Asherons Call 2 : Getting Started.

[Ashante]

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.

[Ashante]

Once you've created your character, it's time to start playing.

Turbine have made this game very easy to pick up, with a lengthy series of quests called the "Drudge Insurgence Saga". This series of quests would get you to about lvl 15-18 alone, without any other levelling needed.
From the moment you're "born" in the game, you are given your first quest, and there are helping stones which explain how to equip weapons, attack, chat, and pretty much anything else you'd need to know.

I won't spoil the quests for you, but if you do get stuck, there are full quest walkthroughs of every quest at www.ac2hq.com .

Want to continue playing AC2?
The 15 day free trial is long enough to decide if you like the game or not, and if you do - then you have a few options available to you.
The first option is purchasing a CD key from Turbine's website. Once you have purchased the CD key, just start the game using the shortcut for AC2 (not the free trial), and you'll be prompted for the CD key. You then get a further month free before you have to start paying for the game.

If you are running a high spec PC, and would like the good quality GFX etc, then the best option available for you is probably to go out and buy the retail box of AC2. This provides you with the third CD, with all the high spec GFX. It also comes with a product key so you get your month free.

Choosing your Kingdom
A big feature of AC2 is the kingdom conflict. There are four kingdoms in the world of Auberean: Order, Dominion, Shadow, and Neutral.
Every character begins the game as neutral. At level 10 you can join a kingdom (it's free). It's probably best to decide on a kingdom before level 30, as after that it costs about 150k to change kingdom, and two weeks of time.

Choosing a kingdom can be tough, especially if you understand the origins of the kingdoms. This comes from the ingame lore, which is for the most part, really interesting. The following is from AC2 Warcry

To understand the three Derethian Kingdoms, one must first understand the Battle of the Kings. After the Golden Age had past, chaos ruled the land. What happened during the Battle of Kings can only be speculated, though the answers likely lie in the Vault dungeons scattered around Dereth. Until more concrete answers are given, we can only assume that Bael'Zharon, leader of the Shadows, was aggressively attempting control to something - perhaps control Dereth, perhaps something greater. We believe this simply because of Bael'Zharon's past ingressions. It is likely that Asheron Realaidain, the Empyrean mage, just as aggressively attempted to defend whatever Bael'Zharon was after. Oddly enough, the Virindi figure known as the Imperator stepped in during some point perhaps to try to "balance" the battle between the other two if not to shift power to the Virindi themselves. It could also be that all three were after something that would determine the fate of all, thus a great battle ensued.

It would seem that this battle came to a climatic end with The Devastation. Many fingers point to Bael'Zharon as the origin of the Devastation, but one must not be too quick to jump to too many conclusions. Although, it is believed that Isin Dule, former general of Bael'Zharon, betrayed his master in an attempt to help save Dereth from ultimate destruction. Of course, The Devastation, which was already unleashed, was not without consequences, thus the sending of our ancestors into underground shelters provided to us by Asheron.

Upon the reoccupation of Dereth, three Kingdoms have emerged: Order of Dereth, founded on the principles set forth in the examples of Asheron, The Dominion, founded on the principles of the Virindi and the Shadow Kingdom founded on the principles of the Shadow.

Most players choose their kingdom based on their allegiance, but also trying to keep in line with their kingdom doctrines. Below are the Doctrines for Order, Shadow and Dominion.

SHADOW

• The whole of our law is, do as you will.
• Fulfillment is found in using power to alter the world.
• Any means justify the ends. Only failure is unacceptable.
• Anger, properly channeled, can unleash great strength. But always use reason – the clear-minded weakling can defeat the angry fool.
• Know the weaknesses of others, and exploit them without pause.
• If another thwarts your own desires, strike him down.
• If you do not have the might to strike him down, acquire it.
• If you cannot acquire it, you are weak, and do not deserve what you desire.
• Accept no other’s doctrine. Enslavement begins the acceptance of values.
• Laws are made by the weak to shackle the strong. Obey no law that violates your right to do as you would.
• Ally with anyone, but trust no one.
• Those willing to die for your sake are fools, and can be used.
• Never make any agreement you are unwilling to break.
• You are the fulcrum of the universe.

