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Arenthyor - Roleplay Server


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#1
BelowTheBelt

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DIRECT CONNECT IP: 104.139.126.133:5121

 

An age and more has passed since the "Riftening" that tore the world in two.
Life, changed as it was, has moved on.  What was catastrophic then is only tragic history now.

The world has changed...
Fey races retreated from the land to their mysterious island homeland just prior to the cataclysm and are now rarely seen by those they left behind. For the best, most would say.  Even after an age, distrust and hostility still run deep against the ancient race. In the wake of the Elflight and subsequent Riftening, those unlucky enough to survive suffered a hardscrabble existence and are only now beginning to build civilizations of their own while the once proud elven cities lie in rubble and ruin.

The land has changed...
A horrific scar, known as the Great Rift, serves as a reminder of the day when everything that was became no more.  The wound divided the continent in twain.  Survivors mostly fled to the new eastern continent, known as Arenthyor, abandoning to utter chaos that which became known as the Veiled Lands in the west.  These days, rumors of beasts which before existed only in nightmare and myth, are now common campfire talk. 

Magic has changed...
Once the sole province of the land's fey stewards, a new type of magic has been rediscovered by the "lesser" races.  However, the wounding of the land that caused the Great Rift also wounded the arcane energy of the land.  Magic has become unpredictable - it can stutter and die or spin out of control without warning. 

Destinies have changed...
From the ruins of the old world, new powers rise. Serving the light or the dark, the lure of Power, Prestige, or Fortune drive opportunistic adventurers to brave the capricious Fates and roll the dice with their lives while the gods themselves watch in eager anticipation.

Win or lose, the fate of the new age of Arenthyor rests on the scales of destiny. Waxing or waning. Rising or falling. Ascending or descending.

How will you change Arenythor?

Better yet, how will Arenthyor change you? 


Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 29 juin 2016 - 10:34 .


#2
BelowTheBelt

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Welcome to Arenthyor, a roleplay server offering a balance of high roleplaying with high adventure in a medium magic and slow/medium leveling environment.  It is designed to be a party-based environment.  The action is tough, but the rewards that come from survival are worth it.
Built with the idea of an immersive world populated by old D&D-style dungeon-crawl modules, Arenthyor has a strong backstory, but we've left the future untold.  We're looking for players to help define the "new" history of the realm. 
Here's some of what you can expect:
  • Destinies:   Your fate is up to you, but you must always answer to the Fates.  Choose among 20+ destinies for your PC with our custom destiny system and fulfill your dreams!
  • Dynamic Alignment, Faction, and Deity System: Who you are and who you serve matters in Arenthyor.  The world hangs in the balance and whoever can manage to hold sway in the land by "claiming" the most dungeons for the party's alignment, faction, and/or deity will enjoy generous benefits.  Woe to all others!
  • Randomized Dungeons: Arenthyor's custom random dungeon system virtually ensures that you won't be running through the same dungeon twice...or fight the same boss!
  • Earn Accolades: Earn special awards for striking the killing blow to rare and unique monsters....beware the rust monster!  Or, maybe you'll become a fabled Dragonlord...
  • Active and responsive Admin team:  We're here to help bring your character's story to life. 
  • Loads of other custom goodies:  custom creature AI, 1700+ monsters, 60 playable subraces, player-owned dynamic guilds, languages, persistent banking, jousting...and more!
Over 5 years in the making - stable in development before that.  Now we're throwing the doors wide and welcoming all who are interested!

If the above sounds interesting, visit our website at www.arenthyor.com for more information and to get the haks (we use CEP 2.4 plus some of the best tilesets that are out there).  It's a beautifully rendered world with plenty of opportunity for players to come, build their characters, make friends, and slay dragons!

Thanks for reading and look forward to any and all!

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 24 août 2012 - 03:25 .


#3
BelowTheBelt

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The Cities

Arenthyor offers players a vibrant world in which to participate.  We offer a broad landscape of cities, each complete with significant history and lore, that players can visit in addition to the hundreds of quest/adventure areas.  The key cities in Arenthyor are:

  • Bastion - the 'new' human city struggling to find its place in the world despite being founded in a swamp and under constant assault
  • Khanstone Delve - the ornate dwarven citadel with deep, dark mines beneath
  • Cheath Er'Sadria - the home of drow which lies not in the Underdark, but rather below the fey land of Ithaeria and the Shining Citadel.  This is a separate geography than the Underdark and the two are not connected.  Drow interact more with surface fey than they do with traditional Underdark races. 
  • Bloodmoor Deep - home of the monsterous races and the three clans:  Bloodmoor Fangs, Bloodmoor Claws, and the Bloodmoor Gore clan
  • Shining Citadel - home of the fey races in Ithaeria separate and apart from the rest of the world and lorded by the Thrones of the Eight Cycles
  • Sigil - the City of Doors in the planar outlands under the rulership of the Lady of Pain.  All worlds can be accessed through its portals
  • Mount Deephill - gnomish fortress of science gone mad. 
  • Brushfellow Shire- halfling shire where good times and good friends are all a hin needs.
  • Mef'Ezzad - Underdark city of svirfneblin, duergar and other races of the lightless world.  Mef'Ezzad sits upon the edge of a chasm created when the Riftening tore the world and the fey (drow) abandoned the world. 
  • ...and other cities, not as-yet announced
Each city can be joined, provided that you meet their citizenship requirements and swear fealty to it.  If you enjoy political roleplay, each of these cities can be governed by the players. 

In addition, we offer custom guilds that you can create for yourself and recruit/invite members!  Want to create a thieve's guild in Bastion?  Do it and serve as the leader! 

