Yearly Archives: 2012

Einherjar – The Vikings Blood Prepares for Easter Hunt

Einherjar – The Vikings Blood Prepares for Easter Hunt

 


Spring is in the air and KBMJ, the producer of Einherjar – The Viking’s Blood is preparing a big hunt to collect bunnies and Easter Eggs.

 

 

From March 28 to April 11 at 14:00 (SGT or GMT+8), by defeating enemies on expeditions, players will get some items as usual and the chance of rare Easter eggs or Easter bunny drops. The drop rate will be random for all maps.

 

 

3 players who have the most pairs of eggs and bunnies at the end of the event will receive the following rewards:

–          1st place: 5 Dwarf Coins + 30000 gold

–          2nd place: 3 Dwarf Coins + 20000 gold

–          3rd place: 1 Dwarf Coin + 10000 gold

–          Other participants: 10000 gold

 

 

The result will be based on the amount of egg and bunny pairs, i.e. 10 eggs and 15 bunnies will mean 10 pairs. And you will need at least 3 pairs to qualify for the runner-up prize.

 

 

The game’s system will automatically track players’ logs after the event period to determine the winners. The result will be announced on April 11th and the prizes will be distributed after the maintenance on the same day is completed.

Forsaken World: Nightfall Expansion is now Live

Forsaken World: Nightfall Expansion is now Live

 

Forsaken World

 

Perfect World Entertainment Inc. today announced the launch of Forsaken World: Nightfall , the largest expansion to date for the popular free-to-play fantasy-based massively multiplayer online game. Offering a wealth of new content to explore, Forsaken World: Nightfall takes players on a journey to conquer more dungeons and new lands, in the pursuit of Shylia’s approval. A new launch trailer shows off some of the awesome new mounts we can expect to see.

 

 
“We have worked around the clock to make sure the Nightfall expansion provides our players with the most substantial amount of content possible,” said Clifton Chu, Product Manager, Perfect World Entertainment. “With the addition of flying  mounts and the ability to augment their talents via the Soul Power system, Nightfall gives both die-hard players and new fans something extra special to look forward to.”

 

Forsaken World

 

Phantom Orb Event

To celebrate the launch of Nightfall, players will be given a chance to acquire a rare phantom pet. Those players level 40 and above who login between March 28 and April 1, 2012, will be given the Phantom Orb Chance Box free of charge.

 

 

The Phantom Orb event kicks off the Forsaken World: Nightfall expansion launch, which also includes new game features, new quests and revamped game modes.

Heroes of Newerth: Gunblade is Nothing Special

Heroes of Newerth: Gunblade is Nothing Special

By Mohammad Abubakr, OnRPG Journalist

 

 

I am always looking forward to Heroes of Newerth new hero releases because they usually bring new mechanics and play styles to the table. After reading the preview for Gunblade I was excited to try him out but I turned out to be very disappointed.

 

 

The hero plays like a ranged agility carry but features a play style that goes against the average agility carry. This is a nice change as it brings something new to the table but I am not a big fan of this play style. It could just be that I was spoiled with some of the great hero releases in the past weeks but I did not enjoy playing Gunblade.

 

 

To begin, let us take a look at his skills.

 

Gunblade’s skill set


None of his skills are too interesting. While they are not copies of existing skills, the new mechanics they add to the game are not very fun or creative.

 

 

His first skill, Crippling Slugs, fires three times in a chosen direction dealing damage and applying a stacking slow. It is a great skill because of its high damage and great slow. The slow percentage adds on to the previous percentage which means that at max level you are able to slow the enemy by 51%! As the game progresses, the burst will not be as significant because the damage does not scale but it is great for early kills.

 

 

Lethal Range is his second ability. It is a passive that grants bonus damage to Gunblade’s auto attacks based on his distance from the target. This skill only works on heroes so it is not very useful in the early game in most situations.

