The One Where Grando Espada Is… Everywhere!

Granado Espada is popping up everywhere! From TV commercials in Singapore, to Roadshows in Malaysia…

… to cinema advertisements in the Philippines

Schedule and locations:
June 6 Ocean's 13
June 13 Fantastic 4
June 27 Transformers
July 11 Harry Potter & Order of Phoenix
August 1 Bourne Ultimatum

Makati Glorietta 4 and Greenbelt
Ortigas SM Megamall & Rob Galleria
Cubao Gateway
Q.C SM North Edsa
LasPiñas SM Southmall
Manila Rob Manila
Cebu SM Cebu & Cebu Town Center

… to that oh-so-hawt GE car randomly cruising around Singapore (Time to ask Daddy Dearest to buy his fave and only daughter, Hrin, a GE car)


























… to your friendly MSN window









































Oh, and have I mentioned that this is just the beginning? ;)

The One About Colony War - Part I

Colony War is just round the corner and the schedule for the first 3 wars are as follows:

First Colony War: 8 June 2007, Friday, 2000hrs-2200hrs (GMT+8)
Second Colony War: 17 June 2007, Sunday, 2000hrs-undecided (GMT+8)
Third Colony War: 23 June 2007, Saturday, 2000hrs-undecided (GMT+8)

I've been getting a lot of questions about what colony wars are all about. I guess I should start with the basics.

What is a colony? A colony is this tall pillar that is available in certain maps in the world.
























For the very first colony war, colonies will be open to attack on all the maps that have a colony in it. Factions can start attacking these colonies. Once the colony has been destroyed, the colony will belong to the faction of the last person who hit and destroyed the colony and they have to defend it till the timer for the colony war has ended. His/her faction will now rule that map and enjoy certain HP and attack boost bonuses. Their faction name will be written on the world map, such that the world will know that they are ruling that map.

Aight. That's all for today lest information overload takes place. ;)

Read Colony War - Part 2 here.

The One About Level Playing Field

I remember having this discussion with a friend of mine a few months ago when we were playing a trading card game. I asked him,"Why is it you would rather play trading card games as compared to MMORPGs?"

He replied,"That's because I hardly have the time to train my characters and I don't like it that if someone has more time to play, he can easily pwn me with his higher level character. It's a given fact more time = higher level character = definite pwnage. I may be a better player skill-wise but I will always lose out to someone who has all the time in the world."

That certainly gave me a lot of food for thought. The GE RAID party 2v2 PvP Finals Tournament was designed in such a way that skill will triumph over 'who-has-the-highest-level character'. The finalists will all be able to compete on a level playing field since they get to choose from a suite of pre-made characters to form their team of 3 for the duration of the match - this includes both stock (basic classes) characters as well as selected RNPCs. These pre-made characters will have their levels maxed out to veteran Lvl 100 with all available stances and skills maxed out.

I'm really excited about this. It reminds me of the arcade games I used to play back then where you get to choose from a series of characters to fight for you. Finally a chance at level playing field in an MMORPG! Here's a little teaser of what the real life battle scene would look like that day...

















On a sidenote, it is definitely time to give that friend of mine a call and tell him about Granado Espada... ;)

The One About Winning Your Non-Gaming Friends Over

I've been given a monthly 2-page column in Playworks magazine, starting from May 2007, where I will be talking about GE. But hey, you know what I always say - The best things in life should always be shared. Thus, for July's issue of Playworks onwards, I will include some lovely GE fanart or contributions from the community in my column as well.

I have come to realize that as gamers, sometimes we tend to be over-technical when we talk about the games we so love. To us, these so-called 'technical terms' are second nature to us, everyday talk and vocabulary. MCC, XAI, PK, PVP, PVE, KS... unfortunately, these abbreviations are alien language to our non-gaming peers, which tends to further push them away from the whole notion of gaming.

So well, in my first article for Playworks, I have attempted to write it in such a way that our non-gaming friends will be able to catch a glimpse into what the world of Granado Espada has given to us. Enjoy! ;)

Click on images to enlarge:

The One About Baron Mode

The bad flu that has been going around IAH has finally spread to me, despite how badly I've been trying to avoid. On the bright side, it hit me only after POBT began and playing GE is all the medicine I need! I've been reading on the forums about how many are wary of starting characters in Cervantes because it is a PK server and there are various wild predictions that Cervantes will be over-run with high level players camping newbies or low levels just so that they can get that baron mode high attack bonuses. Well, that crystal ball of prediction ain't going to materialize! Simply because of that misconception about Baron mode.

That Misunderstood Pre-Requisite: Family Level = 6

So most of us know that in order to "baron" (force PK) someone, you need to fulfill that pre-requisite of having a family level of 6. Many people are under the impression that a family level of 6 means your character level is 6. In reality, a family level of 1 = 10 levels.

Thus, if my
highest level character = 19, my family level is 1
highest level character = 34, my family level is 3

However, if my highest level character = 30, my family level still remains at 2. Until that character reaches level 30+ ; only then will my family level be considered as family level 3.

This effectively relates that family level 6 = character level 60+ , which means that I need to be of character level 60+ at least to be able to "baron" (PK) someone! And on top of that, the other family that I am trying to "baron" (PK) must also be of family level 6. This automatically rules out the misconception that high level players will be camping lowbies.

On a side note, since we are on the topic of family level, your family level is directly proportionate to the family protection percentage you get. A family level of 2 will improve your HP by 2%.







Further to that, let's say you already have a level 60+ character, and you start re-training another character from level 1 again. Your family level will be still regarded as level 6 and your level character open to attacks from other families of family level 6 and above. In summary, your family level will be based on the highest leveled character that you have in your barracks, regardless of whether they are part of your team of 3 or not.

Although in this way, you can say that high leveled characters can still 'camp' low leveled characters, but considering that you already have at least one high level character of family level 6 and above, this would probably indicate that you have had considerable experience in playing Granado Espada and would know enough about GE to be able to avoid such attacks, or at the very least be able to bring out your other high leveled character to challenge that person on a level playing field.

Hi guys!

