Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (Korean:바람의 나라]]), alternately known as Nexus TK or simply Nexus, is an MMORPG, currently run in the US by Kru Interactive. Nexus began as a U.S. version of the Korean game 바람의 나라 (Baram) developed by Nexon Inc. of Korea, and is loosely based on Korean mythology and on a series of graphic novels by an artist named Kim Jin. Development of Baram began in Korea in 1994 and the game was released in 1996. That year, it also entered Beta in the United States, going commercial in 1998. In 2005, Kru Interactive bought the US assets of Nexon Inc. and took over running Nexus, Dark Ages, and Shattered Galaxy as an independent company.
A few features that distinguish Nexus from other MMORPGs are its 2D tile graphics, intense player involvement, a central storyline, and its anime-like style.
Interesting Nexus Facts
The highly popular game Lineage was based on a fork of the Nexus server software; its developer, Jake Song, was one of the original developers of Baram.
Nexon pioneered distributed game servers in 1999 and set a record of 12,263 simultaneous users in a single world.
Storyline
The Setting
Nexus takes place in a land called the Kingdoms. The Kingdoms are then divided into three actual Kingdoms: The Empire of Buya, the Kingdom of Koguryo, and the Kingdom of Nagnang. (These kingdoms are located on the land mass that includes China, Japan, and sections of Russia.) There is also a popular fourth Kingdom, called Han, that is not yet open in the game, but to which players and the storyline often refer to for roleplay purposes.
Each Kingdom has its own monarch, army, and various clans and subpaths. The Kingdoms may have feuds amongst themselves, and often have roleplay disagreements or alliances.
For those wishing to live outside the Kingdoms, the Wilderness is an acceptable option.
Buya
The Empire of Buya is officially ruled by Emperor Aino Senshi, but is actually governed by his daughter, Princess Lasahn. The current General of the Buya Imperial Army is General AceoStar. Buya is home to the Do, Shaman, and Muse subpaths.
The small mountain trades town of Sanhae is ruled by Buya. Tailors and smelters run amok here. By talking to the mayor and being a resident of Buya, one may stay at the taverns here. Very helpful for those in the tailor and smelting professions.
Koguryo
The Kingdom of Koguryo is officially ruled by King Yuri (after whom the years are named), but is actually run by his son, Prince Mhul. The current General of the Koguryo Royal Army is General Nykid. Koguryo is home to the Chongun, Spy, Merchant, Diviner, and Monk subpaths.
The island town of Hausson lies within Koguryo's boarders. By talking to the mayor and being a resident of Koguryo, one may stay at the taverns there. Pirates have been know to show up occationally and dock here. Also this is the best place for food, and is the only place where one can prepare and cook food as a trade.
Nagnang
The Kingdom of Nagnang is ruled by Prince Kija. The current General of the Legion of Nagnang is Chill. Nagnang currently hosts no subpaths but has several clans of its own.
The Wilderness
The Wilderness is a broad expanse owned by no one. It is home to a large number of creatures, locations, and natural resources. The Wilderness is home to the Barbarian, Geomancer, Druid and Ranger subpaths.
Calendar
The Nexus Calendar has an 8:1 ratio with real time. Hence a game day takes up 3 hours of real time, and one year is 45 real days. Dating before transition between versions 3.0 and 4.0 is rather inexact, and often simply referred to as "before the Great Shift." Years in-game are often called Yuris because dates are officially noted as "Yuri XX" etc., meaning the XXth year of King Yuri's reign. For example, the Great Shift occurred in Yuri 23. Also, births, quest completions, and the like appear as "Yuri --, season" in character legends. Innkeepers refer to months as "moons" and use a 24-hour clock.
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Free Trial
A free trial is offered in NexusTK which allows a player to attain level (insight) 10 before they must pay for play. At the end of ten days, the character's trial is over immediately and cannot be logged into again unless registered. An account costs US$9.95 a month for four characters. During the free trial period players are able to do many quests, join a basic path, as well as chat and interact with all other players. Players still on their free trial period also have a menu called "tour please" which allows them to teleport to many of the shops, arenas, chapels, towns, inns, shamans, and so forth. A mailbox is also given to players during this period and they are allowed to mail others as well as receive mail from other players. Many player run events as well as role playing events are also open to these players. These events, due to being player run, are ever changing and are not set quests such as NPC quests.
