Sangokushi Online
Encyclopedia
Sangokushi Online is Koei's third online
Romance of the Three Kingdoms game developed for Microsoft Windows
platform. Koei announced the development of its latest MMORPG
in mid-2006. Koei planned on releasing Sangokushi Online in Japan in the first quarter of 2007 followed by the rest of Asia . However Koei started the first pre-open testing on September 27, 2007. A second pre-open testing was begun on February 7, 2008. Additionally, these plans do not reference a possible North American or European release. This follows Koei's tradition of Asia-only MMO releases, such as Nobunaga's Ambition
.
Power struggles among ambitious men were everywhere but particularly there were three men who have successfully rallied
sufficient abled talents, enough to build the empire of their own. The player will join this triangular conquest of power by taking one of the three sides, in hope for the unification of China
!
, Sili
, Yizhou
, Yuzhou
and Yangzhou
. There are also five major village and cities, namely the Shuijing Village (a village that is named after a wise old recluse who is also known as Sima Hui
), Chang'an
, Chengdu
, Xuchang
and Jianye
. The Shuijing Village, which is situated in Jingzhou
is an activity hub for the beginning players between Level 1 and 10, while Chang'an
, which is found in Sili
is the ideal place for players of Level 11 to Level 20. Chengdu
is the stronghold of Liu Bei
and it is located in Yizhou
. Xuchang
(Cao Cao
's stronghold) and Jianye
(Sun Quan
's stronghold) are located in Yuzhou
and Yangzhou
respectively. The five regions are also peppered with dungeons of oriental mythological creatures and other minor villages. A sixth region, featuring the dry and barren desert region of northern China, known as Liangzhou has also been added in the Aug 2008 update. While most places are accessible on foot, players can also move around by other modes of transportation, such as zoning by horse or boat.
within a persistent game world and engage in activities such as exploring the landscape of ancient China
, fighting bandits and mythical creatures, running errands, quests or political assignment missions, learning combat and production skills, and interacting with both NPCs and fellow players. In return for engaging in such activities, the player will be rewarded for their effort with money and items. Unlike most MMORPGs, player will be rewarded skill experience for using their skills which allows them to advance their skills further. Currently, players can level up the characters from Level 1 to 50. Players also choose to join clans (known as guilds in most MMORPGs). Like other MMORPGs, short term groups such parties and raids can be formed to explore the different territories and instances. As players take side in one of the 3 forces, the Wu
Force, the Shu
Force and the Wei
Force (which is led by the powerful warlords, Sun Quan
, Liu Bei
and Cao Cao
respectively), they will be able to take part in large scale (PvP
& PvE
) wars, with as many as 500 players on each side. At the end of each war session, players will be rewarded with rankings according to their performance during the war.
|-
! width="75"|From !! width="75"|To !! width="350"|Event
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-01-24 !! 2007-02-06
| 1st Closed Beta testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-06-29 !! 2007-06-30
| Massive War Testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-07-27 !! 2007-08-05
| 2nd Closed Beta testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-09-27 !! 2007-10-10
| Pre-Open testing (Schedule to release on 2007-10-11)
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-10-05 !! -
| Official Announcement of delay of release
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-07 !! 2008-02-28
| 2nd Pre-Open testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-14 !! -
| Official Announcement to release on 2008-02-29
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-29 !! -
| Release at 3:00pm (JPT)
|}>
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
Romance of the Three Kingdoms game developed for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platform. Koei announced the development of its latest MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
in mid-2006. Koei planned on releasing Sangokushi Online in Japan in the first quarter of 2007 followed by the rest of Asia . However Koei started the first pre-open testing on September 27, 2007. A second pre-open testing was begun on February 7, 2008. Additionally, these plans do not reference a possible North American or European release. This follows Koei's tradition of Asia-only MMO releases, such as Nobunaga's Ambition
Nobunaga's Ambition
is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games, first released in 1983 by the Japanese video game developer Koei.Games in the franchise have been released on a variety of gaming platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive,...
.
Story
Sangokushi Online is set in the warring and chaotic times of the end of the Eastern Han dynasty in ancient China.Power struggles among ambitious men were everywhere but particularly there were three men who have successfully rallied
sufficient abled talents, enough to build the empire of their own. The player will join this triangular conquest of power by taking one of the three sides, in hope for the unification of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
!
World Setting
In Sangokushi Online, the world of the virtual Three Kingdoms of ancient China is divided into five main regions, namely JingzhouJingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Sili
Sili
Sili is a village on the south side of Savai'i island in Samoa. Sili is situated inland, unlike most villages in Samoa which are settlements by the sea. The village lies within the electoral constituency of Palauli....
