Like some other online RPGs, Shadowbane has a rather complicated interface that makes for a fairly steep learning curve. Some text-based tutorials are included to help you get acclimated to the game, but you'll need to wander around and experiment for a while before you'll get a good grasp of things. Regardless of which area of the gameworld you start in, an enemy-infested "newbie zone" shouldn't be far off. Here you can immediately begin fighting monsters and leveling your character. The combat is similar to that of other online RPGs, and it's initially very passive--you'll just toggle on the combat mode and sit back and watch. It won't be long before you reach the second experience level, but beyond that, you'll apparently need to make a considerable time investment to get your Shadowbane character to a high level. We saw a number of human players already having at it, trying to level up, although the game's world is not densely populated yet.