Hola, all!

This thread shall contain teaser images/riddles/ancedotes/etc about the forthcoming Masteria expansion. Everything here is real, and you can discuss this stuff in the new Q&A thread.

The adventure is only beginning. Be back tomorrow around 3pm!

Ok, so let's get this party started.

So, shortly after NLC launched, we all were discussing the concept for the next area of Masteria. Many directions to choose from, along with the exact path we wanted the stories to take. Eventually, we agreed that one area would be the best starting point for the epic tale you're about to experience. You've had a fair bit of story to go along with the debut of NLC, and now we're taking it to the next level. As many of you are aware, Masteria is lightly themed around Hollywood. In this tradition, it's mainly meant by focused storylines--the overall story of Masteria, the NPC origins, the Haunted House, the iTCG extra info, etc. A lot of what's been seen over the past few months has been build-up, now you'll get some payoff.

...when you do the quests of course. All 100+ pages of them. =)

We've examined NLC, culled the feedback, and went through a fairly lengthy process to design the best possible expansion we could think of. So, we're proud to welcome you to the first expansion in the Chronicles of Masteria, Crimsonwood Keep. The symbol you're looking at up there is the official seal. This should give a few indications as well...

Of course there's more to it than meets the eye...

Let's peel back the curtain a bit more, here's one of the new NPCs:

“This is me being nice. If I were being rude, I’d greet you with something much sharper than my tongue.”



And that's all for now...

"...we’ve received plenty of reports of a very weird…thing…out there in the forest...tough enough to stomp 160 Heros, 100 Nightlords, 80 Arch Mages, 190 Paladins, 90 Bowmasters, 110 Marksmen, 50 Shadowers...pretty much everyone we sent after it..."




- Lita Lawless

"“You’ll have to pass a lot of tests, a lot of running and climbing ropes and jumping on posts, and then some more running! Hoof! Just thinking about all that makes me sweat!”

"The second thing you’ll need is an ancient, mystic Shadowknight artifact called a Tao. The method for their creation has been lost to time, but we Raven Ninjas still know how to use their power." - Fiona, Raven Ninja Weaponsmith



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"I taught countless mages during my heyday—from talented ones like Rafael, master of the mind; not so talented ones, like that bunch of ruffians who thought a staff was a walking stick; and the odd, most notably LeFay, who was in touch with a kind of chaos magic..." - Ridley



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"In his last letter, Jack wrote that after weeks of wandering in circles in the haunted Phantom Forest, he’d made it to the base of Crimsonwood Mountain, and was standing in the fabled Valley of Heroes! But this last letter was dated a few months ago, and frankly, I’m beginning to get a little worried..." - John Barricade

Hola,

As you have noticed, this thread is currently locked, mainly because it isn't the 8th yet. =)

But so we avoid some issues that popped up last time, here are a few ground rules:

1) Keep it civil. Opinions aren't wrong, just make sure they're typed coherently so everyone understands what you want to say. Well-veiled flaming earns nothing.

2) "When are Pirates coming?" Since some people will ask this question, I'll answer it now: when we announce it. =)

3) "When is X coming?" These usually will result in a pass, as specifics aren't given out.

In general, it is best to ask questions that don't fall under the NDA and make the Yeti upset. Broad strokes. Also, to avoid the massive build-up of questions, after I post the Masteria teaser for the day, I'll answer questions for an hour or so in the thread, and then it will be locked again until the next Masteria teaser is posted. It won't be daily, but will be on a regular basis.

That said, we're all looking forward to this. See you tomorrow.

Masteria or Ossyria?

Good pizza or good burgers? Both leave you satisfied. With all the effort put into that fantastic place, it'd be rather arrogant to say Masteria
at this point. Maybe in a few years, the players can decide that for themselves. =)

What level range is the new Masteria expansion for?

Lowest monster is 45, highest is 120.

Did the Bronze Sack you guys release do any good for the economy like you guys planned? Will you continue to sell them in the future?

We're still evaluating it, so we'll see.

Does the recent iTCG code items have anything to do with the new content?

Story-wise, yes.

