The suggestion to try a game called "Dofus" arrived in my inbox after exclaiming how bored I was.

Dofus?

What the heck is Dofus?

A quick click on the link took me to a page where quite honestly, my first reaction was a snarky smirk and a little scoff. Needless to say I have not held a fascination with online games, nor have I had the attention span to successfully delve into this popular pastime.

I was intrigued by the seemingly odd pairing of a game and a cartoon. With a half piqued interest, I signed up. The painless process directed me to pick a character class, those which have such varied specificities that it took a bit of additional research to understand exactly what I was choosing. However being a girl, I was tempted to pick something cute, damn that gender influence. After much deliberation and reading, I selected the Eniripsa class. Humor struck me when I realized that these guys are the "healers" within the game, and as I have noticed within Dofus, there was a sense of humor behind their name. Eniripsa, is aspirine backwards, the French spelling for aspirin, the pain reliever. The humor was not lost on me, and as I go through the worlds of Dofus, so many glaringly amusing jokes come to light. This is just one of the many reasons Dofus has endeared itself so strongly to me.

Once I customized my character, I started out into a world of strange creatures, quests, and a lot of very confusing idiosyncrasies. Not being a gamer, and not having ever played an MMORPG, I was afraid I was in a little over my head. I checked the Dofus website, and kept referring to it frequently, so I could try to figure out what I was doing, and why the heck I was doing it.

It didn't take long. . . I knew it with a few minutes, I was hooked. The graphics and snarky sense of humor by the creators completely won me over. I was actually enjoying this game. What? Me? Enjoying a game... on-line? Had Hell frozen over? As impossible as it seemed, I was having a lot of fun playing Dofus.

As a newbie, the learning curve was far easier than I had imagined. Within a short period of time I was killing little wooly creatures, called Gobballs and Gobbies. I was learning how to control my character, and how to use her powers effectively. By continuing to learn in these easy fights, I started to understand the value in strategizing for maximum effect. Before I knew it I was increasing in levels, and had to start customizing the characteristics of my little fairy, so I could maximize her talents.

Advancing quickly, I was thrust into a fantastic world of amazing new creatures and challenges. While exploring, there are so many details to this game, which at first blush, go unnoticed. The creators are constantly integrating humor and sarcasm throughout the world of Dofus, sometimes in the most innocuous of places. The more I play the more entertaining the game becomes as I discover more hidden commentaries. Within Dofus there are many playful details hidden within the graphics. If you really look, you can find the sick and twisted minds that created this fantastic world. I find have an endless fascination of seeing how many little details I can find in any given area of exploration. This has become a game within the game for me.

I have discovered that the community of Dofus is an amazingly eclectic group of people. I have been endlessly impressed with the strength of the community, and the social outlet it allows. Dofus strongly promotes the interaction among its members, and I have found that very endearing. I have really begun to appreciate the open sharing and knowledge of others both on the site, as well as on the companion websites devoted to the game and the sharing of information on strategizing within Dofus. There is a strong feeling of comradery, and cooperation among Dofus players. This was counterintuitive for me, as I was under the assumption that there would be a lot of fierce rivalry, and a bitter disinterest to assist a newbie. This was definitely not the case. Don't get me wrong, there is a battle and competition component to Dofus, but it is far over shadowed by the friendliness and companionship experienced among players from around the globe.

The challenges and quests keep the game moving forward. There are so many things to do, you do not feel stuck in a routine, or feel you are on an endless quest. The game gives you so many ways to accomplish challenges, and rewards you well for your work. I have found the quests to keep the game very fresh, constantly keeping me exploring new areas of the game of which I was unaware. Every quest unlocks a new level of learning and imagination within the world of Dofus.

As I progress and learn within the world of Dofus, I am finding that the new monsters with which I battle cause me to recalculate my strategies and techniques. I appreciate this new adaptation as it keeps me from sticking to one specific attack or defense method. As I battle new creatures, and hopefully win, I create more reference, and as for those battles I loose and am reincarnated, I find a valuable lesson in the failure of that battle. Constantly learning seems to be a key to the enjoyment of Dofus.

As a free player, I have not felt that I am at a disadvantage or loss of any by having chosen not to subscribe at this point. However I do admit that I am enjoying this game so intensely that I defiantly do plan to subscribe so I can unlock even more adventures within Dofus. Dofus is a very intelligent, fun, and strongly well designed game. It has changed my view of on-line games, and those who play these games. Dofus has opened my eyes to a magnificent new world full of fun and amusing quests. And just think, if I had never sent that e-mail about how bored I was, I never would have been introduced to this brilliant game.