Visit us at www.arenthyor.com for more info and to download the haks.

Hope to see you in-game!

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 19 septembre 2013 - 02:49 .


#4
BelowTheBelt

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Destiny Defined

In the world of Arenthyor, even the gods bow to the power of the Fates.  The three Fates, mysterious sisters who have the power to determine, shape, and destroy every living being, are interwoven into the lives of 

Klotho, the Spinner: she fashions your Thread of Life and infuses your chosen destiny into it.
Lakhesis, the Apportioner:  she measures the length of your Thread of Life, representing how long you will live and whether you will realize your destiny.
Atropos, the Cutter:  she holds the shears that cuts the your Thread of Life, thus sending you into the Afterworld.

New souls are granted a wonderous boon by the Fates in that they may influence choice of destinies that will guide the path of your life.  Currently, there are 21 destinies that can be selected upon entering as a new soul in Arenthyor.  Intentionally, they are not fully described here, for that is something that only the Fates know...but you will learn when it is time.

Destiny Options
Power:  A soul who will learn faster throuh training than others and rise to power quicker.
Fortune:  One who’s natural ability to judge quality is rewarded with more riches.
Prestige:   A natural born leader whose gifts will bring renown and leadership.
Blind Seer:  a person who, while having lost hiseyes, has gained otherworldly knowledge and wisdom.
Crystal Ball:  A person who can see one of many paths of the future as ordained by the Fates.
Chosen One:  A person who was selected before birth for great things.   However, with great power comes great responsibility.
Competitive Balance:  A person who will developed finely honed skills across multiple disciplines.
Gifted But Disabled:  A person who will achieve greatness at a single skill, yet be hindered by the loss of another.
Mad Oracle:  The power to influence the future comes at a price.
One-Winged Angel:  A being of great caring and compassion, yet unable to rise to the fullest potential.
Corruption:  A soul of darkness with powers to call upon the fetid and corrupt.  Power corrupts, and you welcome it.
Dark Side:  A being chosen to explore the accumulation of power and magic for the sole sake of power.
White Magic:  A soul driven by the inherent goodness that can be wrought through judicious use of magic.
Artifact of Death:  A soul willing to give everything to become the ultimate weapon of death.
Artifact of Doom:  A soul willing to trade itself for the chance to bring doom upon its enemies (and allies).
Black Magic:  A soul seeking to practice the arcane arts of shadows and death.
Empathic Weapon:  A soul destined to become a finely honed blade to be wielded to great effect, yet will itself feel the bite of every.
Heroic Sacrifice:  A soul with the passion to give itself up for others, especially when it counts the most.
Chains of Command:  A soul driven to lead and command others, yet constantly fearing for the souls of those who follow.
Evil Overlord:  A soul of domination and arrogance whose desire for rulership clouds everything else.
Everlasting Lichdom:  A soul of such decayed moral fiber, that it seeks to escape from the eternity of the afterlife through magical means as it grasps to attain power and satiate the ever-present hunger for life. 

Which destiny do you serve? Or, do you choose none at all and walk your own path?  The gifts of the Fates are not free and sometimes the price can be high indeed.  The choice is yours.

Enter Arenthyor and fulfill your destiny.

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 04 septembre 2012 - 07:33 .


#5
BelowTheBelt

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The Quests

Arenthyor is a challenging and immersive roleplay world.  It is full of hundreds of areas to explore.  If your character desires to brave the world and the terrors that inhabit it, there are challenging D&D-style modules for parties to take on as quests.  In fact, your faction, your god, and your alignment all play a role in these quests.

First off, Arenthyor's unique system of randomized dungeons ensures that you'll never have to replay the exact same dungeon a second time.  The dungeon maps change.  The placeables change, the traps change, the distance between the beginning of the dungeon and the end of the dungeon changes.  The boss himself changes.

Not only does this ensure that you have a great time each and every time you step into a dungeon, regardless of how many times you may have done it before, it provides that much more immersion into the world of Arenthyor.  For, if you just destroyed the goblin king last week....why is he here again today??

Next, every time you complete a quest, you "claim" that dungeon in the name of your faction, god, and alignment.  If enough of these quests are claimed by any one of those 3 dimensions, there are special benefits that accrue to members of that group, while impairments are applied to those who do not belong to that group.  If you are Good in a world that has been overrun by Evil, you cannot function to your best ability while those evildoers walk around with impunity, emboldened by their success.

There are solo quests, quests for parties, and even quests that are completed only by members of a certain faction or race.  They are tied to the roleplay of Arenthyor.  Each is challenging and will likely take many attempts before your party succeeds. 

Thus is life in Arenthyor.  Challenge awaits and destinies must be fulfilled.

#6
Lazarus Magni

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I am not much of a Role Player, but your world looks awesome BtB. That randomized dungeons system is really cool, along with other customizations you have.

#7
icywind1980

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This looks interesting! Can you answer a few questions for me:

What are the server rules regarding the following:
-Death/Respawn & Respawn Penalties
- Do you need to eat/drink?
- What are the rest restrictions?
- Is this a strictly RP server or is there wiggle room?
- Are there character customizations/body modifications available?
- Are there any preset quests in the mod?
- Can this be played without a DM being present?
- Are any spells capped or feats disabled?
- Are there sub-races or any barred races/classes?
- Is there an automatic level up or is it a straight run to 40?

#8
BelowTheBelt

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Good questions and I'm happy to provide the following responses.  Feel free to PM me here or on our forums if you have other questions or need clarification.

Besides the below, if you are interested, check out www.arenthyor.com for more detailed information.

