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Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
MMORPG: Development
The cost of developing a competitive commercial MMORPG title often exceeds $10 million.
These projects require multiple disciplines within game design and development such as 3D modeling, 2D art, animation, user interfaces, client/server engineering, database architecture, and network infrastructure.
The front-end (or client) component of a commercial, modern MMORPG features 3D graphics. As with other modern 3D games, the front-end requires expertise with implementing 3D engines, real-time shader techniques and physics simulation. The actual visual content (areas, creatures, characters, weapons, spaceships and so forth) is developed by artists who typically begin with two-dimensional concept art, and later convert these concepts into animated 3D scenes, models and texture maps.
Developing an MMOG server requires expertise with client/server architecture, network protocols, security, and relational database design. MMORPGs include reliable systems for a number of vital tasks. The server must be able to handle and verify a large number of connections, prevent cheating, and apply changes (bug fixes or added content) to the game. A system for recording the game's data at regular intervals, without stopping the game, is also important.
Maintenance requires sufficient servers and bandwidth, and a dedicated support staff. Insufficient resources for maintenance lead to lag and frustration for the players, and can severely damage the reputation of a game, especially at launch. Care must also be taken to ensure that player population remains at an acceptable level by adding or removing servers ("shards"). Peer-to-peer MMORPGs could theoretically work cheaply and efficiently in regulating server load, but practical issues such as asymmetrical network bandwidth and CPU-hungry rendering engines make them a difficult proposition. Additionally, they would probably become vulnerable to other problems including new possibilities for cheating. The hosted infrastructure for a commercial-grade MMORPG requires the deployment of hundreds (or even thousands) of servers. Developing an affordable infrastructure for an online game requires developers to scale to large numbers of players with less hardware and network investment.
In addition, the development team will need to have expertise with the fundamentals of game design: world-building, lore and game mechanics, as well as what makes games fun.
Non-corporate development
Though the vast majority of MMORPGs are produced by companies, many small teams of programmers and artists have contributed to the genre. As shown above, the average MMORPG development project requires enormous investments of time and money, and running the game can be a long-term commitment. As a result, non-corporate (or independent, or "indie") development of MMORPGs is less common compared with other genres. Still, many independent MMORPGs do exist, representing a wide spectrum of genres, gameplay types, and revenue systems.
Some independent MMORPG projects are completely open source, while others like PlaneShift feature proprietary content made with an open-source game engine. The developers of Endless Online have also released development information with details about their coding.
The WorldForge project has been active since 1998 and formed a community of independent developers who are working on creating framework for a number of open-source MMORPGs. The Multiverse Network is also creating a network and platform specifically for independent MMOG developers.
These projects require multiple disciplines within game design and development such as 3D modeling, 2D art, animation, user interfaces, client/server engineering, database architecture, and network infrastructure.
The front-end (or client) component of a commercial, modern MMORPG features 3D graphics. As with other modern 3D games, the front-end requires expertise with implementing 3D engines, real-time shader techniques and physics simulation. The actual visual content (areas, creatures, characters, weapons, spaceships and so forth) is developed by artists who typically begin with two-dimensional concept art, and later convert these concepts into animated 3D scenes, models and texture maps.
Developing an MMOG server requires expertise with client/server architecture, network protocols, security, and relational database design. MMORPGs include reliable systems for a number of vital tasks. The server must be able to handle and verify a large number of connections, prevent cheating, and apply changes (bug fixes or added content) to the game. A system for recording the game's data at regular intervals, without stopping the game, is also important.
Maintenance requires sufficient servers and bandwidth, and a dedicated support staff. Insufficient resources for maintenance lead to lag and frustration for the players, and can severely damage the reputation of a game, especially at launch. Care must also be taken to ensure that player population remains at an acceptable level by adding or removing servers ("shards"). Peer-to-peer MMORPGs could theoretically work cheaply and efficiently in regulating server load, but practical issues such as asymmetrical network bandwidth and CPU-hungry rendering engines make them a difficult proposition. Additionally, they would probably become vulnerable to other problems including new possibilities for cheating. The hosted infrastructure for a commercial-grade MMORPG requires the deployment of hundreds (or even thousands) of servers. Developing an affordable infrastructure for an online game requires developers to scale to large numbers of players with less hardware and network investment.
In addition, the development team will need to have expertise with the fundamentals of game design: world-building, lore and game mechanics, as well as what makes games fun.
Non-corporate development
Though the vast majority of MMORPGs are produced by companies, many small teams of programmers and artists have contributed to the genre. As shown above, the average MMORPG development project requires enormous investments of time and money, and running the game can be a long-term commitment. As a result, non-corporate (or independent, or "indie") development of MMORPGs is less common compared with other genres. Still, many independent MMORPGs do exist, representing a wide spectrum of genres, gameplay types, and revenue systems.
Some independent MMORPG projects are completely open source, while others like PlaneShift feature proprietary content made with an open-source game engine. The developers of Endless Online have also released development information with details about their coding.
The WorldForge project has been active since 1998 and formed a community of independent developers who are working on creating framework for a number of open-source MMORPGs. The Multiverse Network is also creating a network and platform specifically for independent MMOG developers.
MMORPG: Economics
Many MMORPGs feature living economies. Virtual items and currency have to be gained through play and have definite value for players. Such a virtual economy can be analyzed (using data logged by the game) and has value in economic research; more significantly, these "virtual" economies can have an impact on the economies of the real world.
One of the early researchers of MMORPGs was Edward Castronova, who demonstrated that a supply-and-demand market exists for virtual items and that it crosses over with the real world. This crossover has some requirements of the game:
The ability for players to sell an item to each other for in-game (virtual) currency.
Bartering for items between players for items of similar value.
The purchase of in-game items for real-world currency.
Exchanges of real-world currencies for virtual currencies.
The creation of meta-currencies such as DKP, or Dragon kill points, to distribute in-game rewards.
The idea of attaching real-world value to "virtual" items has had a profound effect on players and the game industry, and even the courts. Castronova's first study in 2002 found that a highly liquid (if illegal) currency market existed, with the value of Everquest's in-game currency exceeding that of the Japanese yen. Some people even make a living by working these virtual economies; these people are often referred to as gold farmers, and may be employed in game sweatshops.
Game publishers usually prohibit the exchange of real-world money for virtual goods, but others actively promote the idea of linking (and directly profiting from) an exchange. In Second Life and Entropia Universe, the virtual economy and the real-world economy are directly linked. This means that real money can be deposited for game money and vice versa. Real-world items have also been sold for game money in Entropia, and some players of Second Life have generated revenues in excess of $100,000.
Some of the issues confronting online economies include:
The use of "bots" or automated programs, that assist some players in accumulating in-game wealth to the disadvantage of other players.
