Hero Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game produced by Netgame based on a story written by three generations of Chinese novelists. Hero Online is free to play with cash shop items available, much like The Legend of Ares, Scions of Fate, Silkroad Online and many other MMORPG's. The player, when creating a character, is not only able to choose the gender of his/her character, but what kind of weapons their character will be using. These weapon proficiencies may or may not affect the job class people will choose when they reach a certain level for job change. Each of the five characters specializes in his or her own weaponry. For example "The Ruthless Blade" character with the ability to wield a bow, swords and blades. "The Piercing Eyes" character with the ability to use Swords, Blades and throwing weapon. "The Overseer of Sky" Uses axes, rods, and spears, and "The Elegant Mystic" which uses gauntlets, spears and rods. "The Mystic Muse" uses dual swords, dual rods, and a large instrument. The Monk uses rods and destructive spells. As of July 31, 2006, Hero Online had its official release and is no longer in beta.
Characters
Hero Online has six "character classes" that players can choose when creating their character, two of which having two genders, and each gender having a special weapon. Though there is little customizability in the choice of characters, players have the option to choose your characters based on their weapon. More detailed customization is also available later in many forms described in the following sections, as well as the players weapon of choice.
Character improving
Hero online mostly uses the usual level up method. Though, instead of gaining skill points by leveling, skill points are gained by a different experience curve. The skills are divided into two groups: Skills and passive skills. Skills are learned by reading books that are sold by players and book merchants. Each weapon type and job class have their own skills, which gives players many possibilities of character building. At higher levels there are also skills that can be learned by everyone. There are also special books that can retrieve used skill points.
Job Classes
Starting at Level 10, players are able to choose their first class. Once players ascend to Level 50, they are able to embark on a quest for their Promotion. Each class set has two different promotion option. Each class in the promotion is engineered to a specific type of gameplay. At Level 100, players can attain Level 101, where they will be able to choose their next class. Once at Level 101, players can choose from any of these, regardless of previous class choices.