Asheron's Call 2
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| Asheron's Call 2 {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Turbine Entertainment Software {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | November 22, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings was a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for Microsoft Windows-based PCs that was released on November 22, 2002 and shut down on December 30, 2005. It was a sequel to 1999's Asheron's Call, although content, graphics and gameplay dynamics differ greatly from its predecessor.
Both games were developed by Turbine Entertainment Software and originally published by Microsoft, until Turbine purchased the Asheron's Call franchise in December 2003. The Microsoft to Turbine transition was completed in spring 2005. In 2004 and 2005, Turbine entered business arrangements with Jolt Online Gaming to operate AC2 in Europe and with Sony Online Entertainment to distribute the game's first expansion, Asheron's Call 2: Legions, under the Station Publishing label.
Contents |
Updates
As with other MMORPGs, Asheron's Call 2 was a subscription-based game, cost $12.95 USD/EUR per month to play. The Asheron's Call franchise was unique in providing complimentary monthly to bi-monthly content updates that added new quests, skills, landmasses, monsters, gameplay dynamics and bug fixes to all subscribers. Epic storylines linked multiple episodes to form distinct "story arcs".
A major expansion pack for Asheron's Call 2 titled Asheron's Call 2: Legions was announced in October 2004 and was released on May 4, 2005. It included a new playable character race — the mythical Empyreans, and a major new landmass, Knorr. Players who pre-ordered the expansion were granted access to a second new character race, the Drudge at the time of the Legions launch. High-level gameplay was also revisited with the Hero 2.0 system and plentiful new content. The subsequent (and final) content update was one of the largest ever, featuring two new types of monsters, dozens of additional quests, as well as other content additions.
Game Setting
Both Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2 are set on the (fictional) planet of Auberean. The "Call" of "Asheron's Call" refers to the urge followed by people on several different "home worlds" to enter portals to Auberean, created by the Empyrean mage, Asheron. Asheron's Call 2 takes place following a major cataclysmic event on the planet, resulting in massive changes to the topography of one continent on the planet (Dereth). The three races inhabiting the continent at the time of the cataclysm high-tailed it into the safety of shelters hidden in portal space until it was safe to emerge. The basic premise of Asheron's Call 2 is that the players represent people emerging from the shelters to reclaim the world their ancestors left behind. The three warring factions that brought about the original cataclysm are still present, and still fighting for power. In addition to these three warring factions, there are other, older and perhaps more powerful forces also fighting for control of Auberean's fate.
Game play
Players choose a character that is one of three races: Isparians are humans from Ispar, one of the first races to answer Asheron's Call. Lugians came to Dereth in the same fashion as Isparians from a different home world, Tuu, and were (in the original game) quite hostile to Isparians. Tumeroks, or Tonks, also came to Dereth through Asheron's portals from their home world on Hazahtu, and were also originally treated as monsters by Isparians. These hostilities were worked out between the first game and the sequel, and now, in AC2, the three races co-exist with conflict limited to those choosing player versus player content. Players that purchase the Legions expansion pack gain access to two additional races, Empyreans and Drudges.
One's race is the only limiting factor on the "class" or "profession" that can be played by your character. The following chart show the classes available to each race. Each class is quite distinct from the others within AC2, and each class is also quite distinct from those available in other fantasy MMORPGs. In general terms, character classes are considered "damage dealers", "tanks", or "healers".
| Race | Magic | Missile | Melee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human | Sorcerer, Enchanter | Alchemist, Ranger | Bounty Hunter , Defender |
| Lugian | Elementalist, Sage | Raider, Tactician | Berserker, Juggernaut |
| Tumerok | Healer, Invoker | Claw Bearer, Hive Keeper | Feral Intendant, Zealot |
| Empyrean | Hieromancer | Mentalist | Templar |
| Drudge | n/a | n/a | Drudge |
Characters may choose one of the above specializations when they reach the 15th level. Characters may also choose to proceed un-specialized, though eventually the difficulty level of the content in the world will make it important to specialize to continue advancement. For each level between 1 and 50, characters gain a credit that can be used to train skills used in combat. After reaching the 45th level, players may begin the "Hero Initiation" quest to become a Hero of Dereth and unlock character advancement beyond level 50. The level cap for Heroes of Dereth is 150. The character development system for Heroes was one of the major updates to the game released with the Legions expansion pack, but is open to all players, regardless of whether they purchase the expansion pack. More information on the post-Legions Hero system, Hero 2.0, is available here.
Levels are gained by completing activities that give your character "experience points", or "XP". XP is also used to increase the skill rating, or power, of each skill trained. Characters can gain XP in a wide variety of ways, hunting monsters on a solo basis or with groups of other players, completing quests, or even just turning in items that can be traded for. Most quests (but not all) can be repeated for multiple rewards after some time passes. There is significant variety in the quests offered in AC2: some are centered on simply combatting an overpopulation of a certain type of monster, some involve entering a dungeon or cave to destroy a powerful "boss" monster, some involve running errands for NPCs, or escorting NPCs to safety, in addition to the epic style quests that involve the major NPCs in the current or past story arcs. Quest rewards also run the gamut: some offer temporary buffs or summonable pets to increase the character's power, some offer simply an XP reward, some offer gold, some offer weapons, armor, or trinkets, still others unlock movie "vignettes" offering insight into the game's backstory.
