Mission Statement

The call of an MMORPG is strong. Try as I might, I just can't get away from it.

This blog originated on March 29th, 2012, when I started playing Asheron's Call for the third time. The first time was back in '99, when the game was new. I played for about a year or so, then lost interest. The second time was about ten years later, just before Gear Knights were introduced. The game was getting a renewed push due to the 10th anniversary, and I hopped back in to check it out. I played for a few months, but again lost interest. Then, around mid-March of 2012, I got nostalgic and did some Googling. I learned that they had recently revamped the combat system completely. Big deal, I thought. But out of curiosity, I took a look at new skills, and before I knew it I was working out character templates in my head and dreaming of running the Green Mire Grave again.

So, I'm back again. But this time, I think it will be different. Because this time I'm on a mission.

See, the big selling point of Asheron's Call was the way the world is expanded. Instead of expansion packs every 6-24 months, Turbine gives free updates every month. After over 12 years of this, there's a huge amount of content, including a lot of things most players never even see, or haven't seen for years. Turbine claims to have over 100 dungeons and over 600 quests, but the players just seem to stick to the same few high-level hunting areas time and again. But the game has a lot more to offer than just an endless repetitive grind. I want to bring to light all the places you can go, and all the things you can do.

So, I'm playing with my own set of rules, which will be followed strictly except when they're not:

1. I will make a concerted effort to take in everything the game has to offer. Run every quest, explore every dungeon, fight every enemy. I will squeeze every last drop of awesome of of the land of Dereth.
2. I will blog about my experiences here, so that the AC Community and the Internet as a whole knows what's out there.
3. I will solo as much of the game as I can. This is more a playstyle preference than anything else, but it's also because I want to be able to go at my own pace.
4. I will not use quest walkthroughs or maps. I will endeavor to experience the game as the developers intended. Except when I don't. (Hey, frustration is a fact of life.)

Ambitious? Maybe. Will I make it? Well, I don't know. I'll be honest with you: I don't know what the future holds. I might get bored again and walk away. Or I might get busy with life and have long absences. Or the game might shut down before I get halfway though. But I'm going to do my best to bring everything this game's got into the light.

Asheron's Call is a great game, but one that's been forgotten by the world. I think it deserves better. There's a world of adventure out there, just waiting to be discovered.