Masters of the Book, This is Kim Young-mo, the director of ASTRA: Knights of Veda. The development team is here to answer the feedback and questions you, our Masters of the Book, have shared. 1. The drop rates for Goddess’s Armor seem to be very low. Since there are no features like Sweep on Nightmares of the Abyss, it feels harder to farm them, are there any plans to adjust the drop rates? We understand the frustration with the drop rates. There are currently plans to make adjustments to the higher Abyssal Levels of the Nightmare of the Abyss with the February 2025 update. After the update, we’ll carefully review the data and adjust the difficulty and drop rates accordingly. Additionally, the Nightmare of the Abyss is a content that requires consistent challenges to complete the Goddess’s Armor you wish for your Knights of Veda. Since Goddess’s Armor has fixed sub-stats, once you fully refine and upgrade it, you will only need more of it to build your other Knights if you so wish. 2. I mostly play solo and want to do so still. However, I’m forced to use Co-Op when playing Nightmare of the Abyss, which is inconvenient since parties can only be made by directly inviting other players. Is it possible for a lobby system to be added to the game where you can openly recruit players to create a party? Due to the Nightmare of Abyss’ difficulty level, many Masters of the Book feel the need to create parties to tackle the content together, lowering the difficulty as a result. Adding a lobby system to the game corresponds to a big investment of development time and resources and would potentially make the game more bloated in terms of systems. Additionally, there could be issues when there are no players available, so we plan to introduce a similar Quick Matchmaking system. This will allow players to set the Abyssal Level they want to tackle and quickly match with users who wish to party up. Rest assured that we will prioritize the addition of this feature and then consider updates to it afterwards. 3. Currently, Anais is performing well for a newly-released Knight of Veda. However, the Wound Recovery part of her kit is lacking. Are there any plans for buffs of any kind? Anais’ Kit was made with having her the best Healer knight in terms of damage and buffs applied in mind, in addition to having the Wound Recovery mechanic. Due to this, she has quickly become a necessary part of any team when tackling Celestial Trials and Nightmare of the Abyss. However it would seem that this part of her kit is found to be lacking contrary to expectations, of which we would like to apologize for. Buffing the Wound Recovery part of her kit could be risky, however we’ll continue to keep an eye on the situation and make adjustments after careful consideration and review. 4. Many recently introduced content include a time-limit rule, which I feel limits the players in terms of build diversity by making them be simple DPS checks. Are there any discussions regarding this, specifically if more new content will include this rule? Will the upcoming World Boss also have it? Time-limits are used in content where it matches the gameplay goal, which in the case of Nightmare of the Abyss, is a key element. Teaming up with other users allows them to clear the content faster, allowing for better efficiency in farming Goddess’s Armor and the upgrade materials for it. As for the World Boss content, it does include a time-limit, but it is used differently from current implementations. In this content, the boss becomes more ferocious and deals more damage as its health decreases. Ranking is then based on how much damage has been dealt by each user within a limited time. This means that you will also need to focus on your Knights’ survivability alongside their attack power if you wish to rank high in this content. However, as the time-limit rule is dependent on the gameplay goals for the content, we’re considering content without this rule in place and hopefully introduce them to you as soon as possible, so please look forward to it. 5. Since the introduction of Goddess’s Armor, PvP Matches have suddenly become longer. Are there any plans to adjust the effects of the Goddess’s Armor based on if the content is PvP or PvE? We’ve received numerous feedback regarding this and are looking to make adjustments to the equipment for PvP-related content to realize our aim of PvP matches not being too long or too short. 6. Are there any plans to allow “Hero’s Shoes” to be usable on Nightmare of the Abyss? It would make the more tedious parts of content, specifically the farming, much more manageable. We completely understand your feedback and are making adjustments to ease the frustration. Alongside the upcoming Quick Matchmaking feature, we’re actively considering allowing the use of Hero’s Shoes on Nightmare of the Abyss. We will inform you as soon as possible once we have finalized the details and would like to ask for your understanding and patience as we do so. 7. We’ve already cleared Floor 50 of Celestial Trials, when will the additional floors be released? Floors 51~60 of Celestial Trials will be added to the game on the 1/23 Update alongside an update to the lower floors to reduce their difficulty.. ※ The information stated was provided to help our Masters of the Book understand our upcoming content schedule. More precise details will be given regarding content names and specifics through the patch notes. Thank you.

