By Jason Van Horn

Champions Online and Aion both released just recently, plus there are more MMOs coming out yet still, and even more next year too. It can be confusing trying to keep up with all the MMOs coming out (and some are certain to fall through the cracks), but Alganon is one you'd be remiss not to take notice of. It's going to have some growing pains as the game continuously builds onto the existing foundation it already has, but I must admit that I'm more eager to follow this game than many others coming from the "big name" companies. Alganon isn't the little MMO that "could," but rather the little MMO than "can."

Players start by picking one of two races: Human or Talrok. The game follows the approach of many other games with two rival races biting at each other's throats, but through my play on both sides, neither is the definition of pure good or pure evil. Instead, both sides feel like differing ideologies, so instead of merely picking a side to be good or evil, you'll pick a side based on which belief you believe in. You'll also pick a family to be a part of, which breaks you down into what type of player you are and what you want to achieve in the game. You can be an Achiever (playing the game and collecting stuff), Competitor (likes competition), Explorer (explore the game), Socializer (likes to talk a lot with others), or Crafter (focused on creating that perfect item). While the family defines you as a player, it doesn't limit what you can do in the game. If you choose Achiever, for instance, you can still do all the crafting you like – it's just not what you want to do the most of in the game. It's a great way to instantly spot people in the field that share the same common interests as you, plus you get chat channels specifically tied to that family.

Up next you'll pick your character's sex, but most importantly your character class. You can choose to be a soldier, ranger, magus, or healer (these break down into the four most common classes in MMO games). A nice thing about Alganon, however, is its dual role system, which doesn't merely confine you to your preset class. A magus is often ranged DPS and that's all they're good for, but by choosing to specialize in a specific field with your earned points, you can craft your character to be somewhat of a tank. One reason this system is so nice is because you won't have to spend hours looking for a specific class just so you can attempt some task. If there are no healers around looking to help, find a ranger with healing abilities and take them instead, as they'll still get the job done. You'll then name your character, pick from a select handful of faces and hairstyles, and then away you'll go on your new adventure.

The starting areas for both the Humans and Talrok are vastly different from each other. The Human side looks like the more traditional fantasy world, while the Talrok side looks like the plains of Africa. The Human side is filled with green grass and magical trees, while the Talrok side looks dehydrated and rough. You'll also experience different enemies and characters based on what side you choose, but quests are still typical for the most part (kill x amount of creatures or deliver this or talk to this person). Combat is equally familiar, as you dial in attacks by pressing certain hot keys, and you'll loot bodies in the same way too. Alganon isn't trying to break the mold that has become the standard for all MMOs, but rather use it in a thoughtful way that will make both longtime veterans and noobs feel at home with how the game plays.

Despite that familiarity, there are several additions to Alganon that transform the game into something new and exciting, and ultimately why I feel so compelled to keep playing. A problem I often have with MMOs is that they feel like work, especially in regards to how they demand you play them in order to keep up with the group. Games start to feel like the rat race of the real world, where you feel you have to keep playing in order to stay on the level with other people, and not get behind by losing footing. Alganon isn't a jealous lover – it knows you have stuff to do, maybe other games to play, but most importantly a life you want to live. As long as you love the game and treat it well, it'll be there to welcome you back with open arms whenever you do have the time to show the game the attention it deserves. Alganon manages to accomplish this feeling thanks to its study system.

The study system is a way for the casual player (or simply busy person) to feel accomplished despite being unable to focus all their attention on the game. Studies are a character building system, which are constantly working towards a goal in the background while you're playing the game, or either while you're away (assuming you have them queued up). Studies open up offensive, defensive, and magical abilities, plus enhancements to select skills, abilities, and even crafting options. Depending on the level, each study has a differing time length needed in order to learn the study. Learning the general studies for magic might only take ten minutes, but the second level of one of its sub categories could take a few hours or a day. You can choose to study whatever you want from the list, but the smart plan is to focus on those studies that transform your character into what you want them to be. I found my magus using a lot of fire spells, so by focusing on raising the strength of those spells, I managed to make myself more dangerous and powerful. So imagine getting sick in real life, not feeling like logging into the game, but yet before you got sick you set a queue for a full day of studying. Despite not killing a single enemy or gaining a single level, when you feel well enough to come back on, you'll still have accomplished something and become more powerful than when you left.

Another marvelous system comes by way of The Library, which is a function more games need. Imagine playing a game and trying to craft a specific item. You have all the items you need minus one, but you have no idea where that item can be gathered from or dropped. You can ask people in the game, but they might not know or be willing to answer. You can run around and hope to stumble upon it, but that's a lot of wasted time. The only real option you have is to jump out of the game, search on the web for the answer to your question, or look it up on some third party site. It's a lot of time and effort that might not even payoff in the end. This is where Alganon's brilliant Library system comes into play.

The Library is for all intents and purposes a third party site, but incorporated directly into the game and coming straight from the horse's mouth. You won't have to rely on hoping someone else's information is correct, because this information is correct. Not only can you find information pertaining to specific items or enemies, but also you can read up on lore, descriptions, and find whatever and everything you need. I was trying to craft a pair of boots, for instance, but couldn't find where to get linen cloth. Knowing what I needed for the item, I jumped into The Library, searched for linen cloth, and instantly its entry popped up and told me how to obtain it. The Library told me linen cloth dropped from a specific enemy, but I had no clue where to find them. By clicking on the enemy listing, the game instantly told me where to find them and even put them on a map for me to easily see where I needed to go. So I went to the location, fought the enemy, grabbed the items, and voila – I made my boots! I rarely engage in crafting because of this exact reason – it's too long and frustrating trying to get all the information you need in order to find where to go and what you need. The Library in Alganon is so helpful, it actually made me want to go out and craft even more.
 

Alganon has a solid foundation and some core principles that are very welcomed and should be copied and utilized by other similar games. The developers won't just be patching the game and leaving it at that once it's released either, as they have plans to constantly add new stuff and shape the game depending on player feedback. Noew close your eyes and imagine a game where you actually get some say in how the story and gameplay progresses and changes. Well open your eyes, because Alganon will soon be here.

Link: http://www.alganon.com/