Prius Online

Prius Online
Developer(s)	CJI
Publisher(s)	Wasabii Netmarble
Platform(s)	Windows PC
Release date(s)	KOR 2008 CN 2009 TW January 14, 2010
Genre(s)	Free-to-Play 3D computer graphics, Cinematic, fantasy, emotional MMORPG
Mode(s)	Online Multiplayer

Prius Online, also known by its retitled name Arcane Saga Online,^[1] is a Free-to-play 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) which revolves around a three character (3C) playing system. The 3C system consists of your main character, the Anima, and the Gigas. The Anima is your character's companion, and the relationship you develop with her, as you try to unravel the mysteries of her forgotten past, determine her personality and strengthen your bonds. The Gigas, summoned by the Anima in times of battle, are strategic and dynamic mercenaries that fight by your side. Through this system the game aims to create rich and immersive emotional experiences for the character and the Anima.

It was originally launched only for Korea in 2008. Launched internationally by gPotato in 2011, the service by gPotato was discontinued on March 27, 2012.^[2] The game has been discontinued in December 17, 2013 in South Korea.^[3]

History

Prius Online was first launched in 2008, but was only available in Korean.^[4]

In the summer of 2011, the game was localized to English and launched internationally, with no regional restrictions.

Lore

The Myth of Creation

The gods of creation have long been in competition with each other in attempts to over shadow one another’s creations. As the Star Creators became more experienced in their craft, they often paid little heed to those that were younger or those they considered to possess lesser talents. As a result the youngest god of the Star Creators, Hooul, was often overlooked. Not letting this lack of respect hinder him, Hooul took his first Star Seed and began the task of creating his first Star. Knowing he would require help to see his goal come to fruition, he first gave life to his three children. With Hoouls determination and the aid of his children, Prius was born. Once their task was completed, Hooul decided to celebrate his creation with a grand festival. All of the Star Creators were invited to take part in the festivities and to witness the fruits of Hooul’s labor. As the gods themselves were preoccupied overseeing their respective Stars, they sent various races they had created on their behalf. The races of the Star Creators joined Hooul in his festival and marveled over his creation. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last. In Hoouls excitement to honor Prius, he had innocently neglected to invite the god Aira to his festival. As she took personal insult to Hooul’s oversight, Aira was the only god amongst the Star Creators to personally visit Prius. Knowing Aira to be one with a short temper, Hooul quickly made apologies and made amends for his oversight. Once placated, Aira remained on Prius to partake in the festival. Desiring to create an even more beautiful star, the most ambitious child of Hooul decided to steal the Star Seeds from Aira as she slept. Upon discovering the theft, Aira unleashed her rage on Hooul and on his creation. She began by placing a powerful curse on Prius which would stop any being from leaving. Once she had successfully trapped all of the guests, she summoned her vast armies. Her army began slaughtering the guests with reckless abandon. Those who were able to escape began fleeing to the ends of Prius while the army pursued them. Seeing the destruction devouring his creation, Hooul decided to intervene directly. However, the power of Aira’s army could not easily be overcome. Hooul was forced to sacrifice himself in order to preserve what was left of Prius.

The Hero Wars

While in flight from the invading army, the invited guests found brief refuge in a great tree. The refugees dubbed this massive tree the Star Tree. As time passed the gigantic tree began to grow, and eventually new lands and seas were sprouted from the roots of the Star Tree. With vast new lands stretching out before them, the races separated and descended from the Star Tree to attempt to return to their previous lives. As time passed, and the horrors of the Creation Festival faded from memory, Prius was unable to remain in a peaceful state. Hooul was able to stop the hordes of Aira, but he was unable to completely destroy all of their numbers. Those who scattered eventually took residence on Prius. Their taint spread throughout the land. From this evil rose unknown beasts perverted by the influence of Aria’s army. The people of Prius named these vile creatures Bestia. Recognizing them as a common threat, all on Prius banded together in an effort to diminish their common foe. While the people of Prius fought bravely, they quickly proved to be no match for the Bestia. At the time of their deepest despair, a leader from each race emerged. These leaders joined forces and were able to establish a strong front to hold the Bestias advances. The Bestia responded to this new front by summoning great giants to their aid. These giants seemed sure to sway the battle in the favor once and for all. The Five Heroes never gave up their fight and as a result would be rewarded with something that Prius had seldom seen… the chance at peace. Their hopes rested in a discovery they made, a small mysterious girl named Eva. With just a word, Eva was able to command the giants and turn them upon the Bestia. In the face of the Five Heroes and the giants, the main force of the Bestia was finally broken.

