RF ONLINE REVIEW

Introduction

Humanity had spread through the entire galaxy, until an ancient race known as the Herodians infected them with a rage/hate virus, leading them to tear each other to extinction. Only three groups of humans survived, isolated on remote planets in distant corners of the galaxy. The Accretia, descendants from criminals locked in the furthest removed, harshest world humanity had colonized, the Bellato, living in a high gravity world, and the Cora, descendants from a lone scientific station dedicated to the study of psychic abilities. These groups continued to evolve separately, until they forgot they ever were members of the same race.
Over time, the Bellato Union (descendants from a human colony on a high gravity world) took control of the galaxy, enslaving the other races (Accretia and Cora) until their slaves allied and rebelled. Now, the Bellato Union (the remains of their old empire) strive to survive in a three-way war against the Holy Alliance of Cora and the newly formed Accretia Empire.
Meanwhile, the Herodians have returned and located the young races, watching with amusement as they tear each other apart with no need for encouragement.
The game is centered on the conflict between 3 races (descendants of the now extinct human race) in their bid to control precious resources, and their desire to advance their respective agendas through any means necessary. These three races are:

Accretia - A race of cyborgs who were forced to turn to artificial bodies due to the harsh environment on their home planet. Now they have forsaken flesh in their pursuit of perfection and they scorn every flesh being in the universe. Their metallic bodies are the toughest in the game and they have the highest technology, but no access to magic. Re-established as the Accretia Empire, Accretia entered the Novus conflict against both Cora and Bellato.
Social Background:
Accretians consider themselves the closest to perfection any race is ever going to achieve. They are cyborgs due to organic brains being merged into mechanical bodies?? Not being mere robots acting accordingly to a rigid piece of software, they are to obey a motive, and that motive is the pursuit of perfection.
While individualism is not promoted, and not even tolerated, self-consciousness does remain; the Accretian society is not to be seen as a hive or a collective mind. The way they are created, educated and indoctrinated makes the Accretians solely concerned by the evolution of the society as a whole. However, perfection at a higher level can only be achieved through perfection at an individual level.
Accretians are cloned and, during their first years of life, indoctrinated via a combination of neurochemical procedures and education, until they are estimated efficient enough to become fully fledged citizens of the Empire. Then, they undergo a radical surgical procedure to get rid of their weak and disposable flesh and have their brains integrated into mechanized bodies.
Abilities and potential of every Accretian are estimated as early as the first stages of the creation process; education and training unfold accordingly to these estimations. Every Accretian is assigned a specific task, the one at which he will be the most efficient. They embrace it totally; it is their path to perfection.
Accretian society is organized as a strict hierarchy ladder; the farther along the ladder, the more complex and far-reaching the task assigned to the individual. Despite that hierarchy, there are no social classes, not in the way the other races could understand it, for social segregation comes only from resentment and will for changes, and contentment and will for status quo. Such things do not exist in the Accretian society. At least, they shouldnt
Bellato - Due to the intense gravity on their home planet, the Bellateans are a small people. Theirs is a race of inventors that are able to combine creative tools and weapons with the Light form of universal magic. The Bellato enter the war with small but strong bodies, thanks to the high gravity of their home planet. Before they became the Bellato Union, however, they were the Bellato Empire, who seized control and enslaved the other races after the Cora civil war but, their empire of slaves was destroyed by the Accretians. Under such sustained attacks they fell from power, yet they have bided their time until they can become a force to be reckoned with once again. They learned from their Accretian foes, and built MAUs (Massive Armor Unit) to use as gigantic armor and siege units, since they were unwilling to give up their bodies.
Social Background:
The Bellato learned early on that the fastest way to develop technology and profit is for their people to be happy. A happy person is a productive person. This is why they have freedom of expression and individualism (as long as you are a Bellatean).
However, most, if not all of the dominant Bellateans are members of Houses. Houses are congregations of individuals who share the same blood (family ties being taken very seriously by Bellateans) and/or interests (wealth and power being taken much more seriously by Bellateans).
Success breeds success, and while Bellateans promote individual achievement, over the years, the same families harvest most of the wealth and power. Influential Bellateans then lend money, offer services or help to lesser ones, for the conduct of their business or other matters, and strong ties develop between all sides. Soon enough, it is a vast network of interests that emerges. A House. Several networks can intertwine, of course, but the core of every one of them is a powerful and identifiable family that will do its best to keep the relatives, allies, and clients in line with the Houses interests.
Cora - They favor their own mental prowess over the crouch of technology. Highly spiritual and gifted with highly developed psychic abilities, Corites regard themselves as the highest form of creation. Their psychic arts are far superior to that which the Bellato practice. Their deity is known as Decem, whom they believe gave Corites their powers as well as their fate, to reach ascension in his name and rid the galaxy of technology. The Holy Alliance of Cora was thus born to carry out their crusade.
Social Background:
Decem created the world to turn oblivion into beauty, and the Corites to enforce His will. Knowing they are the chosen race, Corites have organized their society accordingly to their faith. Everything they do in this life is to ascend to a higher station or being, gaining a closer relationship with their god. It is evident that those who do enforce His will are granted more powers and abilities, becoming stronger in the use of the their mental powers, to which they refer to as the Dark Force, the most precious gift Decem made to His children.
Corite society is based on a caste system. This caste system is a meritocracy; the Corites are organized into their castes solely based on their relevant skills in life, their devotion, and their dedication to Decems will. This way, the castes function much like that of old tribal clans where priests were of a higher station than warriors and they in turn were of a higher station than workers. Ones strength in the Dark Force and capacity to serve Decem and enforce His commands sets one`s caste. The Spiritualist is the highest caste because they have the greatest strength in the use of Dark Force.
The entire population is grouped into a caste or another; once in a caste, your fellow members become your family. Blood relationships are not a priority amongst the castes. Indeed, nothing is to be put before Decem, marriage is not allowed, and the couple has been replaced by the group, because of the conflicts that could otherwise arise between family and god. Because everything Corites do is overseen and judged by their god, their children are gifted in a manner directly proportional to their deeds. Choosing the best possible mate to have children with, is thus an incredibly important decision. Corite children are raised in intern schools, only visiting a parent during vacations and Holy celebration's. The Corites use the term Sires for parents, not showing either one mother/father as more important than the other.
A mixture of science fiction and classic fantasy, RF Online (or RFO, as many of its players call it) is set in a distant planet in the Novus system where magic exists alongside high technology. Like most MMORPGs it follows the typical fantasy setting complete with swords and sorcery, but it also emphasizes the three-way Race vs. Race vs. Race (RvRvR) concept and modern/futuristic technology such as mecha and nuclear weapons.