Note: The following article is made based on Talisman Online Chinese version. There might be some version gaps between Chinese version and English version, but we are sure that all reasonable and great elements from Chinese version will be introduced into English version.

Currently in China, the Chinese version of Talisman Online has become more and more popular. As most of the players know, the Tailisman Online is made by the group of guys who procuded Zhen Feng Shen several years ago. But the company went bankrupt due to some issues. While the team, together with Mircale Castle, grouped together and made Talisman Online in English market first, and then introduce its Chinese version in China.

Judging from Zhen Fengshen, the first product they have made, the item system, skill systems, graphic effects and power-leveling system are the most attractive key elements for all gamers. The CEO of Miracle Castle Ltd., is a hardcore gamer which definitely knows what players want. So let’s take a look at Talisman Online and let’s see what makes it a big hit in both English market and Chinese market.

1. Client Size

The client size of Talisman Online is around 250M. Such a tiny client can reduce the loss of the conversion from signing up to entering the game. As we know most of 3D game clients are over 3G or 4G, such sizes definitely bring the distribution problems for the product. Will the small client causes low graphics and other losses to the games? Definitely no.

2. Graphics

In 2007, when I first saw Talisman Online chinese version, I was totally shcoked by its graphics effects within such a small client. There are not so many houses, buildings in the game, which reduced the work of art designers as well as the Chinese themed element in the game. The skill effects are the most important to players and they handled it pretty well in Talisman Online too. Attacking is the most pleasant thing in the game since you can enjoy the effects of each skill you are using. It also makes grinding not a pain in the game. The view of the game is not a full 3D view but that is good for all kinds of gamers, since over 60% of the players will faint for full –3D games. Color rendering for graphics is also the best that I have ever seen – sometimes you don’t need a reasonable explaination for that why here we should use deep dark color and there we should use light color, but the joyful of seeing it and enjoying it. This is also the key between a natually born designer and an aquired designing learner.

3. Marketing

Marketing? Yes! We have seen a closely marketing bound game here. There are a lot of marketing activities in quests. For example, you have a series quests of adding friends to gain good items. Maybe I want to solo but where the reward is great enough, I will add those people I don’t even know, or accepting their requests. As first I was thinking it was only a method to get my rewards. But during the later play, I have really made friends of some of them in my friend lists – playing instances together, teaming together etc. Another example is that, when I grow to level 20, I have a quest of inviting other friends into the game and I will get super items. Most of the company do it outside the game, and made it very diffuclt in order to reduce “alts” and control the economy.

4. Temptation

If you stay online for another 5 minutes, you will get a mount! If you make your level +2, you will get elite equipment. We can see this kind of settings in game everywhere. People are greedy. Sometimes they actually just download the game for a try, never thinking of staying here. But the natural esense of the human will force him to stay and claim those items maybe he doesn’t even want. The longer he stays, the more addctive he will be.

5. Newbie Village

Most of the games out there having a lot of factions, so that they bring a lot of newbie villages. What’s the benefit of it? Scattering people around and make the game a Massive Single Online Role Playing Game? In Talisman Online, there are only 1 newbie village. All people are gathering there and you will feel the game is crowded even the actualy number of concurrent users is not that high. They have also put the important NPC there so that advanced players need to go back to this village from time to time. Newbies will be fasinated when they see advanced players’ costumes and skill effects. Advanced playes can help the newbies with quests and answer their questions.

6. Items

Currently most of the game item systems are copying World of Warcraft (sorry for mentioning this game again, lol). But is this kind of item system the best one? Definitely not. So far, Conquer Online item system is the most reasonable and attractive system that we have evern seen. From the investment part, you don’t want to drop your items when your character grow up. You want to invest a thing that you can use for your whole life. In talisman, every dollar you invest will not go waste. Three kinds of items will grow with your characters. But we also found that the fun we have in Zhen Fengsheng is lost, that is when you grind outside in ZFS, you will find a lot of items dropped, each item has different elements and attributes. If Talisman Online can bring this back to the game, it will definitely last long the enjoyment of hunting mobs.

7. Numerical Balance

The numerical balance in Talisman Online is really nice. At your level, you are reasonable to do things fitting your level. You can also go to challenge the instances all by your own – instances have different scenes. You might be able to deal with mobs in the first scene, but it will cost you a lot of HPs or dollars if you want to explore dungeon deeper. At least you will team up with others and explore the instances together. Without a careful numerical engeneer, it’s really hard to balance the game like this. We would like to express our thanks to the hard working guys behind the scene.

8. Timing

Most of the companies are using the “Following Strategy”. They always want to be the first one to do something, but they never did it so they turned themselves into the follower. Once they saw the success of ther other people, they just think they can copy and follow, without any hesitation. Will they succeed? Sometimes they will, but 99% will lose the battle. Talisman Online is the first tiny client, awesome graphics, marketing embeded, temptation everywhere game. That is also the basic elements for its success. In the year of 2007, overall there aren’t strong titles out there in the market being released. Comparing those normal, average games, Talisman Online will win.

If you would like to check the game and become another addctive gamer, just click here to visit their official website and enjoy the fun of a real mmorpg, not the crap from those silly aquired designers. Fmmorpg.com can always find the best games for the gamers since our editors are truly gamers and natural game deisngers.