 

 

It is an interesting ability but changes the play style for agility carries quite a bit. Normally carries are to stay far and only poke their heads in when it is safe to do so. However, this skill encourages the very squishy Gunblade to jump into the middle of fights.

 

 

This is where his third skill, Demonic Shield, comes in. It provides a shield to Gunblade that absorbs a base amount plus additional damage based on his agility. The shield also grants additional movement speed. While this shield is meant to absorb damage and allow Gunblade to be in the middle of team fights, it does not mean that Gunblade is not squishy.

 

 

Even when maxing this skill early on I still found myself dying quite fast. I won’t say it is entirely useless as I have been saved many times because of this skill, but it still felt lacking. Depending on your play style, this skill serves many purposes. The additional movement speed is great when chasing enemies leading up to a slow with Crippling Slugs. I find myself using this skill mainly to get away from enemies or turn on initiating enemies.

 

Solo mid as Gunblade


Gunblade’s ultimate is Grappling Shot and like the name suggests it pulls Gunblade towards the target. The grapple also deals damage, a one second stun but best of all it decreases the targets armor. This is a great skill to go with Lethal Range but it should be used carefully. The last thing you want to do is pull yourself into a trap.

 

 

When leveling up Gunblade’s skills you want to be maxing out Crippling Slugs as soon as possible and leveling up the ultimate whenever possible. The trouble I had when coming up with a skill build for Gunblade was if I should be leveling Lethal Range or Demonic Shield.

 

 

After trying out both paths, I have concluded that Gunblade is too squishy in the early game to afford leveling up Lethal Range. You will simply be killed if you go too close to your opponent. Therefore it makes sense to be leveling up Demonic Shield to make up for your squishiness.

 

 

As far as items go, they are not very different from most ranged agility carries. At the beginning of the game it is wise to pick up some smaller items which provide stats to aid in last hitting. I tend to get two duck boots and minor totems to fill up my six item slots.

 

Some viable options on Gunblade


Gunblade seems to work better in a safe lane with a support hero to allow easy farming. Going down the middle lane is also an option if no support is available but many heroes can easily burst Gunblade down in the early game. Just try to farm up as much as you can as Gunblade becomes very powerful in the late game. Late game is where Gunblade really shines but it can be painful trying to get there.

 

 

Without a support you’re going to have to make some adjustments to ensure the game lasts a while. I’d suggest grabbing a Grave Locket to get you through mid game. It will not steer you too far off your main item build because of its low cost, and it still provides great stats.

 

 

When it comes to choices of boots, you can decide between Ghost Marchers or Steamboots depending on the game or personal play style. I highly recommend Steamboots because of the additional stats as Ghost Marchers will make you easy prey for enemy casters. Remember that when the game gets into the late game, it is wise to disassemble your boots and build Post Haste. Mobility around the large map is essential when playing any team game.

 

 

Geometer’s Bane has become one of my favourite items in the game. The stats and damage it provides are great but I really love the active ability. It serves many purposes such as juking or fooling enemies and dispelling active de-buffs. It also provides a 0.1 second invulnerability which can be used to save yourself if timed correctly. The created illusions also have the attack modifiers on the original! This is one of the core items on Gunblade.

 

 

You want to be focusing on items which provide agility and damage but do not ignore survivability. I am not a fan of glass cannon builds because one mistake can cost you the game. Therefore items such as Shrunken Head are essential to your survival. Sol’s Bulwark is also a great item which benefits your entire team.

 

 

In team fights you need to be close to your enemies to deal maximum damage. This can be hard because everyone will be wanting to kill you but the listed items and your shield should allow you to soak up a bit of focus fire. Keep in mind that all of these item suggestions and play styles change from game to game. The great thing about Heroes of Newerth is that no two games are the same.

 

 

To conclude, I was not very pleased with the latest hero. While he does offer a twist to the play style of agility carries, his skill set was nothing special. Hopefully the upcoming hero offers a more unique skill set. I still suggest checking out Gunblade because even though he did not appeal to me does not mean that he is a bad hero. You might come to love this suicidal play style. I am more of a passive player that tries to hold off on full team fights for as long as possible, making a good portion of his skill set useless in the meantime.

