Yearly Archives: 2012

Guild Wars 2 Reveals World Versus World Details

Guild Wars 2 Reveals World Versus World Details

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief

 

 

With alpha testing on the horizon, ArenaNet has felt the time to pull out the big guns is at hand. What big guns does Guild Wars 2 still have in its pocket you might ask? Turns out the revival and reinvention of Dark Age of Camelot’s RvR system is the hydrogen bomb they’ve been saving to explode hype before launch!

 

 

So the term World versus World is a strange term in the MMORPG genre. It requires a bit more explanation than most so called big reveals. Basically all the elements that made Dark Age of Camelot’s system a legend in the industry will be present. Three servers will go toe to toe in an attempt to destroy each other’s castle’s in siege warfare in an over the top recreation of Capture the Flag. Except the flag is a relic that grants great benefits to the server in control of it, and in order to capture it you must infiltrate the most heavily guarded defenses of your enemy’s fortress and then run all the way back to safety before your foes shoot a magic arrow in your spine.

 

 

This isn’t going to be a short ordeal like Guild War’s previous GvG system. We are talking about a 2 week cluster… you get the idea! The battle will take place over four huge persistent maps in which players will be auto adjusted to level 80 strength to allow even new players to have an impact on the server wars. Each server will have its own safe borderlands map for planning and preparation, and the fourth map, known as the “Eternal Battlegrounds,” will be where the true war will take place. A massive central keep will mark the center of the Eternal Battlegrounds, an ideal point to control should you want to take any offensive front against your enemies to obtain their relics.

 

 

Apparently besides the epic central fort there will be plenty of smaller forts beneficial for players to conquer and control. Each is built on unique terrain including ancient mountainous ruins, an island castle, and a narrow peak atop a long steep climb. To make the siege warfare feel realistic, there will even be small supply trains and siege machines available for players who wish to support their server but don’t particularly like front-line combat. Trebuchets, arrow carts, catapults, ballistae, and even dreaded siege golums are all among the objectives you will need to control and utilize effectively to achieve victory.

 

 

 

For the more PvE centric but patriotic players, GW2’s dynamic world events will be taking place within the Mists as well. If you can successfully accomplish some of these missions, it can unlock mercenary camps filled with NPC combatants ready to give your army that final push to overcome a strong fortification. Between players escorting caravans, NPC mercenaries, and siege machinery I think we have the makings of a legendary PvP system here.

 

 

One final note and the thing I’m truly excited about is Guild Wars 2 is implementing a system I’ve waited for years to see implemented into a PvP-centric game. My wait is finally over and GW2’s Mist will offer players the ability to gain loot including armor and weapons from fallen foes in PvP. However this isn’t the typical full loot system or item stealing system seen in most PvP focused games of the past. Instead the defeated player loses nothing and the victorious player gains something specific to their job and level that they can actually make use of. Instead of grinding dungeons you can now grind fortresses to acquire the gear you need!

 

 

This may just be the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned this month as I think Guild Wars 2 will be going all out with reveals once their alpha press test is underway!

Meta’s Verse: Death of an Icon

Meta’s Verse: Death of an Icon

By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Paragon Reporter

 

 

 

I started writing this article before I had completed the arc. Before I had witnessed the death that will change the face of City of Heroes forever. I was angry, and I really didn’t know the details of his death. In fact I went out of my way to avoid any information. But when the most iconic figure in your game is killed off it’s hard to ignore that. We found out well in advance that our beloved Statesman would die. A move that overall annoyed me. Though I can kind of understand why it came about. Statesman is…was my favorite hero in the City of Heroes universe. I promise you I will keep this article as spoiler free as possible while still discussing my many, many issues with what happened. There really was no way for me to write about this in an impartial way. My feelings about this issue are quite strong. No, this won’t be a happy plug for how wonderful Paragon Studios is. Though they are wonderful. I just feel this choice was wrong, and made for all the wrong reasons.

 

 

When they first announced that one of the Freedom Phalanx would die, one of the surviving eight I just knew, deep down that it would be Statesman. Maybe I assumed this because he was my favorite and I was paranoid. Who knows. He survived the Rikti War, World War One and Two, a number of alternate world versions of himself only to finally be brought down on a stormy day. All I could do was sit there and ask myself why? Why Statesman? Why now? To find some of these answers I needed only to look at the information put out by the devs, in particular Matt “Positron” Miller.

 

 

Ultimately, he says it only happened because Freedom gave them the time to spend on doing what was a major project. Being the main hero in the game, Statesman is everywhere. You see him in hero missions, villain missions, and of course he is the contact for the Statesman Task Force. That still doesn’t answer the ‘why Statesman’ question though. Two big reasons have come out. Two that annoy me and in three seconds I came up with a better (in my mind at least) way to go that didn’t kill anyone.

