Rohan: My first encounter

I first heard of Rohan Online through a picture in my Dec. – Jan. issue of GAME! By the time I got my hands on the February issue, I was shocked to discover that this online game was featured as the cover story, so I skimmed through the pages until I discovered the basic walkthrough of the game. And so, finally, when I got this month’s issue, as what my friend Alcarcalimo had said to me beforehand, I received the DVD installer as one of the freebies (aside from the ZX Online CD installer, mind you). That was when I became excited to try it out.

 

I finally became intrepid enough to be one of the open beta testers of the game. But before I could enjoy what’s in the game, I had difficulty installing it. Not to mention read errors and incomplete installations by the time it stopped. I had to delete and reinstall several times before I finally succeeded in getting everything ready for patching. While I was waiting, I was somewhat confused on registering for the Rohan account, but thankfully, I managed to create one without going through the same process as the one I had before going to try out Perfect World. Believe me, patching and optimizing data may take a long time depending on one’s internet connection, not to mention having been warned about having one’s PC shut down once the patching was done, just before going through the optimization process.

 Once everything’s ready, I logged into the game using my registered account for Rohan. I chose to go to Silva server since Alcar was there, with his Elven priest (but he used his Dhan during the Closed Beta testing). During the character creation process, I decided to create a female Human knight, and named her Crestfallen, just like my FS in Cabal & Fighter in Fiesta. With my newly – created toon, I’m all set to start.

 My human first landed on the Tutorial Zone, in an area known as the Hall of Revelation. That was where I learned the ropes of the game, including how to attack, talk to NPCs, sell items, refine or upgrade equipment, etc. Yeah, it was really quite confusing at first, and even nervous, especially about forging and level / stat refining, but thanks to the quests given, I eventually got used to them. My most favorite so far was about the Monster Kill System or M. Kill for short, which gives bonus EXP every time I kill 20 mobs. Great, wasn’t it?

From rohan pics

Even the skills were quite good in effects. I eventually got curious on how each skill would look like, so I decided to learn first the first 4 skills, which were all about status ailments, and then I decided to try my first attack skill. According to the walkthrough in GAME!, not all skills would be needed. It would actually depend on what would be the build for the character. Since I wanted the usual VIT – STR build for my knight, I would concentrate on skills that would compliment the over – all capacity of the build.

So far, I’m having a great time in Rohan. I have to very cautious though, especially when it comes to blood – thirsty PKers who would do nothing but to ruin the player’s experience through PK, especially to poor newbies. By the way, if you want to know where my toon is right now, she’s currently in Einhoren, from the Human region of Del Lagos.

More Rohan adventures to come soon… Ta – ta for now! ^^

Of Cruma Tower, singing voices, and academy recruitment

As of now, I'm currently having exams right now in school, so I'm not going to play L2 until my exams are over. But still, to update my blog, here are some of the new interesting stuff I've found in L2:

I'm currently using my elven archer right now, for I'm going to promote her to Silver Ranger and graduate from the HO academy. You see, there are only a few rangers existing in the clan, and she would be of great help. Here's the screenshot I've taken in Cruma Tower while she's in the Temple Missionary quest. Believe me, the platform where Gatekeeper Mozella stood reminds me much of the Matrix due to the writings:

From Lineage 2 pics

The next was during the time I used my Paladin for a while to write a mail for my prince about my plans. She was in Fantasy Isle during that time, and the parade caught my eye. Too bad it was almost over, but then I heard one of the background soundtracks entitled Dream by Inon Zur, which was sung by Leyla Mira together with her companions on the stage. Believe me, that was my first time I saw that moment, and it was nice:

From Lineage 2 pics

And finally, while my future SR was accomplishing Shadow Fox II, I requested one of my clanmates, xKiarax, to recruit my Dark Wizard, darkraven13, into the academy, still remembering what rhea19 had told me to include my DE and graduated to raise clan reputation. By the time I logged on my nuker, I PM'ed her, and finally, by the time we met in MRT, she was finally included in the list:

From Lineage 2 pics

These are all I've got, for now. But don't worry, I'll put more interesting as I progress. About my elf's promotion to SR, I really can't wait. Whoopdedoo!

