Yearly Archives: 2012

Final Fantasy XIV: Needs More Moomba

Final Fantasy XIV: Needs More Moomba

By Jake Winters (Kibeth), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

Final Fantasy has always been a strong gaming brand – selling more than a hundred million titles in the past twenty years – so the latest online venture had a big name to live up to. Its September 2010 release of Final Fantasy XIV, the second MMORPG in the series, brought harsh criticisms from fans and gaming websites worldwide: the controls were awful, the combat was sluggish, the game tested even the most powerful computers; the list of problems was endless. Despite this, one year on and the game is starting to become the epic that it should have been. Since the game was set to go P2P last Friday, I hopped into game during the last few free weeks to give it a proper review.

 

 

The game is set in the war-torn lands of Eorzea; recently struck by a colossal army from overseas, the cities of Eorzea have banded together to defend themselves from future attacks. As an adventurer, it is your job to aid the cities in any way you can from dancing with children to fighting off waves of monsters. Each starting zone has its own short storyline that converges into the main storyline.

 

Did I forget to mention the giant winged Leviathan?

 

Apart from the main storyline quest, players also earn quests called Guildleves. These can be collected from any main questing hub at a player’s leisure, and are based around either field work (combat or gathering) or local work (crafting for local NPCs). Guildleves are the principle source of earning experience early on, and the majority can be done without assistance of other players. That’s probably a good thing, though, as the game feels more like a single-player game with MMO elements. Regardless of server populations, a story-driven quest filled with cut-scenes and instanced areas (locked to other players) makes playing through the first part of the game a lonely experience. Even later on, quests do little to encourage team play, and the need to party only really becomes apparent at the very end of the game.

 

 

Character Overview

Character creation involves choosing one of five races, a gender, a plethora of appearance options, and the starting zone. Of all of the starting options, the character class is the least important (a shock, I know). Rather than picking a single class and being stuck with it for the rest of the game, a player’s class changes whenever they switch weapon. Want to be a Mage? Equip a staff. Want to be an Archer? Grab a bow.

 

 

Classes are split into four ‘disciplines’. The Disciplines of War are in-your-face classes like the brutish Marauder or the fist-fight Pugilist, while the Disciplines of Magic are the healing Conjurer or the damaging Thaumaturge.  Additionally, the game’s gathering and crafting professions are also considered ‘classes’; Disciplines of Land are able to fish, mine and log trees, while Disciplines of Hand can turn raw materials into any kind of weapon, armor or accessory.

 

 

This openness and ease of class change is one of the game’s best aspects. Players are free to change on a whim, meaning the game remains exciting for much longer. The only negative is that each class has its own level, and many hours of time are required to keep even a small number of classes on the go. Additionally, the game actively discourages the use of a single class (especially players who ignore the crafting classes), as many of the better items can only be crafted using a combination of different skills.

 

Here’s a picture of a chocobo, for nostalgic purposes and whatnot.


 

A Squall of Trouble

Final Fantasy puns aside, the two combat Disciplines (War and Magic) are fairly standard among MMOs. Players have a standard HP (life) bar, an MP (mana) bar, and an Action Point bar. Spells cost mana, physical abilities cost Action Points, and if you run out of life then you die; it’s all very simple, and the game’s lack of creativity really shows.

 

 

Combat feels a bit sluggish and dull, even after the numerous changes Square Enix has made to improve it in the past year. Lock onto target, use ability, enemy dies, rinse and repeat. Come to think of it, the combat does have a few ‘special perks’, but most seem to intentionally go out of their way to annoy, rather than help.

 

Combat is exciting, as long as you don’t mind the first six hours of nothing but mushrooms.


Rather than a simple ‘target’ system, the game has a soft target and a hard target system. In order to make the most of abilities, targets need to be ‘locked onto’ (hard targeting), but this zooms the camera in and disables camera panning for the most part, making combat incredibly irritating. While the options menu provides some alleviation to this, the problem persists on most Discipline of War classes, and seems to serve no actual purpose.

