Is this the game for me?
Blade and soul is a unique mmorpg that focus' on martial arts style of combat with a combo system that acts like fighting games. It's a game with a heavy PVP aspect, but also a rich PVE enviroment to enjoy. I'm not big on PVP myself, in fact I actively avoid it, but honestly as somoene anti-pvp it has eased me into it. It's a game that really forces you to learn your class, it's a game that rewards practice, but also makes you practice without even being aware of it
Okay when is it coming out
January 19th, or January 15th for Founder pack purchasers. Regarding founders pack, if you are very interested in the game, I highly suggest you get the masterspack. Although the beta is done, it saves you about 50 bucks on all the included crap like storage space, and items to affect your quality of life. It also puts you at level 5 with the premium status which gives you a whole other list of extra benefits. I highly recommend the master pack.
What are the classes
Spoiler
CUBES?!
There is 100% no gambling aspect to the game, the only version that does is the Chinese version. Costumes add no stats at all, thely are purely aesthetic. The only thing that affects your stats are mainly your weapon, and soul shields. Soul shields are an 8 piece set of a pie like object that you can mix, match or upgrade to what you want your character to have. There is no method in cash shop that has any relevance to these shields or the items that lead to damage. There are "gem socket crystals", that add critial, hp, and things to your weapon. However they are incredibly weak, and untradeable. The "attack gem" only adding 7 attack to your weapon.
I will continue on this point later in what you should be doing as you go through the game
Pay to play?
It is a free to play game, with an optional subscription (which price hasn't been released yet but people are assuming are 15ish bucks a month. The premium membership gives you quality of life benefits, discounts, faster crafting times, less wait time on quick travel (normally like 60 seconds iirc) and discounts on upgrading and such. It's a 10 tier system that will cost you nearly 800 bucks to get to level 10. Before you frown at me, this is accumulated overtime, and it isn't based specifically on how much you purchase.
-First and foremost, your rank never goes down, you could spend 800 bucks in a month and immediately get rank 10, and never pay for the subscription status for a year, and you will still have that perk as soon as you renew the subscription.
-Spending gold in game, and hongmoon coins also go towards this premium status. Hongmoon coins are 'tokens' you get from events, boxes, and some quests, which essentially cost 10 silver and give you a range of an amount based on what token it is. By spending and even acquiring these coins you get points towards your premium level. I've heard people get to level 6-7 just off these features alone.
Costumes do not expire, are purchaseable using hongmoon coins (which honestly is legit way to get 'ncsoft credit' using in game gold in a legitimate fashion), but costumes are expensive as f`uck, like 20 bucks for the higher end ones. However a lot of costumes are droppable/boss exclusive. I would say out of the 200 costumes, 50 are cash shop exclusive (including pets). These are the methods that NCsoft will primarely be making money.
So uh, what IS the RNG stuff?
Weapon upgrades. Not what you're thinking though. There is no failure rate on weapons, there is a minimum to maximum threshold, but again, not the RNG sh`it you think. Each weapon goes from level 1-6, then you have to upgrade it, then 6-10 where then you have to upgrade it again. You will be given a survey type of quest for meeting level thresholds, that give you experience gems "Lucky gems", which greatly gains you experience regarding your weapon.
Do.not.use.them. Seriously, most weapons at your 'stage' will do you fine up until inferal weapons (level 35-38). Once you get to level 45, itll get very difficult if you don't save those gems. Save your field repair hammers too, use regular hammers as much as possible.
Now finally for the RNG, from 1-6, an open world boss will drop 'essense' for you to use at a roulette, which will drop a weapon box that allows you to evolve your weapon from 6-10. The trouble is when you open that box, you have a chance of any weapon from any class, although they are tradeable, so you could find someone with your weapon to trade with, if you're trying to be quick, it's better to buy the key in cash shop. The keys in cash shop save you wasting keys in game to open chests, hongmoon keys are given mainly through quests, and can get frustrating as one unlucky streak can make you have to wait for the dailes the next day. IMO you're better off just buying the "Brilliant" key in cash shop to accelerate the process. Manageable either way though.
For level 6-10 weapons, its a raid boss you have to defeat, which also drops a weapon box with the same effect as above, but the boss also has a chance of dropping the weapon outside of the box too, catch is that weapon upgrade isn't tradeable.
*NOTE* DO not feed the upgrade weapon, in the upgrade screen of your weapon, itll have a slot you have to fill with the weapon, when you click evolve, that's when the weapon will be used.
What weapons/gear should I focus on?
The beauty on this one is, you get the weapon you will be using immediately. Anything Hongmoon in front of it, is what you focus on. You will get ring/earring/weapon, which goes through the upgrade system. Focus on your weapon, earrings/ring aren't really to die for and will be replaceable at one point.
As for your soul shields, really it's just getting the;
Scorpion (Giant ass scorpion)
Blackram (First purple raid)
The fallen one (Second purple raid)
Then once you get to misty woods you'll collect these things called insignia, which is at the PVP map, takes like 2 hours total, but it triples your HP, they are referred to as PVP soul shields since they are given by your faction.
What you should know before you start
Spoiler
If you have anymore questions, let me know and I'll throw it in here, but those are feel are the best thing to know.
EDIT:
Also for you Kpop fans, Secret endorses it :f3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4e1udHVYVs
