Review by: Nick Stewart
Published: November 7, 2000

Apart from the obvious informational and communicative benefits, the widespread arrival of the Internet was a tremendous leap and a half for the ever-evolving realm of gaming. Not only did it allow for a nearly infinite level of deathmatching and RTS face-offs, but it also opened the door wide open for something that has since captured fans in its mesmerizing gaze: the persistent online world. Though the concept had long been toyed with for years prior to its arrival on the scene, Ultima Online truly introduced the idea to the mainstream masses. Others such as EverQuest and Asheron's Call have since jumped on the bandwagon, with incredible levels of success; the former has even set record subscription numbers in recent weeks. Still, others around the world have been quietly setting records of their own in their native lands. In fact, with more than 2.5 million subscribers, one such instance has already been surpassingly popular in its native Korea for the last couple of years. In the hopes of attracting new, wide-eyed adventurers to its politicized realm, Lineage looks to visit American soil in the very near future

For those in the know, Lineage's look and overall concept are based upon the comic books of the same name by the famous, Ilsook Shin. Set in a world of medieval fantasy, the series tells the tale of intrigue, betrayal, and more importantly, politics. As the story is told, the kingdom of Aden was ruled by the wise and benevolent King Dekem, but even he could not save the land from the various ravages of villainy. Then, when things looked their bleakest, along came Duke Depill, who eradicated evil from the realm and became the land's champion. In return for his heroics, the Duke took the Princess Gardria's hand in marriage, though, the King's death soon put the citizenry in a state of worry. Unfortunately, the Duke also died soon afterwards, further compounding the general sense of doom, and worsening the Princess-turned-Queen's emotional state. Whether it was to lessen this pain or because of genuine affection is unknown, but Gardria did not waste time in taking another husband: the young and impetuous Ken Rauhel, whom she had first encountered at Depill's funeral. Well aware of her new husband's considerable temper and worrisome need to remain unchallenged on the throne, Gardria sent Depardieu, her newborn son -- fathered by the departed Depill -- to live with his father's loyal followers. Eighteen years passed before the truth revealed itself, and Depardieu, escaping his stepfather's murderous black knights, banded with a group of friends to assault the castle of Aden, and to wrench control from the evil King's grasp. The story's eventual outcome, in a sense, is up to you, the player, as you live out any number of similar situations within the realm of Lineage, the persistent online world.

Of course, your exact role will depend on your character class, one of the most important choices you'll make within Lineage. Fantasy traditionalists may opt to leap into the Magician's skin, able to access the highest echelon of fifty-odd spells, such as the hour-long Shape Change, the incredibly useful Mass Teleport, and the ultra-destructive Disintegrate. While the majority of spells require nothing more than a few magic points (or mana, as is the case in other RPGs) to cast, high-level mages will have to scour the land for Magic Gems, which are found on the corpses of various monsters. Still, if you'd prefer to spend your time defending nature from the ravages of humanity and vice-versa, you might find the Elf more to your liking. As per their code of ethics, members of this class are said to strike a balance of harmony with themselves and the world around them; and thus have an innate skill with both the physical and mystical aspects of the realm. In other words, Elves are not only excellent fighters, but may also cast quite a few magic spells, though not nearly as many as Magicians. If straight-up combat is more to your liking, however, there's no substitute for the Knight; combat in all its forms is his specialty, from shield-based defense to vicious sword fighting.

Despite your standard RPG tendencies, chances are that you'll find the Prince/Princess character the most integral and interesting character in Lineage. Although their fighting skills are rather average, and have an absolute minimum of magical ability, they have the singularly crucial talent of being able to establish a "blood pledge." Much like "guilds" or "clans" within other online persistent worlds, blood pledges are a group of like-minded people who are devoted to their Prince and dutifully follow his word. This inherent respect must work both ways: should a Prince mistreat or fail to provide for his pledge's needs, they are far more likely to track down a more careful lord that can keep them rich, or at the very least busy. This can mean anything from embarking on a group quest to accumulate wealth and special items for the pledge, to declaring open war upon opposing pledges. Groups can even attempt a full-scale assault on one of the game's many castles -- a very special privilege that is reserved solely for a prince and his crew.

