We sit down with Atlus Online Lead Editor, Jason Ruper to talk about everything Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent.

Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent is a game that's gone unnoticed on our radar, until now. The game transports players into a Steampunk universe where two nations battle over a precious resource called "Neo Steam" and we're excited to get our hands on it when it enters its open beta phase tomorrow.

For now, we've been given an exclusive look at the game and we're pleased to share five new exclusive screenshots with the ZAM community. Additionally, we had the chance to sit down with Jason Ruper from Atlus to talk about the game.

ZAM: Hello! Thanks for taking some time away from the Shattered Continent to talk with us about Neo Steam.

Jason Ruper: It's an absolute pleasure to get out of the office and talk about-- Oh, nevermind, I guess we're still in the office, aren't we... Right, let's do this!

ZAM: To start, can you give us an overview of the game's storyline and some of the more prominent features?

Jason: In the past, all the land was joined into a large, harmonious continent, and everyone used a resource known as Neo Steam to power amazing inventions. But they were careless and overused Neo Steam, and it upset the balance of the planet. A massive earthquake shattered the land and divided everything into separate islands, and most of the knowledge of the past was lost.

As centuries passed, new nations arose. The most prominent are Rogwel and Elerd. Rogwel tries to cling to the past, relying on science and technology. Meanwhile, Elerd wants to find a new way of life, and they embrace magic and enchanted machinery. Both want to reclaim the former glory of the ancient days, but neither wants to concede to the other's way of life. So they're fighting for control over the world's remaining Neo Steam reserves, and that's where our game begins!
   
The game has a lush, fantasy-steampunk setting, and everything -- from the machine wasteyards and polluted rivers to the rickety vehicles and the ancient ruins from before the shattering -- contributes to this setting and reminds you that your nation is in a state of reconstruction as well as in the middle of a cold war. Each side has a different architectural and environmental feel, complemented by a separate list of specialized classes to choose from, and even the races don't look quite the same on one faction as they do on the other. After the early levels, you can not only invade the other nation's soil, but you'll even get quests to assassinate some of their leaders in various towns and outposts. This game really has a lot more depth and personality than most other games we looked at publishing... and many of the current MMORPGs that aren't free-to-play.

ZAM: Neo Steam's announced character races leave much to be imagined with identities such as the Lupine, Pom, Tarune, and Lyell. Can you describe the most unique races within the game and give us some storyline?

Jason: Well, the three beast races (Tarune, Lyell, and Lupine) come from the Taxn Alliance. It's a nation that worships nature, and even in the old days, when the rest of the world was a giant, mechanical utopia, they lived separately and worshipped the earth. Now, with their island getting low on resources and living space, the Taxn are faced with the unfortunate choice of having to choose sides or face extinction. So they emigrated to Rogwel and Elerd with the intent of acquiring the necessary means to rebuild the Taxn Alliance and to ensure that the new nations don't repeat the mistakes of the past. These races get bonuses like run speed boosts, defense boosts, and increased health recovery.

And of course, there's the Pom! In the ancient world, they were the Maestros, the captains of industry. These guys are cute, cuddly, and packed with engineering potential, and they get more utilitarian abilities like equipping items 5 levels early, traveling faster on mounts, and resisting snares.
 
ZAM: In the same vein, some of the character classes appear to be unique. Can you tell us about some of the announced classes?

Jason: There are four base classes (Warrior, Mystic, Scout, and Machinist) and 16 specialized classes, and the classes you have available to you depend on your nation. For instance, if you're a Rogwel Warrior, you can specialize into a Vanguard with melee bloodlust skills or a Justicar with holy magic. If you're an Elerd Warrior, you can specialize into a Crusader with dark magic or a Templar with summon magic. All four of these Warrior classes wear plate and can be the party's tank to at least some degree, but their attacks and play styles are very different.
   
But the most unique classes are the Machinists. Rogwel's Machinists specialize into Galvanists and Tinkerers; Elerd's Machinists specialize into Artificers and Gadgeteers. Whichever path you choose affects what sort of items you can craft and how you perform in combat. You can use lots of bombs and explosives in combat, or you can rely on gun and sword skills. Having the different class options adds a lot of versatility to the game, and I hope players try at least a few of them out!

ZAM: Can you tell us about some of the exciting PvP modes that will be available?

Jason: PvP is a large part of the game, since it's effectively two nations at war with each other. For starters, there's world PvP. You can invade the other nation, and there are even quests to assassinate some of the top NPCs in the enemy's towns. That's always fun because you have to amass a large group for it, and the players on the other side are always going to try and stop you! And while you generally stick to your own nation for questing at the early levels, you start to branch out to places like Riall, where both sides are fighting each other while trying to do quests. The nice thing about Riall is that although there's a lot of PvP, they level-lock the zones every 10 levels, so a Lv. 50 player can't go to the Lv. 20 area and terrorize the lowbies!

