Welcome to the first Player Focus! From time to time, I'm going to find players that are willing to take part in a very simple interview. Don't get too upset now, that you weren't the first player - this is really a test run to see how it works out in its environment. If you're interested in being part of my Player Focus, please send me a PM on the forums or view my contact information to find other ways to talk to me. These interviews are based on what you, the player, would like to see from companies that publish your favourite MMOs and what you'd want to happen in the future of MMO. Don't be shy, I'm planning on running about two of these per week if I get enough participants! Today's highlighted player is: Vass, from Canada. I've personally known Vass from various games; considering he's one of the few people who tag-along when I'm in IRC talking about some game that I'm hooked on. He's played an array of different games out of boredom but is currently focused around NtreevUSA's Grand Chase. This interview was a trial one; so lets just see how it rolls and get accustomed to some of my questions I'll be asking. Splices: What are the MMOGs that you're playing currently? Vass: Grand Chase ~ Splices: Grand Chase is a game that NtreevUSA publishes. Do you have any other experience with the company? Vass: Trickster Online Splices: How do you feel that NtreevUSA handles 'community building' on both of its titles? Vass: They host a lot of events; and they make sure most people can purchase cash stuff. ;) Splices: Have there been any other games that made you feel 'engaged' in the community besides an NtreevUSA title? If so, what is that game and how did they convince you to get involved? Vass: The only game that I've felt I was engaged in the community was actually a private Ragnarok Online server. I guess with private servers you're way closer to the admins than in an official game. Splices: Given your history of gaming, do you feel that a 'stable' community is vitally important to any MMOG? Vass:  Uh...guess it helps o.o. I'm not usually an active person in the community; like on forums and stuff. The game itself is what gets me involved in a game, not the community. Splices: Lets say you had a say in an upcoming MMO, what would you do? Treat this question as if it were a 'dream project' that you'd like to play yourself. Vass: NINJAS! ...and pirates! I've never played a good MMORPG with ninjas and/or pirates. Splices: Ninjas and Pirates, you say? What would you want to do with them compared to what other companies have attempted in the past? Vass: Make them more realistic like no "Naruto-Ninja" ;o. But yeah, a remake of Knight Online with pirates and ninjas ;<. Splices: You do have some martial arts background, as far as I can recall. Do you think it would be useful for a developing company to have an advisor that has a strong martial arts background to do modeling and instructions for such a 'ninja'-based game? Or any type of game, really; just to make the animation more 'fluid'? Vass: Yes, totally. Splices: Are you more of a graphics-based player, or more of a gameplay-focused player? And while we're on this topic: Do you feel that sometimes gameplay suffers due to developers focusing too strongly on graphics? Vass: Yeah, I don't like those games with too buffed-up graphics. I guess it's due to the fact that I used to have a really crappy computer. But even now, with my new computer, I don't play games that are too high on graphics. Thank you, Vass, for participating in my Player Focus. Hopefully after the first one has rolled out, more will be willing to participate in my interviews. To be honest, I ran out of questions because I wasn't too sure how to go from there - and I felt that he was distracted by Grand Chase (who wouldn't be?). But nonetheless, it was an interesting interview and I enjoyed testing all this out. If you, or someone you know would like participate in my Player Focus Interview - leave a message on the message board [on my blog] or send me a private message. If you're an MSN Messenger user: I'm on splices[---at---]live.co.uk. You can e-mail me here or add me to MSN, either way.