Conquer Online

Conquer Online Classes

Classes:

• Dragon Warrior – a martial specialist wielding nunchakus, built around mobility and rapid combo-style pressure, including shifting and sweeping attacks.
• Archer/Assassin – a ranged damage dealer that clears groups efficiently with strong AoE, often leveling quickly. At Level 40, Archers can promote into Oriental Assassins, switching to throwing knives. Archer promotions are given by the Archer God in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Pirate – a PvP-leaning class using pistols and rapiers, notable for suffering only half the usual PK penalty. Enemies killed by a Pirate have doubled item drop odds, making the class especially attractive to dedicated PK players. Pirate job promotions are given by the Pirate Lord in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Monk/Saint – a close-range fighter using prayer beads, blending physical strikes with spiritual techniques. Monk/Saint promotions are given by the Head Abbot in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Ninja – the fast, fragile rogue archetype, capable of very high damage but with low durability and limited armor options (light armor only). Ninja promotions are given by the Wild Sage in the Job Center of Twin city.
• Trojan – an offense-first melee class that eventually dual-wields (available at Level 40). Compared to Warriors, Trojans trade defense for higher damage output. Trojan promotions are given by the Trojan Star in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Warrior – a durable, well-rounded melee choice with access to most weapons (excluding bows and backswords) and the heaviest armor set. Warrior promotions are given by the Warrior God in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Fire Taoist – an offensive caster focused on fire magic, beginning as an intern and later promoting into Water Taoist at Level 40. Fire Taoist promotions are given by the Taoist Moon in the Job Center of Twin City.
• Water Taoists – a defensive, supportive caster style with healing, curing, and revival tools. They also have a lower rebirth requirement (110 rather than the usual 120). Water Taoist promotions are given by the Taoist Star in the Job Center of Twin City.

Subclasses:

• Apothecary – lowers poison damage taken
• Chi Master – reduces incoming critical strike damage
• Martial Artist – boosts critical strike chance
• Warlock – increases skill critical strike chance
• Wrangler – increases max HP
• Sage – reduces an enemy’s magic defense
• Performer – dances that grant bonuses to physical and magic attack

*Sub-classes can be upgraded 9 times (Enhances effect), but this requires study-points and level / rebirth prerequisites.

Conquer Online Review

Conquer Online is a long-running 2D MMORPG developed and published by TQ Digital, and it remains one of the better-known early free-to-play imports to establish a lasting foothold in the West. The game debuted in China in April 2003 and later arrived for North America and international audiences on Jan 17, 2004. It runs on the C3 Engine, which also powers other Netdragon and TQ Digital 2D titles, including Eudemons Online. Even today, its continued operation speaks to how well its PvP loop and progression hooks resonated with its community, and that popularity also helped push the franchise toward mobile releases on iOS.

Getting Started and First Impressions

At launch you can choose between HD and Standard clients, essentially a resolution choice (1024×768 for HD, 800×600 for Standard). The opening steps are familiar MMO territory, create a character and pick a class, with the twist that Conquer Online keeps customization minimal. Beyond selecting a class and gender, the most noticeable cosmetic choice is your character’s body size, “big” or “small.” Class identity matters far more than appearance here, because your toolkit and your later rebirth decisions define your long-term experience.

Twin City as a Tutorial Hub

After entering the world, the game quickly funnels you into early guidance through “Kungfu boy,” then uses auto-pathing to walk you through key NPCs such as storage and trainers. This onboarding is efficient, if a little hands-off, and it sets the tone for Conquer Online’s pacing. Early leveling is extremely fast, with Level 15 arriving after a handful of starter quests and Level 30 achievable in roughly half an hour. Progress slows after that point, but it still moves quicker than what many modern MMORPG players would consider a “normal” leveling curve.

Combat Feel and PvE Difficulty

Moment to moment combat is brisk and readable, with a UI style that will feel familiar to players who grew up around older action-leaning MMOs and ARPG-inspired interfaces. The main issue is that PvE rarely pushes back. Basic attacks and early skills are strong enough that most classes can delete clusters of enemies rapidly, and the game leans into power fantasy more than tactical play. Skills are typically acquired by reaching the required level and visiting your class trainer, so the loop is straightforward and progression is clearly signposted.

EXP skills add a second layer to combat power. These are class-specific abilities tied to a golden meter near your HP and mana that fills automatically over time. When the meter tops out, you can activate your EXP skill window for a short burst (up to 20 seconds). In practice, these abilities are devastating, often enough to wipe similarly leveled mobs in moments. Combined with auto-pathing for quests, Conquer Online becomes a very streamlined grind, you spend less time navigating and more time cycling between objectives and rapid battles.

