Chapter 435

He took a deep breath as he accessed the menu, reading through the options made available for ‘developer’ type characters. Because he got to pick first, it meant technically, he could choose whatever he wanted. There wasn’t any pressure on him to fill a gap in their three-man party, because, currently, no one had decided anything character wise. If James wanted to heal, he could heal. If he wanted to tank, he could tank. And if he wanted to be the glory hog and DPS everything to the ground, well, he could do that too.

That being said, as he skimmed through the ten available options for developer characters to start with, he couldn’t help but feel robbed. First off, part of the massive draw of DCO, had been the variety of classes to choose at character creation. The fact that pool was limited to him, was a bit of a rip off. Still, given what Steve had said about the upgrade paths, there was little doubt in James’s mind that there would still be plenty of variety amongst the developer characters, even with the restrictions.

Another bit that Steve had failed to mention, as James scanned character creation, was that the playable races had been limited as well. Not to the same degree as class selection, but still, a smaller pool than he knew existed for regular players. Again, a bit of an annoyance, but considering James had almost given up on the idea of being able to play DCO as a player, he wasn’t going to complain. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, and all that nonsense.

James looked over the options once more, his mind working at an accelerated rate, his heart rate doing its best to stay calm. He knew right of the bat he didn’t want to be a healer. He was technically already a healer, after all, with his Avatar. That meant there was the tank option, or dps option. Which really meant there was only one option for James to pick. Because he hated playing tank.

With that thought he skimmed the available dps options, searching for one, anyone, to stand out to him. Summoner was on the list again, as was ranger. Both of those options appealed to him. Summoner, after all, was the class he’d been interested in back when DCO first released. Still, while his Avatar wasn’t quite a full on summoner anymore, he figured grabbing that, would be a bit, monotonous. Besides, he got to watch Alex run around as a summoner, and if he wanted to adventure with Alex and Fel, another summoner would be silly.

Still, James wasn’t really that fond of normal dps roles either. He’d always been a fan of pet classes. They were just so, versatile. If he weren’t limited on his selection, he’d probably be a little more willing to go crazy, but as it was, he could tell there was a bit of him that still wanted to be…comfortable. Plus, a pet class as a dps player made sense, to his mind. Most of the groups he did see, didn’t have a pet class player. Plus, if it were him, Rue, and Steve running around adventuring, being able to summon extra bodies, was always a plus.

James selected the option that, in his heart, he’d known he was going to pick anyways. After all, The Great and Mighty Glyax in WU, was a warlock, and ever since he’d seen the class during the first dungeon wars, he’d been interested in it. The leveling mechanic on the pets, plus their evolution tree, felt like a hybrid between a normal pet class, and a Digimon style game.

He grinned as he locked it in, moving to the next bit of creation. With the class figured out, toggling between the different races showed him not only how they appeared in basic starting gear, but also gave him an idea of the stats he’d have. Some races, such as orcs, obviously had a higher base hp pool and regen rate, which was what made them ideal for physical classes. Their racial abilities, which further increased their physical stats, always made them a good option for tanks and melee picks.

When it came to the warlock though, James was torn. A good pet class player rarely faced danger, meaning in theory, he wouldn’t need access to a high health pool. Still, James was more than aware of how…random… DCO could be, and even if he’d created his dungeon, or maybe precisely for that reason, he figured having extra health or a good ‘oh shit’ button style passive, could come in handy.

Unfortunately, James didn’t want to be an orc, nor a troll, nor an ogre, nor one of those treefolk. All of which had increased HP pools and regen. Arguably, the treefolk also had increased mana regen, which would technically make them good for being a pet class. Though, a treefolk running around as a warlock, summoning demons, seemed a little too…unique, for James’s pace.

He settled, therefore, on an option that, while not perfect, was still something he could be happy with. There was a race in DCO, available not only to players, but also to the programmers, thankfully, called Archons. This race had androgenous looking human bodies, but bestial, somewhat demonic, faces. While James wasn’t one to usually go the creepy route, he figured having a face like that, at least, could ensure an added layer of protection regarding his identity. Moreover, the bestial, somewhat demonic faces, felt perfect for a warlock, considering he’d be running around with a demonic companion when playing.

The final bit that pushed his decision to picking the Archon race, was it’s racial ability. Called “Primordial Manipulation”, the ability would enhance any spells he cast by 10% for 10 seconds at base level, as well as add a random element to the damage type of his spells and abilities during that time. Additionally, the class came with a slightly higher natural mana regen rate, which could be helpful, depending on the warlock toolsets he gained access to once his character was created.

With the base set for his character, he looked back at Rue and Steve. Both his love, and the developer, were watching him intently, and he could tell they were curious, and eager, to see what he made. Past that, he figured they both really wanted to make their own characters as well, so they could begin adventuring as soon as possible. After everything they’d been through, it was only fair that they finally got a moment of peace, and play, within the world they’d come to love.

James grinned and finished selecting his character. He left the physical features of the archon pretty basic. As a warlock, it looked like the slim, yet fit, body of the archon would be covered in a black cloak with a wide-open chest. The bestial face on the archon looked like that of a gargoyle, with glowing yellow eyes, and twirling horns sprouting from its head. Most interesting, was the fact once the Archon reached level 30, his Primordial Manipulation would have the chance to give him wings as well, when activated. Given what he knew about the game and fall damage… being able to fly could be a blessing, and a curse.

That was for a later James to worry about though. He finalized his character, giving it the name Nyx, for the Greek Goddess of the night. Who better to summon demons as a warlock, than one bearing the name of the night? Plus, James just liked the name, if he was being honest with himself.

Character Creation Complete.

Flashed above the panel, showing his warlock in all its glory before him. A moment later though, the character flashed, and disappeared, with a new prompt appearing before James.

Select Level 20 upgrade to continue.