Perfect World: On semi-retirement, new clans, and territorial wars

My playing Perfect World—a popular Asian massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Beijing-based Perfect World Co. Ltd. and published in my little corner of the planet by Level Up! Games—day in and day out for the past year and a half has finally taken its toll. I’ve gone on semi-retirement, logging in only to link up and chat with friends and keep my characters, and those of my wife, leveling at a decent pace with daily doses of free experience points courtesy of two non-player characters, Du Heng and Li Meng Bai.

The reason for this hiatus: Perfect World, despite all its features and allure, just doesn’t cut it anymore. The game has lost its appeal, to me and my wife, right after our resignation from the clan we helped build. Oh, yes, we formed a new clan, Illuminati, so that we could stay in touch with good online friends, but as soon as they left the clan in search of excitement via joining other, more powerful clans, we suddenly found ourselves alone again.

So my wife decided to pack up her virtual bags and move to another game, Florensia. Unfortunately, her stint as a diminutive Saint was short lived. I’ve had a similar experience trying to juggle a few online games, including Perfect World, Requiem: Bloodymare, Grand Chase, and Atlantica. My characters remain at low levels, stagnant for a few days to a week, or until I give them the attention they deserve.

About a month ago, a friend, Rovil, approached me in the game Perfect World and asked me to join the Guardians Extension, a clan in Perfect World Philippines’ Tiger Server. Since I couldn’t move my main character, Werefox or Yaojing Malystryx, from the main clan of Guardians, I gave Rovil my second character, Calumet, an Elven Priest or Yuling.

On my first day as an officer of the Guardians Extension, however, I got into a row with another officer over the recruitment of members. I won’t divulge anymore the details of the argument, only that it resulted in my resignation from the clan. Fortunately, another friend, Mabel, offered me a position in her clan, TheSaints.

It turned out that the offer was the start of something good.

After Level Up! Games and Perfect World Co. Ltd. wiped the ownership of territories (meaning those clans that held territories had become landless), TheSaints bid for a territory and won. That was two weeks ago. Just recently, TheSaints got its first taste of a massacre, courtesy of Tiger Server powerhouse, clan Exiled. It took Exiled all of, what, six or so minutes to eliminate our hold over Carefree Path, one of the territories on the Perfect World map.

Fortunately, TheSaints took over another territory, Dragon Slope, from another fledgling clan, DyNasty. The battle, which took about two and a half hours, was long-drawn and very tiring. It was also very expensive, since I bought a couple of amulets (which regenerate hitpoints when it falls below 50 percent), a few hierograms (which fill up a character’s mana when it plummets to 75 percent), and hundreds of potions. But the pain to both my body and my wallet was worth it.

The only thing we have to worry about now is Exiled taking our territory again. It seems I need to force myself into being active again.

Screenshot taken by Joel from the online game Perfect World, developed by Perfect World Co. Ltd. and operated in the Philippines by Level Up! Games.