The use of unsanctioned auction sites, which has led publishers to seek legal remedies to prevent their use based on intellectual-property claims.
The emergence of virtual crime, which can take the form of both fraud against the player or publisher of an online game, and even real-life acts of violence stemming from in-game transactions.
Linking real-world and virtual economies is rare in MMORPGs, as it is generally believed to be detrimental to gameplay. If real-world wealth can be used to obtain greater, more immediate rewards than skillful gameplay, the incentive for strategic roleplay and real game involvement is diminished. It could also easily lead to a skewed hierarchy where richer players gain better items, allowing them to take on stronger opponents and level up more quickly than less wealthy but more committed players.
One of the early researchers of MMORPGs was Edward Castronova, who demonstrated that a supply-and-demand market exists for virtual items and that it crosses over with the real world. This crossover has some requirements of the game:
The ability for players to sell an item to each other for in-game (virtual) currency.
Bartering for items between players for items of similar value.
The purchase of in-game items for real-world currency.
Exchanges of real-world currencies for virtual currencies.
The creation of meta-currencies such as DKP, or Dragon kill points, to distribute in-game rewards.
The idea of attaching real-world value to "virtual" items has had a profound effect on players and the game industry, and even the courts. Castronova's first study in 2002 found that a highly liquid (if illegal) currency market existed, with the value of Everquest's in-game currency exceeding that of the Japanese yen. Some people even make a living by working these virtual economies; these people are often referred to as gold farmers, and may be employed in game sweatshops.
Game publishers usually prohibit the exchange of real-world money for virtual goods, but others actively promote the idea of linking (and directly profiting from) an exchange. In Second Life and Entropia Universe, the virtual economy and the real-world economy are directly linked. This means that real money can be deposited for game money and vice versa. Real-world items have also been sold for game money in Entropia, and some players of Second Life have generated revenues in excess of $100,000.
Some of the issues confronting online economies include:
The use of "bots" or automated programs, that assist some players in accumulating in-game wealth to the disadvantage of other players.
The use of unsanctioned auction sites, which has led publishers to seek legal remedies to prevent their use based on intellectual-property claims.
The emergence of virtual crime, which can take the form of both fraud against the player or publisher of an online game, and even real-life acts of violence stemming from in-game transactions.
Linking real-world and virtual economies is rare in MMORPGs, as it is generally believed to be detrimental to gameplay. If real-world wealth can be used to obtain greater, more immediate rewards than skillful gameplay, the incentive for strategic roleplay and real game involvement is diminished. It could also easily lead to a skewed hierarchy where richer players gain better items, allowing them to take on stronger opponents and level up more quickly than less wealthy but more committed players.
MMORPG: Psychology
Since the interactions between MMORPG players are real, even if the environments are virtual, psychologists and sociologists are able to use MMORPGs as tools for academic research. Sherry Turkle, a clinical psychologist, has conducted interviews with computer users including game-players. Turkle found that many people have expanded their emotional range by exploring the many different roles (including gender identities) that MMORPGs allow a person to explore.
Nick Yee has surveyed more than 35,000 MMORPG players over the past several years, focusing on psychological and sociological aspects of these games. Recent findings included that 15% of players become a guild-leader at one time or another, but most generally find the job tough and thankless; and that players spend a considerable amount of time (often a third of their total time investment) doing things that are external to gameplay but part of the metagame.
Many players report that the emotions they feel while playing a MMORPG are very strong, to the extent that 8.7% of male and 23.2% of female players in a statistical study have had an online wedding. Other researchers have found that the enjoyment of a game is directly related to the social organization of a game, ranging from brief encounters between players to highly organized play in structured groups.
In a study by Zaheer Hussain and Mark D. Griffiths, it was found that just over one in five gamers (21%) said they preferred socializing online to offline. Significantly more male gamers than female gamers said that they found it easier to converse online than offline. It was also found that 57% of gamers had created a character of the opposite gender, and it is suggested that the online female persona has a number of positive social attributes.
Richard Bartle classified multiplayer RPG-players into four primary psychological groups. His classifications were then expanded upon by Erwin Andreasen, who developed the concept into the thirty-question Bartle Test that helps players determine which category they are associated with. With over 200,000 test responses as of 2006, this is perhaps the largest ongoing survey of multiplayer game players.
In World of Warcraft, a temporary design glitch attracted the attention of psychologists and epidemiologists across North America, when the "Corrupted Blood" disease of a monster began to spread unintentionally—and uncontrollably—into the wider game world. The Center for Disease Control used the incident as a research model to chart both the progression of a disease, and the potential human response to large-scale epidemic infection.
Nick Yee has surveyed more than 35,000 MMORPG players over the past several years, focusing on psychological and sociological aspects of these games. Recent findings included that 15% of players become a guild-leader at one time or another, but most generally find the job tough and thankless; and that players spend a considerable amount of time (often a third of their total time investment) doing things that are external to gameplay but part of the metagame.
Many players report that the emotions they feel while playing a MMORPG are very strong, to the extent that 8.7% of male and 23.2% of female players in a statistical study have had an online wedding. Other researchers have found that the enjoyment of a game is directly related to the social organization of a game, ranging from brief encounters between players to highly organized play in structured groups.
In a study by Zaheer Hussain and Mark D. Griffiths, it was found that just over one in five gamers (21%) said they preferred socializing online to offline. Significantly more male gamers than female gamers said that they found it easier to converse online than offline. It was also found that 57% of gamers had created a character of the opposite gender, and it is suggested that the online female persona has a number of positive social attributes.
Richard Bartle classified multiplayer RPG-players into four primary psychological groups. His classifications were then expanded upon by Erwin Andreasen, who developed the concept into the thirty-question Bartle Test that helps players determine which category they are associated with. With over 200,000 test responses as of 2006, this is perhaps the largest ongoing survey of multiplayer game players.
In World of Warcraft, a temporary design glitch attracted the attention of psychologists and epidemiologists across North America, when the "Corrupted Blood" disease of a monster began to spread unintentionally—and uncontrollably—into the wider game world. The Center for Disease Control used the incident as a research model to chart both the progression of a disease, and the potential human response to large-scale epidemic infection.
MMORPG: History
Although MMORPGs, as defined today, have only existed since the early 1990s, all MMORPGs can trace a lineage back to the earliest multi-user games which started appearing in the late 1970s. The first of these was Mazewar, though more would soon be developed for the PLATO system. 1984 saw a roguelike (semi-graphical) multi-user game, called Islands of Kesmai.[13] The first "truly" graphical multi-user RPG was Neverwinter Nights, which was delivered through America Online in 1991 and was personally championed by AOL President Steve Case.[13] Other early proprietary graphical MMORPGs include three on The Sierra Network: The Shadow of Yserbius in 1992, The Fates of Twinion in 1993, and The Ruins of Cawdor in 1995.
