Summoners War: Chronicles Exclusive Interview – Monster Balance, Future Plans, and More

Summoners War: Chronicles is the ambitious MMORPG from Com2uS where you play as a Summoner and command a team of three monsters in real-time battles. Following up on the success of Sky Arena and Lost Centuria, this game is bound to please fans of the series and newcomers alike, and so we decided to have a chat with Eunjae Lee, executive producer for Summoners War: Chronicles on the development and future of this title. Read our Summoners War: Chronicles exclusive interview below.

FreeMMOStation: Can you introduce yourself and your role in the development of Summoners War: Chronicles?

Eunjae Lee: My name is Eunjae Lee, and I’m the Executive Producer for Summoners War: Chronicles.

FreeMMOStation: For how long has Summoners War: Chronicles been in development, and how large is the team working on it?

Eunjae Lee: The game’s been in development for roughly 4 years, and our current development team is around 130 people. A year prior to launch, our team consisted of 50 people, but we saw our numbers grow as development started to ramp up during the second half.

FreeMMOStation: Is Summoners War: Chronicles a game mainly aimed at fans of previous titles from this IP, or are new players going to enjoy and understand the lore as much as veterans?

Eunjae Lee: Summoners War: Chronicles combines the fun of manual controls with the convenience of auto play, while seamlessly integrating the original game’s gacha RPG charm into its MMO-style gameplay, allowing users who’ve never experienced Summoners War before to enjoy the game alongside veterans of the series. In addition to users who have prior experience with the IP, users who have fallen out of Summoners War will now have ample reason to return to the series. Of course, we expect a slew of brand-new users to check out the game as well.

There’s also a Chronicles forum, where users can communicate and share information with each other, so we encourage everyone to check it out.

FreeMMOStation: How would you describe to a new player the three-monster team that the Summoner uses in combat, and just how innovative do you think this is to the MMORPG genre?

Eunjae Lee: Users will play as a Summoner who sets off on an adventure with three summoned monsters. Summoners will need to actively make use of their monsters’ skills in battle.

Summoners will also utilize what’s known as a Soul Link, which represents the connection between a Summoner and his/her monsters, to set up a primary party of monsters to control. The fun and strategy of the game will come from collecting and raising hundreds of these unique monsters and creating the perfect teams with them.

Ultimately, we believe Summoners War: Chronicles sets itself apart from other games with its ability to blend the charm of gacha RPGs with MMO-style gameplay, as well as its episodic storyline, offering a completely fun and unique experience.

FreeMMOStation: Was it complicated to balance all the monsters’ abilities with the Summoner character’s real-time combat, considering all the elemental reactions going on?

Eunjae Lee: Since there are hundreds of monsters, with more in the works, we admit that we’ve had quite our hands full testing every single one of them. The real-time combat that you mentioned doesn’t exactly make our task any easier.

That’s why we decided to take a strategic approach and balance monsters based on statistics. We’re also working hard to run tests through actual gameplay while incorporating user feedback so that we can raise the overall utility of as many monsters as possible. Of course, we’re looking to provide regular balance updates through continuous testing.

There will also be many situations where we’ll need to make quick fixes here and there, but the important thing for us is to figure out how we’re going to tackle those issues. Personally, I don’t believe in balance patches that aim to nerf characters. For example, if a main monster for a Summoner was suddenly nerfed, that Summoner may feel an overall sense of loss. That’s why I’m aiming to take a different approach when it comes to solving balance issues.

FreeMMOStation: How many monsters will be available at launch, and can we expect to see some new ones in Chronicles?

Eunjae Lee: There are currently over 350 monsters with more to be added regularly in the future. Chronicles features several characters that original Summoners War players will be familiar with, so they’ll be sure to feel right at home with the game. We’re also looking to expand the number of characters that are unique to Chronicles.

FreeMMOStation: Both Sky Arena and Lost Centuria are heavily focused on the competitive aspect. Is it the same with Chronicles, and which PvP modes do you think will prove the most popular?

Eunjae Lee: I think PvP is essential in MMOs but under the right conditions. PvP isn’t our focus in Chronicles, but we made sure to add PvP modes that are fun for people who enjoy such content.

Real-time PvP consists of two modes: Brawl Arena and Battlefield. Since Brawl Arena is home to 1v1 battles, while Battlefield features 9v9 team battles, users will have significantly different experiences in each mode. I’m personally more of a fan of Brawl Arena.

FreeMMOStation: There has been some talk about Summoners War: Chronicles supporting Com2US’s C2X token. Is this feature still in the works, and is there anything you can tell us about it, from implementation dates to its in-game function?

Eunjae Lee: No comments to share on the topic at this time.

FreeMMOStation: What are some of the post-launch plans? Can we expect new monsters, regions, Summoners, and the like?

Eunjae Lee: Since the main story is still ongoing, we’re planning on creating a brand-new continent that will be home to the story’s conclusion. Our priority right now is to continue working on guild-related content such as guild battles and raids. Of course, we plan to introduce even more monsters and new Summoners as well.

We would like to thank Eunjae Lee for taking some time to answer our questions. Summoners War: Chronicles is now available on PC, Android, and iOS, with an Xbox release coming soon. You can read our Summoners War: Chronicles review to learn more about the game, check the coupon codes, and our cooking recipes guides.