Here's an update on our development.

NAKWON has moved forward from last year's pre-alpha phase and is now entering alpha.
We're working very hard on it, with the goal of completing the alpha by the end of this year.
If you're asking why it's taking so long, it's because we started testing very early compared to other games, which is why you're seeing a longer development period.

We started testing 11 months after we started development, so we're now over a year and a half into development, and there's still a lot of groundwork to be done.
We don't want to take too much time, and we want to get the things we need done quickly and well and get them out to you.

In the pre-alpha, you've been exploring the city, but in the future alpha and beta, you'll be able to experience living and growing in the survivor's sheltered 'NAKWON'.

Today, we'd like to share a short video of us walking around the city in a preview environment in the Unreal Editor.
We're also working on a number of other aspects of your character's progression, such as their class concept: style, personality, level, perks, and skills.

As always, thank you for your patience.

Among other things, we're showing off some of the progress we've made on the Explore map.

We're working on making more places to enter and explore.
Nakwon-Shopping Center will be bigger and have more floors. The police station, which was only accessible up to the second floor, will be opened up to the rooftop.
There are many other additions/expansions in the map.

The entire team is working hard until we see you again with a great game.
Thank you for your patience and support.

This is an overview of the combat system overhaul we're working on.

We're currently focusing on the combat mechanics, and we'll be reworking all of the animations later.


In this video, you'll see the following:

• Zombies' knockdown: They fall down after a certain number of hits, depending on the weapon type.
  
• Attacking a knocked down opponent: Hitting a downed target will automatically attack them with a quick pounding style attack.
  
• Added combat action: Two-handed hammer special attack (Gather your energy and strike down).
  
• Added combat style: Fight with a one-handed blunt weapon (claw hammer) equipped in both hands.
  
• Zombie Spawn: Zombies spawn from nearby objects.

In addition to combat, we're working on quests, traits, levels, skills, and more, but they don't fit well in a video, so for the time being, we'll be posting videos focusing on the combat system.


We're working hard to make the game as fun as you've been waiting for.

Thank you.

NAKWON: LAST PARADISE has a new official website and YouTube channel to share with you.

• Official Website[nakwon.nexon.com]
  
• Official YouTube

We look forward to connecting with you through these new channels as well as our existing channels.

Thank you all for your interest and support.

This Q&A list was written based on your questions on Discord.
Visit our official Discord[discord.gg] and join the discussion.

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Will guns be more readily available? or easier to get, since they were hard to find lol it was like all melee weapons.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Guns will be harder to come by, as they cause unpredictable and unavoidable deaths.

I need to know so i can save money to buy this wonderful game! loved the playtest even tho i encounter cheaters and bad server connection

Originally posted by Dev:

A.We haven't decided yet. Sorry about that.

During the Pre-Alpha Test, there was excessive lag when entering the Momo Hotel.
Did other users report experiencing lag as well?
If so, has the lag issue at the Momo Hotel been fixed?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We are not sure why you experienced lag specifically at the Momo Hotel, but we will make sure to optimize the game to prevent such issues in the official release.

I'm a writer and a voice actor for audiobooks.
I want to write a short story about Nakwon, just out of fandom, and I have a few questions about the plot of the game.

1. Is the game setting about the Zombie virus outbreak occured between 2024 and 2025? Or is the exact year not mentioned?
   
2. Managing gas and electricity would also be an issue in the outbreak. Is the internet still working in the game? If so, Im thinking there would be a lot of illegal sites than normal ones, would Instagram still work?
   
3. If bitten by a Zombie, do we get infected immediately? Or only upon death?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. The settings are subject to change, so we cannot provide specific details at the moment.
Also due to potential spoilers, it is unclear what can be disclosed.
We will answer these questions if possible in the future. Thank you for your interest.