Automation and the Built-in Grinding Tool

Conquer Online includes an “Auto-fighting” system that functions like an official bot, grinding monsters and using potions automatically. This feature is controversial in any MMORPG, since it shifts the experience away from active play, but it also reflects a reality of older F2P ecosystems where third-party botting is difficult to eliminate. In that sense, official automation can feel like an attempt to normalize the playing field.

That said, Conquer Online’s automation is not equally available to everyone. Some features are gated behind VIP levels, including auto-looting at VIP Level 4 and jumping while auto-fighting at VIP Level 3. VIP Level 3 requires players to spend $400 while VIP Level 4 requires $1,000. This ties convenience, and by extension efficiency, directly to spending, which is a recurring theme across the game’s monetization.

PvP as the Core Attraction

If Conquer Online has a defining feature, it is the breadth of PvP. Alongside duels, the game offers open world PK, arenas, Clan Wars, Faction Wars, cross-server Capture the Flag, and tournament formats. Open world PK is particularly notable because players can attack others freely, but the game tracks penalties via PK points. Killing an innocent player adds 10 PK points. At 30 PK points your name becomes red, and at 100+ it turns black. Red and black named players risk dropping equipment when killed, and the player who defeats them can claim the dropped gear.

There is also a cash-based safety valve, the defeated player can pay a set amount of Conquer Points (the cash shop currency) to the winner to avoid losing the equipment. The Pirate class is designed to thrive in this ecosystem, taking only half the PK point penalty and doubling the chance that enemies drop items when killed by a Pirate.

Beyond open PK, structured PvP is extensive. Weekly Class PK War brackets players against others of the same class to determine the strongest representative for that week. Additional weekly events include faction wars and couple tournaments, among others. The variety is impressive, and it gives competitive players plenty of reasons to log in. The drawback is that the game’s power systems and monetization can make fair competition harder to find, particularly for players who prefer skill expression over spending.

Cash Shop Pressure and Pay-to-Win Reality

Conquer Online’s cash shop has a clear impact on character strength. Many progression advantages can be accelerated through spending, and the VIP system scales with how much money a player puts in. Players that spend $4,000 can reach VIP Level 6. The overall design strongly encourages purchases by tying power and convenience to the cash shop, including selling gear directly.

One of the more unusual systems connected to monetization is the “botjail” approach. Players caught using illegal programs can be sent to botjail, and instead of a traditional ban-first approach, the game offers a paid way out. First-time offenders can pay 2,000 CP ($24) and second-time offenders can pay 5,000 ($50) CP. It is a striking example of how aggressively the game tries to convert even negative behavior into revenue.

Final Verdict – Fair

Conquer Online is an important piece of MMORPG history, and it can still be entertaining in short bursts, especially for players who enjoy high-stakes PvP and fast progression. However, its dated presentation, very low PvE challenge, and heavily monetized power curve make it difficult to recommend broadly today. For veterans and PvP-focused players who know what they are signing up for, it can still scratch a specific itch, but newcomers looking for a more even playing field may bounce off quickly.

Conquer Online Links

Conquer Online Official Site
Conquer Online Wikia [Database / Guides]
Conquer Online Official Guide

Conquer Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 3 800 MHz or AMD Equivalent
Video Card: Any 16 MB Graphics Card
RAM: 128 MB
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 1.5 GHz or AMD Equivalent
Video Card: GeForce2 64 MB or better
RAM: 256 MB
Hard Disk Space: 4 GB

Conquer Online originally released back in 2003, so practically any modern PC sold after 2003 be able to run the game smoothly. Conquer Online is also Mac compatible.

Conquer Online Music & Soundtrack

Conquer Online Additional Information

Developer: Netdragon Websoft
Engine: C3 Engine (Used in all of Netdragon’s 2D games)
Other Platforms: iOS / Android / Mac
Closed Beta Date: November 2003 (English servers)

Foreign Release:

Conquer Online is self-published in all regions through Netdragon’s 99.com portal. The game is available in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

Development History / Background:

Conquer Online was created by Chinese studio Netdragon Websoft and built on the company’s C3 engine, the same tech used across its 2D MMO lineup. Publishing for international regions is handled through Netdragon’s 99.com network under the TQ Digital brand. The title first launched in China in April 2003, then expanded outward quickly, with English servers opening in January 2004 and drawing a large Western audience for a Chinese-developed MMORPG. As Netdragon’s second internally developed MMO, it became the company’s biggest hit, passing 40 million registered users worldwide, and its long-term success helped justify a mobile adaptation on iOS and Android under the name Conquer Online 2: Infinite Battle.