Tibia (computer game)
| Tibia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio |
 CipSoft |
| Publisher |
CipSoft |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
January 1997 |
| platform | Windows , Linux , Adobe Flash |
| genre | MMORPG , browser game |
| Game mode | Multiplayer |
| control | Mouse , keyboard |
| system advantages preconditions |
|
| medium | Download (approx. 22 MB for Windows, 23 MB for Linux) Client download, since 2011 also Flash client in the browser |
| language | English |
| information | Costs and subscription: Free to play, premium account € 8.45 for 1 month, € 22.35 for 3 months, € 39.95 for 6 months, € 69.95 for 12 months |
Tibia is one of the oldest and most successful mass multiplayer online role playing games ( MMORPG for short ) in Europe. Tibia is developed and marketed by the Regensburg-based software developer CipSoft. More than 500,000 people around the world actively play Tibia.
Overview
The then students Stephan Börzsönyi, Guido Lübke, Ulrich Schlott and Stephan Vogler began in 1995 with the conception and programming of Tibia at the University of Regensburg . The aim was to create a multi-user dungeon with a graphical user interface, since other popular online role-playing games had previously only had a text-based interface. The first server went online on January 7, 1997 at the University of Regensburg.
In the years that followed, Tibia became more and more popular. In the year 2000 the first advertising revenues were achieved; in June 2001 Börzsönyi, Lübke, Schlott and Vogler founded the company CipSoft GmbH . Due to the continuously growing number of players, a second game server finally went online in December 2001. In order to separate the two game worlds, which were played completely independently of each other, the original server was named Antica , while the new game world was christened Nova . Since October 2009, game characters can switch to another server for a fee. As a result, the different game worlds are no longer completely independent of one another.
Tibia is currently played by around 500,000 active players on 77 different game servers. CipSoft currently has over 60 employees and an annual turnover of more than 7 million euros.
The game is currently being updated every 6 months, with new content being added, new functions introduced or bug fixes being carried out.
Gameplay
Registration
In order to get into the game, the player must first create an account on the Tibia website and create a virtual character (usually a character or char for short ) on one of the 77 game worlds. He can then access the game with the client software or (from April 2011) play it directly as a Flash version in the browser. Creating characters and downloading the software is free.
Client software
As with many other online games (eg. Dark Age of Camelot , World of Warcraft ) requires the player a client - software that connects to the game server, appearance and action in the virtual world is graphically and textually and Actions of the player transmitted to the server. As of April 2011, CipSoft will enable its players to play Tibia as a flash version directly on the homepage in their browser. There are currently clients for Windows and Linux (native). A client for MAC was often requested by the community and porting is now being considered by CipSoft.
The game world is shown in an isometric third-person perspective and is completely two-dimensional. Only bitmaps or sprites are used for display. This form of presentation is technically out of date. Many gamers, however, appreciate the “charm” of this antiquated graphic display for nostalgic reasons.
In addition to the area for the graphical representation of the game, the client also has a text input and output area, with which the player can communicate with other players or non-player characters (so-called NPCs ) or recite spells. The right edge of the client window is intended for displaying personal equipment, experience and skill points, and various tactical game functions and information.
The game works completely without sound effects and music.
Premium accounts
Although it is possible to play Tibia free of charge for an unlimited period of time, players are advised to purchase a paid premium account in many places . This opens up a multitude of additional options for the user. For example, it is possible as a premium player to visit other islands and continents in the game world with the game character, while a so-called "free account character" is only allowed to operate on the main continent of Tibia . Furthermore, a premium player can “promote” his character, which enables him to have additional skills such as faster regeneration and learning more spells. A premium character can also rent apartments and houses in the cities of the Tibia world and furnish them according to their own preferences. The player is also able to travel by ship, whereby travel times can be reduced to a minimum.
