Yearly Archives: 2010

Ryzom Announced Patch 1.9.0: Marauder and Occupations

Ryzom Announced Patch 1.9.0: Marauder and Occupations

 

Shortly after opening the source code and the art assets of Ryzom to the community, the next patch has been announced and will soon be released to the servers.

 

This patch will contain 2 major things:
– A new marauder boss called “Dante the Teaser”
– Basic Occupations

 

When developing the basic occupations, our goals were to:

  • Give players more roleplay opportunities.
  • Give players the ability to put the skills they have acquired over the years in practice. (The occupations were designed so that future occupations could require a set of mastered skills, for example requiring all 5 branches of forage to be at level 250.) allow players that have difficulty finding teams, to be able to progress with the help of the regenerative items that can be obtained through occupations.
  • Give players new goals to pursue.

 

For each occupation (Butcher, Magnetic Cartographer, Florist, etc.) a homin has to perform simple tasks collecting and processing the components needed to create the new regenerative items. The items will, when consumed, give a boost to the regeneration of life, sap, stamina, focus, etc…

 

After advancing in grade for an occupation, your skill in creating the items will become greater and the items you can create will become more powerful. Of course, the missions will also become more difficult.

 

Saga of Ryzom Roleplay

Monster Forest with Starlet Kanny Theng as First Ever Celebrity GM

Monster Forest with Starlet Kanny Theng as First Ever Celebrity GM

 

Southeast Asia’s leading free-to-play online games publisher launches latest pet and farm MMORPG with community starlet Kanny Theng as celebrity Game Master

 

Asiasoft Online Pte Ltd (“Asiasoft”) today announces the official launch of Monster Forest, a free-to-play 3D MMORPG that combines wildly popular gameplay concepts such as turn-based skill card battles, pet breeding and mini land farming into one game. The Monster Forest game server will officially reopen at 1600hrs (GMT+8) today.

 

Monster Forest enjoyed a very successful Closed Beta Testing phase from 4 to 11 May 2010, which saw mass participation from over 8,000 players across the globe. Beta codes for the testing phase were snapped up from partner sites such as OnRPG.com, who reported full redemption of codes within 12 hours of their online release.

 

Monster Forest

 

Valuable feedback was garnered from the gamers during the Monster Forest Closed Beta Testing phase, and Asiasoft has worked closely with game developer 9you Information Technology Co Ltd (“9you”) to implement vast improvements to the gameplay in preparations for the game’s official Open Beta launch. Some of these enhancements include an increase in experience points for quicker leveling, as well as an increase in pet catching rates, enabling players to tame more critters as their companions!

 

Monster Forest encompasses the most entertaining gaming elements for a holistic gameplay experience, earning it an average rating of 7 upon 10 among Closed Beta testers. The game’s mini land feature saw many enterprising casual gamers cultivating crops and livestock, sharing harvests and running their own cafés, just like they typically do in similar online, browser-based games. Pet lovers also took a shine to Monster Forest, with its range of over 500 exotic pets available for taming!

 

Kanny Theng as GM

To further convey the fun, lively spirit of Monster Forest to the mass public, Asiasoft has also signed on Singaporean host and actress Kanny Theng as the game’s ambassador. Kanny is represented by Wawa Artistes Network and presently co-hosts Wonder Chef? ??????alongside veteran artiste Mark Lee on Channel U. She  has also appeared in Channel 8 dramas such as Nanny Daddy???????and Your Hand in Mine ???????.

 

A casual gamer herself, Kanny has cosplayed for past Asiasoft published titles such as Yulgang Online and RayCity, and she will now delight young gamers in Monster Forest as the publisher’s first ever celebrity Game Master (GM)! In this new role, Kanny will assist Asiasoft’s existing team of GMs to police the in-game environment and to interact with players through in-game events and activities.

 

Kanny has also been a strong driving force within the Monster Forest gamer community, which has grown by leaps and bounds since the game’s introduction last year. Thanks to her constant posts and exchanges with players on the Monster Forest Facebook Fan Page, Asiasoft has seen a steady growth of over 7,000 fans since the page went live in November 2009. Kanny frequently shares about her Monster Forest gaming experiences through her personal blog and Twitter tweets, and has shot a four-part tutorial video series called “Monster Forest Watch & Learn”.

 

“We are excited to launch Monster Forest in Singapore and Malaysia as the time is right for an online game that ties all the various elements of console and browser games together into one package,” said Sherman Tan, Chairman of Asiasoft Online. “We are also thrilled to introduce Kanny Theng as the celebrity GM of Monster Forest.  Her bubbly and infectious personality truly personifies the spirit of Monster Forest, and we are confident that she will take the game to greater heights and give players an unforgettable gaming experience!”

 

With the official launch of Monster Forest, more players will get to rub virtual shoulders with Kanny’s in-game avatar GMKanny, and even meet her in person when she makes her special appearance during the offline Monster Forest launch event at the Asiasoft Games Festival 2010 on 5th June 2010!

 

New players can get a headstart by visiting Follow Kanny, where GMKanny will show you the ropes in the world of Monster Forest! 

 

Monster Forest Kanny Theng

New Aika Expansion: Ashes of Betrayal!

New Aika Expansion: Ashes of Betrayal!

 

We wanted to let you in on the exciting news: Aika’s first expansion, Ashes of Betrayal, will include tons of new content and a raised level-cap!