Masters of the Book, I am Kim Young-mo, the director of ASTRA: Knights of Veda. We have recently conducted a Live Broadcast where we were able to have an honest conversation with our Korean Masters of the Book. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, I was unable to meet and address you, our Global Masters of the Book, who have always shown their unwavering love. I would like to express my deepest apologies for this. Due to this, we would also like to share with our Global Users the content revealed and the questions answered during the broadcast, even if it’s in writing. Through this live broadcast, the development team had the valuable opportunity to hear various opinions that we had not considered before. As the Director, I cannot make all the decisions on my own, so we’ve arranged to review and discuss the points you shared with the development team. We will provide clear responses on what can be answered and give specific details regarding the update schedule. ■ ASTRA: Knights of Veda Update Roadmap ■ Director’s Live Broadcast Q&A | Call of the Stars Q. Since the 11/28 update, the Pickup All-Out event has disappeared. Does this mean that the event will never come back? A. Starting from the 12/26 update, the Pickup All-Out event will now be available permanently and in addition, will include Rhynara. This means all of the previously released characters can now be summoned once again. Q. The Aslan Pickup Hero Event doesn’t take advantage of the Pick-Up Draw system. Does this mean future Knights of Veda releases will also exclude the feature? If so, will there be any compensation for users who paid to take advantage of it? A. As stated, the Pickup All-Out event that will be made permanent (and now also includes Rhynara) will feature the “Pick-Up Draw” system. Additionally, the bonus system, where you can obtain a Knight of Veda from the permanent Pick-Up event after 300 summons, will also return. Q. Are there any plans to add Knights of Veda to the “Fallen Wing of Veda” Call of the Stars? A. Adding Knights of Veda to the permanent “Fallen Wing of Veda” Call of the Stars may make them more difficult to obtain. For now, we plan to retain the current roster of Knights available in “Fallen Wing of Veda.” However, we aim to make Season 1 Pickup Knights of Veda easier to acquire and introduce increased rates in “Fallen Wing of Veda.” More details will be shared once finalized. Q. Since the “Pickup All-Out” event will be made permanent, does this also mean the corresponding Halo and El Cid events will come back and be made permanent? A. That is correct. Both the Halo and El Cid events will come back. Q. Are there any plans to buff the Exclusive Weapons that can be obtained from “Fallen Wing of Veda?” A. We do have plans to buff the permanent Exclusive Weapons. However, there may be users who are dissatisfied with the improvements made versus the original stats. Therefore, we are preparing a system that allows players to choose between the original and new stats. We will share more details and the update schedule once it's finalized. | Knights of Veda Q. For Fire-attribute Knights, it’s only Edward that fills the DPS role. Anais is being introduced as another Fire-attribute Knight but she’s in the Healer role and that’s disappointing. Are there any plans to remedy this? A. Although Anais is a healer, she is also a great damage dealer. She has a unique "Wound Healing" ability that other Healers don't have, allowing her to keep the party alive in content like the Celestial Trials, where the difficulty increases fast. Q. Bikki’s performance is overwhelming in all content, and I am concerned about balance. Are there any plans for adjustments? A. There are currently no plans to nerf Bikki. However, we plan to add other Knights of Veda who can provide buffs and perform on the same level as Bikki does in different content. Our goal is to ensure that all Knights are useful in various content, so we ask for your patience as we continue to improve the game. Q. Can you tell us about any 4★ Knights of Veda that we can look forward to in Legendary Promotion? A. While all 4★ Knights of Veda will get improved in one way or the other, we would like our Masters of the Book to take a closer look at Leon, Yanko, Rani, and Orlik, all of whom have significant roles in the story. We also have plans to buff some 5★ Knights of Veda, ensuring that all of them are viable and useful across the game. Q. Aurora’s Fate Level 7 effect doesn’t expand the range but only does direct damage. Is there a plan to improve this? A. We are aware of this issue and are planning to make improvements. Not only for Aurora but for all underperforming knights, we are considering overall buffs. Q. Will there be any plans to release more Dual-Attribute Knights of Veda A. For the 1st Anniversary update, we plan to release "White Hell," the first Dual-Attribute dealer with Lightning and Light attributes. Q. Aslan has a high fixed damage output. Are there any plans to release a character that can counter this? A. The fixed damage cap is not particularly high, and as stats increase, Aslan’s value will naturally decrease. We plan to consider buffs when the time comes. Q. There seems to be an issue with Aslan’s stamina. A. We’ve identified an error where Stamina-based additional damage from Aslan’s Signature Skill ”Deadly Leap and Blow” was not applied when switching to another character after the shockwave was triggered. This issue does not occur in Squad Battles, and we plan to fix it in the 12/26 update. Q. Are there plans to release a non-elemental Knights of Veda? A. Non-elemental characters would likely become all-purpose characters, so we currently do not plan to release one. Q. I’m curious why the focused Knight deals more damage during Training Ground Squad Battles. A. The difference in damage comes from the AI used by the focused Knight compared to the other Knights in the party. The focused Knight uses a standard AI, while the others use the Bot AI, which is the same AI used in Arena, which has a delay when using skills to ensure an appropriate level of difficulty is maintained. This delay is the cause of the difference in damage output. However, in the 12/26 Update, we have adjusted this so that the AI used in the Training Grounds will now be the same for all Knights, eliminating any discrepancies in damage. | Content Q. Are there any plans to introduce multiplayer content such as Guild Wars and Co-Op Boss Battles? A. With the 12/26 Update, we will be introducing a new content called “Nightmare of the Abyss.” While this content can be cleared solo, it includes mechanics that encourage users to party with other users to lower the difficulty. Q. As F2P users tend to grind and farm for resources more, they tend to feel like chores after a certain period. To remedy this, I feel like more RPG elements being added to the game would be great. A. We have been preparing and carefully considering new content. We hope that the "Nightmare of the Abyss" content, which will be