That's all for now! ^^

Weird tagline + Another promotion

My pally just saw a weird tagline from that Dark Elf while I was waiting for my clanmate to give me accessories in MRT. It really reminds of that show in Bubble Gang on GMA 7 wherein there is that spoiled brat and her housemaid. Here's the screenshot:

From Lineage 2 pics

By the way, my former Warder just graduated last Saturday from the HeavensOracle academy. It really took me a long time to finish the job change quest (Certified Soul Breaker), with hunting for wyrm hearts as the most difficult part. But then, she wasn't instantly leveled up to 40, so after I finished the quest, I filled up all of her remaining experience in the Field of Whispers in Heine Territory. And so, voila! I went back to Giran so that she will have the promotion.

From Lineage 2 pics

Immediately after this, I used some of my remaining Dimensional Diamonds to purchase a SOE to her home town, the Kamael Village at the Isle of Souls. There, I bought all the Battle Manuals of her Soul Breaker skills from Trader Milfia. I had to freight all my uneccessary stuff to my Dwarven Artisan, so that I'll have space to put almost all of her manuals in her WH, but I left those required for her lvl 40 - 43 skills in her inventory. Excited about these new skills, I tried them near the Malle Lizardmen Barracks, and believe me, I'm impressed.

Yesterday, after I used my future Silver Ranger for a few hours, I used my fresh Soul Breaker again, since my prince ArkAngle will give me C-grade equipment in Rune Township. How kind of him! He gave me a normal Theca set as congratulatory gift.

From Lineage 2 pics

And so, he told me that I had to give my Paladin's Samurai Long Sword to her. I'm really reluctant at first, but he said that he'll give me a B-grade weapon for her by the time I come back. And so, I followed him. I'm really impressed at the result of weapon conversion, from SLS, into an Admiral's Estoc. (Never mind about the bottom, I was so in the hurry during the time I took it.)

From Lineage 2 pics

And also, about the Alchemist event, my pally current has 3 transmutation circles in her recipe book. It's really hard for my toons to get the chest keys needed to open these chests near the NPC. I have to use all of the mats harvested by them to create Philosopher's Stones. So far, I got Greater Healing potions as reward.

That's all & thank you... ^^

Castle Siege: My first experience

My paladin was finally back in HeavensOracle, but this time she's included in the 2nd Order: OrderofHeaven. I asked my clanmates if it was necessary for me to join the castle siege, and EvaRavenspell, my clan leader, replied that it would be nice for me to participate, although it's not much of an obligation. Although hesitant at first, I decided to join in to give myself a try. Here's what happened during the first two days of my castle siege participation:

Last Saturday night, Eva sent us a letter that we're going to help DesertWolf in capturing Aden Castle. Believe me, Aden was the only castle left unnoticed in the past sieges, and it was the first time for me to discover that a clan was intrepid enough to capture it. We met at the gate infront of the castle in order to prepare ourselves. The signal was finally given that we should run towards the right side, and woosh, here we go, we ran as fast as we could. But then, I noticed that HO was not alone in helping. Among those that joined the fray include Infinity, SignumVires, Yakuza and others.

From Lineage 2 pics

At first, I started going towards the inner castle after the walls were demolished by those Swoop & Wild Hog cannons. But then, I noticed how difficult it was to get in. Imagine a middle-level character trying to storm in together with those high-level soldiers... My HP almost got depleted because of one of the castle guards, but good thing one of my partymates (Ichiee was the party leader during that time) warned me to go back outside before it’s too late. It was because we’re tasked to watch over the flags posted outside the castle and wipe out every enemy that has the intention of wiping them out. We waited until DW succeeded in engraving the seal in the castle, and so we ran out of the castle in order to reach Gludio.