 

Aika expansion

 

The upcoming release is scheduled for mid-June, so be on the lookout for more details in the following weeks.  For now, take a look at a sneak-peek screenshot of one of the new zones. Stay tuned for much more to come!

 

Ashes Of Betrayal Aika

 

Wargaming.net Wins Best KRI 2010 Game Developer Award from IndustryÂ’s Top Game Critics in Russia

Wargaming.net Wins Best KRI 2010 Game Developer Award from Industry’s Top Game Critics in Russia

 

Wargaming.net reveals two awards the company received at the annual Game Developers Conference (KRI 2010) that took place in Moscow from May 14th till May 16th where the studio presented its new massively multiplayer online action game World of Tanks.

 

World of Tanks Team

 

Conference participants and the jury panel expressed their high opinion of World of Tanks gameplay features and graphics that let the studio won the following awards:
– Best Game Developer of 2010. The award is given to the company with outstanding achievements and stable progress in videogame industry.
– Best MMO Game of 2010. The award is given to the best title that requires a client and is based on online gameplay.

 

World Of Tanks 

 

Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net, says: “Getting the ‘Best Developer of the Year’ award is a big honor and responsibility for us. It’s great to realize that World of Tanks is evolving in the right way drawing more and more fans to the virtual battlegrounds we’ve created.” For more information on World of Tanks, visit the official website.

 

World Of Tanks Explosion

Fantasy Earth Zero Review: Final Fantasy It Ain’t

Fantasy Earth Zero Review: Final Fantasy It Ain’t
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG journalist

 

The first thing that came up when I tried Fantasy Earth Zero is the Square Enix logo that you can see in the lower part of the start screen. I thought immediately the game was made by one of my favorite game developers so I was excited with it.

 

Then I found out when I was doing this preview that Square Enix let go of the game after a few months of its release and GamePot took the reins and kept the game going. So my first warning is that don’t let the Square Enix logo make you judge the game immediately.

 

Fantasy Earth Zero Promo

 

First Impressions

Fantasy Earth Zero uses an over the shoulder perspective which actually caught me off guard. It took me quite a while to get used to the game’s point of view because MMORPGs normally don’t use this kind of perspective. The unusual point-of-view takes time to get used to and the uneasiness it brings may be one of the main reasons why you wouldn’t want to continue on playing FEZ.

 

Getting past the unusual perspective was the biggest struggle with the game however once I got used to it. I started to enjoy the numerous game features the game has. Though the game’s pov really is gnawing at me all throughout my game time, but I think the game has enough to make you keep on playing.

 

The Game’s Looks

The game really looks like an old-school Role Playing Game. You get the feeling that the game’s graphics is from a final fantasy game that’s what lead me to think that the game was developed by Square Enix. There were moments where the game’s choice of light colored backgrounds and environments feels that it has a dated graphics engine.

 

However, there are moments where the game’s graphics provides a nice feel that would encourage you to keep on playing. The game isn’t heavy on the eyes that you can play it for hours on end. 

 

Fantasy Earth Zero Fight

 

How it Plays

With the game taking an over the shoulder perspective, the game solidifies the feel that the game is a console RPG rather an MMORPG. There are times that you find it harder to play the game with a keyboard and mouse than a gamepad or controller. In fact the game gives you the choice of playing it the usual way with the keyboard and mouse or go with a controller.

 

Actually using the controller rather the keyboard and mouse plays even better on moments where you are surrounded by monsters because sometimes you fumble through the controls especially on crunch time. Also using a controller gives you a faster response time especially during PVP battles where a split second can really turn the tides of the battle.

 

PVP

Speaking of PVPs, FEZ is very much a PVP-centric MMORPG. With a lot of game features that provide a highly competitive PVP atmosphere. Players even level faster with PVPing rather than going with the usual PVE grinding. The game has a very stable PVP setup where players can keep on battling each other as long as there are people playing.

 

The game has five nations where you can join in and compete. The game’s PVP system is reminiscent of Warhammer Online’s PVP nation battle. The only problem this game has is not really the game’s system but rather the lack of people taking advantage of the PVP action.

 

Fantasy Earth Zero Flag

 

Kingdom Battles

Among the PVP features in FEZ I really liked the game’s Kingdom Battle system. It’s provides a refreshing change of pace to the usual PVE grinding because of the intense competitive PVP action in place. Actually, it seems that FEZ was actually made for the game’s kingdom battle because taking part in kingdom battles provides more experience points compared to PVE.

 

Also, the game seems to change into a more RTS type of MMORPG. Strategy takes centers stage when you are in kingdom battles rather than just relying on your character’s power. The game’s biggest equalizer is the summons system where you can control summons that have a specific strength or affinity.

 

I also liked the fact that the game’s kingdom battle system has a building feature in place where you can build buildings that help you fight in the kingdom battles you are in. The only downside in FEZ’ kingdom battle system is its reliance on the amount of players who are logged in the game. That’s the clincher in the game’s system because if you have no one to go against in kingdom battles then you can’t take part in it.

 

Lack of People

After playing for a few hours, FEZ’ main problem actually comes out. Majority, if not all of FEZ’ game features are heavily reliant on the amount of gamer population currently logged in. As I have mentioned in this whole article, population reliance is the game’s strength and also it’s Achilles heel. To fully enjoy what the game has to offer there should be a lot of players logged in and busy playing the game. However, in the most part that I was playing the game I’ve met only a few players and there was only about one kingdom battle of two that’s occurring.

