamers, and are you trying to capture this essence with an MMORPG version of the game?

Kelbonim: I think it is very hard to pinpoint what is precisely the element that pulls gamers into Ys. For each person it will be something unique. The story, character designs, the unique but familiar world or the challenging yet simplistic and fun gameplay. We hope that Ys Online captures everything that makes the Ys Series special while adding to it in its own way like each new episodes of the Ys saga has done.

ZAM: Will players be playing in the same world that Adol Christin and Dogi travel through in the Ys games, or will this be a completely new world?

Kelbonim: The players will be evolving in the lands around the great city of Elden in an era following the fall of the Romun Empire. Adol Christin is remembered as the Red-haired warrior and many new heroes will have to follow his footsteps to fight off the new source of corruption.

ZAM: Do you think you could give a quick explanation about combat in Ys Online?

Kelbonim: The combats in Ys are based on 2 aspects. The player will have regular spells and attacks but also a set of powerful cards and combos to provide an action packed combat system.
It is a mix of mana management and buffs micro management. Very easy to learn but very technical if you want to make the very best of it.

ZAM: Looking at the website you note that Ys Online will be using something called the 'card system,' which will aim to turn most functions in Ys Online into handy little cards. Do you think you could elaborate on this? What made you decide to do this?

Kelbonim: The card system was designed as a cross system to help you manage pretty much every aspects of the game with a simple click.
The cards are involved in the combat combos, spells, skills and buffs, but also in the various professions and quests. It follows the idea of having a system easy to apprehend but complex when it comes to high level optimisations.

ZAM: Finally, do you think that Ys Online will have a lot to offer to players who were huge fans (including myself) of the original console releases? Should we expect to be ported away into a world of nostalgia, or do you think that Ys Online will be a healthy mix of the 'feeling' of the old games combined with the new technology of today.

Kelbonim: We are trying to go for the healthy mix and the combat system is a good example in this matter: we decided to have a combat system more evolved than just ramming into the monsters off-angle.
All jokes aside though, the multiplayer aspect of the game will be the biggest change from the previous games obviously, since you will not fight alone anymore and you will have to rely on friends on more than one occasion.

ZAM: Well, once again, thanks a lot for this interview, and good luck on developing this great game! Do you have any last words for players who are interested in Ys Online?

Kelbonim: There will be organised large scale PvP and an arena... so beware!

ZAM: Thanks again!

Kelbonim: You are more than welcome. It has been a pleasure.

Christopher "Pwyff" Tom
Editor
Allakhazam.com