Curse

Today, we're thrilled to bring you an exclusive Q&A interview with Dragon Nest Producer, Davy Garaix of Nexon America. In the interview, we talk about some of the amazing changes that are coming to Dragon Nest in the near future and Davey spills the beans on new skills, quests and so much more.

Read on for the full transcript of our interview!

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Curse: So lets assume we have at least one reader who has never played Dragon Nest. Can you give us a brief intro on the game and what they can expect when it goes live?

Davy Garaix: Dragon Nest is an action MMORPG, centered around adrenaline-pumping, high-speed combat with visually stunning attack combos. At the same time, Dragon Nest incorporates role-playing elements found in both classic RPGs and MMORPGs alike, and overall the game is very easy to get into. You control your character from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective. When in combat, you engage the enemy in a style reminiscent of third-person shooters, executing your attacks in real time and in real space. Dragon Nest also incorporates a vibrant and enchanting storyline filled with humor and surprises.

With the official launch, Dragon Nest will have a comprehensive set of features, content and game modes to explore. The grand storyline will continue to unfold as players level up, and players will have no shortage of things to do, from completing new achievements, to mastering the new dungeons, grabbing epic item enhancements and  crafting. The Dragon Vault will also be available with a wide assortment of new costumes and functional items that will make the game even more enjoyable.

Curse: For players who have enjoyed the beta test phases of Dragon Nest, can you touch on some of the brand new features that are coming as we get closer to launch?

DG: The official launch will be by far the most anticipated update for our players who’ve been with us through the beta tests. With the official launch, players will get to journey to Saint’s Haven, a sprawling new city teeming with all sorts of interesting characters. Saint’s Haven will be an exciting new city to explore, as it was the heart of the resistance during the great war against the corrupt dragons from long ago. With this update, players will get to encounter dragons for the first time and really get a sense of the game’s epic scope.

Feature-wise, the level cap is being raised to 32, meaning each character specialization will have at least half a dozen new skills to master. There will be more than 500 quests to complete, and more than 250 new achievements, 10 new dungeons, and so much more. The faction system for example will offer players discounts on item purchases with certain vendors, new level 24 rare and epic quality gear, level 32 rare gear, new lustre pouches and the like. Another new feature will be daily and weekly achievements to collect Goddess Teardrops, which can be redeemed for level 24 epic quality gear, powders, and the Dawn Soul, a unique cosmetic NX item. The PvP Ladder Mode will also be updated, becoming exclusive to max level characters, and the Ladder Shop will begin offering level 32 items.

Curse: Can you touch on some of the new skills coming out, I know there will be about 6+ new skills per specialization?

DG: Each of the specializations will have six to eight new skills to unlock with the increased level cap. While players got a taste of the unique characteristics of each specialization up to now, they’ll really get to see the distinct nature of each specialization with these new skills. The effects also get crazier and fiercer, and players will be able to dish out different damage types against enemies. PvP lovers will definitely see a change of scenery with the addition of new skills as they will have to learn new tactics to beat their opponents.

Swordsmen will be able to learn more ranged attacks such as Frenzied Charge and Luring Slice, whereas Mercenaries will be able to do more powerful melee attacks with Circle Swing and help out party members with Battle or Empowering Howls.

Elementalists will show real fire versus ice characteristics with Hot Rod, damaging enemies with fire while on a magic broomstick, and Chilling Mist, slowing down the enemies with its icy attacks. Mystics will have more power to control and damage the enemies with the Force Mirror, creating a mirror shield to decrease enemies’ magic defense. They can also cast the powerful Spectrum Ray, creating a circle of laser beams that shoots out at enemies. It will be fun times!

Acrobats will learn specialized short-ranged attacks such as the Cyclone Kick and Furious Winds. These attacks do damage to a greater number of enemies than previously available skills. Sharpshooters will have a chance to learn more long-ranged but target-specific skills such as the Guided Missiles and Siege Stance.

Paladins will get more powerful charges such as the Electric Smite, and also spells that decrease enemy damage or buff party members’ damage with skills like the Elemental Aura. Priests will have more skills to control enemies in favor of party members, locking enemies down with the Bind Relic or damaging enemies while breaking the spells on party members with the Cure Relic.

