I don’t consider myself a gamer.
Back when I was a child, I seldom played virtual computer games. Sure, I managed to experience playing Counter-Strike in a computer shop with friends, but beyond that, I don’t find myself being swayed to play other games. Video games never really became a part of my daily routine. I tried learning to play DOTA just to hop in with the trend, but I just can’t wrap my head around how to play that game exactly. I don’t understand the rules, the mechanics, and the enjoyment. So, I ended up not learning it at all. It’s funny because my friends and older brother used to play it for hours. While me? Still confused about everything, so I always spent my time on FRIV or Y8.
I’m pretty sure that you’re familiar with these two. It’s part of my childhood and probably yours too. Haha!
As I grew up, I was convinced to try playing Mobile Legends. At first, I am just curious. I wonder why a lot of people keep playing that game to the point that they are willing to spend money. When I came to try it, I realized why they want to spend their time on it. It was fun, thrilling, and exciting at the same time. Using different heroes to protect your base and clash when necessary. But today, it’s a mixed feeling. A feeling of dread, stress, and high blood pressure because of random teammates. Fix the match-making first, please. Lol.
It is still installed on my phone. I still play it too, but recently I managed to experience playing a computer game once again because of my dormmate. It was last year when I saw him glued to the screen, his fingers moving so fast like he’s playing complex music using a piano, and his eyes were moving frantically left and right. He’s playing an intense game, battling in ranked mode 1 versus 1.
He’s playing the God Game Dragon Nest Ancient Ark.
I always see him playing that game almost every day, the times when he is still not a working student. I became curious about the game, so I asked questions. Showing him my curiosity and interest in what he’s doing. He answered all my queries, but what really piqued my interest was when he mentioned that he is able to earn real money by just playing it. He was able to earn 300 pesos or more from the amount of DNP (Dragon Nest Points) he farmed within the day.
With that, I decided to install it on my laptop. Created an account and set all the necessary things before indulging myself in a new virtual world. Thanks to him, he completely guided me through the entire process, gameplay, rules, tips, and even what guild to join. Everything is going well. I selected my class and chose to explore. It was colorful, fast-paced, and a bit overwhelming for first timers. The combat system? Awesome and smooth! The effects and the graphics? Addicting! It didn’t take long before I found myself logging in daily during my free time. Doing dungeons, completing quests, checking the marketplace, upgrading my gear, and farming DNP to buy weapons and armors to strengthen my hero.
Let’s be honest, there’s this unexplainable satisfaction about watching your hero become stronger. I watch my character grow through farming DNP and using it to purchase necessary equipment. Honestly, I haven’t tried selling my farmed DNP to a real cash because I always spend it to level up my hero.
But then, just like everyone else, I became busy. With school, with thesis, and with school activities in general. I cannot focus; I cannot keep up with the overwhelming schedule.
Four months had passed when I decided to log in to my account again. I am quite anxious but excited at the same time. I entered my credentials, and with that, I saw my first ever created character. I named her Krishna. She belongs to a sorceress class and a Saleana type (fire type mainly). I don’t know, but I have a thing with names starting with the letter K. I just found these names awesome and pleasing to the ears. I also want names that are unusual. She is at her max level, and I love her outfit and butterfly wings. I believe I purchased her costume for 39000 DNP in the game store.
If you’re playing this game, I think the main town here is Saint Haven. All of my memories while playing this game came back in a flash. I can count the months I played this game, but I can already tell that I miss this one. I missed the feeling of raiding dungeons, accumulating points, fighting monsters, and completing tasks. It’s surreal, the excitement came back. But when I checked the active players in the game, it was not the same. Compared to before, there are fewer players, maybe because the new Dragon Nest Classic has been released. I assumed most of the players are grinding their heroes at that released version.
Just look at that! Krishna is beautiful, right? She’s stunning in her white and blue combination of dress. That is her pet Mondragona, and the cat in the bathtub (I totally forgot the name already). She’s ready to pose anytime and anywhere. She might look sweet and innocent, but she can burn you to ashes with her skills and magic spells.
From what I have mentioned. She is an elemental type of sorceress. Her equipment and armor are already powerful, but not powerful enough to defeat the dragons in difficult raids and stages. All of the gears can be upgraded and enhanced to level 20 maximum, but it will cost a large amount of gold, DNP, and luck. There’s a chance that the gear can be broken while you’re trying to enhance it. The higher the level, the more likely it is to break apart. That is also applicable to the runes she is wearing and even the accessories. With that gear, I can clear the Stage 27 dungeon alone in just 3 minutes.
I am aiming for the 2nd specialization dragon jades, to be attached to her overall gear. These are suggested by my dormmate since Rolling Lava is her special skill. Getting the triple line with that can enhance the skill ultimately. However, this is done through re-rolling until you get that triple line, which requires a lot of points. Bring patience as well because it is a thorough process.
This will not be completed without engaging my hero in action. I tried clearing the Labyrinth Stage 27 in the Sunset Training ground to test if her skills are still the same and if I remember exactly her skill combo. I managed to clear the stage for about 3 minutes, but when I tried clearing Stage 28, I couldn’t finish it. The dragon is hard as hell, and I couldn’t defeat it without upgrading my character and her gear. I tried multiple times, but to no avail. Haha!
The game changed a bit, but the core experience is still the same. Thrilling, exciting, and can make me anxious. Coming back after a long break made me realize that Dragon Nest is not just an ordinary game, but a game that makes me forget stress and keeps my mind away from things I shouldn’t think about. I miss this, and I hope I can still play it in the coming days, and probably in the future as well, where life might still be busy.