Drakensang Online
Drakensang Online
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|---|---|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Bigpoint Berlin | ||
| Publisher(s) | Bigpoint bitComposer Games (retail) | ||
| Producer(s) | Jonathan Alexander Lindsay | ||
| Engine | Nebula Engine | ||
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Apple OS X | ||
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | MMORPG | ||
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer | ||
| Distribution | Browser Download Optical disc | ||
Drakensang Online is a browser-based, freemium online role-playing game of the German enterprise Bigpoint. The game principle of the fantasy role-playing game is orientated to the Diablo game franchise.[1] and is developed by Bigpoint Berlin. It is one of the few MMORPGs developed in the European Union. The title was in an open beta phase from August 2011 to July 2012.[2] According to own statement there are currently 17 million registered accounts. The real number can differ, because multiple registrations are allowed.[3] A retail version was released in November 2011.[4]
Game principle
Playwise Drakensang Online is oriented to the Diablo game franchise and to comparable titles.[1] It is controlled out of an isometric perspective. At the beginning of the game the player needs to create a character and has to select from one of the four different character classes (Dragonknight, Ranger, Spellweaver and Steam Mechanicus). It is possible to create up to four characters per account and server.
The game world is freely explorable. The player can choose to do quests, explore dungeons or to just kill monsters. The player can play solo or together with other players. There is a guild system, where players can organize themselves into game alliances.[5] Communication takes place with an internal chat system. The game world Duria is orientating at the medieval Europe. It will frequently enlarged with online updates, including new functions or character classes.
For fast advancing, possession of the game currency Andermant is useful. It can be received in small amounts by completing missions or slaying enemies. Alternatively it can be bought with money (free-to-play principle), analogue to other free online and browser games, in an item shop of the company Bigpoint.[6] The currency is allegedly not coercively needed for in-game advancing.
Development
The roots of the project lay in the German developer studio Radon Labs, who released in 2008 the title Drakensang: The Dark Eye and in 2010 the successor Drakensang: The River of Time. Those were classical single player role-playing games in the game world of the The Dark Eye (DSA, Das Schwarze Auge). In May 2010 Radon Labs needed to apply for insolvency and after that it got taken over by Bigpoint and got fully integrated in the existing studio of Bigpoint Berlin. In September 2010 the development of Drakensang Online got announced.[7] Because Bigpoint acquired no DSA license and just was in ownership of the name rights for "Drakensang", they developed a completely new game world with an independent rule system. Therefore it has contentwise and playwise no relationship with its predecessors.
Like all Radon Labs titles the game is based on the self-developed Nebula Engine, which was aligned for browser use. The game is written in C++ and runs within a Java applet in the browser. There is also a downloadable client. In August 2011 Drakensang Online got published for publicity under the denomination as open beta. This also included the item shop for purchasing Andermant and because of that, the game already started its business operations.[6]
Reception
It got a positive reception by the German magazine GameStar for its high graphic quality in comparison with other browser games. It got criticized for fastly arising costs when purchasing the game currency Andermant, while without money investments it more brings frustration and generally not brings enough content. The frequent in-game demands for paying got described as very intrusive. The real money needed to fully upgrade the equipment on the character can easily get to ridiculously huge amounts. This can either translates as bribery to the developers to give unfair advantages to the paying customer, or just as contradicting the sole purpose of a virtual world (In a virtual world one is not expecting that the players who are rich in the real life are necessarily rich in the virtual one too, therefore the frustration). The so-called events are unattainable unless the player buys the expensive special ammo called "essence" with andermant. Overall Drakensang Online got described as an "frame of an action role-playing game" and it was preliminary disadvised to play it. Instead competitors like Mythos or Hellbreed were recommended.[6]
After a month more than 850,000 accounts were created on the main page of the game.[8] It was frequently been cited as one of the best new browser MMOs upon release. Drakensang Online got awarded with the German Developer Prize 2011 as best German role-playing game.[9] In May 2012 Drakensang Online was awarded as "Best browser game" within the German Computer Games Award 2012 and got valued as an "outstanding German game production".[10]
Retail Versions
Although it is a browser game, which is playable without longer downloads, two retail versions got released for market, which included some items, which where otherwise available in the in-game store.
The cheaper box the client, a piece of armor which increases both the plating as well as the fighting power of the character and 10,000 Andermant (the in-game currency), with which the player can buy further items in the in-game shop.
The more expensive box includes the content of the cheaper box plus a dragon, which can be used as pet and a weapon that, after full upgrade, gives to the player an advantage of good damage. According to the developer, that pet eases collecting experience points. Also, the contingent of included Andermant got increased from 10,000 to 12,000 Andermant.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Peter Steinlechner auf Golem.de: Drakensang Online - Wie Diablo 3 - aber im Browser, 8 August 2011
- ↑ http://www.golem.de/news/test-drakensang-online-der-dunkle-fuerst-der-bigpoint-bilanz-1208-93630.html
- ↑ http://heredur.drakensang.com/sharedpages/termsofuse/?locale=en
- ↑ PC Games Hardware, 9 October 2011: Drakensang Online: Auch als Box erhältlich
- ↑ http://www.buffed.de/Drakensang-Online-PC-235478/News/Drakensang-Online-Neues-Gildensystem-Mini-Dungeons-nur-mit-Item-Shop-Schluessel-betretbar-848156/
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/drakensang-online/test/drakensang_online,46484,2560417.html
- ↑ http://www.4players.de/4players.php/spielinfonews/Allgemein/24808/2034373/Drakensang_Online|Im_Browser,_ohne_DSA_Lizenz.html
- ↑ http://www.drakensang-online.com/
- ↑ http://www.4players.de/4players.php/spielinfonews/Allgemein/7750/2078037/
- ↑ http://www.browsergamer.com/drakensang/news/drakensang-online-ist-bestes-browsergame-34/
- ↑ PC Games Hardware News. "PC Games Hardware" News of the 7 November 2011, retrieved on 24 June 2013.