Heroes of Three Kingdoms is a 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Its English version, available to the USA and Europe, is being developed by NDOORS Corporation (US subsidiary NDOORS Interactive). It went into Heroes of Three Kingdoms Gold closed beta, with keys available for File Planet subscribers, on July 15, 2008. The first phase of the open beta ended on July 28, 2008; the start of the second phase began on August 7, 2008. On October 30, 2008 at 11a.m. PDT, Atlantica Online ended its beta period and began its official run at 6p.m. PDT on October 30, 2008. The Chinese company The9 has obtained exclusive rights for distributing and operating Atlantica Online in China.
The game is set in an alternate history Earth, with the game map consisting of large parts of the northern hemisphere. The setting is fantasy-themed HOTK Gold with elements of steam punk.
The game is free-to-play and generates revenue through micro transactions in the company''s online shop.
The game features a persistent world populated by player-generated characters and NPCs. At character creation, a player selects one of seven basic classes and can then customize the character''s appearance. There are no races to choose from; only humans are available. The character''s class decides what armor that character can wear and Heroes of Three Kingdoms Gold what weapons and skills that character can use in battle.
Players do not fight with the starting character alone; as each character levels up, it can acquire player-controlled mercenaries. During the mandatory tutorial section at the beginning of the game, a player chooses his/her first two mercenaries; as the character gains levels, it can control more mercenaries, up to the maximum of eight, which makes for a party of maximum size nine.
All characters can, in addition to their battle skills, pursue a number of different crafting abilities.
The game design puts strong emphasis on the concept of guilds. Guilds can control the various towns on the game map. Strong guilds can found nations and wage war on one another.
Battle in Atlantica Online is Heroes of Three Kingdoms Gold rather unusual for the genre as it is turn-based. Representations of hostile parties wander around the landscape; if a player touches such a representation, his/her party and the enemy party are transferred to a separate battlefield similar in fashion to battles in the Final Fantasy series and remain there until the battle is resolved.
