With all of the cell titles accessible nowadays, it’s uncommon to see one thing final for a few years, not to mention eight. However that’s precisely what the staff at Gameloft Budapest have managed, with their primo dragon coaching simulator Dragon Mania Legends celebrating its eighth birthday this January, with the title persevering with to develop and pull in new gamers, because of some lovely creatures and a steady stream of thrilling occasions.
So, to have fun the milestone, we acquired to speak to Botond Szalacsi, Sport Producer and Gabor Megellai (Megsz), Lead Designer over at Gameloft about its fire-breathing title, discussing every thing from how one can steadiness a sport after years available on the market, to the staff’s private favorite winged terrors (we are saying terrors, a few of these dragons are tremendous cute), and every thing in-between.
With that out of the best way, it’s time to take flight into our Dragon Mania Legends interview.
Pocket Techniques: Eight years on a stay service sport means loads of updates, are you able to share with us what are essentially the most memorable adjustments to the sport? And what are these you’re most happy with?
Botond: It is a robust query as we had so many nice moments and options over time. I may perhaps spotlight the introduction of our clan system – which didn’t exist when the sport launched – or our first mega-event that includes Divine dragons impressed by Greek mythology. The entire staff labored enthusiastically on this one as we dug deep into Greek cultural components. Seeing the neighborhood’s suggestions on this replace was wonderful!
Megsz: I might additionally point out an replace releasing a Divine mega-event, however my all-time favorite is the Egyptian one. Initially, the sport used Scandinavian components, impressed by the Viking tradition, so it was fascinating to combine these with historical Egyptian symbols. The narrative was excellent, and getting deeper and deeper into an Egyptian tomb whereas progressing within the occasion was thrilling.
In addition to that, on the whole, I take pleasure in engaged on modernizing legacy components of the sport.
Are you able to share the method for introducing new dragons to the sport? (when it comes to visible design/balancing/something in any respect actually!)
Botond: After all. As we’re approaching the 1,000th dragon quickly to
be launched in Dragolandia, you’ll be able to think about the staff can draw inspiration from nearly something. We launched dragons impressed by constellations or animals up to now, to call a couple of, however even a hamburger for lunch can lead to humorous concepts.
In addition to our artists, our neighborhood usually submits wonderful fan artwork that often leads to entrance of our 2D guys as ideas as effectively.
Megsz: Whereas we’re producing dragons for essential real-life events that dictates their visible route – suppose Mom’s Day, Valentine’s Day or Christmas – we love ideating on the narrative that provides us the chance to create one thing new.
Our time-limited mega-events are introducing distinctive storylines circulating round a particular factor, which pre-defines the upcoming dragons’ visible id. (Consider the Divine occasions we talked about earlier, impressed by historical cultures.)
Fortunately sufficient, we had the chance to work with a wide array of manufacturers and influencers, too – turning their visible id into dragons in Dragon Mania Legends.
Dragons are one of the vital generally showing legendary monsters in leisure, how did you method making a dragon-based sport that stands other than the gang?
Botond: Our aim was to create a sport the place gamers cannot solely accumulate and level-up dragons, however can take them into battles, work together with them of their habitats, and may take part in adventures with them on the marketing campaign map. From a visible standpoint, we wished to create a route that stands the check of time.
Megsz: In most RPG video games, the dragons are unusual, evil, otherworldly creatures. Once we had been serious about Dragon Mania, I wished to create clever, lovable, distinctive creatures that may turn out to be companions of our gamers.
How do you suppose Dragon Mania Legends has continued to thrive within the final eight years?
Botond: Constructing a extremely dedicated, engaged neighborhood is without doubt one of the most essential explanation why Dragon Mania Legends has handed the check of time. Their enthusiasm helps preserve our vitality ranges excessive whereas the staff commonly produces new content material. In terms of new gamers, we imagine the sport remains to be visually interesting, making it stand out from the gang of rivals which can be additionally available on the market for nearly a decade.
What had been the intentions of Dragon Mania Legends to start with? And the way a lot do they differ eight years later?
Botond: To start with, we wished to create a sport the place – in addition to the generic assortment facet – gamers can struggle with & strategize their dragon groups. This hasn’t modified foundationally since then.
Megsz: The elements I wish to put a bigger emphasis on these days are: the social expertise, the options which can be accessible and a leaner UX. We’re at present engaged on these at present.
Of all of the accessible Dragons, that are your private favourites and why?
Megsz: Black Gap, it’s one of the vital lovely ones.
Botond: Bamboo, he has a child panda on his again! I don’t have to say extra, additionally Holly dragon, it’s so ugly, it’s mesmerizing.
How a lot has the neighborhood helped to form the way forward for Dragon Mania Legends over the eight years of play?
Botond: Earlier than DML, we didn’t have the prospect to work with a neighborhood this engaged. Despite the fact that some concepts coming from our gamers could seem foolish in the beginning, we’re in a position to collect helpful insights that can lead to inspiring adjustments.
We have now a bunch of dedicated gamers that understands the sport’s economic system and strategical approaches in addition to our designers, offering suggestions repeatedly that helps us enhance continuously.
Megsz: I might say that our gamers’ insights assist to form the occasions’ buildings essentially the most, although we might obtain the occasional less-than-kind suggestions. This helps us implement modifications that may form the overall sentiment. To present you an instance, our lately launched Tyrant occasion obtained a number of feedback that we’re turning into motion factors inside the upcoming updates.
The place do you see Dragon Mania Legends in one other eight years’ time?
Botond: As a sport that may stay true to its origins, however suits the then-current market normal each in its outlook and its options.
Megsz: I’m envisioning a sport with extra alternatives for social interactions.
How a lot has the altering panorama of cell gaming over the past eight years affected your method to the continued growth of Dragon Mania Legends?
Botond: It is a fixed problem for us as there are components of the sport, each content- and feature-wise, that we’ve got to resume radically to replicate latest tendencies within the cell gaming market.
Megsz: We continuously see tendencies come and go within the cell gaming market. The truth that after being stay for 8 years, DML with the ability to preserve its core options as they had been in the beginning is an enormous achievement.
What I might spotlight is that with the ability to work together with different gamers, the sensation of being a part of a neighborhood, is now far more outstanding and we wish to construct on this inside the sport’s ecosystem as effectively.
Right here on Pocket Techniques we sit up for seeing what the longer term holds for Dragon Mania Legends. In case you’re but to obtain the sport, head on over to the official web site to discover a hyperlink on your machine. Within the meantime be sure to check out our lists of the greatest cell video games and the greatest cell RPGs.
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