Monthly Archives: March 2010

Tales of Fantasy Reports: Thousands Killed in Hot Springs

Tales of Fantasy Reports: Thousands Killed in Hot Springs

Since the alpha test began for IGG’s newest 3D MMORPG, Tales of Fantasy users have been having a great time enjoying the unique gameplay and exploring the games wonderful features. However, a quest called Daily Hot Spring is proving to be quite a nightmare for inexperienced new comers. So today, the official team will unveil some secret hints and tips to help you get by. 
 
With the promise of free experience and skill points for players who submerge themselves in the game’s hot springs, players are taking great interest in these quests. Unfortunately for many, bathing in those waters can be a dangerous pastime, as proven by death tolls numbering in the thousands. Thankfully, with tips from the game’s friendly GMs and the spirit of teamwork, players have found better ways to enjoy these tricky quests. To help players better understand the hot springs, the Tales of Fantasy Development Team took time to share a few facts and pointers about the mysteries surrounding these natural wonders.
 

 
Origins
The world of Tales of Fantasy is in a state of constant strife between two opposing factions, so players are hard-pressed to level up quickly to maintain the competitive strength of the faction they serve. Since grinding levels can become a boring and mundane task, the Tales of Fantasy team came up with a free and easy alternative: the hot springs!
The hot springs in the game were inspired by those found in various countries and cultures around the world, tracing back ages and renowned for the amazing healing and revitalizing effects that are much sought after even today.
 

 
What You Need to Know
Naturally the hot springs are, as the name suggests, hot! In Tales of Fantasy, the amazing EXP and SP gains they offer come at a price. Due to the side effects, which include a constant sapping of strength and eventual dehydration, a direct decrease in HP occurs when characters stay submerged in the hot springs for too long. Upon reaching 0 HP in the springs, a character will die, so players need to be careful. There are 2 kinds of hot spring quests – the cooler version which reduces HP by 200 per second, and the hotter version which reduces HP by 500 per second. Players must complete the quests in order – and with each level completed, more EXP and SP will be earned.
 
Objectives
The importance of teamwork can’t be stressed enough. Without teammates, many worthwhile endeavors are doomed to failure. There are classes in the game that have the ability to restore the health of their teammates, which comes in handy at the hot springs. Beyond tactical concerns, teaming is a good way to keep things fresh and form bonds with other players. Here’s a note of caution though – using of restoration potions in the hot springs won’t work!
If you can’t find any teammates, why not consider parting with some of your money to hire other players to help you with the quest? And if you happen to be a Healer, this is the perfect opportunity to make some money too! Make new friends and line your pockets – all at the same time!
Here’s a hint, players can employ the use of amulets in the hot springs to restore HP when it runs low (please take note of the cooldown time, though). Even better, these amulets are available from various low level quests!
The hot springs quest lasts for a total of 30 minutes, so while you’re gaining amazing amounts of EXP and SP, there’s plenty of time to make a few new friends, too. Tales of Fantasy is not just about mounted combat; it’s about the various little things one can do, as well.

Soul Master

German Landing Page: http://soulmaster.gamigo.de/
Soul Master is an addictive new genre-bending MMORTS (Massively Multiplayer Online Real Time Strategy) game that takes the innovation behind customizable “Hero” units in the RTS genre farther than ever before and allows players to have complete MMORPG-style control over their characters.
Featuring a combat system that allows players to create structures, progress through technology trees, produce and command units, while at the same time developing a persistent character of their own; Soul Master includes rich item customization systems that enable players to acquire unique stat and skill bonuses both for their personalized avatars as well as their RTS buildings, production capabilities, and controlled units.
In addition to the robust PvP content, Soul Master features a wide range of PVE scenario modes such as defending objectives, escort missions, co-op challenges, boss raids, and AI RTS battles.
With fast paced combat that combines the high-speed action of a character vs. character brawler and the tactical elements of a squad-based RTS, Soul Master sets out to take the very best of both worlds and merge them into a genre unto itself.
Game Features:
• A non-targeting combat system allows for action-driven gameplay, where player reactions and skills decide the outcome of fights.
• An independent trooping system allows for directive and intuitive command over multiple units, while simultaneously allowing players more comprehensive control over their avatars during active MMO-style combat.
• Resource-driven RTS combat allows players to create defensive towers, barricades, resource harvesting structures, and unit production facilities while progressing through simplified, traditional RTS tech-trees that let players focus on strategic, active gameplay in both Team and Free-for-All PvP.
• Compelling animation and rich, stylized graphics immerse players in the greater fantasy world of the game while achieving a seamless and striking blend of RTS and MMO art design.
• A deep item-alteration system allows players an expansive amount of customization options that affect both MMO and RTS-style combat, and add an additional level of tactical depth to character progression and player strategies.
• An built-in video recording system allows players to capture their own gameplay footage to analyze flaws and mistakes in their tactics and help improve their competitive skills.
• Completely free to register, download, and play the entire course of the game with access to all in-game features and functions while remaining competitive with all other users.

