Atlantica Online
Encyclopedia
Atlantica Online is a free to play 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG
) developed by NDOORS Corporation
. The game is set in an alternate history Earth, with the game map consisting of large parts of the northern hemisphere
. The setting is fantasy-themed with elements of steampunk
.
The game features a persistent world
populated by player-generated characters and NPC
s. The player can choose from nine different classes and customize their appearance. Players do not fight with the main character alone; each player can recruit additional fighters, up to the maximum of eight mercenaries (and one main) on the field at any given time. Players can store additional mercenaries in mercenary rooms.
In addition to their battle skills, all players may pursue a number of different crafting abilities.
The game design puts strong emphasis on the concept of guilds
. Guilds can control the various towns on the game map. Strong guilds can found nations and wage war on one another.
Battle in Atlantica Online is rather unusual for the genre as it is turn-based. Representations of hostile parties wander around the landscape; if a player clicks on such a representation, his/her party and the enemy party are transferred to a separate battlefield similar in fashion to battles in console role playing games and remain there until the battle is resolved. The battle system also features a time limit for a player to make their move, assuring that there will not be any type of player griefing during player vs player combat.
Currently there are no known IP blocking restrictions on the U.S. version of Atlantica Online, as it acts as the international server outside of its prospective distribution partners. This unrestricted access has resulted in international users from other geographical locations outside the United States to be able to play on the U.S. based servers.
When a player character and an enemy character come into contact with each other on the game map, both parties are transported into a miniature instance
where the battle takes place. During battle other players's group and other monster groups may join in to a maximum of three groups on each side.
In battle, the characters of each party are positioned on a 3x3 grid. The positioning of each mercenary and the main character is determined by the player outside of battle. However, it is possible to modify the positioning by moving the characters around during his/her turn.
During a monster/player group's turn, up to five of the group members may perform an action.
and China
are represented, with cities like Munich
, Moscow
, and Sapporo being featured as cities where one can visit. Though the locations on the map feature climates similar to their real world counterparts, the architecture is often a generic recreation of well known structure types, such as the cities in Eastern Europe and Japan. Rome also takes on a big role as a real world location, resembling the ancient city of Rome as is well known from its period of conquest as the Roman Empire.
The locations are based on real world locations, but are often geographically out of place and heavily altered for effect. Most of the civilizations represented are anachronistic—Rome is set in the Holy Roman Empire
, while Great Britain is independent, the Ottoman Empire
reigns in Turkey, Southeast Asia resembles ancient Indian kingdoms before Western colonization and Islamic influence, and North America is caught up in the Industrial Revolution
.
On December 18, 2008, the North American continent was added, which features New York
as a new explorable city and the United States and Mexico as explorable countries. These contain a few dungeons, but greatly expand the map in Atlantica. Developers have also mentioned the possibility of adding the continents of the Southern Hemisphere
, excluding Antarctica.
subscribers on July 15, 2008. The first phase of the open beta ended on July 28, 2008; the start of the second phase began on August 7, 2008. On October 30, 2008 at 11a.m. PDT, Atlantica Online ended its beta period and began its official run at 6p.m. PDT on October 30, 2008. NDOORS also launches Atlantica Online Germany, for European players, on the October 21. The closed Beta started on September 1 and ended after a month. The Chinese company The9
has obtained exclusive rights for distributing and operating Atlantica Online in China. Russian localized version open beta test started May 12, 2010 supported by Innova Systems company.
2009 on March 26, NDOORS announced several major content updates to arrive in 2009.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
(MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
) developed by NDOORS Corporation
NDOORS Corporation
NDOORS Corporation is a Korean gaming corporation and developer of online games and MMORPGs and is a subsidiary of one of the world's largest online gaming companies, Nexon Corporation. Its headquarters are located in Seoul, South Korea...
. The game is set in an alternate history Earth, with the game map consisting of large parts of the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. The setting is fantasy-themed with elements of steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
.
Gameplay
Persistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
populated by player-generated characters and NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s. The player can choose from nine different classes and customize their appearance. Players do not fight with the main character alone; each player can recruit additional fighters, up to the maximum of eight mercenaries (and one main) on the field at any given time. Players can store additional mercenaries in mercenary rooms.
In addition to their battle skills, all players may pursue a number of different crafting abilities.
The game design puts strong emphasis on the concept of guilds
Clan (computer gaming)
In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is an organised group of players that regularly play together in a particular multiplayer games. These games range from groups of a few friends to 1000-person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members. The lifespan of a clan...
. Guilds can control the various towns on the game map. Strong guilds can found nations and wage war on one another.
Battle in Atlantica Online is rather unusual for the genre as it is turn-based. Representations of hostile parties wander around the landscape; if a player clicks on such a representation, his/her party and the enemy party are transferred to a separate battlefield similar in fashion to battles in console role playing games and remain there until the battle is resolved. The battle system also features a time limit for a player to make their move, assuring that there will not be any type of player griefing during player vs player combat.
Currently there are no known IP blocking restrictions on the U.S. version of Atlantica Online, as it acts as the international server outside of its prospective distribution partners. This unrestricted access has resulted in international users from other geographical locations outside the United States to be able to play on the U.S. based servers.
Mercenaries
After beginning the game players can recruit up to 18 mercenaries to join them in their travels. Users can have up to 8 mercenaries fight alongside in battle, and shuffle their lineup as the situation calls for. Mercenaries, like your hero, advance in both level and rank as they get stronger. Currently there are 35 different mercenaries that fall under 4 different classes and styles.Traditional battle
The game's traditional battle system is unusual for its genre in that it uses a turn-based system.When a player character and an enemy character come into contact with each other on the game map, both parties are transported into a miniature instance
Instance dungeon
In massively multiplayer online games, an instance is a special area, typically a dungeon, that generates a new copy of the location for each group, or for certain number of players, that enters the area. Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique, addresses several problems...
where the battle takes place. During battle other players's group and other monster groups may join in to a maximum of three groups on each side.