The glorious day of 17^th May 2007 has finally arrived! Just some quick updates before all of us get drawn into the new continent of Granado Espada.

1) Meet your local Community Managers!

Yes! Our local distributors have appointed a community manager who will address the needs of the local community. As for myself, I will be working closely with these local community managers to further instill that bond of unity and sense of ‘GE ownage’ within the community. I formally introduce your local community managers over here in the newly updated Community section on the left. As we expand over the Southeast Asia region and appoint more local distributors, we will continue to add more community managers to this page. As for the rest of you guys who do not have a local community manager yet, don’t worry - I will be looking after you lot in the meantime. ;)

2) Squad me, baby!

Guys, do not think that having that funky MCC ability of the “power of 3” is sufficient. Read about why here. Further to that, join a faction! Faction chat is ever so entertaining and colony wars between factions are something you definitely do not want to miss out on! For those of you who are new to GE, there is now a new user guide available here which gives you some useful tips and tricks about starting out in GE.

3) Game Feedback

I have been compiling feedback from the CBT forums about what you guys think about GE and some of the changes you hope to see in the future of Granado Espada. Over the last few days, I had the privilege of having several meetings with some of the IMC and Hanbitsoft guys to discuss the various ideas that you have brought up. Some of these changes have already been implemented as a result of your feedback and other ideas are being looked into right now by IMC and Hanbitsoft.

“With great power comes great responsibility”

We at IAHgames are greatly honored an privileged to have that direct link to IMC and Hanbitsoft. This game we all love was made for our guilty pleasure and sinful delight. With this passion for GE comes our sense of dedication, responsibility and determination that the community’s voice must be heard. I will be setting up a ‘Feedback’ link in the Community section soon which states the more popular feedback from the community and the replies from IMC (GE’s game developers also known as the legendary Hakkyu Kim’s team). This would be for the purpose of greater transparency and accountability between us and you. :)

In the meantime, you will be glad to know that thanks to your feedback, patches were made and first names are now no longer unique! The name filter has been modified to allow more variations in names. The PvP (Cervantes) and non PvP (Carracci) servers were also implemented due to your active participation in suggestions.

Power to the people!

4) Email Of The Day

Interestingly enough, news of my newly appointed ‘Regional Community Manager’ position has spread before my official announcement. With this, came several sweet congratulatory emails…

“Hey Hrin! Congratz on your promotion to Regional Community Manager! So are you now like the lady boss of the other community managers? =p”

I grinned at that email in amusement. Nope, I am not “the one ring to rule them all”. Neither am I the one hring to pwn them all. We work together as a team. Our greater purpose is that vision of uniting the whole GE community, across the region. :)

Hi guys!

A very hearty “Welcome Back!” goes out to our CBT (Closed Beta Testing) gamers who have returned to continue their adventuring in Granado Espada. For those who have just joined our extended Granado Espada family - It’s great to have you with us! May you fall deeply in love with Granado Espada, just like the rest of us. My name is Hrin and I am the Regional Community Manager for Granado Espada. You can read more about the community manager’s role, as well as the ‘GE Ownage’ culture that has been instilled within our close-knit community since CBT over here.

I know… POBT (Pre-Open Beta Testing) is a painful 5 days away. Yes, I do realize tensions are running high in the forums due to this agonizing wait. We are all in the same boat, people. But hey, let’s de-activate that PK (Player Kill) mode and keep things friendly on the forums in the meantime. After all, there ain’t no baron mode bonuses on the forums! ;)

1) Baron Server & Carebear Server: Cervantes & Carracci!

Speaking of baron mode, the choice is now yours. We will be opening up two servers, Cervantes and Carracci on 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 12pm (GMT+8) to the public. Cervantes server will be a PK server, or what I like to call the baron server, whereby baron mode is activated while Carracci server will be the non PK server, otherwise more commonly referred to in the forums as the Carebear server. What I am looking forward to in the Carebear server (Carracci) is that interaction with some of the more peace-loving citizens and I foresee Carracci becoming that Utopia of perhaps, the best player-organized events. On the other hand, Cervantes will have all that typical mama drama which results from PK-ing and spirit of competition. In any case, choose the world you want to reside in based on what you hope to accomplish in Granado Espada. Or better yet, create families in BOTH servers to get the best of both worlds.

2) No Patch Available From CBT Client To POBT Client

Unfortunately, due to the extremely huge content differences from the V1.8.23 to the V2.0 game client, we have been informed by the game developers that patching will not be possible as it might result in instabilities. The mirrors for downloading the POBT client can be found here while torrent users can find the POBT client here. Many thanks to the GE fans who have set these torrent links up!

3) POBT Phase To Officially Begin On 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 1200 (GMT+8)

Until that glorious day of 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 1200 (GMT+8), you will NOT be able to log into the servers. This applies to the general public. For the winners of the POBT 2-day advance pass, you will be receiving an activation code in an email within the next 2 days. Instructions on how to activate your account will be included in that email. Once we have sent out the emails, we will post an official announcement on the website and in the forums.

4) "Hear, Hear" Rumors FAQ

Too many duplicate threads on the forums with too many phantom speculations. Here is an FAQ to banish those 'phantom menaces':

FAQ1: Hrin! I heard there will be IP bans! No wai! Say it isn’t so!

Ans: It isn’t so.

FAQ2: Hrin! Will GE be F2P/P2P? Why can’t you tell me?

Ans: Because we are all about mystery and suspense? On a more serious note, we are still fine-tuning the details of our business model. Once we have done so, we PROMISE we will announce it on the website and on the forums. In the meantime, we have been reading the forums and hearing what you guys have been saying and believe me, we have been taking every one of those concerns into arriving at our decision.

FAQ3: Hrin! Will the Granado Espada game client be made available in CD/DVD format?

Ans: From what I understand from our distributors, Malaysia and Singapore will be releasing DVD format game clients while Philippines will be releasing CD format game clients. These DVD/CD clients will be made available after the launch of POBT. As for the exact dates, we will post up an announcement when they are out in stores.