When NSFNET restrictions were lifted in 1995, the Internet was opened up to developers, which allowed for the first really "massive" titles. The first success after this point was Meridian 59, which also featured first-person 3D graphics, although The Realm Online appeared nearly simultaneously and may be credited with bringing the genre to a wider player-base. Ultima Online, released in 1997, may be credited with first popularizing the genre, though Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds was primarily responsible for mainstream attention throughout Asia which was released in 1996, about a year earlier than Ultima Online. It was EverQuest that brought MMORPGs to the mainstream in the West.
These early titles' financial success has ensured competition in the genre since that time. MMORPG titles now exist on consoles and in new settings, and their players enjoy higher-quality gameplay. The current market for MMORPGs has Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft dominating as the largest pay-to-play MMORPG, alongside earlier such titles like Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Online, though an additional market exists for free-to-play MMORPGs, which are supported by advertising and purchases of in-game items. This free-to-play model is particularly common in Korean MMORPGs such as MapleStory and Rohan: Blood Feud. Also, there are some free-to-play games, such as Runescape, where only about half the game is free and one would have to pay monthly to play the full version. Guild Wars is an exception. It avoids competition with other MMORPGs by only requiring the initial purchase of the game to play.
When NSFNET restrictions were lifted in 1995, the Internet was opened up to developers, which allowed for the first really "massive" titles. The first success after this point was Meridian 59, which also featured first-person 3D graphics, although The Realm Online appeared nearly simultaneously and may be credited with bringing the genre to a wider player-base. Ultima Online, released in 1997, may be credited with first popularizing the genre, though Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds was primarily responsible for mainstream attention throughout Asia which was released in 1996, about a year earlier than Ultima Online. It was EverQuest that brought MMORPGs to the mainstream in the West.
These early titles' financial success has ensured competition in the genre since that time. MMORPG titles now exist on consoles and in new settings, and their players enjoy higher-quality gameplay. The current market for MMORPGs has Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft dominating as the largest pay-to-play MMORPG, alongside earlier such titles like Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Online, though an additional market exists for free-to-play MMORPGs, which are supported by advertising and purchases of in-game items. This free-to-play model is particularly common in Korean MMORPGs such as MapleStory and Rohan: Blood Feud. Also, there are some free-to-play games, such as Runescape, where only about half the game is free and one would have to pay monthly to play the full version. Guild Wars is an exception. It avoids competition with other MMORPGs by only requiring the initial purchase of the game to play.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game: MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (commonly abbreviated MMORPG) is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world. The term MMORPG was coined by Richard Garriott,[citation needed] the creator of Ultima Online, the game credited with popularizing the genre in 1997.
As in all RPGs, players assume the role of a fictional character (often in a fantasy world), and take control over many of that character's actions. MMORPGs are distinguished from single-player or small multi-player RPGs by the number of players, and by the game's persistent world, usually hosted by the game's publisher, which continues to exist and evolve while the player is away from the game.
MMORPGs are very popular throughout the world. Worldwide revenues for MMORPGs exceeded half a billion dollars in 2005, and Western revenues exceeded US$1 billion in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 the virtual goods buying and trading has increased dramatically[citation needed]. Next to the more traditional subscription model, virtual goods are a second source of revenues for publishers. In 2008, Western consumer spending on subscription MMOGs grew to $1.4 billion. The most popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, has had over 11 million paying subscribers as of 2009.
Common features
Themes: The majority of popular MMORPGs are based on traditional fantasy themes, often occurring in an in-game universe comparable to that of Dungeons & Dragons. Some employ hybrid themes that either merge or substitute fantasy elements with those of science fiction, sword and sorcery, or crime fiction. Still others use more obscure themes, including American comic books, the occult, and other recognizable literary genres. Often these elements are developed using similar tasks and scenarios involving quests, monsters, and loot.
Progression: In nearly all MMORPGs, the development of the player's character is a primary goal. Many MMORPGs feature a character progression system in which players earn experience points for their actions and use those points to reach character "levels", which makes them better at whatever they do. Traditionally, combat with monsters and completing quests for NPCs, either alone or in groups, are the primary ways to earn experience points. The accumulation of wealth (including combat-useful items) is also a way to progress in many titles, and again, this is traditionally best accomplished via combat. The cycle produced by these conditions, combat leading to new items allowing for more combat with no change in gameplay, is sometimes pejoratively referred to as the level treadmill, or 'grinding'. The role-playing game Progress Quest was created as a parody of this trend.
Also, traditional in the genre is the eventual demand on players to team up with others in order to progress at the optimal rate. This sometimes forces players to change their real-world schedules in order to "keep up" within the game-world.
Social Interaction: MMORPGs almost always allow players to communicate with one another. Depending on the other interactions allowed by the game, other social expectations will be present.
Teamwork: Many MMORPGs exploit their players' social skills and offer support for in-game guilds or clans (though these will usually form whether the game supports them or not). As a result, many players will find themselves as either a member or a leader of such a group after playing an MMORPG for some time. These organizations will likely have further expectations for their members (such as intra-guild assistance).
Even if players never join a formal group, they are still usually expected to be a part of a small team during game play, and will probably be expected to carry out a specialized role (such as healing). In combat-based MMORPGs, usual roles include the "tank", a character who absorbs enemy blows and protects other members of the team, the "healer", a character responsible for keeping up the health of the party, the "DPS (Damage Per Second)," a character specializing in inflicting damage, and sometimes the "CC (Crowd Control)," a character who temporarily controls the opponent, such as the "NPC" (Non-Player Character), and making the opponent lose its control of actions and abilities. Other common roles include being a dedicated "buffer" or "debuffer", using abilities that affect the team or the opponents in other ways. Any given MMORPG might allow players to take on all of these roles, additional hybrid roles, or none of them. Despite the variability, some players might enjoy one role over others and continue to play it through many different MMORPG titles.
Roleplaying: Some MMORPGs also may expect players to roleplay their characters – that is, to speak and act in the way their character would act, even if it means shying away from other goals such as wealth or experience. MMORPGs may offer "RP-only" servers for those who wish to immerse themselves in the game in this way.
MMORPG's generally have Game Moderators or Game Masters (frequently abbreviated to GM), which may be paid employees or unpaid volunteers who attempt to supervise the world. Some GMs may have additional access to features and information related to the game that are not available to other players and roles.
Culture: Since MMORPGs have so many elements in common, and those elements are experienced by so many people, a common culture of MMORPGs has developed which exists in addition to the culture present within any given game. For example, since MMORPGs often feature many different character "classes", the games must be balanced in order to be fair to all players, and this has led players of many games to expect "buffing" or "nerfing", which is a term describing the strengthening or weakening of a subset of players, respectively.