 

I think though the fact that the game is still in Open Beta is one of the main reasons why this is the case. Hopefully when the game goes commercial the game’s population drastically blows up so that when you get to join in there would be a lot of things happening all at the same time.

 

As far as I’m concerned, FEZ has a solid gameplay and the game developers knew what they’re doing because they have the game features pegged down on one thing, PVP action. The game took a different route in the MMORPG in terms of the game’s core systems. The question if it works or not is up to you, however seeing the game’s history, it seems that the FEZ has missed the mark far enough for Square Enix to let the game go. Now that, says a lot about FEZ.

Ysabel

Ysabel is a free web-based strategy online game. Take the lead of your castle, improve economy, army and fight against enemies.

Unlike other games that never ends, Ysabel is divided is divided into rounds (~4 months long). At the end of each round the alliance that manages to save princess Ysabel is declared winner – that is basically the goal of the game.

Was built in such a way that is not killing your time. You can’t build a high number of castles, number of buildings/upgrades are relatively small, number of attacks is also limited.

Forum and chat integrated help maintaining a great community; there are users there that played all the rounds – 8 so far.

Lego Universe Will Not be Free to Play!

 

Here at OnRPG we pride ourselves at knowing the MMO industry in and out! We often predict events days or even weeks before they take place, but this time we were plain wrong!

We were convinced that Netdevil realized that with the casual gameplay of Lego Universe they would have an instant Free to Play hit on their hands. But now the Lego Store is listing the game for the rather steep price of 39.99 which will include 30 days of subsciption. After this free period a month’s access to the game will cost you around 10 bucks.


Not Free to Play Afterall.jpg Alt Tag: Lego Universe - Not Free to Play Afterall

About the Game:
    * LEGO Universe is the first Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) from The LEGO Group.
    * Game box includes the LEGO Universe Game DVD, 30-day free subscription, story leaflet and user guide.

    * Facts and Fun for Parents
Requirements:
    * First 30 days free.
    * Paid subscription required to continue play. 1, 6 and 12 month subscription options available.
    * Internet connection required.
    * Playable on PC and MAC. For minimum and recommended system requirements, click here.

With this Netdevil seems to be joining the long list of MMO publishers that follow an outdated business model for MMO’s. OnRPG readers have known for years that a Free to Play model makes much more sense especially for non hardcore games such as Lego Universe.

 
It’s interesting to see that a month of play will cost you 9.99 in Euro’s as well as Dollars. With the current exchange rate that’s a difference of almost 2 Euros!
With many free to play alternatives for the target audience we’re wondering how well Lego Universe will do. We’ll keep you posted about it!

League of Legends Interview: All About Current And Upcoming Features

League of Legends Interview: All About Current And Upcoming Features

Questions by Mohammad Abubakr, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Marc Merrill, co-founder and president, Riot Games

 

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena, or a MOBA. The game plays similar to the popular Warcraft III mod DOTA but there were some enhancements and tweaks to further enhance user experience. The aim of the game is to work with your team and destroy enemy towers which eventually lead to the nexus. Once this is destroyed, your team will win the game. That is just a rough outline but Nicolas did a great job explaining the game into full detail. Also read the full League of Legends review.

 

I was lucky enough to be able to get all of the questions that the community is wondering about answered by Marc Merrill. Read on to see what is in store for you while you play the game and what you can look forward to in the near future!

 

OnRPG: Hello! My name is Abubakr and I am a journalist for OnRPG. Before we begin our interview, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about what you do?

My name is Marc Merrill. I’m the Co-founder and President of Riot Games, the developer and publisher of League of Legends. I oversee and am responsible for the execution of Riot’s core business: the development and publishing of our games. But the easy answer is that I do a little bit of everything.

 

League Of Legends Lightning

 

OnRPG: League of Legends is based from the Warcraft III mod; DOTA. What improvements were made to League of Legends that will attract users from switching to League of Legends from Dota?

One of our main goals when we created League of Legends was to expand the genre originally pioneered by DotA but holding on to the original dynamics that made DotA so popular. It is a tough goal to achieve because DotA had such a large group of core fans who are attached to specific features of the game, even if some of those things are sub-optimal from a game design standpoint. 

 

But, we stuck to many of our decisions and we think the game is far better off because of it (and if you ask many of the DotA players who switched over to League of Legends, they’ll attest to that sentiment as well). So in many ways, when you compare our game to some of the straight DotA clones out there, we took risks to ensure League of Legends is a unique experience rather than being a direct copy of the original. We have created a basic overview that outlines some of the main differences between LoL and DotA: http://www.leagueoflegends.com/articles/dota_and_lol

 

That being said, despite the core differences, we really attempted to retain the “soul” of DotA – those parts of the game that really made it stand out. And if you look at how many players we are attracting and retaining with high levels of engagement, we think we are doing a pretty good job.

 

Even though there are substantial differences between LOL and DotA, one of the most important similarities is that the game is completely free to play. We didn’t want to create any barriers to entry for any gamers, whether you’ve been playing DotA for years or if this is the first MOBA game you have played. You don’t have to spend a dime to start playing or to become a top-ranking League of Legends player.

 

OnRPG: What makes LoL unique, when comparing this game to other similar games?

There are a few things that are resonating really strongly with players and cannot be found in any of the other games that were inspired by DotA. The first is the Summoner system which adds a persistent element of play. Basically, as you play individual games you unlock new abilities for your Summoner such as Masteries or new Rune slots. You can build your Summoner in a number of different ways, providing enhancements that best fit your style of play or the Champion that you choose to use. Also, as you continue to play, you earn points which allow you to unlock additional content including Champions and runes.

