Yearly Archives: 2010

Project E:st

Project E:ST is the codename for a new fantasy MMORPG in development at Polygon Games, to be published by NHN Corporation. It uses Crytek’s award-winning CryENGINE 2, and features a deep storyline within an Asian fantasy theme.

Bane of Sin Review: Twilight It Ain’t

Bane of Sin Review: Twilight It Ain’t
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

 

In usual game lore, vampires are one of the two things, they are either romantic bloodsuckers that seduce beautiful women to submission, they’re ferocious hungry bloodsuckers who are hell bent on draining everything that has blood…

 

Well, ladies and gents, you get the both of them in this browser based game.

 

Vampires come in droves

Bane of Sin is a browser based game where you try become the most infamous vampire of all time. You do this by controlling lesser vampires to do your bidding to kidnap humans and steal gold,

 

The gauge of your infamy is based on the bounty that is placed on you. So the more evil things you do, the higher the bounty, the better it is for your standing.

 

Gameplay

Bane of Sin’s gameplay is reminiscent of a long standing browser-based game titled Kings of Chaos. They have the same concept of collecting a harvestable unit, which would then be converted to the different aspects of your army.

 

The differences between the two is that there is no referral link in Bane of Sin and that Bane of Sin’s harvestable units add nothing to the defense or offense of your standing army.

 

Bane of Sin

Bane of Sin Introduction Page

 

The concept behind the game is that you collect and then convert in accordance to your gaming strategy. This gives you enough leeway how you want your vampire army to work.

 

The game is a mix of turn based warfare and time based resource earning. You need to accumulate attack points to attack and this takes about 10 minutes or so.

 

The game also utilizes the army-system of gameplay where you do not control you character individually but rather by the numbers. This gives off the feeling that the game is in fact a strategy game rather than a role-play game.

 

Races

If you think vampires are just vampires, Bane of Sin goes to the next level by adding vampire races to the mix. Each vampire race has its own set of bonus and disadvantages to work around as the leader of your army.

The Races in Bane of Sin gives a broader spectrum to the whole vampire mythos. This works well with the game because it gives you something to work with instead of providing you the same generic character that everyone has.

 

Plus, the bonuses and disadvantages gives the game a more strategic approach as you try to counterbalance the disadvantages and maximize the bonus your chosen vampire race has.

 

Game Balance

With the inclusion of the bonuses and disadvantages to the game the next thing to look out for is the overall game balance. The usual problems with this kind of bonus and disadvantage system are that one race may get too many bonuses and it becomes an overpowering force.

 

Bane of Sin does not have those kinds of problems. The distribution of the bonuses is even enough and the disadvantage are also a good neutralizer to the bonus.

 

Also, you won’t have that much of a problem in understanding how the bonuses work . The language used is understandable and is tied to the overall description of the race. I doubt anyone would have trouble with that as long as you pay enough attention to the descriptions.

 

Units

Bane of Sin allows you to attack, defend, spy, convert, loot and steal to help raise your army and your bounty. The game provides you different sets of vampires to do just that, however you need to balance the number of units to be able to maximize the potential of your undead army.

 

The game also uses a variation of a check and balance system so you cannot over farm the attacking vampires because by doing so it would make them too agitated and they eventually leave you. You then need to balance it with your defending units if you want to keep hold of the units you have.

 

This system may be a nuisance however this check and balance system is the one thing that keeps the game interesting. In other games there would be no drawbacks if you were to convert all your units into attackers, in Bane of Sin unless you find a good strategy for that you would then be busy balancing the attacking and defending forces.

 

Conclusion

Bane of Sin isn’t a game that you would try out if you are a player that nitpicks the game because of looks. The game has admittedly, a shabby look and the color variation in the interface can really hurt your eyes. However as a strategy game, I must say that this is as good as any other game out there.

 

Even if the game is using tried, tested and overused game play, it has worked around it and added a balancing feature that would really makes your gaming interesting because you have to work around more system limitations. The challenge of being able to beat the limitations while going at a steady rising pace in the ranks is one of the things that make this game a challenging and rewarding.

 

The whole idea of having more than one vampire race is a good idea due to the fact that vampires have already been an overused as a game concept. The correlation of the race bonus to the description is also a nice touch that gives the game a good first impression to players.

 

If you are someone who has enjoyed playing games like Kings of Chaos, or is after a browser game that really makes you think, then this game is for you. Even if you think that vampires are overrated, like me, I can still say that this is one for the books as a good decent vampire themed browser game.

 

Pros:
The balancing system gives makes the game more interesting
The races balances each other out
You get nice rewards if the round ends and you belong to the top 5.

 

Cons:
– The color combination of the interface can really hurt the eyes
The game is too dark, both in color and theme
There is a lack of graphics. 