Paths
Paths are the Nexus equivalent of character classes in other games. All players begin at level 1, in a tutorial, and can choose a class once they reach level 5.
Peasant
The Peasant is the class before a class. In the tutorial, and prior to level 5, you are a peasant. You can only learn one spell (a basic self-heal spell), and have very poor abilities. A Peasant MUST choose a path before he can advance to the sixth level.
Many items are marked as being for "level X Peasant" This actually means that a person of ANY path can wield the item once they reach level "X".
Warrior
The Warrior is the basic "tank" class. Warriors can use a wide variety of weapons, and have a wide variety of armors available. Of special note is their ability to hit enemies on all four sides, which distinguishes them from the other melee class, the rogue. They can gain numerous special abilities, treated as spells, available to boost their damage.
Rogue
The Rogue is the other melee class. The Rogue's specialty is dealing massive damage to a single enemy. Rogues have special abilities which make them harder to hit. Notable is their ability to ambush an enemy and appear behind it (strikes from behind do more damage). They can also become invisible, causing their next strike to do 8x the normal damage. A Rogue can also transform into certain creatures, which used to prevent enemies of that type from attacking on sight (though they will attack if attacked first).
A particularly deadly combination is a Rogue with a Polearm weapon. The Polearm is extremely powerful, does not take away invisibility, and has a damage multiplier when hit at range. Using a Polearm, a Rogue can also strike up to 3 enemies at a time.
Mage
The Mage is the overall magic user. Mages have a lot of damage-causing spells, as well as poisoning and movement-hampering spells. Mages can also cast protective spells on their adventuring group and have a limited ability to heal others. The Mage can also transform into certain enemies, preventing those enemies from attacking on sight (though they will attack if attacked first).
Poet
The Poet is the healer class, similar to the Priest or Cleric classes in other games. Poets have extremely powerful healing spells as well as protection spells. In addition, they can at higher levels become invulnerable for a short time. They are also the closest thing Nexus has to a pet class, with the ability to summon creatures which will fight any opponent their summoner attacks, or that causes damage to the summoner.
Subpaths
Nexus TK has what is known as the subpath system. Each path has four subpaths, these subpaths bestow additional abilities and promote roleplay amongst the community. One of the subpaths is not player controlled (known commonly as NPC subpaths) and can be joined by anyone of the base path. The other three are PC subpaths: they are run entirely by the players, and are responsible for holding a huge number of events and enhancing roleplay.
Warrior
Chung Ryong
The Chung Ryong path is the Warrior NPC subpath. The Chung Ryong is the Blue Dragon, the Warrior Totem. Warriors who join the Chung Ryong can obtain a weapon called a Chung Ryong Scale, and learn a spell called Rage. The Rage spell is incremental and can be re-cast every 120 seconds, stacking up to six times. Each time it is cast the warrior's attack damage is multiplied. At the highest level of Rage, attack damage is multiplied by 81x. It has drawbacks, however. When it is stacked three or more times, the warrior's armor class is weakened, and hence the warrior takes considerably more damage when hit. Also, when the cumulative duration finally expires, the warrior loses a percentage of hit points, how many depending on the highest level of Rage reached. This can be fatal.
Chongun
The Chongun are the warrior nobility of the Kingdoms. Though player-controlled, they can bestow noble titles upon other characters. They also have the ability to remove many negative justice brands (though not the most serious). The Chongun hold classes to train citizens in the Art of War.
Do
The Do are weapons masters. Though they are expected act humbly, they are the most skilled and knowledgeable warriors in the land. They can train others in becoming mastery of weapons, and also host the Do Masai Tournaments.
Barbarian
The Barbarian Horde is a group of warriors who have renounced the Kingdoms and live in the Wilderness. They are not a path as much as they are a family: they are like a clan in some respects. The Barbarians can train others in Wilderness Survival, and the Guides may perform Blood Oaths.
