Senior Staff Writer Christopher "Pwyff" Tom went to check out Lucent Heart's latest expansion, Scaena, where he discovered this MMO's secret to success: Community... and Dancing.

While I can't really speak to the overall musical taste of Lucent Heart's community, it's certainly worth taking a look at their extensive list of dance videos featured in their "Step Up" dance competition to get a better idea of what this game is really capable of. It's staggering to think of how much time it took to coordinate something like this. Lucent Heart also features a "Dance PK" feature, which is basically a competitive game of Dance Dance Revolution for your fingers; if your opponents miss a step, they'll lose points! My guide, Lucent Heart Product Manager Mark Quilter, was so intimidated by my adroit fingers that he felt the need to cheat (shame!) during our Dance PK session, but one day I plan to ambush him to claim the title of Lucent Heart Dance Master.

Gamania & PLAYCOO have introduced a large number of new zones (I believe thirteen is the final number) with the Scaena Expansion, many of which have their own unique bosses wandering around. It was fascinating to see better development technology being put into use in Lucent Heart's new areas. Some of the zones feature nice environmental effects, and they all have a lot more variety in their graphical presentation. Also being introduced in Scaena is a new Guild vs. Guild PvP system, with big groups of players being able to compete against each other for points to spend on unique items and other rewards. I didn't get the chance to sabotage participate in a GvG match, but it certainly must be a welcome addition for the more bloodthirsty gamers in Lucent Heart's community.

As a young adult male, I've come to assume that I'm the core targeted demographic for any MMORPG being produced. In touring Lucent Heart's community, however, I was quick to realize that this was an entirely new market of players, and they were enjoying the game in ways that I had not even considered. In most MMORPGs, it's easy to get lost in the crowd of players anxious to return to their reputation grinding, dungeon running or raid preparations. In Lucent Heart, however, with so many community events taking place and so many socializing systems available (Cupid matchmaking, Dance competitions, Global Trivia Competitions and community crafting boards to name a few), this is an MMORPG that just wants you to join in on the fun. If you can put up with their somewhat… eclectic song and dance choices, then you just might fit right in.

Christopher "Pwyff" Tom, Senior Staff Writer