9Dragons Dev Journals: Skills of Martial Artists
Ken Johnston pens a new developer journal that examines the skills of martial artists in the upcoming MMO 9Dragons from Acclaim.
By Guest Writer on October 04, 2006
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A new developer journal from the guys bringing 9Dragons to the West
This is the starting point of your journey in the game 9Dragons. You do not need to use your imagination any longer because your story will unfold in front of you. The skills of Kung Fu are there to be learned. You can change the course of your destiny in ancient China with the decisions you make. However, unlike other MMO's, you don't just grab the biggest weapon available and start hacking away at the monsters. Oh no! In 9Dragons you must earn your moves. Firstly you need to train your inner "Chi" through in-game mini-games. Then you need to find a trainer who will teach you the basic moves of Kung Fu. After that your mission is to find a clan and join. Only there will you learn the specific skills of your clan and be trained by your Sifu (or teacher). Not only will he teach you Kung Fu moves but he will also teach you about the history of the clan and the war that raged across China ten years previously. The skills he teaches you depend on the choices you make in developing your character. However, that is not the only way to learn! Sometimes the clan leader will see you and will teach you some of his exclusive abilities. Treasure these because they are rare and deadly. Sometimes you will embark on quests and these may help you to unlock new moves for yourself. Perhaps, if you have the right abilities, you may be lucky and find a tome on those you defeat detailing secrets of Kung Fu. Who knows?
Ah, yes, so you have your skills, you say. Is that it? Do not be confused into thinking that possessing a skill is the same thing as mastering it! To master any ability you must use it, train it and develop it. Each clan has extensive training grounds where you can hone your talents before you leave to follow your quests. Your training takes place under the guidance of a mentor and he will ensure that you understand how to employ your newfound gifts.
So, let me conclude. There is a lot to learn in 9Dragons. Skills do not always come easily. They need to be earned and then practiced. That, however, is the enjoyment of the game. Everyone will pick a different path and your skills will be very different from anyone else's. You will become a unique martial artist. A far cry from the poor peasant that you once were. For more details on the game please visit www.9dragonsgame.com if you are from North America or www.9dragonsonline.com if you are from Europe. -By Ken Johnston |
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Hi,
I've been following this game developpement as best as I could, and I'm quite intriged by the animation showed... are they taken from real role play, and the game is like those, or are they just "made up" to make us drool?
An example would be archlord, what you see on video is not the game at all... the game itself is pretty poor on graphics, sounds, moves, animations, no gender choice, or customisation as such.. etc...
9dragons seems to be quite... different from any other games I saw so far, and the videos makes it look like, moves/attack/defence have to be done quite... quickly (so the Mxo type of combat engine is not really an option here), and from the amount of possible skills/etc, I can't picutre a "point and click" to select an attack either, which would leave only a keyboard/joypad combination... if anyone has played it before (alpha etc...) and are allowed to answer this question, would you mind mailing me on mmorpg?
(yes I know I'm part of the winner of the beta keys... BUT I'm way too impatient.. or let's say I just don't want to be too disapointed by the game when I see it like I have been by so many games recently... :) )
What PvP is offered ?
Game looks fantastic though :)
Well I got the beta key... and obviously can't disclose what I've seen :-P
On a personal opinion, I'm a bit disapointed with the fights/engines... the graphics do look ok though...
Haven't had much time to give it my full attention yet, and I only managed to get to the 2nd level in like 20 minutes or so...
Like it was said in an article, some skills have to be trained after they get learned... which is quite a nice thing (Although I think the training is quite... mmm.. easy... :) ).
1. Is this game a grind?
2. Is the gameplay/fighting fast paced? (Not a stand and attack game)
3. What kind of PvP does it offer?
2- I'm not sure the NDA allows me to give details on this, and due to the fact the server is only up a few hours, and on american time, I haven't had a chance to play much yet.
3- same as above.
Although if we're lucky, one of the game dev. might be looking around this thread and be willing to answer the questions, or give the beta testers the authorisation to answer question 2 and 3. :)
Alternatively, register for the beta, the download is only one cd, and the updates were pretty fast after the download, not a big risk to take :)
I'm not even sure any beta tester could answer your questions yet, as I only saw low levels so far (would make sence as not many people have been around for long I think :) ).
So far, and this is only my personal opinion, I'm a bit disapointed by the combat engine/technique used... (so not saying anything about how it works, or what other games are using similar ... ways).
As said above, unless a dev. or community manager decides to answer you, your only option would be to see the beta by yourself I'm afraid...
This is definitely a different approach to MMORPGs. Personally I am already hooked on the story line than anything else. I want to know more about the struggle between the clans and less about "winning" the game.
Other
Yup... Can't wait for some quests to be released :))
just got back to reality from playing to lvl 29 , what can i say ? alot :P hehe but im not gonna however i can say that it has tons of potential, and the fight system/skill system is awesome once you hit opening chi 1 cant say what happens there i guess hehe
obviously theres lotsa stuff left for the devs to do, but its coming along nicely
this is definately something to keep yer eyes on
well im off to play some more /tease on
Oh Wait until you get to revolving chakra 9!!! things get REAAAALLLLL good then ^_^.
I mak Jet li cry :-P