 

Another feature we are really proud of is our matchmaking system. Instead of spending time browsing for open games or going up against players that can be significantly better or worse than you, our matchmaking system automatically puts you against players of similar skill level. We think this system helps ensure every game is fun, competitive and evenly matched. It’s also designed to help protect new players – we shield them from having a rough experience by not matching them against players substantially better and who might yell at them, as we’ve noticed in DotA or in other similar games. Another advantage of our system is that the average time to get into a League of Legends game against people of similar skill is less than one minute. Conversely, the average time spent looking for games with a pure room-based system is around 15 minutes as the host boots people and tries to stack their team to their advantage.

 

We’ve also pushed the envelope by creating an entirely new 3v3 map experience called Twisted Treeline which provides a different game experience.  But the most important innovation is our characters themselves; every Champion is completely unique, built from the ground up.  These diverse and interesting Champions are what make this genre fun – and this is where League of Legends really shines.

 

OnRPG: Recently the 3v3 map (Twisted Treeline) was released to offer another map choice aside from the 5v5 map. What other map types can we expect in the near future? Will more 5v5 and 3v3 maps be added on or will maps with other player capacities be added?

Our goal is to continue to expand League of Legends and the genre, so that means that you’ll definitely see new maps in the future. I can’t go into specific detail on those maps or when they will be available, but you can expect to see some new battlefields as the game continues to progress that provide entirely different play experiences from what currently exists.

 

OnRPG: Currently there is only the blind pick mode when playing the game. I have seen quite a few interesting suggestions on the forums.  Are there future plans for different game modes? If possible, can we get a sneak peek as to what modes are being planned?

Yes. We’ve actually been working behind the scenes for a long time on designing and implementing a Draft Mode that will be visually attractive, intuitive to new players and display enough relevant information to players. The Draft Mode will let teams take turns and allow bans style.  All this will be rolled out as a part of Season One.  Our goal is to make the draft mode have the depth fans of this style of gameplay expect, along with more polish and visual appeal.

 

League Of Legens Funtime

 

OnRPG: League of Legends has a lot of champions to offer a lot of variety for the players. How does the champion design team work to ensure the champions are balanced?

League of Legends really stands above other titles from an innovation perspective. Our characters are completely unique, with deeper and more innovative mechanics than those found in DotA and other similar games.  We think this is an extremely important differentiator, because the most enjoyable part of this genre is playing the very diverse and interesting characters and learning their strengths and weaknesses. 

 

Developing high quality, balanced Champions takes much longer than most people think. The process begins when our design and character creation teams brainstorm ideas for Champions – at this stage they actively solicit creative input from other team members throughout the company. We then write-up a short description of the characters which includes basic details on their personality, main abilities and usually include a couple pieces of art for inspiration. Then our character creation team reviews all of these materials and chooses only the best ones to move to the next round.

 

Next, the art team creates sketches and detailed drawings of the character. We then go on to the modeling stage and have the design team start to plan out their abilities and stats in more detail. Once the models and abilities have been implemented, the Champions go into our company’s internal testing as their animations, sounds, voices and artwork are all finalized. 

 

After several weeks of internal testing, the Champions are put on the Test Realm for wider testing. We allow select members of the Test Realm Community to provide feedback and help us improve the character’s abilities – this step is important because we get a good idea of how the Champion will fare during actual games and how our players will react to them.

 

After a few more tweaks are made, the Champion is finally deployed in a patch for all our players to get their hands on. But our time with them doesn’t end there. We never consider a Champion truly finished because we will often come back and revisit them to keep them fresh and fun to play.  The design team continues to make minor adjustments and changes to keep the Champion balanced, especially as we introduce even more Champions and maps that shift the dynamics of game play.

 

OnRPG: In the game there are two currencies; Influence Points and Riot Points. IP can be obtained by just playing and RP is purchased using real money. How does the team ensure that RP users do not gain an advantage over free players while making sure RP get sold?

We have designed the game from conception to ensure a competitive community where the dominant players are not those who spend the most. In fact, currently a large portion of the top League of Legends players have not spent any money in the game. We currently sell Riot Points (purchased currency) which can be used to buy new skins (which don’t impact gameplay) and boosts (which help cut down on the number of games you need to play). We sell Champions for either currency – so you can unlock them over time using IP or take a shortcut and use Riot Points. Finally, we sell runes, which give you stat bonuses, for Influence Points (earned currency) only, so you can’t directly buy an advantage over other players – you need to earn it. 

 

OnRPG: In the shop, players can buy skins for their champions using RP. Currently the skins are just re-coloring of the characters; can we expect to see skins which change character models?

There are actually several Champions that have detailed skins that are much more than recolorings. For example, Corki has several new models including Red Baron Corki, UFO Corki and Toboggan Corki. The extremely popular Urf Warkwick skin was also a detailed re-model.  We are also planning to go further with the Gentleman Cho’gath skin which will also feature new VO. Other skins, such as the ghost skins, have special effects tied to them. At launch we started with just recolored skins, but at this point we have moved far beyond that.

 

League Of Legens Confrontation 

 

OnRPG: Not all champions use the traditional mana system. How is balance maintained between mana using champions, champions with energy and champions with neither?

