In DFO you can upgrade your weapons and armor to enhance it's abilities.
From +1 to +6 armor grants an additional percentage of damage reduced, weapons grant bonus attack power that bypasses defenses.
From +7 and higher, armor will provide a flat damage reduction of 1 and higher. Weapons start o increase the additional damage by larger amounts.
The problem is that you can fail upgrading, and it's pretty expensive to start with. If that weren't pain enough fron +1-+7 failing an upgrade will lower the level by one. +8 - +10 a fail will cause the item to drop back down to level 0. From +10 and higher the item will be DESTROYED upon a failure.
The bonuses for having a +11 +12 or +13 item are pretty impressive, but the risks to get one are very high monetarily. You can also buy items from other players that are already highly upgraded, or you can get them out of item pots, but it's rare.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sure Did Snow
I have 18 inches of snow on my car. When I take my dog out he has to leap and bound through the snow, it's adorable. Last night I took my Mom's car out to a big parking lot nearby and did donuts in the snow, more like swirls than donuts.
apparently the college is still open, which is insane, it's gonna take me an hour and a half to get there without crashing >.<
Maybe they'll close it later... I'm really not looking forward to rush hour in the thick snow.
apparently the college is still open, which is insane, it's gonna take me an hour and a half to get there without crashing >.<
Maybe they'll close it later... I'm really not looking forward to rush hour in the thick snow.
Dungeons and Fatigue Points
DFO uses a system that limits the amount you can play a single character in a given day, it's called fatigue. every character starts the day with 156 Fatigue Points, every time you enter a dungeon it costs 1 FP, and entering a new room in the dungeon costs 1 FP too.
This makes people wonder if it's more efficient to use their FP clearing every room in a dungeon or rushing straight to the boss. Usually it's more efficient to rush to the boss, even though full clears provide a bigger bonus at the end. The big exceptions are quests and when you're almost out of FP. Some quests require you to go out of the way for a particular monster, and when you'll run out of FP even if you rush the boss it's more effective to full clear
This makes people wonder if it's more efficient to use their FP clearing every room in a dungeon or rushing straight to the boss. Usually it's more efficient to rush to the boss, even though full clears provide a bigger bonus at the end. The big exceptions are quests and when you're almost out of FP. Some quests require you to go out of the way for a particular monster, and when you'll run out of FP even if you rush the boss it's more effective to full clear
Bit by a Dog
On a note completely unrelated to DFO, I got bit by a dog last week.
When i first approached the little guy, named Sarge, he woofed and barked and generally made a great fuss, as I ignored him, he became more accustomed to me and let me pet him and licked my face and all that good dog stuff.
Whilst i was sitting down he kept hopping into my lap shuffling about, it was quite amusing really... then all of a sudden, this dog, who had lulled me into a false sense of security, snatched the cell phone out of my pocket and leaped under the couch. I darted up and tried to grab my phone, but the little bastard took a bite at my hand and got me good.
After about 5 minutes of people dashing to and fro and some animal abuse on the part of the owner, i recovered my now dented phone and washed my hands
I was warned after all this that the dog steals cell phones and bites... a bit late.
I still have a little puncture wound scab on my hand =(
When i first approached the little guy, named Sarge, he woofed and barked and generally made a great fuss, as I ignored him, he became more accustomed to me and let me pet him and licked my face and all that good dog stuff.
Whilst i was sitting down he kept hopping into my lap shuffling about, it was quite amusing really... then all of a sudden, this dog, who had lulled me into a false sense of security, snatched the cell phone out of my pocket and leaped under the couch. I darted up and tried to grab my phone, but the little bastard took a bite at my hand and got me good.
After about 5 minutes of people dashing to and fro and some animal abuse on the part of the owner, i recovered my now dented phone and washed my hands
I was warned after all this that the dog steals cell phones and bites... a bit late.
I still have a little puncture wound scab on my hand =(
Nexxon is Greedy
Nexxon.... is not well liked for their customer support, it's really quite lacking most of the time.
Nad they're greedy, the cash shop proves that if nothing else. The problem lies in DFO being free to play but with a cash shop, some features that feel like they should be free cost you money, and that's a bummer.
The most egregious offender is the the Item Sale Stall. It costs equivalent to $4 in Nx and is practically required in order to afford good weapons and armor. It works like this, you set up shop in town and set prices for up to 14 items in your shop, people passing buy can click your shop and buy things for the marked prices. The problem is that a lot of people have shops, and good weapons and armor can cost a LOT of gold, so you need a Sale Stall to buy things from other Sale Stalls and it all puts cash into nexxons pocket, really. The only way to sell things without a cash shop is to manually hawk your wares in town and open up trade screens with people and haggle over prices, it's really hassle if you have a lot to sell.
Other MMOs have auction houses or free trade stalls, maybe paid for with in game money, but for the sole purpose of making a buck there is no auction house and you must purchase the ability to set up a stall. All of this wouldn't even be so bad, but the stalls expire every 30 days, so you have to spend another $4 to keep the cycle going.
Nad they're greedy, the cash shop proves that if nothing else. The problem lies in DFO being free to play but with a cash shop, some features that feel like they should be free cost you money, and that's a bummer.
