Cantha:
3 nation continent
Takes place in Cantha, an Asian-style area
Plot--stop the 200-year murderer of an emperor from making trouble
Shing Jea Monastery akin to Presearing in Chapter 1, a tutorial area
Story missions match groups with and against each other (whole 8 player groups included)
Players may choose an alliance--Luxons or the Kurzicks, which affects conflicts in the story and pvp areas such as a "king of the hill" scenario
The Kurzicks are an ultra-conservative and highly religious culture whose socially frozen society worships the status quo. In fact, the world of the Kurzicks is a mirror of the petrified forest in which they carve their beautiful homes.
The Luxons, on the other hand, are a wild nation of seafaring nomads who have traded in their ships for magical walking machines that traverse the jade ocean. As a group, the Luxons are a walking advertisement for the Darwinian social order -- only the strong survive.
Two announced classes for Factions--assassin and ritualist. Ability to change secondary profession to either of these classes.
The Assassin:
Primary attribute increases chance of critical hits and gains energy for the assassin with energy on every critical hit.
Attribute skills include dagger skills, offensive hexes and magic, and teleportation and stealth techniques
Sample skill list: Jagged Strike, Viper Strike, Razor Wing, Moebius Strike, Death's Charge, Shadow Refuge, Critical Eye. (complete descriptions in Computer Gaming World magazine)
The Ritualist:
A dark, savage priest; mix between ranger, necromancer and monk.
Primary attribute increases the durability of the ritualist's spirits and other creatures, such as ranger pets.
Attribute skills include direct-damage spell line, immobile spirit creatures, and healing.
Sample skill list: Essence Strike, Pain, Spirit Burn, Channeled Stroke, Shelter, Flesh of my Spirit. (complete description in Computer Gaming World magazine)
Faction Wars, PvP Arenas, Guild Halls, and Equal Footing:
Faction Wars betwen Luxon and Kurzick. New "territorial conquest" is a major gameplay dynamic.
Guilds can join together in alliances.
Alliances will share chat channels, visit one another's guild halls, access to a real-time map, discounted merchant prices in controlled towns, display of banner in controlled towns, trigger speical events, gain access to exclusive areas, and coordinate huge global straegies.
New battlefields will include fighting on rooftops of a densely packed city, huge temples built on the back of giant tortoises, tunnels carved in the jade sea, and in the elaborate hollows of a petrified forest.
55 maps to try and gain control of
Guild Halls will have NPC-like merchants, storage agents, additional guild storage and scrimmage play.
New guild halls will be available.
PVP arenas; Ascalon Arena, the Tomb of the Primeval Kings, will all be on their own continent called Battle Isles
Practice areas will be implemented.
A group of "core skills" will be available in each campaign to ensure balance.
Ability to go to Cantha and change your secondary profession to ritualist or assassin.