We balance champions around their performance in various game situations – early laning, ganking and team fights.  When we see that a champion is too strong in one of these, we either adjust this, or make sure there is a trade-off with another strength.  Energy characters are no different than any other character with unique abilities, and we had to manage their strengths within this pattern.  One thing I think is true of all energy characters, compared to some of their peers, is that they sacrifice a little bit of 15-20 sec sustained DPS, which is ideal in a team fight, in exchange for slightly better burst (which helps ganks) and sustained laning.

 

OnRPG: The match making is currently based on player ELO. This is calculated by the game and is not visible to players nor is there a way to calculate it manually. When can players expect to see a ranking system for competitive play? Will this system allow the formation of clans? Can we expect to see a ladder tournament type system? When will Season one begin? Lastly, will ELO become visible to players as the game progresses?

Our intention has always been for Season One to signal the start of competitive play for League of Legends.  For that reason, we will be starting our competitive mode, which is ranked games, with the start of Season One. We will separate the ranked games from the normal games, with the idea being that players seeking a very competitive experience will join ranked games and those still learning the Champions can play normal games. In ranked games your ELO will be displayed along with many other stats of your performance and you will be ranked on a ladder among competitive players. We will also be supporting the game with more tournaments. Season One will begin this summer with the launch of ranked games, ladders, draft mode and more.

 

League Of Legends Power Play 

 

OnRPG: Games like this rely a lot on what each player does for their team. Sometimes players quit in the middle of the game which leaves their team at a clear disadvantage. There is currently a counter on player profiles for number of leaves. What other methods can be used to prevent leavers from ruining games?

We actually have implemented a couple of systems to counter leavers.  The first is that if someone leaves a game in progress, their only option becomes to reconnect to that game; they can’t join another game until the game they left finishes, so many end up reconnecting to finish the game.  The second system is that, as you pointed out, your leaves are not only tracked but also publically displayed.  Many players feel pride in having zero leaves on their account. We have even instituted protection against people who abandon games just as they are starting (queue-dodging) by not letting those people back into match-making for a certain period of time.  All these features have drastically cut down on the number of people leaving games and done a lot to improve the tone of the community.

 

OnRPG: This is the type of game that has potential for competitive play. Can players expect to see major leagues for League of Legends soon and what is Riot Games doing to enhance the competitive side to the game?

Indeed! Season One is going to bring a lot of enhancements targeted at making League of Legends more competitive. We will be adding ranked games and ladders, as well as introducing Draft Mode (with bans). With the start of Season One we are going to be running more tournaments ourselves as well as partnering with other competitive organizations. The e-sport organizations we are in talks with have expressed a lot of interest in helping to build the competitive scene for League of Legends. We’re not ready to announce any details yet, but we will be announcing more after the launch of Season One.

 

OnRPG: How would you rate League of Legends when it comes on terms of difficulty? Is it a game which all players can enjoy or are you required to be good to have fun?

League of Legends definitely isn’t an easy game to play, but we think we’ve created some unique game play aspects that make it accessible to gamers of all levels. For example, I wouldn’t encourage someone who’s never played League of Legends, DotA or similar games to immediately try to get matched. They should go through our tutorial, play some practice games against our AI controlled bots and read the strategy guides in our forums,before they play actual games.  Once they do play, we also have a “new player island” concept in our matchmaking algorithm that helps ease new players into the experience.  These learning tools and our supportive Community help new players get acclimated and comfortable fairly quickly.

 

At the same time, League of Legends offers a huge amount of depth. Each Champion opens up new gameplay options and players need to learn how to adjust their play style when faced with different Champions. These factors mean that learning the subtleties and strategies of League of Legends is something players can enjoy for quite a long time.  When we launch Ranked Games with Season One, the focus of the competitive crowd will be on increasing their standing in the public ladder for the season, and our Normal Games will be for earning our in-game currency, trying new champions and just having fun. 

 

OnRPG: League of Legends is a game which requires a lot of teamwork to succeed. Will in game voicechat be added in the future to aid teams to communicate better? I understand premade teams can use another program but what about the solo queuers?

We aren’t ready to announce any details on this yet, but we do have plans to eventually support in-game voice chat for League of Legends.

 

OnRPG: Besides the creeps which progress throughout lanes, there are natural creeps scattered in the jungle areas. What kind of role do these play during a match?

These present still another strategic option to players.  Some players slay these neutral creeps for the experience and gold, leaving their allies to lane alone which lets them level up faster (though they may have to face two Champions).  However, some special neutral  creeps offer buffs if you slay them – giving reduced cooldowns or increased damage.  Those can tilt the battle in a player’s favor if they are carrying the buff, but buffs transfer upon death, so avoiding being killed by the enemy team becomes even more important.  Overall, the neutral creeps add another layer of strategic depth to the game.

 

OnRPG: When pairing people using the match making system, are summoner levels and runes accounted for to ensure fair play? Or is it purely based on skill?

The matchmaking rating is really based on who you beat (or lose to).  The reason players tend to have roughly a 50% win rate is because they are mostly playing against opponents of equivalent skill.  If you were playing against yourself, each of you would win 50% of the time!  We do this because we believe it is more fun to have a game with roughly equal competition – it’s not fun for new players to get stomped by pros and it’s not fun for pros to not have any competition.  We have now added a level parameter to matchmaking however, so our system will spend a bit more time ensuring that players of similar level and ELO are matched together. 

 

OnRPG: The game runs using Adobe Air. I have not seen many games use this system. What are the advantages for using Adobe Air?

Adobe Air is a fairly new technology which gave us the ability to concentrate on developing in-depth and fun game features rather than spending a long time developing the user interface.  Air is also a web technology and we plan on continuing to integrate the PvP.net lobby experience into the web overtime to take advantage of its numerous wonders!