The Aftermath

Two major events transpired after the conclusion of the Hero War. These events would change Prius forever. Almost as if in response to the casualties left behind in the war, some people on Prius began to display healing abilities. As these healers began helping the injured they began amassing followers. The result was the forming of the Prius Church. This organization spread it beliefs across all of Prius. The second major event to follow the war involved the Heroes who led the charge. As they returned to the homes of their respective races, they always kept in contact with each other. The small contact between the Heroes had a much larger impact then they could have imagined. Their communications and actions laid the foundations for the unification of all races on Prius.

3C System

This system will allow you to utilize special Combat Skills from 3 different characters in order to grant you the best chance of survival. As you progress through the game you will unlock the ability to summon your Anima and a Gigas. Remember, just summoning these powerful allies is only the beginning of unlocking their true potential.

Player

Each of the four races have numerous unique abilities and play styles that make them each very different and effective in their own way. The Hume are known to be curious creatures, quick to adapt with flexible applicability. The Lons may range from the most aggressive to the most cheerful race on Prius, but none doubt the ferocity. Ayins possess a natural strength and beauty mixed with a certain arrogance that separates them from the rest of the races.Last but not least, the Beriah, held in high regard by all on Prius as they have mastered techniques to greatly help all those around them.

Anima

These mysterious children are found alone in Prius. They appear to wander with no purpose as if in a trance.Once one of these Anima connect with a leading character, they will become completely devoted and focused on them. They have many incredible abilities, the most potent being the ability to command Gigas.

Gigas

Hooul gave life to these behemoths to help instill and maintain order on Prius during the chaos that ensued after the Star was created. These ancient creatures have defensive and offensive capabilities that can easily defeat entire armies. The Gigas that remain are forever obedient to the orders of their Animas.

Races

Hume

Humes have the most complicated social structure among the races of Prius, as well as the most prominent individual characteristics. The curiosity that consumes the Hume has left them with an unmatched resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to anything they encounter.

Hume Male

During the Hero Wars some of the males among the Hume began to display some connection to the natural elements of Prius. As they are so curious, they began to study and test this special link until they were able to come to an understanding of how to control it. Now the males of the Hume race have all but mastered this strange ability and are able to use this link at will to dominate and alter their surroundings.

Occultists

Only the most rudimentary of skills will be reliable for the novice Occultist. While these skills might be only the beginning, have no fear, they will still be able to dominate your enemies. Harnessing the essence of the ice and fire elements all at once is truly a devastating combination. It is no difficult task for an Occultist to freeze an enemy in his tracks and then turn his face to horror as he feels flames begin to engulf him. Study long enough as an Occultist and you will be able to someday become an Archimage or Mastermind.

Hume Female

While the males of the Hume appeared to be blessed with a natural ability that gave them strength to fight, the females were not as lucky. However, instead of seeing this as a sign that they were not meant to fight, the simple saw it as an opportunity to take their fate into their own hands. The female Hume tasked themselves to find a means that they could be just as effective as their male counterparts. They found the answer to their dilemma was at the tip of their finger all along.

Gunslinger

Gunslingers are specialists at ranged-combat. They have spent their time developing skills that make them a threat at both close range and at extremely great distances. Either coupling quick movements with pistol play or catching their breath for the perfect shot into the horizon, one thing remains certain; if a Gunslinger has her sights on you, they won’t need to be there for long. As the Gunslinger gains experience she may advance to a become Sharp Shooter or a Duelist.

Duelist

The duelist consists of fast and close to medium range attacks. The duelist uses pistols and have many movement skills. A duelist can increase their speed or decrease an enemies. A duelist can do massive damage at a fast rate.

Sharpshooter

A sharpshooter uses rifles and does massive damage from a distance. They are great at killing enemies before they can reach them. The rifles do more damage than the pistols but they do not hit as fast.

Lon Femina

Lons are often seen fluctuating from one end of the spectrum to the other. They switch instantly from joy and merriment to a blind rage if a threat presents itself. They are fiercely loyal to those who have earned their endearment. Typically Lon establish villages or communities with other Lons of the same gender, as there is some hostility between the sexes.