The most egregious offender is the the Item Sale Stall. It costs equivalent to $4 in Nx and is practically required in order to afford good weapons and armor. It works like this, you set up shop in town and set prices for up to 14 items in your shop, people passing buy can click your shop and buy things for the marked prices. The problem is that a lot of people have shops, and good weapons and armor can cost a LOT of gold, so you need a Sale Stall to buy things from other Sale Stalls and it all puts cash into nexxons pocket, really. The only way to sell things without a cash shop is to manually hawk your wares in town and open up trade screens with people and haggle over prices, it's really hassle if you have a lot to sell.
Other MMOs have auction houses or free trade stalls, maybe paid for with in game money, but for the sole purpose of making a buck there is no auction house and you must purchase the ability to set up a stall. All of this wouldn't even be so bad, but the stalls expire every 30 days, so you have to spend another $4 to keep the cycle going.
The Mythic "Priest Patch"
DFO is still in Open Beta, meaning it's not yet complete. The Priest class, for example, is missing it's fourth sub-class, Avenger. Several other priest classes are missing a few skills also, like exorcist and monk.
Supposedly, at some point in the future, we will get the same patch that eastern DFO got to fix priests. It will reset skill points for all priest subclasses I believe, and grant new skills to each of them. It is unclear right now whether Avenger will actually come out with this, since apparently it's not out in DFO china either.
Priests aren't the only class to get love with this patch though, word on the street is that a lot of classes are going to get some new skills, new graphics for skills, and tweaks to existing skills. when it comes along it should really show the game evolving and balancing itself out, the proof of Beta in action.
Hopefully it won't come with 24 hours of downtime, like the last few 'upgrades.'
Supposedly, at some point in the future, we will get the same patch that eastern DFO got to fix priests. It will reset skill points for all priest subclasses I believe, and grant new skills to each of them. It is unclear right now whether Avenger will actually come out with this, since apparently it's not out in DFO china either.
Priests aren't the only class to get love with this patch though, word on the street is that a lot of classes are going to get some new skills, new graphics for skills, and tweaks to existing skills. when it comes along it should really show the game evolving and balancing itself out, the proof of Beta in action.
Hopefully it won't come with 24 hours of downtime, like the last few 'upgrades.'
GBL = Generated By Lucifer
The GBL set of dungeons; Branch, Lab, and Hatchery, are largely considered to be the worst dungeons in the game. The quests are all repetitive and time-consuming, and the bosses are the hardest up to that point. The exp you get from these dungeons is worse than those that are lower level and easier. Some parties literally cannot put out enough damage to kill the Hatchery boss.
Having just gotten my summoner up to 35, I headed to GBL with the hope of quickly pounding out some GBL quests. Unfortunately, there is almost never anyone in the GBL channel "Coastal Junction," and usually not many people there in other channels. After aboutt 15 minutes of waiting I got into a party and cleared the first GBL dngeon, Branch, twice. I did about 15 more runs and only completed about 7 quests, i still have an almost full quest log for GBL dungeons.
Nexxon already lowered the experience required to level in this game by about 75% in the last 22 weeks, but GBL still feels like an endless grind, just because the quests are so repetitive. If you can afford it I highly recommend unlocking the Chamber of Blood in behemoth, starting with the quest Mercellus' Journal at lvl 36. It's much faster and easier to level to 37 and unlock storm peaks in Chamber of blood than GBL.
Having just gotten my summoner up to 35, I headed to GBL with the hope of quickly pounding out some GBL quests. Unfortunately, there is almost never anyone in the GBL channel "Coastal Junction," and usually not many people there in other channels. After aboutt 15 minutes of waiting I got into a party and cleared the first GBL dngeon, Branch, twice. I did about 15 more runs and only completed about 7 quests, i still have an almost full quest log for GBL dungeons.
Nexxon already lowered the experience required to level in this game by about 75% in the last 22 weeks, but GBL still feels like an endless grind, just because the quests are so repetitive. If you can afford it I highly recommend unlocking the Chamber of Blood in behemoth, starting with the quest Mercellus' Journal at lvl 36. It's much faster and easier to level to 37 and unlock storm peaks in Chamber of blood than GBL.
Lordy Lordy Help Me I'm Forty.
The current level cap in DFO, in North America at least, is 40. In the Korean and Chinese versions the current cap is 60, but we're still in beta and as such stuck with 40. The problem is there's really not that much to do at the current cap.
Oh sure, you could indulge in Player Versus Player combat, but that's not my personal cup of tea. You could do the quests you've got, even though you lose the exp, maybe you'll find a +5 SP book?
Meh.
All these options are pretty lackluster really, PvP seems to be what most people do, and you get a new quest to pvp at level 40. Personally I've been trying to farm the highest level dungeon available, Spider Cavern.
The Boss of spider cavern is pretty easy as a blade master, you can Triple slash behind him when needed and Wave Wheel Slash when he super armors. It's getting to him solo that's the problem, the normal monsters in the area are absolutely brutal. the Ghouls cause poison when you back-attack them, the Lady Specters have a nasty grab and a punishing ranged attack, and the spiders.... are actually pretty easy to kill, even the poison spewing ones.
