Riders of Icarus

BlackSwan

BlackSwan

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Title: Riders of Icarus (‘Icarus Online’ in the East)
Dev/Pub: Nexon
Status: Open BETA (Soft Launch) began 06/07/16
Website
Wiki
YouTube
Facebook
South African Community on Facebook
Twitter
Region: NA + EU (South Africa is currently region-locked, however, I had zero lag using VPN Gate) and connection to Germany.
Client Download: Nexon Launcher
Category: Hybrid (Smart Receptacle+TAB)-Target MMORPG
Genre: Fantasy
Payment Model: Free to Play, with Cash Shop (Currency called ‘Ellun’). I experienced zero ‘pay walls’. The game does push you fairly hard to pay for inventory space, however, you can upgrade via daily quests and by logging in for weekly attendance rewards. The Cash Shop offers items that don’t add any distinct game play advantages for paying customers, but do massively increase the aesthetic options, meaning most of the game’s coolest mounts are store-bought, but the bulk of the content is available without spending a penny.
Platform: PC
Language: English, French, German
Game Engine: CryEngine 3
Art Style: Stylised; East Asian
Graphics: 4K HDR Ultra Quality Graphics; well-defined polygons
Environment: Vast, scenic, open, explorable world; diverse zones, enemies and mission types.
Character Customisation: Extensive Female Character Creation Male Character Creation IMPORTANT: If creating the ideal toon in important to you, I advise creating a test toon first and giving it a random name, as once a name has been used, it becomes locked for 30 days before it can be used again, even after the character has been deleted.
User Interface: Clean, clear, modern, easy to navigate
Controls: Standard e.g. Mouse; Q W E A S D (customisable)
Combat: Fast-paced, Hybrid (Smart Receptacle+ TAB)-target based; combo system
Gameplay: Similar to FFXIV:ARR; feels smooth; ping was a nonissue.
Content: PvE: World Mini-Bosses, Dungeons (3 Difficulty Levels: Solo; 2-man; 5-man), (+Aerial) Raids, Challenge Towers. PvP: Friendly Duels, Aerial 1v1, Guild Wars, Alliance Wars.
Guilds: Large guilds can form factions and control territory.
Minimum System Requirements:
OS: Windows Vista (SP2)
Processor: Intel Core i3-2120 @ 3.3GHz or higher / AMD A8-5500 @3.3GHz or higher
Memory: At least 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 260 (1GB) or better / Radeon HD 7670 (1GB) or better
DirectX: Version 9.0c or higher
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Hard Drive: At least 30 GB of free space
Sound Card: 16-bit Sound Card


OVERVIEW
Riders of Icarus is a fantasy MMORPG by WeMade Entertainment and published by Nexon America. Featuring exhilarating aerial combat unlike anything ever seen before in the genre, Riders of Icarus has players taking flight on the backs of fantastical beasts, ranging from ferocious bears to fire-breathing dragons, to fight by both land and air. In Riders of Icarus, players will explore a vast, majestic and ever-expanding world where they can collect and train hundreds of different wild beasts, taming them to become rideable mounts with unique special abilities. As a legendary Rider, with renowned combat abilities, players will coordinate with other heroes both in the air and on the ground to engage in theatrical boss battles utilizing the game’s frenetic action-oriented melee combo system. With hundreds of ground and aerial mounts to collect, the sky is no longer the limit for the Riders of Icarus, who fight to protect mankind from an ancient invading evil. Tame and ride fearsome winged beasts into explosive aerial battles as you scorch the skies of enemy legions in thrilling PvE and PvP combat. As a Rider, capture and train flying mounts to become deadly weapons in adrenaline-charged aerial battles. Ride fearsome winged beasts across dangerous lands filled with non-stop action and adventure. Lay waste to the denizens of evil across immersive locales as fantastical as one can imagine.


COMBAT
Though spoiled by Blade & Soul and FFIXV:ARR, which I feel are a 10/10 in their respective categories, Riders of Icarus’ combat system still feels smooth, responsive, and real-time — like a TERA / FFXIV:ARR hybrid. Players who were unhappy with/unable to master the frenetic, skill+latency-based combat of WildStar and Blade & Soul, will definitely feel more at ease with Riders of Icarus’ combat system. Many abilities chain or combo into others, and may be triggered manually, or automatically, saving room on your hotkey bar. Notably, you can fight riding on both land and flying mounts. Mounts have a Stamina system which depletes as you fight, but higher quality mounts have more stamina, enabling you to fight mounted for longer. Mounts and familiars also have their own set of skills, weapons (Spear; Crossbow), and armour (which may be crafted by Barder Crafting).



