Today’s exclusive developer interview is dedicated to Bellatores, an upcoming PC MMORPG in development at the relatively unknown South Korean studio Nyou.
The game was quietly announced last year as part of investment news. Indeed, MMORPGs are still big in South Korea, and Nyou was able to secure around $25 million in their Series D funding round thanks to firms like Daol Investment, KB Securities, CAPE Investment & Securities, KDB Industrial Bank, and Yuanta Securities, among others.
However, the actual game information on Bellatores was scarce, to say the least, other than its PvP focus (not surprising given the name’s nod to the fighters’ social class in Medieval Europe) and its usage of Epic’s Unreal Engine 5. That’s why we reached out to Nyou CEO Jung Hwan Kim, an industry veteran whose 20-year career spans NCSoft (Lineage 2), XLGames (Archeage), and Blizzard Korea (Overwatch), to find out more about this upcoming massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. You can find the full Q&A below.
How long has the game been in development?
Nyou was founded in November 2016 by veterans in the gaming industry who specialize in developing and publishing online games. Initially conceptualized under the name Project N1, the actual development started around mid-2017.
You’ve previously made mobile games. Why did you switch to PC only for Bellatores? Are there any plans to release the game on consoles, too, at some point?
Our first development project is Bellatores for the PC. We published a mobile game that was created by an independent game developer with the intention of preparing for in-house publishing teams in the future. Additionally, we have an internal game development studio that works on lighter online games, including mobile games. While we do have plans to bring Bellatores to consoles in the future, our current priority is to concentrate on its PC version.
We know so little about your game. Can you briefly introduce Bellatores to our readers? Bellatores is a PC-based MMORPG.
It aims to capture the pure and essential fun that a traditional RPG set in a medieval fantasy world should have.
Basic gameplay includes hunting, gathering, crafting, and an economic system based on these activities, as well as conflicts, wars, and political activities between factions. The game intends to implement the paths of “growth and challenge,” “adventure,” “desire,” and “conquest,” allowing players to live as if they were really in a fantasy medieval world.
Players can immerse themselves in their own unique role-playing within the implemented world, which will contribute to making the Bellatores world more diverse. This is the main direction of Bellatores’ development.
The world is said to have been inspired by historical research on the Middle Ages with the addition of fantasy elements. Can you be more specific and tell us more about the world?
The initial world encountered by players in the game is portrayed with a realistic medieval atmosphere. This includes the grandeur of the lord leading a House, the chivalry of knights, the fortresses and castles, and the grim tales of kingdoms, all of which are being developed to provide players with an authentic medieval experience. In order to achieve a realistic feel in the art, particular attention has been paid to the intricate details of the medieval environment and costumes.
Also, to better align with the medieval fantasy theme, Bellatores has seamlessly incorporated fantasy elements, such as dragons, magic, and diverse races, throughout the game in order to add diversity to the world of Bellatores, kindle players’ imaginations, and serve as an essential tool to enhance player immersion within the game.
We’ve read that you’re planning to ‘change the worldview based on how each player makes their in-game decisions’. Can you explain how that would work?
We aim to implement a dynamic game world that is responsive to the cumulative actions of the player. This will enable the player to experience the impact of their actions on the game environment and witness its transformation. For instance, repeatedly hunting a particular monster in a specific area will result in a decrease in its population, while the population of other monsters may increase due to the food chain. Consequently, the player’s actions will have a tangible impact on the game world and result in a unique experience for each player, even in the same area at different times.
We know that large-scale PvP will be a focus of Bellatores. Is it going to be only open world, only instanced, or a mix of both?
We are putting a great deal of effort into maintaining an open world environment. While instances can improve development efficiency, they may diminish certain emotional elements of the player’s experience, such as the feeling of being part of a vast, immersive world. Therefore, Bellatores plans to implement player versus player (PvP) solely in the open-world setting.
Additionally, Bellatores recognizes the value of player interaction in building a strong player community, which is the biggest differentiating factor of MMORPG in terms of user experience. To promote such interaction, the game’s design will offer a diverse range of experiences within the open-world field rather than having players spread out across instances.
Is the PvP focused on factions (RvR) or guilds (GvG)?
During character creation, players are able to choose from five different houses. In order to secure victory for their chosen house, they will engage in combat with members of other houses. Although players may engage in PVP with individuals or guilds from other houses, the game’s focus is on RVR (Realm vs. Realm) combat, as battles between houses will be the primary focus of the game.
Can you discuss the siege mechanics and the benefits of winning castles and territory?