Death/Respawn rules:  Death results in 10% xp loss, but will not de-level you.  Also, an inventory item is dropped, but this may be retrieved provided another PC is in the same area as where you died.  Lastly, respawning uses a measure of your reputation with your deity (which you accrue by worshipping at the temple of your god).  As a benefit, there are generous rules for stabilizing while bleeding, especially at lower levels that give you a good chance at escaping a sticky situation.

Rest Restrictions:  You may rest every 6 minutes, though need to remove medium/heavy armor and shield to do so.  You are not required to have a bedroll or food to rest, but having these will enable you to realize the most HP regain.   There is no 'fatigue' system by which if you do not eat, your character becomes impaired.  Food/bedroll use is automatic upon resting.

Roleplay-only or "wiggle" room:  Arenthyor is a Roleplay server, but it is also intended to be a place to make friends. Accordingly, OOC talk is permitted in the Party channel, but we ask that 80% of communication be in-character.

Character customizations/body modifications available:   Through our use of CEP 2.4, we support the use of their expanded head and body selection for the core races.   This does require DM help, but only to transport you to the body tailor.  As of now, tails and wings are only available to those subraces as appropriate (tiefling, for example), and are automatically applied to your appearance.  

Are there preset quests:  Yes.  As mentioned above, there are many quests built around the concept of D&D-style modules (if that means anything to you).  No knowledge of D&D is required, however.  Quests are significant and challenging.  You will likely fail more than a few times before you succeed - Arenthyor is difficult by design.  Quest progression is somewhat linear (you are assigned a quest and when you complete it, you get another one). Some factions or races have quests specific to them before joining the main quest thread or may deviate at different times off the main thread to accomplish a task specific to them.

Is a DM required:  No.  Arenthyor was designed to operate without DMs, which frees the DMs up to enhance the world and your character's individual story.

Spells capped or feats disabled:  At this time, no spells have been capped, though some have been modified (e.g. Time Stop to work within a persistent world environment) but we reserve the right to correct any imbalance we see.  Regarding feats, at this time only Devastating Critical is suppressed.

Subraces/Barred classes:  Arenthyor has about 60 subraces available to play, though for many of the more unique ones (e.g. mindflayer or giant) you need to have leveled another character to at least  5th level.  Also, there is an ECL system in place so that stronger subraces will level more slowly.  Separately, only elven/fey races can take wizard levels due to the world lore of Arenthyor.  Non-fey characters must take sorcerer levels.   Lastly, DM approval is required to take prestige classes (we'll give you a personalized quest as training for the new class).

Auto-levelup or straight run to 40: Characters begin at level 2 and then must progress in-game to level 40.

Hope this helps.  

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 20 novembre 2013 - 03:57 .


#9
BelowTheBelt

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Arenthyor is currently recruiting a few people to round-out a roleplay adventure for new players as part of a custom DM-led adventure or campaign.

The specific details of the campaign will be developed based on the participants, but it promises to be exciting, surprising, and fun.

This can be a one-shot adventure or a multi-session campaign depending on the players. Also, If iwe have more interested players than slots, I can open up a second adventure.

For more information please visit www.arenthyor.com forum page:
www.arenthyor.com -> Forums -> Roleplay -> DM Events -> The New Companions

I won't spoil too much other than to say: bloodless corpses

Muwhahahahah!
-DM Sabre

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 30 novembre 2012 - 11:31 .


#10
BelowTheBelt

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Arenthyor proudly welcomes Laomedon to the development team!

He's currently locked in the cellar (with the goblins) tasked with charting the realm and designing areas to torture all inhabitants of the land. Look forward to seeing his excellent work on the site (www.arenthyor.com) and in-game very soon!

His map designs will significantly improve understanding of the world in a manner that supports and enhances the RP of the world.

I'm excited to have his help. He's jumped in with both feet and has already become an asset to the server.

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 30 novembre 2012 - 11:29 .


#11
BelowTheBelt

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In light of Gamespy's discontinuation of support for listing servers, here's the current direct connect address until the community comes up with a fix:

104.139.126.133:5121

Alternatively, you can find it on our website: www.arenthyor.com  or, you can find Arenthyor listed on XFire.

Long live NWN and the community!


Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 29 juin 2016 - 10:35 .


#12
BelowTheBelt

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Updated with new IP address:  104.139.126.133:5121

Come join our budding community. Some of the best RP to be found in a compelling setting with challenging action and tons of potential for your character's story to be told.

For example...

Help quell the undead that seem to be uprising in the fey land of Ithaeria.
Or...
Assist the town leaders of Bastion to uncover the source of mysterious corpses in the city slums.

And, for a limited time, new players are being granted extra equipment to get them acclimated to the world. Now is the perfect time to check us out!

www.arenthyor.com


Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 29 juin 2016 - 10:35 .


#13
BelowTheBelt

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The Bloodless Corpses of Bastion event is well underway! Danger, mystery, and intrigue abound! All wrapped-up in some of the best RP you'll find.

We meet every Monday at 8:30 pm Eastern (GMT - 5 hours). Come join! We'll work you into the story and it's perfect for new/low-level players.

Strange corpses who have been drained of their blood have been found dumped with increasing frequency over the past months in the slums of the fledgling fort-town of Bastion. The city guard has indicated little interest in determining the cause of these murders and instead has turned to solict the help of mercenaries and adventurers.

  • Who are the strange shadowed 'Takers' that rumors speak of and some claim to have seen?
  • What do the Nightfang assassins have to do with these murders?
  • Why is the Bastion Guard not doing anything to stop them?
  • When will they strike next?
  • WWhere are these victims taken only to be discarded in the slums like so much trash?
  • For what purpose are these victims being used?

