IGN Interview - "We've developed the Alganon Study System that will reward players not just for playing, but for subscribing, giving them the ability to grow their character in the "background" even while they are not engaged in the game. This benefit allows players to "compete" with power gamers so they can actively manage their subscription studies - a year down the line, even if they didn't have a chance to play 8 hours a day, they will have studies that no power gamer could achieve without having the same year of diligence.

Additionally, we improved interaction with the game world and other players via the creation of the Family and Domain Objective/Deities/Crusades systems. Alganon offers a bounty of features that players love about existing MMOGs and enhances the game with elements players have been asking for over the years."

IGN Interview - "The big question is - why would anyone want to play Alganon? Because it is something else; an alternative, and a fun one that is built for a long lifetime. While World of Warcraft is an amazing game, people are looking for something else to play because they want something else to experience. Alganon offers that alternative."

MMOsite Interview - "There are a few core features that really set it apart from others. The first thing we wanted to address was Community by bringing people together. This is why we have built MyAlganon and integrated the Family system within the game. We also wanted to reward people not just for playing, but for subscribing as well, hence the study system, where the characters can learn studies even when the player is offline. We designed the Library system, an in-game repository of information about creatures, items, quests, and more. Beyond that, the library a system where players can gather information on repository items by using crystals and turning them into librarians, or "Scrying"."

MYALGANON

IGN Interview - "MyAlganon is a free community site where people can register for the upcoming Beta and release. It allows those interested in Alganon to interact with each other, share media, plan events, and more. Essentially it's a souped-up Facebook/Myspace for Alganon. We will be adding numerous features to MyAlganon as the game progresses in development, enhancing its functionality and ties to the game. We hope to receive community input into the design of these features."

• An online social-networking site that can be used by players of all online games.
• Ties directly into game data from Alganon with the Library system. Able to access this data both in-game and on MyAlganon.
• Guild Communication - no need to go find outside webspace for your Alganon guild - just use MyAlganon.
• Groups/Forums/News - all provide ways to enhance your experience with Alganon. MyAlganon is a part of the fun, not tacked on the end.
• The online gateway to the Alganon Library system.

STUDIES

Your gameplay time is precious and an important part of your life. Can you afford to play two or more MMOs at a time? Perhaps, but most of us probably cannot. We have built the Studies system to give you flexiblity for playing Algnaon when your time permits.

The Studies System:
• Allows players who cannot play every day to advance their characters
• Allow characters to grow over time at the same rate as other players
• Provides an underlying system that allows casual gamers to compete with hardcore gamers

LIBRARY

Tied directly into MyAlganon, the Library is perhaps the feature you will be most excited to explore as you enter the world of Alganon. Not only is it a complete game repository, the Library is a way to look up and record your character's adventures for all others in the world to see. You can access the Library anywhere in the world, though travel to the major cities is required to contribute your explorations to the respository.

• Learn all aspects of the game through the library interface.
• The capital cities contain a grand library, but it is possible to view material in the Library anywhere in the game.
• The library contains information on where to find quests, items, creatures, and more!

KUDOS

The Kudos system is built for players to give positive feedback to another player. If you grouped with somebody who was an excellent healer, you can give them a Healer Kudos. A players Kudos can be viewed by other players, so people can see how much support and feedback a particular player has.

• Enhances the "Looking for Group" system allowing players to look for others who have a particular Kudos level
• Empowers players to be polite and helpful towards others in order to receive Kudos from others

CONSIGNMENT SYSTEM

We understand the need to separate crafting from adventuring. Some of you want to stick around town and become the local blacksmith, without being required to go out and hunt for ingots and other materials in some risky adventure. Others of you are the opposite, thriving on pure adventure. With the Consignment system and auction houses available in key areas, you can find and request what you need to continue crafting, without needing to adventure into far-off areas.

• Players can post requests for items to be made or found.
• Balances out material needs for those that may not wish to directly obtain those materials.
• Allows players to setup and participate in player-based "Item Quests" within the Consignment house.
• Gives players who only have a short time to play something to do. It is quick to hop on the Consignment house, pick an order to fill, and craft or gather those items.

