We had the wonderful chance to ask some important questions to Aeria Games, developers of Aura Kingdom. We touch on a lot of important issues, such as the cash shop and other questions fans are dying to know. As the game just moved into its stress test phase, there is no better time to get started with Aura Kingdom and this interview should ease some of the concerns players have and provide excitment for current players.

Ten Ton Hammer: Right now endgame PvP options will be limited to 5v5 arenas. Will there be any different or larger scale PvP options for players (like battlegrounds or open world PvP zones)?

Aeria Games: We have several plans for various forms of PvP that we have been discussing with our developers. While we don't have much information we can release yet, there will definitely be a large scale PvP event of some kind in the future.

A lot of players are concerned about Aura Kingdom being a cash grab. Are there any assurances for the community that AK will not be a “pay-to-win” game?

This is a matter that's of high importance to us as well. We want to ensure that Aura Kingdom remains enjoyable and accessible for all players, whether or not they spend money. Aeria has had a lot of experience in launching games with Aura Kingdom's developer X-Legend, and we are both working to make sure there are options for low or non-spenders to help level the playing field. For example, there is the in-game Loyalty Shop, which offers many Item Mall items that can be purchased with currency gained through normal gameplay.

What sort of features can we expect to be implemented after the game’s launch?

We have several features planned for after launchsome that players may be familiar with from previous X-Legend games, and some that will be brand new. Some examples are player housing, the couple system, and Survival mode, for the truly hardcore.

The level cap will be restricted in the beta. What are your plans for the level cap after launch?

The level cap will definitely be increased beyond the current setting for Beta. There will also, of course, be a lot more content offered than we have in Beta for players who reach the higher cap.

Do you have an ETA on when the patch with the Katar class will hit the NA servers?

No ETA yet! But we have a very busy content schedule planned, and have a lot of cool upcoming content including the Katar class and other classes as well.

What are the biggest differences between the North American and foreign versions of the game? Will this stay true to the foreign patch releases or will it fork into its own branch?

First and foremost, the game has been translated and localized to cater to both Western language and culture. We have also had other changes, such as increased difficulty to appeal to players who want more of a challenge. We even have some features that the original version may not have yet, such as swimming. While many of our content updates should follow the natural progression of the native version of the game, some things may end up coming in a different order or be changed from how they appear on the native version. We’re trying to create whatever works best for our player base!

Just to confirm, will level 40 sub-classes be in the game?

Yes, you will be able to gain access to a variety of secondary weapons once you hit level 40, each with their own set of skills and abilities. This feature will be accessible in Beta as well as launch.

Will there be a character wipe from beta to launch?

We do have a server wipe planned at the end of our Closed Beta/Stress Test and immediately before we begin Open Beta. We will be announcing this in advance, to make sure players are prepared for it. However, we have no further wipes planned after that point.

Keys are a big requirement for obtaining or upgrading Eidolon. Will they be rare? Will they also be available in the cash shop? If so, do you have a price?

There will be several methods of obtaining keys for Eidolons in Aura Kingdom. Some are simple and can be gained simply from natural quest progression, and some are much harder and rarer to come by. They may require farming an elusive boss, for instance. There will also be Eidolons available from the cash shop, but the majority of them will be entirely attainable in-game.

How many Eidolons will be in the game at launch and can we look for more in the future?

We will be launching with 17 Eidolons, counting the one from the Founder's Pack. They’ll be collected in a variety of ways as you journey through the game. We do, of course, definitely intend to add more over time!