[CLIMaX]  What led you to play Lineage II? Have you always played MMORPG's, RPG's and the like? Have you paid a monthly subscription to play other games before?

[Heliothis]  I didn't actually start playing video games till I was in my early 20's when I bought my first console, a Nintendo system. The first game I ever finished was Zelda. I have been hooked on RPG's of all types since then. I still play my console games both Playstation and Gamecube (I really liked the last Zelda) but they don't compare to the depth available in a good PC RPG (except maybe the Final Fantasy series). The last one I played was Morrowind, a really great game. I love when they can make a good story and allow you to play your character through it. Lineage II is my First MMORPG and I miss the story element of a single player RPG. I recently joined a clan and this brings in a whole new element to the game play. It still doesn't feel like an RPG but now I feel like a have a goal and I want to stick around and see how it plays out.

[CLIMaX]  Describe Lineage II from your toon's point of view. In L2's game world what does it have to do to evolve to a more skillful, powerful person? Why did you select your character? Do you have more than one?

[Heliothis]  I have two characters that I'm playing at about the same rate. Heliothis is a human mystic who will become a cleric and Applekore is a dwarf who will become an artisan. It really is a lot easier to play the mystic in this world. She is a sought after commodity in groups and has no problem kiting mobs her own level due to the power of even her basic spells. The dwarf on the other hand is just another fighter but gets no attack skills till level 20. The long slow crawl to level 20 can be disheartening but I keep thinking about summoning a siege golem and so continue to level my dwarf. As for crafting, I've found that it's not really going to be practical or profitable until I'm able to craft higher level weapons and armor at level 30.

[CLIMaX]  The leveling system of Lineage II has been described by critics and supporters as "grinding". Leveling up your character in the early stages of play can be pretty boring unless you work with a group hunting.

[Heliothis]  Yes, leveling can be a grind and if I'm solo I cheat and grab a book or some comics to read while my HP regens but I don't solo too often since my husband plays with me. I find grouping to be very satisfying. Every race and class has its own strengths and weakness. If you have a good group this allows for strategy and the ability to take on mobs way above your current level. Still I've found the fastest way to level is to solo or group with just one other player around your level which is unfortunate because the larger the group, the more fun it is.

[CLIMaX]  Have you ever PK'ed or killed another player? What are your thoughts on how it works in Lineage II? Does the karma system in L2 check most players from PK'ing for easy rewards or personal satisfaction? What about Player versus Player?

[Heliothis] There is no justice in the PK system. It's like the Wild West with mob rule. If you’re stronger and have more friends, you win. If you turn red it's very easy to work it off if you have friends. At least PK’s don't get experience for killing other players. My own experience with the system has been rather abysmal. The first time I was PK'ed was by a pair of players working outside of the Elven village. I didn't know better and fought back, I died and neither of them turned red (your name above your character is white, it turns purple when you attack another player, red when you kill one). A little later on a saw one of them by themselves and being filled with a need for vengeance I attacked him on sight, he tried to run but I killed him (very satisfying, btw). Now I was red and you don't want to be red and low level and friendless in this game. I was immediately attacked on sight by an angry mob of players bent on getting my stuff, and I did lose quit a bit of stuff to them. My advice is:if you can't win don't fight back, let them turn red. Write the name down and later if you still want justice when you're level 40 they'll be sorry.

[CLIMaX]  Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicles will soon roll into Chronicle I in June. What features are you most looking forward to?

[Heliothis]  Castle sieges should be awesome. I mean, that's the whole point of the game, really. Clan wars and alliances should make things interesting, as well. But the thing I’m most looking forward to is seeing the dragons soaring in the skies and myself riding a strider. Now, if I could only get my toons past level 20!

[CLIMaX]  Lineage II has a very structured in-game clan creation system that requires players to put in a lot of time and effort to form an "official" clan. Tell us about yours

[Heliothis]   I’m on the Lionna server and I chose Clan Blackstar. The clan itself has a long history in MMORPG games. The leaders are experienced and serious about leveling the clan but at the same time laid back enough to realize that the point of playing the game is to have fun. So far I’ve really liked being in a clan and watching it develop into something that can eventually shape the world on Lionna server. We use a voice chat program and some of the guys are pretty witty. Having someone to talk to can really alleviate the leveling grind.

[CLIMaX]  What is the state of the gaming industry for women players today? In general, have game devs moved from a Duke Nukem mentality to a City of Heros mentality because they want women and men to have parity, or is it all just about marketing?

[Heliothis] The point of any industry is to make money. As long as the average paying gamer continues to be thought of as 16-year-old boy then that is who the gaming industry will market to. But luckily for the rest of us of both genders there are game designers who choose to follow their dreams and put out games as beautiful as Lineage II, as endearing as Final Fantasy, and as fun as Diablo. If these games can make money so much the better for everyone. We'll see more great games and the industry will slowly realize where their true future lies.

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