Spain-based developer Crema's monster-collecting MMORPG Temtem is a vibrant, social take Pokemon's popular formula. With a monster pool and elemental grid that favors quality of quantity, and a combat system that completely eschews randomness for pure strategy, Temtem is its own beast. The game has evolved considerably since its January 2020 Early Access debut, and from what Crema has to say, the game has a promising future as well.
Game ZXC spoke with Crema community manager Lucia Prieto and Temtem game director Guillermo Andrades about Temtem's emphasis on diversity and inclusive representation, as well as development challenges the team faced and its roadmap for new content. Crema's emphasis on accessibility and plans to improve Temtem's competitive scene in the near future seem like smart design choices for the monster-collecting MMORPG.
Temtem's Gentle Evolution
Temtem has changed considerably since its Early Access launch. According to Pietro, the most prominent changes to Temtem make the game more open to a variety of players.
"The game has become a more accessible, easier experience. Our original idea was much more hardcore, but player feedback changed our ways."
Crema communicates with players via a dedicated forum, in addition to chatting over Discord. Such user input is invaluable for fine-tuning Early Access releases, and in Temtem's case, players' requests for an easier experience may help the game stand out in a crowded market. MMORPGs are near-uniformly associated with time commitments, and making Temtem easier to enjoy may help the title stand out in a sea of MMOs and long open-world games.
Pietro also noted that the game has become more social, with the gradual addition of Clubs - Temtem's version of a guild system - and the player chat. Communication and player-run organizations are a natural for the monster-collection game formula, and done right, they may be more valuable than a Temtem anime adaptation.
The Massive Challenges of MMO Development
While fine-tuning combat and generating content are constant challenges, Andrades believes the greatest development challenge Crema faces with Temtem is the "massive" aspect of the MMORPG.
"Overall, I think the greatest challenges have been around the immense amount of users we have and everything that you need to do to handle that, including user support, community handling, weighing expectations, receiving feedback, dealing with toxicity, and so on."
It follows that the primary challenge in building an MMO would be the playerbase, especially for a smaller, younger studio like Crema. The implementation of cross-play and cross-progression across all of Temtem's platforms is impressive, especially from an indie developer, and even AAA developers struggle with community management as players prefer to grief rather than cooperate. Online Pokemon battlers can be particularly vicious; a trend Crema hopes to avoid.
Another challenge that Crema faced was delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which sent Spain into lockdown mere months after the Early Access launch. Prieto said "we weren't ready for all the implications of work from home back then." The result was a development roadmap full of dates that set back the team by months. Fortunately, Crema did not have to abandon development altogether.
Eyes on the Endgame
The apex of most MMORPG experiences is the endgame; where near-level-capped players compete for top honors. Andrades said that Crema is currently overhauling Temtem's competitive matchmaking system. Furthermore, it is adding a new "Showdown" mode that allows players to "participate in a competitive ladder without spending time grinding and training for their team." While Andrades did not mention anything about endgame prizes, a new mode to allow for quick action and experimentation is a novel addition to a genre traditionally built around grinding.
Andrades said Crema recently filled a position dedicated to Temtem's competitive scene, and it is currently working toward establishing a championship series. The series will feature multiple tournaments throughout the year, though no launch date for the first series was given.
Temtem is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