See the RP thread on our forums at www.arenthyor.com.

See you in-game!

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 06 mars 2013 - 09:11 .


#14
BelowTheBelt

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We are hosting another installment of our regular Bastion event tonight at approximately 9:00 PM Eastern US Time (GMT -5 hours).

New players are always welcome to join, as the event is specifically designed for lower-level players.

If you're not able to make it tonight, but are interested, or if you're interested in learning more about Arenthyor, register on our forums (www.arenthyor.com) and let us know.

Hope to see you in-game!

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 29 avril 2013 - 05:52 .


#15
BelowTheBelt

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Loads of new content has been added over the past several months, with updates to the server generally happening multiple times per week.  Much too much to detail, but there's new quests, new content, and new systems galore.
What's remained the same?  The same great roleplay.  The same great challenging action.  The same great unique and immersive setting.  The same great welcoming community that will help you tell the story of your PC.
We have active DMs that help run personalized quests frequently.

So, if you like great RP flavored with challenging action, we invite you to check us out.
www.arenthyor.com

#16
BelowTheBelt

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New! Arenthyor Item Wear and Repair

As you engage in combat, there is now a small chance that when you hit, your weapon will be damaged.  Additionally, when you get hit, there's a chance that your armor items may be damaged. Items have different levels of 'hit points' based on the quality of the item.

Repairing an item is a relatively simple matter of speaking with the local Smith of your town, who, for a small fee, can restore the 'hit points' of your damaged items and send you along your merry way again into the dangerous wilds.

Additionally, PC dwarves and elves can use their Craft Armor or Craft Weapon skills to actually increase the number of 'hit points' an item can have (up to a certain maximum depending upon the quality of the item).

This system is designed to be simple and straightforward while introducing an additional element of care and caution into planning for an adventure.

I'm excited about this new addition to the world of Arenthyor, which promises high-action, high-challenge, and high-roleplay. If this or our unique setting and immersive lore interest you, check us out at arenthyor.com.

See you there (you can find me at Metalshank's Smithy in Bastion, repairing my armor...)!

Modifié par BelowTheBelt, 29 janvier 2014 - 08:10 .


#17
BelowTheBelt

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 A heartfelt welcome goes out to the newest member of our DM Team, DM Deadlykate!

DM Deadlykate brings to the world of Arenthyor a wealth of roleplay and DM experience.  She's even been an admin for a successful roleplay world as well, so while she is focused on delivering the best RP events for our players, she has a full understanding of the intracacies of developing a successful world and can lend her voice to our continued development.

Her interest and desire to help PCs tell their stores and to run events in which the players themselves shape the direction of the event fits perfectly with Arenthyor's vision for providing a roleplay environment where players can help shape the world.

She's already up and running events on Arenthyor and I can personally attest to her thoughtful ideas, attention to detail in the event crafting, compelling roleplay, and exciting execution.

She's a valuable addition to our team and we're looking forward to many fun events with her at the helm!

#18
BelowTheBelt

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A link to Arenthyor's page on the new neverwintervault.org.  Check it out and hope to see you in-game!

 

Arenthyor - a challenging roleplay world



#19
BelowTheBelt

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A few screenshots to give you a taste of Arenthyor, primarily the human/non-fey experience.  More can be found throughout the website, www.arenthyor.com.

 

The Three Sisters of Fate rule all.  Even the gods bow to their power.  What fate do they have in store for you?

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The Lowland Swamps.   The fetid waters are home to disease and dangerous beasts.  

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In the fort-town of Bastion, surrounded by the Lowland Swamps, the boneyards are where most find an unfortunate home.  Dare not to walk there at night, for the guards lock the gates and vile noises can be heard from within!

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The Bastion Burn Pit.  Not all who seek Bastion, find it.  For those who fail and have none to mourn them, they are given to ash.

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Those who find the city are sent to the Low Quarter with the other refugees to eek out a hardscrabble existance in this 'civilization'.  Predators, ne'er-do-wells and thugs prey on the weak there.  Seek out the Skullduggery Inn if you're itching for a fight and watered-down ale with the other peasants.

5358225_orig.jpg

 

There's an entire world to explore and huge dungeons to delve.  Planes to walk and treasure to hoard.  Magic is scarce and heroes are myths.  In Arenthyor, the land is as deadly as the creatures who roam it.



#20
BelowTheBelt

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Lots of new and exciting developments at Arenthyor!

 

A vibrant and active community is developing and now is the perfect time to jump in.  Everyone's exploring and learning the world.  Everyone is helping each other succeed.  

 

We've added a new member to our development team, Monsinyana, who joins Laomedon and myself on the team and he is actively building dungeons and helping with adding even more lore to this immersive setting.

 

We also have new DMs-in-training to add to our existing staff.  Arenthyor is a world that takes an interest in your character and helps to bring player stories to life through active DM involvement.

 

Lastly, the server continues to be actively developed.  The server is updated multiple times per week with enhancements.  It is a world that reacts to the players around it.

 

Arenthyor is a tough, challenging environment where success must be achieved through smart tactics.  It's also an intriguing, immersive setting that is probably different than what you've seen in the past.

 

I invite you to check us out or take a look at our forums at www.arenthyor.com.  



#21
BelowTheBelt

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Good time to jump into the dark world of Arenthyor as the stories continue.  The city of Bastion is beseiged by threats external AND internal as heroes debate their next move.  Or, if you prefer elves, the fey in Ithaeria also face disaster from their cousins while the elder Council of Cycles sits idle, unwilling to do anything.

 

New players can have an impact on the world almost immediately and all are welcome.  

