As part of gamescom 2023, MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to try out the new MMORPG Throne and Liberty and conduct an interview with Merv Lee Kwai. This revealed some details that make the game suddenly look better.
What have been the problems so far? Throne and Liberty was considered a very statistical MMORPG in which PvP plays a major role and is also possible everywhere. The Karma system should also be deactivated at night.
Added to this was an autoplay feature and questionable monetization decisions. That’s why I didn’t have any great hopes for a long time, even though I was still looking forward to the game.
But after the new interview, I’m very positive. While Throne and Liberty won’t be an MMORPG for everyone, Amazon is working hard on the vulnerabilities to make it more accessible. Three points in particular convinced me:
Check out the Summer Game Fest gameplay trailer here:
Throne and Liberty – Summer Game Fest Trailer
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PvP only at certain times and not at every event
Can you bypass PvP? Lee Kwai told us that PvP won’t be as present in the open world as originally thought. The zones are basically PvE areas.
However, each area has an outpost that can be fought over. This happens at a certain time every 2 to 3 days. When battle mode is active, open PvP prevails in the area. However, this will be announced beforehand.
PvP is also available at certain world bosses and world events. However, the zone where PvP is running will be marked with a ring. If you don’t enter this ring, you won’t be flagged for PvP. There will also be world events that are completely non-PvP.
There will certainly be situations where you accidentally end up in PvP. But I’ve managed to completely avoid PvP in the open world so far. […] If you stay outside the marker you cannot be attacked, by anyone.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview at gamescom 2023
In a Korean interview it was said that during the night cycle there will be PvP without restrictions and karma system. That should not exist in our version either. However, certain dungeons only open at night, which in turn are PvP.
Amazon is also currently experimenting with pure PvE dungeons. It is still unclear whether these will come.
Is the focus still on PvP? Yes, Throne and Liberty will be a PvP MMORPG. On the one hand, this involves controlling the outposts in the areas. Any number of players can meet here in the open world.
But that’s exactly what should make it so exciting. Because in a guild only 50 to 70 people can play together. However, many more players can get involved in the battles for the outposts.
What I love about Throne and Liberty is that everything takes place in the open world. So many different things can happen as a result. Other guilds can join the fight and choose sides. But they can also cheat on each other.
Merv Lee Kwai in an interview at gamescom 2023
The same goes for the biggest event in the game: the fight for the castle. There is currently only one of these and it can be sieged every 2 weeks.
Merv Lee Kwai told us that guilds can form alliances to avoid friendly fire. However, the alliance can also be canceled in the middle of the battle. This is said to have caused all sorts of crazy stories in the tests.
Owners of the castle benefit from various bonuses, but must also actively reward themselves. For example, an outpost collects taxes that have to be transported to the castle. Other guilds can attack this caravan and collect part or all of the taxes.
No autoplay unless players want it
Do we get autoplay? No, at least not in the next technical test. In this case, Amazon completely disables the feature. However, one wants to monitor whether the deactivation is well received, because the autoplay is not completely demonized.
Lee Kwai explains that it had a purpose and was connected to the grind system. Therefore, the deactivation is not a final decision, but one wants to be based on the feedback of the players.
Based on our experience, western players tend not to want autoplay.
The shop comes without Pay2Win
What was said about monetization? There will be no Pay2Win in the Throne and Liberty western shop. One item that has been criticized, for example, is a token that allows players to continue farming for 8 hours after logging out. We will not have this item.
No devaluation in equipment, focus on consoles and a faster combat system
What else have we been told? During the interview, we also touched on the topic of equipment. The system mixes random drops with targeted upgrades:
Amazon also attaches great importance to the console version. This will also be included in the next test and should – if possible – appear at the same time as the PC. In any case, there will be crossplay between the platforms.
The MMORPG should get a German localization for the texts, but the soundtrack will remain Korean, English and Japanese for the time being. However, German voicelines were not completely excluded.
The static fights, on the other hand, have already been addressed and partially revised by NCSoft itself. I was allowed to test the “new” version myself for 30 minutes. But you won’t find out more about the fighting feeling until next week in a small reference report. Stop by again.
When is TL coming out? The release is still planned for 2024. More detailed information – also about a closed beta – could not be mentioned so far.
What do you think of the information from the interview? Does that give you hope for Throne and Liberty?