As another example, in many older MMORPGs the fastest way to progress was simply by killing the same monsters over and over again, and as this is still common in the genre all MMORPG players know the process as "grinding", or "camping" (sitting at a monster's spawn point in order to attack it as soon as it respawns). The importance of grinding in MMORPGs, and how much "fun" it contributes to the experience, is constantly debated. Many MMORPGs have taken steps to eliminate or reduce grinding, but few such attempts have met with success, and it is generally accepted by players and developers alike that some amount of 'grind' is required to maintain a stable playing experience.
MMORPG addiction, which has been a source of concern for parents, dead link also affects the culture. Some players might look down on those who invest huge amounts of time and or money into a game, while others might scorn those who can't put in the time to "play properly". The validity of such viewpoints is heavily debated, with both sides of the issue being discussed frequently on most games' forums.
System architecture: Most MMORPGs are deployed using a client-server system architecture. The software that generates and persists the "world" runs continuously on a server, and players connect to it via client software. The client software may provide access to the entire playing world, or further 'expansions' may be required to be purchased to allow access to certain areas of the game. EverQuest and World of Warcraft are two examples of games that use such a format. Players generally must purchase the client software for a one-time fee, although an increasing trend is for MMORPGs to work using pre-existing "thin" clients, such as a web browser.
Some MMORPGs require payment of a monthly subscription to play. By nature, "massively multiplayer" games are always online, and most require some sort of continuous revenue (such as monthly subscriptions and advertisements) for maintenance and development. Some games, such as Guild Wars, have disposed of the 'monthly fee' model entirely, and recover costs directly through sales of the software and associated expansion packs.
Depending on the number of players and the system architecture, a MMORPG might actually be run on multiple separate servers, each representing an independent world, where players from one server cannot interact with those from another; World of Warcraft is a prominent example, with each separate server housing several thousand players. In many MMORPGs the number of players in one world is often limited to around a few thousand, but a notable example of the opposite is EVE Online which accommodated around 20,000 players in the same world as of August 2007 and 51,675 users online in February 2009. Some games allow characters to appear on any world, but not simultaneously (such as Seal Online: Evolution), others limit each character to the world in which it was created.
Trends as of 2008
As there are a number of wildly different titles within the genre, and since the genre develops so rapidly, it is difficult to definitively state that the genre is heading in one direction or another. Still, there are a few obvious developments. One of these developments is the raid group quest, or "raid",which is an adventure designed for large groups of players (often twenty or more).
Instance dungeons
Instance dungeons, sometimes shortened to "instances", are game areas that are "copied" for individual players or groups, which keeps those in the instance separated from the rest of the game world. This reduces competition, while also reducing the amount of data that needs to be sent to and from the server, reducing lag. The Realm Online was the first MMORPG to begin to use a rudimentary form of this technique and Anarchy Online would later take it to another level by creating a robust instance-based game experience. Since then, instancing has become increasingly more common. The "raids", as mentioned above, often involve instance dungeons.
Solo play
Although these games are multiplayer, and intended to be played in groups for the best experience, most now provide solo content, or adventures a player character can do on their own. It can be difficult to find a group to adventure with, and this allows people to play the game without waiting around in safe areas like cities for a long period of time. This change turned out to be popular, and some of the older MMORPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons Online were retrofitted to make solo play easier. Adding to the popularity is a side effect: some people prefer to solo. To encourage players to continue grouping, many games reward grouping by giving grouped players bonuses such as more experience points than they would otherwise get soloing.
Player-created content
Increased amounts of "Player-created content" may be another trend. From the beginning, the Ultima Online world included blank 30-page books that players could write in, collect into personal libraries and trade; in later years players have been able to design and build houses from the ground up. Some non-combat-based MMORPGs rely heavily on player-created content, including everything from simple animations to complete buildings using player-created textures and architecture like A Tale in the Desert. However, these games are very different from the far more popular "standard" MMORPGs revolving around combat and limited character trade skills. Player-created content in these games would be in the form of areas to explore, monsters to kill, quests to carry out and specific in-game items to obtain. The Saga of Ryzom was the first of these "standard" MMORPGs to offer players the ability to create this type of content.
City of Heroes and Villains released Issue 14: Mission Architect (April 8, 2009), which added completely player-created missions. A problem popped up immediately: Some players were taking advantage of user-created content by designing easy missions that offer an unfair risk-to-reward ratio. Dealing with such problems is an ongoing issue in many MMORPGs.
Use of Licenses
The use of intellectual property licensing, common in other video game genres, has also appeared in MMORPGs. 2007 saw the release of The Lord of the Rings Online, based on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Other licensed MMORPGs include The Matrix Online, based on the Matrix trilogy of films, Warhammer Online, based on Games Workshop's table top game, Star Trek Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Champions Online and Age of Conan. Additionally, several licenses from television have been optioned for MMORPGs, for example Stargate Worlds, which is currently in development. The process is also apparently being applied in reverse, with James Cameron designing an MMORPG that will precede the film (Project 880) to which it is tied.
Console-based MMORPGs
The first console-based MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI for the Sony PlayStation 2, but only in Japan; EverQuest Online Adventures, also on the PlayStation 2, was the first console MMORPG in North America. While both games were pre-dated by the release of Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast, this game is not considered to be an MMORPG due to the very small occupancy limit of any individual game space (the "lobbies" used to interconnect players could hold up to 15 players each, whereas an individual game supports up to four simultaneous players). Due to this, in addition to its more action-oriented gameplay, Phantasy Star Online is classified as an online Action RPG.
Although console-based MMORPGs are considered more difficult to produce, the platform is gaining more attention. Funcom's Age of Conan is to be released on the Xbox 360 in 2009,Turbine, Inc. announced they are working on a console-based MMO, and Sony Online Entertainment is working on DC Universe Online for the PC and PS3. Final Fantasy XI was originally released for PlayStation 2 and PC, but was later extended to Xbox 360, and later emulated as a PlayStation 2 game on the PlayStation 3. Also, Cryptic Studios will release Star Trek Online and Champions Online to both PC and console. Finally, Final Fantasy XIV will be released for both PlayStation 3 and PC.
As in all RPGs, players assume the role of a fictional character (often in a fantasy world), and take control over many of that character's actions. MMORPGs are distinguished from single-player or small multi-player RPGs by the number of players, and by the game's persistent world, usually hosted by the game's publisher, which continues to exist and evolve while the player is away from the game.
MMORPGs are very popular throughout the world. Worldwide revenues for MMORPGs exceeded half a billion dollars in 2005, and Western revenues exceeded US$1 billion in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 the virtual goods buying and trading has increased dramatically[citation needed]. Next to the more traditional subscription model, virtual goods are a second source of revenues for publishers. In 2008, Western consumer spending on subscription MMOGs grew to $1.4 billion. The most popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, has had over 11 million paying subscribers as of 2009.
