DeadManFloating has 8 chronicles

1. Mabinogi: Fantasy Life
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Mar 16 2008

   So I've been playing this now open beta of Mabinogi for a little over a week. Things I like and things I don't like, but isn't that true for anything? The premise is: you've been sent to this world by a being named Nao to help the people from an evil that is infecting the creatures that live there.
   To begin, you age faster then the people (being an online game, they don't really age) as every Saturday you age one year, but can be reborn to a earlier age and/or level. With years, you gain stats and skill points just like levels but they tend to be more extreme. Gaining 2 hp is actually decent. Most your skills and stats will come with the skills you learn using the skill points and are permanent. While you can choose an age to be reborn to, and if so choose, can lower your level back to 1, the skills, money, equipment and titles all remain with your character.
   This game will rely a little heavier on the cash shop as it's free-to-play then other f2p games, as a rebirth card is about $5, but if you're going to put actual time into it, is not only neccesary, but a good invesment as you can soar through low levels again with heightened stats and gain skill points faster. Only one rebirth is allowed every 3 weeks, and I'm already in the mid-20's before 2 weeks is up. From what I hear, pets are also something that can only be bought from the shop.
   The combat can be extremely infuriating until you learn it's nuances. The early levels run you around town getting the needed skills in order to be able to fight back at all. The basic skills being Smash, Counterattack, Defense and Windmill. It's a semi turn-based combat system boiling down to rock-paper-scissors. You can run at an enemy and attack with just your basic attack, but chances are he'll get the first swing and combo you. And starting out, hps are scarce and you will die quickly.
   Smash is a powerful strike, dealing a starting of 200% damage and going up as you increase its rank. The problem being, Counter and a basic attack will beat it, but it smashes through Defense wonderously, but you move at a walking pace which is beneficial. Counter prevents you from moving, but basic attacks and smash will be countered at your basic attack plus a certain % of the enemie's attack. The % will rise as you increase in level going above 100% of the enemies attack, but remaining at your 100%. Defense will add to your basic defense skill just learning it, but when activated, will increase it even more as well as lowering the chance of being critted. Your defense stat lowers damage by a certain amount, where as protection lowers it by a % and for every % lowers the chance of being critted by 2. Windmill is a tricky skill that I haven't invested much time in, but can beat Counter. It will hit multiple enemies in range but also lowers your hp by 10%. Great for emergency escapes.
   Comboing is something down with your basic attacks, and there are either 2 or 3 hit weapons. Like smash, hitting them with the 3rd hit will push them back and cause them to fall down allowing you a chance to bring up a defense skill before they get back to you for an attack. You are able to see icons above their head that match the ones above yours as you use skills, thus letting you know what they will do... sometimes. There are certain skills you can't read, but have to go off the way the mob is moving. Even then, later on the mobs will trick you, like walking up to you as if they were in Defense mode, but smacking you with a Smash. All mobs of the a kind will act the exact same way I've been finding so far, so once you know one, you know the rest.
   While in a dungeon, you can't recover wounds gained. Wounds lower your max hp until you get them healed by a healer or through the First Aid skill. It will stop at 5 hp, but that is very dangerous territory to be in
   
   The crafting can be tedious, what Asian game doesn't have lots of grinding. You need to collect materials whether from animals around a town, or areas in a dungeon. The dungeon ones being harder to raise cause you must be able to get to your supplies in order to work on the trade. Haven't touched much upon this as I'm working on leveling to be able to clear said dungeons. Sheep, cows, chickens are some of the animals outside, and herbs and ore can be found in dungeons.
   
   My one favorite aspect of the game, is its robust music system. Until you get higher rank, the music is just there to have fun. Typing in notes on a score sheet allows you to make your own songs, or make songs that you like. The more popular songs are Mario and Zelda, you will hear them everywhere. They have a composer on the main site allowing you to test out the songs and hear them played before writing them into the game. So far, lutes, mandolins and ukuleles have been released, and drums and flutes still have yet to come out. You have 3 lines in which to write notes, with your melody containing the ability to hold the most, then chord and chord 2 having much less to use. It irks me there because it limits what bass line you could add to your songs.

   
   

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