Tales Runner GM spills the beans about Chapter 3

Posted on July 17, 2009 by RezPLS

Having a home in-game, or just a place to go to get away from it all, is a very essential part of many MMOs today. This summer, Tales Runner is taking it one step further with it’s customizable Farm system. GM Maliera was kind enough to answer a few of our questions regarding the game and it’s hot new content.

Please introduce yourself to our readers, and how you are involved with Tales Runner?
I’m Maliera and I work as a Game Master for Tales Runner. I provide customer service to the players, and design and run in game events with the rest of the GM team.

What were you doing before you joined the Tales Runner team?
My last job was in insurance. It is totally different from the games industry and not nearly as much fun. I spent all day thinking about video games, and then went home and stayed up late playing video games. Now I spend all day thinking about video games and, well not much has changed except that now it’s my job.

We are pleased to see the new Farm expansion. Are players diving in?
Thank you, we’re really excited about the Farm. With our latest event where the players can have unlimited farm items for this month it has really taken off. We’ve seen some extremely creative setups, and we’re glad to have given our players space where they can just hang out and relax. Plus each GM has a farm, and we love having a space where we can hang out with the players and chat.

Has this greatly expanded your user base?
We’re definitely seeing a lot of new faces around. The Farm added another layer of depth to Tales Runner. The added customizability and the addition of harvestable trees and animals have broadened the appeal of the game quite a bit.

I have only just started to casually play Tales Runner, and I am loving it! Do you find that the greatest percentage of your players are casual-gamers or is there a large hardcore following?
While we have a large and dedicated group of high-profile hardcore players, most of the people playing TR do so casually. The game is structured in a way that makes it really easy to just log on for a short time and tend to your farm for a bit, or run a few races and then log out feeling like you’ve accomplished something.

For new players of Tales Runner (myself included), can you give a somewhat brief description of Tales Runner and what Chapter 3 brings to the gameplay?

Tales Runner is a casual Action Adventure game that emphasizes social interaction. It is set in a fantasy world with popular stories such as Jack in the Beanstalk, the Frog Prince, and Aladdin forming the background for many of the levels. The game play is platform style with skill playing a larger part than level or stats – making it ideal for people who can’t play often.
The Farm has added another layer of customizability. Now you can customize your personal space as well as your character. Also, we’ve introduced plants and animals that gain EXP while you are playing. Once they reach full, you can harvest them for cool rewards – currency, cards for the alchemy system, and farm points to be exchanged for more farm items.
The level designs are both familiar but still uniquely intriguing.

Can you tell us a little about the process that went into the level design, both the visual and musical aspects?
You might have noticed that many of the levels use familiar stories as the backdrop. Many of the stories already had an action component, and that’s where the idea starts.

While we are still on the topic of design, how did the loading screen that players see before each race come about?
That portal with wings is very distinctive. Well, it was important to convey the idea that there was no way out but forward – dropping the runners from the sky seemed like a natural way to do that. We already had the angel winged shoes, so that seemed like a natural way to hold it up there. Then we chose a color that fit the fairytale theme but still contrasted well with the sky in the different maps and voila, the flying pink portal is born.

Even though a new Chapter was just released, it would be an injustice not to ask! Can you give us any insights into what might be planned for the next Tales Runner update?
Sure! Our next big update is the introduction of a new character. A lot of players have been waiting for Rough for a long time, and he’s finally coming at the end of July. Chapter 4 is scheduled for fall and will include the Dr. Hell missions and maps – a bigger challenge than anything we’ve seen so far. Of course we have plenty of smaller updates between then and now with more maps, outfits, farm items and alchemy recipes.

Final question, we always like to ask, what game (of any make/model) gets played the most at your office?
It depends. Everyone here is an avid gamer, so we play a variety of games. A while ago we held a Tales Runner tournament for our coworkers, and everyone was playing TR and asking us for tips. Right now everyone is obsessed with Luna.

Thank you for your time