| Lineage | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | NCsoft |
| Publisher(s) | NCsoft |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release date(s) | September 3rd, 1998 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) |
| Media/distribution | CD, download |
Lineage (Korean: 리니지) is a medieval fantasy, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in the United States in 1998 by the South Korean computer game developer NCsoft. It is most popular in Korea and is available in Chinese, Japanese, and English language versions. The game was designed by Jake Song, who had previously designed Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, another MMORPG.
Lineage features 2D isometric-overhead graphics similar to those of Ultima Online and Diablo II. Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle, a "prequel" set 150 years before the time of Lineage, was released in 2003. To date, the Lineage franchise has attracted 43 million players.[1] Lineage Eternal, a sequel will be set the time after Lineage and will be the last game in Lineage series.
NCSoft announced that due to unprofitability the North American Servers would be shut down on June 29, 2011.[2]
Contents |
Lineage's stat, monster, and item system was originally largely borrowed from NetHack with MMO elements added.
Players can choose one of seven character classes: Elf, Dark Elf, Knight, Prince, Magician, Dragon Knight, or Illusionist. Princes are the only class that can lead a blood pledge (which is Lineage's term for a guild or clan).
Game play is based primarily upon a castle siege system which allows castle owners to set tax rates in neighboring cities and collect taxes on items purchased in stores within those cities. It features classic RPG elements reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons, such as killing monsters and completing quests for loot and experience points, levels, character attributes (charisma, strength, wisdom, etc.), and alignments (neutral, chaotic or lawful). A character's alignment affects how monsters and town guards react to the player's character, often turning hostile to chaotic players and attacking on sight.
Player versus player combat (also known as PVP) is extensive in Lineage. Players can engage in combat with other player characters at any time as long as they are not in safe zones such as cities. By joining a "bloodpledge" (an association of players almost like a clan in other games) players become eligible to engage in castle sieges or wars between bloodpledges.
NCsoft has reported that Lineage had at one point more than three million subscribers,[3] most of them in Korea. The magnitude of the number Korean subscribers compared to other countries has sparked a number of theories. A ban on some Japanese imports until 1998 has been cited for delayed growth in its video game console market.
As of April 2008, Lineage has a little under 1 million active subscriptions.[4] By way of comparison, World of Warcraft has substantially more active subscriptions, with over 11.5 million.[3] On the 11th of May 2011, NC Interactive, the subsidiary of NCSoft in the United States announced it will shut down the Lineage servers (3 at that time) because of poor subscription revenues. Various events are scheduled to take place in the weeks remaining. Players will be given free subscriptions to other NCSoft titles of their choice.
As of June 29, 2011, Lineage has shut down all servers in NA, permanently. The said they want to focus on the Asian market, leaving it open.
The title Lineage came from a series of comic books with same title Lineage by Shin Il-sook, and the servers of Lineage are named after the characters of the comic book. It is a fantasy story where a rightful prince reclaims the throne from the hands of a usurper. When first created, the game closely resembled the original work. As developers have added new features, however, the fictional universes of the two works have gradually diverged.[5]