Yearly Archives: 2012

Moonlight Online Interview

Moonlight Online Interview: The Supernatural MMO You’ve Been Waiting For

Questions by Bryan King (Bryan), OnRPG Journalist

Answered by Edwin Huang, Project Manager of IGG

 

 

 

Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, oh my! Moonlight Online, a game published by IGG, seems to blindside the MMO genre with a somewhat new niche. With a slew of nifty features, Moonlight Online may target an audience of gamers that don’t quite see their interests represented so well now-a-days. In order to eek out information, I got to sit down with Edwin Huang, Project Manager of IGG, to discuss the game’s upcoming release.

 

 

OnRPG: Hello Edwin, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us and tell us about your company’s newest title, Moonlight Online.

 

 

OnRPG: Can you tell us about Moonlight Online’s lore?

 

IGG: Sure. In the universe of Moonlight Online, the Gods went into eternal slumber after creating the world which they called Ansgarde. Vampires, werewolves and humans are ceaselessly embroiled in strife and skirmishes, over the true rule of Ansgarde. Each race has experienced the dawn of their era, to its golden age, to the hard times and their ultimate decline. The rise and fall of the 3 empires led to wars that ravaged the land with chaos and turmoil. Sworn enemies in battles become comrades in allied forces as tales of hatred and love are weaved through these 3 races. As gamers enter Moonlight Online, they will have a choice of any of the three factions. In this harsh and unforgiving supernatural universe, the power struggles among the three great races are as eternal as their legacies. The tales of Moonlight Online will bring them through a journey of discovery, investigation, mediation and finally revelation. Their adventures may mean the difference between survival and extinction for their race.

 

 

OnRPG: Did your team have any inspiration behind this storyline? Did you guys use any vampire fiction novels or films as a guideline?

 

IGG: One of our chief game designers is a huge fan of vampires and had always dreamt of creating a game with vampires as protagonists. The Twilight Saga enveloped the world in a vampire craze and many of us fell in love with the romantic supernatural culture of vampires. We thought it’d be a good time to cater to this growing fandom, thus the birth of Moonlight Online.

 

 

OnRPG: Historically speaking, Moonlight Online is a Chinese developed game. Did your team have any difficulty transitioning the game from Chinese shores?

 

IGG: To bridge the gap between Western and Asian cultures, we have sought the help of vampire researchers well-versed in the history and culture of vampires and werewolves in European regions to provide us with ideas and suggestions in many stages of game production, from the storylines to the vast supernatural universe of Moonlight Online.

 

 

OnRPG: What unique features does Moonlight Online offer to separate itself from every other free-to-play MMO?

 

IGG: Moonlight Online has a slew of unique game features. With its Soul Equipment system, character morphing feature, mount evolution systems and more, we’re sure Moonlight Online will bring about a whole new different gaming experience that will amaze and tantalize!

 

 

OnRPG: Will we see different customization features? I want to recreate Van Helsing!

 

IGG: Everyone can create their very own Van Helsing in Moonlight Online!

 

 

OnRPG: Can you tell us about the classes within the game?

 

IGG: Players can choose from 3 races, humans, werewolves and of course, vampires. There are 3 classes in each race. With different backgrounds and terrains, each race has its own distinct traits and unique strengths.

 

Vampires possess superhuman grace and strength in immortal bodies that house their dangerously beautiful undead souls. Their incredible reflexes give them exceptional dodging abilities that enable them to avoid many physical and magical attacks.

 

Werewolves possess amazing stamina, making them one of most tenacious amongst the three races. Their astounding speed and leaping abilities permit them to scale heights and descend pits that others would consider unreachable.

 

Of the three races, only humans have been blessed by the gods with the gift of healing, allowing them to look disease and death in the eye without flinching. Endowed with great intelligence and courage, they have established many schools to train their champions in the arts of might and magic.

 

 

OnRPG: How did the art team go about crafting the game world to best portray this unique atmosphere?

 

IGG: The world of Moonlight Online is set in the medieval ages of Europe. We have made intensive and in-depth research on quintessential Gothic culture, architecture and fashion found during that era, to create a hauntingly beautiful game canvas for players to paint their epic tales upon.

 

 

OnRPG: Cool! Now on to community…. how will you guys keep the balance between players who pay for the game and those who don’t?

 

IGG: Moonlight Online is free-to-play, so as long as non-paying players devote time and effort into the game, they can enjoy the game just as much as players who pay for the game.

 

 

OnRPG:  What events can players expect to see from IGG once the game launches?