FAMILIES

We all have families in the real world, so why not in games as well? No, we're not talking about Guilds in this case, which will also be in Alganon. Families are a compliment of the guild system, providing a more informal approach to grouping and finding friends that may wish to join you on an adventure or three...

• The Family feature is a community enhancing mechanism built to bring people together as they begin the game.
• Families are pretty simple, just "groups" of people. Each family has a name and a history.
• Families are predefined for each race. Players can switch families for a fee/quest, but only between families for a race. A Kodian cannot join a Human family.
• Families are designed to attract different types of gamers. This way power gamers can be in the same family and casual gamers can be in another family.
• Families will have: Family Chat, Family Merchants, Statistics, Grouped "Themes" - "Crafter, Achiever, etc."
• Players can actively communicate with family members, offering help as soon as a new player enters the game
• Characters can purchase family Heirlooms that directly define status within a family and change the way a character looks

FOUR CORE SYSTEM - (Action, Ability, Skill and Study Systems)

Here we summarize the basic advancement systems and how they combine to give you an optimal advancement path in Alganon.

• Actions are what characters carry out during gameplay.
• Abilities represent a point-based distribution system allowing the character to focus on specific class-based specialties.
• Skills are the underlying methods of growth in utilizing certain areas of class-based focus, such as a character's skill in swords, or a specific profession.
• Studies are the core support base for all other systems, allowing characters to grow over time at the same rate as all other players.

DUAL ROLE SYSTEM

Wouldn't it be more fun to switch between multiple roles for your characters, while still maintaining your character's core skills? With our Dual Role System, you are able to more easily fit into a group that may already have the same class as your character. Each character's abilities will be clearly defined, so there is minimal time spent searching for what a group may need.

• Endgame Group Combat is very "role-driven" - when you enter combat, you know what you need to do (kill, heal, protect, control). However, classes are not restricted to a single role. Each character class has a primary role, and can choose one of 3 secondary roles.
• Examples of why this is important:
  • If you need a tank - you know that any soldier can fill that role. You do not have to ask "what is your spec?" to everyone you see - just invite a soldier.
  • However, soldiers are not the only tanks! You can also bring a Frost Magus, or a Guardianship Ranger!
  • If you already have a tank, you can still invite a soldier without their slot being "wasted" as a second tank. Instead, the soldier changes stance to match their chosen secondary role and does that job instead.

FOG-OF-WAR MAPS

Most MMOs provide detailed map systems, except in one key area. With our map system, we intend to provide a tighter "Fog of War" around your character's immediate location. No longer will stepping into one area reveal half of that area. With our map system you will know where your character has been, right down to several meters around you! Don't worry, we aren't constricting it so much as to be a "blindfold" to your adventures, but certainly more useful than the broad coverage other games typically implement.

DEITIES & CRUSADES

You are brought into a world dominated by Deities that are representative of two warring organizations known as the Asharr and Kujix, Order and Chaos, respectively. Unique in their culture, skills, and abilities, these two organizations are battling for domination of the two largest continents in the world, Ardonya and Harraja. Recruiting only the most skilled followers, both the Asharr and the Kujix have spread throughout the world and infiltrated the culture of nearly every major race.

Deities and Crusades are two of the foundational features of Alganon. Deities play an important part in the game's history and the character's interaction with the game by granting special training, powers, and rewards to those who follow them. Crusades are massive missions assigned to the followers of certain deities, often involving epic story lines and difficult assignments.

• The politics of Alganon are influenced by the deities. Instead of a Warchief or King, you are under orders from a more powerful being.
• Multiple Gods allow characters to represent different powers, teachings and domains of knowledge.
• A player declaring patronage to a deity may find that parts of the world become more hostile while other parts of the world become more friendly and rewarding.

YOUR ADVENTURE

Alganon is an exciting world to explore and experience. We hope Alganon will stay with you for a long time. Welcome others to take part in your adventures, as all of the features of Alangon are designed for your gameplay enjoyment!