Tag: Nexon

Nexon Talks: The Story of MapleStory


This week I got the opportunity to chat with a couple of the folks behind MapleStory, a game that you may have seen a fair amount of coverage here in recent months. Yes, this game that launched in 2003 is still going very strong, with major content updates coming out on a rather impressive schedule.

You see, every time I talk about MapleStory there are some questions that I see revolving the content that I’m talking about and often times I don’t exactly have an answer. Who is the Black Mage, what are these theme dungeons, what’s the deal with the Reboot server, etc. So we brought Nexon on board, and they were happy to provide two of their own to give us some answers; Nam Jun (NJ), Global MapleStory Lead Game Designer, as well as Young Mi (YM), Global MapleStory Leader of Planning and Designing.

 

Us: What is the current state of the MapleStory story for those that may not have kept up with the game in recent times?

Nam Jun: Going back to the story from last winter in 2018, Black Mage, the character that reigned as the “final boss” for a long time in MapleStory, was defeated. Black Mage had planned to destroy Maple World, and to create a new world without transcendents. Empress Cygnus of Maple World formed an alliance in order to fight against his great power, and triumphed after a hard fight in Tenebris, located at the end of the Arcane River.

After Maple World found peace again, we then presented players with ‘Pathfinder’ as the next storyline, which included a new Explorer Bowman class captivated by ancient artifacts.

Us: How do theme dungeons factor into the overall plot of MapleStory?

NJ: In theme dungeons, we sometimes include hints or characters that may relate to the future plot, or provide players with a glimpse of different events that take place in various parts of Maple World that may not necessarily tie to the main plot. When players play through the theme dungeons, on top of each job’s story quests, they’ll be able to enjoy the added fun that comes with understanding MapleStory’s supplemental plot.

Us: How many total classes are there right now?

NJ: There are a total of 45 classes at the moment.

Us: Can you explain what the idea is behind having temporary characters like the Beast Tamer and Pink Bean? Why not make them permanent?

NJ: Because MapleStory has 45 different jobs, we’ve been servicing some jobs to only be available to be created or played during a certain period. For example, Pink Bean, one of the most beloved boss characters in Maple World, was specially made available as a playable character for a limited time, so players can experience something new.

Us: Are there any functional differences between named hero classes and explorer classes?

Young Mi: Heroes refer to the five heroes who have sealed the Black Mage, and therefore praised most highly in Maple World.

Explorers are new heroes that appeared in Maple World after the heroes who sealed the Black Mage have disappeared, and they try to protect the peace in Maple World.

Regarding the functional differences, we do try and make a general distinction by giving each job a unique story, theme, function (combat method), and etc. So we’d like players to experience those differences and enjoy them in various ways.

Us: Has the Pathfinder class been positively received?

NJ: Yes! Pathfinder drew attention as the first Explorer Bowman Class character to be released in a while. We also received feedback that she was enjoyable to play with given her exceptional hunting abilities–dealing high amount of damage and displaying excellent secondary skill functions—and her superior abilities when it comes to bossing.

Us: Do the burning character events bring back a high number of people who may not have played in a while?

NJ: Absolutely! We heard a number of people saying they returned to the game after hearing the news that a Tera Burning Event (benefits until Lv. 200) and a Burning Event (benefits until Lv. 150) will take place back-to-back this summer.

Players will be able to level up their character quickly with the burning event providing various equipment, items, and the perk of 1+2 leveling. So a lot of new and returning players, and of course the existing players who are leveling up various characters for link skills and Legion bonuses, usually take advantage of this event.

Us: What are the tradeoffs of the reboot server for people who might be looking to come back to MapleStory?

NJ: Reboot server is a special server where trade between other characters is limited, and obtained meso rate is 6 times as high and EXP obtained is 2.5 times than that of a regular server. Because trade is limited, more time and effort may be needed than in regular servers in the beginning stages of growing the character to obtain equipment items.

However, players can benefit from the feeling of achievement by leveling up their character, and earning equipment items on their own.

Us: What is next on the plate for MapleStory?

YM: Right around the corner, we plan on proceeding with the world merge that a lot of people have been looking forward to. We also have various new events and contents in the works. 

We know players will be most curious about the story after the battle with Black Mage. An entirely new story is planned to unfold, beginning with the story of Explorers standing up against a newly approaching danger. We hope that you look forward to it as the story continues.

I’d like to thank Nexon for getting us this Q&A session, as well as both Nam Jun and Young Mi for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer them.

Maplestory 2 Introduces Dungeon Helper


If you could name one improvement for MapleStory 2, what would it be? That’s right, a dungeon helper system.

Starting with the latest update, players level 50 and above will be considered a dungeon helper when queuing for dungeons below level 50. By completing lower level dungeons and thus helping out the newer players, it is possible to receive up to 10 dungeon coins per day (1 per dungeon). Coins can be used in the shop to buy furnishings, outfits, mounts, and more.