 

New dungeons and areas continue to be added, especially for lower levels, with another quest due out soon for mid-level PCs.  

 

New content is also added, such as our new prayer system, which includes over 700 prayers and they are customized to your deity's dogma and teachings.

 

Come check us out at www.arenthyor.com!


  • icywind1980 aime ceci

#22
FairGameServers

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Playability:4(2)

If you can look past and get around the steep uphill difficulty curve, you can find an assortment of quests to get into, enough monsters to (literally) break your blade on and they'll still keep coming, a crafting system of sorts, and some active rp. Rounded out about as nicely as one of those nifty shields that has that huge bloody spike sticking out of it for ya to bludgeon someone with, case being it's literally going to be a flood of nastie baddies with sharp pointy teeth and weapons. Got to knock down the subscore, cause, ya-know, running is kinda an important thing? Unless you are promoting that dying is a good thing for some reason of some matter. Hey on the bright side we at least get Spock and Mrs. Doubtfire to entertain us with jokes!

Survivialbility:2

Phshaw, welp if anything at least there isnt much of a debate on doing the score, server is downright brutal and can probably downgrade the rating to be nearly impossible if you are an actual new player to Neverwinter. At least for the standard Farmer John's you got to make your way to the craddle of filth of a haven that is usually humanity while everyone else gets to start in a (relatively) safer area, wait a minute they are plagarising real life! Steep uphill battle right from the start, if you manage to team up with some folks you can do well since there are higher level players that prove it's possible to advance, I definitely suggest classes that aren't equipment dependent. Heavily needing a rework to the combat system, really gonna need some explanation for why you can't transition in combat. Since. Well. Ya know? Running away is usually something you do when you have no health left, no spells or supplies, and something is trying to eat you right? Right? Uhhhhhhhhh. So anyway, doing a 2 since i'm feeling nice and any character ending stuff isn't that easy to hit and someone will bail you out usually.

DM Experiences: 4 (2)

Cool jamming with the pointdexter, or something like that, ain't too much of a presence so that's what up with the lower result score, but when they are around they are good company and can help you out, some free stuff or events to get you started or on track after a good thorough squashing under a dragon's arse. Definitely need running, ya know that thing you do when you're about die an all, usually. Unless you are a middle eastern guy trying to get into that Minecraft audition by dressing up in a green costume to hide all the explosives. Wait maybe onto something there.

Player Experiences:4

Solid ground with the peeps that stuck around to get ya settled in, good softener for those half-dozen kicks to the head you'll take from trying to get adjusted to the combat difficulties, and you know, not being able to run and all. But good people are good people, just need more of em, server could use a handful more in general but hey, A for effort?

Advancement:2

Well leveling and gearing up is an accomplishment in itself, nothing much around that's all sparkley and magicay so good builds are a must it appears. Getting to any measureable level is something worth applause and possibly worship, and if you ever manage to get some of those sparkle filled magic items you can ascend to god hood! Unless it's a belt of gender change, and then if you are a guy originally, you are then quite literally going to have a KingKongZilla introducing some Smokey Cajun Summer Sausage into the Pie Hole That Shouldn't Be Having Pie. The case is most likely the same for those that are gals originally. I rather hope for boots. That are enchanted with that thing ya do with yo legs, you know? It might start with an 'R', anyone dig?

General Experience: 3

If you can look past the combat itself you got some cool digs to fool around with, some sort of destiny system that could possibly make Russian Roulette look enjoyable. Or you can get turned into a lich and audition for the next children's play so you can show them those neat tricks you can do. There's some crafting, lotta monsters to beat on, some mo' monsters to beat on, a pear tree filled with stirges, and a dire need of dwarves since they are the only race capable of crafting weapons or armor. And possibly the need for good running boots for all the good they'll do when you smack into an invisble wall when a rat starts gnawing at your armored boot unable to hurt you or kill you, but however is enough to stop you from running into town for whatever god knows reason while the pack of monsters come by behind it to brutally introduce you to non-germanic sausagefestival.

 

Zombie Rating: Faiz!

 

Heyyy! Gheyyy! Wheyyyy! There be zombies in abundance lurking, however the focus isn't on them! But there's plenty to be a-killing and a-killing you, so why don't we a-killa wii? Well just don't expect them to be around every corner but there's plenty of undead lurking in wait for your brains and tonsils! Only here can you enjoy the absolute hardcore mode that you take for granted in every other zombie game: the freedom to run away crying and screaming like the little girly man you are when a dozen or more start to corner you at an exit, since magically that goblin that's sniping you with a **** chance of hitting is making so it you can't run. Since you know, obviously you can't outrun a goblin that's way up on a hill with a bow and can't hit the backside of colossal red dragon, and zombies are just going to catch up to your running while they are shambling and stumbling over everything. Why do I get the sensation of that shouting english armored knight that is charging at a french castle from the other end of a field for a series of a half dozen cut-aways of the camera to show the guards just staring and wondering what shall happen next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Novella!

Now with less Nutella.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going to more than likely be much significantly shorter than the last I have meticously written out while adhereing to the fine and well placed standards that society has gifted most of with by cramming fine literature down our throats during a period of the day that most of us would much rather be drinking. Or otherwise known as English class. I do most of my best reading on the royal throne that Elvis passed away on however. So without further adieu or fideu;

 

Crushing death and grief... Soaked with blood of the-

 

Wait that's not the right script. So anyway, there'll be plenty of blood and tears from players frustrated with the combat system, and that the scripting system seems to think every single fight is a boss battle in a Final Fantasy game, minus the awesome battle music that usually accompanies them. FUCKYOUKEFKA!

