Lineage Eternal

In November 2011, the Russian-speaking community quietly languished in anticipation of TERA, Blade & Soul, and ArcheAge, playing Lineage 2 and Aion along the way. Surprisingly, all these games are somehow connected with the famous company NCSOFT (XLGAMES and Bluehole were founded by people from NCSOFT). No one expected that in this unremarkable November, the Korean giant would announce its next locomotive project based on the IP Lineage. The presentation of Lineage Eternal: Twilight Resistance was unexpected and impressive, but the hype in the Russian-speaking segment quickly subsided as the flow of information dried up immediately after the demonstration at the G*Star exhibition.

About the game

Initially positioned as a sequel to the original Lineage, Lineage Eternal underwent several reworks before reaching the public testing stages. NCSOFT ventured to showcase its achievements in early December 2016, during the first Korean CBT. The game received a mixed reaction from the community, which closely monitored the course of the testing. Let's delve into the details.

Set 70 years after the events of the original game, Lineage Eternal uses a proprietary 3D engine with a fixed isometric camera (Quarter View, 2.5D). The game incorporates NVIDIA's technologies, including features from the Nvidia Gameworks package.

Conceptually, Lineage Eternal is a traditional "theme park" MMORPG, offering a full suite of standard entertainment and basic systems such as gathering, crafting, and upgrading equipment. Future updates promised fishing and home ownership. The primary activities include "Lineage" style mob farming, quests, and dungeons. The dungeons vary in type: single-player, group, and public, with unlocked PvP. To increase replayability, some dungeons employ the DDS (Dynamic Dungeon System), which generates dungeons randomly based on specific parameters.

Characters and Hero System

An important innovation in Lineage Eternal is the hero system. Unlike traditional MMORPGs, there is no main character. Instead, players control a team of several heroes (Eternals). Depending on the situation, players can control one character or lead a squad of four, issuing AI commands to the other three. The list of available heroes is extensive and will include several dozen by the time of release. Each hero has unique skills and attributes, with a leveling system that includes both individual and team development.

PvP

PvP has always been a significant aspect of the Lineage series, and Lineage Eternal follows this tradition. PvP is available in the open world, though the exact rules are still being balanced during closed tests. The game features an arena (Field Of Honor) where players can fight in various formats, including 4v4. The guild system (Blood Pledge) and sieges are also announced but lack detailed information currently.

Editor and Customization

Character customization, which was limited during CBT (only a few faces and hairstyles), received criticism from players. Instead of an extensive editor, players can buy and farm "appearances" similar to the MOBA genre. However, the developers promised to enhance the character editor and expand customization options post-beta.

Developers

A team of specialists named Team Eternal is working on the game. At the end of 2014, the team had about 100 members, growing substantially over the past two years, as indicated by frequent job postings on the NCSOFT website. The team is led by Jae Hyun Bae, a veteran with extensive experience, having worked on Lineage, Lineage 2, and Blade & Soul.

Release Date

The game was canceled in May 2017. The developments were transferred to a new team working on Project TL, a new MMORPG in the Lineage series based on Unreal Engine 4.

MMOTOP.ORG Review

Lineage Eternal promised to be a groundbreaking addition to the Lineage series, with its unique hero system and dynamic dungeons. The game showcased impressive visuals and innovative mechanics, but its development faced several challenges and reworks. The mixed reactions from the community during the CBT highlighted areas that needed improvement, particularly in character customization and PvP balancing. Despite its potential, the game's cancellation in 2017 left many fans disappointed. Based on its popularity and the anticipation it generated, we would rate Lineage Eternal at 55 out of 100. The game had significant potential, but the execution and eventual cancellation hindered its success.

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