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Previews: Asheron's Call
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Asheron's Call
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| They Gather. |
Asheron's Call
Developer: Turbine Games
Publisher: MicroSoft Games Studio
Genre: Fantasy
Released: 11/02/99
Advancement System: Level/Skill Base
Player vs. Player Combat: Yes (restricted)
Competitors: Ultima Online, EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot.
"Hear the Call of Asheron!"
The second of the massively multi-player games in 3d, allowing support of over 3,000 players simultaneously per server, broken into three distinct racial nationalities and classes, using a skill progression system where you improve skills within your selected profession upon gaining experience levels.
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| Stunning Magical Effects |
Asheron's Call has become the leader in ongoing storyline events. Within the world of Dereth players can choose their heritage from one of the three nationalities, being the just and individualistic Aluvians, the proud and intellectual Gharu'ndim, or the philosophical and virtuous Sho. Allowing for diversity players can choose from one of the pre-generated professions be it War Mage, Swashbuckler, or Bow Hunter. Or create your own profession by selecting to train or specialize in any one of over 30 different skills.
Unique aspects brought into play are the Allegiance system and the way Magic works.
Boasting an allegiance system based upon the caste systems of Medieval Europe and feudal Japan. Allegiances are a social caste system allowing lower level players to be introduced to the game by those with more experience. When a character swears allegiance they become the vassal of the character to whom they pledged. The character to whom allegiance is sworn becomes the patron. The patron can, in turn, swear allegiance to another patron, and the vassal may acquire vassals of his or her own. All of a patron's vassals, and their vassals, and so on, are known collectively as that patron's followers. As vassals become patrons, they in turn rise in allegiance rank.
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| Architecture Designs. |
Vassals automatically pass experience points up to their patrons. These experience points are not taken from the vassal's earned total, but are extra points generated especially for the patron. Each patron passes points up to his or her patron in turn, extending ultimately to the monarch (the highest-ranking character in the allegiance). How much experience a patron receives from each vassal depends upon the patron's Leadership skill and the Vassal's Loyalty skill. The higher these skills are, the more experience that is gained by the patron. For this reason, player characters with high Loyalty are highly prized as potential vassals. Loyalty and Leadership are both dependent upon the character's Self attribute. The number of experience points passed up from vassal to patron also increases with the amount of time the vassal has been in the allegiance.
Or for simplicity stake, a huge pyramid scheme where the Patron gains experience points.
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| Awesome Buildings. |
The Magic System is something else worthy of note as well. With the system for Asheron's Call magic is broken into four distinct schools. The School of Right Hand Magic, or Item Magic that allows one to Harness the powers of magic to enhance or weaken armor, and weapons of friends and foes. School of the Left Hand, or Creature Magic which allows one to raise your attributes and skills with a variety of spells and cripple your opponents with the atrophic spells. The School of the Heart or Life Magic that let's one harden themselves for the rigors of battle by increasing the ability to absorb the damage inflicted by weapons and spells of others by using one's influence over the school of Life. Conversely make your enemies vulnerable to the weapons and spells belonging to yourself and your comrades. All the while remaining prepared to heal yourself and your fellows with the magic's of life. School of the Arm, or War Magic; where one can unleash the powers of destruction through your knowledge of the school of war. Bring your enemies to heel beneath the raw power of bolts, the speed of streaks, the width of wall spells and the devastation wrought by rings.
What truly makes the magic system unique is that there are no spell books. With over 1600 spells, composed of four schools of magic once must study to unlock the secrets of magic with by mixing and matching spell formula's or have someone who knows the spell to teach it to you in a unique spell research system.
Asheron's Call encourages cooperation between adventurers and so you will enter the world under his protection, safe from player attacks. For those who wish to engage in PvP the exception is the world of Darktide, which is reserved exclusively for those who would battle with their fellow adventurers.
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| Home Sweet Home. |
Expansions:
Dark Majesty (10/25/00) adds a new option for player owned housing in pre-designated areas allowing for more storage of character wealth, improved graphics and textures and continues the storyline of Asheron's Call with the inclusion of a new island named 'Marae Lassoe' with new quests, dungeons treasures.
Comments: AC had a relatively stable launch but with a major issue as most other games of the genre a lot of the content was not in place or ready. This quickly was resolved and not much ire from the community was taken. One of the major kudos' that Microsoft and Turbine did receive was the stance they had taken on those who exploited issues within the game. If there was a bug, and players exploited it, the player would not be banned. It was the developer's fault, and they were the one that had to fix it.
This stance later became a major issue when duping was discovered and the economy of AC plummeted. Quick fixes in place the game continued on. AC has been the leader of the big three in continued storylines. Running a continual storyline theme within game and having major NPC's controlled by staff has given a lot of enjoyment to the community as they battle to save the lands of Dereth from whatever threat comes next.
Like the other's of its genre, AC has had its share of problems and continues on doing well for itself and in maintaining an enjoyable game atmosphere.
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