Fantasy Earth Zero

When creating your character, you’ll be able to pick your gender of either male or female and three different classes (and only three.) You can choose warriors, which are pretty straight forward attackers for close range fighting, scouts, whichcan use bows and daggers for a balance of weak close and long ranged attacks, and sorcerers,whichcan cast magic and status effects on enemies with moderate attack range. There are also five body types, seven face and hair styles with five color variations.

After you create your character, you must pick between one of five kings to pledge your allegianceto. While each king/country has a different background and story to tell, this doesn’t pose a major differences between each during combat, so it doesn’t matter too much which king you roll with. After your character is created, you’ll go through a tutorial that will take you around 10 to 20 minutes to complete. It does a decent job of getting you familiar with the controls and all aspects of the game play.

Even if you have the visuals set to maximum, FEZ’s graphics will look awfully dated. The textures on just about everything look very bland and lifeless. Faces on character models aren’t animated, so they have nothing but lifeless stares. Besides theplayer models, nothing in the game world seems to cast a proper shadow despite the fact that there are day and night cycles . Additionally, the animations for attacking do not flow naturally and look rather robotic.

FEZ’s musical score feels nice and original. FEZ’s soundtrack was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, same audio composer for such Square-Enix titles as Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII. With that, I feel as if music in FEZ was not created for FEZ. Rather, I feel as if the music was created for another Final Fantasy game. While FEZ’s presentation may be a bit off, it shouldn’t matter if it doesn’t have the looks as long as it has the moves, right?

FEZ’s game play certainly does make some moves, but stumbles a bit here and there. The controls for FEZ are your typical combination of keyboard and mouse. You move around using the WASD keys while looking/aiming with the mouse. You can also jump with spacebar and sidestep with Q and E. You’re completely invincible to physical attack while jumping and sidestepping, but you can’t attack during those actions, so only use it when the situation calls for it. Performing attacks and skills takes a bit of getting used to. Typically with MMORPGs, skills are performed by pressing hotkeys (F1-12,) but in FEZ, attacks and skills are selected using your mouse’s scroll wheel and performed with your left mouse button.

On maps that are controlled by your nation, you can battle some monsters here and there for gold, items and EXP. It’s nice that there is some basic Player vs. Environment content available, but doing only PvE in FEZ won’t get you anywhere. FEZ is all about the hectic Player vs. Player battles for up to 100 players on teams of two.

On the battlefield, there’s lots of mayhem going on, so strategy is key. Running in and trying to rambo your way through enemy lines is an easy way to get yourself killed, so you’ll have to stick with your teammates and plan ahead. Every class in FEZ has their role to play: Scouts can perform status effect attacks like disarming, move in and out of enemy lines undetected and pin enemies down with their bows. Sorcerers can also use status effect magic while attacking large groups of enemies for crowd control. And warriors serve as both tankers and brute force while crippling enemy morale.

Fantasy Earth Zero was certainly not my cup of tea, but it can certainly be yours if you have the right mindset. The execution of skill based action and visuals were off, but everything else about FEZ is fairly decent. For any MMORPG gamer that’s a PvP nut looking for a little change of pace, you may want to give Fantasy Earth Zero some consideration.

Heroes of Three Kingdoms

China is in the midst of a bloody civil war. From the countless skirmishes, three leaders stand poised to take leadership and unite the country under one banner. Will it be Cao Cao of Wei, the ruthless Lui Bei of Shu or Sun Quan of Wu?
 
