Dear Kings and Queens,
We’ve just started the Anniversary Month and what better way to celebrate this milestone than by getting to know the talented individuals who bring Royal Revolt 2 to life?
We’ll start with Ani & Ray – the game’s producers!
What’s your role on the project?
Ani & Ray: “As the producers of Royal Revolt 2, we share the role in overseeing the game’s development from concept to launch and beyond. Our responsibilities include managing the production schedule and ensuring a smooth process across all departments. We act as the bridge between the creative and technical sides of development, aiming to keep the project on track, within budget, and try to make the development process as smooth as possible for our team.”
Do you prefer pizza or pasta?
Ani: “That’s a tough choice! I’m a big fan of both, but if I had to choose, I’d go with pizza. The combination of a crispy crust and savory sauce is just awesome. Also: lots of cheese! Plus, the variety of toppings means I can always find something to match my mood.”
Ray: “Hmm, pasta is very versatile and I love good pasta, but I think I’d still go for pizza. Neapolitan style and lots of mozzarella. (By the way, I’m all for pineapple on pizza!)”
Envision yourself transported to a distant place in the future, whether it be here on Earth or in some far-flung corner of the universe. What would this place look like?
Ani: “Definitely somewhere at a beach with lots of sand and sun, just enjoying the sound of waves with nothing else to worry about.”
Ray: “The first thing that comes to my mind is: peaceful. Lots of untouched nature, no noise or dirt from cars. Preferably a bit cooler too, as I can’t stand the heat. Just imagine Iceland without the tourists.”
Besides Royal Revolt 2, what’s your favorite game right now?
Ani: “Right now, I’m getting lost in the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. I absolutely love the story and the world itself. I’ve spent countless hours customizing the appearance of my gear or building my own house and the fact that you can play all different classes on one character is something that keeps the game fun and makes me want to try out new things. I feel like I’ve become a walking ad for the game at this point. (“Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Stormblood expansion up to level 70 for free with no restrictions on playtime!”)”
Ray: “I’d say it’s been World of Warcraft since its release. Although it’s had its ups and downs and I haven’t played it all the time, it’s the game that’s had the most impact on me and where I’ve had the best times with my friends and brothers. The experience of stepping into the world I knew from Warcraft 1-3 just blew me away. These days I mainly play WoW Classic Season of Discovery; I guess you could say I’m what the community calls a ‘Classic Andy’.”
Congratulations on your 10-year anniversary! How does it feel to have come this far?
Ani: “It’s incredible! Who would have thought that the game is still around after all those years. For a free-to-play mobile game this is especially notable and I’m so amazed that there are still so many people around that have been playing this game since its beginnings. Also reading the testimonials has made me really happy and it’s great to see that the game has brought so much joy and was even able to forge friendships and relationships.”
Ray: “Thanks! Even though I wasn’t there from the beginning, it’s really nice to hear from so many people that it’s something special to keep a mobile game alive for so long and to have contributed to it.”
How do you feel about the game’s evolution over the past 10 years?
Ani: “It’s crazy how far the game has come. Looking at it now the game has become so complex and is filled with so many new features that we sometimes forget how exactly some calculations work.”
Ray: “There’s so much more to the game now than there was 10 years ago because we’ve always tried to evolve the game and give players new ways to experience Royal Revolt 2. In some places you can see the UI has grown over 10 years, but we are trying to improve it step by step. The scary part is that we still have endless ideas for the game.”
What sort of challenges have you faced during the development of Royal Revolt 2?
Ani: “As a very small team that works on Royal Revolt 2 there have been quite a few challenges along the way. For example the Pro League that we sadly had to remove at one point. It was a really cool and well liked feature (yes, we really liked it too) but at some point it was taking up way too much time to maintain it every week. With its cool rewards a lot of cheaters started gaining them without rightfully earning them and it took us quite some time to go through all of those players and remove them. With the 2-3 people that worked on the Pro League on our side at the time it was just not possible to keep it running and keep it fair for everyone as this was only one of the many things that needed taking care of every week.”
Ray: “Meeting or exceeding player expectations and finding something for every type of player is a constant challenge. But that’s part of the fun of being a small team developer – you can get involved and have a direct impact on the game. Of course, it’s a shame if some players don’t like a feature like expected, then it’s up to us to find as much common ground as possible for all our players.
Could you take us behind the scenes of developing one of the Pals? What inspired the idea, and how did you go about implementing it? Any intriguing details or insights you’d like to share about the process?
Ani: “Most of the time those ideas came to us when we weren’t even trying to think about a new pal. It happens often in a meeting which is about something totally different and it gets derailed by a random idea someone had. Or even in our lunch break when we talk about silly things. Also what comes first, the animal idea or the ability a new pal should have, is really random.”
Ray: “I can’t say much about that because I wasn’t involved in the development of any Pal. But I can say that I think Fritz is the cutest. That’s why he appears on several season badges.”
Where do you see yourself, and Royal Revolt 2, in another 10 years?
Ani: “I hope to have defeated all Ultimates in FFXIV by that time. Learning those fights is so time consuming but I’m sure I’ll get there someday.
As for Royal Revolt 2, I hope to still be around of course, trying to think of the next big feature to make someone out there happy and have fun with something we put so much effort in.”
Ray: ”I’d still like to create worlds where people can escape and just have fun. Maybe from a remote cabin by the lake, with a cold beer and a good slice of pineapple pizza. As for Royal Revolt 2, as long as our community continues to enjoy it, we will strive to keep it fresh and full of surprises for another 10 years.”
As you celebrate the 10-year anniversary, is there anything you would like to express or share with the dedicated Royal Revolt 2 community that has been supporting the game throughout the years?
Ani: “Celebrating 10 years of Royal Revolt 2 is a great achievement and I know people always tend to say that when thanking people but: without our community who has been around for so many years and have stuck with us through all the bumps along the road we would not be where we are today. Thank you for all the hours you spent on this game, the ideas you shared and the cool art you sent us for all the skin contests. It has been a pleasure to see you put so much energy into this and I hope we can continue for many more years.”
Ray: “All I can say is: Thank you! The fact that our game continues to fascinate so many players after so many years, and to see the passion with which they play our game, is simply wonderful. Without the players, there would be no Royal Revolt 2.”
