Relatively small MMORPG originating from Korea and making its way stateside in the late nineties.
Known for its cartoony graphics, emphasis on player interaction and role playing, Nexus : The Kingdom of the Winds creates a refreshingly "small town" feeling of gameplay.
Players stay for years within the small community (3000 or so active members, usually no more than 700 online at a time), forming personal bonds and even OOC ((out of character)) gossip.
The current incarnation of the Nexus is one of heightened capitalism; the release of jobs and the ellaboration of the once virtually agrarian economy leads players to lust after money and power.
Accumulation of wealth has become one central feature of gameplay, with "Rare" items and raw materials (ex : wood, wool, uncut jewels) forming a large market with merchants, investors, and the like.
Power is accumulated either by "hunting" or "training" in which a player slays enemies in hunting parties or accomplishes quests. Experience is later sold for raw statistics to be added to the player, which he can use to build up to various rankings of strength and respect in the community via player-killing in organized tournaments and common gathering arenas.
Power is also divied amongst the population via political organizations originally devised for "role playing. "Clans" and "Subpaths" add prestige within the community to characters but more importantly they bestow various abilities to the player. These abilities grow in power as the player climbs up the ranks of these organizations.
Despite much fanfare to the contrary, Nexus has quickly deteriorated from a small role playing community into a traditional MMORPG. The only interesting dynamic is its relatively small size, making the accumulation of wealth and power even more important and personal bonding much more fluid.
See also :
www.nexusatlas.com
www.nexustk.com