Although born with wings, Dragons only become capable of flight as they mature, but even the very youngest are distinguished by their intrinsic size and strength. Also possessing a natural breath weapon, they have the potential to become fearsome warriors. However, they are not limited to this pursuit as they can also attain significant prowess in the arts of magic. Tulga Games' Horizons: Empire of Istaria offers these storied creatures within its selection of playable races. Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes are familiar fantasy archetypes, while Half-Giants, Fiends, the feline Saris and the reptilian Sslik represent less common options. Satyrs and Dryads are also unusual, in part because they became available through the players' efforts. All are united against a common foe, the necromantic Withered Aegis, whose undead armies pose a constant threat along the frontiers of the civilized lands.

Another notable element is the title's crafting system, which may be the online world genre's most comprehensive to date. Skilled practitioners can fashion an enormous variety of weapons such as swords, axes, maces, daggers, bows and more. In doing so, they may choose from different components. For example, a knife is made from a blade plus a hilt, with increased proficiency resulting in more alternatives. Not only that, a character who has mastered the appropriate techniques can add diverse runes, fire, visual effects and even decorations like tassels. Recently, we heard about a new 14-day free trial offer that is touted as providing as the opportunity to see the game's latest improvements and innovations, a number of which reportedly involve the Dragon experience. To learn more about them and the title's overall direction, we sought out team leader David Bowman.