 

IGG:  It’s still pretty much a secret for now, but we promise there will be thrilling events and titillating prizes galore once Moonlight Online debuts!

 

 

OnRPG: Sounds like fun! Many games lack high-end PvE content so players quit early on. Does Moonlight Online have any PvE content that will keep players entertained throughout the experience?

 

IGG: The highest level set in the game currently is Level 60. Upon reaching Level 60, players can move on to more challenging instances to obtain prestigious and exclusive equipment. When players hit level cap, there will be new exciting epic features released for these veterans to continue their Moonlight Online journey. Our latest trailer, which reveals game content from Level 60 to 100, has just been completed. The development team is also constantly working to enhance and expand Moonlight Online.

 

 

OnRPG: What type of player do you feel that Moonlight Online will cater to? The Twilight Fan? The True Blood Fan? Or anyone else?

 

IGG: Moonlight Online is designed for anyone and everyone! Whether you are an avid fan of Twilight and True Blood or a diehard aficionado of Van Helsing and Dracula, Moonlight Online will make you fall in love with the supernatural genre all over again.

 

 

OnRPG: When can we expect to see an open beta of Moonlight Online?

 

IGG: Alpha Testing is now being carried out in the traditional Chinese version released on Facebook. We’re also working on the English translation for the game now, so gamers can look forward to the English version of Moonlight Online soon.

 

 

OnRPG: Where do you see Moonlight Online a year after launch?

 

IGG: We hope Moonlight Online stand the test of discerning gamers and hold itself in good stead in the competitive MMO industry. It’s our wish to see Moonlight Online available in many languages worldwide a year after launch and that every gamer who plays Moonlight Online will be enthralled and thrilled by the game.

 

 

OnRPG: Anything else?

 

IGG: We welcome all to visit Moonlight Online’s official website to find out more about the game. The English preview page is up now and our English forum is very much active with the latest news, updates and discussions about the game, so be sure to pop by and join us!

 

Moonlight Online Preview Page: http://mo.igg.com/

Moonlight Online Forum: http://forum.igg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=64

 

 

OnRPG: Thank you so much for your time!

Elsword Offers Mana from Heaven and Other Fun Valentines Events

Elsword Offers Mana from Heaven and Other Fun Valentines Events

 

 

 

Just in time for the sweetest holiday of the year, MMO game Elsword is offering players the chance to get ready for Valentine’s Day the virtual way. For a limited time only, staples including heart-shaped boxes and chocolates will give gamers health bonuses and award them with special, themed items.

 

 

Now through Feb. 21, Cupid will be flying over Elrios and sending his Valentine’s Angels down in the form of accessories. Love is in the air once a player’s party is equipped with both a boy and girl angel, as they will bestow their good graces by providing sought-after gift boxes, random mana bonuses and curing heart effects. For gamers with a sweet tooth, NPC Ariel will offer handmade chocolates in exchange for ingredients. To get some of Ariel’s powerful treats and heal full HP and MP, players are tasked with gathering milk and chocolate from dungeons. As tales of Ariel’s potent chocolates spread, fellow NPCs Lowe and Anna also want to get in on the action. Gamers willing to bring some sweets to Ruben Village, where Lowe and Anna reside, will be handsomely rewarded with a limited-edition Valentine item by the generous duo.

 

 

Elsword is so into the spirit of Valentines that they even threw their GMs to the wolves.. er I mean players! Check out Elsword forums to see the contest entries that won a few lucky players dates with the GM staff! http://forums.elswordonline.com/Topic425270.aspx.

Blacklight Retribution Open Beta Draws Near

Blacklight Retribution Open Beta Draws Near

 

 

After three months of closed beta testing, Blacklight Retribution is ready to let the masses in! Players can look forward to starting fresh in open beta on February 27, 2012. Closed Beta will officially conclude on February 17 at 5pm PST.

 

 

Open beta will bring about some changes: three new kick ass maps, custom built Hero characters, the Data Node system, as well as jaw-dropping backgrounds and systems for players to take their game to the next level.

 

 

Be sure to check out the latest Intel Report for details on how to dominate on the Piledriver map!

Dawn of Fantasy Launches Co-Op Social Patch

Dawn of Fantasy Launches Co-Op Social Patch

 

 

Reverie World Studios has just launched its biggest and most anticipated patch to date for its PC MMORTS, Dawn of Fantasy. Patch 1.1.9, hyped as the “Co-Op Social Patch,” adds a whole new level of player interactivity to the game world of Mythador, forever changing the way you siege. You loved the game before – now experience it all over again in full out co-op mode with your friends!