2010 1st SuddenAttack Official Online Tournament Info

2010 1st SuddenAttack Official Online Tournament Info

 

Show the world that your clan is the toughest!
Join the Sudden Attack official online tournament!
 
Winning Prizes
1st place : $3,000
2nd place : $1,500
3rd place : $500
All participating players will receive 10,000 Points
Tournament Type
– 5 players / Team (2 Sniper / Min 5, Max 8 members per Clan can register)
– Only the Clan Master can register for the tournament and change team members.
– Online Clan Tournament / 1st half and 2nd half – each 7 matches / winning 8 matches win the game
(Finals : 1st half and 2nd half – each 5 Rounds , Best 2 of 3 Map Results)
– Tournament Map : Depot, Dragon Road, Ocean Station
Match Schedule
Register : MAR 10, 2010 00:00 a.m. ~ MAR 16, 2010 23:59 PST (7 days)
Match Seeding Announcement : March 18, 2010
Match Schedule : Friday, March 26, 2010 ~ Sunday, April 4, 2010
7:00 p.m. PST ~ , on Tournament Channel
Match Process : Enter Tournament Channel > Enter your match room (AAA vs. BBB)
Advantage for Winners : 1st, 2nd, 3rd place Winners will be seeded in the round of 16 of next season’s tournament.
 
Notice
* Cash Reward is distributed equally to participating 5 members of the winning clan, and each member
will be notified individually on how to collect funds by e-mail.
* To verify winners’ identity, GameHi may request additional information from winners,
and those information will not be used for any other purpose than verification.
* All the registered information including Nickname can not change after registration period ends.
* If registered email is inaccurate, GameHi is not responsible for non-received reward notification.
Read how to sign up at the GameHi Forum!

Sudden Attack Event Win Prizes

CABAL Online Europe Celebrates 2 Million Registrations

CABAL Online Europe Celebrates 2 Million Registrations

 

Games-Masters.com, publishers of the free-to-play game CABAL Online Europe, has today announced that over two million unique users have registered for the massively multiplayer online game. Experiencing sustained growth since its launch in 2006, the fast-paced console-style MMO continues to be enjoyed by over 100,000 active players, with thousands of new registrations each and every day. 
To celebrate reaching the two-million milestone, throughout March all users of the game will enjoy increased experience and drop rates. These bonuses, including experience, skill experience, war experience and drop rate increases, will be by as much as 50% and will automatically be added to all players between the hours of 10.00 and 19.00 GMT.
March will also see the release of a brand new update, Illusion Castle, including a revamped user interface, two new dungeons and a new set of weapons and accessories.

Cabal Online Player Base

NHN Corporation Announces Project E:st

NHN Corporation Announces Project E:st

NHN Corporation announced today that it has signed a publishing deal on a major new title in development at Polygon Games, known currently under the codename Project E:st. A fantasy MMORPG with an Asian theme, Project E:st will use Crytek’s award-winning CryENGINE®2, and Crytek will be showcasing a trailer of the game at GDC 2010 in San Francisco next week.
 
“The project name, E:st, was selected to show the commitment between NHN Corporation and Polygon Games to develop the best Asia fantasy game,” says Wook Jeong, Hangame CEO at NHN Corporation. “We believe that the high graphical quality realized with CryENGINE®2, coupled with an immersive storyline, will strongly appeal to gamers.” NHN is planning to publish Project E:st both in Korea and in overseas territories, including North America and Europe.

Project Est NHN Publishing

Conquer Online Announces Third Official Expansion!

Conquer Online Announces Third Official Expansion!
Conquer Online is set to kick up a frenzy in 2010 with its third official expansion, “Legends Return”, due for release in conjunction with the game’s 7th anniversary this April.

After opening its gates in 2003, 7 years of Conquer Online has seen millions of players flood the high-kicking MMO’s servers, immersing themselves in the grand adventure of Kung Fu heritage and ancient Chinese mythology.

TQ Digital are honoured to announce that the game will be kept as fresh and vibrant as ever in 2010, thanks to the upcoming April release of its reinvigorating 3rd official expansion, Legends Return.

Following the New Dynasty (2008) and Riding Clans (2009) expansions, Legends Return is being billed as a special present for Conquer Online’s loyal playing community, bringing a plethora of major new features and improvements that were requested during the games 2010 New Year’s Resolutions event, which allowed users to put forward their game related wants-and-suggestions in a classic new year’s resolution format.

Listening to the heart of the community and delivering to their needs has been an integral part of keeping Conquer Online both appealing and exciting to play over its 7 year reign, and Legends Returns will be a defining example of this.