Anyway, after thee random outlandish speech of thine overseas kinsmen, a quite difficult matter to word the matter of yon fleeing. Perhaps the stones in the boots are too sharp, mayhaps the sweat is blinding thee eyes, or some matter of unspeakable horror of chtulutingy is preventing escape from a grimly demise. Maybe the matter could be enlightened on by the parties and mastermind behind such designs, for now however all must be left to wonder the very important question: If the meaning if life is indeed 42, then what is death? Perhaps it is 69 when you have a herpes infested prostitute suffering from acute diaherraitis that you picked up during a wild night on the Strip and they have just eaten the Mole Rat suprise casserole. Ahh, the life styles of the rich and famous.

Aside from the not so obvious problems that arised, the server has some new takes on an apocalypse backround if you read into it, even better is that instead of -just- zombies trying to eat you it's now become nearly everything trying to eat you. Awesome new take on an ole favorite yeah? Read further in and you can maybe find the cause that brought about whatever cataclysm ended the world in this rendition, lots of cool lore and even better that every race has their own take and view on the aforementioned event.

Crafting system is somewhat of a misnomer, or at least seemed that way. Nothing could be outright crafted from scratch as far as I could tell, everything had to be found and then copy-crafted by the appropriate race that has that particular craft skill. Can't say it's horrible outright since it is a different take, however with the system as difficult as it is to get those special magic items, who's going to want to risk them just so someone else can have that one-of-a-kind sword and be 1/2 as special or reduced back into the common herd if the attempt fails. Everything from basic necessities to the jaw-dropping awesomeness of some forgotten and found relic has to be created this way and only by certain races, with elves having the full deck to work with compared to the other lesser races. 'Cause you know, humans and dwarves just can't be as clean as an elven arse.

 

Questing is an iffy, the difficulty often shoots up through the roof with the bosses having an extremely unfair advantage. How bad? Well you can just memorize all the moves you need to do in a certain order for Dark Souls 2, eventually. In Neverwinter and it's aging system, you are at the mercy of dice rolls, you get really shitty luck you ain't getting anywhere no matter how long you try. So we end up with boss creatures that have absurd amounts of HP, can summon underlings to assist in the fight, and also to top it off most seem to have an at will usable power which can vary. Sometimes it won't be quite so awful, other times you'll get a version that uses Searing Light, Fireball, random death magic, or other problematic spells that can ruin your day. Sure you can think your way around this... Somehow? Lets take a look closer perhaps, so we got a orc boss right? Probably going to be having some magic gear on em, and probably a fighter or barbarian backround. Lets consider that you are probably not going to have any of that magic stuff, and you just had to fight to get to this area so your supplies are more than likely going to be utter ****. Your spells are going to be utter **** unless you somehow saved them all. If you did. So the big nastie also get bonus hp, well with having a good sum of levels that'll give them a healthy AB, vs whatever armor you managed to scrounge up which probably isn't going to be more than chainmail if you saved for a while. So that's maybe a what- 15-18 ac if you have dexterity bonus, then another 1 to 3 for a shield if you are lucky. 21 ac max? If something has a 10 bonus to hit you that monster will be hitting you more than half the time at least, and you're going to have to heal while it gets free attacks, along with it's minions that will be giving it a flanking bonus on ya.

So adding to the picture that the big nastie gets some special power that it can use at will? Maybe just a tad overkill? You can't -dodge- these attacks since it's magic and left to a dice roll unlike Dark Souls where you have a chance, horrendously large hp bank is cool, but when you're left with so little available to actually do? If this boss has barbarian levels or monk levels you can't outrun it, god forbid "Running Away" since that is for some reason outlawed when you start getting your ass handed to you. The best you can hope for is having a group perhaps, but even then if you are a caster you are in the case of having the cleric looking to you and saying "The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess. But he's pretty sure, you're fucked." Possibly having 4 hp per a level, so maybe around 16-24, and searing light does how much damage? Right.

 

Loot, somewhat useless in the sense that only garbage shows up until you can survive the further away areas, however to do the further away areas you need better gear, however there is no better gear sold in most stores and must be found, but we must remember that good and magical gear and only be found, so then we must consider- That guy Tex is really a robot, and you're his lover. So that makes you; a gay robot. Aha, problem solved, it was a division by zero subroutine in the flux capacitor!

 

Despite the shortfalls, the server is rather solidly done and made, there is actually quite a number of things to do, places to explore and treasure to find. The scripts are well put together, and when there is a mistake or hiccup the management is usually on top of it within the next couple of days depending on when the incident is reported and made known to them. A good hardy seeming bunch for the administration, somewhat hard to get in touch with but that's due to real life factors, rather than them pulling an invisibility stunt or outright ignoring the playerbase, which does put them above and beyond at least a number of servers which is where it counts overall. But some work could be done in a few areas for improvement, and I believe if progress is made in some form in those locations that the server would have a much more positive experience.

 

 

 

 

All in all if you're feeling brave, want an old game style challenge experience similar to doing the Battletoads hover bike level, or have patience to spare, give a jump in onto the server. From what I saw the server would only get better, and also noticeably more easier with the more friends or servermates to watch your back.

And for the love of god and all that is holy- ret me run away screaming rike rittle chinese gurl from monstah!



#23
BelowTheBelt

BelowTheBelt
  • Members
  • 394 messages

Thank you for taking the time to review Arenthyor.  Overall, I took it as a positive review and reflective of our unique design and intentional difficulty.

 

I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d revise and repost the review into something that cut through the more "interesting" bits and reorganize it to focus it on the core review and make it more digestible by others.

 

I believe I’ve kept the spirit of the commentary.  Where appropriate, I have added our response to your comments.