There's also a lot of arenas (some PvP, some PvE) with different events going on. My favorite is the 1-vs-1 fighting pit, where the loser dies and the winner gets to stay and fight the next challenger. The best part is, it's right in the center of town, so everyone else gets to gather around and watch the duels.
 
I don't want to spoil too many of the surprises, but I will say a couple things... (1) PvP has its rewards. Every kill gets you Soul Crystals, which you can feed to your pet or use for other trade-ins. You also have a rank, based on your performance, and that allows you to buy some cool mounts and equipment. And of course, your guild gets ranked based on its members' rankings, so there's plenty of room for people to be competitive. (2) If PvP just isn't your thing, there are ways of avoiding it, and there are some safe locations, even within PvP zones!

ZAM: The Neo Steam website mentions that “extensive character customization is just the beginning”. Can you explain what that means in some detail?

Jason: It means that not only do you customize your character in the conventional RPG areas (select from 7 races and 16 classes, choose which skills to learn and level up, etc.), but you also get to upgrade your gear with core machines that grant new abilities. Also, every player gets a pet which can be customized into an attacker, a healer, or a thief. You get a personal siege engine that you can upgrade into one of three types and then customize its stats and parts. There's a free mount to upgrade, titles to earn, and PvP ranks to attain. And naturally, at the end of the day, it all comes down to how awesome your character looks, and Neo Steam offers oodles of unique and exciting costume items and mounts to complement your "phat loots".

ZAM: Steampunk is still a relatively new style, and it hasn't been seen in many MMOs to date. What do you best like about this style, and how does it complement the game play in Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent?

Jason: You know when you come back from visiting your relatives on the other coast, and you tell people, "It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there"? Imagine the opposite of that! Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent has such a unique and inviting setting, and it's easy to get caught up in it. That's one of the things that attracted us to this title; it has so much charm and accessibility!
   
The most interesting feature of steampunk aesthetics is that it's function-over-form. You don't build an elegant bridge that looks nice; you build a bridge that works! It may have mismatched materials, and there may be nuts and bolts sticking out... Maybe you send a guy out to repair it later on, and all he does is slap on some spare sheet of metal he found lying around his workroom... It's all about getting from A to B and not worrying what it looks like in the process. And at the same time, these values are juxtaposed by the more planned-out and style-driven communities that are a bit more wary of steam technology. There's a contrast between these two worlds, and even the landscape outside civilization reflects the lifestyles of the nearby inhabitants.

That's the sort of world we're in, and the gameplay complements it admirably. For starters, there's the crafting. Even if you aren't one of the four specialized Machinist classes, there are still some operations you can perform at the refining machines and forges, so everyone has a chance to get their hands dirty with some steam-powered machinery. There's also the vehicles. When you ride a zeppelin to the other nation, it gleams silver in the sun, getting you pumped up for the invasion. When you hire a steam balloon to take you out into the wilderness, you see the world down below and get one of those agoraphobic, how-am-I-ever-going-to-find-my-way-home-again feelings. Finally, there's the monster design; every monster complements its scenery. You'll see toxic spiders and hippos in the polluted areas or robots made from various scrap metal. You'll even find small woodland creatures who've taken to using discarded machine parts as armor or housing materials.

ZAM: We understand that the system requirements are reasonably low in comparison to other MMOs on the market. What made you decide to go the less graphically intensive route and consequently suffer on the cosmetic game play front?

Jason: Hahaha! My answer entirely depends on how you define "and consequently suffer on the cosmetic game play front"! As it stands, I think the concept of a graphically-intensive free-to-play MMORPG is practically an oxymoron, anyhow.
   
Atlus has always had a strong track record of placing the highest priority on things like storyline, character, game play mechanics, and overall uniqueness. Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent is Atlus Online's first published title, and we wanted to stay true to the company's core values and provide a refreshing and entertaining experience to our fans.

ZAM: Lastly, when will the game be available to the public and what kind of a business model is the game going to follow?

Jason: We're having an Open Beta that starts on 5/27, and if you've registered for an Atlus Online account, you can get into this beta! Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent will follow a play-for-free business model. However, players will have the option of enhancing their gaming experience with a hybrid-subscription model with tiered packages and micro-transaction purchases. Players can spend as much or as little as they wish.

ZAM: We'll that's all the questions we have for you. Good luck with the rest of the development process, and thanks again for talking with us.

Jason: It was a pleasure! We appreciate your interest in our title, and if you have any further questions or would like to sign up, please join us at www.atlusonline.com!

Andrew "Tamat" Beegle
Editor-in-Chief
ZAM.com