introduced in the 12/26 Update, will quench this thirst for new content. Q. The Celestial Trials gamemode is too difficult. A. Celestial Trials Floors were designed to avoid feeling repetitive. However, for content like the Celestial Trials and Portrait of Thierry, we plan to adjust the difficulty of the early floors each time new ones are added. Q. Portrait of Thierry’s playtime is too long, and the difficulty for Floors 30 and above are too high, are there any plans to adjust these? A. In an update that will be released in January, we plan to expand the number of floors and adjust the difficulty. In addition, by equipping the new "Goddess's Armor," which can be obtained from the new "Nightmare of the Abyss" content, you can improve your survivability and make it easier to clear Floors. We also plan to lower the difficulty of the lower floors in the 12/26 update to allow more players to clear it. Q. The drop rate of Mythic Accessories on Portrait of Thierry seems to be very low. A. In the 12/26 Update, the drop rate for Mythic Accessories will be increased from 10% to 15%. Additionally, we will be adding a sweep function to Portrait of Thierry, making it easier to obtain Mythic Accessories. Q. Nec and Orlik have been dominating Battlefield of the War Gods for some time now. Are there any plans to address this? A. Since there are players who have invested in growing Nec and Orlik specifically for the "Battlefield of the War Gods" content, we do not plan to make immediate changes. As with how various metas have changed in that content, we expect a new meta to emerge that will supersede the current one in the future. Instead of artificially controlling the current meta, we aim to create new metas where different character combinations can overcome the current one. | Items Q. There are too many currencies which increases the barrier to entry. Are there any plans to add new progression systems, and thus currency? A. We acknowledge that the amount of currency required for improving your Knights of Veda can feel frustrating, and to alleviate this, we are introducing the "Sweep System" for each piece of content to reduce the difficulty of acquiring resources for enhancement. Although this is not part of the roadmap yet, we are preparing a system that will automatically repeat and progress dungeons, and we aim to let you know about it before the first anniversary of the game. Q. I’m running out of Adventurer’s Shoes and would like to see more sources for Gold and Starstones. A. We are continuously increasing the rewards given through events, but we understand that it may still feel insufficient for active players. We are monitoring this situation and will keep making improvements to ensure players can enjoy all of the content without inconvenience. However, regarding Adventurer’s Shoes, increasing their acquisition quantity could impact overall playtime and character growth, so we ask for your understanding as we must carefully consider any changes related to this system. Q. “Solvent of Prayer” is too expensive. A. Relics are a core part of the game and are an integral piece of beating the highest-level content, so changing an option on a relic holds significant value. Given that there are players who have already purchased these items, it's difficult to reduce the price immediately. However, we are considering ways to improve the situation and will explore potential solutions. | System Q. I would like a feature where I can choose to keep the old stats when Enchanting an item. A. Thank you for your suggestion. We will be implementing this feature, using a system similar to the Relic Bloom system in the 1/23 Update. | Others Q. How often will new maps and additions to the main story be released? A. The Main Story for Season 2 will be expanded after approximately three more updates. The storyline and overall content have already been decided, and we are currently working on finalizing it. Rest assured that we will bring more exciting story updates to you, just as you expect. Q. The time between updates feels too long, and the announcements are made too close to the release of said content. A. Since we operate globally, preparing official announcements may take a significant amount of time. As a result, it’s difficult to expedite this process. However, we plan to improve communication by using all available official channels to provide more frequent updates. Q. I miss the darker tone of Season 1’s Art Style, are there any plans to return to or improve upon it? A. We are doing our best to match the art style from Season 1 and are working hard to bring the original aesthetic back. However, instead of reworking already released characters, we plan to address this through costumes or skins. Q. Are there any plans to add a feature to replay the story segments or at the very least upload them to YouTube for future viewing? A. There is already a system in the game that allows you to rewatch story cutscenes via the Journal or the Collection menu. However, we realize that cutscenes alone may not fully convey the story, so we are considering other ways to release the entire story for easier access. Q. Are there any plans for collaborations? A. We are currently considering collaborations with titles that align well with ASTRA: Knights of Veda’s theme and aesthetic. Our focus is not just on popular titles, but rather on ones that can generate synergy with the game and bring new experiences to our players. We apologize for not being able to announce collaborations in advance, but rest assured that once details are finalized, we will inform you as soon as possible. Q. As updates continue, I feel the game’s performance is worsening and that optimization is not being done. Will there be plans to improve this? A. We continuously strive to improve optimization with every update, but it’s a challenging process. We are dedicated to creating an environment where players can enjoy the game with smooth and stable gameplay. We hope for your patience as we work towards this goal. Q. The rewards for Synchronizing with your Knights of Veda feel too low. I hope this will be improved. A. We recognize the importance of rewards for reaching higher Sync levels. We agree that the rewards have not been sufficient compared to the difficulty of reaching those levels. Therefore, in the 1/23 Update, we plan to improve this by offering "Crystals of Fate" as rewards for certain Synchronization levels. Q. How can I purchase the Tunic again? A. Tunics from previous seasons are available for sale through the Arena Shop. However, to maintain fairness for players who earned the Tunic through active participation in the Arena, it is only sold after three (3) seasons have passed. We hope that the answers provided are satisfactory to all of our Masters of the Book. In addition to the official announcement notices, we will also be engaging more with the community to address all of your feedback. We will continue to listen and strive to make the game more enjoyable for everyone. Thank you.