5) Colony War Schedules

Since this is a testing phase, we are also testing out the best times of the week as well as the frequency per week to hold our colony wars. The final decision will be based on the results of our findings during this phase. Colony wars will be made available in BOTH Cervantes and Carracci servers. Here is the tentative schedule, up to mid July:

First Colony War: 8 June 2007, Friday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Second Colony War: 17 June 2007, Sunday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Third Colony War: 23 June 2007, Saturday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Fourth Colony War: 27 June 2007, Wednesday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Fifth Colony War: 1 July 2007, Sunday, 1400hrs (GMT+8)
Sixth Colony War: 7 July 2007, Saturday, 1400hrs (GMT+8)

So, guys, train hard and mark your faction name on the world map! ;)

POBT is just one week away! The excitement in IAH is simply overwhelming right now. Not to mention the IMC team (Hakkyu Kim's team of developers) just flew down last night and have been working with us to get the servers up and running. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Yup, that pretty much describes my hourly schedule for the whole week. Everyone at IAH is taking turns getting ill due to the sudden heatwave that has hit Singapore. Meanwhile, the only symptoms I am suffering from lately is one of those woman problem thingies. Yep. That of Shopping Withdrawal Symptoms. I am so glad I bought those 5 pairs of boots last month to match my planned GE wardrobe for POBT. It keeps me going till I get a chance to shop again.

My sincere regrets to my GE heroes (the community service volunteers) that I will be unable to attend the Community Service Event tomorrow. Much as I would love to check out hot firemen with you guys and play with the kids we have grown to love, but there is just too much that needs my urgent, undivided attention these few days. In any case, thanks for taking the initiative to take up the ownership of this event. Kudos. :)

Community Service Event 3: Fire Station

Well guys, Community Service Event 3 is on 10th May 2007, this Thursday. As usual, we will be meeting at 11am at Ronald's Bedok Villa, otherwise known as Bedok Interchange Macdonalds outlet - the one under Princess cinema. The whole outing should last till 6pm. Hrin will then treat the GE heroes to dinner. Those who have not signed up for the event yet, please drop me an email at community@ge.iahgames.com

Quite a few people have been asking me about how this whole community service event came about. It all started one day when I got a call from my good friend's mother who is a teacher at Katong Special School. I had previously been volunteering there, but ever since I started working, I was unable to make it. She had called me in an act of desperation because she was finding it so difficult to get volunteers to help out. I told her I would try to take leave to help out. After all, I really missed those kids. Then it hit me - Hey! Why not combine my 2 loves together? The love I have for those kids and the love I have for my GE community. So I penned an email to my Level 100 bosses to propose this monthly Community Service Event. It was very well-received and they have been extremely supportive.

The GE community has been very supportive as well. I received so many sweet emails encouraging us to press on in our community service efforts. The latest email I got was from this dude, Andre:

"By the way, i just read your blog and i have to say, your idea with heaving RL-Quest that help children is absolutely fantastic ^^ Ive never seen ANY gaming company do something similiar. Too bad Singapore is too far away from Germany to reach it with the Car in a few minutes ^^. Your "Levitating Maid" reminded me kinda of Mary Poppins and her levitating umbrella ... so i decided to "update" your levitating maid picture =P (picture enclosed)... you should consider adding the umbrella as an ingame item lol ^^"

Another GE fan, Tsubaki, sent me the most creative picture in order that I could publicize my RL quest:

Yep, so... Vespanoleans out there, let's extend that good old fashioned chivalry and heroism in Granado Espada into real life as well. Don't just play GE. Live GE!

Hi guys,

I am back from the Philippines and back to the hectic (albeit exciting) life of preparations for Granado Espada's POBT phase. Here's the V2.0 map from the new continent of Granado Espada. 12 days more before all of you get a chance to see it for your very own eyes! ;)

Hi guys!

I know I haven't been updating for a while. [GM] Thokas has just been nagging at me to do so. I was away in Vietnam last week and just returned. I'll be flying to Philippines tomorrow to meet up with our E-Games (IPVG) partners. I've asked them if it was possible to meet up with the GE Philippines community just to hang out with them and get to know them better and despite it being a last minute request and all, they have very kindly arranged for me to meet some of the GE Philippines gamers. Woot! I'm really looking forward to it! It's always been a desire to meet up with the GE Philippines community. I've received so many endearing and friendly emails from them over the past few months and had the privilege to interact with several of them in-game as well which left a very pleasant impression on me. :)

Another piece of good news I have is that there will be NO IP bans! We have heard your voices in the forums and after an intense discussion about this issue, it has been decided that there will be NO IP bans from any country. After all, even within the storyline of Granado Espada, the continent of Granado Espada is a cosmopolitan place, where explorers from all around the world come to explore. Why should real life be any different?

FLAREgamer Interview

I had an interview with FLAREgamer's Sheila recently on some of the most talked-about issues for the upcoming Granado Espada V2.0:

Granado Espada 2.0

section: Games author: Sheila

13.04.2007

Community Manager Hrin Danielle Kuek tells us everything we ever wanted to know about the latest Granado Espada client. Also in an exclusive interview, Hrin will address beta tester concerns and show us what else is in store for the MMORPG's English premiere.

Infocomm Asia Holdings Ltd. (IAH) is a Singapore-based online games investment company that will be publishing and operating Granado Espada in English. They are handling their own localization while constantly sending feedback to the Korean developers at IMC about the game. Thanks to their efforts, the game will be developed to better serve the whole South East Asia region and the rest of the world. Their motto is 'One Market One Asia'.

To get the goods, Sheila went head to head with Hrin. Hrin's goal as Community Manager of Granado Espada is to break the barrier between gamer and publisher. Unlike most MMORPGs where gamer concerns are ignored, Hrin manages a community that encourages players to take their own initiatives and ask questions.

Hrin's Granado Espada Profile

Family Name: Hrin
Location: Kings Garden
Team: Wizard | Scout | Elementalist
Fave NPC: Catherine, Andre Janzur

Hrin loves Kings Garden because you can watch the sunset and clouds roll by slowly (yes the clouds actually move in-game)! She also likes Catherine the Summoner for her puppets and Andre Janzur for his charismatic personality.