 

 

The first reason that seems to be the most popular is that Statesman is the creation of Jack Emmert, the lead designer for City of Heroes when it was still new and run by Cryptic Studios. He is greatly disliked by the community. As this all happened before I joined the game I really don’t see the problem; maybe if I had joined City of Heroes while he was still around my feelings would be different. According to Positron (the dev) there have been discussions and questions about killing off Statesman since Paragon Studios took over. Which is where I start getting annoyed. Ok, people don’t like Jack Emmert, that’s fine. But Statesman, in Paragon City does not equal Jack “Statesman” Emmert. Its just…well the only word I can think of is meta. Well, I can think of a few more but my editor might frown on me using them. So I will simply say RAGE!!!!!

 

 

The second most popular reason for Statesman being killed off is again something that Positron has touched on. As a hero you have always been in Statesman’s shadow. Now though, it is not only suggested but said outright that you are more powerful than Statesman. So sure, he’s an old man and not as strong as you are. This is an epic and heartfelt way to get him out of the picture for you, the hero to truly take the number one spot in the eyes and hearts of Paragon City’s citizens. At level 50 you get the Hero of the City badge. Maybe now you will really feel like you are a hero of the city and not just some lackey of Statesman. (That’s the only positive thing you’ll get from me about the whole thing.)

 

 

So what is my idea that I think is so much better? Retirement. It wouldn’t be the first time Statesman has gone off the radar of the heroing world. The man was over 100 years old. If, as has been said, we players are stronger than him then he should have had no trouble hanging up his cape and moving to Florida. Maybe without the Florida bit though. He has certainly earned the right to a bit of a vacation. And I think he didn’t have an ego so large he couldn’t or wouldn’t step back for the new age of heroes to begin.

 

 

In the end though, they chose to kill him. Which is quite sad. If the boards are anything to go by though this action is well supported by the community and I’m in the minority here. By now you may be sick of hearing what annoys me but let’s add one final annoyance to the list. Statesman will still be in the tutorial and used in images in the game and in promotional items. The reason for him still being in the tutorial are stated once again by Positron. The events of the tutorial take place before Statesman’s death. Which is something that goes against everything I thought about the tutorial as I thought it was something that was a “currently happening” thing no matter when you start the game. This could make things a little bit hairy for roleplayers.

 

 

With a few issues in the arc where Statesman is killed still to be published there is still a chance to redeem the story for me. No, I’m not suggesting they bring him back from the dead. That’s something that is really overdone in my book. I’m suggesting his best friend and arch nemesis, Lord Recluse kill the person who killed Statesman. This really would make it all worth it for me. Icing on the cake would see Lord Recluse stepping up and taking Statesman’s spot as the head of the Freedom Phalanx. Only time will tell what will come. Statesman will be greatly missed, at least by some of us. The world of City of Heroes will never be the same without him. I will end with the final words from the Eulogy by Positron.

 

 

Statesman is now one with the spirit of Paragon City. Godspeed, my friend.

C9 Welcomes New VIP Testers While Launching PvP Modes

C9 Welcomes New VIP Testers While Launching PvP Modes

 

 

Webzen announced the secondary invites for VIP testers and the PvP content update for their Unrivaled Action RPG, ‘C9’ (Continent of the Ninth Seal).

 

 

Today, Webzen invited their new VIP testers to meet the demands of many users. Although the VIP Test was originally designed as a limited test, a massive amount of users had applied; therefore requiring additional channels to be added. Still due to the continuous requests, Webzen decided to invite an additional 2,000 testers from the VIP wait list, those who were not so lucky the first time. Also, additional new testers were chosen from highly active users on C9’s SNS sites, including the official C9 Facebook page.

 

With these secondary invitations, Webzen has updated the anticipated PVP contents which include the ‘Intrusion’ and ‘Arena’ system. The ‘Intrusion’ system allows users to intrude dungeons being played by other users. Whoever prevails will own the dungeon and receive a token that can be exchanged into valuable items. The ‘Arena’ holds C9’s main competitive feature that new and previous VIP testers can enjoy. Check out the latest PvP launch trailer to get a taste of the action!

 

Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said, “There has been a large amount of requests from users who hoped for participation, so we have decided to have a secondary invitation for VIP Testers.” Also he said, “The VIP Tester’s feedback and ideas will improve the localization of the game, and we encourage them to share their thoughts.”

Webzen Announces Month of Events

Webzen Announces Month of Events to Celebrate Portal Renewal

 

 

 

Today marks the beginning of a massive portal promotion by Webzen to treat the players of their many games to some free loot, events and giveaways.

 

Of course the most notable promotion going on is their “Skip the Low, Jump to High” event at OnRPG! If you hurry you can grab one of a small number of keys that will unlock high-level characters, gear, and W coins in one of their three popular games: MU Online, SUN, or Archlord!

 

 

MU Online, one of the world’s most famous MMORPGs, offers all players free level 220 characters along with +9 reinforced weapons and armor. Another successful PvP MMORPG, ARCHLORD gives away all players with free level 60 characters that are fully-geared with weapon and armor. Lastly, Soul of the Ultimate Nation offers level 90 characters with full gear and level up boxes that contain various items.

 

Meanwhile, during the promotion period, each and all games will hold various in-game events, including the daily attendance event, which gives valuable items to the users. Also the experience boost for MU Online will be doubled and Soul of the Ultimate Nation will be opening a new server, “Priden”.

