Clan Lord

Last updated
Clan Lord
ClanLordLogo.png
Developer(s) Delta Tao Software
Publisher(s) Delta Tao Software
Platform(s) Mac OS, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Release18 October 1998
Genre(s) MMORPG
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Clan Lord is the Macintosh's first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), [1] made by Delta Tao Software. It was started in the late 1990s [2] and is still going, with a regular update every 4 weeks. There is also a client for Windows. In 2001 it was voted one of the top ten Mac games of all time in GAMES Magazine. [3] By the end of 2007, player participation dropped below 100 concurrently online. The game world and characters' options in it grow with each update. [4] The game encourages cooperation and community and has only minimal opportunities for player-vs.-player (PvP) activity. On January 17, 2009, it was announced that Delta Tao would no longer charge monthly fees for play. [5] [6] Since then player numbers have increased from the previous low player base and it maintains a steady stream of online players. [7]

Contents

As of 2006, there are Windows and Java ports maintained by the Arindal development team. The Windows client is also running under Linux using Wine.

Setting

Game characters have been exiled by the mad Emperor Mobius to the Lok'Groton Islands for "crimes" against the Empire. Characters are of seven races: Human, Dwarf, Sylvan, Halfling, Thoom, Ghorak Zo, and The People. Exiles may choose to pursue one of three classes: Fighter, Healer, or Mystic, and may also choose sub-classes for the Fighter class: Ranger, Champion or Blood-Mage. In addition to the dangers of the natural island wildlife, exiles must deal with other sentient beings, including the warlike Orgas, the Darshak pirates, the Undine (i.e., undead), and a group of ancient and powerful sorcerers.

Game mechanics

Clan Lord's battle system is primarily based on character skill choices, rather than the items equipped by the character. Items are used more for cosmetic purposes (clothing) and access to additional abilities (e.g. a chain to drag fallen exiles to safety). Clan Lord does not have a level system with multiple skill improvements per level. Rather, skills are trained one at a time in small increments known as ranks. It is not uncommon for exiles to have thousands of ranks. Communication occurs through speech bubbles near an exile's sprite, with options for talking, yelling, thought bubbles, whispering, and performing actions. A sunstone will allow the user to send messages directly to other exiles.

Status bars

There are three quantities determining an exile's status: health, balance, and spirit, tracked through bars in the interface. The total quantity and rate of recovery of each of these can be trained by certain classes through training. Health is decreased by taking damage, and restored through healing. When the health bar is empty, the exile falls, and cannot move or fight until healed, or giving up and returning to town through Purgatory with a loss of experience. Balance is used when attacking an enemy. Spirit is used by the Healer class when healing self or others, and by the Mystic class and sub-classed Fighters for many of their respective abilities. Balance and spirit continually recharge.

Fighting

Clan Lord's fighting system operates on a simple bump-to-attack system. Played in third-person view, the player moves or clicks the mouse in the direction he or she wants the exile to move. When running into an enemy, the exile will swing a weapon, if one is equipped. All classes can do this; however, those in the Fighter class have many more training options, and more powerful training options, than Healers and Mystics. This fighting system trades complexity for control, with strategy arising from the precise control the player has over the exile's movements. Choosing a Fighter sub-class adds skills which can be used during battle.

Healing

Self-healing abilities in Clan Lord are limited. Instead, those of the Healer class work to keep a group of exiles alive throughout a hunt or to repel invaders. Healers start with a moonstone, an item that heals when bumping into an exile, and can be used to self-heal. Later, Healers can gain ranged healing items and abilities. Healing other exiles decreases the Healer's health and spirit, though the health decrease is less than what is gained by the other exile. Healers can also train in the ability to be healed particularly quickly by other Healers, allowing a pair or team of Healers to soak up large amounts of damage without falling.

Mystics

Many of the abilities of mystics are intentionally shrouded in secrecy. However, there is some information that is easily seen by all. Mystics can give exiles near them a temporary boost in the ability to hit enemies with a Rod of Akea, or amount of balance with a Rod of Ballou. They can locate exiles with a Skristal, most often used to find fallen exiles who can then be rescued. They can also provide sunstone creation and repair services.

Related Research Articles

In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters.

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, psionics are a form of supernatural power similar to, but distinct from, arcane and divine magic.

Geneforge is the first video game in the Geneforge series of role-playing video games created by Spiderweb Software.

Game balance is a branch of game design that is described as a mathematical-algorithmic model of a game’s numbers, game mechanics, and relations between the two. Game balance consists of adjusting values to create a certain user experience. Players’ perception and experience are the objectives of game balancing.

In role-playing games, a status effect is a temporary modification to a game character’s original set of stats that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing video games. The term status effect can be applied both to changes that provide a character an advantage, and those that hinder the character. Especially in MMORPGs, beneficial effects are referred to as buffs, and hindering effects are called debuffs.