Sheila's Granado Espada Profile

Family Name: Heartilly
Location: Port of Coimbra
Team: Wizard | Elementalist | Musketeer
Fave NPC: Lisa Lynway

Sheila's family is often found sipping tea at the quiet restaurants of Coimbra's side streets. Lisa is Sheila's favourite because of that speedy Dobala Corte stance and gorgeous tan (a rare sight). Lisa also makes great chocolate, 'nuff said!

Hrin and Sheila Go Head to Head!

Sheila: Hey Hrin, most of FLAREgamer's readers already know what a Community Manager for an MMORPG is. So how about you tell us something that we don't know, like any interesting things you experienced as a CM?

Hrin: There were so many in-game events that the gamers themselves organized during the course of CBT that really stood out in my memory. It was interesting to see how the different genres of gamers organized various types of events that appealed to different tastes. From the very first event when someone organized a hippy-type hug chain to the intellectual "Who wants to be a GE vis-illionaire" quiz.

One of the more hilarious events entitled, "Elope with me, Hrin" was actually inspired by a GE faction chat conversation. Then there was a 'clubbing' type event with a dance competition entitled "The Last Dance" as a celebration to end the CBT (Closed Beta Testing) period. One of the players even recorded part of the event and posted a video on YouTube.

Sheila: I remember the hug chain! Posing and goofing around was one of the main things I did with my time in the game, so many possibilities!

Hrin: The thing is, GE is more than just a game to us at IAH – GE is a lifestyle! Other than just in-game events, we also organized a real life Community Service Event involving the GE community - A real life quest to babysit some kids with special needs. After all, we do hope to extend the in-game chivalry and heroism of Granado Espada's setting into real life as well, making both the virtual world and real world a better place!

Sheila: The community work idea is awesome, I hope IAH inspires other gaming companies to do the same. Since you are in the game on a normal player account, this means you have to grind and work as hard as the other players. How do you feel about the amount of grinding it takes to gain levels and vis (money) in GE?

Hrin: Using a normal player account enables me to be 'in the frontlines' so to speak. I experience life in the world of Granado Espada as any average explorer from Vespanola (normal GE player) and this enables me to understand the community better since I am an equal part of the community. We brave the same obstacles together and experience the same rollercoaster ride of emotions and adventures together. It also serves as a constant reminder to me as my role to be 'the voice of the people'.

As for earning vis, it is not tough at all if you consistently harvest the loot dropped by mobs. However, if you choose to AFK train, you will have a huge problem earning vis which will result in it being almost impossible to train at higher levels since you do not have enough vis to buy the necessary equipment and armor.

Sheila: Personally, I found a hard time earning vis because of the drop rate – and because I like to spend vis on things other than armor, like presents for friends! I was hoping GE would have other ways to make income and other items to buy for people – like the sweets or flowers I saw at the shops. An example of other ways to make income would be items or drops that players can hunt which sell well, but not necessarily giving much exp.

Hrin: Wow that's really sweet of you Sheila. Yes, I've seen players mentioning this in the GE forums and I will be sure to bring it up to the team.

Sheila: Usually when someone puts a lot of effort into farming and reaching their goals in an MMO, they're told that they have "no life". Do you think there is worth in reaching goals with other people in a virtual environment?

Hrin: There is this common misconception that people who play online games have "no life". But I totally disagree with that. After all, where there are humans, there is life. The online gaming world is a portal into a world of REAL people. Except that these people are represented by lines of text and pretty graphical images! WE ARE REAL! Every last pixel of each graphical image represents a real face, with real life stories and backgrounds.

I always tell my non-gaming friends that they should get out off their real lives for a change and explore life in the online gaming world. The people you meet in the online gaming world come from such diverse backgrounds, cultures and countries! It gives you a lot of insight and exposure in the shortest time possible about what is out there in this world, which is something that you would not be able to achieve in that same time span in real life. Some of the GE gamers even travel abroad to meet up with their overseas friends that they met in-game!

Sheila: That's so true, I also noticed that a lot of people are learning languages through MMORPGs nowadays. Playing a real time game is a good motivator. GE is obviously not your first MMORPG and you seem very familiar with Kim Hakkyu's work. Have you ever played Ragnarok Online?

Hrin: Yeah! I played it many years ago when it first came out. It was one of the more long-running MMORPGs due to its immense popularity. Hakkyu Kim designed Ragnarok Online in a cartoon and fantasy style because of graphical limitations but it was ultimately his dream since young to create a game like Granado Espada. Thus after he left Gravity upon the completion of Ragnarok Online, he established his own company, IMC, and finally created the game of his dreams: Granado Espada.

Sheila: Players have compared you to the elusive 'GOD_POING', who was the sole GM of Ragnarok Online's open English beta (2001). GOD_POING was also female and had a following among the players. One player even made artwork of an imaginary 'poring God'. What do you think of that?

Hrin: Well, I think it is great that the community has taken such a great liking to IAH and the role they have placed me in. I really do love the GE community - they are such a spontaneous and fun-loving bunch! Tons of jokes both on the GE forums and in-game as well. They are the kind of community that any Community Manager would be proud to have! After all, all of us at IAH strongly believe in Granado Espada and we work hard together to stay true to Hakkyu Kim's vision of what his dream game should be like. We hope to bring together a community that not only enjoys playing under IAH but also enjoys playing and interacting with one another as well.

Granado Espada's Beta Phases

Sheila: Now let's talk about the GE beta. What kinds of issues will be addressed between closed and open beta?

Hrin: On a very brief note, 28,000 lines of additional text had to be translated and localized. Just the other day, we went over to the studios to do the voiceovers for the additional characters in v2. Our QA department is currently in the process of bug testing the v2 client.

From the technical side, we are getting our server hardware ready, conducting various stress tests and also server installation of the client. The web team is also working on restructuring and revamping the website and forums and oh! and not to forget, our marketing team is also planning a huge POBT party in June 2007 to be hosted at one of the best clubs in Singapore. Gee, there's a lot more going on at IAH as we work towards POBT. There's no way I can finish talking about all the behind the scenes action going on! ;)

Sheila: There's a lot of confusion over the beta phases. Can you clarify? What is pre-open beta, who will get to play on it, and when?