I understand that the future test schedule may change depending on the current development status,
but can you provide a rough schedule for the first test, even if it is subject to change?
And if the test starts, will we receive a notification on this Discord Server?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We expect it to be in the second half of this year or early next year, but it is not confirmed yet.
We might conduct an internal test first, after that an external test will follow.
If we do have an external test, we will probably notify everyone here by announcement. Thank you for your patience. We are working hard to make the game enjoyable for everyone.

During the Pre-Alpha Test, experienced players camped in places like the corner of the second floor of the police station, ambushing other players.
Will be there any countermeasures for this, or is it considered as strategic element of the game?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Camping is initially a strategy spending time to gain an advantage over others, so the fact of it being advantageous is not a problem in itself.
But if the rewards are too high compared to the time spent, it becomes a balance issue.
Nakwon is melee focused, so we expect less of these issues, but the third-person perspective still has an impact.
We do recognize camping as a valid strategy, but we are considering ways to counter it with Zombies, consumables, or skills. For example:

• Zombies: More Zombies will be placed in & outdoors, especially in key areas.
  There might be special zones where Zombies continuously spawn, which can be used to counter or deter camping.
  
• Consumables: We might consider items that help detect players, such as pepper spray that causes players in the area to temporarily cough.
  But other players might set traps in response, so it could lead to resource and strategy battles.
  
• Skills: Future active or passive skills may include abilities to counter camping.
  Like the "listening mode" to detect Zombies or players behind walls in "Last of Us", there may also be skills that lure Zombies to certain locations, allowing players to clear the area before they enter.

After the latest Mintrocket YouTube video we noticed the game will move up in the "Nexon chain".
Are you going to keep working on it and move outside of Mintrocket or it will be completely managed by new people?
Hope you guys are doing ok and the change didn't upset you- Wish you the best

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Although the development team has grown in size, what we need to create has not changed.
The fun of the game is still our top priority, and we plan to develop it exactly as we had in mind.
We're glad that, thanks to the company's support, we have the possibility to put everything We've been thinking about into the game.
There is no need to worry as there has been no change in the direction and plan of the game that has been continuously announced on Discord and Steam.

I participated in a focus group test before.
About 50 people gathered in one place, played for about 2 hours and provided feedback.
Is there a plan to conduct such group tests for Nakwon? Or is the possibility of group test also uncertain at this time?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. It's still up in the air.

Are there any future plans to destroy walls or use special items like makeshift ladders to gain geographical advantages, such as climbing to high ground?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Destroying terrain features is unlikely.
However, we are open to the idea of using items such as stepladders to utilize terrain creatively and have discussed it as an idea.
However, we are undecided on whether or not to implement it.

I'm wondering if the boss zombies you mentioned in the recent dev talk are special and one per match, or if they are extra strong regular zombies that roam the zone.
I'm also wondering if there is a rate at which boss zombies appear, if they appear regularly each match.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Your questions are being discussed and we don't have an answer yet.
There's a good chance we'll probably go with one per game, but we'll have to discuss it further as we test it in practice.
Boss encounter probabilities are also TBD and we will be able to provide an update when we have a direction.

There was only one map, NAKWON Arcade, during the last test, but I wonder if more maps will be added in the future.
Also, it would be interesting to add a housing system to Yeouido where the survivors live, do you have any plans to add that to the game?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. For now, we plan to keep the main map centered on Jongno 3-ga.
This is because splitting the map into multiple maps would split the matching pool.
Instead, we plan to expand the area from the center of Jongno 3-ga to include access to the Jongno 3-ga subway station and the nearby Hanok Village.

The housing system will be added.
We're considering a system where you live in your own home, and based on your civic rank, you'll be assigned a better home where you can furnish, decorate, work, or grow plants.
However, you won't be able to travel outside of your home.

We're reworking the combat system, which was one of the most common complaints in the previous Pre-Alpha Test.

In fact, in the previous test, we ran out of time and just made the combat itself work.

Now we're laying the groundwork to make even basic combat fun.


It's still early stage, but here's a quick update on what we're working on.