Game world
Game concept
Each character has a maximum number of hit and mana points depending on its level ( called level or experience level in the game ) . The more hit points a character has, the more damage can be inflicted on him until he dies. The mana points symbolize the magical energy that is available to the character to use magic wands or magic formulas. In order for hit and mana points to be able to regenerate, the play figure has to consume food. Food is very diverse in Tibia; For example, meat, mushrooms, or other foods can be obtained from slain creatures, berries can be harvested from bushes, or bread can be baked from flour and water. The use of healing potions or special runes (magical energy conserved in disk-like stones) can also restore hit and mana points.
In addition to the level-dependent maximum hit and mana points, the character can also improve various skills. These skills are Magic level , Fist fighting , Club fighting , Sword fighting , Ax fighting , Distance fighting , Shielding, and Fishing ). Depending on their profession, the character can develop certain skills more quickly. A Knight ( Knight ) increases example faster melee skills on as a magician ( Sorcerer ), which in turn rises faster in his magic level and can use so offensive spells more efficiently.
If the character is dealt more damage than the hit points it has, it dies. The death of the character does not mean the end of the game, but it has considerable disadvantages. So the character loses parts of his equipment, loses experience points and possibly descends one or more levels. Only the purchase of certain (expensive) equipment and / or blessings ("blessings") can reduce this damage.
The motivations of the players and ultimately the goals of the game are to reach the highest possible level, acquire wealth and valuable items, solve many quests and defeat the strongest monsters. In order to achieve this, it is desirable to first wear equipment with adequate defense value or to learn spells. Better equipment and strong magic formulas are more expensive and more complex to purchase, but a player with better equipment does more damage and can defend himself better against attacks. An essential game concept is therefore the looting (investigating and looting) of slain monsters. If a player has defeated a monster, he can open its body and find gold coins, food, weapons, shields, rare items and much more there. By collecting the gold and selling the appropriated items, it is possible to earn money in order to buy better equipment or to pay the monthly rent for a house.
Tutorial
If the player enters the game world of Tibia with his character for the first time, he will first find himself on the beach of a small " tutorial island". The player first learns how to operate the game step by step. This includes controlling the game character, communicating with NPCs , attacking monsters, solving tasks (so-called quests ), interacting with objects in the game world and managing personal equipment. Once the player has completed the tutorial, he will proceed to the next section of the game, the so-called newcomer island of Rookgaard .
Experienced players can skip the tutorial and jump straight to Rookgaard. However, they do not get the items and experience points that they can get in the first quest, but only an apple.
Rookgaard
Rookgaard, also called Newbie Iceland or Island or just Rook for short , is an island completely cut off from the rest of the game world. Here the player must first collect enough experience points until he has reached level 8. Only after reaching level 8 can the player choose one of the four professions (magician, druid, knight, paladin) and get to the main continent Tibia .
It is not possible to attack or kill other players on Rookgaard. This concept enables inexperienced players to get to know the game world in peace and at the same time prevents the game from being “flooded” with massively generated characters. However, this island was replaced by "Dawnport".
jobs
A character who has collected enough experience points and has reached level 8 can be transported by the oracle in Rookgaard to the Island of Destiny in order to choose one of four different professions. The player has the choice between Knight (knight), Paladin (ranged fighter), Sorcerer (magician) and Druid (druid).
As a Knight , the character has the greatest abilities in the area of close combat and blocking physical attacks. A Knight receives the most additional maximum hit points with each level, but only a small number of additional mana points. In addition, he rises fastest in the close combat skills, such as ax or sword fighting and defense ( shielding ). The Knight is therefore best suited to fight a monster directly with physical attacks and in turn to effectively block its attacks. The boundaries of the Knights are achieved when a creature is completely insensitive to physical attacks, such as a ghost ( Ghost ). In this case he is dependent on the support of magic, with which he can cause less damage than, for example, a wizard or druid at the same level.
The paladin specializes in ranged combat. Therefore, he rises fastest in distance fighting and can use long-range weapons such as bows and arrows, spears, stones, etc. most effectively. The advantage is that a paladin can attack his opponent from a distance. This protects him from direct hits by the opponent if he only has melee skills. Most weak creatures are easy to defeat, but many stronger monsters also use magic and ranged weapons to attack distant attackers. Paladins are a little more talented than knights at magic and can learn some additional spells and use them relatively effectively.