Hrin: Pre-open beta is open to everyone. It's the phase before we begin our Open Beta Testing. We decided to call it Pre-Open Beta Testing because we will be launching v2.0 during this phase and thus, will still be doing intensive bug fixing. Since v2 is essentially a new client, we needed to have a short stress test on the new client prior to having an official open beta. We also didn't want to confuse the users by using the term 'Closed Beta Testing 2' because we do not intend to have any character wipes once this phase is over.

Tentative Schedule

March 2007 onwards
Registration for Pre-Open Beta Testing (POBT) begins.

2 days before POBT
Exclusive preview for contest winners & special guests.
Characters will NOT be wiped.

17 May 2007
Pre-Open Beta Testing (POBT) begins.
Open to everyone & characters will NOT be wiped.

June/July 2007
Open Beta Testing (OBT) begins.
Open to everyone & characters will NOT be wiped.

Sheila: I can't wait to play with the new content in 2.0. Why didn't the closed beta use the most recent client release of GE?

Hrin: At that point in time, we were already localizing v1.8.23 while v2.0 was just being released in Korea. We did not want to delay our timeline any further since there was already a huge pool of GE fans who were eagerly anticipating and anxious to play GE. So we decided to go ahead and gratify the fans first with a preview of v1.8.23. After all, v1.8.23 is but the teasing prelude to v2.

V2 is a huge jump from v1.8.23 and is a more accurate picture of what Hakkyu Kim had in mind for GE when he first started out creating it. There are 156 new maps, 323 new quests, 826 new items, 7 new RNPCs (Recruitable NPCs), and 98 new NPCs! Other than that, there are so many new game mechanics in v2! There are things like colony wars where factions can fight to claim territory for themselves, treasure chests, auction house, veteran level upgrades (upgrade your levels beyond lvl 100), new stances, skills, NPCs, and quests.

Sheila: After the open beta, Will GE go free to play (players buy items for the game with real money) or pay to play (monthly fee)?

Hrin: LOL! Sorry but I've gotta give you the typical 'PR' answer on it: The management is still in discussion over this. We will release a public announcement when we have come to a decision. ;) Well Sheila, in all honesty, we really are still in intense discussions and debates about this. There are so many pros and cons to consider regardless of whatever decision we make.

Ultimately, we do want to have a business model that goes further than just creating revenue but also creates a community that enjoys the game and enjoys one another. We are also observing the kind of community that GE attracts and aligning our business model on what suits this community the best.

Sheila: I completely understand not being able to answer but thanks for letting us know how seriously IAH is considering the options and listening to their players concerns. On the one hand, FTP can bring in a lot of potentially interested players but it also brings in an equal amount of "flash in the pan" troublemakers who come and go. P2P leads to a dedicated community that's easily moderated but it's costly for casual players who only want to play once in a while. Here's to hoping IAH comes up with something that works for everyone.

Hrin: Thanks for your feedback Sheila. Appreciate it.


IAH'S Localization of Granado Espada

Sheila: What do you think of the player response to IAH's GE's closed beta so far?

Hrin: Despite the fact that there was going to be a character wipe after CBT, we were pleasantly surprised how hardcore these GE fans were. Some of them were actually online 80% of the entire CBT! Others took the time during the CBT to 'experiment' with the various combinations of classes and RNPCs. The players were also extremely helpful in submitting bug reports as well as discussing difficult quests and helping one another out on the forums.

We were greatly encouraged by the fact that even though GE is only in its CBT phase, yet the community took the initiative to organize their own in-game events for the rest of the community to enjoy. At the same time, everyone seemed happy with the way we localized the game and many mentioned that they were pleased with the fact that we did a lot of real life research on the Baroque era, various real historical events and other aspects in order to localize it as realistically as possible.

Sheila: Has there been any decision made on how the servers will be divided during commercial release?

Hrin: Tentatively, our servers are hosted in Singapore and are open to everyone, regardless of country, to play. Gamers can choose any of the servers they wish to create their families in.

Sheila: This is great news because many players prefer to stick to a localization of the game that is close to the original. Will North American and European players be able to continue playing on IAH's servers when beta ends?

Hrin: There are no plans for IP bans currently. When we do our localization, we try to adhere as closely as possible to the true essence of the original game. We wanted to re-create their vision in English such that it does not get lost in translation. Granado Espada is Hakkyu Kim's dream game after all, which was why we respectfully chose to remain faithful to the original name of 'Granado Espada'. We wanted the English version to be as true to his and IMC's vision as possible. A deeper insight into the text localization process can be read here.

Sheila: Do you have any idea who voiced the characters and why certain accents were used in the English client?

Hrin: Oh yes! The voiceovers were part of our localization process. Our localization manager, DG, went through so many sleepless nights to coordinate the voiceover process. The IAH team felt very strongly that we wanted Granado Espada to be as authentic and true to the background story as possible, so a lot of efforts went into out localization process, right down to the voiceovers. We auditioned various voice talents and had countless debates about who was the best talent to choose before finally selecting the voice actors and actresses who we felt would be the most appropriate for each of the NPCs.

Then there were the many nights after work, when the team would go down to the voice recording studios to work with the voiceover artists. We talked to them about the background stories of each of the NPCs as well as recorded videos of each of the NPC's skills so that they could better immerse themselves in their roles as they voice-acted out each of these NPCs.

GE is a cosmopolitan place, where people come from different parts of the old world of Vespanola to explore which is why we chose to have the voice actors and actresses use different accents. You can read a more in-depth article about the voiceover process here.

Sheila: I'm glad the IAH team used a lot of accents for a game set in this era. Several years ago I put voices to a game and casted people from around the world with varying voice textures and accents. The voices were so popular and memorable because each sounded so unique.

Which brings me to another issue... Players are baffled that we must have unique first names for the characters when the family name seems to be the only means of differentiation. With players each having so many characters, the amount of first names being used up is large. Why aren't players allowed to choose any first name they wish?

Hrin: This is because in future versions, there are plans to allow players to trade their characters amongst one another which might result in conflicts during trading if first names are non-unique. For example, let's say you had a character named "Jane Sheila" and I had a character named "Jane Hrin". If you traded your character to me, I would now have 2 "Jane Hrin"s since your character will take on my family name and this would result in a naming conflict.