Any Party Quests involved?

Maybe. =)

When is the next Content Test Server sign up going to be?

For Masteria, there isn't going to be one. Everyone is going to experience the update at the same time. =)

why was Maple Island altered?

To make it easier for beginners to start out and get into the game.

Has anyone thought of porting maplestory to linux? There is a fairly large base of maplers that use linux and are interested in playing but
face extreme difficulty doing so.

No, this isn't something we're pursuing at the moment, but in the future, you never know.

Has anyone toyed with the idea of a new major boss? Something a little superior to krexel while at the same time being in the same league as horntail, zakum, pianus, and papulatus.

I will say this, my ideal boss fight is more similar to the Amorian Challenge. Not exact, but the same ideals of strategy, attacking, and dodging.
Thinking under pressure is always an excellents way to gauge how good you are. =)

I'm glad to see that you solved the problem with windowed mode (i've seen dxwnd running around since 06') so that leads me to are you going to create original software like that in the future?

We're always looking into different ways to play the game, so just stay tuned. =)

Will there be new content for higher lvl players (lvl 120+) to enjoy in this next patch?

Yes.

How long has it taken for the development of the Masterian Expansion?

A long, long time. It'll be worth it! =)

Will we expect to see future locations in Masteria in a faster pace? (Not once every year =X).

Well, the key is not once per year, it's how many areas you actually get. That said, good stuff takes a while =).
I'd love to do one a month, but that isn't really feasible. Once you see the new area and the scope, you'll understand a bit better.
We wanted a lot more than just a new background. =)

Will the new area be any good for mages in general?

See the Logo in the other post. =)

Have 2hour 2x Cards been discussed? I can find a 2 hour playing window but I can’t usually find the time for 4 hours. I think 2 hour cards would be far more practical and flexible and suit casual gamers like me much better.

We discuss a lot of things, but nothing concrete yet.

You've mentioned before that high level content is hard to design. Making me feel like you guys are cooking up something unique and challenging, not just higher level monsters with more hp. Are you satisfied with the progress your team is making on future high level content? I hope we're not waiting in vain.

It's trickier, but you are not waiting in vain =). We're pretty confident that it will be a true test of your skills.

Do you like Pirates or Ninjas more?

Ninjas.

About the masteria map (image) it seems that the map show a part of the continent, we are going to get the other parts of the continent?

It would be nice to visit those areas, wouldn't it?

will there be new weapons? for all classes

That logo really does say everything.

what lvl is your masteria favorite unreleased monster?

The *Yeti Smash!*.

I was wondering if you guys would ever consider cutting Axe and BW users some slack by giving them a weapon up to par with swords that they can use in higher levels, maybe one with a fast attack speed like the Ribgol sword, or any other bonus to give Axe and BW users a pat on the back. It doesn't have to be remarkable, just something to keep the motivation alive.

This is fair point, and you guys are important, and we do have some stuff that balances it out in-game, so we'll defeinately keep you guys in mind for the future.

In comparison to the first part of Masteria, how would you rate this upcoming release of Masteria? Better, worse...

Bigger is always better. =)

Do you plan to add more areas in Masteria that we still don't know about?

Heheh...there's always stuff to add!

What are your goals for the remainder of 2008 like?

Basically, make this year the best that Maple has seen. We've added a lot, and it's only going to get better.

How do you put up with people's insults towards your job,and towards the company as a whole,and still find some sort of enjoyment out of your occupation?

That's easy. If you make a couple million players smile and a couple thousand frown, you enjoy the smiles and see what needs to be done to get the others to join them.
We aren't always perfect, and we do make mistakes. Even so, people enjoying something I created is what gets me out of bed in the morning.

Some are ranting one how pirates are gonna be censored due to the "guns not fitting into the E rating", would it be "edited" to fit the rating?

I'll say this: My Yeti laughs well everytime he sees a thread like that.

What are some of your favorite obscure shows?

Firefly, NY Undercover...the Mysterious Cities of Gold.

Is the annoying return scroll disablement in Masteria there for something, or is it just for laughs?