So I started grouping to do spider runs, depending on the group it can go really well or really chaotically. I've found Nen Masters, Berserkers, Brawlers, and Spitfires to be extremely powerful here.
So far i've only found a handful of greens and a Flesk Steiner Light Saber, but i hear there's pink drops from the boss.
Oh sure, you could indulge in Player Versus Player combat, but that's not my personal cup of tea. You could do the quests you've got, even though you lose the exp, maybe you'll find a +5 SP book?
Meh.
All these options are pretty lackluster really, PvP seems to be what most people do, and you get a new quest to pvp at level 40. Personally I've been trying to farm the highest level dungeon available, Spider Cavern.
The Boss of spider cavern is pretty easy as a blade master, you can Triple slash behind him when needed and Wave Wheel Slash when he super armors. It's getting to him solo that's the problem, the normal monsters in the area are absolutely brutal. the Ghouls cause poison when you back-attack them, the Lady Specters have a nasty grab and a punishing ranged attack, and the spiders.... are actually pretty easy to kill, even the poison spewing ones.
So I started grouping to do spider runs, depending on the group it can go really well or really chaotically. I've found Nen Masters, Berserkers, Brawlers, and Spitfires to be extremely powerful here.
So far i've only found a handful of greens and a Flesk Steiner Light Saber, but i hear there's pink drops from the boss.
Peer to Peer MMO
To connect with other Dungeon Fighters, DFO uses what is called a Peer to Peer system. This means that while you're in town, the game server is what you are connected to, but once you enter a dungeon, you are connected to the Party leader. This vastly reduces the strain on the game's servers, but causes a couple of problems when partying.
When you start a party, you're computer will attempt to 'sync up' with that of the host and the other party members. If one person has trouble syncing with another party member, lag will occur in dungeon.
The worst form lag can take in DFO is a frozen monster. When one person in the party cannot correctly sync with the host, but syncs with everyone else, monsters will become unhittable and immobile, frozen, which stops the progress of the party and is generally annoying. When this happens, if you see that you are the person lagging with the host and causing the freeze, it is polite to leave the party, so they can continue on.
DFO provides a connection indicator on party members' portraits, so you can easily tell if you're syncing with someone or not.
When you start a party, you're computer will attempt to 'sync up' with that of the host and the other party members. If one person has trouble syncing with another party member, lag will occur in dungeon.
The worst form lag can take in DFO is a frozen monster. When one person in the party cannot correctly sync with the host, but syncs with everyone else, monsters will become unhittable and immobile, frozen, which stops the progress of the party and is generally annoying. When this happens, if you see that you are the person lagging with the host and causing the freeze, it is polite to leave the party, so they can continue on.
DFO provides a connection indicator on party members' portraits, so you can easily tell if you're syncing with someone or not.
The Way Loot Works
Loot works a bit differently in DFO than it does in some similar online games. Namely in the way rare drops occur. There are 3 places loot can come from, aside from Quest loot, which is static.
1. It can drop off a monster in a dungeon.
2. It can drop off the Boss Monster in a dungeon. This is seperate due to his higher level loot table.
3. When you beat a dungeon, loot can drop from the treasure cards available.
Simple, Right? Like every other game, loot comes from playing it, duh.
Here's where it veers off course, in most similar games, every single monster has an individual loot table, a list of things it can possibly drop. In DFO, monsters loot tables are different based only on level.
Allow me to explain....
A monster that can drop a level 25 or 30 purple item (Purple item levels jump by 5), can also drop any white, blue, or green item of the same level. That's right, the entirety of items that are the same level are possible drops, making it incredibly difficult to farm for a particular item, even if you know it's level range. The same goes for boss and treasure card drops as well.
The chance that a treasure card will possess loot can be enhanced by partying in a full group of 4 and by running the dungeon on a higher level (Expert, Master, or King)
1. It can drop off a monster in a dungeon.
2. It can drop off the Boss Monster in a dungeon. This is seperate due to his higher level loot table.
3. When you beat a dungeon, loot can drop from the treasure cards available.
Simple, Right? Like every other game, loot comes from playing it, duh.
Here's where it veers off course, in most similar games, every single monster has an individual loot table, a list of things it can possibly drop. In DFO, monsters loot tables are different based only on level.
Allow me to explain....
A monster that can drop a level 25 or 30 purple item (Purple item levels jump by 5), can also drop any white, blue, or green item of the same level. That's right, the entirety of items that are the same level are possible drops, making it incredibly difficult to farm for a particular item, even if you know it's level range. The same goes for boss and treasure card drops as well.
The chance that a treasure card will possess loot can be enhanced by partying in a full group of 4 and by running the dungeon on a higher level (Expert, Master, or King)
Christmas in Arad
Christmas has come to DFO, and there's never been a better time to start that new character, or heck, a new account even.
There are 3 Christmas quests going on until January 3rd, I believe. Each one has you searching for monsters that rarely and randomly spawn inside any dungeon, even the low level and starter dungeons. collecting 15 items from each of these monsters will get you some neat new holiday-themed avatar items; a Rudolph Nose, a Holly Badge, and a Snowman Doll. These avatars don't have any stat bonuses on them, but they never expire, are a badge of pride, and are super duper cute.
