Conquer for Mac: Gameplay Impressions

April 20, 2011 - PRLog -- On April 8th, 2011, we were glad to debut the Mac version of Conquer Online for a open beta test, during which I learned a lot about the game. For all the MMO fans out there, this game has been around for almost 8 years, and it’s still got a lot left in the tank. I’ve seen how many players continue to enjoy the unique style of combat. However, this is the first time ever for Conquer to enter the Mac OS X world, and there are still some bug issues that need to be tackled.

For starters, Conquer Online has endured 8 years of ups and downs, and won hundreds of millions of players’ heart worldwide since its launch in 2003. With its unique PvP system and lively Chinese cultural elements, players have been drawn to the exciting world of Conquer.
(Download Mac CO Client) http://co.91.com/downloads/client.shtml

The game starts smoothly with character selection and creation. Conquer provides Monks, Trojans, Ninjas, Warriors, Archers and Taoists for character selection, with that being said, the class system has its unique connection in between. I created a Trojan in the MacTest server, in order to help players find the glitches in the beta version. Its nice that they provide every player with a full set of Super gear to run around in. Also, all skills can be learned after answering the questions posed by the Beta Guide.

With all said and done, I ran into the very first bug that only the Mac version has. The Pedlar, a vendor that sells Skill Books, malfunctioned and I couldn’t buy anything from it. By contrast, this NPC functions just fine in the Windows version.

Once I entered the world, the game played extremely smoothly, with no lag at all. The graphics were performing at an extremely high level. Despite the characteristics of a 2.5D MMORPG, it showed us some prospects for how well graphics for 2.5D can be used. I played a little bit of Conquer on Windows, so I can feel the difference right away. It feels more a bit more lively and vivid on the updated Mac client. When you zoom in, you can see that the details are so delicate, it almost looks alive!

Now let’s talk about the controls, combat, and unique PvP system.

First off, different from the controls on the Windows OS, this may take a little getting used to. All the function keys are replaced with numbers, which is the major change to the client for Mac. The right click on the mouse has also be replaced by the combo control + left click, which will be more responsive than just the right click, itself. You can also set the option to use the original style, if you choose. Other than these two major changes to the Mac client, there are no other big changes you can see, when compared to the Conquer for Windows.

“United We Stand”
Second off, the combat was really quite responsive. Unlike other 2.5D/2D MMORPGs, or even other 3D masterpieces, the combat system in Conquer plays a bit different. A player stays more connected to his/her guild and clan, random PK combat losses will result in fund losses for the guild, which is quite a unique and distinguishing feature.

Last but not least, I’d like to talk a bit about the unique PvP system in the world of Conquer.

It’s comprised of many types of tournaments, such as the Arena Qualifier, Team Qualifier, Team PK, Skill Team PK, Elite PK and the newly introduced Capture the Flag.

I got to take part in a CTF contest a few days ago, and it was tons of fun! The teamwork, running out and searching for guildies, trying to push back the attackers so the flag carriers can bring the flags back safely... It was just an awesome match. Definitely one of the better tournaments I’ve played on.

In the end though, Conquer does play smoothly on my Mac Mini, and I have an outstanding world to explore. Overall, it was a good experience. I hope the upped graphics and the ancient Chinese cultural can meet the appeal of the players out there.