Dynasty Warriors: Online

Dynasty Warriors: Online (真・三國無双 Online) is a massively multiplayer online installment in the Dynasty Warriors series. The game was out for the public on November 2007 and it's currently only available in Japan, China, Thailand, Korea, and North America. The game was made available in Japan for the PS3 on February 18, 2010. Aeria Games began it's closed beta for the North American version October 14, 2010 and released it later the same year in November.

Online plays like its earlier predecessor, Dynasty Warriors BB, an online game that was discontinued on November 1, 2006. The main difference between the two is that Online requires slightly less demanding hardware specs than BB. Both games feature a quasi-RPG element in which the player can run around the world and chat with various characters. The graphics and battle mechanics for the game use Dynasty Warriors 5 as its base.

Gameplay
Players are allowed to create one character per account. Characters can be customized by their name, sex, figure, face type, hair type, voice, and standard colors. There are four different body types, eight different faces, ten hairstyles, seven voices for the men, and nine voices for the ladies. Colors can be chosen by a color picker. Once a character is created, they can choose which faction they wish to serve in the Dynasty Warriors universe. They may switch allegiance after their registration.

Each player is given a tutorial to complete from a general from the kingdom they wish to serve, which determines the age and intimacy level with their commander. Tweaking these stats will affect cutscenes and their familiarity with other officers. If they're seen favorably, they maybe addressed by name.

Levels are not set. Stats can be adjusted by the weapon and equipment that the character has equipped. Equipment is mainly the clothing that the character wears, which alters stats such as speed, power, and defense. Instead of levels players are given ranks that are gained by acquiring honor. Certain battle bonuses are unlocked with higher ranks such as the ability to equip better weapons and gear. With rank players can gain a cape which give a bonus depending on the area.

Most weapons in the game mimic the actions for the series' characters. For example, equipping a giant pole axe will make the character fight like Xu Huang and a short sword will mimic Sun Quan's moveset. Original weapons for the online game include a bo staff, two cymbals, and a sectioned metal rod that can be used as a whip. Alternately, players can chat with other players through text and animated emoticons or participate in Player vs Player (PvP) events.

Players are limited to C2~C5 of the original moveset. There are 6 differnt emblems that can come attached to a weapon. These will be set on the weapon in the C1 and C6 spots, and can only be changed through modification of the weapon. Each emblem has a differnt attack with differnt features. While most of these attacks are new, combinations may sometimes mimic the motions for the weapon's original C6 or the R1 abilities in the Warriors Orochi series. The emblems are as follows:

For fairness the combo and stats system is manipulated in battle insated of by level. Smaller enemy soliders will now drop "flasks", items that appear to be grouds used for drinking, that you need to improve your stats and combo. When a flask is picked up it will add to your stock, all the way up to 7, and you can not lower the stock number unless you activate an upgrade.
 * Thrust: A forward attack that will always go in front of the character. May be a forward movement or floating orb.
 * Pierce: An attack that will have more range than other attacks; area of effect or long ranged.
 * Crescent: An attack that curves; frontal or area of effect attack.
 * Moon: Area of effect attack that will knock enemies away.
 * Fan: C6 only. Powerful ranged attack that knocks enemies away.
 * Eclipse: C6 only. Area of effect attack that will daze enemies.

Each weapon has a differnt reiqurement for upgrading, so while Diao Chan's maces reqiure one flask to upgrade damage Zhang He's claws reiqure 5 flasks to upgrade the same stat, based on how strong the upgrade stat is. 1 flask means it has the weakest upgrade on the weapon, 6 means it will be the strongest upgrade normally. With seven flasks you can upgarde the combo of the weapon, the combo starts at C4 then goes up to c5, c6, then "evolution" that exstends your normal combo when your musou is full.

After your combo is full and you have 7 flasks in storage you can use the weapon's Advanced ability. This ability is uniuqe to each weapon, however 2 weapons can share the same Advanced. This means that if you are using Simi Yi's fan and Guan Yu's blade you will not have the same advanced.

In game you also get a bodygaurd, or lieutenents, that will follow you around in battle. These bodyguards are either animals, such as a wolf, or humans using a moveset of a released weapon. These differn from the Dynasty Warrior bodyguards in a few ways. First, you can only have on fallowing you in battle, but you can have 8 under you at one time. 2nd, they will level up and gain abilities as they level, and animals have a chance to gain a natural element each time they level. 3rd, you can use flasks in order to upgrade a bodyguard, where each upgrad increases it's armor level (protection against flinching from attacks) and will allow the boygaurd to use it's ability, and each bodygaurd can have a max of 2 abilites. A bodyguard, if they have abilities and you have upgraded them during that battle, when they preform a musou, they have a full musou bar and you call them to you, will release white waves from around them and any allies waill gain bonuses standing in the wave, and enemies will gain debuffs depending on the skills your bodygaurd has.

Each player can choose to participate in a story scenario with their army. Each scenario features several mini-battles that the player can either watch on a map or personally take part in. Various endings can be seen based on the character's stats. Currently, the known story scenarios are as follows:
 * Anti-Dong Zhuo Union (November 1, 2006 ~ November 25, 2007)
 * Surrounding Lu Bu (November 28, 2007 ~ July 13, 2008)
 * Battle of Guandu (July 15, 2008 ~ March 15, 2009)
 * Battle of Chi Bi ~ Shisho Ranbu (March 17, 2009 ~ present)

English version
 * Unrest in Jing (Start of Beta ~ March 2011)
 * Diao Chan's Plot (March 2011 ~ present)

Links

Here is the link to the Dynasty warriors: Online's wiki weapon's list

For the main page of the DWO wiki here is the English DWO online wiki

Here is a link to the "Areia Games" homepage of the English DWO

here are the Areia GAmes forums of DWO.

Related Media
The Souten Ranbu expansion was given a small tie in with the release of the movie series, Red Cliff, special outfits and scenarios are unlocked for both this game and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms MMO. These outfits and story bits are created as an homage to the film version of certain characters. More extras were unlocked when Part II was released in Japanese theaters on April 10, 2009. To celebrate the two franchises, a special interview with the film's director, John Woo, and Koei's Kou Shibusawa was posted on Online's website. Starting in July 2009 the game also staged a crossover event with the TV anime, Souten Kōro. Players could collect a scroll with the anime Cao Cao.

Image Songs

 * Fuun Musouden
 * Performed by Hironobu Kageyama
 * * used for BB only


 * Musou
 * Performed by Jay Chou
 * * used for Online only