In addition, while you're new low level character is searching high and low for Xmas items and treasures, snow will occasionally fall in Arad, granting double exp gain for 1 or 2 hours. The low level grind just got a lot shorter!
Finally, Nexxon has put up 2 special packages in the cash shop. a premium package and a not-so-premium package. The Holiday Spirit Title (Premium Only) is the best title you can get so far, and it has a 2% chance of summoning Santa Clobber.
Seriously. You summon Santa to help you fight, and he's awesome. He gets priest moves like Crucifix Wind, Giant Weapon Launcher, Fast Heal, and Strike. He's pretty darn awesome to have around and he looks really cool.
Happy Holidays!
There are 3 Christmas quests going on until January 3rd, I believe. Each one has you searching for monsters that rarely and randomly spawn inside any dungeon, even the low level and starter dungeons. collecting 15 items from each of these monsters will get you some neat new holiday-themed avatar items; a Rudolph Nose, a Holly Badge, and a Snowman Doll. These avatars don't have any stat bonuses on them, but they never expire, are a badge of pride, and are super duper cute.
In addition, while you're new low level character is searching high and low for Xmas items and treasures, snow will occasionally fall in Arad, granting double exp gain for 1 or 2 hours. The low level grind just got a lot shorter!
Finally, Nexxon has put up 2 special packages in the cash shop. a premium package and a not-so-premium package. The Holiday Spirit Title (Premium Only) is the best title you can get so far, and it has a 2% chance of summoning Santa Clobber.
Seriously. You summon Santa to help you fight, and he's awesome. He gets priest moves like Crucifix Wind, Giant Weapon Launcher, Fast Heal, and Strike. He's pretty darn awesome to have around and he looks really cool.
Happy Holidays!
Fighters
Fighter - Mrs. Bruce Lee
Fighters are described by DFO as "Super Melee" characters. This is highly accurate. Fighters have very strong, fast, close range regular attacks, and skills to back it up. Suplex is great, it does big damage and makes you invulnerable while using it. Tiger Strike extends your dash combo, making it fairly strong. nen shot can be used for a ranged attack, but is fairly weak at this point. Fighters can use Tonfa, Claws, Knuckles (gloves), Gauntlets, or if they become a Striker at level 18, Boxing Gloves.
At level 18 a Fighter can become:
Nen Master - The magical Fighter class. Nens produce exploding shadows around themselves, aswell as buffing party members with the light element. they can create damage absorbing bubbles to protect or shoot huge waves of nen energy to attack. They are both a strong utility class and strong magical attack class. Usually use Knuckles for magic power or Tonfa for balanced attacks.
Grappler - Grapplers focus on the art of grabbing enemies. Grabs always make characters invulnerable for the duration of the animation, so this may seem like an overpowered class, but many enemies later on will not receive the full damage from grabs. Many still will however, and grapplers are great and moving enemies about, they can suplex for splash damage, throw enemies into walls or eachother, and even grab monsters out of mid-air. Not sure which weapon is best, if moves their grabs are damage % based, Gauntlets. If not it's up to taste.
Brawler - Brawlers fight dirty, but are difficult to level up. They don't get their powerful signature moves until around level 35. They can throw bricks at enemies to stun them and poison their weapons to inflict damage. They can use Net to pull enemies into them, then knock them down and use Mount. Mount, I'm not sure of the actual name, causes the brawler to climb on top of a downed foe and punch the hell out of them, it does a great deal of damage to a single target. Brawlers get bonuses when using Claws.
Striker - Strikers attack quickly and powerfully, and are great at building combos. They get moves like low kick, which can be used to maintain a combo and are fast and strong. Strikers are the only class that can use Boxing Gloves. Strikers focus mainly on high combo damage to very limited areas.
That's all for Fighters, another class I haven't leveled up much. Nen masters are pretty amazing at high levels when played right, the bubble can prevent great amounts of damage.
Fighters are described by DFO as "Super Melee" characters. This is highly accurate. Fighters have very strong, fast, close range regular attacks, and skills to back it up. Suplex is great, it does big damage and makes you invulnerable while using it. Tiger Strike extends your dash combo, making it fairly strong. nen shot can be used for a ranged attack, but is fairly weak at this point. Fighters can use Tonfa, Claws, Knuckles (gloves), Gauntlets, or if they become a Striker at level 18, Boxing Gloves.
At level 18 a Fighter can become:
Nen Master - The magical Fighter class. Nens produce exploding shadows around themselves, aswell as buffing party members with the light element. they can create damage absorbing bubbles to protect or shoot huge waves of nen energy to attack. They are both a strong utility class and strong magical attack class. Usually use Knuckles for magic power or Tonfa for balanced attacks.
Grappler - Grapplers focus on the art of grabbing enemies. Grabs always make characters invulnerable for the duration of the animation, so this may seem like an overpowered class, but many enemies later on will not receive the full damage from grabs. Many still will however, and grapplers are great and moving enemies about, they can suplex for splash damage, throw enemies into walls or eachother, and even grab monsters out of mid-air. Not sure which weapon is best, if moves their grabs are damage % based, Gauntlets. If not it's up to taste.