AC2 also has an extensive crafting system that operates almost completely independently of the level-based advancement system. In contrast to the XP system, the craft system places no hard-set limitation on the number of skills you can master, but each skill is fairly narrow (for example, Tumerok Martial Weapons is one vocation, while Empyrean Armor is another). There are no level requirements to unlock craft skills: your craft skill alone is what matters. For all but the most single-minded of crafters, players generally strive to master a single vocation, or to become adept enough in several to create items for a wide range of low- to mid-level characters. Players can craft weapons and armor up to level 100 (as of July 2005) that are highly sought after, and highly customizable. Enchantment effects can be extracted from weapons and armor generated by the treasure system. It is expected that the cap on the level of gear that can be crafted will be lifted as player levels approach the craft cap.
AC2 does not at this point have a "faction" system by which you improve (or worsen) your character's rapport with various NPC factions. Players can instead choose to join one of three "kingdoms" and may then participate in player-vs-player conflict, and gain access to some quest content that is centered around competition between the kingdoms — broadly referred to as "kingdom-vs-kingdom" content. As you complete KvK quests and/or successfully defeat characters of other kingdoms, you will gain "kingdom points" which allow you to train additional skills granted by your chosen Kingdom. These skills are unlocked in a strict hierarchy; players are not able to pick and choose which kingdom skills they can train. In addition, there are certain quests that can be completed to strengthen each Kingdom's fort (which must also be defended against predation by members of the opposing kingdom).
Player vs player combat in AC2 is always consensual, and is generally not considered necessary for advancement of your character. For most servers, regions of the landscape are identified as "peaceful" or "conflict" zones, and PvP fighting is only allowed in conflict zones between members of opposing kingdoms. For Darktide, the "conflict server", PvP combat is possible in all regions of the world, and is not limited to conflict between different kingdoms. As of August 2005, there will be a quest added that will allow players on the "non-conflict" servers to engage in PvP combat anywhere in the world, against characters in opposing kingdoms that have also completed that quest. Quests that are not in some way related to increasing the power of one kingdom over the others generally avoid conflict regions on the map, thus allowing players who choose to avoid PvP combat to do so without limiting their activities significantly.
Critical reaction
Fallen Kings
AC2 is generally considered the first "second-generation" MMORPG, and its graphics continue to be among the best in the genre even more than two years after its original release. Many tedious aspects of first-generation MMORPGs were eliminated while maintaining complex gameplay and combat systems based on a hybrid class-skill system. The free monthly (more recently, bimonthly) updates, a service unique to Turbine software products, have also been widely praised.
While Asheron's Call 2 received widely favorable press reviews, many players were disappointed with the initial retail release of the software, which followed a brief open beta testing phase. The game was initially plagued by server instability, lack of content, high system requirements, engine flaws, lack of balance and many broken combat skills. The developers overestimated the time it would take players to reach the initial maximum level of 50, which occurred after just a few weeks. To add to the problems, the chat system was unreliable and the subject of something of a turf-war between Microsoft (publisher at the time) and Turbine. It took months for Microsoft to hand over responsibility for the chat system to Turbine, adding to the frustration of its player-base.
These shortcomings were largely addressed throughout 2003, but many players had quit by that time, resulting in the consolidation of several servers and a comparatively low total player population. Especially the player versus player server Darktide and the kingdom versus kingdom server Coldeve experienced extremely low populations. Bruce Woodcock of MMOGChart.com estimates that AC2 peaked with about 50,000 subscribers, but currently has only 10–15,000. The Coldeve server has since been merged with the Frostfell server.
Most current players agree that the game has significantly improved over time. Included in these improvements are a new crafting system aptly named Craft 2.0 which has greatly changed the in-game economy for the better. Also the level cap has been raised to a new 150 max, which since the introduction of the original Hero system, which allows a character to pass level 50, has not been reached. A year after the Hero system was put in, the highest level character on any United States server was level 75.
Criticism was particularly vocal from many Asheron's Call 1 players, who were frustrated by the radical changes in gameplay dynamics and the game world, claiming that AC2 was a sequel in name only. The fact that AC2 would be different then AC1 was stated from the initial releases on it.
Legions
Player reactions to Legions have been almost universally favorable, citing performance improvements, excellent design of the new landmass and plentiful new content. The character development system for mid- and high-level players received another major revision, referred to as Hero 2.0, which has been received quite favorably, though as with any MMORPG, it is not without its detractors.
Cancellation
On August 25, 2005 it was announced by Turbine CEO Jeff Anderson that the Asheron's Call 2 service would be shut down on December 30, 2005, and no additional content updates were planned. This was a reaction to tepid sales of the Legions expansion pack, which failed to boost the number of subscription past the critical threshold of 35,000. Fans were highly critical of this reaction, blaming lack of sales on a poorly coordinated marketing campaign and an insufficient retail presence, Producer Citan (Eric Heimburg) moved on to the Star Trek Online project, whereas most other team members transferred to the Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online projects at Turbine.
External links
- Turbine's official AC2 website
- Fan Fiction - Fan-fiction published by Turbine each Friday, beginning with Legions launch.
- AC2 Vault - forums, quest and player guides
- AC2 Crafter - Resources for AC2 crafters and their customers
- AC2 Warcry - More news, quests and player guides, especially excellent sources of information on lore and crafting.
- Moby Games - Entry on AC2 including credits.
- What's life like in online world that's about to end? - 19 December 2005 Wired article by Clive Thompson exploring "how people behave in a world where the end is actually nigh."de:Asheron's Call 2