A feature that is, for all intents and purposes, unique to the mainstream online RPG, castles are at the core of Lineage's living, breathing gameworld and economy. Although their administrations are purely fueled by automatic NPCs, the castles themselves are presided over by virtual flesh-and-blood player Princes and Princesses. Gaining this sort of power isn't easy, however; in order to preside over a castle, and in turn, its outlying town, a Prince must be level 15 or higher, and must declare open war upon the blood pledge that's in control of the structure. At a given time, the invading Prince and his blood pledge must then lay siege to the castle, which is by no means a simply endeavor. Not only must the invaders combat the defending blood pledge members, but they must also deal with the castle's NPC guards and the pledge's hired mercenaries -- all of whom are equally eager to see their continued employment under the present lord. Amidst this hostile defensive, the invaders must physically break down the outer gate, make their way through the inner bailey, and then break down the inner gate to gain access to the castle proper. The battle can then be won in one of two ways: either by killing the acting Prince who must spend the battle within the Main Hall, or by having the invading Prince physically enter the building itself. Naturally, the latter option isn't as easy as it may seem, since the siege instantly finishes upon the invading Prince's demise, or sundown, whichever comes first. Should the invaders fail in their attempt by that point, they will not only have to face the embarrassment of their loss, but they will also be branded as rebels; and will be hunted not only by the castle guards, but by the town's as well. However, if they met with success, the castle guards will obey them and the former owners will be chased from the grounds. Additionally, the new pledge will assume control of the outlying town, and will be able to impose a certain level of taxes, ranging from 10% to 50%, which will then be transferred to the castle's coffers. Instead of being deducted straight from the NPC citizenry's pockets, this tax is culled from any and all sales conducted with the city's walls, from weapon and magic purchasing, to inn fees. Thus, should a particularly greedy pledge wish to impose a 50% tax, players passing through the town will either avoid making any purchases due to the exceedingly high prices, or they may be so positively outraged as to form their own pledge and overthrow the rulers. In this sense, the economy must be balanced and well-maintained at all times, lest the force of righteousness rear its violent head.

Fortunately for the less socially inclined, players will have more to worry about than pledge wars and bloody invasions; take alignment, for instance. Since everyone begins as a completely Neutral character, the decisions and actions that one chooses to make become incredibly important as the game progresses. Player-killing is one factor that bears considerable weight on your alignment and, since it's freely allowed in the realm of Lineage, it's a major element of day-to-day life for the inhabitants. In other words, should you overtly murder someone wandering through the woods, you'll achieve a negative number rating, which in turn will push you into the Chaotic classification. While it certainly can be rather profitable to kill travellers for their potentially powerful items, being an overly Chaotic character can have its drawbacks. Apart from being chased by guards for 24 hours after murdering someone, you wouldn't be able to purchase any items from any vendors, and most people would avoid you like the living plague. Additionally, Chaotic characters are far more likely to lose items and experience upon their deaths, which would otherwise require a simple restart, whisking them and the remainder of their items to their home town.

This isn't to say that there aren't advantages of maintaining a Chaotic connotation: the efficiency of magical spells are also decided by one's alignment. The vast majority of mysticism is presided over by Grankain, the god of Evil, and Einhasad, the god of Good; and subsequently spells become ethically polarized. As a result, casting "evil" spells such as Create Zombie will slowly but surely push your alignment into the realm of the Chaotic, while using "good" spells such as Resurrection will draw you closer to Lawfulness. Similarly, the effectiveness of each casting will depend greatly upon your own alignment; thus, evil spells are much more powerful for the severely Chaotic than for someone who's only slightly so, while the same spell would be practically worthless to a truly Lawful individual.

Part of what makes an online realm truly unique doesn't necessarily lie entirely in its core gameplay, but rather within the small, personal details of day-to-day living. For example, should you hunger for a break from the ravages of combat or the maintenance of a harmonious blood pledge, you can take a trip down to the outskirts of town to risk some hard-earned money on an old-fashioned Slime Race. As the title indicates, this race gives you the chance to purchase tickets for one of several different colors of slime, which then ooze down the racetrack as fast as their pseudopods will take them. If you're in the mood for something a little more traditional, there's always the Dog Fights, which are more periodical and more prone to disturbing the squeamish. Of course, public entertainment isn't always the solution to your problems; sometimes you're simply looking for a little privacy to rest, or even to speak with a small group of friends. Given, you can tend to the latter by using certain switches in the text box, but it only works for one-on-one and blood pledge chats. This is where the local inn comes in, allowing you to purchase the key to a personal room -- or if you're a Prince, an entire Hall -- for a couple of real-time hours in which you and your friends can chat without fear of interruption while healing at an accelerated rate. Alternatively, you can always spend your time chatting with the many NPCs that inhabit Lineage in an improved, visual version of EverQuest's keyword system. Whether it's to give you hints as to a hidden item or merely to impart the mood of the day, most everyone has something to say, though it's entirely up to you figure out who to trust.

Overall Thoughts: With some of the best 2D graphics on the modern market and some truly promising features, Lineage certainly has quite a lot to offer the English-speaking market. Its decidedly non-"politically correct" permission -- and in some cases, encouragement -- of player-killing allows for some opportunities that simply aren't possible in such fare as Asheron's Call or even Ultima Online. The most notable of these, the siege and control of castles, is likely to appeal to a lot of gamers who want to feel as though they're fighting for a cause that will truly make a difference in their digital realm. The subsequent financial attachment to townships and their economies creates a truly impressive balance that will not only round out the experience, but will surely cause it to stand out from its peers. While it's hard to say exactly when it will be available to the aspiring U.S. public, there are a few issues that the developers are presently working on, such as taking care of the display bugs, and more importantly, the gradual localization of the server. When that eventually does come about, however, fans of online RPGs owe it to themselves to take a look at the sights, sounds, and the fascinating level of competitive opportunity that is Lineage.