Dofus

Dofus is a tactical turn-oriented massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Ankama Games, a French computer game manufacturer. Originally released solely in French, it has since been translated into many other languages. The game includes both pay-to-play accounts offering the full experience and free-to-play accounts offering a more limited amount of content. Its success has led to the marketing of spin-off products, such as books, art, comics and a movie released in 2016. It has also led to the development of two continuations: "Dofus Arena", released at the beginning of 2006, which is an alternative "tournament" version of "Dofus"; and "Wakfu", a continuation of "Dofus". The game has attracted over 40 million players worldwide and is especially well known in France.
Plot.
Context.
Dofus takes place in the World of Twelve, a heroic-fantasy universe. Players must find six primordial Dofus, dragon eggs conferring great power on their bearer, which are scattered around the world. The game, in the open world, gives way to the free will of the players, who can choose to orient themselves in the Players against Players, Players against Monsters or the economy.
Universe.
Dofus is the first Ankama product to take place in the transmedia world of the Krosmoz. From this first success will appear many derivative products, including two other video games, Arena in 2011 then Wakfu the following year, and television (Wakfu, Dofus: Aux trésors de Kerubim) and cinematographic ().
The first derivative work is the manfra Dofus, the first volume of which was released in October 10th 2005. It is written by Tot, co-creator of the game, and drawn by Ancestral Z.
Gameplay.
"Dofus" takes place in "The World of Twelve", named for the 12 gods that inhabit it. Players control a 2D avatar belonging to one of 18 character classes in a third-person view. Each class has a unique set of spells that other classes can not obtain. As with most other massively multiplayer online role-playing games, players gain levels by obtaining experience. Experience can be gained by defeating monsters and completing quests. With each level, players gain points that can be used to improve their avatar's characteristics and spells. Players can access new spells and equipment by advancing in level. Players receive a special 'aura' when they reach level 100, and gain a different aura at 200, the maximum level. Players may also decide to take up professions and frequently band together to undertake dungeons. Many also become part of guilds, to more easily coordinate with others. Players complete quests to gain experience and other rewards.
While the game takes place in real-time, combat in "Dofus" is conducted more like a turn based strategy game – where each player takes it in turns to make a series of moves and attacks within a time limit. As such, when a player attacks monsters – they are transported to a 'copy map' where the fighting takes place. Once a fight begins, no other players may join that fight. Players use a series of spells (which are unique to that character class) to, amongst other effects, attack, heal, buff or drain one's Action Points (AP) or Movement Points (MP). All actions done in combat (by both players and monsters) consumes an amount of AP and all movement consumes MP. In combat if a character loses all of their health points (HP) they're rendered dead.
Characters in "Dofus" can learn various professions. There is a special type of profession called a specialization which can enhance item stats. Collecting professions involve players going out into the wilderness and collecting natural resources, such as certain wood and flowers. These can be made into breads and the like that restore health. They may also be sold as many of them are needed as quests items. Crafting professions involve the player piecing collected resources together to make a vast array of different items. Players gain experience in each profession by gathering the resources of that profession and/or by crafting items, depending on the type. As a player's collecting profession gains levels, they can collect new types of resources and obtain resources quickly. When a crafting profession levels, the player can create more powerful items and create them with a higher success rate, meaning that crafting will fail less often.
The currency used in "Dofus" is called "Kamas" (k). There are three cities that contain a marketplace where people can buy and sell goods and equipment for a fee. The kamas from these sales deposit directly into the player's bank account. Accounts are separated into two categories, Free-to-Play and Pay-to-Play. The game includes a zone accessible to Free-to-Play accounts. Free accounts have access to the new player zone of Incarnam and access to the city of Astrub and most of its outlying areas. This makes it possible for a new player to enjoy seemingly full game play, unbounded by time restrictions. Access to the entire world of "Dofus"—including access to other cities, participating in factional Player vs. Player battles and being able to raise profession levels above 30—requires a monthly fee, with discounts given for longer term subscriptions.
Development.
Since its release, "Dofus" has seen more than 25 million accounts created from its release and distributed at least 51 servers. "Dofus" has roughly 1.5 million active subscribers in 2016.
Critical reception.
The game received "positive" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. "Dofus" has also received international gaming awards including the Bytten Ernie Award for Best Graphics And Concept Art in 2007 and the Audience Award at the Independent Game Festival in 2006.
Animated series.
In 2013 an animated series entitled "Dofus aux trésors de Kérubim" (English: "Dofus: The Treasures of Kerubim") based upon the game began airing on France 3. The series is set 200 years before the beginning of the MMORPG and follows the character of Kerubim throughout various points in his life. The premise has Kerubim narrating several of his adventures to his adopted son Joris and their housekeeper Simone. "Dofus" consists of 52 episodes, each running 13 minutes apiece. The movie "Dofus Book I: Julith" was released on February 3, 2016. An English dub of the series debuted in the United States on VRV in November 2017. It was removed in late-2019.