Brawler - Brawlers fight dirty, but are difficult to level up. They don't get their powerful signature moves until around level 35. They can throw bricks at enemies to stun them and poison their weapons to inflict damage. They can use Net to pull enemies into them, then knock them down and use Mount. Mount, I'm not sure of the actual name, causes the brawler to climb on top of a downed foe and punch the hell out of them, it does a great deal of damage to a single target. Brawlers get bonuses when using Claws.
Striker - Strikers attack quickly and powerfully, and are great at building combos. They get moves like low kick, which can be used to maintain a combo and are fast and strong. Strikers are the only class that can use Boxing Gloves. Strikers focus mainly on high combo damage to very limited areas.
That's all for Fighters, another class I haven't leveled up much. Nen masters are pretty amazing at high levels when played right, the bubble can prevent great amounts of damage.
I Hate Gunners
Gunner - The Jerk Who Kills You With One Move
Seriously, I have tried to play a gunner and I just can't get into it. The fact that they pretty much run the player versus player content in this game doesn't help my feelings towards them. Don't get me wrong because they're great in parties... they just sort of piss me off.
Gunners are over powered, right from the get go they can defeat any enemy simply using their regular attacks. they get amazing skills like Windmill kick, Gattling gun, BBQ, Flamethrower, Silver Bullet... really they are just strong. The only reason I really can't get into them is because their basic attack is ranged, using an Auto-Gun, Revolver, Hand Cannon, Musket, or Bowgun. Since I haven't played any gunner sub-class I don't know as much as I do about others, but i'll do what I can for you.
Ranger - Rangers are the closest gunners come to a melee class, they get some close up moves other gunners don't and get huge boosts to attack speed. I don't know if they are the only gunners that can use Revolvers, but they are the ones i see most frequently with them. Rangers seem to focus on strong, fast, basic attacks.
Launcher - Launchers don't use their basic attacks much, all their power is in the skills they get. upgraded Flamethrowers, Laser Guns, Missiles, and even a satellite cannon are in their arsenal, and they can do huge amounts of damage over large portions of the screen. A charged up laser rifle can hit clear across the entire room. These Gunners usually use Hand Cannons to maximize damage.
Mechanic - Mechanics are kind of like summoners, they rely mostly on created units to do damage. The twist is, they can combine units they summon into higher powered units. I don't know the skill names but I've seen; Mortar-Bot, Flying Gunship, Exploding Toy-Bots, Cannon Sentry. Mechanics usually use Auto-Guns, the quick speed helps create big robots faster.
Spitfire - The Magic class of gunner, they imbue their bullets and grenades with the 4 Elements. I don't know much about spitfires skills, except that their elemental grenades can do some mighty big area of effect damage and the ice one can freeze whole groups, which is nice. Usually I see Spitfires with Muskets, I'm guessing they have the highest magic attack.
That's it for gunners, a class I really can't enjoying playing, but greatly enjoy playing alongside. There is a huge population of gunners in DFO, because it's such a strong class with a shallow hlearning curve, but as the primary ranged class in DFO, I'm glad there are so many.
Seriously, I have tried to play a gunner and I just can't get into it. The fact that they pretty much run the player versus player content in this game doesn't help my feelings towards them. Don't get me wrong because they're great in parties... they just sort of piss me off.
Gunners are over powered, right from the get go they can defeat any enemy simply using their regular attacks. they get amazing skills like Windmill kick, Gattling gun, BBQ, Flamethrower, Silver Bullet... really they are just strong. The only reason I really can't get into them is because their basic attack is ranged, using an Auto-Gun, Revolver, Hand Cannon, Musket, or Bowgun. Since I haven't played any gunner sub-class I don't know as much as I do about others, but i'll do what I can for you.
Ranger - Rangers are the closest gunners come to a melee class, they get some close up moves other gunners don't and get huge boosts to attack speed. I don't know if they are the only gunners that can use Revolvers, but they are the ones i see most frequently with them. Rangers seem to focus on strong, fast, basic attacks.
Launcher - Launchers don't use their basic attacks much, all their power is in the skills they get. upgraded Flamethrowers, Laser Guns, Missiles, and even a satellite cannon are in their arsenal, and they can do huge amounts of damage over large portions of the screen. A charged up laser rifle can hit clear across the entire room. These Gunners usually use Hand Cannons to maximize damage.
Mechanic - Mechanics are kind of like summoners, they rely mostly on created units to do damage. The twist is, they can combine units they summon into higher powered units. I don't know the skill names but I've seen; Mortar-Bot, Flying Gunship, Exploding Toy-Bots, Cannon Sentry. Mechanics usually use Auto-Guns, the quick speed helps create big robots faster.
Spitfire - The Magic class of gunner, they imbue their bullets and grenades with the 4 Elements. I don't know much about spitfires skills, except that their elemental grenades can do some mighty big area of effect damage and the ice one can freeze whole groups, which is nice. Usually I see Spitfires with Muskets, I'm guessing they have the highest magic attack.
That's it for gunners, a class I really can't enjoying playing, but greatly enjoy playing alongside. There is a huge population of gunners in DFO, because it's such a strong class with a shallow hlearning curve, but as the primary ranged class in DFO, I'm glad there are so many.