Rogue
Baekho
The Baekho is the Rogue NPC subpath. Baekho is the White Tiger, the Rogue Totem. Rogues who join the Baekho obtain a weapon called a Nimble Blade, and learn a spell called Cunning. Cunning is similar to the Warrior's Rage in that it is can be stacked, with the benefits increasing with each cast. Cunning will improve protection and damage with each cast, and at its highest, will provide 85% more defense and 12x the normal damage, also adding the warrior spells, flank and backstab. Unlike Rage, Cunning does not take away hit points upon expiration.
Merchant
The Merchants are a path of traders and sellers. In addition, they police the Marketplace, removing those who attempt to scam others. As part of their path activities the Merchants go on Treasure Hunts and perform other tasks for the community. Merchant Guides can engrave items; they can take any item and give it a unique name. For example, a Spring Robe might be engraved "** Robes of the Master **" (the asterisks are mandatory).
Spy
The Spy path is extremely secretive, and few outside of their ranks know the extent of their influence and power. What is known is that they are buyers and sellers of information. Many are also great (if somewhat sneaky) fighters, and they will often hold tournaments for the community to compete in.
Ranger
The Rangers are woodsmen: they live in the Wilderness and live in harmony with nature. They are particularly skilled with the Bow. The Rangers may train others in the arts of Foraging, Archery, Camouflage, Cartography, Security, Trapping, and Tracking. In addition, they will sometimes go on scouting expeditions with individuals or groups.
Mage
Ju Jak
The Ju Jak is the Mage NPC subpath. Ju Jak is the Red Phoenix, the Mage Totem. Mages who join the Ju Jak obtain a staff called the Ju Jak Staff, and learn a spell called Evocation. Evocation, when cast, will restore all of the Mage's mana (similar to Invoke), and will also heal them up to 1/3 of their maximum mana.
Diviner
The Diviners are Seers and Oracles for the Kingdom. They can read karma and can tell the future in a myriad of ways. They will often hold events at which any person may ask a question, and they will seek the future. They also have the ability to purify marriages. In addition, the Diviner Guides can perform an I Ching reading that can have an unknown number of effects on absolutely anything, including items, karma, money, appearance, or even life and death.
Shaman
The Shaman are those who commune with the Spirit World. They are secretive and often seen as menacing by those who do not know them. The Shaman host a games called Grave Robbers, where creatures will appear and one holds a token: whoever finds that token wins, and extemporaneous storytelling competition called Mudang Sori. Shamans also have the ability to reveal Totem Spirits for people and grant several quests, including that which gives the Ceremonial Fire. All Shaman Guides and a few members also have the ability to perform marriages.
Geomancer
Geomancers are essentially Taoists and Feng Shui masters, mages of the earth. They seek the ultimate balance. They have the ability to perform Ba Gua readings that can reveal truths about the past, present, and future. The Geomancers also hold events where, by finding certain tokens at their House of Chi, one can win many sorts of prizes. They can teach the making of elemental orbs.
Poet
Hyun Moo
The Hyun Moo is the Poet NPC subpath. Hyun Moo is the Black Turtle, the Poet Totem. Poets who join the Hyun moo obtain a staff called a Life Lance and learn a spell called Hyun Moo Revival. Revival, when cast, will restore all of the Poet's health and all but 10,000 of his mana. In addition, if he is dead, he will be brought back to life.
Druid
The Druids are Poets who seek to live in harmony with nature. They celebrate the passing of the seasons and know great amounts of Herbalism and of the Wilderness. The Druids can discover what element you are aligned with.
Monk
Only the most patient and humble make it within their walls. They strive to find the truth in all things veiled by deception and illusion. They believe the route to enlightenment and Nirvana lie in the Eightfold Path and meditation. Although they are peaceful, they are trained to fight and defend.
Muse
The Muses are artists and actors. They often put on performances of all sorts in their Theatre. In addition, Muses can dye people's clothing in a myriad of colors.
Clans
The clan system in Nexus is a sort of guild system, except very rigidly enforced. Clans, as opposed to subpaths, operate more as a family than anything else: members are encouraged to know each other and participate in many clan activities.
