Monster Battle Mechanics
There is no «Magic» in SBO except for the different colored crystals that bring instant effects. Instead players can fight using their «Sword Skills». Execution of Swords Skills are assisted by the system, and it can fall into any of the four properties: Thrust, Slash, Pierce and Blunt. SBO has no projectile weapon skills, with the exception of throwing darts, boomerangs, and chakrams.
Attempting to battle without Sword Skills is largely ineffective, and it is equivalent to waving one's sword around without doing damage. Many beginners make this mistake, and they can lose a large portion of their health if they panic and forget to use their Sword Skills.[3]
Battle Results
Defeating a monster brings up a Congratulations screen with a summary of results: EXP gained, Col gained, and Items dropped. Distribution of loot occurs automatically, and Col is automatically divided evenly between the party/raid members while items are placed in the inventory of the person who receives it. Unlike the systems of many MMOs, Sword Burst Online does not have a battle log or announce to others what items other players receive. As a result, Boss Battles can end awkwardly as there is no fair mechanism of splitting the loot among the victors. To prevent disputes, guilds often have set policies dictating the division of loot.
In Boss Battles, being the player to deal the finishing Last Attack produces a rare drop for the individual player.
In general, monsters cannot enter safe zones, such as towns or cities.
Party Battle Mechanics
It is generally much more efficient to battle in parties. While there are less emphasis on Classes in Sword Burst Online, and monsters can only be engaged by one player at a time, the main benefit of battling in parties is the ability to «Switch».
Switching allows a fellow party member to take the lead spot against an opponent at any time. Most monsters and bosses have a short down-time in between attacks, so switching during the gap allows an additional blow to be dealt when a monster is stunned. Additionally, the AI algorithms are known to run slower when a change of attack style (which occurs during a switch), so monsters have marginally slower reaction times immediately after a «Switch». Kirito of Sword Art Online mentions that «Switch» is one of the skills that are improvised by players without the assist of the system, also dubbed by Kirito as "a skill outside the system".
The maximum number of players that can form a party is six. Eight parties (or groups) constitute a complete Raid Group large enough to challenge bosses.
Player vs. Player Combat
In Sword Burst Online, it is possible to engage in combat with other players. Player vs. Player combat can either be authorized or unauthorized.
Unauthorized combat can be initiated by simply striking another player intentionally. This will render the aggressor's cursor icon as orange, which is visible to everyone for several hours (repeated offenses will render a player's cursor permanently orange). While anyone can be challenged in unauthorized combat, such player vs. player battle cannot occur in safe zones. Attacking a player in a safe zone will not decrease HP, but the recoil and impact of Sword Skills can be felt.
A duel between two players.
Authorized combat is essentially dueling. It is done by requesting permission from another player to engage in a duel. There are several different duel modes, which vary conditionally by concluding after the first clear blow, after HP decreases by one half, after a period of time, or death. Attacking someone during a duel will not turn any participant's cursors to orange.
Like most MMORPGs, Player Killing (PKing) is often a result of unwanted player-player combat. While death in the original Closed Beta test resulted in respawning in the Room of Resurrection on the 1st Floor, player death is permanent and real in the Official Server Service. As a result, PKing in Sword Burst Online has a severity akin to murder.
There is no «Magic» in SBO except for the different colored crystals that bring instant effects. Instead players can fight using their «Sword Skills». Execution of Swords Skills are assisted by the system, and it can fall into any of the four properties: Thrust, Slash, Pierce and Blunt. SBO has no projectile weapon skills, with the exception of throwing darts, boomerangs, and chakrams.
Attempting to battle without Sword Skills is largely ineffective, and it is equivalent to waving one's sword around without doing damage. Many beginners make this mistake, and they can lose a large portion of their health if they panic and forget to use their Sword Skills.[3]
Battle Results
Defeating a monster brings up a Congratulations screen with a summary of results: EXP gained, Col gained, and Items dropped. Distribution of loot occurs automatically, and Col is automatically divided evenly between the party/raid members while items are placed in the inventory of the person who receives it. Unlike the systems of many MMOs, Sword Burst Online does not have a battle log or announce to others what items other players receive. As a result, Boss Battles can end awkwardly as there is no fair mechanism of splitting the loot among the victors. To prevent disputes, guilds often have set policies dictating the division of loot.
In Boss Battles, being the player to deal the finishing Last Attack produces a rare drop for the individual player.
In general, monsters cannot enter safe zones, such as towns or cities.
Party Battle Mechanics
It is generally much more efficient to battle in parties. While there are less emphasis on Classes in Sword Burst Online, and monsters can only be engaged by one player at a time, the main benefit of battling in parties is the ability to «Switch».
Switching allows a fellow party member to take the lead spot against an opponent at any time. Most monsters and bosses have a short down-time in between attacks, so switching during the gap allows an additional blow to be dealt when a monster is stunned. Additionally, the AI algorithms are known to run slower when a change of attack style (which occurs during a switch), so monsters have marginally slower reaction times immediately after a «Switch». Kirito of Sword Art Online mentions that «Switch» is one of the skills that are improvised by players without the assist of the system, also dubbed by Kirito as "a skill outside the system".
The maximum number of players that can form a party is six. Eight parties (or groups) constitute a complete Raid Group large enough to challenge bosses.
Player vs. Player Combat
In Sword Burst Online, it is possible to engage in combat with other players. Player vs. Player combat can either be authorized or unauthorized.
Unauthorized combat can be initiated by simply striking another player intentionally. This will render the aggressor's cursor icon as orange, which is visible to everyone for several hours (repeated offenses will render a player's cursor permanently orange). While anyone can be challenged in unauthorized combat, such player vs. player battle cannot occur in safe zones. Attacking a player in a safe zone will not decrease HP, but the recoil and impact of Sword Skills can be felt.
A duel between two players.
Authorized combat is essentially dueling. It is done by requesting permission from another player to engage in a duel. There are several different duel modes, which vary conditionally by concluding after the first clear blow, after HP decreases by one half, after a period of time, or death. Attacking someone during a duel will not turn any participant's cursors to orange.
Like most MMORPGs, Player Killing (PKing) is often a result of unwanted player-player combat. While death in the original Closed Beta test resulted in respawning in the Room of Resurrection on the 1st Floor, player death is permanent and real in the Official Server Service. As a result, PKing in Sword Burst Online has a severity akin to murder.