Common features
Themes: The majority of popular MMORPGs are based on traditional fantasy themes, often occurring in an in-game universe comparable to that of Dungeons & Dragons. Some employ hybrid themes that either merge or substitute fantasy elements with those of science fiction, sword and sorcery, or crime fiction. Still others use more obscure themes, including American comic books, the occult, and other recognizable literary genres. Often these elements are developed using similar tasks and scenarios involving quests, monsters, and loot.
Progression: In nearly all MMORPGs, the development of the player's character is a primary goal. Many MMORPGs feature a character progression system in which players earn experience points for their actions and use those points to reach character "levels", which makes them better at whatever they do. Traditionally, combat with monsters and completing quests for NPCs, either alone or in groups, are the primary ways to earn experience points. The accumulation of wealth (including combat-useful items) is also a way to progress in many titles, and again, this is traditionally best accomplished via combat. The cycle produced by these conditions, combat leading to new items allowing for more combat with no change in gameplay, is sometimes pejoratively referred to as the level treadmill, or 'grinding'. The role-playing game Progress Quest was created as a parody of this trend.
Also, traditional in the genre is the eventual demand on players to team up with others in order to progress at the optimal rate. This sometimes forces players to change their real-world schedules in order to "keep up" within the game-world.
Social Interaction: MMORPGs almost always allow players to communicate with one another. Depending on the other interactions allowed by the game, other social expectations will be present.
Teamwork: Many MMORPGs exploit their players' social skills and offer support for in-game guilds or clans (though these will usually form whether the game supports them or not). As a result, many players will find themselves as either a member or a leader of such a group after playing an MMORPG for some time. These organizations will likely have further expectations for their members (such as intra-guild assistance).
Even if players never join a formal group, they are still usually expected to be a part of a small team during game play, and will probably be expected to carry out a specialized role (such as healing). In combat-based MMORPGs, usual roles include the "tank", a character who absorbs enemy blows and protects other members of the team, the "healer", a character responsible for keeping up the health of the party, the "DPS (Damage Per Second)," a character specializing in inflicting damage, and sometimes the "CC (Crowd Control)," a character who temporarily controls the opponent, such as the "NPC" (Non-Player Character), and making the opponent lose its control of actions and abilities. Other common roles include being a dedicated "buffer" or "debuffer", using abilities that affect the team or the opponents in other ways. Any given MMORPG might allow players to take on all of these roles, additional hybrid roles, or none of them. Despite the variability, some players might enjoy one role over others and continue to play it through many different MMORPG titles.
Roleplaying: Some MMORPGs also may expect players to roleplay their characters – that is, to speak and act in the way their character would act, even if it means shying away from other goals such as wealth or experience. MMORPGs may offer "RP-only" servers for those who wish to immerse themselves in the game in this way.
MMORPG's generally have Game Moderators or Game Masters (frequently abbreviated to GM), which may be paid employees or unpaid volunteers who attempt to supervise the world. Some GMs may have additional access to features and information related to the game that are not available to other players and roles.
Culture: Since MMORPGs have so many elements in common, and those elements are experienced by so many people, a common culture of MMORPGs has developed which exists in addition to the culture present within any given game. For example, since MMORPGs often feature many different character "classes", the games must be balanced in order to be fair to all players, and this has led players of many games to expect "buffing" or "nerfing", which is a term describing the strengthening or weakening of a subset of players, respectively.
As another example, in many older MMORPGs the fastest way to progress was simply by killing the same monsters over and over again, and as this is still common in the genre all MMORPG players know the process as "grinding", or "camping" (sitting at a monster's spawn point in order to attack it as soon as it respawns). The importance of grinding in MMORPGs, and how much "fun" it contributes to the experience, is constantly debated. Many MMORPGs have taken steps to eliminate or reduce grinding, but few such attempts have met with success, and it is generally accepted by players and developers alike that some amount of 'grind' is required to maintain a stable playing experience.
MMORPG addiction, which has been a source of concern for parents, dead link also affects the culture. Some players might look down on those who invest huge amounts of time and or money into a game, while others might scorn those who can't put in the time to "play properly". The validity of such viewpoints is heavily debated, with both sides of the issue being discussed frequently on most games' forums.
System architecture: Most MMORPGs are deployed using a client-server system architecture. The software that generates and persists the "world" runs continuously on a server, and players connect to it via client software. The client software may provide access to the entire playing world, or further 'expansions' may be required to be purchased to allow access to certain areas of the game. EverQuest and World of Warcraft are two examples of games that use such a format. Players generally must purchase the client software for a one-time fee, although an increasing trend is for MMORPGs to work using pre-existing "thin" clients, such as a web browser.
Some MMORPGs require payment of a monthly subscription to play. By nature, "massively multiplayer" games are always online, and most require some sort of continuous revenue (such as monthly subscriptions and advertisements) for maintenance and development. Some games, such as Guild Wars, have disposed of the 'monthly fee' model entirely, and recover costs directly through sales of the software and associated expansion packs.
Depending on the number of players and the system architecture, a MMORPG might actually be run on multiple separate servers, each representing an independent world, where players from one server cannot interact with those from another; World of Warcraft is a prominent example, with each separate server housing several thousand players. In many MMORPGs the number of players in one world is often limited to around a few thousand, but a notable example of the opposite is EVE Online which accommodated around 20,000 players in the same world as of August 2007 and 51,675 users online in February 2009. Some games allow characters to appear on any world, but not simultaneously (such as Seal Online: Evolution), others limit each character to the world in which it was created.
Trends as of 2008
As there are a number of wildly different titles within the genre, and since the genre develops so rapidly, it is difficult to definitively state that the genre is heading in one direction or another. Still, there are a few obvious developments. One of these developments is the raid group quest, or "raid",which is an adventure designed for large groups of players (often twenty or more).
Instance dungeons
Instance dungeons, sometimes shortened to "instances", are game areas that are "copied" for individual players or groups, which keeps those in the instance separated from the rest of the game world. This reduces competition, while also reducing the amount of data that needs to be sent to and from the server, reducing lag. The Realm Online was the first MMORPG to begin to use a rudimentary form of this technique and Anarchy Online would later take it to another level by creating a robust instance-based game experience. Since then, instancing has become increasingly more common. The "raids", as mentioned above, often involve instance dungeons.
Solo play
Although these games are multiplayer, and intended to be played in groups for the best experience, most now provide solo content, or adventures a player character can do on their own. It can be difficult to find a group to adventure with, and this allows people to play the game without waiting around in safe areas like cities for a long period of time. This change turned out to be popular, and some of the older MMORPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons Online were retrofitted to make solo play easier. Adding to the popularity is a side effect: some people prefer to solo. To encourage players to continue grouping, many games reward grouping by giving grouped players bonuses such as more experience points than they would otherwise get soloing.