Slayer - Demon Possessed Swordsman
Slayers are the swordsman of the game. The slayers right arm is possessed by the demon Kazan so the slayer uses his left hand to wield Short Swords, Katanas, Bludgeons, massive Great Swords, or Lightsabers. Only slayers who become Blade Masters at level 18 can use lightsabers. The moves that will make life easy as a Slayer are Triple Slash (big damage and mobility), Summon Kazan (big strength boost for party in an area), and Gore Slash (causes bleed status, strikes 3 times).
At level 18 Slayers can become:
Blade Master - This slayer is the only one that can use light sabers, they attack very quickly and with more small blows. Blade Master gameplay really changes a lot depending on the weapon you choose to specialize in, mastering a class of weapon offers unique bonuses to skills. For example light saber and katana masters turn Triple Slash into Quintuple Slash at level 5 weapon Mastery.
Berserker - Berserkers thrive on causing the Bleed status effect to enemies, causing them to continuously lose health. They get big Area of Effect attacks like Blood Pillar and Blood Funnel. Some of their skills cost health instead of mana to use, and they get stronger when they are under 40% health. They usually use Great Swords to maximize damage.
Asura - These Slayers use strong magical attacks based on "wave energy" some attacks use one of the four elements, but most are neutral magic. Asuras have very strong area of effect damage skills and one of the most used is Frost Wave. Frost wave hits an area in front of the Asura and has a high chance of freezing the monster in place, it's great. Asura's usually use Shortswords, but some use Katanas.
Soulbender - These Slayers are also magical attackers, but they summon ghosts and demons from hell to empower allies and weaken enemies, usually in an area of effect. They get a couple of decent direct magical attacks but the ghosts are really what make this class, the buffs and debufs they apply are very strong and can turn a struggling party into a bulldozer.
That's all for Slayers, most slayer classes are highly dependant on the weapon they use, even asuras depend on a strong magic attack weapon to boos their skills. Slayers are decent all the way through the game from beginning to end, and i mean come on, who doesn't want to wield a light saber?
P.S. Blade Master is the first class I got to the current level cap of 40, his name is BenKinobi, if you're on some time gimme a whisper and we'll team up. =D
Slayers are the swordsman of the game. The slayers right arm is possessed by the demon Kazan so the slayer uses his left hand to wield Short Swords, Katanas, Bludgeons, massive Great Swords, or Lightsabers. Only slayers who become Blade Masters at level 18 can use lightsabers. The moves that will make life easy as a Slayer are Triple Slash (big damage and mobility), Summon Kazan (big strength boost for party in an area), and Gore Slash (causes bleed status, strikes 3 times).
At level 18 Slayers can become:
Blade Master - This slayer is the only one that can use light sabers, they attack very quickly and with more small blows. Blade Master gameplay really changes a lot depending on the weapon you choose to specialize in, mastering a class of weapon offers unique bonuses to skills. For example light saber and katana masters turn Triple Slash into Quintuple Slash at level 5 weapon Mastery.
Berserker - Berserkers thrive on causing the Bleed status effect to enemies, causing them to continuously lose health. They get big Area of Effect attacks like Blood Pillar and Blood Funnel. Some of their skills cost health instead of mana to use, and they get stronger when they are under 40% health. They usually use Great Swords to maximize damage.
Asura - These Slayers use strong magical attacks based on "wave energy" some attacks use one of the four elements, but most are neutral magic. Asuras have very strong area of effect damage skills and one of the most used is Frost Wave. Frost wave hits an area in front of the Asura and has a high chance of freezing the monster in place, it's great. Asura's usually use Shortswords, but some use Katanas.
Soulbender - These Slayers are also magical attackers, but they summon ghosts and demons from hell to empower allies and weaken enemies, usually in an area of effect. They get a couple of decent direct magical attacks but the ghosts are really what make this class, the buffs and debufs they apply are very strong and can turn a struggling party into a bulldozer.
That's all for Slayers, most slayer classes are highly dependant on the weapon they use, even asuras depend on a strong magic attack weapon to boos their skills. Slayers are decent all the way through the game from beginning to end, and i mean come on, who doesn't want to wield a light saber?
P.S. Blade Master is the first class I got to the current level cap of 40, his name is BenKinobi, if you're on some time gimme a whisper and we'll team up. =D
The Mage Class
Mage - Master of Elements
I feel compelled to write about mages now, even though the slayer overview is already done >.>
Mages are the tiniest characters in DFO, they look like little girls. Mages control the powers of the elements, Fire, Ice, Light, and Dark. She can wield Rods, Staffs, Poles, Spears, and if she becomes a Witch at level 18, Broomsticks. Mages have a very hard time leveling up in the early game, unlike other characters they don't have a powerful basic strike combo, they have to rely on skills like Summon Panzer Hodir, Magic Missile, and Pumpkin bomb to survive. even though mages are weak early on their sub-classes are very powerful later on.
At level 18 mages can become:
Elementalist - These mages have mastered the 4 Elements, and usually specialize in 2 of them. Elementalists are primarily long-ranged casters and can do some very high damage with big, flashy spells at higher levels. Elementalists favor Rods for speed or Staffs for power.
