The Alganon team has once again answered questions posted by community members in Community Roundtable No. 16, and this Q&A covers topics such as consumables, Dual Roles and "powerful magics."

According to the answers, consumables such as food are not required in the game, but they'll give players buffs and speed up healing and focus regeneration. Dual Roles are explained in simple terms; basically each class archetype can have two combat roles. For example, a tank can also be a damage-dealer.

You can read the full Q&A below. Also, in case you missed them, check out our 10 exclusive screenshots from the continent of Harraja.

Q. Will consumables like food and drink be required for game play or just as a different means for buffs?

A. Consumables like food and drink will not be required for game play. They will provide buffs for players as well as speeding up healing and focus regeneration.

Q. This whole Dual Role system still has me a bit confused. Can you just simplify it for me please?

A. Sure. Think about a "class" in an MMO as consisting of two parts:

One part is the "story" behind that class. Are they a fighter who charges into combat with sword-and-shield? Are they a Magus who uses their magical Essence to control the Elements and hurl magical fireballs at their foes? Are they a Ranger who patrols the wilds with their animal companions? What tools do they use? What do they look like? What is their story?

The second part is their "combat role" - think of it like their position on a sports team. Are they a "tank" who focuses on survivability? Are they a "damage dealer" who focuses on killing the enemy? Are they a "healer" who focuses on keeping the team alive? Are they a "support" class that makes everyone else stronger? Are they better against a single powerful enemy, or many weak ones? Do they do bursts of damage and healing all at once, or do their effects happen over time?

Many MMOs keep these two locked together. If you hold a shield, you MUST be a tank. If you patrol the woods, you MUST be a damage dealer. If you wear a dress, you MUST stand in the back row. Alganon does not.

In Alganon, each character has one "story" element, yet they can perform two "combat roles". Your "story" element and your primary combat role are decided when you choose your class. Your second combat role is decided by spending ability points gained as you level.

For example, every Soldier is a tank. If a big, angry guy is charging your party and you need to decide who should be hit first, you can always point the beast in the direction of the nearest Soldier. However, this same Soldier can also put her ability points into becoming a support class (Tactics), or a damage dealer (Weaponry), or a multi-target offtank (Protection). This way, if you already have a tank, or if the soldier is bored with always being the tank, she can join the group and play her second role. It provides the freedom to create some amazing combinations, like a tanking Magus, or a damage-dealing Healer.

Q. Since Alganon is a fantasy based game, I assume we'll be wielding powerful magics? What kind would they be?

A. The mystic powers that are considered magic in the world of Alganon come from a strange material known as Essence. This unique form of energy flows through many living things allowing them to perform mystical feats. This essence can be formed into a solid ball and hurled towards one's enemies. It can be formed into a deadly hail that rains down from the sky. Essence is a very unpredictable and difficult to control. It tends to lash out in great explosions of power.

If an individual is born with a great amount of control over their essence, they are selected to be trained as a Magus. A Magus is then taught how to use their Essence to control the other elements - fire, cold, electricity. It is through this control that a Magus can freeze an enemy in place, or set a room on fire with a massive fireball, or paralyze their foes with the power of the storms. A being's Essence can be used to heal, or it can be twisted and used to harm.

Essence, like fire, cold, and electricity, is a naturally occurring element, but it is not the only source of power. Essence has an unnatural counterpart known as Wrath.

Wrath energy comes not from the natural world, but from the drive and ambition of the beings within the world. Man's desire for conquest. The Talrok desire to serve the deities. The Sylvain's desire to protect nature. These desires can be so great that they manifest themselves in the physical world. With a strong enough will, one can use this energy in the same way that a Magus can use their Essence.

When this power was first revealed, it was a physical manifestation of pure hatred, and was thus named Wrath. However, those who use this power do not see it as a dark force. They understand that any element can be used for good or for evil. A blade can be used as a tool or as a weapon. Fire can be used keep warm as well as to burn. Cold can preserve as well as entomb. Likewise, the element of Wrath can be used for good as well as for evil.