[GDN] What’s the greatest challenge to creating a 3D side-scrolling MMORPG?

[MS] The greatest challenge is to make it not only appeal to retro fans but to the broad audience, to inject new life to a style of gameplay that 30-year-olds used to play as kids, as well as making a game that appeals to teenagers and female players. It is about developing something unique that is targeted at older and younger audiences alike, something parents can enjoy as much as kids can. Dragonica truly isn’t another "me-too" fantasy MMORPG.

[GDN] How does the ’Depth and Turn’ concept work? How does it differ from standard 3D MMORPGs?

[MS] In Dragonica, players will mainly move left-right and up-down even though you can move diagonally as well. The main difference is that all maps limit your movement in the up-down direction while players progress by moving to the right like in a 2D side-scrolling game. This of course is frequently interrupted by jump points that let you progress quickly to different areas of the same map. It has quick, fast-paced action all the time and the problem of having long endless walks through a rather empty landscape never features in it.