PROGRESSION
The famous MMO “grind” is ever-present, but with mounts playing such a pivotal role in game play, the repetition feels significantly less tiresome. Resources, buffs and mounts gained from questing can be used in crafting, or sold for monetary gain. Main story line quests (yellow) guide you through various zones as you progress. Side quests (blue), albeit optional, quicken the levelling process, and precipitate the procurement of mounts/pets. Regional quests (green), which become available upon completing a zone’s main quests, are repeatable but don’t yield much experience/gold. Gear may be upgraded through Tempering (the act of upgrading equipment with Tempering Stones). Tempering increases the item’s base stats (Physical and Magical Defence for armour, and DPS and Physical/Magic Attack for weapons). Tempering Stone levels advance in multiples of 5. Higher level Tempering Stones have a greater chance of success, and stones below the level of the equipment being tempered will result in failure. Extracting equipment is the primary method of acquiring Tempering Stones, although they can also be gained from loot/quest rewards.


CRAFTING
There are six crafting professions in Riders of Icarus: Weapon Crafting, Armour Crafting, Jewellery Crafting, Barder Crafting, Alchemy, and Cooking. Gathering is available from Level 1 (no tools required), and all six categories are available to the player upon reaching Hakain’s Crossing. Materials may be harvested from the world/monsters, though a few may also be purchased from the appropriate crafting merchant. Levelling up crafting requires mastering a certain number of items. To begin crafting, the player needs to stand at the appropriate crafting table, however, the crafting window itself may be accessed anywhere. Each item has its own skill level starting at one, and can be levelled up to a maximum of 5 (“Mastered”) through crafting. Each craft gains one experience point (triumphant crafting granting two). The amount of experience required to reach the next skill level depends on item and level. Once an appropriate number of items have been Mastered in Tier 1, the player may speak to crafting instructors in Hakain’s Crossing to proceed to Tier 2 (costs money). Levelling up unlocks better craftable items, which require rarer materials and more crafts to Master.

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MOUNTS
Mounts are a pivotal aspect of the game. With both ground and flying mounts available, combat is a significantly more mobile experience than it is in most other MMOs. Mounted combat provides additional skill sets and combat styles, allowing you to AoE, evade, and escape targets much faster. I particularly liked the fact that you can ride/fly away while in combat, reducing downtime while questing. Players gain their first mount at level 5 (a Brakarr Gallant) during a main story tutorial quest, during which they are shown how to capture targets using the Tame skill. Essentially, you select the desired target, hit Tame, sneak up behind it, and push Spacebar to mount it. Once mounted, a mini game begins, and you’ll have to press the correct keys (W/A/S/D) or wait until the Success gauge is full. Once captured, the mount will appear in your Bestiary. Bestiary slots may be expanded with Ellun (gained from quests, achievements, and the cash shop). There are over 300 land/flying mounts to capture, each having their own unique skills and abilities. You also receive Achievement rewards for your Pokémon Master skills! When you tame a creature, you get a level 1 mount of that creature. Mounts gain experience/levels while summoned, but their level can never exceed your own. Tamed mounts may be turned into fighting companions (by using Pet Scrolls) or converted to runes (by using Seal Stones) that add bonuses to equipment.

COMMON (1 star) : Low HP and Endurance Points. Common ground mounts average 6.00 speed, while Common flying mounts average 9.00 speed.
ELITE (2 star): Higher HP and EP. Elite ground mounts average 7.00 speed. The three Elite mounts obtainable in Brakarr Forest are Pritsha the Cannibal, Cold Tusk, and Taslan the Devourer (all world bosses). Elite flying mounts also have about 9.00 speed, but fly higher and have more EP than Common mounts.
HEROIC (3 star): Higher HP and EP than Elite mounts. Heroic ground mounts average 8.00 speed, while Heroic flying mounts average 10.00 speed, fly higher, and have more EP than Elite mounts.

It seems that you are also able to re-skin your mounts, however, I’m not yet sure if these are obtained purely from RNG Cash Shop boxes, or if you’ll be able to get them in the word as well.

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CLASSES
Although the the typical Trinity is present, classes feel well differentiated, and are all quite engaging. Icarus’ system combines active and traditional combat, with tanks disrupting more than blocking, healers using status effects/CC, and DPS with lots of CC. Fights feel fun and engaging, either solo or as a team.


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ASSASSIN
Melee DPS (Weapon: Twin Daggers; Armour: Light) who’re able to land devastating attacks upon their enemies. Assassins play very differently in Ride of Icarus in comparison to other MMOs. Their play style involves constant movement and kiting, activating powerful combos and abilities, linking skills and chaining combos.
[GAMEPLAY VIDEO] [ASSASSIN STATS]


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BERSERKER
Melee DPS (Weapon: Two-Handed Sword; Armour: Heavy) who channel pure rage into ferocious power. They make use of their tremendous arsenal of abilities to force enemies into compromising positions via Crowd Control. Their play style involves charging abilities to land powerful attacks, while making use of Light Combos to gain Rage. Berserkers dish out tons of damage quickly, making them vulnerable to damage in the process. Despite their damage reduction, a Berserker is most effective when paired with a Priest, enabling him to throw himself headlong into combat without having to worry too much about his own hide. Strength is a Berserker’s most important ability. Dexterity can boost defence, since he can’t wear Heavy Armour, and Constitution can increase hit points.
[GAMEPLAY VIDEO] [BERSERKER STATS] [BERSERKER SKILLS]


