Evinity (game)

Evinity is an American massively multiplayer online video game initially developed by Maple Rain Studios before being bought by Microsoft. It started development in 2016 and its open beta was released in 2021.

Premise
In this game, the player attends Evin Academy for the first year. Before waking up, they first go through a dream sequence guided by a mysterious spirit who asks for their avatar's appearance, name, and starting attributes. Afterwards, they wake up and are tasked with preparation. At the door, they are greeted by a fairy-like spirit who calls himself by the name of Leif, and is guided by them through the journey to the bus stop, being stopped halfway by some Rookie-rank enemies, where he teaches you the basics of fighting.

When the duo arrive, they make it in time that the bus had just stopped by. After taking a seat, the bus sprouts wings and flies to the academy, which is sited on a large cloud above the heart of Evinity Island.

Gameplay
Depending on what console you're playing on, Evinity plays like a top-down perspective with childish, watercolor-style visuals. The player controls a customizable avatar in the form of a young adventurer attending a school for adventurers like them. Besides the actual classes which act as training for the many activities and minigames throughout, the academy also suggests that students go out in the world and help citizens with their problems, developing kindness and empathy.

Username / Password / Personel Code
While not actually part of the avatar customization and more so before even playing the main game, it acts as both a system to save your progress and a security system so no one but you can access your saved data. This section includes:
 * Username: A player's unique username that they can name whatever they want, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions include inappropriate names, a name that someone already has, a person's real name, profanity, offensive names, and names with spaces in them.
 * Password: A short passcode that when entered correctly, will gain access to the saved data. For additional security, it is also censored by star symbols. It can also be saved, but the player must own the device only so no one else can access.
 * Personel Code: Alongside email, this can be used for when the player forgets or wants to reset their password. It is a four-symbol code, each can be accessed using eight different symbols (circle, square, triangle, heart, star, spade, club, diamond). After four failed attempts at checking the code, the player will automatically be taken back to the basic login screen.

Name / Gender / Species / Element
In the first actual section of the initial character customization, the player is chosen to fill out their biological data, including their name. This includes:
 * Name: The nickname of the player's avatar. While it has most of the restrictions for the username, the player can use spaces between characters. In terms of visuals, the player switch between seeing other players' avatar name or username.
 * Gender: This affects the starting biological appearance of the avatar, as well the appearance choices afterwards. Unisex characters have both male and female choices.
 * Species: This also affects the starting biological appearance and its choices for the avatar, as well as a few attributes and skills in battle. For a full list, see Evinity/Playable Species.
 * Element: This effects the majority of skills the player can earn and use in battle, and sometimes attributes. For a full list of these elements, see Evinity/Elements.

Appearance
In the next section of the avatar customization, the player is able to alter their character's appearance and size. This section includes:
 * Skin Color: The hue of the avatar's skin. The variety of skin colors and vary based on the character's species, but the player can also choose a color from the color wheel.
 * Height/Width: This affects the avatar's size. Height changes their tallness, and width changes their thickness. This also affects the head shape.
 * Hair: While completely optional for some species, the hair set into four different types that can be colored separately or mirrored: front, rear, side, and back.
 * Eyes: This affects how the avatar's eyes are shaped and colored in. Both eyes and three of their parts can be colored separately (pupil, iris, sclera).
 * Mouth: This affects how the mouth is shaped, and some mouths are exclusive to certain species unless you have the "Shapeshifter" ribbon.
 * Facial: This includes facial hairs like beards, moustaches, and goatees. It also includes miscellaneous traits on the face, including moles and freckles.

Clothing
After the player selects their avatar's gender, they will have a unique starter clothing (blue for male, pink for female, light grey for unisex). Clothing can also be bought at shops, trade markets, and equipped in the closet. Some clothing affect your attributes.

Attributes
In the final section of the avatar customization, the player can alter their attributes up to ten. These affect certain actions in battle, though they can also be used outside. After levelling up, the player can upgrade only one attribute by 5. Pets and teammates also have these attributes. These include:
 * Health: The max HP for the avatar. If it reaches 0, they faint and are retreated into a nearby town or claimed checkpoint.
 * Energy: The max EP for the avatar. Running in the overworld and using certain moves deplete it. To regain it, the player can use certain items, claim a checkpoint, or use any actions besides attacks.
 * Power: The avatar's physical attack stat. It determines the range of damage the player can deal using their attacks, weapon or skill.
 * Endurance: The avatar's defense stat. It determines how much damage the player can withstand from opponents, as well as how long they can recover from ailments.
 * Wits: The avatar's intellect stat. In auto-battle, it determines how the avatar makes decisions and uses their opponents to an advantage, as well as how well they can dodge attacks.
 * Heart: The avatar's social stat. It determines how accurate they can perform SOCIAL action, as well as how they work with their team to defeat their opponents.
 * Luck: The avatar's chance stat. It determines the collectibles they earned after defeating opponents, as well as certain luck minigames such as fishing. Certain items can also increase or reduce their luck, specifically ribbons.

Battle System
This is the most valued mechanic in the game. To enter the battle interface, the player must attack an enemy or convince an enemy to attack them. During the player's turn, they each have five commands they can do: Attack, Skills, Social, Items, and Tactics.

Attacking
There are three types of attacks: normal, skill, and team. Normal attacks use the player's currently equipped weapon. Skill attacks allow the player to use energy for more damage. Finally, team attacks are located in the social section and will only activate if at least one of your teammates is active in the battle. Regardless of which kind of attack you use, there will be a quick puzzle that'll determine how much more damage you deal in average, based on how well you complete the puzzle.

Shielding
During the opponents' turn, the player can also guard their attacks to reduce damage they take, which is called shielding in this game. Unlike attack commands, which uses a quick and easy puzzle, shielding requires the player to press a blue button located randomly around the screen just when the opponent's attack is about to hit.

Social
These types of actions mostly come in the form of interactions with others involved in the battle. Social actions that the player performs can be used on both their allies to promote their friendship level, and their enemies to an advantage.

Tactics
This section mostly features miscellaneous actions in battle that don't seem to fit within any other categories. Similar to most social actions, tactics don't deal damage or any negative effects onto opponents. The four starting tactics include Run (running from a battle), Skip (skipping a turn), Cheat (gain some info on a certain enemy), and Recruit (gain a tamable enemy's trust). Additional tactics can only be earned by equipping certain ribbons.

Trivia

 * In an interview, one of the lead developers said that a part of Evinity, specifically the RPG aspects, are slightly inspired by the traditional Paper Mario.
 * When the player inserts an avatar name that is the same as an in-game NPC and talk to them, they'll be surprised to find someone with the same name as them and sometimes even break the fourth wall.
 * Similar to Minecraft, Evinity isn't as detailed and realistic compared to other games owned by Microsoft, but still has its own artistic flair that makes it unique.