Since teleporting to towns was restricted during the siege, we had to go there the hard way: porting to Giran harbor first, then running towards the spot near Dion town so that we could SOE there, then porting to Cruma Marshlands, and finally, running and swimming to Gludio. I stayed in the town for safety, since Endless and the other clans are struggling to get Gludio Castle. I felt so tired and so I took a nap, and when I woke up, I was shocked that the siege has finally ended. Really tedious, but good thing I remained alive during its whole duration.

But it’s much worse yesterday, when we’re going to help our ally (again), but this time, in defending Giran castle. We met near the gatekeeper, then ran towards the castle. I knew it’s still too early, but being punctual was important. And so, we waited until the signal was rung. Again, as mentioned before, we also have allies in defending, and included there were AbyssalHeroes, Hybrid, etc.

From Lineage 2 pics

We’re supposed to check the sides, as well as the front, for both Endless and Justice, since they’re our main targets. The worst thing that happened to me was when I suffered from too much lag, and I got disconnected. Arrrrghh!!!! I was back to town when I logged in again and as a desperate way, suggested by my prince, I used my event points in riding the Wyvern. I got disconnected (AGAIN!) while I was on my way, and so I tried again the 2nd time. Thankfully, I arrived at the castle safely and dismounted it.

I continued with my usual task of watching over at the sides and at the front for any enemy presence, and indeed, it became really intense, as our comrades scrambled at all sides in order to kill them. By 6:00 p.m., the siege was supposed to be over, but only Rune Castle finished it on time. I was so bored, so I SOE’d back to Giran, then ported backed to Aden Town and continued my level grind in Aden Cemetery until my paladin reached level 52 (I halted when she’s 51 because of the siege). Believe me, I was shocked when my clanmate rhea19 told us via clan chat that the clash was still ongoing. But I’m so weary to go back, and my prepaid usage time was about to get expired. So I just SOE’d back to Aden and went to the Warrior Guild to learn new skills, and alas, my time was already up.

Overall, my first two days for castle siege experience was not that bad. It’s really tiring, but still it’s worth the trouble. I really can’t wait to equip that Zubei Heavy Armor set my prince gave me before the siege started. Whoopdedoo!

And so that closes my talk for now… ^^

And so the sem break ends...

Today's the last day of my semestral break, and I'm going back to school tomorrow. But just before I prepare, let me share to you my L2 life so far:

My paladin has already reached level 50 due to leveling up in the Sea of Spores (I was doing the Dig up the Sea of Spores quest during that time) & the Forest of Evil, located between the Ivory Tower and the Tower of Insolence. It's also the second time of joining the Seven Signs, and I'm fighting for the Lords of Dawn again, but this time, it's for the Seal of Avarice. During her stay in the Catacomb of the Apostate, aside from killing those mobs for quest scrolls for the Yoke of the Past quest, there was one party who was found dead because of being owned by them. Here's the screenshot:

From Lineage 2 pics

To relieve from boredom, I chatted with my prince ArkAngle about random stuff, including the party there. Believe me, I was flabbergasted by the time he said to me that these party members are using bot 24/7. At least being kissed on the floor would teach them a lesson.

About my alternate toons, my Warder has 5 more levels to go before she'll become a Soul Breaker, and my Elven archer has already reached level 28. My greatest accomplishment I got so far was when my Dwarf was promoted to Artisan. Here's the proof:

From Lineage 2 pics

And so I tried vending via private creation using the two recipes: the SSD recipe that Alcarcalimo's Dwarf, FlintForger, gave to me and even the SpSD recipe that my main has picked up somewhere. But then again, no one dared to give materials for me to craft. Oh well, at least that's one of the pains of a vender. As for her combat abilities, I chose both blunt-type & polearms as her weapons, for I have to be flexible depending on the situation that I have to face, either in solo or in a party.

