As my co-editor monolysis likes to point out, the Game Developers Conference 2009 was all about microtransactions. Asian games have been making a killing on this business model for years; unfortunately, historically Asian games have been localized and dropped in the laps of North Americans. The gameplay simply didn’t translate culturally. And, well, we Americans are an awfully elitist lot when it comes to the quality of our games — good game be damned, it must look beautiful! I saw several very Guild Wars-like multiplayer games: BIG lobbies where players gathered in groups of eight to 16 to go out and adventure. True Games and Possibility Space have put a few twists on this idea — in a good way, starting with your own personal castle in Warrior Epic.

Actually, it starts with character creation. There are six primary classes with two subclasses you can choose from (but are not required to). The Pit Fighter — the ultimate melee warrior — with subclasses including the Outcast, who specialize in survivalist skills, and the Berserker, who well ... berserks! He takes on lots of enemies at once. The Illusionist is not what I’d call a kind person; known for taking advantage of weak minds and feared throughout the realm. Illusionist subclasses include the Spellbinder, a master of mind-bending, and the Necromancer takes advantage of her connection to the underworld to master this one.

The Dungeon Archer sounds like an oxymoron, but he is a master of ranged attacks and at close range. Subclasses include the Stalker, who can shoot from great range for massive damage, and the Warden or Musician, who can both damage enemies while healing his party. Though the Devotress appears similar to the Pit Fighter on the surface, her goals are not to dominate but to protect. Devotress subclasses fall into two schisms — the Sentinel who wants to restore the glory of the empire and the Avenger who wishes revenge. Assassins are, well, assassins who wander and take jobs as need be. As an assassin, you may choose to be a Dead Shot or a Trapper. Do these names need further explanation?

Finally, there are the Pangolans. A Pangolan is both a race and a class. Visually, they appear as enormous sentient baboons, but they are equals to their human brethren. They are a gentle race known for their skills with nature and the ability to heal. Pangolans have the option to become Shamans, calling on the forces of nature both past and present, or Tamers and using the creatures of the forest as their allies.

What comes next will be a bit of a shock to North American players but is the fastest way to monetize the game for those players who care. You don’t get to choose what you look like. This is not to say all players look alike; in fact, it’s the opposite. When you enter the game, you’ll receive a completely random look. If you don’t care for your look, you can simply pay a trivial amount to customize to the look you want.

Don’t worry about the “Have vs. Have-not” syndrome. There is an in-game currency that will let you buy some cosmetic changes — just not all cosmetic changes. Besides, neither blond ponytails nor a bald tattooed head make the warrior. Loot is what it’s all about, baby! And loot drops ... and drops ... except for the loot that comes at the end of an adventure and is locked in a chest. The leader of the party gets to determine how the loot is split (i.e., random, need-before-greed, etc.).

I’m getting ahead of myself. We’re looting, and we’ve not even fought anything!