The magician (sorcerer) is the master of offensive magic. He rises the fastest in his magic level and can already cause great damage to his opponents with spells and runes at low game levels. For this purpose, a magician can create so-called runes ; These are disc-like stones in which a certain magical effect can be preserved with a spell. The magician has to take an "empty" rune in hand and say a spell. For example, he can use the adori flam spell to create a rune that, when used, shoots a ball of fire at the enemy. However, wizards are very sensitive when it comes to direct physical attacks, as they only progress very slowly in shielding and gain only a few maximum hit points per level. Wizards therefore usually stay at a distance from their opponents in order not to take too much damage from a battle. Since very few creatures are immune to the typical "elements" such as energy, poison and fire at the same time, the wizard is a very strong attacker.
In the game, the druid is a nature-loving figure whose best ability is to heal other players and monsters or to use magic to draw them to his side and make them fight for him. Druids level up just as quickly as wizards, but cannot learn as many offensive spells. But they are able to create runes that allow knights and paladins to heal themselves quickly in battle. By selling these runes, druids can make a lot of money to buy good equipment and strong attack runes, which in turn can only be made by wizards. Because of his more passive nature, the druid is the least chosen profession in Tibia. Most players who play with a druid only use it as a second character to supply another character with healing runes or to earn more money.
In jointly organized hunts, so-called hunts , usually several players from different professions go together on the hunt for dangerous creatures. It is common for the Knight to go ahead and attract the attacks of the opponents, as he can best block and cope with them. Wizards and paladins shoot at the target with their long-range weapons and magical "projectiles", while druids stay in the background and ensure that the attackers stay in good health and do not die.
After choosing a profession on the Island of Destiny, the player receives a small set of basic equipment and has to train his new skills and gain further experience points in a profession-specific dungeon . If the character has reached level 9, he can travel to the main continent of Tibia or - if the player has purchased a Premium Account - to one of the other islands. This concludes the introductory phase of the game and you have entered the actual game world.
Game modes
Each of the game servers has a fixed game mode, i.e. a certain set of rules that directly affect disputes between the players.
Open PvP
On most game servers open is PvP ( Open PvP ; "player vs. player") played. This means that the characters can attack and kill each other. However, this only applies to a limited extent. To prevent excessive player killing , there is an automatic marking and punishment system that can sanction aggressive players, while players who only defend themselves against aggressive players go unpunished.
Optional PvP
On servers with optional PvP it is not possible to attack and kill other players. Killing other players indirectly is also made more difficult because, for example, non-player creatures (all creatures that attack the playing figures) cannot be healed or poison, energy or fire fields created by magic have no influence on other characters.
Hardcore PvP
Hardcore PvP mode is the same as open PvP mode, except that there is no automatic punishment system. Each player can kill as many other characters as they can without penalty.
Unofficial servers
For some years there have also been unofficial Tibia servers (see Freeshard ). Since this is an unofficial server, it is not possible to log in with the "normal" Tibia account data, but a new account must be created on the respective server. It is often not played on the official Tibia world map, but on maps that you have designed yourself.
These unofficial servers are called Open Tibia , or OT for short. They are freely configurable and can therefore be set according to the wishes of the host (e.g. more experience, faster skill levels, different spells, etc.).
In order to be able to play on such a server, special software is required, a so-called IP changer , to change the Tibia client so that it connects to an Open Tibia server instead of the official Tibia server.
TibiaME
TibiaME , released in 2003, was the first MMORPG for mobile phones.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ tibia.com . Pricing information. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- ↑ Analysis of the market shares of mass multiplayer online games: http://www.mmogchart.com/ ( Memento from November 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Information about Tibia on the website of the manufacturer CipSoft: Tibia ( Memento from December 7, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ http://www.tibia.com/news/?subtopic=newsarchive&id=1112
- ↑ Data and facts about the company CipSoft: Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Proposal-Forum tibia.com - Mac Client http://forum.tibia.com/forum/?action=thread&postid=20928841#post20928841