Player-created content
Increased amounts of "Player-created content" may be another trend. From the beginning, the Ultima Online world included blank 30-page books that players could write in, collect into personal libraries and trade; in later years players have been able to design and build houses from the ground up. Some non-combat-based MMORPGs rely heavily on player-created content, including everything from simple animations to complete buildings using player-created textures and architecture like A Tale in the Desert. However, these games are very different from the far more popular "standard" MMORPGs revolving around combat and limited character trade skills. Player-created content in these games would be in the form of areas to explore, monsters to kill, quests to carry out and specific in-game items to obtain. The Saga of Ryzom was the first of these "standard" MMORPGs to offer players the ability to create this type of content.
City of Heroes and Villains released Issue 14: Mission Architect (April 8, 2009), which added completely player-created missions. A problem popped up immediately: Some players were taking advantage of user-created content by designing easy missions that offer an unfair risk-to-reward ratio. Dealing with such problems is an ongoing issue in many MMORPGs.
Use of Licenses
The use of intellectual property licensing, common in other video game genres, has also appeared in MMORPGs. 2007 saw the release of The Lord of the Rings Online, based on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Other licensed MMORPGs include The Matrix Online, based on the Matrix trilogy of films, Warhammer Online, based on Games Workshop's table top game, Star Trek Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Champions Online and Age of Conan. Additionally, several licenses from television have been optioned for MMORPGs, for example Stargate Worlds, which is currently in development. The process is also apparently being applied in reverse, with James Cameron designing an MMORPG that will precede the film (Project 880) to which it is tied.
Console-based MMORPGs
The first console-based MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI for the Sony PlayStation 2, but only in Japan; EverQuest Online Adventures, also on the PlayStation 2, was the first console MMORPG in North America. While both games were pre-dated by the release of Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast, this game is not considered to be an MMORPG due to the very small occupancy limit of any individual game space (the "lobbies" used to interconnect players could hold up to 15 players each, whereas an individual game supports up to four simultaneous players). Due to this, in addition to its more action-oriented gameplay, Phantasy Star Online is classified as an online Action RPG.
Although console-based MMORPGs are considered more difficult to produce, the platform is gaining more attention. Funcom's Age of Conan is to be released on the Xbox 360 in 2009,Turbine, Inc. announced they are working on a console-based MMO, and Sony Online Entertainment is working on DC Universe Online for the PC and PS3. Final Fantasy XI was originally released for PlayStation 2 and PC, but was later extended to Xbox 360, and later emulated as a PlayStation 2 game on the PlayStation 3. Also, Cryptic Studios will release Star Trek Online and Champions Online to both PC and console. Finally, Final Fantasy XIV will be released for both PlayStation 3 and PC.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
DOTA Online
Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a custom scenario for the real-time strategy video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the "Aeon of Strife" map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents' Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters called "creeps". As in role-playing games, players level up their hero and use gold to buy equipment during the mission.
The scenario was developed with the "World Editor" of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and was updated upon the release of the expansion, The Frozen Throne. There have been many variations of the original concept; the most popular is DotA Allstars, which has been maintained by several authors during development. The current developer is known by his pseudonym as "IceFrog".
Since its release, Allstars has become a feature at several worldwide tournaments, including Blizzard Entertainment's BlizzCon and the Asian World Cyber Games, as well as the Cyberathlete Amateur and CyberEvolution leagues; Gamasutra declared that DotA was perhaps the most popular "free, non-supported game mod in the world".
Gameplay
Defense of the Ancients pits two teams of players against each other: the Sentinel and the Scourge. Players on the Sentinel team are based at the southwest corner of the map, and those on the Scourge team are based at the northeast corner. Each base is defended by towers and waves of units which guard the main paths leading to their base. In the center of each base is the "Ancient", a building that must be destroyed to win the game.
Each human player controls one Hero, a powerful unit with unique abilities. In Allstars, players on each side choose one of ninety-five heroes, each with different abilities and tactical advantages over other heroes. The scenario is highly team-oriented; it is difficult for one player to carry the team to victory alone. Nevertheless, some heroes, given enough time, can change the outcome single-handedly, while countering the opposing team's heroes. Defense of the Ancients allows up to ten players in a five versus five format and an additional two slots for referees or observers, often with an equal number of players on each side.
Because the gameplay revolves around strengthening individual heroes, it does not require one to focus on resource management and base-building, as in most traditional real-time strategy games. Killing computer-controlled or neutral units earns the player experience points; when enough experience is accumulated, the player gains a level. Leveling up improves the hero's toughness and the damage it can inflict, and allows players to upgrade their spells or skills. In addition to accumulating experience, players also manage a single resource: gold. The typical resource gathering of Warcraft III is replaced by a combat-oriented money system; in addition to a small periodic income, heroes earn gold by killing hostile units, base structures, and enemy heroes. Using gold, players buy items to strengthen their hero and gain abilities. Certain items can be combined with recipes to create more powerful items. Buying items that suit one's hero is an important tactical element of the scenario.
Allstars offers a variety of game modes, selected by the game host at the beginning of the match. The game modes dictate the difficulty of the scenario, as well as whether people can choose their hero or are assigned one randomly. Many game modes can be combined (for example, an easy difficulty level and a random hero pick), allowing more flexible options.
Development
Warcraft III is the third title in the Warcraft series of real-time strategy games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. As with Warcraft II, Blizzard included a free "world editor" in the game that allows players to create custom scenarios or "maps" for the game, which can be played online with other players through Battle.net. These custom scenarios can be simple terrain changes, which play like normal Warcraft games, or they can be entirely new game scenarios with custom objectives, units, items, and events, like Defense of the Ancients.
The first version of Defense of the Ancients was released in 2003 by a mapmaker under the alias Eul, who based the map on a previous StarCraft scenario known as "Aeon of Strife", After the release of Warcraft's expansion The Frozen Throne, which added new features to the World Editor, Eul did not update the scenario. Other mapmakers produced spinoffs that added new heroes, items, and features.
Among the DotA variants created in the wake of Eul's map included Allstars, developed by modder Steve Feak (under the alias Guinsoo); this version would become the most popular version of the map. Feak said when he began developing Allstars he had no idea how popular the game would eventually become; the emerging success of the gametype inspired him to design a new title around what he considered an emerging game genre. Feak added a recipe system for items so that player's equipment would scale as they grew more powerful, as well as a powerful boss character called Roshan (named after his bowling ball) who required an entire team to defeat.
