Sub-class Round Table Interviews

With the launch of Chronicle 3 came many new features and challenges. The new sub-class system combines one of the toughest challenges (reaching level 75) with one of the most gratifying rewards (the ability to add a second class to a character).

Although we're only a few weeks into the new Chronicle, dozens of ambitious players have already realized this goal. We randomly selected a sample of these dedicated players to get their take on the sub-class system. Four players share their opinions and advice.

Character name: Airyina
Server: Bartz
Clan: Denied
Main class: Spellsinger
Sub-class: Hawkeye

Character name: Joykillah   
Server: Erica
Clan: JansquenetCorp
Main class: Silver Ranger
Sub-class: Spellsinger

Character name: xPhedre
Server: Lionna
Clan: Blue Wolves
Main class: Hawkeye
Sub-class: Warlord

Character name: Zelt
Server: Kain
Clan: Stygian
Main class: Abyss Walker
Sub-class: Hawkeye

When did you start playing Lineage II?

Airyina: Started in Closed Beta.

Joykillah: I started playing Lineage II June 19, 2004. My first character was a Spellsinger, which I gave up at level 48 because of being 1-shotted by archers.

xPhedre: I started playing lineage II during the public beta, soon after server Lionna was added to the list. I do not know the dates.

Zelt: I started in Open Beta, but a friend quit and then I dropped my weapon, so I quit a couple weeks after Open Beta. Back then I played a Dwarf, but after getting to 40 I got really bored. About six months ago, about a month after Teon became live, I heard that they were adding a new server and that means it's a new beginning for everyone, so I decided to come back. But after about three days on Teon, I thought about coming back to Kain since I had around two million adena there, and that was tempting.

How long did it take you to reach level 75 with this character?

Airyina: It took me about 11 months to reach 75 on my main class.

Joykillah: It took me a good eight months of grinding to reach level 75.

xPhedre: I hit 75 on may 18th, but I'm honestly not sure when I started xPhedre. My first character was actually an Elven Elder, who I grew really bored with in his mid 40s. So I stripped him and was able to afford top gear for a new character. I think this was around the middle part of Prelude.

Leveling a human archer back then though was very hard, as there was no such thing as an archer party (hard to believe now!), and humans do not kite mobs very well. Not many buffers or healers wanted to party with archers then either (too much running!). It was a very difficult time, and I got frustrated occasionally and spent a lot of time on experimental rerolls that I never got very high. I always ended up coming back to xPhedre though, and while it was difficult, I figured if I got high enough it had to get easier.

I was wrong, but here I am anyway! So perhaps in total, nine months to level to 75, maybe eight, including the time away on other characters.

Zelt: W ith this character? Well, about three months of hard leveling with him and about three months of crafting/selling to get money. It was kind of hard since I had a Crystal Dagger +0 and no one knew me. It was very hard to get parties.

Did you have a motivation to reach level 75 before you knew about the addition of sub-classes? If so, what was it?

Airyina: Yes I did. My motivation was always being higher than one of my friends. I beat him to 75.

Joykillah: My motivation to keep leveling was held together by a group of friends who all had one goal in common. Which was to reach level 75 and do the weapon quest. We lived at the portal stone, where we had a dwarf to craft us arrows and SS. Daggers from the alliance would do soul ore runs for us.

xPhedre: Back when most of us started, the highest skills level you could get was the low 60s, so that honestly was my aspiration. Getting higher seemed like a waste of time. I really wanted to get higher in the hopes that XP would be easier to get, and PvP would be easier as server politics started to heat up.

Zelt: During that time, it was just the fun of leveling and getting higher and higher (plus the skills), but then I found out about subclassing and the upcoming Hero System (which I really expect to be great, hopefully) so I thought that if I hit 75 before Chronicle 3 came, then I would have a shot to catch up with all the 75s, since they were capped and couldn't level anymore.

How was the quest to earn your sub-class?

Airyina: I found the subclass quest very easy. The mixing of the ingredients was interesting, and collecting them was very simple. The best way I found was to duo with someone in the Blazing Swamps.

Joykillah: We learned that you were unable to do the subclass quest until the weapon quest was completed. It takes a great deal of organization to gather people to do the weapon quest. Especially when you enemy holds control of the Tower of Insolence. Other than that the quest is pretty easy.

xPhedre: It was a royal pain the ass. What they don't tell you is that you really have to do one very difficult quest first to get to do the subclass quest. It turns out to be pretty much just a much harder version of the three quests you need at level 40 for occupation change.

I am very grateful that I am in a clan and an alliance that could help me get the three raid bosses

killed in the Tower of Insolence and the one in the cemetery done. There are a couple 75s on our server who aren't as fortunate. Additionally, you have to spend around 10 million adena worth of B crystals in one of the required quests to upgrade a B weapon to A grade, which took a lot of saving for, and my clan helped out a lot by selling them to me at cost.

