See the full list of Player Spotlights here.

◆ Character Summary ◆

iKarigan

Duelist

Lineage II: Live

Chronos Server

◆The Road to Lineage 2◆

“The graphics were amazing compared to FFXI at the time and the PVP dynamics were very different. The promise of castle sieges on the horizon also caught our attention and was an incentive to keep us grinding.”

How long have you been playing?

Since May 26, 2004

Give us a brief overview of what your gaming life was like before L2. What kind of games did you play, if any?

Before L2, I mainly played First Person Shooters beginning with Tribes 1 and 2, then various competitive Counterstrike ladders. We had a small group of maybe 10 to 15 players that would bounce around from game to game. My first MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI. NA players were thrust onto existing Japanese servers and were at a huge disadvantage.

How did you first discover the game and what ignited your interest?

My Counterstrike team convinced me to try it out while we were playing Final Fantasy XI. The graphics were amazing compared to FFXI at the time and the PVP dynamics were very different. The promise of castle sieges on the horizon also caught our attention and was an incentive to keep us grinding.

After getting familiar with the game, what kept you coming back to L2? What makes L2 stand out compared to other games?

There is no other game on the market that I’ve tried that has the same type of open world PVP or castle siege dynamic. The Olympiad game system is perfect for highly competitive gamers. You’re able to test your skills versus a multitude of different classes / levels / gearset. There’s just something here for everyone: PVE, PVP, PV(market?).

◆Lineage 2 Through the Years◆

“I’ve attended 3 weddings of friends I’ve met in Lineage 2. Some of the players in my current clan, I’ve known for almost 20 years.”

Tell us some of your favorite memories from L2. What are some of your past favorite events?

There were events in the past that got the whole server involved. The server banded together (despite wars) and battled for open field raid bosses against known Adena farmer clans. The fights were pretty epic. Clans locked down Cruma Tower and Dragon Valley Cave for hours, and let players run around PKing known farmer clans.

GM’s were also very involved in past events, such as the hide and seek bunny event on Fantasy Isle.

The best memories will be of the long-lasting friendships that I’ve developed with a lot of players. Some people we’ve lost along the way (RIP LucySkyDiamond and dnk <3 ), while other friendships still go strong, long after players have moved on from L2.

What is your favorite zone in the game and why? Where do you have some of your favorite memories?

My favorite zone in the game would have to be Dethrone. The ability to compete vs Naia on a massive scale added a new dimension to in-game politics that wasn't much of a factor before. It gives players an opportunity to pit our skills against our counterparts that we've only seen on PVP videos from "that other server." We actually get to fight for the choicest XP spots. In the past, Forge of the Gods was the prime XP area. This led to hours/days of PVP and griefing over the best spots. Many frienemies were made during this time. My favorite memories will always be on the castle siege grounds. This is where we get to showcase skills, gear, organization and teamwork to its fullest extent. Win or lose, after every siege we have an opportunity to gnash out details and have takeaways on what we can improve on for the next round.

Speaking of friendships, has L2 ever crossed over into your real life? Do you have any stories of meeting up with players?

I’ve attended 3 weddings of friends I’ve met in Lineage 2. Some of the players in my current clan, I’ve known for almost 20 years. Ishmila and Gypsiedanger and I used to PK each other for hunting spots back in the day and have become some of my closest friends. Gypsiedanger and I are practically neighbors now and were coworkers not too long ago. xYourMaster and I meet for dinner a few times a month. Quite a few of us work in a similar field and meet up at conferences or business trips around the country. We’re hoping to meet up with some of our Brazilian allies soon.

How has L2 and the community changed over the years?

I think that the impact that L2 has on players’ lives has been felt more keenly. The players have grown from college age to adults with families and lives. Although the additions of timed instances and the auto-hunt feature has helped alleviate some of the strain on competitive gameplay, time locked events like Dethroned, Olympiad, and Sieges makes it hard for competitive players to “be” competitive and still maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle.

◆Character Spotlight◆

“I prefer duelist to the other tyrr classes because it has a good balance between damage output and survivability. It’s the best tyrr class for a mid-gear player in terms of PVE and PVP.”

Let’s talk about your character and your role on your server: What makes your character stand out? What impact do you think your character makes in the community?

I think just the fact that my character has been around for a long time makes it stand out. I’ve led or been a part of influential clans and alliances for most of my L2 “career.” Whether I’m the “bad guy” or the “good guy” varies depending on which circle you’re speaking to. I do try to keep the server competitive and try maintaining a healthy balance. I try not to over-recruit and “dominate” the server and help out some of the upcoming clans where I am able, whether it be answering questions about game mechanics, or helping them set up out of game resources.

Have you always been the same class as you are now? If not, why did you change? Why do you like your class?

I started as a Tank main and stayed that for a solid 15 years. The addition of dual classes allowed me to play many different classes over the years and to get my damage fix. I’ve dual classed Healer, Nuker, Archer (very briefly), and Tyrr. I’ve played every available class through boxes and alts.

I am currently a Duelist main. I transitioned from tank to Tyrr due to the update that negated tank crowd control. That same update removed a lot of the tank’s ability to safeguard the party and made it not a very versatile class to play.

I prefer Duelist to the other Tyrr classes because it has a good balance between damage output and survivability. It’s the best Tyrr class for a mid-gear player in terms of PVE and PVP. Face-off’s debuff resistance and immunity to damage sets it apart from the other Tyrr classes. We’ll have to see how this update to face-off changes the class.

Do you have any fun rivalries or fun stories with specific players?

I’m pretty sure Ishmila and I were the most bitter of enemies for years, maybe a decade or more. Even when we were in the same clan, we were not friends at first. Even when I went to his wedding, I think there were bets on whether or not there would be violence. :D

◆The Road Ahead◆

“Try being polite to some people and strike up a conversation, you might be surprised with the response you get and make a new friend.”

What hopes do you have for the future of the game?

I hope that NCSoft continues to invest in this game and continues to strive for game balance. It needs to listen to the player base when looking for areas of improvement. I also hope that planned changes are more transparent, and that gear is more accessible to the majority of the community and not just the select few.

Do you have any hot takes that other players might disagree with?

Lineage 2, with all its problems is still one of the best games on the market. There is a reason that some of us have been playing for so long. One of the biggest reasons is this community. Love it or hate it, it’s a very passionate community. Something a lot of players seem to ignore is that there is, in fact, a real person on the other end of that keyboard.

I know I haven’t always been the friendliest person in the past but come on folks. This game has been out for 20 years, people should grow up and mature and become better people.

Is there anything you would like to say to the community?

I just want to remind the community that this is a hobby. The community is just that, a community. You get from it what you put in it. Try being polite to some people and strike up a conversation, you might be surprised with the response you get and make a new friend.

See more Player Spotlights here.