Masters of the Book, Are you enjoying Season 2 of ASTRA: Knights of Veda? We would like to express once again our sincerest gratitude for all our Masters of the Book who joined us at our various events and shared their gameplay experience. In the previous Developer Interview, we shared stories from some members of our Development Team for the first time. Through their stories, we were able to let you get a sneak peak into the setting design team and character concept art team’s work processes, letting our Masters of the Book have a look at how the fascinating characters and world of ASTRA: Knights of Veda are created. Thank you very much for reading their stories! We’ll be sharing more of our developers' stories so that you’ll feel closer to the team. In the 11/28 update, the new Knight of Veda “Aslan” and one of the major contents of Season 2, Celestial Trials, has been introduced. Celestial Trials, is a new end-game PvE content that is the continuation of the previous Tower of Trials content, offering a fun challenge to Masters of the Book. In this interview, we will be joined by S from the Content Design Team, who planned this exciting content, to talk about how the Celestial Trials was designed, and the challenges faced during the design process and other interesting stories. Q. Hello, Please introduce yourself. S : That’s correct, we do keep these story beats in mind when thinking of Knights to include in the game. The various Knights of Veda all have different tasks and objectives while the Master of the Book was adventuring to Gigantfall in Season 1. However, as the Master of the Book continues to grow in power and fame, their fates eventually become entangled as their objectives intersect with those of the Master of the Book. Q. What was the most important aspect your team was considering when planning “Celestial Trials”? S : To put it simply, it would be “strategic combat”. In Celestial Trials, each floor has its own unique and special rules, which means players will face new challenges every time they ascend the tower. For example, on some floors, the abilities of certain Knights of Veda may be either enhanced or restricted, and on others, enemies with special abilities may appear. We considered many aspects to ensure that players can experience a sense of achievement and fun strategizing around the limits and enhancements attached to each floor. We are also striving to provide fair rewards for everyone and for each floor cleared. As Celestial Trials was not designed to be competitive content, but rather a challenge-based content for each Master of the Book, we hope that everyone can enjoy the content at their own pace. Q. As Celestial Trials is replacing Tower of Trials, we’re curious if there were any elements intended to differentiate them from each other. S : Tower of Trials was initially designed with the same goals as what we set out to achieve with Celestial Trials, to offer the enjoyment of challenge and achievement. However, as more new content gets added to the game, the content has become more of a busy work you need to do every reset, a repetitive task To address this issue, Celestial Trials was designed to offer an experience that is not simply repetitive gameplay, but one where players must face and overcome each floor by strategizing and utilizing their Knights to their fullest potential We hope that players will create new strategies for each floor, immersing themselves and enjoying the experience even more. Q. Celestial Trials feature an infinite number of floors. Were there any considerations to prevent players from feeling bored as they continue to challenge these endless floors? S : To follow up on my previous answer, we made efforts to incorporate as many different strategies and approaches to a floor as possible. We carefully thought about and aimed to increase the overall strategic depth by thinking about how to effectively use the skills and combinations of each Knight of Veda in various combat situations. We also made sure that we are not only giving the commonly used Knights, but also those with lower usage, new roles and strategic uses. Additionally, I believe that when players successfully clear a difficult challenge, they should be rewarded accordingly. For example, Masters of the Book who clear a specific floor for the first time will be recorded as the "First Conqueror" of that floor, and all users will receive rewards linked to this achievement. We’ve also prepared new and special items as part of the rewards, so I hope players will enjoy them. Q. This question is unrelated to Celestial Trials. ASTRA: Knights of Veda features a variety of PvE and PvP content. What content did you personally enjoy playing the most? S : Recently, I’ve been enjoying Beast Battlefront. When it was first added, I only got to play it for a week, and I remember feeling quite disappointed. However, now that the event duration has been extended and there are more types of buffs and debuffs, I find it increasingly fun. Personally, I think the biggest appeal of Beast Battlefront is that the strategies you use can change depending on the bosses, buffs, and debuffs that appear. Although it’s not PvP, the fact that you can compete with other players adds to the excitement. The competitive aspect definitely makes the experience more immersive and challenging. This makes it so that if I’m asked to name a favorite content, Beast Battlefront will definitely be one of the top choices for me. Q. Finally, after the Season 2 update, many new contents will be added and revamped. Could you give us any hints about the major upcoming content? S : We are developing content designed to stimulate players’ sense of challenge and make the game even more enjoyable. For example, we are working on a very difficult dungeon where players can team up and use various strategies or party play to tackle it, as well as content where players can challenge gigantic, powerful bosses and compete with other players. I hope players continue to show interest not only in the existing content but also in the upcoming updates. Where do you usually check for information and updates about ASTRA: Knights of Veda Since the opening of the Official Discord Server, various information can be found there, but the place to go where you can find all information about the game has always been the official website. Did you know that we have revamped the Official Website with the Season 2 update? It now offers a more intuitive interface and richer information. To learn more about the updated website, we’ll be talking with UI Design Team’s Deputy Team Leader, “Ribbit” Q. Hello, Please introduce yourself. Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : Hello, Masters of the Book, it’s nice to finally be able to meet all of you. I’m Ribbit, the Deputy Team Leader for the UI Design Team, responsible for game UI and marketing design. Q. You have participated in the design of the Official Website from its early stages. We think it captures the game’s Dark Fantasy vibe through the dark-toned background and vibrant illustrations. What was the most important element considered during the initial planning phase of the website’s design to visually convey this vibe? Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : When we were planning the Official Website for ASTRA: Knights of Veda, the main concern was, “What do the players, the Masters of the Book, want to see on the Official Website?” I wanted to ensure that all of the information from the game could be viewed in one place while also allowing the players to be immersed in the game’s world and setting. From a design perspective, the artwork we use in ASTRA: Knights of Veda is of a very high quality with very detailed textures. I felt it was a shame to only be able to view the artwork on such a small canvas, so I wanted to showcase the art by making use of larger image sizes. However, this same detail and density in the artwork also makes it so that we use simple shapes like points, lines, and surfaces for the website’s other design elements to maintain a sense of balance. Overly simplified designs will look unfinished however if they are used right beside the highly-detailed art so we focused on finding the right balance between them. Q. With the Season 2 Update, the website was also overhauled. What was the main goal of this overhaul? Are there any parts that you would like our Masters of the Book to pay special attention to? Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : Season 2 was the first big update we did since the launch of ASTRA: Knights of Veda, and a lot of new stuff was introduced, from a new story and new characters to additional Relics and a variety of new Monsters. In line with this, we updated and overhauled the website and added this information to the guides available on the website. By doing this, we hope to help experienced Masters of the Book immerse themselves more in the world of ASTRA: Knights of Veda. For example, some Knights of Veda, formerly listed under [Etc.] are now categorized under their respective factions to clarify their relationships with other Knights of Veda and their factions. Additionally, [Noah’s Map] was updated with the new Adventure Zones alongside the new ones. I hope that with this, players can conveniently view the information they missed in the game, presented in detail and in a visual form. Q. Do you personally play ASTRA: Knights of Veda? If so, were there any aspects of your gameplay experience that helped with designing the website? Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : Yes! I play the game quite a lot. In fact, while designing the character introduction pages, the information I learned about each character’s elements, exclusive weapons, skills, and so on turned out to be quite helpful when playing the game. Q. Apart from the new features and design elements added during the overhaul coinciding with Season 2’s release, are there any functions you would like added or areas you wish you’d improve in the future? Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : I’m not sure if our Masters of the Book remember, but in the teaser site revealed during the FGT, we had animated character motion art for the 5★ Knights. After the launch of the game, and the subsequent redesign of the Official Website, we had to remove those animated character art for various reasons, and only the static illustration is displayed. I do feel a bit of regret about that and wish that we’ll be able to display ASTRA’s beautiful art in animated form. Additionally, if possible, I’m considering if it’s possible to improve the official website, such as introducing a daily-updated ranking table showcasing users' combat and attack power. Q. Finally, as its designer, do you wish to share a message with the Master of the Books visiting the game’s official website? Deputy Team Leader Ribbit : First of all, I and the team would like to thank you for the love and support you give ASTRA: Knights of Veda and to our work on the official website. I hope that the website becomes a place where everyone who loves the game and its world can discover more about the game and the people who inhabit it. We would be grateful if you continue your support for ASTRA: Knights of Veda into the future. Thank you very much! In today’s interviews, we had the opportunity to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of ASTRA: Knight of Veda’s development team, from both the game designer of the “Celestial Trials” game mode and the designer of the game’s Official Website. In it we learned how the game has continuously evolved and has been shaped by you, our Masters of the Book. Celestial Trials offers players new challenges and a deeper, more strategic combat experience that is also constantly being refined. While, thanks to the efforts of our designer, the Season 2 Website overhaul introduces a more intuitive and engaging design, making it easier for Masters of the Book to access game information and lore. We sincerely thank all Masters of the Book for their love and support for ASTRA: Knights of Veda. Your valuable feedback and continuous interest are a great source of strength to all in the development team. We look forward to bringing more exciting and enjoyable content to meet your expectations. Thank you.