Sheila: I see. I worry because the English alphabet only has so many names. We might end up with names like "DBZGoku69" which doesn't really reflect the character or the user behind it, most especially the Baroque setting.

Hrin: Yes, this is something we are aware of and are in the midst of exploring if there are any other options we have and whether it is feasible to still make changes at this point in time.

Sheila: Will we eventually be able to use our own usernames on the official forums? It's hard to differentiate between posters when they all are ge####.

Hrin: Yes, you will be able to use your own usernames in the official forums for POBT and beyond. After you sign up for POBT at the IAH passport website, you will be able to log into our newly revamped forums and choose your own display name for the forums.

Sheila: Cool. Players have expressed the desire for separate channels being split off into different modes of play. For example, can PVP/non-PVP channels be implemented?

Hrin: Yes, some of the players have talked to me about this and we are exploring that issue to see if it can or should be done.

Sheila: Good, because I'm not feelin' the whole MMORPG PVP and/or losing my weapons! Now for my final question: Why do you personally think GE will stand out above other MMORPGs?

Hrin: Oh man! Where do I even begin? In Granado Espada, you don't just create characters – you create a family. Other than just the 5 basic classes of Wizard, Elementalist, Fighter, Musketeer and Scout that you can create initially, you can also Recruit the NPCs (RNPCs) in the game to join your family after you have successfully completed their quests. Once these RNPC join your family, they take on your family name. These RNPCs have their own special set of stances and weapons and the interesting thing is that some of these RNPCs have a really funky combination of the basic classes, like being able to learn melee stances AND be able to cast magic at the same time!

As you proceed in the game and recruit all these different RNPCs, you can expand your barracks (think of it as your house where all your family members live in) and house up to 36 characters! The exciting thing is that in future versions of Granado Espada, there are plans underway to allow players to trade characters amongst themselves.

Furthermore, other MMORPGs on the market only allow you to control only one character at a time. Yet with Granado Espada's unique MCC function, it allows you to choose 3 members from your family to form a team. In this way, you are able to control up to 3 characters at any one time. You will have access to all their stances and skills, and can choose to either control all three of them individually, as a team, or leave it up to the XAI (Xtreme Artificial Intelligence). The great thing about it is that the possibilities are so endless! I mean, think about the THOUSANDS of different types of combat strategies (regardless of whether it is PVP or PVE) that can be adopted, adapted and re-invented through the interplay between your 3 characters' skills and spells!

So you can imagine what happens when your family forms squads with other families in the game! Just think about it – different families with different classes and different RNPCs, all showcasing their various abilities and magic at the same time. The battle scenes are awe-inspiring!

To top it all off, Granado Espada is set in such a romantic era! That of the Baroque world, and many such elements can be seen throughout the game, such as the building architectures, interiors, costumes and towns. The level of intricate graphical details, the breath-taking sceneries... Oh! And the soundtrack is just amazing! It contains music from various world renowned DJs and even contains an exclusive track by world's No.1 DJ Tiesto! I don't even know where to start, let alone end. You just have to see it for yourself and be blown away!

Gee... and all that I've mentioned is but the tip of the iceberg! There are tons more amazing stuff I would love to go on talking forever about but I'll leave you to explore that on your own. ;)

Sheila: Thanks so much for your time Hrin, we'll see you in the game!

Granado Espada v2.0 Features
New Maps
Added to the CBT version are over 181 new maps (v1.8.23 had 25). These include the barren Katovic Snowfield and three end-game raid dungeons, such as the dark Labyrinth of Silence.

New Quests
395 new quests were added to 2.0. These include mini quests, mission rooms, and quests that can be picked up in combat zones, giving players more to do, other than levelling up.

Baron Mode
In 2.0 players can PK other players in combat zones and enter Baron Mode. When in Baron Mode, the Baron's icons will show above their party in red. Baron Mode level can be increased by executing successful PK, or decreased by killing normal monsters. Baron Mode gives a player an increased attack bonus, but also generates a possibility the player will lose an equipped item if they are killed.

Auction House
GE 2.0 incorporates an Auction House feature for players to trade items and Vis (the game's currency) with one another on a mass scale. You no longer have to leave your characters idling all day and night to sell your items!

Faction Colony War
Got a problem with another guild? Do something about it! In 2.0, Factions can actually declare war on one another and rage extreme battles for territorial and political control at Faction Colony Manager sites found in major map sections. Because each player has 3 characters under MCC, the Faction Colony Wars almost mirror a multiplayer RTS in their magnitude.

New Items
Almost 1000 new items are available in v2.0. Also added are treasure chests found in dungeons and combat maps as well as an item mall where players can exchange marketing or event materials for rare items.

Item Crafting
Players will now be able to use the raw items they gather (such as iron and coal) to create their own items. Created items are always a better source of income than selling raw items.

More Recruitable NPCs (RNPCs)
Among them is Diego the Carpenter. 100 new NPCs were also added, who knows, maybe the popular ones will become recruitable! You can check out video previews of all the new stuff on youtube.

Official Granado Espada MTV: Hrin's Attempts At 'Localization'

I am aware that many of you GE fans do not understand Mandarin. Having been inspired by our Localization Manager, DG's article on the localization, I thought I would give localization a try by using the official Granado Espada Mandarin MTV. Localization is a step further than just literal translation. I've tried to make it as meaningful as possible and to stay true to the essence of the MTV's storyline of this "Days Of Our GE Lives" love triangle soap opera. In the meantime, one of the GE fans did a really good translation of it on the forum over here.

