MMORPG.com Istaria reporter Erin McManaway writes this look at what might arguable be the game's most defining feature: the race of Dragons.

They're in the game logo. They're in the game trailers. They're in the game screenshots. They're dragons -- the unique racial choice for players in Istaria. Playing a dragon was the one major feature that originally pulled me to this game. But what is it actually like to train your dragon in Istaria?

Dragons 101

You start out as a hatchling who will eventually perform a Right of Passage at two pivotal points in your life -- first at adulthood, then when you become an ancient. Each right of passage empowers your dragon's stats... and of course size. If you've ever seen an ancient dragon, they're quite huge!

Read Dragons 101.

Istaria has always had good potential and I wish the game had turned out differently. But you failed to point out that in the free trial Istaria offers, you can only play as a human character. 

I like my dragon but he is like lvl 10, and at this level rather weak, but one day i get him higher, really would like to be able to fly :)

with the 14 day free trial you are able to play as a dragon .

the unlimited game time trial has the human race restriction

Originally posted by lyrrius

with the 14 day free trial you are able to play as a dragon .

the unlimited game time trial has the human race restriction

That's right! Thanks for clarifying this.

In the article I mentioned it was the 14 day free trial. Which is different from the free to play option. :)

I never really got into playing as a dragon.  I like the options bipeds have in choosing classes and crafting skills, plus the better selection of homes to make.

Is this the saem game as Horizons? I only ask cause someone had said that a few days back.

Originally posted by Thedrizzle

Is this the saem game as Horizons? I only ask cause someone had said that a few days back.

Yes, this game use to be Horizons. It's got a different team, a different name and is going through a slew of changes currently. So, you could say it's the same but different.

Originally posted by Thedrizzle

Is this the saem game as Horizons? I only ask cause someone had said that a few days back.

 Yea it is

The only reason the game is still afloat is because of Dragons. There are exponentially better MMO's out there right now.

I've allways wanted the option to play a dragon in a MMORPG , only reason I never checked this game out was because the trial before was for humans only, seeing as it now includes dragons, I see no reason not to experience it.

Not to be a party pooper, but..

"Dragons can fly as high and far as they wish in the world of Istaria."

^ This is not entirely accurate unless they've changed flight.  You can not reach the clouds in the game.  However, you can get high enough that the view distance no longer includes the ground.  As I recall, the area below you becomes an empty greyness.

I only bring this up because I used to dream of soaring through the clouds with my dragon, but that was before the game launched.

I also don't recall hatchlings having the ability to glide.  We used to jump around quite spaztically as hatchlings.  It was cute, and you kind of traded the ability to hop around when your dragon hit adult hood.  Jumping twice as an adult begins flight, but it's kind of cool to think that hatchlings can now glide. That would be useful.  I will have to peek at their forums.

I used to play this game as a dragon and I was even a Guild Master for an all dragon RP guild.  I made it to Ancient dragon.  I enjoyed being able to fly anywhere I wished in the game world.

Ultimately I left because of the dying player population and the troubles that were going on prior to its current development team incarnation.  I don't think I could get back into in now simply because the graphics are so dated now.  Although I am primarily playing only single player games now since I'm not really all that excited by anything out there currently in the MMO world.

If Istaria were to undergo a graphics overhaul, I'd gladly try it out again.

Originally posted by Hadesprime

The only reason the game is still afloat is because of Dragons. There are exponentially better MMO's out there right now.

Originally posted by Mysk

 

I also don't recall hatchlings having the ability to glide.  We used to jump around quite spaztically as hatchlings.  It was cute, and you kind of traded the ability to hop around when your dragon hit adult hood.  Jumping twice as an adult begins flight, but it's kind of cool to think that hatchlings can now glide. That would be useful.  I will have to peek at their forums.

Hatchlings can glide now -- it was part of a newer update. It is an option you have to turn on as I don't believe it's on by default. And it is extremely helpful in many situations, including the Right of Passage.

I recently re-subed this game after my son started playing the unlimited free trial. Though I loved playing Horizons for so many years, I just can't seem to get back into it.

The low player pops and the choppy, laggy world and the poor graphics just take too much away. What good is all that loot and crafting if there are none to sell, trade, share it with?

The character development process is awesome if you don't mind some grind. You are reward with a development tree second to none.

The dragons are awesome too.

Redo this game from scratch and relaunch as Horizons 2 and I would most sub for life !! But as it is now, it's simply too old and lacking to enjoy  for me.

My son is playing on my account and I'll pop in and play for awhile, say hi to old buds and such, perhaps things may change. I'm going to keep an eye on things either way though since the new owners seem to care and are doing their best to bring the game up to date.

The graphics still aren't that bad in my eyes but the choppyness and delay was an issue for me.  I recently found out a few changes in the config files for the game that make it run as it should.  Still not as nice as modern games but it's still very playable and the devs "openness" to modding has allowed a few nice player made textures to be added if you wish to download them you can find them on the offical forums under the player customization section.

Choosing the Helian faction gives your dragon a boost in the Primal magic lines and tends to be considered the choice for those who wish to play a spell-casting dragon.

Unless there have been significant changes - and I haven't heard that there have, a "spell-casting dragon" is a joke.

It's a poor illusion of choice.

I tried both, just to see. I started out as a spellcasting dragon and painfully slogged my way up to about level 70. Then I finally succumbed to peer pressure (all the other dragons kept telling me I was insane for not speccing to melee) and gave melee a go.

No more painful slogging. Melee dragons are waaaaaaaaaaaaay stronger than spellcasting ones.

Originally posted by Hadesprime

The only reason the game is still afloat is because of Dragons. There are exponentially better MMO's out there right now.

Well dragons.... and dodginess :P

Was it once or twice that the former owner went bust, then bought the game back cheap under a different name?

Though seriously, I think there's a twisted relationship here.

I think part of the reason we haven't seen non-humanoid races in other MMOs is because Horizons tanked so badly.

So no-one else is willing to touch dragons, which keeps them exclusive to Horizons, which keeps Horizons afloat.

Originally posted by green13

Originally posted by Hadesprime

The only reason the game is still afloat is because of Dragons. There are exponentially better MMO's out there right now.

Well dragons.... and dodginess :P

Was it once or twice that the former owner went bust, then bought the game back cheap under a different name?

Though seriously, I think there's a twisted relationship here.

I think part of the reason we haven't seen non-humanoid races in other MMOs is because Horizons tanked so badly.

So no-one else is willing to touch dragons, which keeps them exclusive to Horizons, which keeps Horizons afloat.

 Horizons always had performace issues but it had a really health population for a good while.  I remember having a reletivly active guild 2 years into release and through the server merge.

I'm really surprised the game has survived its past owners who seemed to try to kill it in every possible way aside from actually pulling the plug. 

And yea, dragons are definatly the most popular but I still love my human.