This is just a short guide to getting started with AC2.
System Specs
Minimum System Specifications:
- One of the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows98/Me/ 2000/XP
- 256 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM)
- 733 MegaHertz (MHz) processor
- 2 gigabytes (GB) free hard disk space
- 32 MB 3D video adapter with hardware T&L
- 4x CD, sound card and speakers or headphones.
- 56 Kilobits Per Second (Kbps) or faster connection.
If you'd like to check how your system will run Ac2, download this
AC2 Config Tool to have a quick look.
The client
The AC2 installer can be downloaded from
http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/ac2/ . The insaller is really quite large however, so if you are on 56k I recommend either getting a download manager, or simply buying the game off the shelf (you can still get your 15 day free trial, i'll explain that later).
Once the installer has downloaded, open it and it opens a first window which extracts all the files, then it opens the actual AC2 installer. The window in the background says u can click something to close it and clear up temp files - DONT touch this until the installer has completed It should install fine after that!!
A common mistake is to clear up the temp files before the installer has finished running, but it just gives an error asking you to insert a CD.
Once the installer has finished, you will be left with two icons on your desktop, one normal AC2 shortcut, and one for the free trial. make sure to click on the free trial shortcut or the launcher will ask for a product code. Your free trial lasts 15 days. You can make a new ID <name>@msgamestudios.com, or use an existing passport account such as your hotmail account, although I only recommend this if you log into your hotmail account at least once a month.
The launcher will now update and patch itself. This takes about 20minutes, and you have to be at your PC because it keeps asking you to click stuff. Once that is finished you will be able to choose your server.
When you begin playing, I recommend Dawnsong, of the european servers, for all the English / Dutch / Scandinavian players, as this is the main server which speaks these languages. It is also the most friendly server on the game.
If you like a different challenge, try the American servers : Darktide is a FFA server, and Coldeve is a KvK server. Be warned though, the lag playing over in the US is quite noticeable at times.
After logging into your chosen server, the game will then do the big patch. AC2 gets updated once a month with a big-ish patch, so you've got some catching up to do. This usally takes between 45mins and an hour, so you can just leave your computer to get up to this. Once that's finished you're ready to play !!
Choosing your Race and Class
In Asherons Call 2, there are 3 Races, each with six classes, to make a total of 18 classes to choose from. Two classes each for melee / missile / magic.
We have
Humans, who people most commonly choose as their primary character because of the familiarity.
The human melee characters are
Bounty Hunter and
Defender.
Bounty hunter can dual weild two melee weapons, and deals out damage. Also has a unique skill called "Lucky Charm", when used this improves the quality of the loot that you find. Bounty Hunters get insane loot !!
Defenders are the class most people associate with a Paladin. They weild a melee weapon and a shield. They're a tank class, with a few small heals/buffs, but don't deal much damage.
The human missile characters are
Ranger and
Alchemist.
Rangers weild a bow, two handed weapon. They have the longest range in the game, and a few useful things like a fast runbuff and some debuffs. This is a good solo class to play, they get a pet Lasher which tanks for them while they kill.
Alchemist is a new style of class. They weild a vial, and attack by stirring up potent ****tails and pouring them over the enemy. They have a skill called Darkside, which gives like a Jekyll and Hyde effect, turning them into a big monster letting them attack better. This is the only human class that can resurrect (bring a dead character back to life).
The human magic characters are
Sorcerer and
Enchanter.
Both sorcerers and enchanters weild either staffs or scepters.
Sorcerer is a debuffer. It casts spells on mobs to take off armour / hitpoints / attack speed, and also has a few nice AOE's into the pot. Sorcerers also buff the players, imrpoving their attack speed, armour, attack skills.
Enchanter is also a debuffer, but their debuffs aren't as effective as a sorcerers. Enchanters however, have mesmerise, which stuns the mobs. A very valuable skill
They can also have pets, and can buff weapons to increase damage, and lower combat delay and vigor cost. They also have an armour buff. Enchanters are a nice solo class.