Masters of the Book, I am Kim Young-mo, the director of ASTRA: Knights of Veda. The highly anticipated Season 2 update, Tears of the Goddess. was finally released on October 31, 2024. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the launch festivities. The development team is here to answer the feedback and questions you, our Masters of the Book, have shared. Through your feedback, we feel a greater sense of responsibility in addressing areas of the game that need further improvement. We will make sure to properly review your suggestions and reflect them in a way that would improve the game for Season 2 and beyond. 1. The Experience points required to level up the Master of the Book in Season 2 seem to have increased significantly, which caught many off guard. It's great that the experience points are higher, but the gap between Master of the Book levels and the Adventure Level Ascension Quests seems to have increased the progression difficulty. We have received numerous feedback about this, and it is one that we can empathize with as we plan to continually review and make changes to it on the difficulty side. The development team increased the experience points for the Master of the Book level in Season to allow new and returning users to level up quickly and unlock most of the content tied to these levels much faster. In the process, we anticipated a much slower increase in Knights' power relative to their Master of the Book level, and thus an increase in the difficulty of levels. While this was the case, we believed that several buffs made to most Knights, and the steady flow of resources given to users compared to those given from the Open Beta, made it so that clearing Adventure Zones shouldn't be too difficult. However, rest assured that we will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments to Ascension Quests or Adventure Zones that are proving to be too difficult. 2. We're enjoying the addition of Squad Battles, but it seems like the monsters in it feel stronger. Are there any differences with monster HP values? For Season 2, the development team has created Squad Battle the foundational battle mode. In Squad Battle, all four Knights are actively on the field, which increases enemy health accordingly. After taking advantage of synergies with Knight combinations and stats, it became possible to break through the Adventure Zone using Squad Battle. However, if progress became difficult, we designed a play experience that allows you to challenge harder areas through Normal Battle or Co-Op, offering a more strategic approach to overcoming tough obstacles. 3. Most of the Knights added in Season 1 haven't had story quests attached to them. Are there any plans to add Story Quests to them? The Knights released in Season 1 continue to advance their quests and agendas within the world of ASTRA: Knights of Veda. The characters in the main story will continue to evolve, with additional storylines added over time. For the external characters with significant episodes, we will prioritize important updates and release them gradually. 4. I was really looking forward to the release of Season 2, but then I noticed that most of the new content added has been for the end-game. Are there any plans to add content for those still starting or at an intermediate level? In an earlier Director's Letter, we briefly introduced some content that will be added to the game's subsequent updates. We are currently monitoring the difficulty of content like Portrait of Thierry, Beast Battlefront, and the Ancient Golden City, as they seem to present a significant barrier for beginners. As a development team, our first priority has always been to design the difficulty of all content, future or existing, with high quality, ensuring that players of all skill levels can still have a satisfying gameplay experience. With that in mind, we will continue to adjust the balance of existing content and add more challenging high-level content to match the progression of users. The most important part in building powerful Knights in ASTRA: Knights of Veda has always been Item Setup, the most critical of which is the Relic setup. We believe that properly setting Relics is a key skill for anyone wishing to master the game. The Development Team is currently exploring various ways to make Relic setup and the checking of item stats easier for beginners. Once we finalize the direction for this update, we will share it with you all. 5. The stress brought about by the pity system is quite high, especially when consecutive pity pulls occur, bringing extreme disappointment. Could you ease the pity system or allow us to choose between a 100% guaranteed pity pull after 100 summons or a 50% pull after 70 summons. “Call of the Stars” is an area that requires careful consideration for various reasons. We fully understand the stress users may experience in this area and are working on measures that will satisfy a wide range of players. We will share these updates as soon as possible. While there is ongoing discussion, please note that since it is a system that has already been commercialized, we must approach any changes with caution. We appreciate your understanding and patience. That concludes the answers to the topics that we thought you might be curious about regarding the Season 2 update. As announced on a previous Developer Note, after the Season 2 “Tears of the Goddess” update, we plan to introduce “Trials of the Celestial”, “Nightmare Dungeon of the Deep Abyss”, “World Bosses”, and the Mythic-grade for Weapons and Knights. This, alongside some other planned content and improvements that we are still to introduce in future updates. We would like to thank all our Masters of the Book, who are still with us and who joined us for Season 2, “Tears of the Goddess”. A full roadmap for Season 2 will be provided soon, combining both the planned developments and improvements to existing content. Thank you.