Feak used a battle.net chat channel as a place for DotA players to congregate, but DotA Allstars had no official site for discussions and hosting. The leaders of the DotA Allstars clan, TDA, proposed that a dedicated web site be created to replace the various online alternatives that were infrequently updated or improperly maintained. TDA member Steve "Pendragon" Mescon created the official community site, dota-allstars.com, on October 14, 2004.
Towards the end of his association with the map, Feak primarily worked on optimizing the map before handing over control to another developer after version 6.01. The new author, IceFrog, added new features, heroes, and fixes. Each release is accompanied with a changelog. IceFrog is notoriously reclusive, refusing to give interviews; the only evidence of IceFrog's authorship was the map maker's email account on the official website and the name branded on the game's loading screen. Icefrog now interacts with players through a personal blog where he answers common questions players have about him and about the game. He has also posted information about upcoming map releases, including previews of new heroes and items.
Defense of the Ancients is maintained via official forums. Users can post ideas for new heroes or items, some of which are added to the map. Players have contributed icons and hero descriptions and created the artwork displayed while the map loads, and suggestions for changes to existing heroes or items are taken seriously; IceFrog once changed a new hero less than two weeks after the new version of the map was released. Versions of the scenario where enemy heroes are controlled by artificial intelligences have also been released. Mescon continues to maintain dota-allstars.com, which as of April 2009 has 1.5 million registered members and receives more than a million unique visitors each month. New team members have been added to roll out visual and system improvements to the site. IceFrog announced due to conflict of interest that he would be boycotting dota-allstars.com and starting his own web site while continuing game development.
Because Warcraft III custom games have none of the features designed to improve game quality (matchmaking players based on connection speed, etc.), various programs are used to maintain Defense of the Ancients. External tools ping player's locations, and games can be named to exclude geographic regions. Clans and committees such as TDA maintain their own official list of rules and regulations, and players can be kicked from matches by being placed on "banlists".
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Perfect World (Chinese: 完美世界, commonly abbreviated as PW and W2), is an MMORPG developed by Beijing Perfect World. It has been released in several different areas in different versions already. The Malaysian version has now been released worldwide in an English-language format. Perfect World International, opened its teaser site on July 15, 2008, and launched its closed beta August 19, 2008. The open beta began on September 2, 2008. The International Version is specifically built to accommodate North America. The Multilanguage Servive version had aimed at the European players, closed and open beta started in 2008. Perfect World Korea is currently still under development.
Perfect World is heavily based on Chinese mythology, and is set in the mythical world of Pangu. The simulated day and night, and flight is a key component in exploring the game world.
Races and Classes: Perfect World features three races, each with two exclusive classes, bringing the total of six classes that players can choose from. Each race has unique characteristics, begin in different areas of Pangu, and undertake different quests.
Humans are the primary race in the northern realms of Pangu, with the main settlement being the city of Etherblade. Humans have no innate abilities, but fly with the aid of magical weapons. Players choosing a Human character can pick between the melee-oriented blademaster class, or the mage-type wizard class. The human race receives a flying sword at level 30 which allows them to fly.
Blademasters(Warrior in Perfect World Malaysia) can use a variety of melee weapons, including swords, spears, hammers fists and axes. Blademasters are rounded characters that are nonetheless able to perform in the role of a tank by enhancing their physical defence. Blademasters usually act as a secondary tank, backing up the Barbarian primary tank.
Wizards ( Magician in Perfect World Malaysia ) function as nukers, using a variety of elemental spells to deal a large amount of damage. Wizards have very low physical defense but they do have a strong elemental defense.
Winged Elves Winged Elves are the strongers class in the game,live mainly in the south of Pangu, and in their chief/capital City of Plume. Winged Elf characters are distinguished by a small pair of wings on their heads, and all Winged Elf characters can fly from the very beginning of the game. Characters of this race can chose to be an Archer or a Cleric.
Archers are ranged characters using bows, crossbows and slingshots. Archers excel at doing damage at distance, but struggle with close combat due to damage penalties and weak defense.
Clerics(Priest in Perfect World Malaysia ) fulfill the traditional role of party healer, providing party buffs but also have good combat abilities along with a strong elemental defense.
Untamed are human/beast hybrids living in the west of Pangu. Untamed characters can transform into animals, and can use flying beasts at Level 30. The Untamed classes are Barbarian and Venomancer.
Barbarians(Werebeast in Perfect World Malaysia) are designed to act as the party tank, with a high amount of hit points and skills that enhance their ability to absorb damage. Barbarians have a high physical defense but have an very low resistance to elemental attacks. The barbarian's avatar must be male.
Venomancers(Werefox in Perfect World Malaysia) use an array of wood element spells. Their key ability in PvE is taming and using pets in battle, especially for luring and tanking. While in PvP situations their main role is to debuff and to use high-damage pets to attack. Due to their ability to tame pets, Venomancers are able to solo better than any other class. The venomancer's avatar must be female.
Features
Territory Wars: When trying to take the area from another guild you will have to partake in battles up to 80 vs. 80. Territory battles are very similar to DotA (Defense of the Ancients) in that there are two bases and two guilds. When you want to take over an area, your guild will have to bid on the area, the guild with the highest bid will fight the current owners for ownership.
When attempting to take a previously unowned land, your guild must bid on the territory. In the case of multiple bids, the guild with the highest bid will win. The guild that wins bidding will then have to clear the entire territory war map of monsters, including a boss located in the opposite base, within 3 hours.
Mount System: The mount system in Perfect World allows players to ride a pet mount as a means of quickly traveling across the world. Available mounts common to all servers are regular horses, panthers, leopards, raptors, and elephants. There are rare mounts obtained through the Dragon Seeker Quest. Mounts can also be purchased at the Item Mall by converting real money into in-game zen.
Personalized Clothing: Players have the ability to express themselves through their in-game characters by dying clothing. These clothes can be bought from the item mall or from other players.
Guild/Clan System: Guilds in Perfect World are known as factions and enable chat between members, creation of faction emblems (16x16 jpeg or gif files), faction versus faction battles, and control of cities.
Members also can be assigned certain jobs within the faction structure. The Leader and Director can create and alter rules and slogans of the faction, member ranks, and dismiss or invite members. Marshals can invite and promote members. Executors can invite members. There can only be 1 Leader and Director, up to 4 Marshals, and up to 12 Executors.
There are three levels a faction can be:
Level 1 - The cost for starting a level one faction is 100,000 in game coins. This is the starting level for factions, it has a player cap of 50 and the faction can be disbanded by the Leader.
Level 2 - This costs 2 million in game coins, the major changes are an increase in the player cap to 100 and it is no longer possible to disband the faction.
Level 3 - This is the final level a faction can reach, it costs an extra 10 million to move from level 2 to 3, the change this time is and increase to 200 player cap and the ability to change the faction symbol on the PWI website.