Lon Mas

There is no secret behind the techniques of the Lon Mas. While other races depend on extravagant tools and abilities, warriors of the Lon Mas prefer to feel their enemies dissolve under their fists. Once combat has started the Lon Mas will enter into a state of pure rage that will only subside was their foe is lying at their feet. It would go against the very nature of a Lon Mas to abandon a fight as long as they still draw breath.

Berserker

Young Lon Mas are more brute force than they are skilled warriors. Place a few pieces of steel over their knuckles and these warriors will happily engage any threat head on. While finesse might be lacking, once weakness is seen in the enemy, expect these Lon Mas to unleash even more violent and devastating attacks. Through experience, Berserkers will elevate themselves to either Sentinels or Juggernauts.

Lon Femina

The Lon Femina favors a different approach to combat than their male counterparts, although they are not to be mistaken as lacking bravery or tenacity. During the time the Lon Femina spent as refugees on the Star Tree, they developed a connection to the Spiritual World that surrounded them. They utilize this connection along with their natural archery talents to form a devastating force that can single handily alter the outcome of any altercation.

Huntress

Not only are huntresses a deadly accurate shot with a bow, they are also capable of achieving small feats that draw their strength from the Spiritual World. The Lon femina take pleasure in seeing the look of disbelief in their opponents face as the wounds they have caused seem to heal before their very eyes. As a Lon Femina matures, they will be faced with the decision to focus their energies on one of their talents as either an Oracle or an Amazon.

Ayin

Long-lived, the Ayin have cultivated a grand culture that has stood for countless ages. They are gifted with unparalleled strength, wisdom and beauty; the flawlessness of these beings is envied even by the gods. These racial traits have not gone unnoticed by the Ayin themselves, and it is often said that while all forms of life are in awe of the Ayin, none hold them in such high regard as themselves.

Ayin Male

Despite their superior physical prowess, it is their ability to analyze and assess situations that elevated the Ayin Males to becoming among the greatest warriors on Prius. Their flamboyant swordsmanship and their razor sharp precision never fail to inflict maximum damage upon their enemies. Legionnaire: These desert warriors have modeled their combat techniques after their unforgiving homeland. Existence in a land where any mistake could cost you your life has given the Ayin an uncanny precision and calculated deadliness. Legionnaires can press an opponent with continuous rapid attacks or simply wait for the opponent to present an opening and then capitalize on a well aimed counter; either way the end result is the same, the Legionnaire will be the one walking away. Legionnaires may advance to join the ranks of Gladiator or Astral Knight.

Beriah

With a strong focus on the arts and intellectual pursuits, the Bariah are seen in a most unique light by the other races. While their physical strength is insignificant, none can surpass the psychic powers they release through Music. They possess a mysterious power which cannot only encourage or discourage others, but can even restore someone who is on death’s door. Minstrel: Minsterls use lutes infused with the power of Magia to play music that carries physical force. Their artistic gifts translate into tremendous fighting prowess that makes them the most dependable ally you can have on the battlefield. Even the fiercest of warriors are consoled to know a Beriah is watching over them.

Minstrels who develop further mastery over their abilities will become an Orchestrator or Siren.

The Atrium

As the Great Star Tree helped to create the lands and seas of Prius, it released extra amounts of Terasil. Wherever the Terasil settled, a small land mass was created. These random land masses have been given over to the people of Prius to create personal sanctuaries where they can go to rest, and regroup. Don’t be fooled though, your Atrium is much more than just a simple shelter.

Quest Memorial - Here you will be able to view all of the quests you have completed while adventuring in Prius. - Aside from viewing your Quests, you will also have access to view the Canatria Encyclopedia.

New Concept Item Creation - Your Anima will be able to partake in the Cultivation System while in your Atrium, assuming you have done the proper quests.

Gigas Deck - As you collect and upgrade your Gigas, you will be able to store them in your Gigas Deck. Here you will be able to view all relevant information related to your Gigas. - From the Gigas Deck you will not only be able to view your Gigas, you will be able to make modifications to your Gigas.

Controversy

On September 24, 2009, Kim Sa-rang, a 3-month-old Korean child, died from malnutrition after both her parents spent hours each day in an internet cafe playing Prius Online.^[5] The incident was featured in the 2014 Sundance Film Festival-debuted documentary Love Child. ^[6]

References

External links

• Official Korean site (Defunct)