Defense Derby: Interview With Creator of Krafton’s New Tower Defense Mobile Game

Defense Derby is a new tower defense mobile game developed by RisingWIngs and published by Krafton. The game is a unique take on the tower defense genre, combining elements of real-time strategy and PvP combat.

I recently had the opportunity to interview the production director for Defense Derby at RisingWings, Sinchan Park. In our interview, we discussed the game’s development, its unique features, and its future plans. We also went in-depth into Defense Derby’s mechanics, its features and combat system, and different game modes.

Check out the full interview below:

Rayan Sayyed: There are already several popular games in the tower defense genre. What unique features or aspects does Defense Derby bring to the genre that sets it apart from other games in the market?

Sinchan Park: At its core, Defense Derby has the rules of a defense genre. The biggest differentiating point from other tower defense strategy games is the scouting system. Players can disrupt other players’ strategies by scouting units through bidding, and they can also come up with their own unit strategy. It’s fun to see the battle situation change depending on the players’ bidding strategy. Defense Derby is a 4-player PvP battle game based on real-time bidding. The player that survives the monster hordes and has the last castle standing wins the match. It’s a game with a mixture of defense, strategy, and battle royale. In a previous survey, users who participated in the early access test responded that the unique fun element of Defense Derby was the “scouting system” in which you have to read the opponent’s strategy and win with bold moves.

We are making preparations for esports at a faster pace than originally planned, to meet the needs and level of interest that Indian users have for esports.

Rayan Sayyed: Could you share some of the inspirations behind Defense Derby? Which games or ideas led you to start working on the game, and what things further shaped the current experience of the game?

Sinchan Park: In PvP games, you meet different players, and everyone plays based on the same set of rules. I think the fun of this type of game comes from the fact that you can experience a different story and a variety of gameplay scenarios each time you play. There’s a certain level of stress that comes from losing in PvP games, and if that stress is too big, it becomes difficult to enjoy the game. In cases where the cause of the loss comes from your own lack of skills, the stress can be doubled. In the case of our previous title Castle Burn, we opted for users to compete against each other with subtle controls, so not a lot of users were able to experience the fun that the developers had hoped to convey. Personally, I felt that this part could be improved upon. Defense Derby sought to ease the burden felt by the players by introducing mind games based on bidding and 4-player PvP battles, rather than putting the focus on game controls. Our goal is to convey the fun of PvP games to more users through these sorts of efforts.

Rayan Sayyed: What existing and long-standing demands does Defense Derby fulfil for Tower Defense fans? Is anything specifically aimed at Indian gamers?

Sinchan Park: Tower Defense was a game where players each focused on their own gameplay. In Defense Derby, the choice of each player affects the other players joining in battle in the 4-player group, and there is a fresh sense of fun that comes from the intense mind games. We are making preparations for esports at a faster pace than originally planned, to meet the needs and level of interest that Indian users have for esports. It may be difficult to get everything ready by launch, but we are getting things done at a steady pace. Everyone’s support would be greatly appreciated.

Rayan Sayyed: What challenges did you face during the development of the game?

Sinchan Park: We had a goal of conveying the fun of PvP games to players who found PvP games difficult. In order to ease the burden of the players, we designed the game in the direction of excluding any complicated rules from the initial development stages. We designed the game so that players could easily get used to the game without a demanding learning process. Therefore, we made a game where players could enjoy the game based on attribute synergy and made up the options with only essential elements.

We did feel that our intentions were reflected in the game such as the difficulty level of initially learning the game, as well as the fun factors. However, we started to think about, ‘How can we make it so that users can play the game for a longer period of time, in a more enjoyable way?’ We made multiple attempts so that the game player could have more options, rather than creating more unit stats.

In the beginning, we developed a more casual PvP game where players would scout a certain card and attach it to their deck, and you would win or lose depending on what type of synergy effect you make. Afterward, we focused more on adding depth to the game through the unit attributes. Since the game itself is casual, we are continuing to try out new things for the game’s balance.

The core fun of Defense Derby is that the players have to think ahead about what the optimal deck will be in order to win, and then build that deck through scouting in actual battle.

Rayan Sayyed: In Defense Derby, the art style takes on a more light-hearted and anime-inspired approach, setting it apart from the realistic aesthetics of past Krafton games like BGMI and Road to Valor: Empires. Can you discuss the creative decisions behind choosing this particular art style for Defense Derby?

Sinchan Park: The art of Defense Derby follows the art styles of Guardian Stone and Castle Burn. Guardian Stone and Castle Burn prepared their art styles with a global release in mind. In the case of Defense Derby, rather than specifically preparing the art for a global release, we found the art styles of our previous works to be highly appealing. As a result, we decided to continue developing and adapting them for Defense Derby, with the intention of further enhancing and establishing them as part of the IP.

Rayan Sayyed: The scouting system in Defense Derby adds a unique element to the gameplay. How does it work, and how does it contribute to the game’s overall strategy and mind games that players can employ to gain an advantage?

Sinchan Park: The core fun of Defense Derby is that the players have to think ahead about what the optimal deck will be in order to win, and then build that deck through scouting in actual battle. Mind games through scouting take place during the process of obtaining the unit that I want at the lowest price while preventing others from taking the unit that they want.