Oh, and one more thing. During the period of raising & smashing pumpkins, I received lots of potions, some enchant scrolls & even A-grade crystals as rewards. As for the point zone event, I received a Black Feather Mask for my Paladin, a Monocle for my Warder, and even some fireworks, too

Well, that's all for now! Doodlez! ^^

A bittersweet promotion

From yesterday until a while ago, my former Human Knight had spent the last 2 levels of her first class completing the Conquest of Alligator Island quest in Innadrill Territory. By the time she reached level 40, I decided to accomplish the shortcut job change quest, the Good Works Reward. Thanks to one of my former clanmates, who lent me the 3 million Adena, I was already one step towards her goal. I was also able to get back a part of the cost spent for the Antidote to given by one of the quests NPCs, thanks to the Black Marketeer of Mammon (you may be familiar with this dwarf, as he's the person to transact to when your Cabal, either Dusk or Dawn, won control over the Seal of Avarice after the one week quest period of the Seven Signs, by the way). And after talking to the Grand Master in the Warriors' Guild in Giran (the venue of the Good Works Reward) about the 2nd job change, the moment that I've been waiting for so long had finally arrived: She was now a Paladin, and also one of the graduates from the academy of HeavensOracle, for she was given an Academy Circlet as proof. I couldn't help but to smile, and deep inside, I was rejoicing with glee.

From Lineage 2 pics

From Lineage 2 pics

But then again, it also turned out to be melancholic, for once I graduated, I will once again be clanless. I really wished that I would still stay, but I should move on and prepare myself, for if I return, it will be a must for me to participate in both the fortress & castle sieges. But don't worry, my depature from the clan will be just brief, and besides, my Warder also became one of the academy members.

I would really like to thank my former HeavensOracle clanmates, especially to EvaRavenspell, Hellborne, SevenSins, Iriss, yching, Daeris & killuminatti, for letting me experience what is like to have comrades in a clan, and even to ArkAngle, for lending me the 3 million Adena for the shortcut job change quest and even for giving me C-grade equipment as a farewell gift. Kudos to you guys, and don't worry, as MacArthur said, "I shall return".

That's all for now! doodlez! ^^

Octobermania + Current L2 accomplishments

Last Sunday, I went to Megamall together with my chaperone to witness CosplayMania '08. By the time we arrived at the venue, which was at Megatrade Hall 3, there were so many people, especially the cosplayers, and the waiting line was really long. Good thing I bought lunch just before we went in to pay the entance fee and get tickets. I even got a free P20 L2 card for presenting one of my used ones, too.

As expected, I saw the spot for the L2 Octobermania event. I even noticed that the decoration used during the Ozine Fest '08 last summer was used again, but this time the Kamael logo at the top was replaced with the Octobermania logo. I played the memory game at the back to pass the time, since the registration for free play will start at 12:00 noon. At the game, one will have up to 5 chances to get a pair of the same cards, and freebies will be given depending on the trial. I got the Kamael pair at the 2nd trial, and my freebies include the DVD installer, a ballpen & even one of the cards. I chose the same card as the pair that I was able to find. I even wrote the IGN of my knight together with my guild at one spot of the freedom board, too.

I was able to register for freeplay, and during that time, I used my knight & started the Gather the Ingredients for Pie quest. While I was playing, I met the child of one of the players who played as a Paladin (I'm not sure if the father is the owner of Atreo, one of the best-known paladins of Blackbird, or someone else, though). That child played his female Warrior, and I assumed that he'll choose to be a Gladiator, since his avatar wielded dual swords. Since the freeplay duration lasted for only 1 hour, my knight got about 1/4 of the number of required quest items, and I SOE'd her back to Gludio before I left. I even met Guardian Telrun in person as well playing his Kamael.

I even watched the Battle Tournament at the Underground Coliseum. Before the match started, Guardian Mephistopheles introduced to us players the new Guardian, Alkaia, and even gave me a mouse pad for answering his question correctly. There were some slight errors going on, and even delays while waiting for the Aria division match to begin. But then again, at the go signal, it was an all-out mayhem, especially when the characters killed each other through skills as well as to destroy resurrection towers. The winners even rejoiced at the announcement. I wasn;t able to watch the Blackbird part, though, since I became so tired. But before I left, I glanced again at the freedom board, only to discover that it was filled with so many names already, and I even bought a mouse pad as well as a keychain.