After processing the most impressive and majority requests, players of TQ Digital’s popular game can expect a new skill system, high grade equipment, new guild wars, gritty dungeons, intricate quests, a new class (Monk), and much, much more!
This thrilling content will be released in 3 exciting chapters throughout 2010, beginning with the first chapter in April and lasting until the final chapter is introduced at the end of the year.
In Chapter 1, the first release of the Legends Return expansion, the Shadow of Darkness will throw players into an age of chaos and destruction. An ancient legend has told of special sub-classes that will be recovered when evil befalls the land, and now that prophecy has been fulfilled. New skills and fabled weapons were recently unearthed by thieves, but their blind lust for gold has seen them unwittingly help an incredibly powerful, unspeakably evil demon rise from the very pits of hell.

Can you help stop him?

Conquer Online - Third Expansion announced

Craft of Gods

Craft of Gods is a new 3D fantasy MMORPG based on Slavic mythology. Set in a huge world with 25 different maps, Craft of Gods provide players with a great Realm versus Realm (RvR) and Player versus Player (PvP) experience, but it will also appeal to Player versus Enviroment (PvE) oriented gamers.
 
Players can choose between 6 different races divided into 3 factions (Light, Darkness and Neutral) and create their character that can then be completely customized; in facts there are no classes in Craft of Gods, only skills: each player can choose from 14 schools of skills, each containing 15 powers – for a total of 210 different skills that assure a great depth of customization.
 
Craft of Gods is new game with an ‘old-school’ heart that will please both long time and newest player and it will be available soon at an incredible price.

Aeria Games Announces Kingdom Heroes for North America & Europe

Aeria Games Announces Kingdom Heroes for North America & Europe

 

Aeria Games & Entertainment, one of the fastest growing publishers of free-to-play online games in North America and Europe, has officially unveiled its newest title, Kingdom Heroes. Players interested in testing the game prior to its Spring 2010 release can visit the official site, starting today, and sign up to participate in the upcoming Closed Beta.
 
Kingdom Heroes (KH) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that introduces a variety of new, revolutionary features to the MMO genre.
 
In Kingdom Heroes, players will be able to:
• Recruit and customize NPC soldiers to form their own personal armies.
• Organize a crew of players and take to the seas in exciting ship battles.
• Work together to establish, develop, and defend player-controlled cities.
• Conquer enemy strongholds using an impressive arsenal of troops, mounts, ships, and powerful siege engines.
In addition to this unparalleled array of game features, Kingdom Heroes offers numerous character customization options, branching classes and talent trees, mounted combat, a player based economy, instanced battlefields, thousands of quests, and global player-versus-player (PvP) events where rival factions battle for control of player cities and territory.
For more information about Kingdom Heroes, screenshots and video, or to be among the first to register for the Closed Beta period, visit http://kingdomheroes.aeriagames.com

Kingdom Heroes New Game Closed Beta

PopTag Interview: Pop Enemies and Tag Your Friends

PopTag Interview: Pop Enemies and Tag Your Friends
Questions by Bryan King (Bryan), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Jaeho Hwang, PopTag! Producer

 

PopTag! is a fun, casual game developed by Nexon. PopTag! is a free 2D fast action multiplayer arcade game where  you you combat enemies and even other players using water balloons. PopTag! offers fast-paced game play in player-versus-player modes, or cooperative modes where you  can band together to take on unique and deadly boss monsters and their minions. A “co-play” function is also available to users, allowing two players to play using a single keyboard. Today, I got the chance to speak to Jaeho Hwang about the current status and the future of PopTag!

 

 

OnRPG: Hello! Please introduce yourself to readers?
My name is Jaeho Hwang, and I am the Producer of PopTag!.  I’m happy that I have the opportunity to bring this game to the North American market. 

 

OnRPG: Can you give readers a summary on the premise of PopTag!?
PopTag! is a fun online arcade-style multiplayer hyper puzzle action game that has players engaging in frenzied water balloon battles against each other or cooperatively against monsters. 

 

Crazy Arcade Game PopTag

PopTag is a crazy funny arcade game

 

OnRPG: How did you guys come up with such an interesting name?
The name describes the game’s competitive and cooperative aspect.  You “pop” your enemies trapped in a water bubble to defeat them and you “tag” your friends who are trapped to free them. 

 

OnRPG: How hard was it to integrate moving an originally eastern game to suit a western audience?
Of course there are challenges, but the game at its core level is fairly simple to pick up.  This is very helpful because you don’t have to repeatedly explain how to play the game.  Also, PopTag! is really fun and speaks to all audiences.

 

OnRPG: Introduce readers to some of the features in PopTag!
PopTag! currently has two main game modes: PvP And Monster.  In PvP, players compete against other players, alone or on teams, as they attempt to capture others in water balls.  Once captured, the player can pop the bubble his opponent is trapped in to eliminate him from the game.  Teammates can free allies as well by tagging them.  In Monster mode, players engage in combat against computer-controlled enemies on the way to facing off against a boss monster.  Again, water balloons are the primary weapon.

