Vindictus
Vindictus uses the Source engine to allow players to interact extensively with the environment. Environmental objects can be destroyed or picked up and wielded as weapons. Combat is described as "kind of brutal, like a bullfight, or Monster Hunter" and will require a lot of teamwork.[2]www.buygamegolds.com
[edit]Classes & Characters
Vindictus' "Classes" and "characters" are one and the same. When beginning the game, players will have a choice to play as one of five characters, each of which has different combat skills and abilities. Players are free to alter certain aspects of their character's appearance, but basic abilities and combat styles are set at character creation. They are gender-locked.
[edit]Characters
There are 6 main characters. All six are released in the Korean. (Fiona, Lann, Evie, Karok, Kai, and Vella) and five are out in the North America and Europe server (Fiona, Lann, Evie, Karok, and Kai).
Lann is a male character described as "An intrepid warrior with a passion for weapons." The character specializes in Dual-Wielding weapons, specifically Swords. His main role in the party is DPS (Damage per second). Lann is a fast-attack melee class that starts out wearing Light Armor (though he gains the capability to wear Heavy/Plate Armor as he levels up) and relies on speed and evasive maneuvers to win battles. His alternate weapons are Twin Spears, which comes with increased damage and higher critical hit rate but has less abilities.
Fiona is a female character described as a "balanced warrior who wields a sword and shield." Fiona is a defensive melee character who acts as the group's "Tank" (serving as a distraction while withstanding many hits) and is able to wear Heavy Armor at character creation and acquires the ability to wear Plate Mail as she levels. Her alternate weapon is a Long Hammer which causes more burst damage at the cost of attack speed. She starts off with a Small Shield, but later gains the ability to use a Large Shield, increasing her blocking ability with the inability to use certain counterattack skills. Both types of shields can be used to block attacks from powerful bosses late in the game, which can prove extremely helpful while fighting enemies with a high damage output.
Evie is a female magician who uses different types of magic to help the player and the party. Her main role is Support (healing, buffing, etc.), Burst (dealing high damage in one hit) and DPS (Damage per second). Evie mostly wears Cloth Armor, but gains the ability to wear Light Armor as she grows stronger. Evie's main weapon is a Staff, which mainly is used for Supportive and Burst, and her alternate weapon is a Battle Scythe, increasing her DPS at the cost of her Supportive abilities.
Karok is a giant male character who utilizes Brawling (engages with powerful physical combat while maintaining damage resistance) within the battlefield. He can do impressive but slow combos with a Battle Pillar, but he can throw the pillar and switch to Hand-to-Hand Combat which causes more damage at the cost of defense. He uses many physical special moves against monsters and bosses, using his skills and stature to dominate the battlefield. Unlike other characters, Karok can also grab and intercept Boss-leveled enemies regardless of size and can crush and/or rip apart smaller enemies that would otherwise be ungrabbable to other characters, such as Spiders, Wisps, Hemdrills and Vampires. His alternate weapon is aCestus, greatly improving his Hand-to-Hand Combat style.
Kai is a male character who plays the Archer role (sniping enemies from a distance using bows and arrows). Like Lann, Kai is an agile character and like Evie, he can eliminate multiple enemies at once. Unlike other characters, Kai can switch from a Short Bow to a Long Bow in combat, the former utilizing quick automatic aiming and strafe firing while the latter using power and distance at the cost of decreased rate of fire. He also has a couple of melee attacks at his disposal when fighting at close range. Like Karok, Kai can do special moves on bigger bosses (mounting them, then shooting them to deal a large amount of damage).
Vella is a female swordsman who, like Lann, uses twin swords. Like Fiona, Vella's main ability is counteroffensive. Like Evie, she can attack numerous enemies at once and can easily hold them in place. She is also known to inhibit the power of wind. Although her playstyle is very identical to Lann, she, unlike him, has a much more proficient dodging ability.