Below is the list of new skills that will be available:

Swordsman

• Hacking Stance
• Luring Slice
• Counterwave
• Crescent Cleave
• Frenzied Charge
• Parry Stance
• Halfmoon Stance

Mercenary

• Circle Swing
• Enervating Howl
• Bombs Away
• Whirlwind
• Battle Howl
• Roll Attack
• Iron Skin
• Empowering Howl

Acrobat

• Somersault Dance
• Ring Shot
• Furious Winds
• Counter Ring Shot
• Spirit Boost
• Cyclone Kick

Sharpshooter

• Siege Stance
• Swift Shot
• Sylph’s Aid
• Ankle Shot
• Rain of Arrows
• Guided Missiles

Elementalist

• Fire Shield
• Ignite
• Shatter
• Ice Shield
• Hot Rod
• Chilling Mist

Mystic

• Time Stop
• Summon Comet
• Time Dodge
• Force Mirror
• Gravity Crush
• Spectrum Ray

Paladin

• Divine Vengeance
• Charitable Zap
• Divine Punishment
• Elemental Aura
• Electric Smite
• Shield Charge
• Iron Will

Priest

• Detonate
• Blessing of Strikes
• Cure Relic
• Vengeance Blast
• Holy Burst
• Bind Relic

Curse: Can you shed some light on some of the new dungeons coming to Dragon Nest, maybe touch on some cool features of a few?

DG: We have 10 very different dungeons coming out with the official launch. Each dungeon is unique and holds a story of its own, and players will be able to learn more of what happens as the story progresses. One of the unique dungeons is the Black Mines, where the player will need to not only fight off the enemies, but also have to figure out how to move around in the map while avoiding explosives. There is also wide variety of bosses ranging from the fierce Hobbserian from the Stronghold of the Black Domain Guards to the strong but humorous Shiraq Blue Scales in the River Ruins.

Curse: Are there any new Nests planned for the near future?

DG: We definitely have Nest updates planned soon after the official launch. While players level up, acquire new skills and obtain upgraded gear, we will be preparing some very challenging and epic Nest encounters to follow. There will be at least two Nests coming by the end of this year, both of which will offer new challenges and opportunities for players to work together to obtain the best loot possible.

Curse: What can players expect in terms of new Dragon Vault apparel?

DG: We are adding new varieties of costumes to the Dragon Vault. There will be new costumes for each class with the official launch, which can be worn as sets or mixed and matched together. We’ll also be releasing earrings in the Dragon Vault for the first time, and new sets of wings.

Curse: I know that there are going to be even more daily quests for us to redeem epic rewards...can you talk about some of those rewards?

DG: The daily quest, Goddess Teardrops, will be a part of the official launch update. This will be available to players level 24 and up. The goal is for players is to clear the daily achievements and weekly achievements which appear on the Achievements window and to collect Goddess Teardrops, which can be exchanged for level 24 epic quality gear and other enviable goods.

Curse: Can you talk about any community events planned for players as we celebrate the official release?

DG: We are preparing events to celebrate the official launch around the launch date and weekend. Our objective is to show appreciation for the players who have participated throughout beta tests, as well as welcome new players who will be coming to check out Dragon Nest for the first time. There will be extra Empowerment Points and various cash items awarded…stay tuned for more details.

Curse: We know that there are over 250 achievements to earn, can you say what kind of new achievements there are?

DG: Achievements are a big part of the game, and they help guide and inspire players to complete some difficult challenges. Most of the achievements will center around the new dungeons. Players can except achievements for chaining massive combo attacks, clearing dungeons quickly, beating certain bosses and more. 

Curse: Anything else you'd care to share with our readers? The floor is yours!

DG: We want to thank all of the players who have provided feedback during the beta tests. To say that we’re excited to officially launch next week would be a huge understatement. The wide variety of new content is really going to captivate players, and we have so much more to bring to the game later this year. It’s an adventure-filled road ahead for all Dragon Nest fans, and we can’t wait to see players dive into the new content.

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Special thank you to Nexon America for taking the time to chat with us. If you haven't had a chance to check out Dragon Nest, we really think you're going to love it and highly recommend giving it a look. You can find more information at the Dragon Nest Wiki and over at the official website at http://dragonnest.nexon.net/!