DOMINION

• Entropy is the enemy of all life. The universe must be preserved against it.
• All life should serve as agents of order. Disorderly life hastens entropy. Therefore, life which heads no civilized law must be corrected.
• One alone can change nothing. Only as part of the group may one change the universe. We are stronger together than separate.
• Fealty belongs to superior powers, provided those powers serve order. To struggle against superior power causes disorder, and hastens entropy.
• The Dominion is the most superior power of order. All who oppose it serve disorder, and must be corrected.
• The superior must guide and provide for the inferior. That is their role.
• Poor stewardship serves disorder, and must be corrected.
• The inferior shall obey the superior. That is their role.
• Disobedience serves disorder and must be corrected.
• It is only when inferior and superior act in harmony that peace may be forged.
• Some may be sacrificed to achieve the greater goal.

ORDER OF DERETH

• Justice is achieved through wisdom tempered by compassion. Justice cannot exist in the absence of either.
• The weak must be protected from the strong. The best way to accomplish this is through the benevolent rule of law.
• Care must be taken to insure that laws do not become a tool for oppression. It is the responsibility of every individual to stand against this.
• It is better to strive to improve the world than to live a quiet life.
• So long as no one comes to harm, do as you wish.
• Always treat others with respect. No one is superior or inferior to anyone else.
• That which does the most good for the greatest number is usually the best.
• No man or agency may dictate the mind of the individual.
• Knowledge and beauty sustain the soul, and have value for their own sake.
• Never refuse to plea for help. We must care for one another, for often we are all we have in a hostile world.
• Violence is always the last resort.
• Keep true to your oaths. Your honor and reputation precede and follow you.
  Never doubt the power of one soul to better the world.
• The greatest deed is that of the one who sacrifices his life to save another, not for riches or accolades, but all unknown in the dark, where no one else shall ever know.

Choose your kingdom wisely, the players of AC2 are very fanatical about sticking by their kingdom, it's where the role playing aspect really comes into play.

[Krelm]

Wouldn't mind giving it a try. But, page not found when i try and download it.

Is that trial for GameSpy subs?

EDIT - Nevermind, got it going now, just one more question. How big is the download? This gamespy downloader is dodgy, just gives me -1 which i assume is 1gb+ then.

[Ashante]

Originally Posted by Krelm

Wouldn't mind giving it a try. But, page not found when i try and download it.

Is that trial for GameSpy subs?

EDIT - Nevermind, got it going now, just one more question. How big is the download? This gamespy downloader is dodgy, just gives me -1 which i assume is 1gb+ then.

I think its about a gig... not 100% sure as I bought it boxed last year or so :/

[Krelm]

Originally Posted by Ashante

I think its about a gig... not 100% sure as I bought it boxed last year or so :/

Yeah must be, thanks for answering.

It's on 2%, downloaded 100mb so far, which is either wrong, or scary :|

[Ashante]

Some screenshots :

[Ric]

Downloading the game atm, should give me something to do over summer

[Bretticus]

hehe was playing this on and off for over the last 6 months. I soloed upto lvl16 but gimped my char, anyway had a chat with someone and joined their ally. Just realised looking at this forum its the same one as you.

Im gimped cos I didnt read the instructions, and didnt choose a path at level 15.

Its a great game, the death penalty is nice as is the people on the game.

Im enjoying it

Just need to untrain loadsa skills going for FI.

[Ashante]

Hiya mate, yup i was online when you joined

On a noob character called Gasks Plaything, as my cc is waiting authorisation.

I can help you out in the next few days

[Bretticus]

Originally Posted by Ashante

Hiya mate, yup i was online when you joined

On a noob character called Gasks Plaything, as my cc is waiting authorisation.

I can help you out in the next few days

That would be great, Ive got Rashands quest running but not completed, but gotta do esper vault and get my missile skills untrained.

So I got some work to do