As a soldier in training you no affiliations, it is up to you to pick a side and lead them to victory. Determine your play style on the fly with your choice of 18 historic weapons and ride your trusty steed into fierce battles. Non-combat professions will allow access to limited resources not found anywhere else, but make haste, the battle is upon us!
 
Rise through the ranks and lead your loyal army on your quest to end one of the bloodiest periods in history and unite all of China.

Game Features:
– Motion Captured Combat – Using advanced motion capture technology, combat is brought to life by martial arts specialist, Dion Lam, best known for helping choreograph epic fight scenes in such blockbuster movies as Spider-Man 2, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Reloaded.
– Eighteen Weapon System – With a unique cool down system, players will have to master all eighteen types of weapons available during the Three Kingdoms era in China
– Weaponry Crafting System – Following an ancient Chinese proverb goes “before you send out your troops, prepare your supplies” Heroes of Three Kingdoms features a unique, free-flowing production system that allows players to obtain key technological advancements to help aid them on the battlefield such as stronger bows, catapults and other siege weaponry.
– Kingdom War System – Join the Wei, Shu or Wu and choose to wage war or create alliances against one another.
– Historic Instances – Go back in time to experience historical battles and pivotal moments that helped shape the Three Kingdoms era and modern China.
– Legion System – Come together to create Legions to help aid or conquer players in battle. Conquer one or multiple cities together to gain more troops and become their leader.
– PvP Battlegrounds – Test your fighting abilities against other players to prove who shall lead the kingdom to victory.
– Title System – Hundreds of different titles and occupations are available to earn in game. Each title comes with different outfits, skills and rewards.
– Achievements – Explore everything the game has to offer and reap the rewards.
– Reputation System – Gain reputation with the various factions in the world to gain access to new areas, better equipment and powerful skills.

Runes of Magic celebrates its one year anniversary in the world of Taborea

Runes of Magic celebrates its one year anniversary in the world of Taborea


Birthday Celebrations Commence with new in-game events including a frog hunt
 
On the 19th March Frogster’s Runes of Magic will celebrate its first birthday in the world of Taborea. In 12 months millions of European and North American players have experienced the online world of Taborea. Now Runes of Magic players will have a week-long Birthday celebration with special promotions and an in-game event.
 
Celebrations begin on Monday as the citizens of Taborea encounter lots of frogs in the game world. Lucky players who defeat the crawling amphibians will receive coins which can be exchanged for valuable items. For 24 hours on the 19th March, all adventurers who log in to the game will receive an exclusive house pet – a lucky frog which will increase their chance of finding rare items in the Runes of Magic game world. Fireworks for making the Friday celebration of the one year’s existence go with a real bang, complete the birthday celebrations.
 
In addition, on the coming weekend players will receive three times the amount of Experience and Talent points. The official website carries more information about the one year birthday festivities!
For more celebration images, check the Runes of Magic Screenshot Gallery.

MACs and MMORPGs: Your Choice of MMO Games

MACs and MMORPGs: Your Choice of MMO Games
By Rick Charbs (Jammart), OnRPG Journalist

 

Own a Mac? Look no further. Satisfy your gaming needs!

 

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple co., has always had the knack for often releasing new products. His line of Apple computers may be very artistically efficient and generally more convenient than computers of the PC variety, it does lack some serious support for people who enjoy playing games. In lieu of this, people tend to stray away from purchasing a Mac in order to have a machine that supports the MMOS and other games they want to be able to keep playing.

 

Tired of playing The Sims? This article will present to you that Apple computers are not as game-compatibility-challenged as they are credited for. There are many alternatives to playing MMORPGS on your Mac. Here’s how!

 

MacBook Pro

 

First of all, newer Macs are essentially the only ones you will want to look at for being compatible with most games. If your Mac is Intel based (all newer [2009] Apple computer models are built this way), you have the option to dual boot Mac OSX along with a version of windows of your choice among Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Please note that you need to have your own copy of Windows in order to do this. If you choose to purchase a Mac and dual boot with Windows, you will have absolutely no compatibility issues with any game that works on PC. Some even claim that Macs run Windows more efficiently than PCs, but that remains very debatable. I personally think Windows runs just as fine on either system; you just need good specs. However, knowing that this option is not available to all Mac users, there are alternatives. Just keep in mind that you will only be able to play every game a PC can handle if you run Windows on your Mac.