* Many of the motions in the video are temporary.
Once we have the general underlying action system in place, we'll be re-creating the motions around it.

1. A system for hitting while moving
   
   
   • Previously, when you attacked, your motion was fixed and you couldn't move, but now you can move as you wish while still attacking with your upper body.
     This means you can chase and hit your opponent, or back up and hit them, or whatever you think is more comfortable.
   
   
2. Zombie knockdown system
   
   
   • We're adding a system that allows you to knock down Zombies without killing them.
     Depending on the situation, you can knock down a Zombie and run away, or knock them down and follow up with a stronger attack.

This Q&A list was written based on your questions on Discord.
Visit our official Discord[discord.gg] and join the discussion.

===============================================================================

In ⁠#dev-talks⁠ you mentioned the addition of fog, reducing visibility of Zombies.
Does this mean players view Zombies at decreased range/clarity or Zombies view players at decreased range/clarity, or both?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. It means both.
The fog will significantly reduce the player's sight range, but the Zombies will also have reduced visibility, so they won't see you if you're far away.
We wanted to encourage Survivors to prepare a different strategy than what they would normally use, because both sides will have reduced visibility.
Foggy weather is one example, but we're also considering rainy weather, sunny days, and more.

Originally posted by Dev:

A.There will be grades.
Gear with higher base stats will be of higher grades, and gear with higher grades have a chance to have better random options.

Is there going to be stat building such as stacking health and speed on your gear?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Yes, you'll be able to attach additional options to your gear, some of which will include things like health and movement speed you mentioned as examples.
We're also planning to allow attaching options for a variety of other things, such as the speed of opening chests, throwing distance, and increasing the amount of weight you can equip.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Only the weight of equipped gear will be considered. In terms of farming inventory, the inventory space/slots will be the only restriction.

For example, if fire suits are to be added, they will be heavier and slow down the movement speed, but in turn the defense can be higher.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. A similar system will be added.
The movement speed will depend on the weight of equipped gear, so armor and weapons will have characteristics like what is mentioned in the example above.

If shields allow users to attack enemies while blocking the enemies’ attacks, this would grant an absolute advantage.
Therefore I believe that people who have shields should also have some sort of disadvantage as well.
This issue would be more prominent in the case of stronger weapons, and I am curious to know how this will be addressed.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Shield Balancing::
With the following points, we plan to balance different weapons/equipment.

• Controls: The blocking mechanism works when the attack is actually blocked with the shield.
  When blocking with the shield, one would have to move the shield up and down to block attacks, so blocking requires controls.
  Of course the shield might still block attacks while just holding it and walking around.
  
  
• Durability: Not only shields but for every armor and weapon there is ‘durability’.
  When it depletes the equipment will break, but we are thinking of leaving the broken equipment as an item so that it can be fixed and used again.
  Likewise, the shields would also have durability levels so it can’t be used forever without breaking.
  
  
• Stamina: Stamina will decrease every time an attack is blocked with the shield.
  
  
• Weight System: The total weight of equipped gear will affect the movement speed.
  For example, a shield that is sturdy and large enough to block attacks easily would be heavier, which means that walking or running would be that much slower.
  As the map is widespread and farming is the main objective, having a large shield that would slow one down doesn’t always have the upper hand in comparison to moving around the map quickly with short blades in each hand.
  
  
• Equip Limit: Currently, shields can only be equipped to the left hand.
  Therefore only one one-handed weapon can be equipped to the right hand.
  Two-handed weapons will leave no hand to equip the shield to.

Currently we see a shield that looks similar to a riot shield, and I would like to know if other types of shields are to be added in the future.
For example, a pot lid can become a shield, and in the WebToon <Sweet Home> the characters use a refrigerator door as a shield.
The structure of a shield is very simple, so I think there is definitely a possibility where players can gather wood on the field and create makeshift shields of their own.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Types of shields:
The points you mentioned can be summarized with the points in the list below.
With different combinations of the following elements, I believe various types of shields can be created.