Crafting System: Players can select and raise four different crafting skills. Blacksmithing (creates weapons), Tailoring (creates armor), Crafting (creates various jewelry and arrows), and Apothecary (creates potions and hierograms). Players will need materials for items they need to make. Crafted items will have the player's name adorned on them for the purpose of credit.
Marriage System: Perfect World has a complete marriage system. Both players will have an online notice, have a wife/husband title, have 2 special marriage-related skills, lover's clothes, and driving pets. Marriage requires two items for the bride and groom from the Cash Shop which are $30 each (30 gold in game) in Perfect World item shop currency (Cubi-Gold). Only hetero-sexual couples are allowed.
Phone Lock: As a prevention system against account hackers, Perfect World has a Phone Lock feature for those who wish to use it. The Phone Lock, when activated, will freeze an account until the player of that account dials in using the registered phone number. Once the number is recognized, the account is temporarily activated for login. The player must login within 10 minutes of activation before the account login is frozen again. The player may continue to play despite the freeze. If the player logs out after the 10 minutes are up, that player must once again dial in to temporarily deactivate the Phone Lock.
Perfect World is heavily based on Chinese mythology, and is set in the mythical world of Pangu. The simulated day and night, and flight is a key component in exploring the game world.
Races and Classes: Perfect World features three races, each with two exclusive classes, bringing the total of six classes that players can choose from. Each race has unique characteristics, begin in different areas of Pangu, and undertake different quests.
Humans are the primary race in the northern realms of Pangu, with the main settlement being the city of Etherblade. Humans have no innate abilities, but fly with the aid of magical weapons. Players choosing a Human character can pick between the melee-oriented blademaster class, or the mage-type wizard class. The human race receives a flying sword at level 30 which allows them to fly.
Blademasters(Warrior in Perfect World Malaysia) can use a variety of melee weapons, including swords, spears, hammers fists and axes. Blademasters are rounded characters that are nonetheless able to perform in the role of a tank by enhancing their physical defence. Blademasters usually act as a secondary tank, backing up the Barbarian primary tank.
Wizards ( Magician in Perfect World Malaysia ) function as nukers, using a variety of elemental spells to deal a large amount of damage. Wizards have very low physical defense but they do have a strong elemental defense.
Winged Elves Winged Elves are the strongers class in the game,live mainly in the south of Pangu, and in their chief/capital City of Plume. Winged Elf characters are distinguished by a small pair of wings on their heads, and all Winged Elf characters can fly from the very beginning of the game. Characters of this race can chose to be an Archer or a Cleric.
Archers are ranged characters using bows, crossbows and slingshots. Archers excel at doing damage at distance, but struggle with close combat due to damage penalties and weak defense.
Clerics(Priest in Perfect World Malaysia ) fulfill the traditional role of party healer, providing party buffs but also have good combat abilities along with a strong elemental defense.
Untamed are human/beast hybrids living in the west of Pangu. Untamed characters can transform into animals, and can use flying beasts at Level 30. The Untamed classes are Barbarian and Venomancer.
Barbarians(Werebeast in Perfect World Malaysia) are designed to act as the party tank, with a high amount of hit points and skills that enhance their ability to absorb damage. Barbarians have a high physical defense but have an very low resistance to elemental attacks. The barbarian's avatar must be male.
Venomancers(Werefox in Perfect World Malaysia) use an array of wood element spells. Their key ability in PvE is taming and using pets in battle, especially for luring and tanking. While in PvP situations their main role is to debuff and to use high-damage pets to attack. Due to their ability to tame pets, Venomancers are able to solo better than any other class. The venomancer's avatar must be female.
Features
Territory Wars: When trying to take the area from another guild you will have to partake in battles up to 80 vs. 80. Territory battles are very similar to DotA (Defense of the Ancients) in that there are two bases and two guilds. When you want to take over an area, your guild will have to bid on the area, the guild with the highest bid will fight the current owners for ownership.
When attempting to take a previously unowned land, your guild must bid on the territory. In the case of multiple bids, the guild with the highest bid will win. The guild that wins bidding will then have to clear the entire territory war map of monsters, including a boss located in the opposite base, within 3 hours.
Mount System: The mount system in Perfect World allows players to ride a pet mount as a means of quickly traveling across the world. Available mounts common to all servers are regular horses, panthers, leopards, raptors, and elephants. There are rare mounts obtained through the Dragon Seeker Quest. Mounts can also be purchased at the Item Mall by converting real money into in-game zen.
Personalized Clothing: Players have the ability to express themselves through their in-game characters by dying clothing. These clothes can be bought from the item mall or from other players.
Guild/Clan System: Guilds in Perfect World are known as factions and enable chat between members, creation of faction emblems (16x16 jpeg or gif files), faction versus faction battles, and control of cities.
Members also can be assigned certain jobs within the faction structure. The Leader and Director can create and alter rules and slogans of the faction, member ranks, and dismiss or invite members. Marshals can invite and promote members. Executors can invite members. There can only be 1 Leader and Director, up to 4 Marshals, and up to 12 Executors.
There are three levels a faction can be:
Level 1 - The cost for starting a level one faction is 100,000 in game coins. This is the starting level for factions, it has a player cap of 50 and the faction can be disbanded by the Leader.
Level 2 - This costs 2 million in game coins, the major changes are an increase in the player cap to 100 and it is no longer possible to disband the faction.
Level 3 - This is the final level a faction can reach, it costs an extra 10 million to move from level 2 to 3, the change this time is and increase to 200 player cap and the ability to change the faction symbol on the PWI website.
Crafting System: Players can select and raise four different crafting skills. Blacksmithing (creates weapons), Tailoring (creates armor), Crafting (creates various jewelry and arrows), and Apothecary (creates potions and hierograms). Players will need materials for items they need to make. Crafted items will have the player's name adorned on them for the purpose of credit.
Marriage System: Perfect World has a complete marriage system. Both players will have an online notice, have a wife/husband title, have 2 special marriage-related skills, lover's clothes, and driving pets. Marriage requires two items for the bride and groom from the Cash Shop which are $30 each (30 gold in game) in Perfect World item shop currency (Cubi-Gold). Only hetero-sexual couples are allowed.
Phone Lock: As a prevention system against account hackers, Perfect World has a Phone Lock feature for those who wish to use it. The Phone Lock, when activated, will freeze an account until the player of that account dials in using the registered phone number. Once the number is recognized, the account is temporarily activated for login. The player must login within 10 minutes of activation before the account login is frozen again. The player may continue to play despite the freeze. If the player logs out after the 10 minutes are up, that player must once again dial in to temporarily deactivate the Phone Lock.
DEKARON Online
Choice of HERO
"Lighting a fire on my faith, my sword, which was shining in the dark was sad.
Cutting the source of evil and waking up fresh souls, Dekaron. That was my choice which can not be changed".
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