Coming from Lusternia Guide (player-made)

Asmodron

Hi there,

If you're coming from Lusternia and a bit lost, here's a guide to help you get familiar with the differences. You'll find some information on cities, classes, and mechanics to hopefully ease your transition. This information is based on my own personal experiences and understanding, and so there is always a chance others may view it differently.

CITIES/COMMUNES:

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- Like Lusternia, Achaea also has several cities/communes as player run hubs. They are the following (this is a very basic explanation of each):

Ashtan: A city devoted to Chaos, following the will of the Chaos Lords (entities from another plane).

Cyrene: A city based around individuality and the arts (most neutral-based city).

Eleusis: A village/commune of nature-lovers under the guidance  of the Goddess of Nature.

Hashan: A city focused on mortal agency and Progress, with elements of darkness.

Mhaldor: A city of those who serve the God of Evil, following His will.

Targossas: A city that worships the Gods of Good, known as the Bloodsworn.

- How do these cities/communes compare to Lusternia? Below is a breakdown.

Celest: If you're coming from Celest, you'll likely find Targossas to be the closest match. It has a similar focus of worship of Light and Good, though themed more towards the paths of Methrenton and Shakiniel.

Gaudiguch: The chaos magic in Lusternia is somewhat different than that of Achaea in theme, but still rather similar in application. Though Chaos in Achaea is darker, Ashtan's chaos lore might feel familiar. The Occultist and Unnamble class play to the ideas of mental afflictions and physical transformations that you would be more familiar with.

Glomdoring: This is a bit trickier. While Eleusis reflects a love for nature, it lacks the darker, more corrupt elements Glomdoring is known for. Concepts of darkness and shadow can be found in Hashan to some degree, particularly within the Order of Darkness, where some degree of trickery also exists.

Hallifax: Cyrene mirrors Hallifax's focus on the arts, especially within the Order of Scarlatti. For the scientific and research aspects, Hashan offers a similar focus, with a strong emphasis on study and experimentation, supported by its grand laboratory. However, research and knowledge are valued across all cities in Achaea.

Magnagora: The comparison depends on what drew you to Magnagora. If it was the demonic and dark powers, Mhaldor is a close match, with demon summoners and necromancers under the God of Evil. In terms of scientific experimentation and mechanisms, you will find such concepts more similar in places like Hashan with their experimentation.

Serenwilde: This one is straightforward - if your love of nature and desire to protect it resonates most, Eleusis will be the perfect fit.

ARCHETYPES/SKILLS:

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Achaea doesn't use a skill-tree system like Lusternia. Each class is unique to its own, and players adopt a class rather than learning skills available within it. Some classes have alternative skill paths, which can be switched between (e.g Monks switching from Tekura to Shikudo). Below is a comparison of Lusternia’s archetypes to Achaea’s classes:

Mage: While Lusternian Mages are distinct due to their use of demesnes, Achaean Mages don’t have this mechanic. However, their theme still centres around Elementalism, using all four elements in their abilities.

Druid: Like Mages, Achaean Druids don’t employ demesnes, though they can spread vines through areas. This isn’t exactly central to their combat kit, but rather an added feature representing nature’s reclamation.

Wiccan: Achaea doesn’t have a Wiccan-esque class. Occultists can fill the summoning entities niche, while Druids and Sylvans can cover the natural spell-power theme. While Achaea lacks a spiritual class tied to concepts like the Moon, Night, or Fae, the Depthswalker class does use shadow-based abilities. Additionally, Shamans call upon spirits and cast curses, which may appeal to those who enjoy that theme.

Guardian: For those interested in spiritual or cosmic faith, the closest classes are Apostates (Evil necromantic demon-summoners), Priests (Good-aligned angel-summoners), and Occultists (Chaos-worshipping entity-summoners). Several of their spells are similar in scope to those found in Lusternia.

Bard: Achaean Bards are more physical combat-focused focusing on dexterity. They blend music with swordplay with acrobatics. While they maintain the themes of music and storytelling, Achaea does not have a stanza mechanic for effects.

Warrior: Warriors in Achaea are thematically similar to those in Lusternia. You select a specialisation and wield weapons to defeat enemies. There are four types of Warriors: Infernals (using the power of Evil and Necromancy), Paladins (using the power of Good and fire), Unnamables (using Chaos for transformations), and Runewardens (neutral, using rune-based powers). The Sentinel class is another option for forest-lovers, offering a physical fighter but with a different skill setup. Instead of a Wounds system, Achaea uses a limb damage system - when a limb reaches 100% damage, it breaks.

Monk: Achaean Monks share some similarities with those in Lusternia. They use combos to deal damage and effects, with Tekura focusing on unarmed martial arts to damage limbs. Shikudo is an alternative path to Tekura, and can be compared to Lusternia’s staff-wielding Tahtetso Monks. Shikudo Monks progress through stances (similar to katas) to unlock more powerful abilities. Achaean Monks start with Tekura, Telepathy, and Kaido, and can only learn Shikudo (in place of Tekura) after fully mastering Tekura and investing in it as a secondary path.

CONFLICT/WAR:

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Achaea's conflict system differs significantly from what you may be used to, though some similarities remain.

PvP: There is no Avechna system requiring formal declarations of attack. If you have a valid reason (within the bounds of rationality), you can engage in combat. The target may retaliate by hiring an assassin, except in zones classified as Open PK, explained below. The system is more intricate than it appears, so be sure to check in-game help files for details.

Contracts: Players can register as assassins or champions for hire. If someone wrongs you, you can anonymously place a contract with payment, and hired assassins will attempt to hunt down the target. Success grants you a rush of experience, and if the assassin is slain, the contract is considered concluded.

