MapleStory Story – Monsters on Patrol

Friday 5th October/... You can run from them, even avoid them but sooner or later you'll have to face 'em. Killing monsters is the primary way to gain experience in MapleStory Europe and also the easiest and most enjoyable way to stash up Mesos - MapleStory's in-game currency. Many of them really aren't that scary at all, in fact the majority of them are adorably cute, but one thing's for certain: you'll encounter a vast number of them during your MapleStory adventures.

Know Your Enemy

As you would expect, MapleStory Europe has many, many monsters running amok to test the mettle of each and every 'Mapler'. Fortunately for beginners, the creatures found in and around Maple Island, the game's training island, are relatively few in number and not that dangerous, which gives them all the breathing space they need to start to develop their characters in relative peace. When you're feeling more confident and experienced, or perhaps part of a group of fellow adventurers eager to rack up the experience points and Mesos quota, higher level monsters can be found wandering the maps of Victoria Island. The really nasty, highly dangerous monsters patrol around the central area of the Island where the dungeon is, and for boss action, Ossyria is the place to try your luck. In fact there are four fearsomely cute bosses awaiting you there, so it's not a place for the feint hearted.

Each monster has its own unique behaviour and attack patterns: some will head straight for nearby players, while others take a less aggressive stance. Equally, some attacks and skills are more effective against certain monsters than others, meaning it's up to players to figure out how best to tackle each individual monster. Of course, learning when not to take a monster on is just as important: if the fight isn't going well, it's time to back off as every time your character dies you stand to lose a hefty chunk of your precious experience points.

Cute And Deadly

Some of MapleStory Europe's monsters look like butter wouldn't melt in their mouth - even the names are cute: Blue Snail, Orange Mushroom, Ribbon Pig, Green Slime - but don't be fooled: they won't think twice about rushing straight in to drain your health bar. The important thing to learn in MapleStory Europe is that, although you'll often come away battered and bruised from your encounters with some of the game's more dastardly foes, it's always worth the effort because of the invaluable experience points gained. The trick is to be prepared for those instances: plenty of health and magic potions and a little help from your friends can get you through even the tightest spot.

To help players work out which encounters to take on, monsters, like players, are categorised by experience level. While the level 1-10 monsters shouldn't pose too much of a problem for beginners, those in the level 51-60 category are best left until players have accumulated a good level of experience. Players are encouraged to 'train' by finding an area full of monsters of a similar level before spending time racking up the experience points. To help out, certain maps in MapleStory are designated 'training areas'. Here monsters have a very fast respawn time (the time taken for a defeated monster to reappear), ensuring a never ending flow of sword-fodder. However, these areas can get busy, meaning you're often competing with other players for kills, as much as you are with the monsters.

Items, Mesos and Even More Monsters

Beyond experience, the best thing about taking down monsters is the presents they randomly leave behind afterwards. These usually consist of small amounts of Mesos, but monsters sometimes drop items as well. What gets dropped is completely random, although it's usually proportionate to the monster's level. Most often it's a special item required to complete specific quests, or an ingredient to make a more powerful item, but if you're lucky, a lower level monster might drop a really valuable and powerful piece of equipment from time to time. Even more reason to hunt down every monster you see!

As the recent German Festival event highlighted, MapleStory Europe also boasts a number of special event-specific monsters: in this case the hilarious 'drunk' versions of well known creatures such as the Drunken Blue Mushroom and Drunken Evil Eye. In fact, barely a month goes by without a whole new raft of exciting and increasingly challenging monsters rearing their adorable heads for players to take on. And with new monsters come new tactics to learn and new rewards to fight for. It's yet another reason why the ranks of players flocking to play MapleStory Europe keep growing month on month. Why not join the action yourself at www.mapleeurope.com. The monsters are waiting for you!