Immortal Day!

For vampire afficiodos and gamers who don’t want to download a bunch of software there is now Immortal Day, a free online game where you the player can hunt and scheme wander in personal world of shadowy monsters. Unlike such MMORPGs like Star Trek Online or Ravenmarch, this game focuses on vampires, werewolves, hunters, hybrid creatures and a slew of other monsters.

What is it like?

10253926_693670964012073_3381868500897007923_nRemember those vampire games that Facebook used to offer? Think of that but writ very very large. Nothing to download, since it remains entirely browser-based. So the complexity of the background (which frankly ends up quite complex, depending upon how deeply you want to dive in) is supported by the web rather than your own personal system. The result is less visually stunning than some games, but still allows a lot of variety. For example, you as the player may upload your own avatar, just as you choose your name. If you lack the right resources for such graphics, simply find a worthy photo online!

But that does bring up one of many tiny nitpicks with the game. It will not host your graphic for you. Rather you must find your own host then provide the URL. More, you have to do it again for a combat avatar. Another (minor) nuisance is running up against the same opponent when prowling over and over again.

Let us back up, however. The good stuff deserves to go first. Apart from the free and no downloading part, the game itself offers rather a lot of personal support.  Forums exist for players to talk among themselves, a whole section of Players Tips hovers there on the bottom left, waiting for a click. Atop there’s also a great big emblazoned part of the menu dubbed Explore! From there you can go very nearly anywhere. The game is essentially built around gaining status and levels, which involve a variety of tasks to up one’s statistics. More, the higher you go the greater opportunities appear. Likewise so do the dangers. A lot of these involve different kinds of resources such as money and gold pieces, various potions and tools, investments and access to things like tarot card readings. At the lower levels, one simply learns the ropes and gets a feel for the game. The higher one goes the more we learn.

tarotWords to the wise: Always begin by going to get Tarot readings. You won’t always get things but when you do (and the odds remain good) it will be useful. Very useful. When  you click on Lair (upper left) the game immediately offers suggestions of what you should do. Another thing to do early in each session is Serve The Ancients. You earn Karma Points (which eventually come in very handy) as well as getting some good fortune when it comes to Mining. This is one way of getting gold without Prowling. Not that you should avoid Prowling! In fact, odds are high that will form a big chunk of your play.

Prowling means what happens when your character simply goes around and sees what happens. Most often, you find junk and decide to keep it. Actually a lot of that junk is useful! Other times you score money or gold pieces (12 of those equals a restoration of energy) or perks like extra experience, more tarot card readings–and sometimes you get hurt or arrested. In either case the potions given during tarot card readings prove oh-so-handy!

Maybe you perceive a problem? Is this about nothing but stats? Well, it can be. And if that is the route you take, truth is Immortal Day might well serve as a vastly more complex version of Solitaire.

Or you can make the effort to go further. After a certain point, it becomes relatively simple to form or join factions–at least in theory. What this requires is a willingness to play the game with some genuine character-driven ideas. Another purpose behind the forums! Getting to know other players has some real advantages. For one thing, they can give you things. You might make enemies, opening up the chance of beating up a character you loathe again and again! Mind  you, that works both ways. Hence all the more reason to build relationships among players! Friend and even Marriage options exist! You’re also encouraged to recruit others into the game–which in turn can help bring it in some sense into the Real World!

Is that good thing? Well, it doesn’t seem necessarily a bad one. Certainly such allows a further dimension of play which you can explore further at their Facebook Page. But I suppose the fact one can choose to go in all sorts of different directions, to treat the game in such a variety of ways makes the whole experience more enjoyable in my eyes.

Keep in mind, however, I played the free version of this game for several weeks only. Maybe further problems will show up, ones that never appeared in my hours of gameplay. Options for upgrades do exist and perhaps those offer some extra challenges. Well one hopes so! But I found the game absorbing, if not immediately obvious. I found myself looking forward to it–not as I would a good role-playing game but an absorbing diversion with a gothic feel. As such I recommend it.

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By david

David MacDowell Blue blogs at Night Tinted Glasses.  He graduated from the National Shakespeare Conservatory and is the author of The Annotated Carmilla. and Your Vampire Story (And How to Write It) as well as a theatrical adaptation of Carmilla.

2 comments

  1. Just a clone of their other game immortal night. They did this one because that one is in a huge decline. Not worth the effort.

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