 

League Of Legends Wonders

 

OnRPG: What can users expect to see in the upcoming months? Anything major going to be happening?

There is definitely a lot of big stuff coming up in the next few months. I mentioned Season One earlier – it’s going to be the start of competition for League of Legends and include a lot of in-game updates that I’m positive you will love. We are also going to be continuing our global expansion and bringing the game to new countries and territories, so keep an eye open for those announcements. And of course there are some other major developments in the pipeline that I can’t reveal at this time but you’ll hear about really soon.

 

OnRPG: Is there anything you would like to add?

Riot Games and League of Legends is growing rapidly. We are dedicated to providing the best service for our players all over the world, and to improve service for our European players we are opening an office in Dublin, Ireland. Our Dublin staff will help make League of Legends experiences more enjoyable and help solve customer service requests.

 

That being said, I would also like to thank the League of Legends players that have helped build a strong and vibrant League of Legends community.  They have helped us every step of the way and our plan is to support League of Legends with new features and content through Season One and for a long time afterwards.  There are many more exciting developments planned for League of Legends around the world so stay tuned.

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time. Hoping to enjoy your game for quite some time!

PWE Teases With Jade Dynasty Expansion Information

 

PWE Teases With Jade Dynasty Expansion Information
Perfect World Entertainment has teased the upcoming, and as of yet unnamed, expansion for Jade Dynasty! This article will give you a glance at what is coming this year to the world of Jade Dynasty!

The ego of the human factions never ceases to amaze the Athan.  Blinded by emotion, they are unable to see the dark days that lay ahead.  The Immortals have seen what has become of the world since they first sent the mighty Athan to restore balance.  The humans chant songs of victory, but little do they realize that the Arden and Balo were mere scouts for the battle that lies ahead…”

The Immortals are now sending support for the Arden and Balo, in their quest to purify the world: the Celan and Rayan!
 
The Celan: Known for their ability to manipulate foes while boosting their allies’ morale using the musical notes of the Immortals.
Dynasty - Upcoming Expansion - Introducing the Celan

The Rayan: Known as deadly assassins, they are feared even among their allies.

Jade Dynasty - Upcoming Expansion - Introducing the Rayan

But why are the Athan sending these elite forces?  Haven’t they seen enough bloodshed? Because the Athan want to rule the world, not merely restore the balance!
Another upcoming feature is Territory Wars:

Alliances will battle for control over the many lands of Jade Dynasty!  Take control of various regions to gain valuable resources to help you on your quest for world domination.  Keep your wits about you, for you’ll need great strategy to conquer and keep these lands from enemy alliances.

Now strengthen your alliance in preparation for the coming war.  With the stakes this high, it takes only a single traitor to ruin all that you have accomplished.

Battle on land, in the air and on the sea!  Summon ancient beasts to fight alongside your army.  Hire powerful and exotic mercenaries to bolster your forces. Construct Warships and send Ancient Beasts into battle!

But what good is the ability to conquer the world without some upgrades?  How about smoother movements, better physics and destructible environments?

Coming Soon…

Runes of Magic Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms

Runes of Magic Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms

 

Today sees the main expansion of the third chapter of Runes of Magic, “The Elder Kingdoms”. The game servers have just opened with the updated version again. The latest large expansion for the popular free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) adds one unexplored new region on the new continent Zandorya with a challenging new dungeon to the game world. Besides many other new features like the new PvP battleground Tyrefen Mountain Range and an enhanced skills system, the update includes the introduction of integrated voice chat to improve communication between players. The expansion installs automatically when launching the game.

 

Due to the continuing growth of the Runes of Magic community, Frogster has launched additional German, French, and Spanish language servers today. Starting tomorrow, all players can participate in an exciting release community contest, the “Level 58 Olympics”, where they can obtain valuable item packages. More information about that will be given on the official website and in the forums.

What’s new in Chapter III?

– Level-cap raised to 58
– Two new zones with brand new dungeons and world bosses
– Enabling of battles involving entire guilds with the new siege wars feature
– Expanded monster compendium
– New party search tool
– New crafting system to create fusion stones with individual values
– Newly expanded skill system linked to armor sets
– Two selectable difficulty levels in the most challenging dungeons
– New token system allowing players to trade for exclusive armor sets
– Guild buffs available in guild castles
– New guild mini-games

 

Upcoming in the course of Chapter III

– Level-cap raised to 60
– Two-player mounts
– New role playing elements including a marriage system
– New dungeons
– New zones

 

Runes Of Magic Behemoth

 

 
Exclusive Folklore from Chapter III

OnRPG will also be sharing some exclusive folklore background of “The Elder Kingdoms”, which focuses on the Six Old Principalities, which are the heritage of six military leaders of the past. Before the ‘Great Banishment’ Kalume, the king of the Humans, and Antaikolon, the king of the Elves, collected all the armies and forces at their disposal to fight the treacherous Demons. After a fierce battle which cost many humans and elves their lives the alliance managed to bring about the Great Banishment and dispel the Demons which finally brought peace back to the world.