In battle, the characters of each party are positioned on a 3x3 grid. The positioning of each mercenary and the main character is determined by the player outside of battle. However, it is possible to modify the positioning by moving the characters around during his/her turn.
During a monster/player group's turn, up to five of the group members may perform an action.
Tactical Battle System
The Tactical Battle System (TBS) is the most recent evolution of Atlantica's Turn-Based Combat and it gives players the ability to form squads with their friends and guild mates to fight in large scale battles with dozens of characters per side.Setting
The world of Atlantica Online features real world locations mixed with mythological and fantasy elements. Countries like GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
are represented, with cities like Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and Sapporo being featured as cities where one can visit. Though the locations on the map feature climates similar to their real world counterparts, the architecture is often a generic recreation of well known structure types, such as the cities in Eastern Europe and Japan. Rome also takes on a big role as a real world location, resembling the ancient city of Rome as is well known from its period of conquest as the Roman Empire.
The locations are based on real world locations, but are often geographically out of place and heavily altered for effect. Most of the civilizations represented are anachronistic—Rome is set in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, while Great Britain is independent, the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
reigns in Turkey, Southeast Asia resembles ancient Indian kingdoms before Western colonization and Islamic influence, and North America is caught up in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
On December 18, 2008, the North American continent was added, which features New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as a new explorable city and the United States and Mexico as explorable countries. These contain a few dungeons, but greatly expand the map in Atlantica. Developers have also mentioned the possibility of adding the continents of the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, excluding Antarctica.
Release
The international English version, available worldwide, is distributed by the USA subsidiary company NDOORS Interactive, Inc.. A closed beta version was made available to FilePlanetFilePlanet
FilePlanet is a video game download service that provides demos, patches, mods and other gaming media and other gaming media downloads to its users. FilePlanet was launched, and is run by, GameSpy, which is now a subsidiary of IGN, and is one of the most used video game download sites on the...
subscribers on July 15, 2008. The first phase of the open beta ended on July 28, 2008; the start of the second phase began on August 7, 2008. On October 30, 2008 at 11a.m. PDT, Atlantica Online ended its beta period and began its official run at 6p.m. PDT on October 30, 2008. NDOORS also launches Atlantica Online Germany, for European players, on the October 21. The closed Beta started on September 1 and ended after a month. The Chinese company The9
The9
The9 Limited corporation is a Shanghai-based online game operator which had the exclusive license to operate and distribute World of Warcraft in China , a license they secured after successfully aiding Webzen Games in distributing Mu Online in China...
has obtained exclusive rights for distributing and operating Atlantica Online in China. Russian localized version open beta test started May 12, 2010 supported by Innova Systems company.
Content Updates
Atlantica's publisher and developer, NDOORS Interactive, regularly releases new content updates. For the most part, the International servers have received updates approximately one to one-and-a-half months after the Korean servers. Additionally, while Korean servers receive many, smaller updates, NDOORS usually combines the updates into fewer, but larger releases for the International servers. Updates usually include adding new dungeons, quests, NPCs, skills, mercenaries, outfits, equipment, mounts, and community features while also adjusting the existing game experience such as improving PvP balance and the rate of obtaining experience points.Troy
Implemented on August 17, 2010, Troy is a series of "missions" following the format of the Tactical Battle System (TBS), introduced in the same patch. In each mission, a group of one to six players (each commanding their main character and between two and three mercenaries) complete tasks given to them by the Greek champion Odysseus. Taken together, the 14 missions tell the tale of the rise and fall of Troy via the Trojan War. By completing these missions, players are able to recruit Odysseus as a mercenary and receive an upgrade at level 130, allowing them to advance beyond that level.My Home
On August 17, Atlantica Online, along with their Troy update, introduced My Home. This unique function allows players to purchase a home from a variety of styles and colors. Once players become homeowners they can store mercenaries, increase their inventory space and gain experience for their mercenaries. Mercenaries can be hired to work as chefs and artisans in their households. These employees hold conversations, cook meals, and craft items at the player's command. Players also have the option to throw parties for their friends and fellow guild members to receive buffs. In addition to these features the front yard can serve as a resource for gardening, mining, harvesting and lumbering.Game Developer's Conference 2009
At the Game Developers ConferenceGame Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
2009 on March 26, NDOORS announced several major content updates to arrive in 2009.
Reception
Reception of Atlantica Online has been highly positive, receiving a number of awards in 2008. The game is acclaimed for its innovative turn-based battle system and its integration with community features. Danny Gourley of Ten Ton Hammer praised its gameplay, stating "it requires gamers to think a little instead of just mashing buttons". It has been selected as an official game for the Game and Game World Championship for two years in a row (2008, 2009).Awards
- "Best Free To Play Game of 2008", Ten Ton Hammer
- "2008 Best New Game" Nomination, (voted 3rd), MMORPG.com
- "Best Game", Korea Game Awards 2008
- "Golden Plume Award for Best Foreign Online Game", China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (ChinaJoy) 2008
- "Most Innovative Online Game", GameOgre's 2008 Online Game Awards
- "Top Free MMO of 2008", "Best Innovation in an MMO of 2008", "Best Gameplay in an MMO of 2008", Onrpg Member's Choice Awards 2008