White Knight Chronicles, Level-5s latest RPG, adds some innovative twists to a genre that can definitely use some. The game boasts a single-player mode, where Leonard the hero takes on evil forces with the help of a few friends. In multiplayer, players will be able to take one of those customizable support characters into other games, level up and then return to the story mode. We spoke with Level-5s President and CEO Akihiro Hino about how this will affect gameplay, balance and much more.
Game Informer: When most RPGs allow players to create a character, it is usually the main character of the story. What made you decide to have the player-created character not be the central protagonist of White Knight Chronicles?
Akihiro Hino: We dont think that the avatar the player creates is not the main character. In order to create an adventure story for an RPG, you need to determine a character to create a story around, so we decided that Leonard should be the protagonist of the single-player mode. But the player character is in both modes, and in the online mode, the avatar is the main character.
GI: The avatar players create when the game starts eventually joins up with Leonard. Does that happen right at the outset of the game, or after playing for a while?
Hino: The avatar participates with Leonard from the very beginning. But avatars can then take part in the online mode after the first episode or chapter.
GI: So, Leonard and the player character are somehow connected from the beginning?
Hino: The main character, Leonard, is working for a wine merchant. The avatar created by the player will join him as a new assistant a new employee of the wine merchant.
GI: With levels, gold, and items carrying over between the online and offline modes, is there a danger that characters could get too powerful by spending a lot of time online?
Hino: In fact, weve incorporated a level cap system so we can keep the balanced. Until you can proceed with the story to a certain extent, you arent able to increase your level beyond the cap. On top of that, unless you proceed with the story, you may not be able to go on certain important quests in the online mode and get the rewards for those quests.
GI: Is there a story structure to the online mode, or is it only a hub for accepting quests and setting up a group?
Hino: There is kind of a story in the online mode, but it is told in a series of small quests.
GI: How did you arrive at the four-player limit for online play? Was it due to technical limitations, or does that number just work best for party balance?
Hino: There were a lot of elements determining that number. For one thing, you can make a very balanced group with four players. And, since we provide a feature where players can set up their avatars, freely choosing the face or the body or other elements, there are certain technical limitations like processing speed because of this freedom.
GI: In the presentation for the game, it was mentioned that larger enemies can be defeated without transforming into the White Knight. Will there be additional rewards for succeeding in battles that way?
Hino: If Leonard transforms in the White Knight, his power and abilities increase a lot. Therefore, if you are fighting against a very strong monster, you may need to deal a critical blow. In that case, you will want to transform. If the monster has the ability to regenerate health, if you continue doing little damage as small characters, you will not be able to defeat it. If you transform into the White Knight, you can do damage large enough to defeat the monster. But its not that Leonard can transform into the White Knight at all times, so you need to choose critical moments.
GI: Will you have the ability to transform at all times, and just choose wisely when you activate it? Or is it only available during large-scale battles?
Hino: You can choose when you want to transform. You need to build up a certain gauge during combat, but once it is full, you can transform.
GI: How will character progression work? Will there be some sort of unique system like in Rogue Galaxy, or will attributes just increase as you level?
Hino: You can allocate points in certain skills according your preference. And if you increase the skills, you can learn new actions. There is more to that that has not been disclosed, however.