Nope, it's there for a reason. Eagle-eyed sleuths can probably deduce this once they finish the new quests.

did you readded aqua seraphim to cash shop because u were fixing the bug of the pole arms/spears having wrong animation?

Yep.

Just one question. What is "X"?

"Anything specific". We don't give dates. =)

what's your opinion on the new KMST area, the Time Temple? It looks awesome and it'd be neat to see what the team at Nexon America thinks of it.

Heh, everything they make is awesome, so there you go.

What goes through your minds when making a map?

Out of order, navigation, new wrinkles, intent, mobs, playability, overall scope are a few.

Why did this company recieve an F from the BBB?

We basically had to contact them and show them we responded to the inquiries. It's a BB now.

Are Masteria's graphics done in-house or do you guys send the concept art to Nexon Korea for processing?

Concept Art here, sent for in-game design.

So, will Nexon America add special Nexon America features? For example, something not tested/made in Nexon Korea?

The Masteria/Amoria updates are an example of this. There is stuff there that doesn't currently exist anywhere else.

My Skunk, he wants to go there so bad! Maybe open the doors for him

Who said its a door? =)

That person... looks a lot like John Barricade. Might this be his brother Jack?

They do look alike don't they? In due time, this one will be answered.

And, lastly, pepsi or coke?

Neither. Tropical Punch FTW.

Which side (of NLC) will the expansion be on?

As Beyonce would say...to the left.

are there any plans to fix the disconection problem that marksmen have when doing over 100k with pierce?

We're looking into it.

Misread one of the questions:

"Will there be any content for Level 120 players in the next patch?"

In this area, yes. Next patch, no.

No Masteria content is coming in the patch tonight. =)

Can I call you Percy? I asked you again. <3

LOL. You can call the Yeti "Percy".

I'm just wondering what's the gap between the level 120 monster, and the next highest monster?

You'll see on release day. =)

And can you give us hints on whats gonna happen on the next part of summer break updates?

Other than we're packing a lot into the next update, not really. Not just the next patch, the rest of the year has stuff that we're pretty excited about.

Oh, also, any word on a further compensation on guilds as -Hime- had said before?

We apologize again for that.
I know we bumped the amount of GP for the Guild PQ, but not that many people knew about it at first.

6.What does the new claw look like if there is one?
Hypothetically speaking, if such a claw existed, I would not be allowed to to tell you how awesome it looked.

Do the quotes you gave us actually give out any hints, or are they randomly selected quotes? Perhaps the numbers of the Maplers sent in to fight the "thing" have something to do with the numbers mentioned in the Enigma Chamber?

Ah, not bad. There are usually hints within the text. While the numbers don't apply to the Enigma Chamber, this is the type of thinking that will lead to success in Masteria. Think outside the box. =)

Have any of you thought in make a quest in masteria that give a skill as a reward?. (I mean, a skill made in GMS just like KMS made begginer, and legendary skills but that people can get through a quest in masteria).

We've talked about a lot of things, but anything like that requires a lot of work. I always find it interesting to see some horribly inaccurate
pictures of the development process. If it was only that easy.

About how long does it take for you guys at Nexon America to have to draw/make-up a single map in Masteria in general?

Depends on the map. Maps always take a large chunk of time, especially these. =)

Will there be a party quest like the Amorian Challenge?

See previous answer about this.

will masteria be as big as vic?

Again, you can answer this for yourself in few years. The area is built for multiple expansions though.

w/e happened to versal?

Hmm. If I tell you, it'd be like spoiling your steak dinner with a bagel. You'll find out eventually.

Will the drop rate of the jungle lilies ever be increased

We're looking into a way to get a better rate of Level 80 Taru stuff out there.

But how is it possible for the Bosshunters to fight Papulatus if Pap Broke through the dimension about 2 years ago?

Heh, that particular iHint is meant to show what you can make and who to fight. Don't read too much into it. =)

Any plans on making a strong boss that is weak to Elements? Some people have talked about a boss favoring Magicians would become immune to everything except a certain element for short periods of times, much like Zakum uses wDef Ups.