* * *

"Reborn"(Revival) - Lin Yu Zhong & Jin Sha
Attempted Localization: Hrin

Lin Yu Zhong:
You’ve changed to become as silent as her
Occasionally, even as lively as her
Even the sound of both your laughter is the same
How can I forget? Even for a moment...
I want to love you but I keep seeing that moment of her walking out of my life

Jin Sha:
You have taken love away from me and left me with a “separation” (break up) curse
Hurting me to no end... *I cannot even imagine loving someone else.
(*Literal translation: I dare not even imagine another man’s tenderness)
Your eyes are avoiding mine – I know there are things that you can’t bring yourself to say
How should I pretend? So that my heart does not ache with so much pain

Jin Sha:
You said that after breaking up, this is the first time you…

Lin Yu Zhong:
After breaking up, this is the first time I…

Together:
…want to love again

Jin Sha:
But who is standing in the way? Is it her or is it you?

Lin Yu Zhong:
Is it her or is it me?

Together:
I am still struggling within…

Jin Sha:
I know you cannot make any promises yet at the same time, unable to…

Together:
...Break free from this curse
Let me be inside your heart, revived. Endlessly revived.

Jin Sha:
I only want you to love me

Lin Yu Zhong:
Watching you from afar, I can be brave
Yet if I’m just a little too near you, I become weak

Jin Sha:
I wouldn’t expose your agony and struggle

Lin Yu Zhong:
I cannot be with you and love you

Jin Sha:
You cannot be with me and love me

Together:
At least… do not be miserable

Jin Sha:
No matter what the ending is

Together:
I will go along with it (nod my head) – As long as you are happy

Jin Sha:
You have taken love away from me and left me with a “separation” (break up) curse
Hurting me to no end... *I cannot even imagine loving someone else.
(*Literal translation: I dare not even imagine another man’s tenderness)
Your eyes are avoiding mine – I know there are things that you can’t bring yourself to say
How should I pretend? So that my heart does not ache with so much pain

Jin Sha:
How should I pretend?

Lin Yu Zhong:
How should I pretend?

Jin Sha:
Such that my heart does not throb with so much pain?

Lin Yu Zhong:
Throbbing with so much pain…

Lin Yu Zhong:
After breaking up, this is the first time I…

Together:
…want to love again

Jin Sha:
But who is standing in the way? Is it her or is it you?

Lin Yu Zhong:
Is it her or is it me?

Lin Yu Zhong:
I…

Together:
… am still struggling

Lin Yu Zhong:
I can’t give you any promises yet I am unable to…

Together:
Break free from this curse
Let me be inside your heart, revived. Endlessly revived.

Lin Yu Zhong:
I only want you to love me

Together:
Endless revival.

* * *

By the way, I am aware that many of you want to download the MTV. It's been uploaded on Filefront over here. The high resolution one will be uploaded over the next few days. Direct downloads will ONLY be available for the next 3 months, until July 13th, 2007. So now is the time to download and share it around!

Official Granado Espada Music Video!

Hey guys! I've been dying to share this MTV with all of you and woot! I've FINALLY been given the green light to do so. Enjoy! And more importantly, let's all start spreading some GE lovin' all around. Blast this out to your friends through your blogs, emails and various forums that you frequent! ;)

Community Service Event (Part I): From Level Zero To Level Hero

27^th March 2007.

The day that 10 heroes warped out of the comfort zone of Granado Espada into real life to fulfill the real life quest to “Babysit the children!” at Katong Special School.

The starting waypoint was at Bedok Macdonalds where I would meet the heroes to brief them on their mission.

So once everyone had gathered, we began with a round of introductions.

“Hey guys, intro please! Please tell all of us your family name in Granado Espada and your real name,” I said to them.

One of the guys started the ball rolling, ”Hello everyone! My real name is Robin and my family name in GE is… Hrin007.”

Everyone burst out laughing. I grinned in amusement. Oh wow… I have finally met my ‘Casino Royale’ edition!

The rest of the heroes started introducing themselves one by one, after which I gave them a ‘Tutorial Walkthrough’ about some guidelines on how to look after the kids. When we arrived at Katong Special School, the teacher in charge, Mrs Wong split us up into various squads and assigned us to the different classes. The various squads warped to various locations: Changi Airport, Simei Eastpoint and Bedok Interchange.

Unfortunately in real life, unlike the cool mechanism of being able to warp from location to location in GE with the simple click of a mouse, we had to do it the old-school way of taking a bus. Each of us took charge of 2 kids as we walked over to the bus stop. One of the guidelines on road safety was ensuring that the kids looked left and right twice before crossing the road.

Over at Changi Airport, my squad which consisted of Roy, Robin and Zhiguang had the privilege of showing the kids to the viewing gallery, where aeroplanes were parked.

One of the themes of the outing was to talk about occupations. As we walked around the airport and caught sight of the various people who were in their uniforms, we explained to the kids what they did.

“This guy in the white uniform is the one who ‘drives’ the aeroplane.”

“Oh and the pretty lady over there is called an air stewardess. She serves you food on the aeroplane. Whenever you need anything like a blanket or a drink, you can ask her and she will bring it to you.”

“You mean like my maid?” one of the wide-eyed kids asks.

…GG. I never looked at it that way. Kids have such a beautiful way of simplifying things and put them in perspective.

“Erm… yeah… but a really pretty maid that flies around!” I reply brightly.

Lesson Of The Day: Air Stewardess = Levitating Maid

Part 2 to be continued…

Leave your comments here.

Hrin Gets Her Hands On The V2.0 Client!

Just like all of you GE fans, I’ve been suffering from GE withdrawals symptoms ever since CBT ended. My nights have been so cold and lonely without GE… until TODAY!

Woot! I just got my hands on GE’s V2.0 client! I was excitedly going through the tutorial and realized how much has changed in V2.0. Remember V1.8.23 during CBT when all of us start out on the immigration ship?

Well… this doesn’t change in V2.0. After all, we are all explorers from the Old World of Vespanola, here to explore the new continent known as Granado Espada. However, what is different in V2.0 is that your ship actually reaches Granado Espada! The second part of the tutorial has you arriving at the Port of Coimbra.

The green arrows guide you up the stairs to meet this dude:

Any guesses who he might be?

Leave your comments here!

Save ‘The Last Dance’ For Me!

Some of the GE players organized 'The Last Dance' event on 18 March 2007, Sunday night as a closure to CBT. It was a really entertaining dance competition held at the City Of Auch stage, which cleverly made use of hot keying and quick spamming of various poses in GE.

