Lineage II

Lineage II is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed and published by the South Korean studio NCSOFT, launched in South Korea in 2003 and subsequently worldwide. A prequel to the enormously popular original Lineage, it became one of the most successful and influential MMORPGs in Asia and a significant title in the West. Set in the war-torn world of Aden some 150 years before the first game, it is renowned for its large-scale, faction-driven gameplay, particularly its castle sieges and clan warfare, in which player guilds battle for control of strongholds and the political and economic power that comes with them. Players choose among various races and classes, grind through a famously demanding progression, and engage in extensive player-versus-player combat that defined the game's identity. Lineage II ran on the Unreal Engine, giving it impressive 3D visuals for its era. Over its long life NCSOFT supported it with numerous expansions ('chronicles' and updates) and eventually transitioned it to a free-to-play model to sustain its community. POCG marked its eighth anniversary in coverage. Demanding, social and politically charged, Lineage II is remembered as a cornerstone of the golden age of Asian MMORPGs and a major commercial pillar for NCSOFT.