Microsoft Games Archive/Features

Original Link (now dead) - http://microsoft.com/games/zone/asheronscall/features.htm

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Unique Character Creation
Players can create characters that are visually unique utilizing three heritage groups and hundreds of facial features and clothing options. In all, there are over 100 million visual combinations. In addition, there are six character attributes and greater than 30 skills from which players can customize initial performance levels.
VIEW MPEG MOVIE OF CHARACTER CREATION (4.4MB)

Innovative Player Interaction
Asheron's Call's allegiance and fellowship system facilitates a social dimension of game play never before experienced in a computer game. The more allies a player acquires, the greater his or her influence becomes. The system encourages experienced players to work with newer players and enhances social interaction.
VIEW MPEG MOVIE OF SOCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (4.2MB)

Continuous 3D-Fantasy World
Asheron's Call is a 24 mile by 24 mile island, nearly 1/2 the size of Rhode Island, with all types of terrain including mountain glaciers, desert wastelands, swamps and subterranean dungeons. Unique server technology creates one continuous gaming world that can handle thousands of players.
VIEW MPEG ATLAS OF DERETH (4.8MB)

Evolving Story Line
Asheron's Call provides an engaging back-story equivalent to 4,000 years of game history for players to discover. On-line game administrators will be actively working to advance the overall story line based on the decisions and actions of the Asheron's Call community.
READ MORE ON THE HISTORY OF ASHERON'S CALL

Strategy Based Combat System
Asheron's Call's combat system is based on a real physics engine that factors in player skills and experience. Combat requires players to consider strategy and tactics as they go into battle.
VIEW MPEG MOVIE OF COMBAT SAMPLE (4.4MB)

Dynamic Magic System
Designed with hundreds of modular components, spells are formed through combining words, gestures, and magical items. Players acquire spells through training, adventuring, or even experimenting with sequences of components to create their own spells. In a unique spell "economy", the fewer players that use a particular spell, the greater the effectiveness of that spell.
VIEW MPEG MOVIE OF SPELL CASTING & MAGIC (3.9MB)