In order to better ease new players into higher level dungeons, Nexon has also instituted an across the map nerf of dungeon enemies. Finally, the benefits of house assistants are no longer locked behind merets and can now be bought with mesos.

Source: MapleStory2

P.S.: Keep an eye out for Lucky August events.

Maplestory M Hits One Year Anniversary, Releasing Phantom


Maplestory M is celebrating its one year anniversary with style as Nexon has announced the latest class to be added in: The Phantom. Set for release on July 17, players can pre-register for the Phantom today to receive a pack of items including a Unique Weapon Whetstone, Unique Armor Whetstone, Auto-Battle Charge Ticket and more.

“Featuring a cane as his main weapon, the Phantom is a master thief who steals the abilities of characters in the Explorer class. Skills including Phantom Shroud, Return of Phantom and Steal help players plan more strategic strikes, while the Phantom’s most special skill – Judgment – comes into play when delivering critical damage to mobs, triggering randomly stacked cards that give players additional attack. Phantom characters between levels 3 to 100 will also be able to level up a total of 3 levels per each level up through the Mega Burning event.”

Also included in the update is an updated wedding system allowing players to team up with their dearly beloved for buffs and gifts, as well as a new emote wheel and more. The one year anniversary will have events of its own with special experience rewards, skins, accessories, and more. Starting July 25, players can take part in the Monster Park amusement park event for heavy experience gains.

Source: Nexon Press Release

MapleStory Adds Pathfinder Class Today


The Pathfinder is here! Nexon has announced the release of the much anticipated bowman class to Maplestory and now you too can finally log in create one of your own. The Pathfinder joins the ongoing fire leveling event offering 3x leveling speed for new characters, as well as the Adventure Island activities.

More information is available at the official website and in the preview trailer above.

Source:

Beta Impressions: MapleStory Rolls Out the Pathfinder


I played a bit of MapleStory this week.

It probably comes as little surprise to my readers that I still have an active MapleStory account, and even less so that Nexon invited me over to check out the upcoming Pathfinder class release for the game.

The Pathfinder is sort of an oddity as a character class, as the story revolving around this character is that she has been blighted with an ancient curse. What this translates to is that your character starts out with reduced stats. Thankfully it doesn’t stick with the player very long, even by MapleStory standards, and by skill level four the curse has been weakened out and removed from your system.

If you haven’t quite figured it out, the Pathfinder class is the latest hero added into a game with a heck of a lot of classes. I enjoyed the time that I had to play with the Pathfinder not just because I tend to play the archer class more in MMOs but because the character is just sort of an all-around bad ass. The Pathfinder is a bow-wielding class, of course, but the focus appears to be more geared toward crowd control. Many of the attacks and especially those that you receive toward the start of the game are geared toward just inflicting mass damage against anything stupid enough to come too close.

I should also note about the curse dampening that the class doesn’t start out gimped by any measure. Your character is effectively slightly less powerful in an area of the game that comprises of the tutorial locations. I assume there is some effect of some stats starting out with a 20% debuff, but considering how low your stats will already be starting out, the Pathfinder isn’t exactly going to be the Dark Souls of MapleStory classes. I’m sorry for having written that, but I had to get the joke in.

As you level up even further, the curse becomes more of a blessing as you not only overcome the stat debuffs but then utilize that ancient curse on your foes in the form of an offensive debuff attack. You also gain the ability to call forth a shadow raven with associated skills later on to improve that mechanic. The shadow raven hangs around for a while and attacks your enemies.

During my time with the Pathfinder, I also checked out the Secret Forest of Elodin theme dungeon which was as adorable as I have come to expect from MapleStory content. I won’t spoil the story for you, but it has to do with nightmares, hearing scary voices in the woods, and making sure that the good and decent folks are safe and sound. This mission, to the best of my knowledge, was already made available in the live game on June 12 (my birthday of course) and is available to all players at least level 30.

I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to play through the Adventure Island, but the even is running in the live game until August 27 and is looking to offer a ton of very cool rewards. The gist of the event should be familiar to MMO players. Players at level 61 can start earning adventure points to convert into adventure coins by killing monsters within 20 levels of their character. You can also make use of AFK items to obtain experience and coins. As the event goes on, higher ranks are being rolled out with better items, better tasks, and better passive stat boosts.

I can’t wait for the Pathfinder to hit the live server, which it will on June 26. It was a fair amount of fun for the time I had playing on the test server and I think that MapleStory players are going to enjoy it along with the various events ongoing that will make leveling another alt a bit lighter of a load.

Stay tuned to MMO Fallout for more MapleStory talk, or just head over to the official website and take a dive in for yourself. Big thanks to a number of people for bringing MMO Fallout on board to check out the class.