1. Size: The bigger the easier to block attacks, and the smaller the more difficult it would be. (Smaller shields would require more skilled controls)
   
   
2. Durability: A shield with higher durability can be used for a longer time, and a shield with low durability will break easily (needs to be fixed more often).
   
   
3. Weight: If the shield is big and durable, it’s probably going to be heavy. But if a shield is small and less durable, it will weigh less.
   
   
4. Rarity: If there is a newly developed shield that is large and durable, and also light, then it would be very very expensive and hard to find.
   Normal shields would be easier to find.
   In other words, shields that are easy to find will have something lacking in either size, durability or weight, and if it was very difficult to acquire it will have significant advantage in size/durability/weight.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Though we are open to this in the future, currently we don't have any plans to add such features.

For example, there could be a system where you can add nails to a wooden weapon to create something like a 'nailed bat', and this could affect the weapon's damage and durability.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. As of now, there aren't any systems to combine/alter weapons as mentioned in the question.

I think it would be fun if we can add a holster to arm guards, or lock backpacks so other people can’t open it unless they have a certain item or achieve a certain condition.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We have considered modifying, but considering the cost, currently we are not.
The level of modification you mentioned would probably be added very far in the future.

During the Pre-Alpha there were around 20-30 people in one game. After the game is developed enough for an Open Beta, the map will be bigger, so will there be more people in one game?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. The maximum number of players for the map has not yet been determined and depends on the size of the map.
Currently, we are considering dividing the zones based on difficulty, so if the map becomes less spread out then the number of players may decrease as well. (Dividing the entire map into sections according to difficulty)
The important thing is ensuring that the frequency of player encounters during the game and the possibility of escape are balanced appropriately. We plan to continue developing the game, making sure we don’t have any issues in these areas.

A lot of new weapons have been added, and I wanted to know if tasers or electric weapons will be added as well.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We don't have any specific plans for taser-type weapons yet, but as long as they don't instantly kill the opponent, we're always open to the possibility of ranged weapons, including the type you mentioned.

The development team has finished its internal reorganization and reorientation and is at the beginning of the next phase of development.

We're still in the early stages, so there are few visible changes.

As we get closer to the end of the next development cycle, we'll have a lot more to show you.

For today, I'd like to share a quick in-progress.
(All are screenshots of work in progress, and the final product may be different.)

1. New Zombies
   - We're working on some new, powerful boss-level Zombies.
   
2. New Weapons
   - We're adding new weapons.
   
3. New Lobby
   - We're reorganizing the lobby and its UI.
   
4. New spaces in the map
   - We're adding more new areas to the map.
   
   For example, a new floor of NAKWON Arcade will be opened, which will be bigger and more maze-like.
   
   All configurations are temporary and no objects are placed yet.

# Note 1: This is a test video of walking around the map, so there are no Zombies in it.
# Note 2: We have temporarily removed a significant number of objects (eg. vehicles) to make way for the new map configuration.

This Q&A list was written based on your questions on Discord.
Visit our official Discord[discord.gg] and join the discussion.

===============================================================================

When we open a certain safe, sometimes there is a ledger placed within which is a quest item for a different player. It states, "If someone other than the owner owns this item, it may be tracked, so be careful.”.
Would there be a penalty or a certain event that would happen if I ignored this warning and took it?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We were planning to add a tracking system as you mentioned, but we weren’t able to get to it for the previous test.
There is a possibility a similar concept will be implemented for missions or in-game systems but this isn’t finalized yet.

Like ‘the most player kills’ or ‘the most Zombie kills’ etc.?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Yes, there are plans to add a leaderboard-like system in the future, and the intent is to encourage ranked competition for different ways of playing rather than just player or Zombie kills.
But this is still in the planning phase, and it's not of high priority, so it would take some time to implement.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Yes, we definitely want to in the future if time and resources allow us.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We're always open to the possibility of a console release, but nothing has been decided yet - we're focused on PC for now.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Nothing is certain yet. We are working very hard on this game, so please bear with us a little more!

