Fiesta Interview: 3 Years And Marching On
Questions by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by GM Straega
Fiesta was Outspark’s maiden MMORPG way back from the year 2007, and in less than 2 months’ time, the game will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary! 3 eventful years has since passed for this colorful and exciting game, so what changes have been made over this period of time? Did the game get any better? Or did major improvements do otherwise? What’s in-stored for the future of the game? Let’s find out.
OnRPG: Hello, I am Fo Po (cinderboy) from OnRPG. Can you kindly introduce yourself to the readers?
Sure. Greetings, All. In the world of Outspark, I’m known as Straega, the primary GM of Fiesta Online.
OnRPG: Can you kindly give us a brief description of Outspark, your company?
Sure thing! Outspark is a free to play publisher of online games like Fiesta & Secret of the Solstice. We work closely with game developers to manage and create new content for our games to keep them entertaining. Outspark is responsible for managing the all day to day aspects of the game– such as running in-game events and promotions plus gathering user feedback to further improve the gameplay.
OnRPG: Why did Outspark choose Fiesta as its maiden MMORPG back in 2007?
Its an awesome game that appeals to both casual and hard core players. Casual players can “hang out” and make friends while hard core players can run around and kill stuff to their hearts delight. It’s got PvP, PvE, hundreds of quests, dungeons, monsters, and huge worlds to explore. There is something for everyone in Fiesta. It was a great game then and it’s only gotten better over time.
OnRPG: It has almost been 3 years since Fiesta was launched. Which do you think are some of the most major changes to game during this period?
There’s quite a bit that’s happened since launch. The level cap has been raised twice since the original release and lots of new content has been added to the game as well. New instanced dungeons, new mobs, more quests, and just so many more things to do. This year we released a new raid boss named Succubus Queen Karen, who is even tougher than the infamous King Helga! She is as dangerous as she is beautiful and has been providing quite the challenge to our higher level players!
OnRPG: And the most difficult situation the Fiesta team has faced until now?
There’s no one situation that stands out which comes to mind. We are always working to improve the game for our players and striving to provide the most enjoyable experience possible. It is an ongoing challenge to manage and prioritize all the requests for enhancements we receive.
OnRPG: Can you summarize how these few years have been for the Fiesta team?
Very busy, yet very eventful. Every day we work towards something new.. We are always busy planning for new content months ahead. Although this has been challenging at times, the team is really amazing at working together and making sure we get the job done and making sure the game is an enjoyable place to be.
OnRPG: 3 years nowadays seem to be a long period for a MMO with the rather competitive market. What makes Fiesta still stand out among the new entries into the MMO circle?
While I feel that our new content and events are exciting, I believe that it’s the community that really makes Fiesta an exceptional game. When hosting the various forum contests that we have every month, such as the “Forum MVP” and “Fiesta Snapshot!” events, I really get to see a side of the community that’s very creative, dedicated, and inspiring.
Everyone is willing to help someone if they are in need or are encouraging when someone isn’t feeling very confident about their entry. A lot of veteran players really get to know one another but are always willing to welcome and help new players. It’s really refreshing to see something like this. New content, levels, monsters, & quests help too.
OnRPG: Is it too late for new players to join the game, seeing that the economy has matured and items might be too expensive and out of their reach?
No, not at all. The Fiesta community is so very helpful and it’s not uncommon for a new player to ask an experienced one for advice or help. We also have something called the Master and Apprentice system in which a higher level player can make you their apprentice and help you level. There are perks for both parties involved, of course, with the apprentice receiving valuable gifts just for leveling up and the master receiving in-game currency. It’s a really interesting system and a great way for new players to meet new people and earn items. Plus we always make sure to add new items and keep existing items cheap and accessible to all players.
OnRPG: Let’s talk about the Kingdom Quest, my personal favorite of this game. Can you briefly describe this feature to our readers?
The Kingdom Quests are a feature unique to Fiesta. They are instanced versions of a particular map in which you can fight with your friends or join a random group of people around the same level as you. There are often quests associated with these “KQs”, and some really nice items that you may be able to acquire. It’s really simple to join too. If you are in one of the major cities you can talk to certain NPCs and ask them which Kingdom Quests are currently available.
The KQs are separated by level, and you can see which ones are currently recruiting players or are already in progress. If there is a Kingdom Quest for your level currently recruiting you can click to join and then you just need to wait until the designated time. Once that time is up, then you’re in! You and the other players that signed up will be instantly transported to the KQ map and you can begin.
OnRPG: Will players gain experience points mainly through completing quests or through PvE?
Well, a combination of both really. We’ve been working hard at implementing new quests to cut out some of the “grind” that’s often associated with MMOs. We have new event quests every month that generally celebrate a holiday or a current promotion, and we also have quite a few challenging quests that you can complete over and over again.
OnRPG: How is the current end-game PvE and PvP like?
Growing! Just in the last couple of months we’ve added two new high level dungeons and all new high level Kingdom Quest is expected to begin soon. We’re always thinking of new ways to keep the capped players entertained and that includes lots of never before seen content and things to do. PvP in Fiesta is always very interesting. We have PvP enabled zones, some of which that are separated by level– these are always a good way to test your skills against another player.
There is also a PvP Kingdom Quest where you can fight against your friends and enemies and you can even wield a hammer that can kill your opponents in one fell smash! We also have systems in which your guild can declare war against another guild or compete in a guild tournament battle system against the other guilds on that server.
OnRPG: Is there a housing feature in Fiesta for the players?
There is, indeed! We have something called the Estate System in which players can go into their house and invite their friends over to hang out. You can decorate your house with all sorts of different furniture and it’s really a great way to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of the major cities. There are lots of different options too and you can control how many people can come visit you and set a password to protect against any unwanted visitors. I’ve been in some pretty amazing estates before… it’s really fun to see all the different tastes players have when it comes to decorating!
OnRPG: Why should players who have left the Fiesta return to the game at this point of time?
Old players may be surprised at the new content that we’ve included in the game. For the lower level players, we’ve recently implemented a new quest helper system that makes it easier to locate quest related items and mobs. For the high levels we’ve added new boss mobs, items, a higher level cap, new quests, and more. Since instanced dungeons were a fairly new addition, more than a few have been added that accommodate from low to high levels.
OnRPG: What new in-game content can the players be expecting in the near future?
Let’s see… We have a lot of awesome things lined up for the next couple of months, including some new event quests and content. Halloween is coming up and we’ve designed a lot of new costumes and items that we hope will make an appearance towards the end of October. It’s also been rumored that something big would be happening for low level players too… and possibly something about adding a new level of game play to Fiesta. It seems like a lot of players have fun suggesting new classes that they would like to see in the game, and it’s possible that that all of this curiosity and speculation will be answered soon.
OnRPG: Fiesta’s 3rd anniversary is coming! Any teaser on what fun events players can expect?
Happy birthday, Fiesta! It’s hard to believe that it’s already been three years since we first started publishing this game and we’re planning on throwing a big celebration to honor this occasion! We have lots of events planned for this time, a new event quest and new items to reward our awesome players! We want to celebrate and give thanks to those players who have been playing this game since the days of closed beta, but we also want to make new players feel welcome and like they are a part of the Fiesta community. It’s going to be a lot of fun!
OnRPG: Any final words to all veteran players and potential newbies reading this interview?
Fiesta’s a fun game, but the people that drive the community to make it the way it is today, involved, positive, and dedicated, makes it that much more worth playing.