Dark Ages is a MMORPG based on Celtic mythology, originally developed by Nexon and now operated by KRU Interactive. It is loosely based on the Korean game Legend of Darkness. The American version was developed by David Ethan Kennerly who based it somewhat on the works of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The game originally thrived on player involvement in the management of the game and progression of the storyline, even going so far as allowing players control over in-game politics and laws.

<i>Mu Online</i> 2001 video game

MU Online is an Isometric medieval fantasy MMORPG, produced by Webzen, a Korean gaming company. Introduced in 2001 it is still being supported and updated in 2022.

The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics.

A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by their class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. A character's class affects a character's available skills and abilities. A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the classes found within the game.

The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic (thaumaturgy). Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative magics available to them. With divinely-granted abilities over life or death, they are also able to repel or control undead creatures. Clerics also have specific 'domains' which usually align with the character's alignment and the god that cleric serves. Whether the cleric repels or controls undead is dependent on the cleric's alignment. It is the only class to be included in every version of Dungeons & Dragons without a name change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attribute (role-playing games)</span> Quantified characteristic in role-playing games

An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice. Some games use different terms to refer to an attribute, such as statistic, (primary) characteristic or ability. A number of role-playing games like Fate do not use attributes at all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Character creation</span> Process of defining a game character

Character creation is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a largely fictional setting may include traits such as race and class. Games with a more contemporary or narrower setting may limit customization to physical and personality traits.

The game of World of Warcraft, or WoW, is set in a fictional planet known as Azeroth. Post-release expansions have extended the game's universe. The first, The Burning Crusade, introduced a second planet, Outland. Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm expanded upon Azeroth and respectively added Northrend, the frigid northern continent of Azeroth, and drastically changed various other continents by destroying some and unveiling new ones. The next expansion, Mists of Pandaria, added Pandaria, the southern continent previously hidden behind a perennial mist cover. Warlords of Draenor introduced the planet of Draenor, a version of Outland was before its partial destruction. The expansion Legion adds the Broken Isles, an island chain near the Maelstrom in the middle of the Great Sea, and the damaged planet Argus, the headquarters of the Burning Legion. The seventh expansion, Battle for Azeroth, added two new continents to the center of Azeroth. The latest expansion, Shadowlands, introduced the eponymous Shadowlands, a realm composed of five major zones: Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, Ravendreth, and the Maw.

<i>Players Option: Skills & Powers</i> Tabletop role-playing game book by Douglas Niles

Player's Option: Skills & Powers is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Bloodline Champions is a free-to-play action game developed by the Swedish company Stunlock Studios. Bloodline Champions won both "Game of the Year" and "Winner XNA" in the Swedish Game Awards 2009. The game officially launched in the United States on January 13, 2011. The spiritual successor to the game, Battlerite, created by the same developer Stunlock Studios, was released as a free-to-play game on November 7, 2017.

<i>E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy</i> 2011 video game

E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy, stylised as E.Ψ.Ǝ: Divine Cybermancy, is an action role-playing first-person shooter video game developed by Streum On Studio, and built using Valve's Source engine. It is a cyberpunk themed game based on an unreleased, private table-top role-playing game "A.V.A." developed by Streum On Studio in 1998. Streum-On-Studio have stated that it is "unlikely" that "A.V.A." will be sold publicly in the future. The game spent about two years in development before being released on Steam.

<i>Elsword</i> 2007 video game

Elsword is a free-to-play, 2.5D action MMORPG developed by the South Korean company KOG Studios. It features real-time action gameplay and includes both player vs. environment and player vs. player modes. There are fourteen playable characters within the game, each with unique backstories and distinct abilities. While playing the game is free, some items and costumes can be purchased through an in-game "Item Mall" using real currency. The game was originally made with the intention of being the spiritual successor to Grand Chase by upgrading the graphics from 2D to 2.5D.

<i>Diablo III: Reaper of Souls</i> Expansion pack for the action role-playing video game Diablo III

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is the expansion pack for the action role-playing video game Diablo III. It was revealed at Gamescom 2013. It was released for the PC and Mac versions of Diablo III on March 25, 2014. The expansion pack content was released as part of the Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition version for consoles on August 19 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. That edition expanded the base Diablo III game on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and brought the game for the first time to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.

<i>Marvel Contest of Champions</i> 2014 video game

Marvel Contest of Champions is a 2014 fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. The game is strongly based on the events of the limited comic book series Contest of Champions. An arcade version was released in 2019, developed by Raw Thrills and exclusive to Dave & Buster's locations.

References

  1. ↑ "Role-Playing Games For The Mac". Inside Mac Games. 2001-09-10. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  2. ↑ "The Veteran Neophyte: Digital Karma". MacTech. March 1997. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  3. ↑ "Playing Catch Up: Spaceward Ho!'s Joe Williams". Gamasutra. 2006-10-26. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  4. ↑ "Product Reviews: Clan Lord". MacUser. October 2000. Retrieved 2009-01-07.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Clan Lord Free FAQ".
  6. ↑ "Delta Tao News Page".
  7. ↑ "The Clan Lord Informer".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.