Will the voice chat alert the Zombies? Or will the VOIP not have any effect on them?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Our current development plan is to make sure that VOIP doesn't affect the actual gameplay itself, meaning that no matter how loudly you speak into the microphone, it won't affect the Zombies around you.

If we make Zombies react to VOIP, we might expect some players to use external voice chat platforms (like Discord right now) instead of the in-game microphone feature, which would make VOIP itself an unequal playing field, so we want to make sure that the in-game microphone is only audible to the players themselves.

I am curious to know if you have a story quest or ending planned to be added.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. We will add a quest system, and there will be a main quest that follows the main story.
We’re still considering the possibility of an ending.

I am curious to know if there were any discussions regarding new weapons to be added to the Alpha Test.
For example, there could be a Josun Scythe that fits the vibe of NAKWON, and perhaps a shotgun for new firearms.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. For now we aren’t focused on ranged weapons.
We were thinking of developing hunting rifles but that is on hold for the time being.

The reason behind this is that our current focus is on renewing the melee combat system and adding a shield system.

For example, as you can see in the below image, we are currently developing features related to shields.
We are also considering combinations of [shield + knife] or [shield + club].
We are also contemplating making it available to wield two one-handed weapons (one in each hand) but depending on the development process this may be added or not.
These are our main focus, and ranged weapons are of less priority.

Additionally, we are planning various new melee weapons.
A scythe, as you mentioned, was also one of the ideas we had, and many others such as police batons, tennis rackets, wrenches, etc. are being discussed.
Please understand that at this moment we cannot confirm if everything we planned can be developed in time.
When the game is further developed, we will release more information before the test like we did for the Pre-Alpha.

For example, Zombies that run on all fours and climb onto vehicles, or dogs that became Zombies, so once they detect the player, they will follow them everywhere by scent, until one or the other is killed.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Zombies on all fours were excluded from the plans due to high costs, but we still plan to add new types of Zombies.

Currently planned Zombies include the following, which may change during development:

• Zombies who used to farm for NAKWON, like players: Equipped with equipment from their previous lives.
  
• Screaming Zombies: Previously, all Zombies screamed, but now there will be separate Zombies that scream.
  
• Armored Zombies: Difficult to kill due to their armor.
  
• Runner Zombies that chase Survivors faster.
  
• Blind Zombies.
  
• Butcher Zombies who were butchers in their previous lives and wield knives.
  
• Zombies wearing combat police uniforms, equipped with full riot gear which they died in.

You mentioned "Zombies with the concept of being a former NAKWON Scouter/Explorer". If that is the case, will we get better items if we loot their bodies?

Originally posted by Dev:

A. Compared to normal Zombies there probably would be better items.
But this isn’t going to be a boss-level Zombie, so there will be limits to what you will get.
We are going to have better items dropped based on the difficulty of the Zombies.

“Separation of upper and lower body: players will be able to move and attack as they wish without stopping when attacking.” → Will this apply to weapons like Crowbar or Axe?
I feel like it would be more suitable for only short weapons with light attacks. I am curious to know how it will be implemented.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. This will be implemented for all weapons and attacks.
While before it was more like a Soulslike movement where every attack triggered upper and lower body movement (couldn't walk while attacking), the new system will allow the upper body to be able to always attack, and the lower body to be constantly on the move.
It would be similar to Mordhau, Chivalry, or Warhaven action styles.

Originally posted by Dev:

A. No, there won’t be. For now, we are considering ‘Unlock Conditions’ for each character.
(ex. Once the main quest for character A is complete, character E is unlocked / Upon reaching a certain Citizen Class, character F is unlocked, etc.)

We haven’t discussed the BM yet but for now, we are considering for it to be in the form of cosmetics or Battle Passes.