, Yizhou
Yizhou
Yizhou , formerly Yishan County , is a county-level city located in Hechi Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in the southern part of the People's Republic of China....
, Yuzhou
Yuzhou
Yuzhou is a county-level city in Xuchang, central Henan province in the People's Republic of China...
and Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
. There are also five major village and cities, namely the Shuijing Village (a village that is named after a wise old recluse who is also known as Sima Hui
Sima Hui
Sima Hui, style names Decao and Shuijing , was a hermit who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was from Yingchuan , and lived in northern Jing Province...
), Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
and Jianye
Jianye
Jianye may refer to:*Jianye District, in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China*Jiankang, also known as Jianye, ancient city in China*Henan Jianye, Chinese football club...
. The Shuijing Village, which is situated in Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
is an activity hub for the beginning players between Level 1 and 10, while Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, which is found in Sili
Sili
Sili is a village on the south side of Savai'i island in Samoa. Sili is situated inland, unlike most villages in Samoa which are settlements by the sea. The village lies within the electoral constituency of Palauli....
is the ideal place for players of Level 11 to Level 20. Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
is the stronghold of Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
and it is located in Yizhou
Yizhou
Yizhou , formerly Yishan County , is a county-level city located in Hechi Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in the southern part of the People's Republic of China....
. Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
(Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
's stronghold) and Jianye
Jianye
Jianye may refer to:*Jianye District, in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China*Jiankang, also known as Jianye, ancient city in China*Henan Jianye, Chinese football club...
(Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
's stronghold) are located in Yuzhou
Yuzhou
Yuzhou is a county-level city in Xuchang, central Henan province in the People's Republic of China...
and Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
respectively. The five regions are also peppered with dungeons of oriental mythological creatures and other minor villages. A sixth region, featuring the dry and barren desert region of northern China, known as Liangzhou has also been added in the Aug 2008 update. While most places are accessible on foot, players can also move around by other modes of transportation, such as zoning by horse or boat.
Gameplay
The player will control a character avatarAvatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
within a persistent game world and engage in activities such as exploring the landscape of ancient China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, fighting bandits and mythical creatures, running errands, quests or political assignment missions, learning combat and production skills, and interacting with both NPCs and fellow players. In return for engaging in such activities, the player will be rewarded for their effort with money and items. Unlike most MMORPGs, player will be rewarded skill experience for using their skills which allows them to advance their skills further. Currently, players can level up the characters from Level 1 to 50. Players also choose to join clans (known as guilds in most MMORPGs). Like other MMORPGs, short term groups such parties and raids can be formed to explore the different territories and instances. As players take side in one of the 3 forces, the Wu
Wu
Wu may refer to:Places:* Wu , a region in China, associated with:** Wu Chinese, a variety of spoken Chinese spoken in the Wu region** Wu , a state in the Wu region during the Spring and Autumn Period...
Force, the Shu
Shu
Shu may refer to:*Shū ** , Japanese Kanji.*Shu * 蜀 , an abbreviation of Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China, as well as the following historical regimes that have existed in this region:...
Force and the Wei
Wei
-States:* Northern Wei , during Southern and Northern Dynasties* Wei , during the Spring and Autumn Period* Wei , during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period...
Force (which is led by the powerful warlords, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
and Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
respectively), they will be able to take part in large scale (PvP
Player versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
& PvE
Player versus environment
Player versus environment, or PvE , is a term used in online games, particularly MMORPGs, CORPGs, MUDs, and other online role-playing video games, to refer to fighting computer-controlled enemies—in contrast to PvP .Usually a PvE mode can be played either alone, with human...
) wars, with as many as 500 players on each side. At the end of each war session, players will be rewarded with rankings according to their performance during the war.
Development History
! width="75"|From !! width="75"|To !! width="350"|Event
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-01-24 !! 2007-02-06
| 1st Closed Beta testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-06-29 !! 2007-06-30
| Massive War Testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-07-27 !! 2007-08-05
| 2nd Closed Beta testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-09-27 !! 2007-10-10
| Pre-Open testing (Schedule to release on 2007-10-11)
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2007-10-05 !! -
| Official Announcement of delay of release
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-07 !! 2008-02-28
| 2nd Pre-Open testing
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-14 !! -
| Official Announcement to release on 2008-02-29
|- style="text-align:left"
! 2008-02-29 !! -
| Release at 3:00pm (JPT)
|}>