Lineage 2: The Chaotic Chronicle
by NCsoft
(Click here)
Product Summary
Brand: NCsoftFormat: CD-ROM
Release Date: 2004-04-28
Platform: Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP
Model: 2123819
Publisher: NCsoft
Product features:
- Sequel to popular online fantasy RPG
- Set in chaotic times before the first title
- Synchronized Tactical Combat system
- Join with others in parties and clans
- For one or more players using Internet
Video Game Reviews of Lineage 2: The Chaotic Chronicle
Customer Review: A mixed bag
Summary: 3 Stars
Lineage 2, like most MMORPGs on the market, is an utterly mixed bag. Players coming from a realm based game, such as World of Warcraft or Dark Age of Camelot, or from an optional PvP game, such as Ultima Online, will find the realm-less free for all PvP world of Lineage 2 at times exciting and others unsettling. Ganking is however kept to a minimum via a PK counter on the offending character (they get a pk count ONLY if the person they're attacking doesn't fight back) and at higher PK counts they can't enter villages and have a much greater chance to drop gear when they die and can possibly even drop a weapon. This means, for all practical purposes, that the bulk of non-consensual PvP is kept to a minimum on most servers.
Alright, Phil. I'm intrigued. What other unique aspects does this game have?
Easiest said is the soundtrack, which is rich, detailed and in some cases even makes it pleasent to sit in a village. L2 took the console RPG theory behind mustic and applied it to MMORPG's, which typically only played music upon zoning or entering a town, and then only a 15-30 second blip. The graphics are fantastic, especially considering when it was made. Character models are all fairly similar among members of the same race which is a bummer but toons don't suffer from DDO and EQ2 characters that are so detailed they become ugly. Gameplay is exceptionally easy, which is a double edged sword, as the new will love it because they can hop right on while the longer you play it the more apt you are to become bored, although the amount of skills your character has access to at any given time corresponds nicely with level so it does become 'somewhat' more complex as your character levels up.
Well, Phil, you only gave this 3 stars overall. What gives?
Well, first off, the PvP system is sorely lacking. If you win a PvP fight, you get nothing unless your opponent drops some gear (very rare). If you lose, you lose xp (and possibly de-level) and may drop some gear, which the guy who killed you might pick up. Some folks make special "red toons" who they take out just for the sake of killing people, usually for ganking lowbies. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Another problem with the PvP system is the formal keep fights, which are laggy and suffer from the same penalty based PvP ruleset as the informal PvP. The other problem with formal keep PvP is that you need to be a part of good sized guild just to have a shot at getting one, and by extension that guild needs to be part of a good sized alliance. Finding these things with other players you can tolerate is quite a challenge at times and finding a guild with other players you like... well that's a tough one. Speaking of finding a guild, leveling and keeping yourself in decent gear won't be easy without them, and guess what, guilds don't camp the lowbie towns looking for new players, they occupy higher level areas typically looking for 40 or even 52+ level characters of a specific class. Oh, and then there are the bots... bots are everywhere farming adena to sell on their websites to people who don't have a guild or don't know how to make money (or to people who are just too lazy). Trying to level in a starter area? Good luck, you'll need it to overcome the bot scourge across the land. Want to play a dwarf? Congratz, you're bound to be mistaken for a bot everywhere you go as dwarves are the favored race by bot users.
Overall, the game is fun but is often times more hassle and time consuming than it's really worth. Good luck out there.
Description of Lineage 2: The Chaotic Chronicle
Enter a world of intrigue and deception as you fight for the control of castles, fend off majestic beasts, and plot to conquer formidable rival alliances for rule of Aden. Lineage II is an epic adventure focused on player-versus-player interaction in a large and seamless world. Experience the drama and excitement of battling other players in realtime to storm a massive castle. Rally your clan, plan a strategy, and finally lay siege. If you're talented enough to take a castle, you can collect taxes and appoint leaders. But most importantly, keep watch for others coming over the horizon to try their hand at taking away your power base.Online Games
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