DESCRIPTION

Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings returns players to Dereth 200 years after the original Asheron's Call. The wizard Asheron helped the Humans learn the skills of magic and metalworking, and they were able to control Dereth. A civil war soon broke out, however, and drove all three of Dereth's races underground, where they stayed for generations. Now the Humans, Tumeroks, and Lugians have ventured above ground, ready to do battle once again. Players will be able to create characters from all three races, name them, and make decisions on each character's appearance. Each character evolves differently as players gain experience and earn skill points, which can be invested in various skill trees. Humans are natural wizards, Tumeroks derive strength from nature, and Lugians are melee fighters, but the races are balanced and it's entirely possible to create a Human melee fighter or Lugian wizard. In addition to the normal skill trees, players will also earn experience points by fighting other player characters during battles between kingdoms. Kingdom skills can only be earned in Player vs Player confrontations, but PvP participation is voluntary. Players can also determine the level of PvP activity when they join a server — some servers permit PvP fighting everywhere, while others confine it to certain areas. Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings offers a host of quests for players to complete, each with rewards of experience and items. Gold is never dropped by monsters, but players can convert any dropped item into gold instantly (eliminating the troublesome "why was the wild boar carrying a bag of gold?" questions). Also, players can learn and master item creation skills, which allow them to create extremely powerful weapons and armor. The best items in Asheron's Call 2 are made by players, though very rare elements and magical substances must be collected first. Players have the option of joining kingdoms (permanent allegiances with PvP opportunities), allegiances (where weaker vassals earn experience for their stronger lords), and fellowships (informal hunting parties). ~ Mark Hoogland, All Game Guide