MapleStory 2 Sums Up Project New Leaf


Who needs the old leaf? This week Nexon America announced the conclusion of improvement updates to MapleStory 2’s Project New Leaf. As stated by CEO Jungsoo Lee, Project New Leaf is just the beginning and will lead the way to further improvement for the game. The update precedes an upcoming major expansion set to launch in the summer, and the team at Nexon hopes that the updates can revive the game and make it feel as packed as it was on day one.

The massive list of updates includes:

  • Removed Fairfight from all Adventure Dungeons
  • Reduced World Boss HP by ~60%
  • Added Trader’s Ribbons to allow you to trade top-tier equipment that you don’t need to those that could use it
  • Added the Fragment inventory tab to help you reduce the clutter of the Misc tab
  • Improved Notifications to better protect Legendary Gear with Epic Bonus Stats
  • Improved the Available Quest Window
  • Increased penalties for illegally buying mesos
  • Added the Meso Market to improve the mobility of mesos
  • Made Epic Pets much more likely to drop
  • Greatly reduced the meso cost for changing Legendary Gear attributes
  • Greatly reduced the meso cost of fusing Accessory Fragments
  • Made Accessory Socket openings guaranteed and cheaper on average
  • Made Upgrading Gemstones guaranteed and much cheaper on average
  • Made Extracting Gemstones trivially inexpensive
  • Greatly reduced the cost of enchanting via Peachy, creating a competitive guaranteed path towards +15 equipment
  • Replaced Daily Missions with a Weekly Prestige Rank system that encourages you to play MapleStory 2 however you want
  • And more!

Source: Nexon

Mobility: MapleStory M Releases New PvP Dungeon


MapleStory M has released its latest content update and introduced a new PvP dungeon.

The PvP dungeon includes two modes: Ranked and free. Ranked mode has players going head to head in 3v3 matches with tiers decided by seasonal ranking and rewards being distributed as ranked. Free mode will give you more leeway to create as unbalanced of a match as you would like.

The following events are also included:

  • Kemdi’s Dice Game – From April 24 to May 9, a one-of-a-kind board game experience will be available where players can earn dice through hunting. Players can then roll the special dice to advance their pieces on the board and earn rewards. Those who complete the quest will then unlock the mysterious Kemdi’s Gift Box.

  • Spring Wonder Wheel Event – Starting May 9, the Spring Wonder Wheel Event allows players the chance to win Emblem Potential Scrolls, Lucky Day Scroll, Unique Rank Up Stones, Royal Coupons, and other rare items. Maplers can earn chances to spin the wheel by finding special tickets hidden throughout the game.

Also accompanying today’s update are balances to the gold leaf shop, character classes, and the user interface.

Source: Nexon press release.

MapleStory 14th Anniversary Event Goes Live: Play As The Pink Bean


As we noted previously, MapleStory’s 14 Anniversary event has gone live, and will run from April 24 through June 12. Events named after past seasonal updates will be available under the 14th Street event. Players will receive the 14th Street Fairgoer title at the start of the event and increase their reputation and stats as they complete missions to receive the 14th Street Celeb medal.

You’ll also be able to create a Pink Bean character through June 12 by talking to Pink Bean outside the Chaos Pink Bean Theatre. The character is temporary, so get as much use out of it as you can. For more on MapleStory, check out the official website.

Source: Nexon Press Release

MapleStory Kicks Off 14th Anniversary Event


MapleStory is turning 14 and wants you to join in on the celebrations.

From April 24 through June 12, events named after past seasonal updates will be available under the 14th Street event. Players will receive a 14th Street Fairgoer title increase their reputation and stats as they complete missions. Once all missions are complete, Maplers will receive the 14th Street Celeb medal.

In addition to the event, players will also be able to create a Pink Bean character. Players will also be able to complete the Pink Bean’s Movie Script, a set of 30 missions that award the Holy Pink Beanity Title. And finally the Big Bang Store will offer rewards for the 14th Street Coins such as new mounts, chairs, and rings. More information can be found at the official website.

Source: Nexon Press Release

Mobility: LYN: The Lighbringer Receives Its First Content Update


Nexon has teamed up with illustrator Jeong Juno to work on LYN: The Lightbringer. A case of 3D-rendered models converted from Jeong Juno’s two-dimensional art adorn LYN’s world. In this title, mysterious hero Jean explores the world of Daeva, collecting characters along the way. Today’s update introduces a myriad of new content including:

  • Legendary Hero – From the infamous Altar of Advent spawns the mysterious and powerful hero Lilith, who awaits players to earn allegiance;
  • Shukiring’s Request – Another official event joins LYN: The Lightbringer’s extensive list of mystical challenges, where players can collect “Mystic Sand” and exchange it for enchanted in-game items in Shukiring’s Sand Shop;
  • Lavish Costume Shop – Players can now unlock even more of Jeong’s gorgeous artistic works in the all new costume shop;
  • Additional Balances – Multiple in-game bugs have been addressed and other stability balances applied.

LYN: The Lightbringer is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.