Co-Optimus: Were there any of the old, arcade co-op beat 'em ups, such as Knights of the Round or Streets of Rage, that were a source of inspiration for the development team when they were creating the game?
Luis: Pretty much all of them. DFO is a culmination of video game history. It borrows from the most fun games of the past and present, drawing design tropes from disparate types of games and bringing them together. It is a highly creative merging of all we hold dear about video games. And by selecting the aspects we love from all kinds of games, Dungeon Fighter Online is an experience that transcends the sum of its parts.
Co-Optimus: In an interview with the game's director, Yunjong Kim, the question was asked whether or not consideration had been given to doing some kind of port of the game; with the success of classic co-op beat 'em up titles on XBLA and PSN, would this still be a possibility? What about a Nintendo DS or PSP port?
Luis: The developers at Neople are always open to expanding the audience for Dungeon Fighter Online, which already has 197 million registered users worldwide! So these ideas always receive careful consideration. That being said, the current focus for Neople and Nexon America is to make sure Dungeon Fighter Online has a successful launch this June in North America for the PC market. We really want to make sure North American Dungeon Fighters have a great game to play on the PC.
Co-Optimus: With Dungeon Fighter Online, the fighter/ranged-attacker/magic-user classes seem to take on the more traditional MMO roles of tank/DPS/healer when teaming up with other players. How was the game balanced to ensure that two players of any class would have as equal a chance as a larger party that includes more classes?
Luis: The answer to that question is an incredibly complicated one, because the system of balancing powers in DFO is huge. I think what players will find when diving into DFO is that though there are similarities to traditional MMO roles in terms of party balance, each of the classes in DFO all have the potential to become a hybrid being—a magic-using range attacker; a healing tank, etc. Each of the five sub-classes, at Level 18, can choose a sub-class, in which their skills become even more specialized. So if you like being a fighter, but also really dig tossing out magic, you can become a Nen Master at Level 18. If you are a healing Priest, but don’t want to give up your gargantuan bludgeoning cross, you can become a Monk at Level 18 and boost up your melee skills.
Co-Optimus: What are some of your favorite co-op beat 'em up games?
Luis: DFO, of course!! But I grew up playing beat’em up games at the arcades so any of the classics you remember, I invested so many quarters as a kid I’ve probably directly contributed unwittingly to the development of DFO.
We'd like to thank Luis and the rest of the team from Nexon America for taking the time to answer our questions and share with us the details about the upcoming Guild feature. We're always interested in features that enhance the co-op of a game.