 

PopTag Adventure

Use water balloons as your weapons

 

OnRPG: Providing a casual experience to MMO gamers is rarely seen these days, and often MMOs require plenty of time… or money. How is PopTag! designed to suit casual gamers of all ages?
PopTag! matches are very quick.  There is the old marketing saying “easy to learn, difficult to master.”  This applies to PopTag!.  After just a match or two, the player has a very clear concept of the basics of gameplay.  However, once you throw in all the different equipment the player can use AND put them in a match with other players, you now have a bunch of variables that will satisfy players looking for a little depth.   But essentially, if you can move a character using the four-button directional pad and the space bar on your keyboard, you are ready to play and enjoy PopTag!.

 

OnRPG: Speaking of suit, will characters be able to enjoy some of the customization features they usually see in other MMOs?
That is one of the more fun aspects of PopTag!.  If you’re like me, you enjoy the part in games where you can personalize your appearance and customize yourself to stand out in a crowd.  PopTag! has an ever-growing amount of various avatar items that the player can use to decorate himself including outfits, ID labels and more.  Players can even customize what their water balloon looks like. 

 

OnRPG: There’s over 20 items in PopTag!, can you introduce readers to some of them, and how they can be utilized?
One of the key items many players use is the needle.  In the game, if you are caught in the splash of an exploding water balloon, you are pretty much doomed unless a teammate pops the bubble you are trapped in and frees you.  However, you won’t always have a teammate in a position to rescue you.  If you have a needle equipped, you can pop your way to freedom and hunt down the guy who put you in the water ball in the first place.

 

OnRPG:  How does gameplay work? Are the controls simple? Also, please introduce readers to the unique “co-play” function.
As I mentioned, the basic controls are confined to the directional pad and space bar on your keyboard.  It’s pretty simple.  The Co-Play function is a pretty clever feature where two players can enjoy PopTag! on the same computer using the same monitor and keyboard.  Nowadays, there is hardly any support for players to play PC titles with/against another player on the same system like you can with consoles.  PopTag!’s Co-Play system allows two people with two separate accounts to log onto the game and use keys assigned to the far ends of the same keyboard.   Given that many of the people who will be interested in PopTag! are younger players or family members, this further reduces the cost of entry by not requiring two systems to play with friends and family. 

 

OnRPG: How are the graphics in PopTag! used to further enhance enjoyment?
PopTag! features a variety of maps and environments, giving players the option of choosing the tone of gameplay.  Simple and colorful, the different environment options enhance a player’s enjoyment because they control where they play and what they’re seeing.  It’s all about fun and colorful settings.

 

PopTag Tricks

Clear puzzle adventures with tricks in colorful settings

 

OnRPG: There surely is much comparison between the classic game, Bomberman, and PopTag!. How would you differentiate between the two?
Many people like to compare PopTag! to Bomberman, but they are definitely not the same game.  In PopTag!, if you are caught in a blast, you are not instantly killed.  You are trapped, adding much more strategy to the game, which you feel once you play it.  Also, PopTag! has a whole assortment of game items and customization options that are unique to the game and make PopTag! its own game.

 

OnRPG: Will players who use the cash shop have a large advantage over those who don’t?
There is no advantage available for purchase that cannot be overcome by skill.  This is not like an RPG game where there is no way that an unarmed/unarmored player can even hurt a player with superior gear.  If a player has, say, a needle that may allow him to get out of one water ball, the limitation of being able to use only one needle per match keeps it fair.  You can’t purchase enough items to outdo all the techniques of a superior player.  Having said that, there are items in the Pop Shop that may make the playing field between players of dissimilar experience a little more even.   

 

OnRPG: Are there any events that players are able or will be able to enjoy?
There are always a number of quests and events available for the player to participate in.  There are always multiple quests running concurrently and on average every other week more quests are added.  The game tracks these quests with an in-game quest tracking system, which is a handy feature.  Also during certain prearranged times there are events where the player can earn more LUCCI and experience by logging in and playing.

 

OnRPG: What future updates does your development team plan to add?
The development team has a large number of ideas for additions to the game and is very responsive to the players’ suggestions.  Of course, we don’t want to announce every planned update right now as that would ruin some of the surprise. 

 

OnRPG: Give readers a quick summary on why they should go to poptag.nexon.net right now.
If players are looking for a fun, easy-to-learn game with a long, storied history, they should definately try PopTag!.  It has a colorful, animated look that appeals to many, but underneath all of that is a very balanced game with a lot of variety and even more to come.

 

OnRPG: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you very much for taking the time to learn about PopTag!.  The game is incredibly addictive, and we’d love for you to give it a try.

 

OnRPG: Thank you so much for your time!