• The player has to determine the value of the card presented at the scouting phase by considering the faction, type, and unit combination, then anticipate the needs of the opponent to offer the appropriate amount of Derby Chips.
• The player that offers the most Derby Chips obtains the unit, but since bonus Derby Chips are awarded based on the scouting ranking, it is better to offer the appropriate amount of chips even if the unit offered at the scouting round is one that you don’t want.
• If the card that you own can be merged, this would call for active scouting, but if the opponent’s card can be merged, a certain level of caution would be needed.
• A scouting card is offered from the deck of the player that has the most Derby Chips, so players should be careful about how they use their Derby Chips.
• The scouting will largely be affected by which units are randomly dealt from a player’s deck when the battle starts.

Rayan Sayyed: Unit scouting is a crucial aspect of the game, requiring players to strategically bid for cards. Could you explain how the real-time bidding system works?

Sinchan Park: The same scouting card will be presented to all four players, and the player that offers the most Derby Chips will obtain the card. Players will need to invest proactively if the presented card is one that they want, but since the card that is presented at scouting is selected from the deck of the player who has the most Derby Chips, bidding with caution is a must.

Through this scouting system, players can disrupt another player’s strategy, or engage in a mind game where they have to quickly adjust their strategy depending on the situation. Players will obviously have to make up their deck by considering the faction and type of the heroes and units but mixing various factions to give more personality to the deck can also be a good way to go.

Rayan Sayyed: As a developer, what were some of the key challenges you faced in designing and balancing the various game modes? How did you approach creating a progression system that keeps players engaged and motivated to continue playing through the stages and dungeons?

Sinchan Park: The biggest challenge we faced in the mode development process was creating a “different” type of fun that would be different from what was already out there. I think it’s always a challenging process to come up with a different type of gameplay experience while maintaining the core fun of the Derby Mode “intense mind games.” Still, it’s a fun process. Derby Mode, the main PvP mode, provides a different type of fun every time, depending on the deck that the player and opponent has created, while PvE modes such as Blitz Mode and Dungeon are designed so that players can clear the game with a variety of combinations. Players can also acquire resources needed for growth by playing modes other than Derby Mode.

Rayan Sayyed: With multiple players competing against each other, how do you ensure a fair and balanced experience in Defense Derby? Are there any mechanisms to prevent players from gaining an overwhelming advantage?

Sinchan Park: In Defense Derby, users have to create their own personal deck and compete with others, which can lead to a difference in skill between users. So, when we started designing Defense Derby, we put more focus on luck and mind games rather than the difference in skill between users.

To narrow down the difference in skill level, we introduced the scouting system. Through the scouting system, rather than using the controls, players can use their chips as well as the counterparty’s chips to engage in mind games.

In an effort to provide a fair playing field, we put a lot of care into matchmaking and made it so that players who have similar skill levels can enjoy the PvP mode. We are also providing the Friendly Derby where all users use equal deck stats to fight against each other, as well as a mode where all users use the same deck to engage in battle. We will continuously strive to provide a fair competitive environment for our users.

Rayan Sayyed: Derby Mode offers real-time multiplayer gameplay. Can you explain how the unit scouting phase works in this mode? Are there any unique strategies or synergies players can utilise to gain an advantage in this competitive multiplayer setting?

Sinchan Park: The same scouting card will be presented to all four players, and the player that offers the most Derby Chips will obtain the card. Players will need to invest proactively if the presented card is one that they want, but since the card that is presented at scouting is selected from the deck of the player who has the most Derby Chips, bidding with caution is a must.

Through this scouting system, players can disrupt another player’s strategy, or engage in a mind game where they have to quickly adjust their strategy depending on the situation. Players will obviously have to make up their deck by considering the faction and type of the heroes and units but mixing various factions to give more personality to the deck can also be a good way to go.

Rayan Sayyed: The Dungeon modes, Mana Mine and Valley of Trials, offer single-player challenges with unique gameplay mechanics. Can you elaborate on how these dungeons differ from the main game modes? What rewards and resources can players expect to obtain from completing these dungeons?

Sinchan Park: While players comprise their deck during the play process through the act of scouting in Derby Mode, Dungeon is different in that it is a PvE mode where players can use the entire deck that they established at the beginning. Players can obtain growth resources that match the concept of each dungeon. When players clear each stage for the first time, they can obtain gems, the in-game currency, as a bonus.

Rayan Sayyed: Looking ahead, do you plan to introduce new game modes or expand upon the existing modes? Are there any upcoming features or updates that players can anticipate?

Sinchan Park: We are preparing the Pick and Ban mode, and since there are various forms of Pick and Ban, we plan to make diverse attempts in that regard. We are also working on a 2:2 cooperative mode, which many people are anticipating. Initially, we plan to prioritize the service of a PvP mode that can be enjoyed a little more casually than the current Derby mode. Once we confirm the potential of this mode, we intend to formalize it as an official content. After that, we will focus on expanding the PvE mode.

Rayan Sayyed: How do you plan to keep the game fresh and engaging for both new and existing players in the long term?

Sinchan Park: We plan to put the focus on “change in experience.” We will continuously add new units after the official launch so that players can create various combinations. We are also working on adding a system and new elements that will allow players to give their decks more personality. Aside from all this, we also plan to add other new modes that will provide a different type of fun from what Derby Mode provides.

Moreover, even if there is a mode that is not yet complete, we will get feedback from users by servicing it for a short period of time. If it seems that users like the mode and it goes well with the overall game, we will make it an official part of the game. We will seek to continuously change the player experience through these efforts.