I was truly impressed at the creativity of these dance contestants as each team brought to the table a totally different genre of dance. There were the classical ballet types, the typical boy band types and even some hawt and sexy ‘Pussycat Dolls’ numbers! Woot! Gee… if I ever form a GE girl band, it will be made up of 'Catherine The Summoner' characters and I am so going to call it ‘CatHrin Dolls’. ROFL! ;)

Amidst the wolf whistles and wild cheers from the audience who came by to witness the event, one of the players managed to capture part of the Dance Competition on video. Enjoy!



So what do you guys think? ;)

The One Where Hrin Role Plays Mum

I know, I know... it does seem rather daunting and confusing as to what this whole ‘Babysit the children!’ quest is about. So I’ve written up on my past experience there so that you have a rough idea about what this is all about.

A good friend of mine is a teacher at Katong Special School (for kids with special needs) and when she asked if I was free to help out, I was more than happy to. Basically, it was an outing to Bedok Interchange to teach the kids how to do the usual, mundane stuff that we take for granted - things like taking a bus, buying a fast-food meal, borrowing library books. Gee I'll never look at mundane everyday events the same way again man.

Anyway, the game plan was simple:

1)Each kid to get a partner
2)Teacher or volunteer to accompany each team
3)Take bus 32
4)Go to Bedok interchange
5)Buy a meal at Burger King
6)Go to the library
















"Hrin, I will assign Sarah and Sofiya to you ok?" Miss Tina, the form teacher says to me.

"Oh ok," I say as I look around for the two kids. My eyes light up the minute I see them. Two adorable little girls. I grin at them as they look curiously at me.

"Hi Sofiya and Sarah! Today you'll be my two little 'Hrin Juniors' ok?" I say to them sweetly. They look at me blankly, smiling back in that angelic, cutesy way that just makes me want to squeeeeeeze them so hard.
















So anyway, we teach them how to cross roads safely, use the EZ-Link card to take Bus 32 and then we go to Burger King to have lunch.
















And then... off to the library!
















"Hrin, later at the library, bring the girls to get some girly books and read it to them," Tina tells me.

I stare at her blankly. Girly books? I was considering introducing them to the world of Granado Espada. Shucks. Guess I need to shelf my plans temporarily until OBT. Girly books girly books... let me see... Oooo!! I see Vogue and Cleo magazines. Girls read that kind of stuff right? But the girls don't seem interested as I point excitedly to the magazines that I am dying to flip through myself. Sarah picks up a book entitled something like 'I am Velvety Rabbit.'

So I sit my two lovelies on my lap and start reading a story about how Velvety rabbit had some misadventures. Gosh… I have more exciting stories to tell about my GE characters. Nevertheless, the story seems exciting enough for the two girls. And this outing is about their enjoyment. Not mine.

The kids are rather well-behaved today and Tina rewards them by bringing them for ice-cream at Ronald Macdonald's Bedok Princess Villa.
















I burst out laughing when I caught sight of Sarah. Her mouth and cheeks were full of ice-cream! I smiled as I endearingly wiped all the ice-cream off her face.
















The day drew to an end as we walked over to the 32 bus stand at Bedok interchange. So we take the bus together and Tina takes some pictures of me and the girls.
















As the girls and I were posing for the camera and laughing together, something that Tina had said to me earlier came to mind. She had told me that some of these kids were thoroughly neglected or abandoned by their parents who were busy with their own lives. I felt a stab of pain and grief in my heart as I held these girls in my arms. And a new sense of determination grew in my heart.

It will be my lifelong quest to champion the weak and defend the innocent. After all, I am Hrin. Hear me rawr! ;)

Hrin's Updates: Let's Get This Party Started!

Hellooo GE fans!

1. CBT Finale Party: Let’s Get This Party Started!

Gosh! I can’t express how excited I feel about this upcoming CBT finale party! I just can’t wait to finally meet you guys in real life! The face behind the GE character so to speak. So anyway, the CBT Finale parties will be held across the region in Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore as mentioned here.

There will also be an official CBT in-game event – Stupendous Race, which will be held on that same day, 17 March at 1530 (GMT+8). Read here for more details!

Being Singaporean and all, I will obviously be down at the Singapore party. What to expect at the Singapore party? Goodie bag giveaways! Lucky draws! I managed to get a sneak peek at the luck draw rewards and they include lots of valuable prizes (such as printers, Bluetooth sets etc), including certain *cough* ‘golden tickets’ into a certain exclusive preview for a certain POBT *cough*. Gee I really should be more subtle when it comes to dropping hints about stuff I ain’t allowed to reveal.

The best part is we can even take RL (Real Life) screenshots together, a term otherwise known as ‘photographs’ in the real world, striking all kinds of Poses…. And no! I will absolutely not do the ‘Head Thrusting’ pose! (Or basically any other poses that will attempt to make me look unglam which will lead to evil GE players auctioning off my unglam photos on the forums you know who you are ;p)

2. CBT Player-Organized Events: 18 March, 2007, 7pm (GMT+8)

To mark the end of CBT, some of the GE players have organized an in-game event called ‘The Last Dance’. It will be the clubbing event of the (CBT) year with a dance competition as well. They will also be video recording the event live! So come down and dance for me baby! ;)

For the non-clubbing gamers, there will be a summoning monsters event following that major in-game clubbing event. Expect to see more than 400 monsters ranging from level 1-100 being spawned. And hey, it is the last night before CBT ends… so well, knock yourselves out at that event by spawning your own mobs as well! Let’s have a no-holds barred, wild night together! Ok… that sounded so wrong on so many levels… ;p

3. More ‘Golden Tickets’ To Exclusive Preview Of POBT

CBT is approaching its final countdown on 19^th March 2007, 12pm (GMT+8). I’ve been hearing a lot of woes and cries of “What are we going to do during this time without GE?!”

Don’t fret people! There’ll be tons of activities going on during these 2 months both in real life (for Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore) as well as other ongoing online contests during this period. Want to try to win that elusive ‘golden ticket’ into the Exclusive 2-Day Preview to POBT? More contests will be coming your way so do constantly check back at this website, even after CBT ends ya?