Tribes: Ascend Previews Cloak & Dagger Update

Tribes: Ascend Previews Cloak & Dagger Update

 

Tribes Ascend

 

This week´s Tribes: Ascend update will include new content for the Infiltrator Class — Hi-Rez Studios will add 3 new weapons and for the first time two cosmetic skins: The Assassin and the Mercenary. The weapons include a Smoke Grenade, a Jackal and Throwing Knives.

 

 

All new weapons can be unlocked with gameplay XP or Tribes Gold. The cosmetic skins will be purchasable via real-money only (Tribes Gold). Going forward Hi-Rez Studios will offer similar updates for other Tribes: Ascend classes – including cosmetic skins as well as alternate weapons.

 

 

You can check out the new Infiltrator skins and weapons in the Tribes: Ascend preview video.

E-Sports @ OnRPG March 27th Report

E-Sports @ OnRPG: March 27th Report

By Umar Farooq (Kluey), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!


MLG Columbus 2012

MLG weekend is always great. This weekend lived up to its expectation but nothing more. Before we get into that, the games were fantastic. MarineKing ended up taking the tournament in convincing fashion, making him the first player ever to win two MLG titles consecutively. DRG placed second once again at MLG and at third place we have somewhat of a surprise. Complexity’s newly recruited Heart took out great players like Morrow, Inori, HuK and GanZi before falling to DRG to take his third place victory. HuK, once again is top placed foreigner at MLG.

 

 

 

We also had some interesting side-stories in MLG. LiquidHayprO showed that his training in Korea has not gone in vain by taking out NaNiwa and DeMusliM. Stephano ended up getting bad matchups in the open bracket. He would have to beat Polt or fall into the Losers Bracket to face Inori and then IdrA. And then you have the most surprising of them all, Socke had an incredible run. He took out PuMa, DeMusliM, CrazymoviNG and TheStC despite being the underdog in all those sets. Shortly after he fell to the extended series HuK.

 

 

The tournament itself was not too great in my opinion. The fans were somewhat lacklustre and the format seemed repetitive. One thing that really stands out as a flaw at MLG’s is that the finals are played in the same booth; same stage as every other game. Even though this logically makes sense, it gives the finals less hype. MLG should consider some kind of celebration for the winner; something like confetti thrown down or new lights.

 

 

The crowd shots come back once again. I don’t think it’s too difficult to get some content for MLG to play during the commercial breaks or downtimes. A simple interview can go for 15 minutes and that’s more than enough to cover an entire break. TeamLiquid did quite a few interviews per day and they have no power over the players. A player is more likely to deny a TeamLiquid interview rather than a MLG interview. While Clutch did a few interviews on the main stage, I’d prefer pre-recorded interviews that have some decent editing. If MLG is serious about becoming a self-sustaining business, they can’t be holding back on content for viewers.

 

 

GSL Code S Season 2

This season of GSL will no doubt be my favourite. Two of my absolute favourite players are participating, HerO and NaNiwa. Apart from them, there’s also many fan favourites who are not Code S regulars including July, Maru, Fin and PartinG. July has been rumoured to go to the Military very soon unless he does something spectacular like win the GSL. For his sake, I hope he does well this tournament. Maru is fourteen years old. Does more really need to be said?

 

 

Group B Results

Nothing spectacular happened last night. SuperNoVa and Genius both made it out of their groups as predicted by many. Although, one game there had been a mistake by Genius in which he got Observer speed rather than Colossus range.

