It has been some time since we last discussed the Tactical Battle System (TBS), a brand new system which has been generating much excitement to our very own team here at Ndoors. Continuing in our goal of providing fresh gameplay to the MMORPG genre, this system is sure to have heads turning, and bring a whole new element of cooperative gameplay to Atlantica Online.

With massive battles of up to 200 in-game characters, regardless of the number of actual players controlling them, players can expect to face off against others or against monsters in up to teams of eight. So the battle will feel a lot like a real-time strategy game, much in the same vein as Warcraft, where players will gather resources, construct buildings and set traps, upgrade units, and raze enemy bases as ordered by their commander.

Battles are placed on a grid, with all player action measured by resources. Players will be able to attack or use a special action once per turn--special action can be the use of magic, building construction, or resource collection. During their turn, players will be able to move and attack, but not vice versa, to prevent hit-and-runs. The grid will show how far you can move to assist in measuring up your opponent. It will also show from what range you will be able to attack from, which is all dependent on class of course.

Some basic tactics include the use of fire, traps, and the ability to sneak up on enemies. Players will be able to use fire to burn through trees and obstacles to advance, and depending on the wind's direction and speed, fires will grow to either your advantage or disadvantage. Players will also be able to set traps to take advantage of unsuspecting enemies. It will be difficult for the enemy to track traps, so classes who can detect traps will be vital to any team. And for those who like to sneak around in the fields, there will be plenty of places to hide, and they will have a field day catching enemies off guard. Sneak attacks will deal extra damage and will easily turn any fight to your favor.

Tactics will also depend on terrain and topography, so whether you're attacking or on the defense, players will need to keep terrain in the back of their minds to find success on the battlefield. For example, an archer positioned on higher ground will be able to hit targets at a further distance. Weather will also play into battles. For example, rain will be able to subdue fires that may be destroying your resources.

One of the TBS Guild Dungeons we're currently working on is called Troy, which is a huge battlefield designed for large-scale PVE battles. In the early stages of battle, players will have time to build buildings, from houses and factories to unit-upgrade structures. Once constructed, battle in Troy begins! Players will be fighting enemies and destroying obstacles in their path, but it won't be possible alone as each class will have something special to bring to the table. For example, some targets will require ranged attacks to be defeated, so cooperation will be key in this guild dungeon. Once you successfully destroy the enemy base, victory will be yours. But the path to victory will be heavily guarded, including a meeting with the Troy Gatekeeper.