 

 

Introducing several new features and hundreds of small tweaks, Patch 1.1.9 will greatly improve Dawn of Fantasy’s social aspect with friend lists, private messages, private chat channels, new public chat channels, and a full range of friend features. This patch also introduces co-op questing and sieges, allowing you to team up with friends and matched teammates alike to dominate the game world. Quests and sieges will be re-balanced for teams, so players will never be short a challenge. These new features bring the studio one step closer to guild implementation, which is planned for later this quarter.

 

 

“All of us at Reverie are really pleased with this patch,” commented Dawn of Fantasy Assistant Producer Alex Walz, “It’s our biggest patch, but more importantly, it represents a change in direction for the game. Up until this point, we’ve been working with the players and testers to fix numerous game issues and connectivity problems. But now we’ve crossed the hump. We can finally focus on implementing new features to offer our players a continually evolving adventure; we can now finish making the game we all envisioned before getting bogged down with the demands and deadlines of the corporate world.”

 

 

In addition, this patch enhances dragon units, greatly boosting their stats and making skilled dragons lootable. Players will also see a PvP protection timer in remote scenarios, trainable heroes, and increased dwarven mining rates. So enjoy the new features and tweaks, and stay tuned for our next major patch, which will introduce an overhaul of the pathfinding system!

Wargame 1942

Wargame 1942 is a browser-based kingdom management RTS featuring a gritty militaristic World War 2 theme. Intelligently manage resources and reinvest them into building up an unstoppable conqueror nation.

Business Model: Free to Play

Microtransactions: Yes, the premium currency, gems, can be used to speed up certain actions.

Key Features:

Command and Conquer: Lead your country as commander-in-chief making the decisions that will decide the fate of your legacy.

It’s All Mine: Discover the right times to push your borders and claim an enemy’s resources for your own.

Economic Mastery: Utilize materials to construct additional buildings and train up an army of elite troops.

Heavy Armor: Roll out tanks to take the ground, sink the submarines to rule the sea, and rev up plane engines to dominate the skies.

Battle of Wits: Hire spies to steal vital information from your enemies.

Yesterday’s Enemies, Today’s Friends: Team up with other players and form unbreakable alliances.

 

Edgeworld Online

Zoom forward to the future, in the year 2711, and take command of your own space station in Edgeworld. As the Galactic Union breaks apart over the colonization of the mysterious Cerulea IV, you must rise to the challenge and stake your own claim on this world. Build a base, research technology, train troops, and race for power in space.

 

Features

Command Base: Utilize your command base to build a variety of buildings, gather resources, research, and train troops.

Battle at Home: Place your defenses on base, and prepare for invasions directly in your base – no separate battlefield required.

Epic Sci-Fi Technology: You may only start with space marines, but soon you can build war machines, mech, and epic soldiers who are ready to conquer space in your name.

Dragon Saga Celebrates Valentine’s Day

Dragon Saga Celebrates Valentine’s Day

 

 

WarpPortal began their Valentine’s Day celebration this week, as hints begin to drop of the “Jump into the Action” Event coming soon, for its popular action MMORPG, Dragon Saga.

 

 

Dragon Saga Trouble in the Cookie Factory

 

In this year’s Valentine’s Day Event, Trouble in the Cookie Factory, two gangs have taken over the Cookie Factory and are preventing their world famous chocolate from being made. Players will have to make their way through this cookie factory themed instances and monsters to save the day. This event offers two all new instanced mission maps (F6 & F7), 12 New Quests, 4 New Recipes, New Costumes, and Valentine’s themed pets.

 

 

In preparation for the Jump into the Action Event, WarpPortal has also extended their A Call to Arms Event. This event grants a bonus for all users between level 1-40, that play on Channel 1. These Bonuses include:

 

 

Physical/Magical Defense +100%,
HP 100%, MP +100%, EXP +100%
Upon Character Creation: 1x +10[Normal] Darksoul weapon & +10 Underground Graveyard armors Top/Bottom

 

 

These bonuses will aid players in reaching the level 40 required for the Jump into the Action Event.

 

 

The Jump into the Action Event, coming February 22nd 2012, will allow players to create a new character on their account which begins play at level 40, with a full set of Anukus Armor(Lv32) and Dark Soul Weapon (Lv20~40). This character comes fully equipped and ready for battle. Jump into the Action will give players a chance to experience an all new class at mid-level or recreate their favorite class without having to start from 1. Account must have at least 1 character level 40 or higher during the event period to qualify. More details to be released 2/15.