Unlike other games in which a guild can be established merely by purchasing a charter or equivalent, and automatically get a guild emblem, chat channel, the ability to designate a building as its guild hall, etc., clans in Nexus require a great deal of time and effort to establish. A would-be clan leader (called a Primogen) must find 99 others who wish to join the clan (so at least 100 members). Several of these can be co-leaders (Primarchs). Once 100 people are assembled, the new clan must face the Tribunal of the city it wishes to join. The Tribunal consists of all other clans of that city. There, the clan will be faced with difficult interviews and must prove its worth to the community. If the clan passes the Tribunal, it will be given a 6-month probation period. If, after this period, the clan is together and still upholding its beliefs, it will become an official clan and can begin collecting the required tribute, generally vast numbers of items, some of them exceedingly rare or expensive.
There are currently 15 official clans. Each official clan exists in one city, and receives a Clan Hall and a number of other special things, such as Clan Helmets, a Clan Bank, and so on.
- Bear
- Destiny
- Dharma
- Elendhirin
- Enigma
- Heavens
- K'urimja
- Lost Kingdom
- Oceana
- Pegasus
- Phoenix
- Silla
- Sun Moon
- The Forsaken
- Tiger
While each clan has its own theme, some of particular note are the Bear Clan, which only allows Poets and Warriors to join, The Forsaken, who are strict Nagnang nationalists, and the K'urimja, who are the descendants of the K'urimja bloodline formerly represented by the Shadow subpath which was disbanded at the institution of the Quota.
There are three additional clans currently: The Kingdom Armies. These function identically to the Clans except that the technical head of each Army is the Monarch, though a player (the General) actually functions as the Primogen.
As an interesting note, a person cannot be both a Primogen of a Clan and an Elder of a subpath at the same time, due to potential conflicts of interest.
Player Positions
Because of the unique nature of Nexus's development, players often have positions of true power within the game. Some official positions that can be held by players are Judges, Tutors, Archons, and Carnage Hosts.
Judges
Judges are players with the ability to enforce many of the laws within the Nexus Kingdoms. They read over cases and summon defendants, victims, player witness, and sometimes a player jury in order to vote on the outcome of the case.
Tutors
Each town has its own tutors for each path (class). Tutor is also a player position which can be sought by any experienced or skilled player. They have their own special training arenas in which they have many powers to summon a number of training beasts, sweep traps, turn magic on and off, kick out unruly players, and so forth. Tutors regularly hold open and private classes for those interested. They also maintain their own boards which collect the majority of information required for each path.
Archons
These are players who are essentially assistant game masters. They are granted special anonymous characters in order to aid in the running of the game. They perform many functions, some of which are to test bugs, help deal with player problems, and develop major events. There is a great deal of speculation about their actual powers, which are also known to have changed over time. It is known that they can walk through walls, teleport anywhere in the game, and are untouchable by any attack. They are appointed by the Archon Primogen, a direct appointee of the company that runs the game, and great secrecy is attached to the selection process. It is a position achieved by only a handful of people.
Carnage Hosts
There are several types of organized PK events, collectively called "Carnages", within Nexus. These are large scale battles which take place between great numbers of players. Interested players can apply to become Carnage Hosts and assist in running the Carnages. They have certain special abilities within the Carnage arenas, such as assigning players to teams, ejecting unruly players, etc.
Controversy
The game, of course, has not been without its own controversy. Central topics are perceived corruption in the actions of the Archons and others who run aspects of the game, and the subpath quota.
Much of the controversy regarding the Archons centers around the actions of the current Archon Primogen, who goes by the handle "Marama". Many Nexus players assert that after Nexon U.S. (now known as Kru Interactive) broke from the Korean Nexon, Inc. Marama was given control of Game Master activities and responsibilities. Her actions and decisions have received criticism from the Nexus community.
Shortly after assuming the role of Archon Primogen, Marama effected several changes to the in-game laws. The first of these was to ban of any mention of alcohol or tobacco products [1]. This was extremely controversial due to the presence of alcohol items in the game, as well as herb pipes that can be used to restore a character's Mana.
Marama was also criticized because she forbid posting on the community boards with a character name containing all capital letters. Her rationale was that such names are "annoying". Such a rationale caused a fair amount of backlash on the community boards.
