It’s a strange trend whenever new MMOs launch that there’s a deluge of tutorial videos on a bunch of topics but a shortage of written guides. Sometimes I just need a quick question answered without having to skip the 30-second intro and repeating the video a few times because the speaker was talking too fast. Sometimes a written article is far more helpful.
So let’s change that with Swords of Legends Online. I spent an extended amount of time (60 hours!) in this game ahead of launch, mainly to unlock the PvP, and I picked up a few nuggets of knowledge from the betas. And I’d like to share the things I learned to spare a few headaches. I’ll be updating this guide as new items come up.
Leveling
SOLO’s leveling system is like an onion: It’s got layers. All characters begin at Beginner 1. That’s the “tutorial levels,” similar to how players in Black Desert Online consider levels 1-58 as an extended introduction to the game. Players will need to achieve Beginner level 36, fill up the experience bar, and do a quest to advance to Student 1.
In my estimation, Student 1 is where the game begins. That’s when players unlock the harder dungeons difficulties and PvP. When I played in the beta, this took a long time. And I remember players poop-socking it just to get to Student 1. The recent patch notes mentioned that Gameforge improved the pacing of these levels so that players don’t have to rerun the Frostbitten Path dungeon 40+ times. The team has also added various in-game messages since the beta to better communicate what players have to do next.
The cultivation menu, ancestral records, and biographies
As players progress through the game, a special “cultivation” window will be available for players to access next to the minimap. It’s hard to miss; it flashes. It’s a one-stop shop to guide players through the various systems of the game. They’ll be able to accept and complete special quests that get said systems unlocked.
So what exactly do players need to do to level? There’s the main story quest, the tasks in the aforementioned cultivation window, and biographies. (Biographies are special side stories to help players get to know the important NPCs better and provide that sweet experience.) Rounding all that out are a few dungeons available for players to run with other players or computer-controlled companions as well. The game also provides a variety of world quests, dailies, and weeklies as well through the ancestral records, default key for which is CTRL+Y. These unlock as players continue their leveling and questing.
In short, it’s nothing an MMO vet hasn’t seen before. But it’s also buried in layers of quests and aren’t available off the cuff.
PvP and gear
From the beginning, players have access to unstructured PvP. They simply have to request a duel from another player. But the structured 3v3 unlocks at Student 1. As players progress through Beginner 1-36, they’ll get PvE gear. Players can bring their PvE gear to a PvP arena, but they’ll get clapped pretty hard. As soon as players unlock the PvP, they’ll get beginner PvP gear to get them started on their journey. This was one of the key touted features of the game – PvP with standardized gear. Regardless, players will have to work through the PvE before they can start brawling it out in the arenas, so keep that in mind.
Players can save gear templates too, so at the very least, I recommend saving two: one for your PvE gear and one for your PvP gear. It’ll be a huge time saver. You also need to know that PvP is accessible only at certain times. According to the latest patch notes, the arenas are open between 11 a.m. and 4 a.m. (presumably locked to the server’s timezone). Apparently it’s to prevent smurfing; I don’t know the logic behind it. I imagine those times are also the slowest PvP times, so it probably saves on costs in one way or another.
As with the PvE, the cultivation menu and the ancestral records are your go-to resources for PvP activities to help you strengthen your gear. Long story short: There’s separate gear for both modes, and playing whichever preferred mode will get players the gear they need.
That darned Delectable Dish quest
I don’t know whether Gameforge fixed this quest for the release version, but in beta, it was just downright confusing. There were a ton of translation errors, and the quest description was esoteric. To complete the quest, you’ll need one “lean, boneless meat,” one “edible wild vegetable,” and three “rice and freshly milled flour.” The veggies and rice are available from the nearby merchant. You’ll need to kill bears and wolves outside the town to get the meat. Also, for some reason the coal is called cabbage, but that can also be purchased from the merchant. Be patient with the meat. It took me half an hour of bear-killing to get one drop.
Pets
Pets aren’t just for flexing on stream. OK, they are, but they’re mainly cosmetic items, and there’s a function attached to them. By feeding them items, you help them generate Soul Qi. That Soul Qi is needed for crafting. In the story, the players get only one pet, but they can change its appearance. So before selling items, be sure to feed the pet.
Cosmetics and the store
All purchases and unlocked cosmetics are in the store page, default key being “U.” The right side of the store has all the items players have purchased for their accounts. Players can customize their appearance from there, but don’t forget to click “save current loadout” or the changes won’t reflect on the character. It’s a nice quality-of-life change. At least outfits don’t take up any inventory space.
Those are all the things I can think about for getting players started on their journey through Swords of Legends Online. As I mentioned in my previous articles, it’s certainly one of my new favorites. I certainly hope it becomes yours too!
The four wind tiles in Mahjong open all sorts of winning combinations for players of this ancient game – and the “Asian” MMO subgenre is just as varied as the many rulesets in Mahjong. Join Massively OP’s Carlo Lacsina here in our Four Winds column as he covers the diverse assembly of MMOs imported from the East!
