In Summer 2021, the western version of the MMORPG Swords of Legends Online is set to be released. As part of Find Your Next Game, we spoke with the developers at the publisher Gameforge and got an insight into the mid and endgame of the game.
What kind of game is this? Swords of Legends Online is a theme park MMORPG that was released in China in 2019. It focuses on:
- A traditionally Chinese story and corresponding quests
- Dungeons and raids
- Multiple life skills
- Diverse PvP content
- Housing
Swords of Legends is set to release in Summer 2021 in our region and will be playable via a dedicated client, Steam, and the Epic Games Launcher. Before that, there will also be alpha and beta tests that have already been announced.
The MMORPG will be Buy2Play (ranging from 40 to 100 Euros depending on the package), so you have to pay once for access. Additionally, it is funded by a purely cosmetic shop.
We at MeinMMO have already tried the first 15 levels in the client from Taiwan and drawn a conclusion. In it, we also discussed the combat system and other general content. Now, we were able to speak with Gameforge about the content in the mid and endgame of the MMORPG.
This is what you can expect when leveling towards the endgame
How does leveling work? In Swords of Legends Online, at the start, you can choose from one of 6 classes. With this, you play a tutorial that runs identically for everyone and where you will also meet other players. In it, you will primarily encounter story-driven quests.
In the early levels, you will become familiar with the world and will be deeply engaged in dialogues. The later quests will then focus more on fighting.
Once you reach about level 15 and the flying city “Cloudway”, you will unlock the class areas that offer new quests and skills. However, these areas are more like a hub. A large part of your playtime will be spent with other players in the general play areas.
What are class areas? These areas differ depending on the class and offer various quests and mini-games. For example, for the Deathbringer, it is a kind of “Simon Says”, a children’s game where you must proceed cautiously, as is typical for an assassin.
In addition to the mini-games and quests, you will also learn new skills in this area that you can directly try out in a kind of tutorial. Accordingly, there is an info window that explains the skill and resource consumption in detail.
Also striking about the class areas is the aesthetics. For the Deathbringer, everything is in dark and purple tones, which fits well with the assassin and the class in general. This makes the areas very cohesive.
What is the max level in SOLO? Swords of Legends has a somewhat unusual level structure. You start at level “Student 1” and level up to “Student 36”. Afterwards, there is a quest that allows you to ascend to “Student 1”. This is also the maximum level in the game to start with.
In China, this continues further. There, you can reach “Student 36” and then ascend to a new rank. This rank currently has no description in our region but will likely go in the direction of “Teacher or Master 1”.
The new max level was introduced there as part of an expansion that also brought new classes.
Diverse endgame content for all player types
What does Swords of Legends offer in the endgame? Those who have brought their character to Student 1 can fully immerse themselves in the endgame of SOLO. There, you can expect:
- Dungeons and raids
- World bosses and the “Underworld”
- Daily quests and missions
- Instanced PvP battles, including small arenas like 3v3 but also larger battles
- Achievements
- Fashion endgame in the form of special skins, mounts, or housing content
Although the content sounds like the usual activities in an MMORPG, Swords of Legends does some things differently, especially with the dungeons and world bosses. Here, the focus is mainly on flexibility.
Flexible dungeons and raids
How do dungeons and raids work? Each dungeon can be completed by a group of 5 players. However, you can also team up with a larger group.
The dungeons dynamically scale for up to 10 players. The more players involved, the more health points and other bonuses the enemies in the dungeon receive. You are flexible in the composition of the group without making the dungeon simpler or harder overall.
The same mechanics apply to raids. Here, between 10 and 20 players can participate.
What about rewards? For defeating bosses, there are always personal and general rewards:
- The personal loot is not affected by the group size and remains the same size, regardless of how many players are in the group
- The group loot, however, is divided among the existing players. It is unclear at this time whether this also means less loot for the individual player
These are the world bosses and the “Underworld”
How do world bosses work in SOLO? In the endgame areas, there are several types of bosses. Some can be defeated alone, while others are meant for groups of players.
