March 03, 2005 - In Ancient China, Tian Xia is the greatest clan. Led by the ruthless Xiong Ba and lieutenants Wind and Cloud, it has dominated the martial arts world for two decades. Recently however, an internal conflict has caused the latter pair to flee. Although no other faction is strong enough to mount a direct challenge, a number of others sense the chance to advance within the overall balance of power. As they maneuver for position, the unrest grows, and old grudges and smoldering rivalries flare into open hostilities. Seeing the growing chaos, other enemies also look for openings to strike. In the desert lands to the north, the Blue Moon clan covets the opportunity to expand, while to the east, a power hungry dictator, The Godless, leads a force of Japanese warriors seeking conquest. It's a time for heroes and legends.

Storm Riders Online, which is set to launch in North America tomorrow through the auspices of publisher Orchid Media International, is the localized version of Phoenix Game Studio's Fung Wan Online. The latter is based on a popular comic series created by noted Hong Kong-based writer Ma Wing Shing. The game is said to bring the property's heroes and villains to life, giving you the choice to fight with or against characters like Wind (Fung) and Cloud (Wan). Having had the Asian title in our sights for a couple of years, we were definitely keen to learn more when we found out it was coming to this market. Patricia "Sarisha" Larson is the publisher's Director, Public and Customer Relations, while on the developer side, Michael "ShaDee" Ooi is the Lead Games Designer, and Hafiz Awang the Chief Technology Officer.

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Jonric: Since many readers may be unfamiliar with Ma Wing Shing, the Fung Wan comic series and the Storm Riders movie, what should they know to have a basic understanding of the background for the game?

Sarisha: The backstory, as you have said, comes from the Fung Wan comic book series by Ma Wing Shing and from the Storm Riders movie. What the initiate player needs to know is essentially that the background story is about the lives of two martial arts masters, Cloud and Wind... The Storm Riders movie and comic book series tells the story about their journey from childhood through adulthood, the challenges and trials they faced while they join the tyrannical ruling clan of Tian Xia, and rise in power under the tutelage of Xiong Ba. These stories are detailed both in the comic series and on the official Storm Riders Online website on the Stories page.

The players have the flexibility to choose and match different skills, stances and powers in any way they wish, allowing them to experiment... based on how they wish to play.

ShaDee & Hafiz: The timeline of Storm Riders Online actually starts when Wind and Cloud have decided to leave Tian Xia Clan and are being hunted down by Xiong Ba's men. Although the game follows the basic storyline and events presented in the Storm Riders movie and the comics, portions of it have been changed to fit in to the gaming environment. Some of events and quests in the game are related to the happenings and story in the comics, so knowing the background will help fill in some gaps.

Jonric: When and how did the idea arise to create a massively multiplayer game based on this property?

ShaDee & Hafiz: Some time in 2001, our Asian publisher, Epic One International Ltd, approached Phoenix to make the game. Development took us about three years. It went commercial in some of the Southeast Asian countries in April 2004. In those markets, the game is branded as Fung Wan Online.

Jonric: What kind of persistent state game is it? What types and balance of gameplay does it offer, and what sets it apart from other virtual worlds?

Sarisha: Storm Riders Online puts the player in the role of a martial arts novice learning the skills to survive and rise to supremacy. The game is set in fictional Ancient China during a time of turmoil where powerful clans are locked in a struggle for supremacy. The primary gameplay is PvP, although there is a wide array that encourages player socialization, cooperation and even some espionage and political intrigue. Players are given the chance to join and take over any of the major clans in the game as well as taking over cities and towns.

ShaDee & Hafiz: The player can take the role of a powerful figure, rising through the ranks of common warriors to take control of a clan and dominate the political powers of the land, or a retired hermit tired of the incessant bloodshed dominating the martial world, trying to find a little peace but hounded by glory seekers and old enemies trying to prove themselves by defeating him. Such is the essence of the martial arts epic, where violence, uncertainty and death coupled with the maneuverings of ambitious individuals for power and standing forces extreme situations on the players. The world of Fung Wan / Storm Riders serves as a rich background or stage for the players, filled with locations, enemies, histories, epic events and characters that we can draw upon.

Storm Riders Online offers several differences to most traditional online worlds. First of all, the game system differs from many others as it uses an open system for character building instead of limiting the players to specific classes. The players have the flexibility to choose and match different skills, stances and powers in any way they wish, allowing them to experiment with a multitude of different builds and abilities based on how they wish to play.