Conquests: Achaea's conquest system resembles Village Revolts or Aetherflares. Cities or communes spread their influence into other areas through a pathing system, similar to mage demesnes. The more areas controlled, the more spirit energy is accumulated, which can be used for buffs. Contested or liberation-attempt areas become Open PK zones. The goal is to have your beacon (for conquest) or tank (for liberation) reach 100% to claim victory. Different orgs have unique approaches to strategy in conquests.

Raids: Raiding cities in Achaea is much more common than in Lusternia. Raids often focus on killing city soldiers (players flagged as city army members) to gain Sanction status, which turns the city into an Open PK zone. Raiders then attempt to place a tank to destroy a room, reducing it to rubble and requiring repairs. Raids don’t involve slaying powerful entities and then completing large-scale quests for massive effects, as seen in Lusternia.

Curatives: Combat curatives in Achaea are similar to Lusternia before its overhaul. Instead of a few curatives, you'll need various plants/minerals, elixirs, salves, and smokeables. However, Achaea’s server-based curing system efficiently handles most of this, so you mainly need to ensure you're well-stocked.

RESOURCES:

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In addition to Health, Mana, Willpower, and Endurance, certain classes have unique resources like Essence (Necromancers) or Wellspring (Hashan Alchemists). There's no power system for major abilities.

For either yourself or your organization, you can help with the gathering of commodities through Mining or Foraging. Mining can be a bit tricky to get into but can be very beneficial for yourself and your organization with time.

XP/HUTNING:

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Hunting in Achaea is similar to Lusternia in that you simply need to deal enough damage to mobs to kill them for XP. Most mobs in Achaea don't have resists and weaknesses (that we can see anyway), so there’s no need to adjust your damage type while hunting like in Lusternia. The concept of Damageshift for Crits in Lusternia is not an inherent ability here but can be obtained as an artifact.

Certain items and buffs can enhance your hunting. Elixirs, rare minerals, and city/commune effects can boost your stats, crit chance, or XP gain.

Unlike Lusternia’s Influencing system, Achaea doesn’t offer and alternative non-violent method for hunting for xp. To gain levels, you’ll need to engage in hunting, though questing can be an alternative if you're patient.

At level 99+, you unlock the ability to transform into a Greater Dragon. This form is very tanky, with a fully mastered skillset that replaces your class abilities. It’s especially effective for hunting, providing increased resistances and stats.

SHIPS:

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Seafaring in Achaea is much like Aetherships in Lusternia. For more challenging content, you’ll often need a crew, and you can sail to various islands where hunting provides an XP boost. You can also use your ship for deepsea fishing or diving at your leisure.

While at sea, you may encounter seamonsters, similar to aetherbeasts. Defeating them grants XP and a trophy, which can be exchanged for a significant amount of gold.

Beware of pirates! The open seas are Open PK zones, and some players may attempt to sink your ship if they come across you.

QUESTS:

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Quests exist in Achaea, but they aren’t as impactful as those in Lusternia. You won’t find quests that unleash cursed suits of armour on villages or curse undead players with a malus. While Lusternia’s quests often centre around puzzles or mini-games, Achaea’s focus is different. Achaean quests can be more intricate, and at times frustrating, but many reveal hidden bits of  lore and story upon completion.

LORE:

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Much like Lusternia, Achaea has a deep and intricate story that can be found on the general website. Take note this was written quite some time ago, so comparative to the lore in the later established IRE games, it can seem a bit simpler. More is always discovered in terms of Achaea's story as the years go by, with things being discovered even today that answers questions from over a decade ago.

DIVINE:

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Divine in Achaea are much like those in Lusternia, with the key difference being that Achaean gods are associated with specific realms, similar to the Greek pantheon. Not all are exclusively tied to a single city or commune.

ASCENSION:

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Achaea has a concept similar to Lusternia's yearly Ascension. Every other year, Achaea hosts the Championship Games (currently ongoing), which resemble Lusternia's Vernal Seals events. Players compete in a series of scheduled games to earn points, and the player with the highest score at the end is crowned Champion, receiving the Staff of Nicator – a powerful artifact that grants significant bonuses.

TALISMANS/CARDS:

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You will find that Talisman items and Cards in Lusternia are similar to Curio items in Lusternia. For Talismans, you will need to gather each piece in order to complete the Talisman, which will give you a unique ability or effect. Cards are a bit more unique in that you only need to get/purchase the card and it will then immediately provide an effect when you use it. Cards have charges and will need to recharge after they've all been used.

Talisman pieces are primarily obtained through promotional purchases or by buying them from other players. A few can also be acquired by hunting specific areas or completing certain quests, though these only yield pieces from a limited selection of talisman sets.

ARTIFACTS:

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Artifacts in Achaea enhance your abilities, much like in Lusternia. They are purchased through credits.

CROWNS:

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Similar to Dingbats/Aethergoop, Crowns are another form of commerce that can be collected and traded in for unique items. These items tend to be a bit more on the whimsical side but no less potent in their effects.

RENOWN:

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Renown is a daily point system that resets every 24 hours. You earn renown by completing certain quests or tasks, with a daily cap of 2000 renown. For example, if you earn 45 renown from a quest, it will appear in both your daily and total renown views. The following day, your daily total resets to 0, while your overall total remains. Renown can be spent in the renown shop on various items, including bound credits. One of the main incentives for completing forays (explained below) is the renown they provide.

FORAYS:

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Forays in Achaea are similar to dungeon runs in games like WoW. You gather a small group of players, sign up for the foray, and locate its entrance. Some forays are easier than others, but like dungeon runs, you'll need to learn the mechanics and strategies to overcome the creatures inside. Completing a foray awards 1000 renown, which is half of the daily renown cap.