 

For Mac users that do not wish to dual boot with Windows, you will be limited to a narrowed down list of MMOS that are originally compatible with OSX. Many websites offer lists of games that are compatible with Macs, but I have discovered a pattern that these websites usually only list the obvious pay to play games, and ignore the ton of other games out there that are a little overshadowed or simply unrecognized as an Apple compatible game.

 

Let’s Start with the Basics

 

World of Warcraft (World of Warcraft Game Profile)

 

Blizzard has developed a solid reputation for Mac support, as every single one of their games has been released for both Mac and pc. It is playable on a Mac using the same CD as you would to play on a pc, saving users of both systems from having to pay for two disks. World of Warcraft is no exception, and is easily the most popular MMORPG available to Mac users. It even offers special Mac options to link your game to itunes so you can listen to your own music in-game, and imovie also allows you to import recorded video files to your Mac to then further edit and publish them. With the upcoming expansion Cataclysm, a ton of more content is expected for this game, including a graphics overhaul. This game runs extremely well on computers with low specs, and thus even lower-end Macbooks can run the game at high settings. Please note that this game is P2P.

 

Mac Apple World of Warcraft

 

 

Warhammer Online (Warhammer Online Game Profile)

This MMORPG has recently been released to the world of Apple computers, but is currently only available to users of the North American version. The game is exactly the same as its pc counterpart; the only difference is the platform it runs on. Warhammer Online is P2P.

 

Mac Apple Warhammer Age of Reckoning

 

 

Dofus (Dofus Game Profile)

Dofus is a 2D isometric turn based MMORPG that supports 8 languages among a huge array of servers. It can be played with or without a monthly subscription, but those who play for free are very limited as to what they can do (but it gives you time to try out the game at your own and see if it is worth the expense). Dofus has been supporting Macs since its release, and is easily run on full specs on essentially any Apple computer.

 

Mac Apple Dofus

 

 

Lineage the Bloodpledge (Lineage Game Profile)

Lineage, preceding Lineage 2, is a 2D isometric MMO that takes place in the same setting as its sequel. It is extremely old (1998!) but retains a community to this day.  Keep in mind that this game is P2P, and does not really keep up with newer MMOS, though some remain attached.

 

Mac Apple Lineage MMO

 

 

Everquest Macintosh Edition

EQ has also been released on the Mac for ages now, and unfortunately much less up to date than the PC version (some consider this a plus). It hosts a small community, but it is reputably tightly knit. If you don’t mind outdated graphics, this old-school MMO is nothing short of awesome on a Mac.

 

Mac Apple EQ EverQuest

 

 

Second Life (Second Life Game Profile)

Second life is a simulation game that does not follow the traditional MMORPG model, but instead just acts as an immense 3D social networking game. There are an endless amount of things to do in this game, but grinding and levelling up is not one of them. Be weary that this game does have restricted adult areas.

 

Mac Apple Second Life Secondlife SL

 

 

RuneScape (RuneScape Game Profile)

The classic yet still booming browser MMORPG Runescape is playable without any downloads required, and thus a perfect candidate for a Mac MMO. Jagex have overhauled the graphics and gameplay for this game several times, and continue to update it religiously. A great casual game if you are not afraid of playing with young players… of the brat variety.

 

Apple Mac RuneScape RS

 

 

Vendetta Online

Vendetta Online is a P2P sci-fi MMORPG, that is also quite dated, in which players control sophisticated spacecrafts in battle. It is heavily PvP based and requires no strong specs, and so it is playable on essentially any machine (including a Mac, of course)!

 

Apple Mac Vendetta MMO

 

 

Eve Online (Eve Online Game Profile)

Eve online is very similar to Vendetta Online, though with much more features, updates, maps, and higher res graphics. Eve Online has this ongoing reputation for having immense maps that just never end. Enjoy!