 

Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said “The purpose of this promotion is to provide various benefits to satisfy both new and existing users”. Also he said “These users can interact with each other with our recently improved user-oriented portal.”

 

Webzen is currently servicing MU Online, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, and ARCHLORD while C9’s first VIP test is in progress. Also in the first half this year, the closed beta test for Arctic Combat is planned to kick off.

Eligium Wants You!… For Open Beta Testing

Eligium Wants You!.. For Open Beta Testing

 

 

Eligium

 

As announced last week, the open beta phase of Frogster’s new MMORPG, Eligium – The Chosen One will start today at 4 pm (CET). The open beta is planned to run for the next few weeks during which Frogster will count on player activity and bug reporting. Special rewards for the most active open beta testers will be announced soon.

 

 

Localization – the heart of the matter!

During the open beta phase and at the moment of its official release, Eligium – The Chosen One will only be available in English. Thereafter, the game will also be released in German, Polish and French. The text awaiting translation is the equivalent of four times the entire trilogy of “Lord of the Rings” and double the amount translated for other popular Frogster games.

 

 

Are you ready for battle?

As promised, no created characters will be wiped following the open beta phase. Furthermore, Eligium’s Community Managers have planned numerous events and competitions during the open beta phase. Be sure to keep an eye on their Facebook page to be among the first to find out about these events and competitions!

Allods Online Dev Diary 1: Patch 3.0 and More!

Allods Dev Diary 1: Patch 3.0 and More!

 

 

 

Hello and welcome to gPotato’s first Allods Online Dev Diary at OnRPG!

 

 

With Patch 3.0, Overture of the Damned, coming out this week, there are a lot of exciting features to look forward to. We wanted to take a moment to share the new features and how they will positively impact Allods Online’s current gameplay.

 

 

New Class – Bard!


The bard is the newest archetype being added to Allods Online’s existing lineup of playable characters. This support class brings with it a diverse arsenal of AoE attacks, healing spells and crowd control abilities.

 

 

What this also means is other archetypes will need to adjust and re-strategize their play style to accommodate Bard’s harmonious and influential ways in PvE and PvP scenarios.

 

 

Currency Exchange

One of the most exciting features being introduced is Currency Exchange! There will be an NPC located in each faction’s capital that will allow you to convert gold into Gem Shards or vice versa.

 

 

Before going into further details, we wanted to provide you with a quick history review regarding Gem Shards. Gem Shards are an alternate form of Item Shop currency introduced in a past patch. It allowed more flexibility since players could purchase Gem Shards then use those Gem Shards at any time to purchase Item Shop items whenever they wanted instead of purchasing particular Item Shop items from the get-go. Gem Shards can also be traded and sold one the in-game Auction House which is helpful for purchasing bound Item Shop items.

 

 

With Patch 3.0, we continue to increase convenience of obtaining Item Shop items with Currency Exchange. There will be a limited number of Gem Shards that can be exchanged for gold each day. The system works based on supply and demand so the lower the demand, the lower the prices are, and vice versa. The Currency Exchange system brings a whole new element not found in other Free to Play MMORPGs!

 

 

Skirmishes!


Having a content update as grand as this one wouldn’t be complete without innovative ways of duking it out against other players, and Overture of the Damned does not disappoint.

 

 

Skirmishes are a twelve versus twelve PvP instance where players between levels 23-51 will engage in capture-the-flag style of combat for special rewards.

 

 

This is a welcome addition to Allods Online’s current PvP features. As it stands, there are four in-game PvP structured events – Arena of Death, June Catacombs, Melting Isle, and Astral Confrontation. Each of these four PvP features are geared toward end-game players, so Skirmishes will allow enjoyment of organized PvP starting at the lower levels. Skirmishes also do not limit encounters between both Empire and League, so players may find themselves pit against members of their own faction!

 

 

Dead City!


Dead City is a new raid instance for twenty-four players. This new raid instance will expand on the current end-game raid known as Gorluxor’s Tower. Dead City will feature over ten new bosses for players who are level 49+. With this end-game addition, players will have challenging content to strive for in the months to come!

 

New Allods and Astral Layers!


Allods Online is greatest known for the Astral where players can build ships and travel with other players to Far Astral Allods in search of epic treasure. With Patch 3.0, the Astral will expand from three layers up to the Fifth Layer. What this means is players will have new Far Astral Allods to explore, new armor and weapons to hunt for, and new customizations for your Astral ship. For veteran players who have mastered end-game content, they will have a blast exploring all the challenges that wait in the depths of the Astral!

 

 

Tropical Allod!


With so much new PvE and PvP content being added, players will also be able to take a breather at the Tropical Allod. This tropical paradise lets players from both factions engage in some wet and wild activities such as mixing cocktails, seabed exploration, karaoke, and crab racing!

 

 

This fun zone is the first location where players can hang out with each other in a non-combat zone without having to worry if their flag of way is accidentally is raised. After seeing all the available mini games included in the Tropical Allod, expect to see the Allods Team come up with some cool events from this home away from home!

 

 

We hope you enjoyed this inside look at what’s to come with Patch 3.0, Overture of the Damned. We’ll see YOU in Sarnaut soon!