 

Thanks again!

 

Summary

Despite the shortfalls, the server is rather solidly done and made.  There are actually quite a number of things to do, places to explore, and treasure to find. The scripts are well put together, and when there is a mistake or hiccup the management is usually on top of it within the next couple of days depending on when the incident is reported and made known to them. A good hardy seeming bunch for the administration, somewhat hard to get in touch with but that's due to real life factors, rather than them pulling an invisibility stunt or outright ignoring the playerbase, which does put them above and beyond at least a number of servers which is where it counts overall. But some work could be done in a few areas for improvement, and I believe if progress is made in some form in those locations that the server would have a much more positive experience.

 

All in all if you're feeling brave, want an old game style challenge experience, or have patience to spare, give a jump in onto the server. From what I saw the server would only get better and also noticeably easier with the more friends or servermates to watch your back.

 

[Arenthyor Response:  As the admin, I’m very active both on the server as a player, DM, and builder.  I’m usually on the server at some point every day during the week (though not on the weekend) and build almost every day with multiple server updates per week.  What’s more, I am almost immediately reachable via the forums and respond usually within an hour or two.  Lastly, when bugs or issues are identified that affect player gameplay, they are addressed usually within a day, if not within hours.  While I recognize that some players may have play times that do not overlap with my own, I don’t believe this qualifies anywhere close to being ‘somewhat hard to get in touch with’.  In short, I love talking to, DMing for, and playing with the players and expanding the world!]

 

Review Detail

General Experience: 3

  • Aside from the not so obvious problems that arose, the server has some new takes on an apocalypse background if you read into it, even better is that instead of -just- zombies trying to eat you it's now become nearly everything trying to eat you.
  • Read further in and you can maybe find the cause that brought about whatever cataclysm ended the world in this rendition, lots of cool lore and even better that every race has their own take and view on the aforementioned event.
  • There'll be plenty of blood and tears from players frustrated with the combat system, and that the scripting system seems to think every single fight is a boss battle in a Final Fantasy game, minus the awesome battle music that usually accompanies them.
  • If you can look past the combat itself you got some cool digs to fool around with, including some sort of destiny system that could possibly make Russian Roulette look enjoyable
  • Lots of monsters to beat on.  Enough monsters to (literally) break your blade on and they'll still keep coming
  • Dire need of dwarves since they are the only race capable of crafting weapons or armor

[Arenthyor Response:  A brief note about the setting:  Arenthyor’s custom setting is not truly a Zombie/Apocolypse mod, though there are many similarities and I believe players of those settings would enjoy Arenthyor.  Rather, the cataclysm that occurred in Arenthyor happened 670+ years ago and the world is just now emerging from the darkness to experience how feral the world has become.

 

About the combat system:  Arenthyor is largely using the standard NWN combat engine, so I am unsure what you mean by, ‘scripting system seems to think every single fight is a boss battle’, because that isn’t the case.   It is, by far, normal NWN combat.

 

By “frustrated by the combat system”, I believe you truly only mean ‘frustrated that you can’t transition between areas while in active combat’.  In Arenthyor, you cannot transition from one area to another while in combat.  This is probably one of the most striking features for new players to get used to and appears to be the crux of the reviewer’s identified issues.  This feature is neither good nor bad, but does require players to utilize different strategies when entering and exiting areas than they may be used to.   Instead of hanging-out near a transition to utilize that trigger as a quick-escape exploit, PCs must push in somewhat into the area, discern their risks/threats, and then if they need to, safely retreat or push further in.  It is actually relatively easy to escape active combat mode and transition areas with a little forethought and practice.]

 

Playability:4(2)

  • Steep uphill difficulty curve
  • Some active rp
  • Assortment of quests to get into.  Questing is iffy, as the difficulty often shoots up through the roof with the bosses having an extremely unfair advantage.

o   How bad? Well you can just memorize all the moves you need to do in a certain order for Dark Souls 2, eventually. In Neverwinter and its aging system, you are at the mercy of dice rolls, you get really shitty luck you ain't getting anywhere no matter how long you try. So we end up with boss creatures that have absurd amounts of HP, can summon underlings to assist in the fight, and also to top it off most seem to have an at will usable power which can vary. Sometimes it won't be quite so awful, other times you'll get a version that uses Searing Light, Fireball, random death magic, or other problematic spells that can ruin your day. Sure you can think your way around this... Somehow?

o   Lets take a look closer perhaps, so we got a orc boss right? Probably going to be having some magic gear on em, and probably a fighter or barbarian background. Lets consider that you are probably not going to have any of that magic stuff, and you just had to fight to get to this area so your supplies are more than likely going to be utter ****. Your spells are going to be utter **** unless you somehow saved them all. If you did. So the big nastie also get bonus hp, well with having a good sum of levels that'll give them a healthy AB, vs whatever armor you managed to scrounge up which probably isn't going to be more than chainmail if you saved for a while. So that's maybe a what- 15-18 ac if you have dexterity bonus, then another 1 to 3 for a shield if you are lucky. 21 ac max? If something has a 10 bonus to hit you that monster will be hitting you more than half the time at least, and you're going to have to heal while it gets free attacks, along with it's minions that will be giving it a flanking bonus on ya.

o   So adding to the picture that the big nastie gets some special power that it can use at will? Maybe just a tad overkill? You can't -dodge- these attacks since it's magic and left to a dice roll unlike Dark Souls where you have a chance, horrendously large hp bank is cool, but when you're left with so little available to actually do? If this boss has barbarian levels or monk levels you can't outrun it, god forbid "Running Away" since that is for some reason outlawed when you start getting your ass handed to you. The best you can hope for is having a group perhaps, but even then if you are a caster you are in the case of possibly having 4 hp per a level, so maybe around 16-24, and searing light does how much damage? Right.