 

Mac Apple Eve Online Sci Fi MMO

 

 

Toontown Online (ToonTown Online Game Profile)

Toontown Online is a quirky 3D MMORPG published by Disney that caters to younger gamers. Create a cartoon character (similar to that of Mickey and the crew) and then explore, fish, cart race, play mini games, and party!

 

Mac Apple ToonTown Disney

 

 

zOMG! (zOMG! Game Profile)

zOMG! Is the infamous MMO subdivision of the popular networking site Gaia Online. Adventure with your Gaia avatar throughout the huge game map that is in constant development. It has a pretty in-depth storyline for a browser based MMO (it even has its own manga)!

 

Mac Apple zOmg Gaia MMO RPG Fan Anime

 

 

AdventureQuest Worlds (AdventureQuest Worlds Game Profile)

AQ Worlds is the MMORPG counterpart of Artix’s AdventureQuest and Dragonfable series, and the first multiplayer game they have ever created. Another wonderful casual MMO for Mac users and pc users alike; there are a ton of items, events, monsters, classes, and pretty decent customization options for your characters. To get the full experience of this game, a one-time payment is required.

 

Mac Apple AQWorlds AdventureQuest Worlds Artix

 

 

Heroes of Newerth (Heroes of Newerth Game Profile)

HoN is a popular online game based on Warcraft III’s DOTA (Defense of the Ancients).

 

Apple Mac Heroes of Newerth HON

 

 

 

Some other MMOs available on Apple computers that you may not be aware of:

– Ninja Trick http://ninjatrick.com/
– Oberin http://www.oberin.com/
– Planeshift http://www.planeshift.it/
– Furcadia http://www.furcadia.com/
– Eternal Lands http://www.eternal-lands.com/
– Fragmented Galaxy [beta] http://f-g.wikidot.com/
– PoxNora http://poxnora.station.sony.com/index.do
– Darkwind: Wars on Wheels http://www.dark-wind.com/
– Wurm Online http://www.wurmonline.com/
– World of Dragons http://www.worldofdragons.com/
– Savage 2 http://www.savage2.com/en/main.php
– Puzzle Pirates http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
– Graal Kingdoms http://www.graalonline.com/kingdoms/
– Minions of Mirth http://www.prairiegames.com/

Huxley Flag Capture

Yes it’s a classic, but even Huxley manages to bring a futuristic feel to the epic flag battles. Use teleporters, charge up your weapons and employ all your strategic abilities. Kill or be killed, you have no time to decide.

SUN Online Interview: Content Updates and New Class

SUN Online Interview: Content Updates and New Class
Questions by
Jeffrey Kerkdijk, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Daye Jeon, Global S.U.N Marketer

 

SUN Online has been out for several months now, we think it’s a great game as you could read in our review. However, We still had a few questions about SUN, when are we getting the new ” shadow ”  class? What makes SUN so different  from other MMORPG’s? What content can we expect to see in SUN this year? Read on to find out how these questions are answered!

 

OnRPG: How did the final Beta Tests of SUN go up to the release?
The beta test went very smooth. Thanks to S.U.N’s wide success in Asia, a great number of users from all over the world came to test the international version. We had so many players in such a short time that we even had to add more servers. One of critical issues we have learned during the beta test was that gamers from Europe were experiencing lags due to server location in Asia. In order to improve the quality of the game play we actually set up additional servers in Europe after the release. We also noticed that a high percentage of gamers come from non-English speaking countries, so we have been preparing a multi-language service to make the game more enjoyable for everyone.

 

OnRPG: What phase of release can we expect next for SUN after the game is fully released? 
This year, 2010, is going to be a major key year for Global S.U.N. In the first quarter of 2010, the level-up limits will be lifted up to 115 from previous 100. Also new playing fields will be added along with 150 additional quests. Coming up in the second quarter, the new character class ‘Shadow’ will be introduced as well as the multi-language service, plus more quests and higher level-up limit. By the end of 2010 we expect that there will be about one thousand new quests. We also hope to offer more localized content that will reflect the cultural diversity in Global S.U.N such as Rio Carnival and UNICEF event which we held previously.

