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Eternal Lands - Android client


Eternal Lands is a multi platform (Windows, Linux, OSX) Free MMORPG, which now runs on Android as well. The game has been online for over 18 years, and it's constantly developed.
You can play on the same server using the phone or desktop client, so for example when you are at home you can use your desktop, and when you are on the go you can continue playing on your phone.
It works on all the Android devices we tested, even on very cheap tablets. However, in order to get a nice experience, we recommend a large screen (5.5" or larger) and a decent CPU. It works pretty well on a Samsung S5, which is a 3 years old device.



Here is an overview of what Eternal Lands has to offer:
  • Choose from several races to create and customize your character
  • No fixed classes, you can assign and reasign your attributes on the go
  • Click to move (similar to Runescape, Diablo, etc.)
  • Many maps to explore on two continents
  • PvE oriented, but there are PvP areas as well
  • Mostly friendly community, will usually help you if you ask nicely
  • Lots of one time and daily quests with plenty of variation
  • Many skills to develop
  • You don't have to fight (much) if you don't like it. You can harvest resources, make items, trade, do quests and explore.
  • Over 250 NPCs, all with their own story
  • Over 1000 items, including many potions, ore, plants, tools, books, armors, and weapons
  • Events such as monster invasions, treasure hunting and so on
  • Day and night cycle which affects some aspects of the game


Quick Start Guide:
After you install the game and create and name your character, visit the Tutorial NPC and follow the instructions. It will teach you the basics about the game, give you some items, and show you other quests that you can start while doing the main tutorial.
Keep in mind that the tutorial is written for the Desktop version, so a few things will be a bit different. However, the Android client is generally more intuitive.
If you get stuck, or just need some help, you can ask the people on the newbie channel.
Double click on one of the camera rotation bars to bring up the keyboard.
Type "@Hello" (without quote marks) to say Hello to the people in the active channel. Without @, your message will only be seen by the players nearby.


All this being said, you can download the client here: http://www.eternal-lands.com/EternalLands-Android_1.9.6.1.apk (Version 1.9.6.1, released on 15th of March 2022). Please keep in mind that this is a Beta version, and there will be some improvements in the future. If you encounter any problems with it, please send me an e-mail, at radu.prv at gmail



FAQ
  • Q. The game is a bit slow on my device.
  • A. There are a few settings you can try. First, in the Options menu (last icon) try to disable 32b textures and cloud shadows. Furthermore, having a low camera angle (so that you won't see the horizon) helps as well.

  • Q. My device runs too hot and/or the battery drains to fast.
  • A. You can limit the FPS from the option menu. A good value is 30, but you can try higher or lower values as well.

  • Q. Is the game Pay to Win?
  • A. That depends on your definition of "pay to win". You can buy stuff from the shop to make your life easier, but pretty much everything in the shop can be found in game as rare items, or it can be bought from other players for gold coins. Most players don't pay anything, and they are doing just fine.

  • Q. Why isn't the game in Google Play?
  • A. Google requires all the transactions for a game downloaded from Google Play to be done through them. This policy is very ambigous, and depending on how they interpret it, it could mean that even the transactions for the desktop client must be done through them. They refused to clarify this issue, so we've decided to not upload the game to Google Play for the time being.

  • Q. Aren't the apps available only outside Google Play dangerous?
  • A. Some of them are, and you should always be careful what you download. Our app requires only two permisions: Full internet access, and accessing the SD card/storage. The first permission is obvious, and the second is required by SDL, to be able to open and save files on the device.

  • Q. Since the game is 18 years old, how can a new player ever get by? Aren't the other players too powerful?
  • A. If you want to go and PK old players, you are most likely going to lose. However, for PvE purposes, the game is newbie friendly, and there are many ways to constructively interact with older players. Furthermore, it is much easier to level now than it has been in the past.

  • Q. Is the Android app the full client? Are there any difference between the app and the desktop client?
  • A. Yes and no. The app uses the same engine as the desktop client (written in C/C++). There are optimization for touchscreen devices, and a few things have been stripped from the desktop client to save screen space, CPU and bandwidth. There are no custom clothes, some interface customizations have been removed, there is no sound/music (for now), and a few non important windows have been removed. Other than that, it's the same client.

  • Q. Are there game related things that can't be done on the app, compared to the desktop version?
  • A. Again, the answer is yes and no. In principle, you can do everything on the app that you can do on your desktop. However, due to the lack of a hardware keyboard and weaker GPUs, it is best to avoid combat intensive things such as invasions and PvP. Everything else can be done just as easy on your phone or tablet.

  • Q. How do I use items in my inventory?
  • A. You must chose the "use" icon (the one with the pointed finger). Once that icon is selected, touching an item will use it (so long as you don't have an open bag or storage). However, it is a good idea to put the items you use often in the first 5 slots of the inventory, so that you can use them from the quickbar on the right by simply tapping on them. The quickbar is also useful if you want eat while mixing items with the storage or bag window open.



I would like to thank the author of GL4ES, a library that has saved me a lot of work in porting the client. If you need your OpenGL 1.x program to run on GLES contexts, this is the best library to use.