Interview with Jonathan Bellis

Puku Puku: Thanks for taking our
interview. First off, would you please give us a brief introduction
about yourself and your company Perfect World Entertainment?

Jonathan Belliss:
My name is Jonathan Belliss, and I'm the Product Manager for Perfect
World International. Perfect World Entertainment, the publisher of
Perfect World International, is the US branch of our parent company,
Perfect World Co., Ltd.
Puku Puku: Many players may still be unfamiliar with this Chinese MMO game. Can you first give us an overview of Perfect World?

Jonathan Belliss:
Perfect World is a Free to Play game that is influenced by and enriched
with ancient Chinese culture and lore. An interesting fact is that
Perfect World was initially released in China as a subscription game.
As a subscription game it was the recipient of numerous awards praising
it for its graphics, gameplay, and music. Upon its successful
conversion in December 2006 to Free to Play, Perfect World continued to
receive awards by maintaining its commitment to excellence even through
its transition. Today it has grown to enormous proportions and proudly
boasts an ever-growing user base.
Puku Puku: How do you describe the art style of Perfect World?
The graphics of Perfect World look fairly good. What sort of engine are
you using for Perfect World?

Jonathan Belliss:
The art style of Perfect World is best described as a blend of Eastern
Art and Realism. Frankly speaking, Perfect World's in-game graphics
are really a technical marvel. The reason I say this is because of its
scalability. You can have a low end machine and still really
appreciate the level of detail in the game's characters and
environments. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have a high end
machine, the visuals that you'll be presented with are absolutely
breathtaking. As far as the engine goes, Perfect World utilizes a
proprietary engine that was developed internally from the ground up.
Puku Puku: How in-depth is the character creation? How much leeway do players have in terms of customization?

Jonathan Belliss:
The character creation in Perfect World is absolutely jaw-dropping to
say the very least. You can literally create any character or person
that you can envision. You can adjust almost every aspect of your
character's face. One good example is eyebrows. Not only do you have
control over the shape and color of your eyebrows, you can adjust their
placement, width, spacing, and virtually anything else associated with
it. This level of customization extends to every other aspect of your
character's appearance.

Puku Puku: What is Territory Wars system in Perfect World? Will there be any faction classification?

Jonathan Belliss:
The Territory Wars system is another one of my favorite aspects of
Perfect World. It is an incredibly detailed system that has been
extremely well thought out by the design team. If you're into DotA
(Defense of the Ancients), you're sure to enjoy Territory Wars. A basic
rundown of the system is this: guilds can own any of the 44 territories
available in the game through a battleground system. Basically picture
a game of DotA with a maximum of 80 heroes on each side. Factions are
classified by guilds, so all Territory Wars are either Guild vs. Guild,
or in the event that a territory isn't owned yet, Guild vs.
Environment.

Puku Puku: Can you basically introduce the class system in
Perfect World to our readers? What sort of unique traits will each of
them have?

Jonathan Belliss:
Perfect World has a wide variety of classes, each with their own
distinct look and feel. All the classes have multiple ways to be
built, leaving a lot of room for different play styles. For example, a
Barbarian can use his skill points for more PvE skills, making him a
better meat shield, or he can focus his points on melee damage, making
him a more effective fighter in directPvP.
Puku Puku: What kind of a combat system can we find and how
will the combat look like in Perfect World? How deep will the PvP
combat go?

Jonathan Belliss:
The combat system in Perfect World is a mix of familiarity and new
concepts. In terms of how combat looks, the particle effects in Perfect
World are truly a sight to behold.
One of the features that differentiate Perfect World from other
MMORPGs is the Chi system. Chi is basically energy you build up
through the natural flow of combat. Once you build up enough Chi, you
can release it through special abilities and skills.




Puku Puku: And I heard that players can fight in the air by
riding flying mounts both in PVP and PVE. Sounds exciting! Can you
explain that in more detail?

Jonathan Belliss:
Yes, that is correct. You'll find that the flying mounts in Perfect
World aren't used just for sight-seeing, not at all. They're airborne
carriers of death and destruction when used affectively in PvP. While
flying mounts open up an array of possibilities in the world of PvP,
the option to use these mounts is disabled during Territory Wars.
Puku Puku: How about the quest system? Will players get good
rewards for completing a quest? Do you focus on solo quest or group
quest more?

Jonathan Belliss:
Perfect World has an extensive questing system with something for
everybody. If you're a soloist, there is an enormous amount of quests
that you can do alone. But for players who are more group-oriented
there are a plethora of quests that require you to party such as the
epic dungeon related quests. And trust me, Perfect World offers great
rewards for quests. Grinding can get you so far, but questing in
conjunction with grinding together can account for large chunks of your
levels. Many rewards such as EXP and various items for the user's
characters will be rewarded upon completion of certain quests.

Puku Puku: What's the main way for players to get equipment?
Do players have to raid bosses in instances again and again in order to
get some better equipment just like WoW?

Jonathan Belliss:
There are several ways to attain equipment in Perfect World. While the
traditional methods of random monster drops, boss drops, and quest
rewards still remain intact, Perfect World boasts an extensive crafting
system that anyone can pick up on the fly. The great thing about the
crafting system in Perfect World is that you have the option of
continually upgrading your crafted items into something the community
has branded as "Ultimates".
Puku Puku: Have you encountered any difficulties in localizing
Perfect World? Have you made any changes to cater to the American
audience? And as far as I know, the Chinese version of Perfect World
has released three expansions. How frequent do you plan to release an
expansion or update for the U.S players?

Jonathan Belliss:
Of course, with a content-rich game such as Perfect World, localizing
all the text is no easy task. We realize that Free to Play games in
the US have a reputation for having poor localization, and we aim to
break that trend by placing special care in localizing Perfect World
for American players. We're diligent in our work and want to bring you
best possible product, ever.
With regard to updates, we plan to stay on par with China's updates.
So don't worry, you're not going to miss anything with Perfect World
International.

Puku Puku: Why do you decide to bring Perfect World in the
U.S. market by yourself? How do you see the prospect of Perfect World
in the U.S. market? Do you have any plan to bring other games into the
U.S. market except Perfect World��
Jonathan Belliss: It's
no secret that Perfect World is one of the largest Free to Play titles
in the industry right now and has made quite a global impact. It's
also no secret that the US market has been growing exponentially. Put
those two together and I think you have your answer. :)

Now with regard to future titles, I really can't go into detail. You'll have to wait and see.
Puku Puku: Have you decided on the exact date for Perfect
World's closed beta testing? And what about the other milestones, like
open beta and commercial launch?

Jonathan Belliss:
Perfect World's beta will be starting on August 18th. With regard to
other milestones, we'll be making more announcements as we get closer
to our beta phase.

Puku Puku: Is Perfect World free to download and free to play?
If so, is there an item mall? And what kinds of items will be sold in
this Item Mall at launch?

Jonathan Belliss:
Perfect World is 100% Free to Play. Of course we'll have an in-game
Item Mall or "Cash Shop" where users can purchase items to either
customize their character or aid them in one way or another. I can't
really reveal what kinds of items will be sold as of yet, but again,
you'll be hearing more from us as we approach our launch. Stay tuned as
exciting things lie ahead.
Puku Puku: To conclude the interview, anything else you wanna say to our readers?

Jonathan Belliss:
I realize that a lot of Free to Play games promise a lot and often
disappoint, however I truly believe that Perfect World is a great game
that will break a lot of barriers in the US. Come see for yourself
August 18th and you'll realize why this game is called Perfect World.



Sekian ^0^