Masters of the Book, Before we begin, we would like to thank all of you for the love and support we have received since the game’s release on April 02, 2024. Due to this overwhelming love and support, we were able to work on and release Season 2 of the game just this October 31! We hope that you continue to support us throughout this journey as we introduce more Knights and travel to more locations. Up until now, we’ve communicated with and responded to feedback from the community through various channels, such as Director’s Letters and Developer Notes. This time, we’d like to take a slightly different approach and share information from the update process with you. Here we’ve spoken with the people who participated in the development of Season 2 and unravel the behind-the-scenes stories that occurred throughout the process. In the previous season, many of our Masters of the Book showed great interest in when new stories would be available after clearing Chapter 7 of the Adventure Zone. We sat down for our first interview with the Assistant Team Leader of the Setting Design Team, Yuja, who can explain the newly unfolding Season 2 story and the Knights of Veda better than anyone else. Q. Hello, Please introduce yourself. Yuja : Hello, this is Yuja from the Setting Design Team. We’re responsible for world-building, character development, and writing dialogue and narratives. Q. Could you briefly explain the plot and provide a view of the world of ASTRA: Knights of Veda? Yuja : The world is thrown into chaos as the twelve Masters of the Book containing the power of the Goddess Veda become corrupted. At this moment of darkness, you, the thirteenth Master of the Book arrives. To fulfill your destiny, you must overcome countless trials and the darkness threatening to engulf the world. Q. Were there any parts of the story that you found particularly difficult to write about? Yuja : I think the biggest challenge was that we have so many stories to tell and so little time to tell them! ASTRA: Knights of Veda has an expansive world that is closely connected to its predecessor, Dragon Blaze. So I was thinking about how to seamlessly weave stories from both games into one cohesive narrative. Q. In Season 2’s story, some Knights of Veda featured as Limited Call of the Stars appeared as new bosses. When creating the Knights, do you keep in mind the future story developments that will involve them down the line? Yuja : That’s correct, we do keep these story beats in mind when thinking of Knights to include in the game. The various Knights of Veda all have different tasks and objectives while the Master of the Book was adventuring to Gigantfall in Season 1. However, as the Master of the Book continues to grow in power and fame, their fates eventually become entangled as their objectives intersect with those of the Master of the Book. In addition, the Knights that are to be introduced in Season 2, will also have their own goals that will converge with the Master of the Book. Facing off against these same Knights of Veda that are playable, will allow players to see another side of these characters, as well as the complex interplay between the world’s various factions. This adds another layer of fun to the experience. Q. Is there anything you would like our Masters of the Book to pay special attention to while playing Season 2? Yuja : Building off my answer to the previous question,, not all of the Knights of Veda who appear as bosses are necessarily “evil” characters. As some of you may have already realized, in the world of ASTRA: Knights of Veda, there is no clear-cut distinction between what is “good” and what is “evil”. Each Knight of Veda is simply pursuing a goal in which they fiercely believe, based on the circumstances that they find themselves in. What I encourage our Masters of the Book to focus on then, is understanding each character’s goals, and just how far they are willing to go to achieve it, as I believe that this will make the story even more engaging. That aside, what I wish for the most is that our Masters of the Book enjoy the game freely, to play the game at their own pace and in whatever way they desire! Q. Do you have a Knight of Veda that you like the most? If so, please tell us more about them. Yuja : My most beloved Knight of Veda is Nayan, the Walrus Messenger. As for why, Nayan is a character who has preserved the purity of childhood that most, as they grew older, have lost. She is, in many ways, the exact opposite of me. When I was younger, I had many dreams and believed I could accomplish anything I set my heart to, but as time goes by and reality continually sets in, I gradually lose sight of these dreams. That is why I believe Nayan’s “childlike innocence” is one of her greatest strengths. She overcomes countless trials and crises in her own way, and the source of that strength comes from her belief in herself and her courage. Just like her line, “I'm Nayan. I know how courageous and strong I am!” – she faces the world with a strong belief in herself and with an upbeat attitude. To maintain this childlike innocence amidst doubt and hardship is, I think, proof of having the strongest hearts. To me, Nayan is a small "regret" for the dreams I once had, and at the same time, a reminder of the cheerful "childlike innocence" that remains in a corner of my heart. Q. Lastly, could you give us a small hint about how the continuation of the story will unfold. Yuja : There will be a variety of unexpected things that will come together to form the core of the next part of the story – things like frustration, overcoming challenges, growth, betrayal, secrets, and even romance. While Season 1 focused primarily on the story of the thirteenth Master of the Book, the next story will shift the spotlight to other characters as well, who will take center stage and unfold their narratives. Many of you have expressed curiosity about the upcoming Knights for Season 2, and as more characters are introduced, we hope you follow