Gameplay

Dungeons and monsters

There really is no way around it - Asheron's Call is a game about finding monsters and killing them so that you can get stronger and kill bigger monsters. While we really would've liked to see an engine like the one AC uses to implement an online multiplayer environment based in the present, we are (so far) out of luck. The focus on slaughtering monsters leads to the main irritant of the game - finding said monsters. (Please keep in mind while you're reading this, though, that the game is in beta, and constantly being refined to be more fun) There's a lot of time that need be invested in walking to the lair of the monsters, walking to find the monsters, and afterwards, waiting for said monsters to regenerate. Unfortunately, everyone else is trying to do this at the same time, and, well, there just aren't always enough monsters to go around.

Fortunately, there are other ways to gain experience. You can try to solve quests, and you gain experience in skills by using them. The quests, like the monster hunting, suffer from the same main problem - everyone is trying to play as more or less the same character. It's easiest to start out as either a fighter or an offensive magic user, and that's what everyone starts out as. This means that everyone wants to start in one of the main newbie areas, everyone wants to fight the same monsters in the same dungeons with the same weapons and the same armor - it gets fairly repetitive.

Take that!

Mmmm, meat

Not all bad

The gameplay IS constantly being tweaked, and it is also set up well, so despite current frustrations, I have high hopes for the future of AC. The game is set up to be playable "lone-ranger" style, but be much easier and productive with a diverse group. For instance, a good group to bring into a dungeon would likely have (surprise, surprise) attackers, healers, and a rogue to pick locks and disarm traps. Currently, the problem is that few people desire to be healers / rogues - either because the type of player doesn't appeal to them, or (in my case) they're just too darn hard to start out with!

However, I have little fear that this and other gameplay issues will be taken care of. (For example, the designers are currently toying with the penalty for dying, trying to make it neither too hard nor too easy - a delicate task) Even with all the annoyances I listed, the game was addictive and fun enough to keep me coming back to play for several weeks, on and off. I tried out different character types, ventured to different lands, and got killed by different creatures. There's never a lack of stuff to explore in Asheron's Call.

Oh, and for all you murderous types, here's the scoop on player killing in AC: If you want to kill other players, you'll need to find a hidden, sacred monument. Only those who worship at this evil altar are a part of the player-killing aspect of the game; if you can't kill other players, they can't kill you either. The choice is yours.

Shortcut thru the grass

Butcher-style