What makes Meridian 59 such an excellent game?

You're probably thinking, "How can an old game be new and interesting?" Meridian 59 was the first retail graphical online RPG available, and it got a lot of things right that subsequent games have not.

The most obvious example of this is communication. In most other games, if you want to send a mail to your friend who is offline, you have to log out of the game, find his or her email address, then send it over the internet. In Meridian 59, you can send an in-game mail (gmail) to your friends right in the game, and they can respond the same way. You can also post on bulletin boards, called newsglobes, in public adventurer halls and in private guild halls. You can create custom chat channels so that you can stay in touch with your group of friends. Of course there's the standard methods of communication as well.

"Meridian 59 has, by far and away, the best inter-player communication (chat) system of any multiplayer game out there. You can send a message to only a single person, anyone on the same map as you, anyone in your guild, anyone in special groups you set up, or even to all people playing on the same server. This flexibility really helps people get to know each other, work together, and most importantly - have fun interacting with others. After all, if it's not really about interacting with other humans, you might as well be playing a single player game." - Rottweiler, Meridian 59 player.

But, Meridian 59 is not just a chat room! There's a whole game world to play with and explore. Meridian 59 offers an in-game map that no only tells you where other monsters and players are, but also fills out as you explore new areas. So, you can keep track of places where you have been, but new areas are unknown and require more exploration.

Meridian 59 also makes character development more fun. Most other games have a boring level system, requiring you to kill more and more monsters just to get a few experience points. Meridian 59 has a use-based system. Want to get better at casting spells? Then cast your spells! If you want more hit points, you only need to go out and fight monsters. Want more mana to cast spells? Go find the mystical mana nodes scattered throughout the land and bond with them. Your character can be developed in any way you like. You aren't limited by a character level to what abilities you want to have.

Meridian 59 does not constrain you into stereotypical classes, either. There are seven different schools of abilities with six different levels per school. Each character can learn from these schools, and might master 2, 3, or even 4 schools. Or, you might find that dabbling in many different schools gives you the type of character you want to play. Your decisions determine what you learn, so choose carefully. Meridian 59 has been able to balance the schools through many years. Each of the many dozen possible character builds have strengths and weaknesses that you will have to take into consideration, and you will almost certainly be able to build a character that matches your desired playstyle.

But, let's talk about the core of Meridian 59: player vs. player (PvP) combat. Perhaps you've tried to engage in PvP combat in other games and found it not very fun. Perhaps you were unhappy with how level dominated all aspects of PvP, or maybe you hated how much items dominated the balance. Maybe you got sick of "I win" template of the month, whether it was chain mesmerization, dual wielding, or any other problems that can make an already unbalanced system even less fun to play. Or, maybe you just hated the mindless horde tactics where players took no penalty when you killed them, so they just kept running back into a meaningless fight that neither side could win.

Through the years, the developers have been able to balance the game. By focusing on balancing the core mechanics, Meridian 59 is the most fun and fair PvP you will ever play. It is very hard to make a character that is "gimped" hopelessly. Changes are considered carefully, avoiding to the typical "boost and nerf" cycle that other games suffer from. Adjustments are made to make the game more fun, not to punish players that have discovered clever strategies. Finally, death carries some penalties; not too much that completely cripples a character, but enough so that your enemies will be hesitant about running back into a losing battle with mindless horde tactics. Meridian 59 is the first and only game that does PvP right on a consistent basis.

"In Meridian 59, I can hunt down and punish those who have wronged me. What other MMORPG has that?" - Adonj, Meridian 59 player.

Which brings us to yet another Meridian 59 innovation: Frenzies. Frenzies are special events that happen once every few weeks. The game is saved and the skies boil red like blood. Battle lust fills the hearts of all players as they kill each other without mercy. The fallen do not fear death, however, since it does not carry it's usual sting. However, none of the effects are saved, so when the frenzy is over the game is rolled back to it's previous state. Players had the ability to test out new tactics and strategies in a safer environment. Grudges matches can be played out, too. No other game offers this wonderful way to participate in full-on PvP combat without dire in-game consequences.

And, this is just the tip of the iceberg for innovation. Meridian 59 has plenty of features you simply won't find in other games.

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