their journey as intently as you did the others before. For those of you who enjoyed Season 1’s story, we think you’ll appreciate the next chapter of the story! Have you checked any ASTRA: Knights of Veda concept art illustrations on the pre-registration page and community posts? One of the key elements that the development team focused on during this update was creating illustrations that could instantly convey the atmosphere of Season 2. Since this is the first time we’re introducing new regions and important characters in the story to the Masters of the Book, a lot of effort went into making sure these illustrations truly captured the essence of the update. Next, we’d like to share the story of Yogurt King, the youngest member of the Character Team in the Concept Art Department, who beautifully created these illustrations. Q. Hello, Please introduce yourself. Yogurt King : Hello, this is "Yogurt King" and I work in the Concept Art Department’s Character Team. We’re responsible for creating in-game resources such as character illustrations, weapons, icons, and other assets. Q. Did you work on all the illustrations by yourself? Could you explain the process you followed? Yogurt King : I am responsible for the character design and background sketches for the illustrations. The background work then, based on the sketches I drew, would be refined and completed by our Team Leader. For the process, first I gather about 50-100 reference images. From these, I select the ones that will be more useful and relevant to the illustration I am to make. Afterward, I sketch out the general composition and mood that will showcase the character’s specific “charm”, and then create the initial concept. During the process of developing the concept, I exchange many ideas with the team and the department head. We constantly check to make sure that the atmosphere of the illustration matches our intent, and whether the character’s personality and movement feel consistent. Once the larger aspects are decided, I refine the details and work on polishing the illustration until it’s complete. Q. The two illustrations showcased each have very different atmospheres. Were there specific aspects you wanted to emphasize in each one? Yogurt King : For the illustration with Rhynara as the main character, I focused on creating a cold, shimmering atmosphere and the feeling of tears, sparkling yet serene in a way that fits the title of the Season “Tears of the Goddess.” The composition, with a perspective looking up from below, along with the flowing hair and accessories, was meant to evoke a grand, new beginning, as the winds of the new Season blow in. Since previous illustrations often used warmer tones, I decided to try a more pale, blue-toned palette for a fresh and distinctive feel for Season 2. I hope this new approach will convey to our Masters of the Book a sense of uniqueness to our illustrations. For the illustration with Aurora as the focus, I wanted to capture the feeling of a Knight embarking on a journey. The sunset in this case would represent the end of Season 1, with the characters all looking towards and going to the Principality of Koren – a place commonly associated with the twilight. Aurora is a character loved by many Masters of the Book, so I tried to ensure her strong will was still subtly reflected alongside her beautiful visage. I also focused on the interactions and relationships of the Knights: Veleno, with her cheerful nature; Atterisee following her with a bright smile; and Ellen Farrell, observing from a distance. I concentrated on the Knights’ expressions and their interactions in this illustration. Q. As the youngest member of the character team, did you feel any pressure as you were taking on such important tasks? Were there any difficulties you encountered while working on them? Yogurt King : When I first took on the task, I did feel some pressure, but looking back, it was a rewarding and enjoyable experience. During the process, my teammates were incredibly helpful, and I received a lot of support, encouraging me to freely explore ideas and directions as long as my intentions and vision were clear. It felt like we were creating the final product together, which made the work much easier and less burdensome. They trusted me and allowed me to concentrate on delivering high-quality results without worrying about anything else, an environment where I could focus solely on the work from start to finish. I'm grateful for that. The most challenging part was that the illustrations required a certain level of understanding of perspective theory and the ability to express specific situations. With the limited time, I had to study 3D tools, take perspective lessons, and practice drawing as much as possible to achieve the best possible result. But in the end, seeing the completed work, I felt proud of what I was able to accomplish. Q. Lastly, what are you currently working on, and could you describe a knight of Veda that the Masters of the Book will encounter in the future? Yogurt King : Right now, I'm working on an illustration for an upcoming Knight of Veda. They’re a character who, I think, will be quite different from the ones we've seen before. I believe this new Knight will be one that the Masters of the Book will eagerly anticipate and enjoy. It's a character I like a lot, so I'm attached to it and enjoying the process. I can't wait for you all to meet them in-game! So, that was a conversation with two members who were in charge of the story and artwork for ASTRA: Knights of Veda. Through this interview with the developers, I hope you had fun discovering more details about Season 2 and the story of ASTRA: Knights of Veda while playing. In our next interview, we'll bring you more new stories from other developers, sharing insights into the November update. Once again, thank you for all the love you've shown ASTRA: Knights of Veda over the past six months. We look forward to your continued support for Season 2! Thank you.