As for my L2 life, I have good news. Last Saturday, I started the job change quest for my Kamael, and she sucessfully became a Warder. Here's the proof:

From Lineage 2 pics

Right now, she's at level 21, currently trying out her rapier skills. But the current problem is that in order to finish the option side-quest of the Subjugation of Lizardmen quest, she needs to kill the Serpent Demon Bifrons for the item inside the chest. It means that I'll have my first time battle with a raid boss! Yikes!!! I really need a party right now ASAP!

As for my knight, she's currently at level 34, one more level before she can do the Trial of Duty quest, one of the 3 job change quests necessary to reach her 2nd class (I'm still not sure if I can afford to do the shortcut 2nd job change, though). I still need to continue to aformentioned Gather Ingredients for Pie quest, though.

For my other plans, I still need to use my Elven archer and do the job change quest to become an Elven Scout. I might even plan to re-roll in Cadmus next week either as a Dark Elf to become a Bladedancer, a Human to become a Warlord, or another Elf to be either a Swordsinger or Plainswalker.

Anyway, that's all for now! More things yet to come! ^^

My first taste of defensive combat in L2

Since my Human was already a knight, I have the chance to experiment with the new skills that I've learmed after the 1st job change.

Last Saturday, during the afternoon, I learned the ff. skills:

Active: Majesty, Ultimate Defense & Shield Stun
Passive: Heavy Armor Mastery, Sword/Blunt Mastery & Shield Mastery

I decided to try out both Majesty & Shield Stun while I was completing the Sweetest Venom quest in the Dark Forest, just outside the Dark Elven Village. I trekked a long way towards some kilometers just before the entrance of the Spider's Nest. That was where I was busy killing the Prowlers for quest items.

As a preparation, I first used Majesty for enhanced P. Def., after activating the automatic use of shots (yeah, I still used the no-grade type). I noticed that this skill at level 1 lasts for 5 mins., but I believed that the duration will increase as it progresses. Before using Power Strike, my melee skill companion since the first 5 levels of my character, to attack the Prowler, I casted Shield Stun, hoping that the creature will see stars. I knew that the chance is not always 100%, for there were times wherein it was able to resist the stun, and there were even chances that there was no effect. But then again, it was really fun to experiment with these skills, although it really took a while before I finally got all the quest items and ran again towards the village to receive my adena reward.

Because of that experience, I can safely say that I'm enjoying being a knight, although I have to face tougher challenges in the future. I will do the Dragon Fangs quest in the next few days.

Time for me to go! Ciao! ^^

The start of my PW adventure...

I was finally able to try out PW a while ago. After the downloading the patch (which lasted for about 12 hours, and it took overnight to finish since I started it last night), installing it and updating the patch, I started logging in to Tiger server and created a character (more on that later.). It really took me a while to customize my avatar because of the good-to-the-last-detail customization feature, but at least the output's not that bad. After adjusting her features and adding a name (In fact, I was frustrated because of my name suggestions being used up already by others), I logged out first, logged back in and started my adventure in the world of Pangu.

One thing I first noticed when I was sent to the starter town is the help pop-out window. Since I'm just a newbie there, I had no choice to read it, since it also served to orient me on how to get used to the game. After completing my first two quests, I was awestruck by the time I reached Sword City. It was because of the design of the buildings and landscapes, as well as the background music(kudos to Toni Gonzaga for the song used as the PW theme song... ^^), and believe me, there were lots of people hanging around there as well.

Well, just like my previous favorite game, Cabal Online, PW was loaded with lots of quest for players to accomplish. In fact, they really help in leveling up, learning new skills and even in attaining important items, because of experience, yuan, soul & item reawards. Later on, I'll focus on leaping and learning craft skills.

By the way, if you want to look for me in Tiger server, my avatar's name is Elegeia, a Human Wuxia. Elegeia is one of the Greek words used as the origin for the word elegy, which means a mournful song or poem (one of my naming suggestions.). In fact, I was really happy that I chose that name for her. Here's the picture of my character:

From perfect world

That's what I've experienced from the game so far. See you guys there! ^^