The Archons in general have also been subject to controversy because there is virtually no way to appeal an Archon's actions. The real characters of any Archon are unknown to the general populace, and it is in fact against in-game law to reveal such characters. In addition, it is reported that all requests to Kru Interactive regarding the actions of the Archons have been met with silence.
Controversy also appears around other, non-Archon, administrators of the game, such as Judges or Carnage Hosts. Charges run from favoritism, especially in the case of Carnages (whether a rule-breaking participant is banished, or if teams are unfairly balanced), to grudges, especially in the case of Judges who, it is claimed, tend to require less (or on occassion, no) evidence for the crimes of one they personally dislike.
Another area of extreme controversy is the subpath quota. In the original conception of the subpath program, subpaths were to be a haven for roleplay and a group in which like-minded roleplayers could play together. However, such freedom on the part of the subpaths led to admission requirements that some felt were extremely severe. Because the subpaths received special spells and items, there was a call to ease the requirements for admission. Nexon's response was the subpath quota.
The subpath quota required that at least 10% of the characters in each path (Rogue, Mage, Poet, Warrior) be a member of each of that path's three player-run subpaths. The subpath quota has required each subpath to maintain approximately 80-120 active members in order to submit special requests for new content. The current subpath quota has not been officially announced, and is known only to the Elders of the subpaths.
After the creation of the subpath quota, the Rogue Shadow subpath decided that adhering to the quota would have required them to admit many more members. Doing so was in direct opposition to the group's roleplaying desires. It would have reduced, or eliminated the mystery of the subpath. Rather than see the mystery of their subpath wane, they decided to disband the Shadow subpath. Their decision received a mixed response. Some people applauded the group's decision and dedication to roleplay, while others accused the group of being elitist or taking the easy way out.
In either case, it cannot be denied that the subpaths have had to change their admissions requirements. The quota has also given rise to a new term ("Quota Diviner", for example) indicating a subpath member with poor roleplay abilities who was admitted entirely due to quota requirements. It is argued (usually by hardcore roleplayers or pre-quota subpath members) that the quota reduces roleplay quality, while others feel that it opens up an area of the game to those who may not have the time to fully experience it.
PvP Combat
A popular feature of Nexus is its PvP capability. There are four sorts of PvP-like games, but only two are true PvP. The Carnages are run by players called Carnage Hosts, who are then overseen by an Archon. These may have special rules, such as the forbidding of certain weapons or armor, which can be found on the boards outside each of the arenas.
There is also unbridled PK action in the areas called the Vale and the public arenas. These are not overseen by Hosts, do not follow a schedule, and are subject only to regular in-game rules (such as harassment, profanity, etc.).
Carnage of Riches
Carnage of Riches, generally just called "Carnage", is the oldest of the games. It was initially run by Bringer, a Nexon character, then turned over to player management, either by known or anonymous players.
Riches is a straightforward team PvP battle. The players are divided into teams (usually two) and fight a number of rounds of battle, generally three. The winner of two rounds wins the game. Originally Riches was a 4-team, 3+ round event, but due to technical issues which arose in spring 2000 after the 4.66 release of the game, it was temporarily changed to two teams, three rounds, and has never returned to its original format.
All members of the winning team get valuable prizes. Matches are divided into several leagues separated by stats, to group players by approximate strength. There are up to three Riches played each day.
Bloodlust Carnage
The second oldest Carnage game, Bloodlust, may be even closer to pure, raw, PvP. It works similarly to a Carnage of Riches except that there is no item or experience reward at the end. Until Bloodlust wins were made a requirement for Sam San status, Bloodlust existed solely for the fun of a team battle.
The Bloodlust arenas are more widely varied than the Riches arenas, having such things as obstacles, walls, areas with limited access, etc. In addition to the simple team vs. team battles, Bloodlust is also known for its unique and interesting theme games where special rules, goals, or victory conditions are established. For example, a team might have to protect certain crucial members, or capture and hold certain locations on the field. Like Riches, Bloodlust generally consists of three rounds. However, some of the special themes require more rounds.