 

Results:

SuperNoVa 4 – 1(2 – 0)

Genius 5 – 4 (2 – 1)

Seed 3 – 4(1 – 2)

BBoongBBoong 1 – 4 (0 – 3)

 

 

Group D Predictions


GuMiho, Maru, HerO and Curious are all spectacular players with different play styles. GuMiho has a very funky style where he will be very careless with his units but have them always be doing something. It taxes anyone with low APM regardless of strategic talent. Maru is quite new to the scene and is not considered a strong, solid player by any means. HerO has a very refined style where he will focus heavily on basic mechanics rather than trying to trick his opponent. HerO makes use of all his units in the most efficient manner. Curious is your average bear. He plays Zerg in a macro style and is able to change his play whenever he needs to.

 

 

Predictions:

GuMiho 2 – 0

HerO 2 – 1

Curious 1 – 2

Maru 0 – 2

 

 

KeSPA and Blizzard negotiating a Starcraft 2 Proleague

KeSPA is partly responsible for the success of Broodwar in Korea. Of course, everything had to be already set up for them to come in but without KeSPA, the scene would be a lot less professional. While KeSPA is a very one dimensional organization that focuses on only their success, they know what they’re doing. With them coming into Starcraft 2, it could be either extremely bad or extremely good. If they do negotiate with other organizations, it’ll just be more fans and more money for Starcraft 2. If they start putting boundaries on their players and allowing them only to play in their league, every other league will start to diminish and they will start to build their monopoly. If Flash and Jaedong bring their fans to MLG, the fan base will increase substantially.

 

 

As for the Starcraft 2 Proleague, it should be really cool. The OGN zoom onto the players face when a dramatic moment happens in the game is amazing. It gives the viewer a reminder than someone is actually controlling these units and that player has feeling for the game.

Dungeon Blitz Launched by Blue Mammoth Games

Dungeon Blitz Launched by Blue Mammoth Games

 

 

Dungeon Blitz — a free-to-play, side-scrolling brawler with light RPG and MMO elements — has been launched by Blue Mammoth Games.

 

 

The start-up’s founders, both with deep experience developing AAA titles for hardcore gamers, set out to create a game that offers players a full featured, multiplayer game challenge, even if they only have a few minutes to play.

 

 

Dungeon Blitz combines the fast paced combat of side-scrollers with the character development and customization of RPGs and the social interaction and cooperative combat of MMOs. New players can immediately jump into the action and play a full game session in as little as 10 minutes.

 

 

Dungeon Blitz’s combat system is extremely easy to learn with simple point-and-click controls; no tedious menu driven combat here. Players unleash physical and arcane abilities while actively moving and dodging enemy attacks in real time. Players can also join together to combine abilities from different classes to create even more powerful attacks.

 

 

Players choose from three classes, each with their own play styles, from the Paladin’s stalwart strength to the Rogue’s swift, deadly attacks to the Mage’s mastery of the elements. Players upgrade their abilities, gain new powers and take on greater challenges through leveling up, collecting loot and crafting.

 

 

While the game can be played solo, Dungeon Blitz really shines when friends gather to party. Gamers can quickly team with other random players or use the in-game communication and guild features to easily organize a few spare minutes of play with buddies.

 

 

“Talking with friends, we realized there are tons of guys like us who used to be hardcore MMO players but just don’t have the time anymore.  Our goal was to create a fun, light, but still challenging title that would let us get together with friends as well as get an online fix — but to do it in bite-sized chunks,” Lincoln Hamilton, Founder, Blue Mammoth Games, explains. “By taking advantage of the browser environment, we’ve created a new twist on side-scrollers with a mash up of the best features from brawlers, RPGs and MMOs.”

 

 

Dungeon Blitz is set at the crossroads between the mundane Human World and the mystical Sleeping Lands. The free-to-play game features optional micro transactions that can be used to purchase in-game items and boosts. To get a look at the game in action check out their launcher trailer here!

Dungeon Blitz Online

Dungeon Blitz is a browser based dungeon crawling MMO based on 2D action combat. Players will team up with friends to tackle huge bosses while dodging dragon breath, magic, and platforming challenges. Those talented enough to overcome the obstacles before them can claim a dragon’s weight in gold and gear!