Lost Islands

Gameplay

Before starting the game in RAN: Lost Islands we choose one of nine specializations representing three warring factions, namely the European Empire, the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and the Japanese Shogunate. We have nothing left to do but to proceed to the actual game, which takes place on a vast archipelago with an open structure.

We watch the action from the third person perspective (TPP). A maximum of a hundred players fighting each other participate in the struggles. Depending on the profession we chose at the beginning, we can eliminate opponents in close combat (using melee weapons) or at a distance (using bows or firearms). The developers allow us to engage in dynamic battles both on land and on water (using warships), as well as under its surface. Apart from other players, unpredictable weather can pose a threat (plans for quick loot can be thwarted by tornadoes or tsunamis). We can also encounter opponents controlled by artificial intelligence (like wild natives or even sea monsters).

Given that our main goal is to acquire vast wealth, exploration plays an important role alongside fighting. Carefully combing through the various nooks and crannies of the islands, we can come across not only increasingly better equipment for our character, but also various treasures and ancient artifacts. Valuable items are hidden in various places - from temples, through caves, to shipwrecks resting on the seabed. We need to be vigilant in this, because the moment we become the richest participant in the struggle, our position will be revealed to the others, and they may try to hunt us down.

Although there is nothing to prevent us from fighting for survival on our own, cooperation with other participants often turns out to be a better idea. In this way we can prepare ambushes for adversaries, jointly defend ourselves against their attacks (by erecting makeshift fortifications or setting traps in strategic places) or cover ourselves on the way to the deck of the Black Ship (which is the only way to leave the islands).