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GUARDIAN
Melee Support {Tank} (Weapon: Sword/Shield; Armour: Heavy) Guardians are devoted frontline fighters who protect their allies and smite their enemies by drawing from the power of their virtues. They can adapt to situations while delivering devastating ranged or close quarter attacks, making them excellent supportive fighters, whether they’re leading an assault, or defending your party’s flanks.
[GAMEPLAY VIDEO] [GUARDIAN STATS] [GUARDIAN SKILLS]


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PRIEST
Ranged Support {Healer} (Weapon: Wand/Artefact; Armour: Robe) Renowned for their powerful support magic, Priests combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with spells that harm and hinder foes. While their DPS is comparatively weak, they have a variety of methods to keep enemies at bay. They possess a number of single target DoTs that can either heal themselves and allies, or damage enemies, making them one of the best classes for taking on bosses.
[GAMEPLAY VIDEO] [PRIEST STATS] [PRIEST SKILLS]


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WIZARD
Ranged DPS (Weapon: Staff; Armour: Robe) that make use of the elements to devastate their enemies. Wizards have minimum movement, so they make use of their skills to get them out of sticky positions (Teleport). Less powerful skills can be cast while moving, while more powerful skills can’t. What they lack in mobility, they make up for in AoE/CC, and are the Kings of PvP.
[GAMEPLAY VIDEO] [WIZARD STATS] [WIZARD SKILLS]



My clan is still very active in Blade & Soul, and that is my priority, however, I’m quite enjoying tinkering with Icarus on the side. If anyone is keen to noob around with fellow South Africans, then give me a shout on this forum, or add ’Yoshemaru’ <GrimWolves> in-game on the Koroshimo EU server.
 
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This looks like it could be quite fun, how does the payment model work? I am a bit hesitant at getting attached to F2P MMORPGs after LOTRO locked whole areas behind a paywall.
 
The payment model looks soundly F2P from my current PoV (since I am not yet at cap). P2W in my opinion is when players can purchase items from the Cash Shop that give them a clear advantage over players who don't wish to spend money. Thus far most Cash Shop items appear to be cosmetic, or might give you a minor boost, but the currency 'Ellun' can be obtained from login rewards, daily quests, and Achievement rewards, so it appears possible to get these items without whipping out the old credit card, albeit slower than someone who has.
 
Is there a guide somewhere for setting up VPN Gate? I'd like to give this a look, my healing itch is tingling :P.
 
Isengard said:
Is there a guide somewhere for setting up VPN Gate? I'd like to give this a look, my healing itch is tingling :P.
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Basically, you download and install the link I've provided, then start the client, press the 'VPN Gate Academic Project' button, and select the appropriate server. :) You might need it on when creating a Riders of Icarus account, however, it's not needed to update the client, just to play.
 
BlackSwan said:
Basically, you download and install the link I've provided, then start the client, press the 'VPN Gate Academic Project' button, and select the appropriate server. :) You might need it on when creating a Riders of Icarus account, however, it's not needed to update the client, just to play.
Click to expand...

I have created an account and may check it out, will try and use VPN Gate to log on. I'm not a fan of this recent region-locking trend in MMOs like this and Black Desert Online, it doesn't bode well for overlooked countries like SA :(
 
Jamie McKane said:
I'm not a fan of this recent region-locking trend in MMOs like this and Black Desert Online, it doesn't bode well for overlooked countries like SA :(
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It's hideous. I have some understanding of why they're doing it, but I agree that it seems to becoming the norm and is rather disheartening! If you guys do decide to check it out, hit me up on Koroshimo - Yoshemaru.
 
BlackSwan said:
Basically, you download and install the link I've provided, then start the client, press the 'VPN Gate Academic Project' button, and select the appropriate server. :) You might need it on when creating a Riders of Icarus account, however, it's not needed to update the client, just to play.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Will give it a look this week then.
 
Jamie McKane said:
Same here, I used to enjoy MMORPGs but lost interest after ArcheAge. It's difficult to find a well-rounded MMORPG these days.
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Yup i started playing Archeage and LOVED it in the begining and just basically found myself playing less and less, pretty grindy (moreso than other mmo's), although i didn't really get to far to give it a proper go.
 
BlackSwan said:
Basically, you download and install the link I've provided, then start the client, press the 'VPN Gate Academic Project' button, and select the appropriate server. :) You might need it on when creating a Riders of Icarus account, however, it's not needed to update the client, just to play.
Click to expand...

I've been having latency issues with VPNGate, there don't seem to be that many European servers and the few that work limit bandwidth quite heavily.
 
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