Asheron's Call
| Asheron's Call | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Turbine Entertainment Software |
| Publisher(s) |
Microsoft (1999–2004) Turbine (2004–2010) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (2010–2017) |
| Designer(s) |
Toby Ragaini Eri Izawa Chris Pierson Chris Foster |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | November 2, 1999 – January 31, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Asheron's Call (AC) was a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for Microsoft Windows-based PCs developed and published by Turbine Entertainment Software. Though it was developed by the Turbine team (with Microsoft's extensive assistance), it was published as a Microsoft title until 2004. Asheron's Call was set on the island continent of Dereth and several surrounding smaller islands and archipelagos on the fictional planet of Auberean. The game was played in a large, seamless 3D virtual world which could host thousands of players' characters (or avatars) at a time.
Released on November 2, 1999, it was the third major MMORPG to be released and was developed at the same time as Ultima Online and EverQuest. After initial success its subscription numbers dropped as newer MMORPGs moved into the market. Its host servers remained online for over 17 years after the game's original launch.
It was announced on December 20, 2016 that Asheron's Call would close all its servers on January 31, 2017. Despite several attempts by the community to purchase or lease the IP, the game closed at 12 EST on that day.
Set in a heroic fantasy worldAsheron's Call allows players to create a character, or avatar, from one of six in-game races. The player allocates a limited number of attribute points (such as 'Strength', 'Coordination', and 'Quickness') and selects skills (such as 'Unarmed Combat', 'War Magic' and 'Melee Defense') for their character, with those base skills starting at a level determined by the character's attributes. Unlike many other games of the genre characters are not locked into a specific class, and can even reallocate previously selected skills to acquire other skills later in the game. Gameplay involves earning experience points ('XP') through a variety of activities, including engaging and defeating monsters in combat, fulfilling quests, and interacting with NPCs. Those earned experience points can then be invested to improve the character's abilities by 'spending' them on attributes or skills. Additional skill points are awarded after the character reaches certain levels, and these skill points can then be used to acquire or 'train' new skills. In addition to earning experience, questing and combat often yield recoverable 'loot', such as armor, weapons, health potions, and spell scrolls. Many types of loot can be improved or imbued with special spells and effects via Asheron's Call's 'tinkering' crafting system.
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