Dev's Comments
"Anarchy Online (AO) is a science fiction themed multiplayer online roleplaying game. With three acclaimed expansion packs, Notum Wars , Shadowlands and Alien Invasion the world of Rubi-Ka awaits!"
Character Development
Anarchy Online is level based. At each level your character is awarded a certain amount of Improvement Points (IPs) to spend raising your skills. You get bonuses to certain skills based on your breed and profession.
Social/Class/Guild Structure
Anarchy Online is designed for both solo play and partying with other players in teams of 2-6. Guilds in AO are referred to as organisations, these consist of players who must be all of the same faction. Organisations can build and govern cities, they also must ensure they defend the city from alien attack.
Combat/Skills
Each character in AO has 83 skills, most of which you can raise. It is impossible to raise them all as you are not awarded enough Improvement Points to do so, therefore you have to decide which skills you want your character to be good at. These Improvement Points allow you to raise the skills that in turn allow you to use better weapons, armour, nano-programs and other general equipment.
Crafting Professions
All characters in AO can craft implants, armour and/or weapons, the specifics of which depend on the breed and the profession you have chosen and the amount of Improvement Points put in to the skill required.
Quests
Quests are referred to as missions and you collect these from a bulletin boards in a terminal. Some missions are breed and profession specific, others may be team based.
PvP
AO uses it's in-built risk analysis system to judge who can PvP whom below level 150. If a player is 'grey' to you when you target them you will not be able to initiate PvP against that player. While not exactly scientific as a general rule you are normally able to PvP against anyone who is within a +/- 5-10 levels range. This varies between levels as you get up towards level 150. After level 150 it is a free for all.
Any character who is Neutral cannot start PvP at all - they have to be attacked first (that is the point of being Neutral after all!). They can then respond with whatever vigor they can muster.
AO uses a system of suppression gases that dictate where PvP can occur. Basically it splits areas of the game into four types of zones:
-100% Suppression Gas - In these zones no combat is allowed at all - you can't even hit the AI controlled MoBs. Guards of the opposing faction will target you and attack though.
-75% Suppression Gas - In these zones you are allowed to fight AI MoBs only - no PvP is allowed.
-25% Suppression Gas - Also called 'Political zones' these areas are where PvP against those of the opposing faction is allowed.
-5% Suppression Gas - Only ever found around Notum Wars Towers this gas allows PvP against anyone other then those people in your own guild.
-0% Suppression Gas - Otherwise known as 'Mayhem zones' these areas are free for all - Any player can attack any other player
If you fancy some PvP action but don't want to risk the political or Mayhem Zones you could take a visit to the PvP Arena areas in the big City zones. These arenas provide a small pocket of 0% suppression that combat can be fought within the safety of the city walls either for show, boasting rights or to settle a score.
Lore
Prophet Without Honour begins in the year 29,475 on the planet Rubi-Ka. On this newly colonised world, orbiting two suns on the outer fringes of the galaxy, a series of momentous events will change the course of human history for all time to come. The war between Omni-Tek, the corporate entity with political and economic control over Rubi-Ka, and the rebel clans who fight for the freedom and independence of their people is just the precursor to a greater conflict that begins on Earth in the 20th Century... more lore...
Additional Information