We've talked about similar ideas, so you'll have to wait and see what comes.

will there be more ways to access masteria? im often in aqua road and i hate to rely on a nlc mule to get my potions.

We've thrown around some ideas, nothing concrete yet. We'd like to make such any possible alternate route interesting though.

How many more updates will be in the topic about the chronicles of masteria? and could you please tell us when you'll update it?

Pretty much whenever I have time. The one on Patch Night will probably be the biggest.

Will you guys maybe consider makeing joypad/controll for MapleStory? Much more comfortable with a controll on my hands<3

Indeed. We've talked about implementing this, and personally, I don't really mind adding it. If we do, we'll definitely announce it.

Nexon online shop? Selling T-shirts, plushies, keychains etc?

Another thing we've talked about, nothing concrete yet for the near future. I know that many, many, many people would like a plushie, though.

I've seen that JMS and MSEA have made new mounts for events, is there any chance that we might see new mounts in the Masteria Expansion? I, for one, would love a Headless Horseman's horse mount...

Hmm. I will say something new is in the works, mount-wise. Zip it!

I know that KoreaMS had a different version of the Mansion for their halloween event, and it sported a short little PQ. I had an opportunity to do that and it was pretty fun, though i never understood its purpose. Might there be a chance of merging this PQ into our own version of the mansion?

We're working on something interesting this Halloween. =)

While Crimsonwood Keep always has been my most favorite of the hinted expansions, (I suppose mostly because of the veil of mystery that has slowly been lifted since the TCG came out.) I remain curious if some of the other areas we've heard of might also be packed in to this expansion, such as the Yetinx, Affluent Tower, or Krakia? (A simple "yes" or "No" will suffice for this question, I know you can't give details.)

None of the areas you mentioned are directly expanded in the new update. As far as Maps go. This answer will become clearer once this chapter is completed.

With the Amoria map laid out, there doesn't seem to be much room there for anything else. Would you say that, more or less, Amoria is in a finalized state?

Nope. We haven't forgotten about it, just taking a bit longer to build what we have in mind. And just because its not on the map, doesn't mean it won't be there. Wink

Also, will there be any bowman friendly bosses in future?

Let's just say you'll have to work together a bit more for the new areas.

Will the keep have hidden streets? Surely an awsome keep must have a load of secrets.

Hidden things? Oh yes. There is something to be said about paying attention to detail.

In the future with masteria is there going to be major economic shifts as seen with NLC and their massive glove att and illbi deflation?

We're anticipating a few things, yes. Perhaps nothing as drastic as with the NLC potions, but we have expectations.

Any hints on Masteria things after Crimsonwood Keep?

When they're available, do the quests. Movie

Side note, we're interested to see how much you enjoy the new music...

www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/166/feature/2068/from/%2Ffeatures.cfm%2Fview%2Flatest Wrote:Shaun was pleased to tell me more about the content release scheduled for early August. The latest Masteria expansion was specifically created by the American Team for the US market. In it, players will find icons of American Pop Culture such as Bigfoot and a Trading Card Game and they all have been “MapleStory-sized.” That is to say, they all maintain the cute, pixel art look and feel of MapleStory characters. There are three new areas that will be available to play in:

Phantom Forest is a 45+ level area which is haunted. There, players will find a Haunted House, Headless Horsemen and Elder Wraiths among other monsters, and may encounter the boss, Big Foot. Shaun described the forest as a “Forest of Illusion like Super Mario world.”
Phantom Forest leads to Crimsonwood Mountains that is a 70+ level area. The first area you must navigate is the Valley of Heroes where huge living pillars of stone known as Menhirs roam. These critters cannot be killed and players must use their timing and jumping skills in true platformer style to get through them. Players will encounter six new enemy types here, and find a number of caves which are actually solo-able dungeons. Finally, they encounter level 120 Guardians which guard the way to the next area.

Crimsonwood Keep is the ruins of what was once a great thriving Keep where the finest Masterian heroes trained and learned their trade. Another level 70+ area and a massive map.

In total, there are 31 new maps, 11 new enemies and new weapons – many which will be player created, and 12 epic quests, each with many steps and mini goals.