Allods Online

Lore & Background

Allods Online builds on the single-player RPGs Rage of Mages, Rage of Mages II: Necromancer, and Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul, translating their fantasy elements into a persistent online world. The game features traditional MMORPG mechanics such as quests, NPCs, dungeons, and a pay-to-boost system, but also includes an unusual element: players can build ships and sail through a magical expanse called 'the Astral.' In the Astral, players engage in ship-to-ship combat, discover zones with huge boss monsters, and operate crew stations with multiple players on the same ship. The game also offers PvP on maps like the Holy Land, a primary location for war between the two factions—the Empire and the League—along with open PvP using a flagging system and large-scale Arenas of Death supporting up to 24 vs 24 gameplay at maximum level.

Reader's Guide

Allods Online is significant as a free-to-play MMORPG that attempted to innovate with astral ship navigation and faction-based PvP, but its legacy is heavily shaped by controversy over its microtransaction system. The game was highly criticized in February 2010 for initial Item Shop prices, which were lowered two weeks later. A controversial death-penalty system, where penalties could be prevented or reversed by buying items, was removed in the EU and NA version on March 2, 2011, after the relevant item became free; by August 2012 the North American version removed both the penalty and the charms. Despite these changes, many players considered the game pay-to-win due to powerful runes and bonuses most easily attained via the Item Shop, leading to an exodus of international players. Later, pay-to-win mechanics were removed, and a currency exchanger was added, allowing free players to obtain all items by exchanging in-game gold for premium currency. The game's soundtrack, created by Vladislav Isaev, Mark Morgan, and Mikhail 'Lind Erebros' Kostylev, and recorded by the Central Symphony Orchestra of Russia's Defense Ministry and the Bolshoi Choir, reflects its production ambition. A mobile puzzle game, Allods Adventure, was launched for iOS in 2012.

Did You Know?

• Allods Online was developed with a $12 million budget.
• The game features a reincarnation system that lets players replay with another class while keeping mounts, bags, scrolls, and wallet.
• The soundtrack was composed by Vladislav Isaev and Mikhail 'Lind Erebros' Kostylev (King's Bounty: The Legend), among others.
• A mobile puzzle game based on Allods Online, called Allods Adventure, was launched for iOS in 2012.