To defeat a world boss, you need the life skill “Bounty Hunting”. With this, you learn a special ability that you can use to interact when you reach a boss. When you use the skill, you will be teleported to a special version of the map. There, players will fight together against the boss without disturbing players in the open world.
Moreover, world bosses are not directly bound to timers. They can be challenged and defeated at any time.
World bosses can drop loot multiple times or only once a week, depending on difficulty. The exact reset times are provided in-game for each boss. However, they can still be fought multiple times.
In the preview, the developers from Gameforge showed me a fight with a giant scorpion that was impossible to defeat alone. Despite being at max level and almost 3 minutes of combat, only about 1% of the boss’s health was depleted.
What is the “Underworld”? The Underworld is also associated with one of the life skills. In certain areas, you can use a skill that allows you to jump into another version of the map. This version has been corrupted by the “Evil Qi”.
There, you will encounter different opponents and tasks.
PvP with various battlegrounds
What do we know about PvP? PvP in Swords of Legends will not take place in the open world. Those who want to compete with other players will go into specific battlegrounds. In China, there are various sizes, including 3v3, 5v5, and 15v15.
However, what specific content we will receive at launch will be revealed in the future.
Scaling in the open world and auto-run
Does the open world scale like in ESO or GW2? No, in Swords of Legends, there are initially 9 areas that are bound to specific levels. However, the “power spike” is not so large that you can wipe everything in an area just below your level in one hit.
However, if you wear endgame equipment, you can smoothly cut through the low-level areas.
Is there auto-pathing? Yes and no. On each map, there were “clouds” that you can unlock. They work similarly to griffons in WoW. Once you unlock a cloud, you can click on it on the map, and your character will automatically run towards the cloud.
Automatic running to quest objectives or even automatic fighting does not exist in Swords of Legends.
You are a chosen one who must keep the evil under control
What is Swords of Legends actually about? 30 years ago, there was a great battle in which the evil “Eternal Army” fought against the good. In this battle at the Qin Mausoleum, the good won, but the heroes of the legendary swords perished.
The souls of the swords still exist today, and as a player, you are a chosen one from one of these souls. Your task is to protect the seal that keeps the evil Qi under control.
What classes are there at launch? With the release of Swords of Legends Online, we will get 6 classes in the West, each offering 2 specializations that have already been introduced in detail:
- Deathbringer – An assassin with scythes who, in the second path, can also be a healer
- Berserker – A classic melee fighter who can deal damage or tank
- Sword Mage – A DPS class that attacks with swords in both melee and ranged combat
- Bard – A class with a string instrument that can deal damage or heal
- Summoner – A damage dealer in ranged combat who can also heal in the second path
- Spear Master – A melee fighter who can act as a damage dealer or tank
Anyone looking to get an overview of starting Swords of Legends and the Deathbringer class can find here a 30-minute gameplay video of the Taiwanese version of the game recorded by me:
Assessment: Varied endgame and promising future
At first glance, Swords of Legends makes a really good impression regarding endgame content. There are various activities for different player types, and the focus is clearly on flexibility. This is evident in dynamic player counts in dungeons and raids and in world bosses without timers. Nothing is more frustrating than narrowly missing a boss fight and having to wait like in Black Desert for 24 hours until the next fight.
However, many details are still missing to discuss long-term motivation in detail. We still don’t know anything about the exact numbers and difficulties of the dungeons and raids. If these are too easy or too repetitive, it could lead to a lack of tasks in the long run. Also, regarding PvP content and item grind, currently too little is known.
The most positive aspect for me in the conversation with Gameforge was the expansion in China. This shows that the MMORPG has continued to be developed after release and that there is still plenty of content that can be brought to Europe over time. This has been a shortcoming of many Asian MMORPGs in recent years. Because when they arrive in our region, they often have already failed in their home country.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
We at MeinMMO will continue to accompany Swords of Legends Online in the coming weeks and months and will report on the tests and content of the game.
Anyone currently looking for a new MMORPG that could release in 2021 will find in this list: The 8 most promising new MMOs and MMORPGs for 2021.