Then we have
Tumeroks. These are the almost animal-looking class. Very wild and tribal, in touch with nature.
The Tumerok melee characters are
Feral Intendant and
Zealot
Feral Intendants are another tanking class. They wield a melee weapon and sheild, and can tank pretty much anything. Its rare to see a FI die in a good group, also a really good solo class and quite overpowered atm
. They also get a choice of a shreth or beetle pet.
Zealots weild two clawblades, which look like big freddy kreuger fingers
Zealots deal a lot of damage, especially if they can manage to hit all four of their bleeds (DOT) in sequence, its fatal
Unless you have a wicked healer to back you up though, Zealots die quite often.
The tumerok missile classes are
Hive Keepers and
Claw Bearers.
Hive Keepers Wield wasp nests, and are attuned with nature. They send swarms of wasps out to attack,and can make honey to form healing draughts. They have and AOE attack and debuff too
Claw Bearers are a damage class, they have lots of debuffs to lower armour and attack of the enemies, and AOE for max carnage. They weild Cestas, one in each hand.
The tumerok magic classes are
Healer and
Invoker.
Healers are pretty much what they sound like. They weild a drum, and are sort of like witch doctors. They have loads of different health and vigor heals, including fellow heals and vigor over time. They can Vitae heal other players and are the only Tumerok class which can Resurrect dead players. They also have good fellow buffs. Pretty much a necessary support class, everyone loves the healer
Invokers are a summoning class. They also weild drums, but you can try being a melee / missile hybrid invoker and weild a spear or melee weapon. Invokers can summon lots of pets, and these pets can cast spells on the user, buffing him up. Invokers also have a few buffs of their own, increasing max HP / vig.
The last race is the
Lugian. These are a big, solid race of people. Their habits almost remind you of dwarves, working closely with stone and rock, but visually they are about twice the size of humans and built like sumo guys.
The Lugian melee characters are
Bezerker and
Juggernaut
Bezerkers are dual weilders of melee weapons, and can deal absolutely insane damage. They have a line of fast, multiple hit attacks, which lets them do 4/5/6 strong hits in the time other characters have hit only once. They also have miltiple hit, AOE attacks, which most often kill solo mobs before they can get to melee range and attack back.
Juggernauts hold two-handed weapons called ArcStaffs or BladeStaffs. Juggies are also DD's, and they are fantastic against group mobs, bosses or high HP mobs because they have a line of skills known as "Dis-x" which does % damage to the health of the mob. It's really great when taking down a boss with 700k HP, slightly less effective when killing a solo mob with 2k HP
. They also have a few debuffs, and a buff imbuing the weapon with a shield bonus
The Lugian missile characters are
Raiders and
Tacticians.
Raiders hold boulders and stones, and throw them at enemies. It's all very raw and primitive
. They imbue the stones with fire and ice, and skills like snowball can temporarily stun the mobs.
Tacticians are a very unique class. I haven't seen anything similar to it in an RPG before. They weild a wrench, or two wrenches, and they attack by building Turrets, and loading them with ammo. Tacticians are fantastic for setting up a camp with in a high spawn area and ripping all the mobs to pieces. Real levelling machines. They also have defence tactics, building walls to stop the mobs getting too close to their turrets.
The lugian magic characters are
Sage and
Elementalist.
Sages are a healing class. They have a multitude of heals, incuding fellow vigor heals. They can also mesmerise mobs, stunning them temporarily. They can vitae heal, and are the only lugian class to resurrect dead players.
Elementalists are a summoning class. They can summon lots of different pets to fight alongside them, and also controls the weather, creating stormclouds and hurricanes to attack. They are a very powerful class, and very good to solo with.
Thats just a brief overview of the classes, more detailed information and guides can be found at
www.ac2hq.com.
Asherons Call 2 : Getting Started.
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Linear Mode
