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We are celebrating six months of ultra-cute hack-n-slash in Dragonica. Besides big in-game events, what better way to rejoice than in reminiscing the first time we log on?? For newbs, this is the perfect write-up to get you the low-down on what this game is about. Evergreen contributor Drew Pan recounts his first play-through, and finds himself torn between the game and a US soap opera. I used to be there, at night – in front of the screen, cans of 100-Plus and bags of Doritos strewn over the floor, playing “just a few more minutes” to accomplish whatever new task that had cropped up in an online world. After waking up one morning in a cup of EZ noodles, I got out – that is, until I met Dragonica. I was promised a lot of fun without the immense time investment most MMOs require. Seemed too good to be true. I was wary, but decided to give it a shot. Being married, the game had one hour to impress me. So, Dragonica… You’ve got until my wife’s done with the latest Grey’s Anatomy, what have you got? Signing up was no problem – a few keystrokes, a few clicks and I was in. I didn't have to dig around for a 20-digit serial number, and didn't need my credit card details (sweet!). What followed was the character creation screen. Enough options for me to feel an attachment, without throwing in so many features that it took forever. (I mean, do you really need to choose a character’s toenails, like some other MMOs require?) The Thief class promised big combo attacks, so I went with that and made a Thief named Awkky. Thief’s ready and I’m in. Actresses pretending to be doctors are starting to have problems with something, so I figure there’s about 50 minutes left of Grey’s Anatomy. Awkky met up with a Dragon Lord Fairy named Pororing, who walked me through the basics. I liked the keyboard interface because it was quick to pick up and before long, I was dashing around and killing wolves.
After the tutorial, I found myself in a town where I could stock up on equipment and pick up some quests. Meanwhile, on my wife’s TV, the women doctors were getting upset – there was no time! Fortunately I could pick up a few quests quickly and just kept moving. Time for action! And action I got. Combat in this game is a lot different from games like World of Warcraft, in that you don't just right-click on a creature and wait for its health points to slowly drop to zero. Instead, the combat reminded me more of old school “beat 'em up” games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage II, except a lot cuter. Even with my basic set of skills and attacks, I was able to dodge and weave between killer sheep and hostile stumps of wood (yeah, the “monsters” were kind of cute).
At this point I found myself easily killing a lot of monsters and managing to complete no less than three quests. Take that Grey’s Anatomy! That show can’t solve anything in less than an hour. I just helped four townspeople in 10 minutes. I even leveled up and got some new skills to play with!
20-40 mins By now, I had gotten used to the game controls to start chaining big combos together. With my newly-gained airborne attack, I was able to smack a monster into the air and then leap up for an air combo. Grinding monsters in other games can be a really tedious affair; in Dragonica it's a fun process as you're not only trying to gain experience, but also seeking to improve on your personal best combo score. I almost hit the 100 mark!
I also noticed that the levels in Dragonica seem to be designed for maximum combat, excitement and minimal traveling. I was able to complete so many quests in such a short period of time because I wasn't wasting much time commuting. Usually all I had to do was keep walking left or right.
40-50 mins Okay I was really starting to get into it now, but I could hear crying from the TV set, so I knew we were past the halfway point of Grey’s Anatomy. Time to get serious. For the next ten minutes, I attempted my first Mission Map. It was a quest to defeat the Big Bad Wolf (yes, really), and I was able to do it within a few minutes. This particular mission in Dragonica had four difficulty levels, and a quest required me to complete all four. I managed to get through the first three on my own, but the fourth level was too hard.
So what do you do when an MMO gets too hard? Find a friend! It didn't take long, as there was another player standing outside the dungeon entrance. We were ready, but with the TV’s music reaching a crescendo, our time was short.
50-60 mins With a buddy to fight with, I discovered new ways to quickly dispatch monsters, like whacking them from behind while he distracted them. We did it – we finally beat the Big Bad Wolf once and for all (well, actually until next time as you can do it as often as you like). Grey’s Anatomy had ended, and I needed to go listen to my wife’s recap so she could get over whatever drama/betrayal/shock she had just witnessed. So in just one hour of gameplay, I managed to do the following:
I have found a new hobby!! Go to the Dragonica site for details on how we’re celebrating six months of monster bashing!
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