We are striving to create siege battles that make it easy to read the situation on the battlefield. Unlike in typical MMORPGs, where the situation is often unclear until it is determined by changes in ally or enemy numbers, the team is aiming to implement siege battles that allow players to quickly make decisions to reverse or maintain the situation on the battlefield.
Furthermore, the benefits of victory in Bellatores are inspired by actual medieval practices where lords would receive certain benefits when they acquired territories. This provides players with a sense of historical accuracy and serves as a motivating factor for them to progress through the game.
Is there any full loot or partial loot of players when defeated?
The initial design was with a structure that allows looting, and while it is realistic to lose what you have, we thought it would create fear of participating in PVP for the majority of users. Therefore, we are considering providing a slight penalty to losing players and allowing winning players to acquire reputation points, which can be exchanged for rewards.
Is there any Karma-like system to fight excessive Player Killers (PKs) in the open world?
In Bellatores, attacking members of one’s own house (allies) is not allowed. Only player characters from other houses can be attacked. As a result, in the game, players who kill characters from other houses indiscriminately will be hailed as heroes within their own house but will be deemed criminals and may face bounties in enemy houses.
What kind of PvE content is there in Bellatores? Can players expect challenging dungeons/raids? Also, will PvE content mix with PvP in some instances?
Bellatores seeks to offer demanding dungeon experiences and field raids in an open-world setting rather than through instances. While there is currently no content system that combines PvE and PvP, the game’s environment and situations always allow for the possibility of PvP.
For example, players may encounter elite or epic monsters roaming specific areas or the entire world, which require a large group to defeat. Of course, rewards vary depending on the difficulty level.
Can you discuss character progression and customization in Bellatores? Are there classes in the game, and if so, will they be gender locked or not?
In Bellatores, players do not select their class at the beginning. Instead, they can naturally grow their proficiency in roles, such as a warrior or mage, by repeatedly using certain skills. For instance, a player can become more effective as a warrior by wielding a sword and shield, and using magical abilities can help a player grow into a true mage.
In essence, Bellatores’ class is not predetermined, but players create their own class through their playstyle. Therefore, there is no gender lock issue, as there is no initial class selection.
Will crafting play an important part?
That’s correct. The biggest challenge in developing Bellatores is to create a game that could be enjoyed by players who don’t necessarily enjoy combat. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a true RPG experience, which can be enjoyed not only by players who enjoy collecting or crafting but also by players who simply want to socialize and chat with others in the game. Structurally, the game is designed to give a significant emphasis on non-combat abilities as part of the core content of the game.
Is there any base building/player housing in Bellatores?
Although there are no specific details decided yet, we have a good understanding of the housing system needs of MMORPG players. We will carefully assess whether it would be appropriate to incorporate such a system into the world environment that Bellatores aims to create.
Will there be mounts, and if so, what about mounted combat?
Mounts are available in Bellatores. While mounted combat is not a feature supported by default, we are exploring the possibility of enabling it in specific environments.
Will combat be action-based or tab-targeting?
Bellatores is based on tab-targeting combat system that is easy to grasp and adapt to, with its intuitive controls. The combat will demand quick reactions and strategic decision-making, as it involves closely monitoring the actions of PCs or NPCs, as well as equipment and skill usage. The depth of combat afforded by tab-targeting also allows for more nuanced and strategic gameplay.
Are you planning to support controllers (gamepads)?
We are currently developing Bellatores for PC-based gameplay, which means that keyboard and mouse controls will be the primary input method. However, since many people prefer to play PC games using gamepads, we are open to considering gamepad support.
On the technical side, did you encounter any troubles while optimizing Unreal Engine 5 for large scale PvP fights? Does the game take advantage of Lumen and Nanite?
Bellatores was originally being developed on Unreal Engine 4, but we decided to switch to Unreal Engine 5 last year. Despite encountering some challenges as a result, we are successfully dealing with those issues. We are also actively leveraging the strengths of Unreal Engine 5’s advanced technologies, such as Lumen and Nanite, to create a game world with the desired atmosphere.
Are you planning to support technologies like ray tracing, DLSS 2/3, FSR 2/3, etc.?
Currently, we are positively considering the matter.
When will players get to see Bellatores again? Are you planning a global release?
There is no specific plan yet, but we are currently developing with the goal of launching in the second half of 2024.
Will there be beta tests?
Likewise, although nothing has been specifically determined, we anticipate the need for testing before the live service launch.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about Bellatores?
We are creating a world with a narrative to give players the feeling of living in a fantasy medieval world. This will be a great gift for gamers eagerly anticipating an authentic PC MMORPG.
Thank you for your time.