  • A crafting system of sorts.  “Crafting system” is somewhat of a misnomer, or at least seemed that way.  Nothing could be outright crafted from scratch as far as I could tell.  Everything had to be found and then copy-crafted by the appropriate race that has that particular craft skill. Can't say it's horrible outright since it is a different take, however with the system as difficult as it is to get those special magic items, who's going to want to risk them just so someone else can have that one-of-a-kind sword and be 1/2 as special or reduced back into the common herd if the attempt fails?

o   Everything from basic necessities to the jaw-dropping awesomeness of some forgotten and found relic has to be created this way and only by certain races, with elves having the full deck to work with compared to the other lesser races.

  • Loot, somewhat useless in the sense that only garbage shows up until you can survive the further away areas, however to do the further away areas you need better gear, however there is no better gear sold in most stores and must be found, but we must remember that good and magical gear and only be found.

[Arenthyor Response:

Difficulty Curve:  To help with the difficulty curve, we provide new player guides and tips that are linked-to directly from the hak download page:  our new player tips and our practical advice.  It’s actually relatively easy to learn the server, as we don’t have complicated systems and rules. 

 

Questing:  As mentioned before, Arenthyor is designed to be challenging and questing is no different.  Our dungeons are long and complex – they are not simple one-map affairs.  Some are soloable and others are designed for parties.  Either way, they are challenging.  You will fail more than you succeed.  When you do succeed, however, you will truly have accomplished something and are rewarded accordingly.

 

Bosses:   Yes, bosses at the end of dungeons have lots of advantages such as powers, hp, and abilities.  After all, having those powers is why they became the master of the dungeon.  If every adventuring party could waltz in and destroy the master and all his/her minions, then the creature wouldn't be a worthy opponent.   However, bosses are scaled and granted abilities based upon the party that is challenging them.  Lastly, there is something that bosses don’t have and can never have:  true intelligence.  A party or a PC can use strategy and react to events that the boss can’t.  That, then, is the true advantage that players have that must be leveraged:  go in with a plan and be able to flexibly react to the unfolding situation.]

 

Survivability: 2

  • Downright brutal and can probably downgrade the rating to be nearly impossible if you are an actual new player to Neverwinter.
  • For  humans, you must make your way to the cradle of filth of a haven while everyone else gets to start in a (relatively) safer area.   For humans there’s a steep uphill battle right from the start
  • If you manage to team up with some folks you can do well since there are higher level players that prove it's possible to advance.
  • I definitely suggest classes that aren't equipment dependent.
  • Heavily needing a rework to the combat system, needing some explanation for why you can't transition in combat.
  • Any character ending stuff isn't that easy to hit and someone will bail you out usually.

[Arenthyor Response:

Difficulty level:  Arenthyor requires different tactics and strategies than most places.  Yes, Arenthyor can be brutal if you blindly charge into the fray.  Your character is not at the top of the food chain in Arenthyor.  You’re at the bottom.  You must use tactics that allow you to remain in control of a situation.  The simple fact of knowing this can cause you to engage creatures differently, which will increase your survivability greatly.

 

Combat System:  Again, the combat system is the same as the ‘normal’ NWN system.  I believe you’re really speaking solely about the reason you can’t transition during combat, which was explained above.

 

Character ending stuff: I’m glad you brought this up.  Yes – despite the challenge level, it’s actually hard to die.  Generous stabilization rules usually allow our heroes to struggle by sheer force of will to stand again to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat many times over.  And, we don’t really have permadeath, so dying isn’t so much an issue, other than reasonable death penalties.  Death does happen, of course, and sometimes often, but it usually won’t happen without at least one stabilization.]

 

Player Experiences: 4

  • Solid ground with the peeps that stuck around to get ya settled in, good softener for those half-dozen kicks to the head you'll take from trying to get adjusted to the combat difficulties
  • Good people are good people; just need more of ‘em.  Server could use a handful more in general.

[Arenthyor Response:  Agreed!  We have a great playerbase.  Welcoming to all and ready to include you into the ongoing roleplay stories and arcs we have.  Can’t say enough about them!]

 

DM Experiences: 4 (2)

  • Ain't too much of a presence, but when they are around they are good company and can help you out, some free stuff or events to get you started

[Arenthyor Response:  As mentioned above, I’m pretty active on the server.  One of my goals is to provide personal events to each PC.  I try to keep up with backstory and character development.  Then, I try to craft custom events or parts of the world that are inspired by the PC.  Most every active player on the serve has custom-tailored DM events or storyline.]

 

Advancement: 2

  • Leveling and gearing up is an accomplishment in itself, nothing much around that's all sparkley and magicay so good builds are a must it appears.
  • Getting to any measureable level is something worth applause and possibly worship, and if you ever manage to get some of those sparkle filled magic items you can ascend to godhood!

[Arenthyor Response:  Leveling is slow.  This allows you to fully enjoy the fruits of your level, rather than blowing through them in a haze.  You appreciate that new one when you do achieve it.  You also have something that you’re building to and anticipating for the future.]

 

Zombie Rating: Faiz!

  • There be zombies in abundance lurking, however the focus isn't on them! But there's plenty to be a-killing and a-killing you.  Don't expect them to be around every corner but there's plenty of undead lurking in wait for your brains and tonsils!
  • Here can you enjoy the absolute hardcore mode that you take for granted in every other zombie game: the freedom to run away crying and screaming when a dozen or more start to corner you at an exit.