Our last update to the Goddess of Destruction preview site was at the end of July, and now we have another one for you already! We've revealed the final two of the eight Awakening classes: Othell Rogue and Aeore Healer. You can also learn more about the Prison of Darkness zone that holds the raid boss Spezion, who was covered in the last site update, and Balok, the destructive demon Beleth summoned to bring players back to Crystal Caverns for more challenges!

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See that tiny pink spot by Balok's feet? That's my dwarf...


The most visually obvious update to the site is actually the homepage itself: a new background image of Shilen. We made that beautiful image ourselves here at NCsoft West, so this is the first time it's been seen by the outside world. We also have a new trailer video on the homepage. The new trailer takes a rather historical perspective of Lineage II by showing clips from every single content update Lineage II has seen since its launch in 2004, all building up to the explosion of novelty and excitement that Goddess of Destruction will bring. To get the most out of the new trailer, I recommend watching the video all the way through and then watch it again while pausing often. The video consists of hundreds of individual clips and scenes from GD compiled together, and each clip holds a wealth of detail, so be sure to slow down and enjoy every second of it!

Now, onto the classes! I started writing a blog for the GD site updates after they'd already started, so I never got a chance to cover Wynn Summoner and Iss Enchanter when they were revealed. Classes are the most important features of the game to players, so this blog will cover those two classes along with Othell Rogue and Aeore Healer.

Rogue-class players will find a lot of fun new abilities in the Othell Rogue that will let you hone in your gaming skills by bringing strategy and finesse into your playstyle. Generally, rogue-types characters should be sneaky, agile and deadly, and move around stealthily while swiping coin purses and attacking with daggers when the enemy's guard is down. Currently in Lineage II, rogue classes have daggers and stealth, but otherwise they simply hack and slash and hope that the enemy will die before they do. Yes, rogue classes die a lot. Well, Othell Rogues will have a longer life thanks to increased evasion stats and many skills that combine evasion with combat attacks, self buffs, enemy debuffs, or enemy target cancellation. Aside from getting out of dangerous situations, Rogues can also control the fight from the start by initiating the attack with powerful damage-over-time skills and debuffs that can slow the enemy so much that it dies before it reaches you. Rogues can provide these benefits for a party, too, in exchange for a tank that keeps the enemy diverted so that the rogue can backstab and flank to their heart's content. Finally, the last missing quality that rogues should have in general is granted as well. Othell Rogues can plunder items from the enemy while it's still alive--who says only Dwarves get to be "spoiled?"

With all that evasion, I wonder if Othell Rogues will have much need for Aeore Healers? They will, but not really for survival: the Aeore Healer provides more than just heals. Healer-classes in-game currently are pretty much only that: they just heal and sit. Sure, they also have a resurrection skill, and some can buff other players, but overall they are very limited and can have a hard time leveling up without a party. The Aeore Healer's skill repertoire includes single kind of healing spell, many resurrection skills tailored to different situations, some combat, damage and crowd control spells, and they can even buff the party to the point of invincibility!

Speaking of buffs, the Iss Enchanter will be the most powerful and versatile buff in the game. Current buffer classes are useful in parties, but can be a rather boring class to play. Buffers that don't engage in melee just buff and sit, much like the old healer classes. Melee buffers don't do much damage, so they just buff while picking away slowly at the mob. Iss Enchanters bring a lot more diversity to the buffer role. They give bard-like buffs that are essential to a party's success, including party-wide as well as buffs for individuals so that all party members can be uniquely empowered. Iss Enchanters can also fulfill the role of crowd-control and even assist Aeore Healers in resurrecting dead allies. On top of all of those useful skills, enchanters can finally do some decent damage in melee combat with their dual weapons, which, by the way, look awesome spinning around the Enchanter in some spells!

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Battle Rhapsody skill: beware of flying swords!

Last but certainly not least is the Wynn Summoner. In the history of Lineage II, we've often heard the opinion that summoner class design causes then to be shafted from certain activities and balances. They are mages that summon servitors to fight for them, they are of little help in a party, and for many years they had to pay dearly for the upkeep of the servitor they summoned. The summoner class is still powerful within its own spectrum, making this the most solo-played class in the game. In Goddess of Destruction, Wynn Summoners are peers with the other Awakened classes. They will be welcomed in parties thanks to their debuffs and the various servitors they can summon. Different servitors serve different purposes depending on the situation, so Summoners must use tactics and strategy to succeed. Best of all, Wynn Summoners can have multiple servitors out at the same time, and can call out a pet on top of that. The servitors require no upkeep; they will remain at your side as you want, and without costing you a small fortune in crystals or ores.

Now that all of the eight Awakening classes are covered, the Goddess of Destruction preview site will begin to shift its aim a bit. As we approach the game launch in Fall of 2011, you'll start seeing more and more granular information such as quest walkthroughs and guides on new game features. Goddess of Destruction is a huge update--the biggest Lineage II has ever seen. The goal of the GD preview site is to give you the information you need ahead of time so that you'll know how to play and what to do as soon as you log in. Stay tuned for the next update, which will include the walkthrough to the Awakening quest. If you're 85 when GD launches and you've read the quest guide or have it open in a browser next to the game, you just might be the first player to Awaken! So get to 85 and get ready for the Goddess of Destruction!

- Sace, Lineage II Community Manager