Once the big quest was done, the actual subclass quest itself is a snap. Collecting the items for the quest was pretty easy, and it was fun mixing them together in the urn and creating a new potion.

Zelt: The Mimir Elixir quest is really easy, and pretty nice since you know that after completing it you will be able to become another class. The hard part of this is getting the Star of Destiny, which you get by doing the Whisper of Fate quest (level 75 weapon quest). It means having to kill four raid bosses including LongHorn in the Tower of Insolence, on the 11th floor. But two or three weeks after Chronicle 3, my clan decides to give it a shot since we had many levels 75. After a long long fight versus Longhorn, we were able to take him down with 4 parties. I must say that was my happiest day in Lineage II, since I had long wanted it to happen.

Why did you choose this particular sub-class?

Airyina: I chose Hawkeye because I wanted to be an archer. I chose Hawkeye over Silver Ranger because I'm an Elf. Everyone that I encounter will think I'm a Silver Ranger, but in fact, I'm a Hawkeye. The strategy for killing a Hawkeye is much different than that of an Silver Ranger.

Joykillah: Well my first character was a Spellsinger. In Chronicle 3 they really balanced out the characters with CP, allowing mages to live longer and actually deal some damage.

xPhedre: When my Hawkeye was getting pretty high level, I realized that I really enjoyed playing it because it had been such a real challenge to level at first. What was once a very rare class was now becoming very popular, and I spent a lot of time answering Hawkeye questions for new people starting one.

I knew then that my subclass would have to be a real challenge for me to enjoy it and want to get it to 75 again. With the new Seven Signs system and all the people now in the dungeons, as well as the return of small grouping as most effective method of gaining XP, I felt a rare tank/dd class like Warlord would suit me best.

Also with the changes in Chronicle 3, my Hawkeye is now on top of the game in terms of PvP, where as a Warlord is almost at the very bottom. It will definitely be a challenge.

Zelt: Mainly because it's a solo class, and since I don't have a Prophet to two-box, and parties are hard to get. I chose this so I could level without any help beside the Clan Hall buffs.

How do you like playing one character that can switch back and forth between two classes?

Airyina: It's kind of cool, although I wish you could change to any subclass at any headmaster, not just the headmaster of the class you want to be.

Joykillah: Its pretty cool being able to switch between to characters. You're able to deceive your enemy, they don't always know which character you're currently on.

xPhedre: It's a lot of fun, not to mention the fastest way to remove a debuff if your side loses the Seven Signs contest. Honestly though, I rarely play the Hawkeye class anymore except for PvP, sieges, or raid bosses. It is very fun to wear my heavy armor and carry a Lance in disguise. When someone thinks I am an easy low level PvP target - suddenly switch to my Carnage Bow and kill them.

Zelt: It's nice to be able to play two classes in one character, but to be honest I barely change to Abyss Walker anymore. I'm currently trying to level the Hawkeye to 75 as fast as I can. The fact is that since I played the Abyss Walker so much, I got really bored with it. The good part is that having two different classes gives you the possibility of using the one you need the most in different situations.

Do you have any suggestions for others on how to choose a sub-class?

Airyina: I suggest playing something that you know you'll like. If you're not sure, choose something similar to the class you already are. If you're a mage, try out an archer. But if you want a change, be the opposite of what you are. If you're a dagger user, or any other type of damage dealer, try being a tank.

Joykillah: Make sure to really know which class you want to be. Once you choose, it's a long path before you can pick a new one. Before I chose my class I tested out a few characters on the PTS.

xPhedre: Be very careful. I played a Warlord first on the Public Test Server to be sure I liked the class. I recommend trying out the character type first, even at low level, for a while before you commit to something you're not sure of. Else you'll be stuck with it of course, and grow quickly tired of the game or be forced to reroll.

Zelt: Not really. Choose the one you like the most.

Do you plan to acquire another sub-class? Any thoughts on what class you'll choose?

Airyina: Yes I do. Once my subclass reaches 75, I plan on choosing another, probably a healer.

Joykillah: Currently I have no intention of choosing another subclass. If I was able to play another one, I'd like to play a Shillien Knight.

xPhedre: Yes, I'd like to get another class and I look forward to seeing what the Hero System will be like in Chronicle 4. If the Warlord goes really well, perhaps I'll try a Bounty Hunter or an Orc fighter class. Dagger and mage classes seem way too easy to me, and a summoner seems very lonely. I already know support classes like healers and buffers are not my cup of tea after my first character in Lineage II.

Zelt: Ya, I would like to get either a Spellhowler or a Bounty Hunter. The SpellHowler seems like a great class, the damage output is great, it can solo like no other class in game in my opinion and being a spell caster would be a new thing for me. On the other side, having a Bounty Hunter would give me what I lack the most... money.