Elixir War
A game similar to Capture the Flag. There are two teams, red and blue. Each team member is automatically issued a bow and arrows that dye their team's color. If a member of the opposing team is hit with your color, he is dyed and must stand perfectly still until hit by his own team, which restores. If he moves while dyed he is sent to the sidelines, out for the round.
The object of the game is to reach a marked area in the other team's starting zone. Anyone doing so receives an Elixir potion, which they need to carry to the center of the arena. When someone with the potion hands the NPC in the center of the arena an acorn, his or her team wins that round, and the winner of two of the three rounds wins the game.
Elixir War winners have the choice of a number of dye potions or sleep arrows as an award.
Fox Hunt
Fox Hunts are not actually a part of the Carnage system, but they are included here because they are commonly thought of as related. A Fox Hunt is a team event wherein teams of six players, all riding horses, compete to capture the opposing team's fox, which follows that team's captain. The basic idea is to form a box around the opponent's fox or captain before the opposing team does so to your team. Success at Fox Hunt requires a lot of strategy and cooperation.
It is generally played in two levels of three rounds each, with the winning teams from the first level competing against each other at the second level to determine an overall winner. There are no prizes given for Fox Hunt wins.
Fox Hunts have had a somewhat more problematic history than the Carnage events. It became necessary to prohibit "clone teams" where the entire team chose the same head and clothing so that their opponents had a difficult time distinguishing the captain. Exploiters using a speed-hack caused significant problems, as did expert teams who were virtually unbeatable. The latter problems were addressed by instituting randomly chosen teams rather than allowing players to establish their own teams in advance.
Other PK Combat
Not related to Carnage, but still worthy of note, is pure PK combat. This is unregulated free-for-all PK, and can happen at any time in certain areas.
In the Vale, a very large PK-enabled map, any person may be attacked by any other. However, due to the fact that some important locations are here (including the Black Skeleton Cave, the Polar Bear Cave, and Scribe's Mountain), some subpaths have rules prohibiting Player killing, especially initiating PK combat, in the Vale. Because of the size of the Vale map, most of the player killing takes place around the three entrances to the map, located at Buya, Mythic Nexus, and KaMing's Encampment. (though the latter is unpopular due to its less convenient location)
The Sire Pit is one of the public arena rooms in the Buya city arena. It is the most popular of the arenas due to its convenient location near East Gate and the fact that there are likely to be at least a few PK-minded players hanging around there at almost any time. This leads to a feedback cycle which has led to the other eight public arena rooms being virtually unused the majority of the time. Because the Sire Pit and the other public arenas are solely arenas, where nobody would go if they did not intend to fight, they are often free of the subpath rules regarding the Vale.
Contests
Nexus hosts two sorts of literary competitions: The Poetry Revels and the Story Contests.
Poetry Revels
The Poetry Revels are hosted weekly by Kru and the Archons who are assisted by Poems. There is a different them each week, such as "Love," "Danger," etc. There are six placings in each competition: First Place, Second Place, and 4 Honorable Mentions. There is no material reward for these competitions, but the placers do receive Legend Marks and Karma. These marks can be put toward the culture requirements for EE San. A panel of 10 Judges is chosen at random by the Archons of Poetry each week, and the poems are judged with the judges reading poems off the poetry board which are assigned numbers not names. The judging is fair and impartial and anyone not banned from Poetry or Story Contests may be called upon to judge. Judges receive karma for their time at the Board.
Story Contests
Story Contests are hosted by the Clans and Subpaths. There is no formal schedule; rather a new contest will simply appear at a random time. Winners of these contests will often receive material rewards (provided by the sponsor), and the First Place winner will receive a Legend Mark. There are usually three winners for the Story Contests
Homes
Nine villages, three for each kingdom, exist containing houses which players can rent. Many floorplans and features are offered for houses. First a player chooses house based on the location, size (large, medium, or small), and external appearance of the house. Players can choose from a number of maps, depending on its size, for the interior appearance. An NPC is included with the house and manages features such as changing light settings, enabling or disabling talking, magic, bombs, magic items, PK, etc., kicking out other players, banking, repairing items, and so on.
External links
Official Sites
- Kru Interactive
- Official Nexus Website
- Nexus Player Lists
- View the In-Game Message Boards
- House Information