[edit]Customization
There is a dyeing system that allows players to dye clothing and weapons for an entirely unique appearance. At character creation, people may customize eye and hair color, hair style, height (which affects gameplay) etc. There are some customizations that require NX (in-game cash), but they do not use Premium character cards; instead, the player must buy them during Customization.
Some customization things players can buy are:
- Necklaces
- Inner armor
- Body tattoos
- Different hair
These customizations give players a boost in the LUK, or Luck stat, which increases the chances of dropping more Evil Cores.
[edit]Gameplay
Gameplay follows an episodic format, with new episodes added every six months. Upon completing an episode, a player can receive gold and/or items for quests, and will also receive extra Health Points. The health increase and items are especially sought to help one's chances for later episodes.
Each playable character has unique skills making game-play different across each character. In addition, each character has two sets of skills for their main and alternative weapons (I.E. Lann has Sword specific skills that are only usable when the player equips swords and Spear specific skills that are only usable when the player equips spears). Skills can be upgraded by using AP points which are rewarded by completing battles and even when you are not playing the game. This is due to the Meditation skill which periodically rewards an AP point even when a player is logged off.
[edit]Transformations
Transformations are special skills that allows players to take on the form of a Paladin or Dark Knight, each of which giving significant boosts to stats. Transformations can only be activated once on the hour and resets every hour (I.E. A player can transform at 09:58 and again at 10:00). However, a player cannot transform more than once during a battle run. When battling in transformation mode, transformation experience is rewarded to the player in which they can increase their transformation level and put points into specific transformation skills. However, not all skills can be attained thus each player can vary in transformation abilities whether it be a supportive or offensive play style.
Both transformations increases Health, Stamina, Defense, Physical and Magical Attack Power, SP Gain, Knock-down Resistance, Strength, Intelligence, Will, and Agility. Paladins tend to focus on Defense while Dark Knights possess higher Physical and Magical Attack Power.
Players can achieve a higher degree of transformation completely changing the appearance of the character as well as abilities. Players attain a more powerful arsenal of abilities and stat boosts when undergoing this second transformation, known as White Knight or Black Knight. However, this second transformation costs at least 10 AP and 2 SP Bars to activate.
Transformations last for two minutes, while the second transformation lasts for one minute and ten seconds. However, if the first transformation's time goes beyond the second transformation's time, the remaining time for the second transformation will be that during the first transformation (i.e.- engaging second transformation with one minute left will have the second transformation lasting one minute).
Titles can be attained by completing stories and battles, defeating specific enemies, collecting items, or performing specific actions. Each respective title offers bonus statistics to enhance a player's character in the following categories: STR, AGI, INT, WIL, HP.
Titles are automatically accumulated and stacked on the character; all increase statistics are automatic.
Players can choose which title they want to appear above their heads to show off to other users. Selecting a title does not earn one the specified statistic increase as it has already been permanently added the moment the player earned the title; having the title appear and having no title appear gives the same effect and is true to all titles.
[edit]Dungeons
One can only go to dungeons to gain Experience or complete quests (although quests can be sometimes be completed just by talking to NPCs). One can do either venture to dungeons alone or go with some other people. If one goes in a party with other people, monsters will become stronger, but there is more chance to survive a battle with a friend. Also, when in a party, the health capacity of bosses will increase.
One can do dungeons on Normal, Hard, or Hero modes. Hero mode can only be unlocked from lvl 50. Hero modes can be incredibly hard, and for some classes on solo mode, it can even be impossible.
[edit]Token System
A token system was implemented as a means of preventing people from playing excessively. Higher leveled battles costs "tokens" to enter, which gradually increases are more battles are performed. Tokens are restocked on certain days of the week. Alternatively, special tokens may be purchased from the cash shop which provides slightly better benefits than normal tokens.
The token system was eventually phased out in the North American and European versions, and was replaced with a Fatigue system in the Korean version.