Summoner - These mages do very little direct attacking, instead they summon spirits based on the 4 elements and monsters. at higher levels Summoners get bigger, badder summons and can field pretty large armies on their own. Summoners are viewed as a solo-friendly class, and sometimes aren't welcome in parties because of the clutter too many summons create. Staffs are favored since they make your spirits stronger.
Witch - Witches spells are all based on probability, they can fail, succeed, or greatly succeed. Fails are not all that bad usually and skill points can be invested to make skills succeed more. Witches also get to use broomsticks, and are able to fly and glide for a distance, they can also combo enemies in the air, which no other class can do. Obviously they favor Broomsticks. =P
Battle Mages - These mages are melee fighters, they get a different combo from other mage classes and an entirely different play mechanic, Chasers. It's hard to describe... as your combo count grows from melee attacking you will spawn little orbs called chasers, up to 7 will float behind you. Using a move called "Chaser Launch" you can launch a chaser at the last enemy you hit. Chasers come in the 4 Elemental flavors and each has a different effect on the enemy and applies a different buff to you on use. Oh, and did I mention they get more powerful the higher your combo is when they're created? They do. It's a hard curve to learn. BMs favor spears for power of Poles for speed (and combos).
That's it for mages, though it's a very difficult class to level up at low levels, at higher levels all its sub-classes are very powerful. Summoners are good for farming and soloing, they don't require that much attention =P.
Not sure why this post is in huge font, it's set to normal but won't post as such =/
I feel compelled to write about mages now, even though the slayer overview is already done >.>
Mages are the tiniest characters in DFO, they look like little girls. Mages control the powers of the elements, Fire, Ice, Light, and Dark. She can wield Rods, Staffs, Poles, Spears, and if she becomes a Witch at level 18, Broomsticks. Mages have a very hard time leveling up in the early game, unlike other characters they don't have a powerful basic strike combo, they have to rely on skills like Summon Panzer Hodir, Magic Missile, and Pumpkin bomb to survive. even though mages are weak early on their sub-classes are very powerful later on.
At level 18 mages can become:
Elementalist - These mages have mastered the 4 Elements, and usually specialize in 2 of them. Elementalists are primarily long-ranged casters and can do some very high damage with big, flashy spells at higher levels. Elementalists favor Rods for speed or Staffs for power.
Summoner - These mages do very little direct attacking, instead they summon spirits based on the 4 elements and monsters. at higher levels Summoners get bigger, badder summons and can field pretty large armies on their own. Summoners are viewed as a solo-friendly class, and sometimes aren't welcome in parties because of the clutter too many summons create. Staffs are favored since they make your spirits stronger.
Witch - Witches spells are all based on probability, they can fail, succeed, or greatly succeed. Fails are not all that bad usually and skill points can be invested to make skills succeed more. Witches also get to use broomsticks, and are able to fly and glide for a distance, they can also combo enemies in the air, which no other class can do. Obviously they favor Broomsticks. =P
Battle Mages - These mages are melee fighters, they get a different combo from other mage classes and an entirely different play mechanic, Chasers. It's hard to describe... as your combo count grows from melee attacking you will spawn little orbs called chasers, up to 7 will float behind you. Using a move called "Chaser Launch" you can launch a chaser at the last enemy you hit. Chasers come in the 4 Elemental flavors and each has a different effect on the enemy and applies a different buff to you on use. Oh, and did I mention they get more powerful the higher your combo is when they're created? They do. It's a hard curve to learn. BMs favor spears for power of Poles for speed (and combos).
That's it for mages, though it's a very difficult class to level up at low levels, at higher levels all its sub-classes are very powerful. Summoners are good for farming and soloing, they don't require that much attention =P.
Not sure why this post is in huge font, it's set to normal but won't post as such =/
Priest Class
Priest - The Holy Warrior
Priests wield gigantic weapons in the form of Crosses, Totem Poles, Axes, Scythes, or Rosary Beads. Their giant weapons make them fairly slow on movement and attack, but they strike punishing blows. Priests are the only starting class with a direct heal, albeit a fairly weak one. Priests also have a buff called Strike, using Strike will make the first few levels very easy for a priest. Leveling smasher is also a good idea prior to level 18, it's very strong.
At level 18 a Priest can upgrade into:
Exorcist - Giant Weapon masters, strong physical and magical attacker. Exorcists are unique in that they can focus on Magic attacks, physical attacks, or be a Hybrid of the 2. Magic Exos use Rosaries, physical Exos use Scythes, Totems, or Axes
Monk - Fast and agile, monks can dodge to and fro with Dash and Sway. They plant their Giant Weapons in the ground to free their hands, and strike much faster because of that. Monks usually use Totem Poles.
Crusader - They are capable of being a pure Support class in DFO. They get heals, buffs, debuffs, wear plate armor, and can turn a weak party member into a powerhouse. Crusaders also get some light-based magic attacks. Crusaders are well liked in parties and usually use Giant Crosses or Rosaries.
The priest class is one of my favorites in DFO, I'm surprised how strong they are when the name Priest usually denotes weakness and heals in RPGs. Priests are also probably the easiest class to get from level 1-18 with, in my opinion.
Free To Play?
YES!
DFO is completely free!
http://dungeonfighter.nexon.net/
Go to that address, register a free Nexxon NA 'passport,' and download the game client.