 

OnRPG: There seems to be a big hype around a new character class called “The Shadow”. Is there any word of a release date for this class in the global version of the game? 
There have been numerous questions about this new class-. To briefly explain, ‘Shadow’ is a runaway from the imperial army ‘Imperial Herald’ with combined characteristics of ‘assassin’ and ‘sorcerer.’ Main weapons are daggers and whip swords, and dark and curse skills are available to give additional damage to the opponents. Shadow is a specialized faction for gamers that prefer a single play-I’d even say that it is the most beloved character among solo players in Asia. For readers of OnRPG, I’d like to give out exclusive information; There will be four kinds of equipment stats of ‘Shadow’-STR>INT, INT>STR, STR+Curse, STR+Dark. Shadow can be a dark sorcerer that brings dead monsters back into life, or a fearless assassin. While Shadow is a specialized class to play solo, it will also play a main part as a damage dealer in hunting parties.

 

SUN Soul of the Ultimate Nation

 

OnRPG: What is your favorite feature of SUN online? (please explain your answer) 
First of all, I love Global S.U.N’s exquisite graphic quality, especially the beautiful environment scenes and fine characters. Moreover, Global S.U.N engages players like no other game does. While going along the storylines of the game, you will find yourself completely emerged in game. The intense, fast and thrilling combat is also another favorite game feature of mine.

 

OnRPG: What makes SUN so different from the mainstream type of MMORPG?
Global S.U.N’s story driven quests makes the game stand out among other MMORPGs. When playing, players feel as if they are reading a fantasy novel. By following the quests and completing the missions, players will become heroes and there is no grinding needed during the entire course. Global S.U.N just offers so much fun and unique experience that becomes unforgettable.

 

OnRPG: What kind of content can we expect to see from SUN in the future?
Currently, we have plans to update approximately one thousand new quests in the year of 2010, along with multi-language service. (For your information-S.U.N official website is already available in French and German.) Besides the numerous updates which mentioned above, we plan to provide more localized content for global gamers.

 

OnRPG: For those that aren’t familiar with SUN online, what is so special about the combat mechanics of this game? 
There are two distinct features of the combat mechanics. 

 

#1 Customization of Combat Style. At Global S.U.N, gamers can develop their own “Hack and Slash” battle style by combining skills and stats. Fast character movements, visually vibrant effects, and thrilling sound effects maximize the intensity of each combat. Special skill effects such as a stun and a critical hit also add more thrill in combats.

 

#2 Battle Zone System.  In Soul of the Ultimate Nation’s Battle Zone System, users are able to choose a map, difficulty, number of participants, and reward type to personalize the battle and dungeon. In addition, Battle Zone System can also be used for Mission, Hunting, PVP or Event.

 

OnRPG: The descriptions on the site say “Story driven Quest” what can we expect of those quests? Can you reveal a little of the story for us? 
Story driven quests draw users into the world of Global S.U.N. As the story unfolds, players will be directed into harsher and tougher tasks. They can feel as if they are really dwelling on a real adventure while completing missions and quests. The main scenario is centered on the conflict between the immortal emperor ‘Schwartz Pramme’ and ‘Ignis’ a mysterious leader of resistance force ‘The Guidance’. When players first enter Global S.U.N, they will be introduced to Esod village as a new member of ‘The Guidance’. As they follow the quests, they will learn more about the empire and the stories behind the immortal emperor.

 

SUN Soul of the Ultimate Nation

 

OnRPG: One of the things I noticed during the beta test was that the more people there were on the map, the higher the spawn rate of the monsters on the map was, is this a distinct feature of SUN online? Could you tell us a bit more about this? 
That is a very acute observation. We have a special artificial intelligence system that adapts the spawn rate and level of monsters to number of gamers in the zone to maximize the fun of party play.

 

OnRPG: Any final words for our readers at OnRPG.com?  
Global S.U.N possesses a console style graphics and yet brings out all the key MMORPG features. It’s very easy to follow, and we are sure that even the first-time MMORPG player would be able to enjoy SUN! As you go along the quests, you will become a veteran player in no time! Global S.U.N is free to play, so come visit sunonline.webzen.com and don’t miss out on the great fun of Global S.U.N!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!
Thank you very much for this opportunity!