 

Kalume chose seven heroes who had excelled in battle out of the innumerable allies who had fought in the war and appointed them as Lords with the responsibility of ensuring peace and freedom for the people. Only Tirsov Fireboot, the leader of the Fireboot Dwarves, rejected the offer and took his people into the recesses of the mountains where they could live out their lives without being affected by the outside world. As a farewell gesture Kalume presented Tirsov with the powerful Hurr’khan axe to show his gratitude for the Holy Oath shield which the dwarves had prepared. The remaining six military leaders were named by the king as Lords of the World, also to be known as the ‘Six Old Lords’. They owed their existence to the Kingdom of Dalanis and to the crown of Kalume’s descendents and always paid tribute to this.

 

The Six Old Principalities are:

The Principality of Aren, ruled by the descendents of Letin Mocliff, the ‘Unrivaled Shield’

 

Many parallels can be found between the childhood of Kalume’s most loyal confidant and Kalume himself. Both came from modest families. Kalume, who was later to become king, came from a fishing family, whereas Mocliff from a simple farming family. The Mocliffs did not have much to call their own but they were still happy with the little they had. At least until marauding Demons devastated the Mocliffs’ village.

 

Whilst working on the fields Letin lost his home and his family in one day. Because of this terrible misfortune Letin almost lost the will to carry on living and tried to find relief from his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. Mocliff became consumed by hate and remorse, bereft of hope and the desire to live. However, one day he met the then young Kalume who gave the rundown farmer his cloak and some words of encouragement. Kalume reminded this broken man of his own deceased son and he found out that this boy was there to set up a force to fight the Demons.

 

Kalume’s noble plan to free mankind of the Demons awoke a long forgotten flicker of life in Letin Mocliff which he had abandoned in favor of alcohol. He joined Kalume’s army and was soon back to his old self after many hours of hard training. Letin forgave himself for not being able to save his family and avowed to protect his comrades and never to give up. The former farmer quickly found the army to be his true calling and his face and body became covered in scars after enduring numerous battles. This brave warrior was always the last to leave the battlefield and dedicated himself to protecting his comrades in spite of his own injuries as if they were his own family. He was given the nickname the ‘Unrivaled Shield’ by Kalume and became the young king’s closest friend and brother-in-arms.

 

Since Mocliff had never forgotten his roots the cloak which Kalume had given him during the darker days became his most prized possession which he insisted gave him his power. In the later years Letin became a sort of cloak for Kalume; never leaving his side, always quietly present in the background, ready to give his life to protect the king. He wore this cloak until the day of his death and stipulated in his will that he was to be buried in it. However, Dalanis can expect little help from the descendents of Letin Mocliff in the Principality of Aren since they themselves are embroiled in power struggles and intrigues surrounding their country’s throne.

 

The Principality of Lechif, ruled by the descendents of the ‘King of the Night’, Shint Kanches

 

Shint Kanches was born in the port city of Lechif, a city on the island of Tergot’en without ever knowing who his parents were. This orphaned child was entrusted to the care of an old man whom Shint, and the other children he grew up with, affectionately named him master. From an early age he proved himself to be a deft pickpocket in the streets of the pirate city with extremely nimble fingers, and by the age of fifteen was considered to be the best by the other children. There was no lock that he could not pick, no door he could not open, and no treasure he could not steal. He was the unofficial king of the pickpockets until the day that he met the man who would change his life forever. This man was no less than the legendary king Kalume who took the young ragamuffin under his wing and into his army. His talent of hiding in the shadows quickly elevated him to the best spy in the king’s army.

 

Since Shint grew up without a father he had the highest respect for Kalume and considered him and his most trusted Knight, Androth, as older brothers. Eager for knowledge, he absorbed everything the two men taught him. Although Androth wanted to teach Shint not only the skills of espionage but also the skills of battle, Kalume considered his ability to blend into the shadows as more important and thought attack missions against the Demon leaders to be too dangerous for his favorite pupil. The wise king was right after all. 

 

During a planned attack against the Demon Lord, Sismond ‘The Slaughterer’, Shint was killed. However, the demons subsequently brought him back to life as an undead being with the task of murdering the king. The young hero was eventually killed by Androth at the tender age of twenty-four. Kalume posthumously named him one of the ‘Six Old Lords’ in order to express his pain and to pay honor to Shint’s memory and in doing so Shint’s legacy was known to all of Kalume’s people. The Principality was then named after Shint Kanche’s hometown, ‘Lechif’.

 

The Principality of Shador, ruled by the descendents of the ‘Thousand Feathers’, Jenny Giant

 

Jenny Giant was a human huntress from the Shador Forest who, because of her and Kalume’s deep connection to nature and shared love for all living creatures, joined Kalume’s army. Her skills with the bow and arrow were legendary; no words could convey the sheer breadth of her abilities. It was not simply due to her deadly accuracy that she was called ‘Thousand Feathers’ but also because of the unbelievable speed at which she could fire an arrow. During a nighttime battle against the Gnolls from the Demon army this graceful and seemingly fragile woman proved that she was far more dangerous than her appearance let on. Without the help of a single torch she shot every single Gnoll that attempted to cross the river where the battle took place. The Gnolls had already retreated as the royal troops arrived to support Jenny.

 

Only after the soldiers had lit the torches could the extent of Jenny’s efforts truly be appreciated, even the most hardened soldiers were lost for words. The river was piled high with corpses peppered with arrows – not a single Gnoll had reached the other side of the river. During this one night Jenny Giant had killed over 300 Gnolls and shot over 1000 arrows. From then on, no one dared doubt the abilities of this young woman.