This is all free, and the game is technically still in Open Beta; a testing period before official release. The publishers, Nexxon NA, who also publish Maple Story in North America, have what is called a Cash Shop system.
Cash Shop? I thought it was free....
To play the game IS free, but certain services and features are unavailable without Using Nexxon points to purchase them. The ability to upgrade your Safe Storage, Open up a TradeStall, and acquire clothes for your avatar (which also boost stats), require the use of Nexxon points (Nx). Although Avatar clothing can be purchased from other players with in game money.
Nexxon Points can be found in $10 and $25 game cards at walgreens, 7-11, and Target. You can also charge nexxon points online with a credit card, but there are restrictions on using Nx purchased in this way.
DFO is completely free!
http://dungeonfighter.nexon.net/
Go to that address, register a free Nexxon NA 'passport,' and download the game client.
This is all free, and the game is technically still in Open Beta; a testing period before official release. The publishers, Nexxon NA, who also publish Maple Story in North America, have what is called a Cash Shop system.
Cash Shop? I thought it was free....
To play the game IS free, but certain services and features are unavailable without Using Nexxon points to purchase them. The ability to upgrade your Safe Storage, Open up a TradeStall, and acquire clothes for your avatar (which also boost stats), require the use of Nexxon points (Nx). Although Avatar clothing can be purchased from other players with in game money.
Nexxon Points can be found in $10 and $25 game cards at walgreens, 7-11, and Target. You can also charge nexxon points online with a credit card, but there are restrictions on using Nx purchased in this way.
Changing Gears (and getting it done)
So, I've been playing this MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) called Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO) recently. It's a side-scrolling beat 'em up in the spirit of the old arcade beat 'em ups. If you've ever played Final Fight, The Simpsons arcade booth, or Battletoads you know exactly what I mean.
The Twist:
DFO let's choose from 5 different classes, each with different play styles and moves.
Each of those classes has 3-4 sub-classes with vastly varying play styles.
Every character has an equipment an inventory screen like World of Warcraft or Diablo.
You Level up, as you do you gain Skill Points (SP) which can be invested in new skills and improving old ones.
You can team up with up to 3 other people to take down tough dungeons.
I've been keeping some notes and thoughts down on paper about this game, so I'm gonna turn them into posts about it this morning. Maybe later I'll use one of my other Blogspot spots to start a real DFO blog.
The Twist:
DFO let's choose from 5 different classes, each with different play styles and moves.
Each of those classes has 3-4 sub-classes with vastly varying play styles.
Every character has an equipment an inventory screen like World of Warcraft or Diablo.
You Level up, as you do you gain Skill Points (SP) which can be invested in new skills and improving old ones.
You can team up with up to 3 other people to take down tough dungeons.
I've been keeping some notes and thoughts down on paper about this game, so I'm gonna turn them into posts about it this morning. Maybe later I'll use one of my other Blogspot spots to start a real DFO blog.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Better Emotes
OK. today I've decided to share some emotes (emoticons) because I think the list we had in class was terribly sparse and not very inventive, so ere we go!
>.< - These eyes are closed tightly, can be used to denote exasperation, frustration, or anger.
-.- - These eyes are closed, can be used to denote exasperation, boredness, or ambivalance.
(_ _V) - These eyes are closed in shame, and have the anime-style sweatdrop.
=P - These eyes are bright and laughing, though some people say it's lolling it's tongue out. Used to denote joking/sarcasm.
xD or XD - These eyes are closed tightly together but in laughter, used in place of 'lol' 'rofl' to denote laughter.
o.O - These eyes are open in shock, discomfort, or awkwardness, usually at what someone just said.
x.X - Same as above, only this poor fellow has clearly been stunned as well.
>.> - These eyes are looking pointedly at someone, they may have said something stupid or pointless. Can also be used to denote a furtive look, like eyes darting about.
T.T - These eyes are crying streams of tears.
Q.Q - These eyes are also crying, some people will shorten it to QQ.
Well that's a little list of my favorite Emotes, take it easy folks! <3 <3 <3 (Hearts, used to denote my love for you) <3 <3 <3
>.< - These eyes are closed tightly, can be used to denote exasperation, frustration, or anger.
-.- - These eyes are closed, can be used to denote exasperation, boredness, or ambivalance.
(_ _V) - These eyes are closed in shame, and have the anime-style sweatdrop.
=P - These eyes are bright and laughing, though some people say it's lolling it's tongue out. Used to denote joking/sarcasm.
xD or XD - These eyes are closed tightly together but in laughter, used in place of 'lol' 'rofl' to denote laughter.
o.O - These eyes are open in shock, discomfort, or awkwardness, usually at what someone just said.
x.X - Same as above, only this poor fellow has clearly been stunned as well.
>.> - These eyes are looking pointedly at someone, they may have said something stupid or pointless. Can also be used to denote a furtive look, like eyes darting about.
T.T - These eyes are crying streams of tears.
Q.Q - These eyes are also crying, some people will shorten it to QQ.
Well that's a little list of my favorite Emotes, take it easy folks! <3 <3 <3 (Hearts, used to denote my love for you) <3 <3 <3
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