 

During the battle of the ‘Great Banishment’ Jenny and the Elven priestess Artis from the Temple of the Moon Spirit provided the archery support and the similarities in their technique were impossible to ignore – even the Elven King Antaikolon believed ‘Thousand Feather’s technique was rooted in Elven technique. However, since the reticent Jenny never spoke of her life before joining Kalume’s army the origins of her abilities remained shrouded in mystery. After the big wars she became one of Kalume’s ‘Six Old Lords’. Shador and the Principality of Aren provided a secure barrier at the eastern and western fronts around Dalanis. But nowadays the reminders of the loyal leaders of these two realms are but a shadow of what they once were.  Nobody quite knows what Aren and Shador think of the young king Callaway today.

 

Many poems and songs today bear witness to Jenny’s unrequited love for Kalume who thought of her as more a member of the family. The story of this huntress who dedicated her life to a man she loved but could never be with is so dramatic that it is still enacted in theatres to this very day.

 

The Principality of Angren, ruled by the descendents of the ‘Berserker’, Lekani of the Leonine people

 

The feline appearance of the Leonine people is not the result of demonic experimentation, they are an ancient race from Zandorya who were previously known as Angren beast men. This race was once very hostile and would defend their jungle to the death, hunting down anyone that dared venture into their territory. The Demons from the west became aware of this proud and strong race at some point and suggested they create an alliance.

 

The Leonine people accepted the offer and many fought against the humans. However Lekani’s mother, Menimen, the chief of the Leonine people was betrayed by the Demon Sismond, also known as the ‘the Slaughterer’. He used the wounded Leonines for terrible experiments with rune magic and thereby broke the trust of his allies. On the way to the castle of the ‘Slaughterer’ to confront him with allegations Menimen was attacked from behind and killed. Lekani placed responsibility for her mother’s death on Sismond and so the Leonines left the Demon army and joined Kalume’s troops which dramatically changed the balance of power in the west.

 

However, it was Androth, the general of Kalume’s royal army, who was truly responsible for the death of Lekani’s mother.  It was a rouse to encourage the feline creatures to enter into an alliance with the humans. King Kalume did not want to employ Androth’s underhanded methods and decided to assume responsibility for Lekani’s mother’s death. As Kalume put his weapon, and his life, into the hands of the proud Leonine leader she was so overwhelmed by the integrity of the great leader that she decided to continue fighting by his side. According to Leonine custom, his life now belonged to Lekani and it is said that she often loudly proclaimed to the enemies of the king: “This man’s life belongs to me. I dare anyone to try and take it from me”.

 

Runes of Magic Weapons

 

The Principality of Kalon, ruled by the descendents of Heurton, the ‘Prince of Sadness’, of the Rhino people

 

The knights of Kalo are known as the warriors of the Principality of Kalon, one of the six old principalities. Their appearance is unmistakable since they are not human. The Kalo race are like two-legged rhinoceroses, huge and immensely powerful.  A fully grown human being only reaches their chest and is about half their girth. Due to the enormous size and weight of their thick-skinned bodies there is no cavalry in the Kalo army since there is no creature large enough for a Kalo to ride upon. Although not very agile, they have powerful bodies and utilize runes to craft advanced armor which makes them one of the continent’s most feared armies. During the wars against the Demons the Rhinos, strengthened by runes, stood in the front ranks and trampled the invaders into the ground.

 

Their first leader was Heurton, the ‘Prince of Sadness’, a childhood friend of the legendary Kalume and brother-in-arms in many battles.

 

During these times the land was ruled over by Lord Ronick. This powerful Rhino gave Callaway the same respect as his forefathers gave to Kalume. However, the only thing the Kalos really respect is strength. If the young king is not prepared for the pressure his responsibility entails and displays signs of weakness the Rhinos may turn their back on him.

 

The Principality of Limon, ruled by the descendents of Kawak Angerfang, ‘Iron Teeth’, of the Canine people

 

Kawak Angerfang of the ‘Iron Teeth’ tribe was a so-called ‘Limu beast man’, half man half dog creature, who are nowadays called the canine race. The Limu, like many other humanoids or beast men, were between the humans and the Demons on the side of the oppressor in the early stages of the war. These warriors are tough, attack from behind and feel at home on difficult terrain which caused many problems for the human army since the Limu were deft at ripping armies to shreds. However, one day Androth, the human general, succeeded in capturing the notorious, Kawak Angerfang, leader of the Iron Teeth.

 

The wise mage, Aba Shodu, highly respected by both Kalume and Androth appealed against Angerfang’s impending execution and the brutal beast man was saved. Shodu saw that the inner-nature of the Canine people was goodhearted and he was released under Shodu’s responsibility. Instead of immediately returning to his tribe Kawak observed the king’s encampment for a while and noticed that Kalume, unlike most other humans and Demons, treated beast men as equals. The equal treatment of beast men by the young king was something Kawak Angerfang was not accustomed to. This made him question his life up to that point and he discussed with his clan whether they should join the noble young king. It took no time at all for the entire Iron Teeth clan to decide to join their new king.

 

According to the stories from the time Kawak was constantly aggressive and rarely shared the same opinions as Kalume, and therefore those of his most loyal general, until the end of his days.

 

Many claim that the ‘Great Banishment’ was only brought to pass through the actions of Kawak since it was he that lured the Demons into the heart of the banishment spell and so sacrificed himself for the good of the free world. The Demons pursued the legendary warrior blind with bloodlust and were banished. His descendents accepted the sixth principality and founded the Principality of Limon on his behalf. A statue of the great leader still stands today in the center of the Principality so that the Canine people can honor his name and admire his great deeds.