 

 

Disciplines of Magic have a different problem: while they don’t need to lock onto targets in order to fight, all spells require ‘confirmation’ before they’ll cast, meaning that instead of a single hotkey press, you’re required to also press Enter to confirm that you’ve selected the right target. In the middle of a heated battle where you can’t afford to take your hand away from WASD and the mouse, having to drift to press Enter can be incredibly distracting. On top of that, split second casts (especially for healers) lose their haste, leaving the targeting system causing more problems than it solves. While workarounds are possible using macros, it really shouldn’t be necessary for players to have to fix such obvious design flaws themselves. Sure, a locking camera and confirmation system might work on mainstream Final Fantasy games because they provide so called ‘immersion’, but in an MMO there’s simply no place for such inconveniences.

 

 

Combat isn’t all bad, mind. The polished graphics make spell textures look incredible (even on lower quality settings), and Final Fantasy fans will be excited to know that the game recycles many of the old favorites such as –aga spells, Protect, Shell, and numerous other combat centerpieces from games gone by. Ability combinations also provide a small amount of uniqueness to combat; using certain abilities or spells in the right order might confer a benefit such as increased attack power, reduced cast time, or various status effects.

 

 

Skills to Pay the Bills

Next to the music (which will be enthused about later), Final Fantasy XIV’s most unique feature is just how immersive the gathering and crafting professions are. Rather than following mini-map prompts to a generic resource node and clicking it for a reward, the game actively encourages players to work for their items. Chopping trees involves finding a suitable tree, picking which part of the tree to hack at, and then a guesswork mini-game to determine whether you get the item or not. Despite not being able to describe how interesting the system is in words alone, having to actually work for items makes the experience that little bit more rewarding, and one can easily lose hours of their evening just wandering around logging, mining or fishing. For the less hands-on gamer, Final Fantasy XIV also contains generic point-and-click nodes, though they usually offer different rewards and require gamers to pick and mix between the two systems.

 

 

Better than the gathering system is the crafting system. Again, rather than putting the materials in a box and pressing a button, players take a hands-on role in item creation. Players can pick just how to craft their item: do they sacrifice item quality for getting it built faster, or do they take a little longer to have a better quality item?

 

Recipe not yet in the game: Chocobo Skin Lingerie.


The gathering and crafting systems have formed a love-hate relationship with players. Some people prefer having a hands-on role in their creations, and find the whole system immersive and fun. Others find it frustrating (taking five minutes to craft one item, knowing you need to make another twenty) and would prefer a simple ‘press button receive item’ system.

 

 

User Interface and Macros

Final Fantasy XIV’s interface attracted considerable criticism shortly after release, and still remains one of the game’s biggest problems.  WASD controls feel a little clunky, and lock-ons during combat make it difficult for players to stay maneuverable in the heat of battle. Besides the camera and movement issues, the whole interface is governed by a single menu system; hotkeys to access skills, quests, the inventory, and every other function need to be manually assigned by players, and the constant reliance upon a single menu removes any immersion the game might have otherwise had.

 

 

Additionally, there is no simple way of changing classes that doesn’t involve going into the main menu, opening the character screen, picking a slot, picking a replacement slot, closing the character screen, and then closing the main menu. While veteran players might be able to create macros to alleviate this inconvenience, new players are at the mercy of the gruesome interface.

 

 

Simple improvements like making obviously needed buttons accessible via hotkey or on the main game screen could seriously improve the game’s navigation system, but Square Enix seems to have neglected this incredibly important task in lieu of whatever else they’ve been doing for a year. Of all of the issues still present in the game, the horrendous interface remains public enemy number one.

 

 

Gameplay Tech Specs

Apart from its iconic gameplay, characters and spell names, Final Fantasy has always, always been great with music, and Final Fantasy XIV is no different. The game’s musical score feels more than just background noise; being in a forest sounds like being in a forest, a relaxing jaunt around town sounds like a relaxing jaunt around town. Of all of the pieces, however, the combat music wins gold. The music that plays during timed quests feels frantic, the music that plays during epic battles with evil monsters (read: mushrooms) actually sounds like there’s something at stake if you lose. While the score is significantly smaller than mainstream Final Fantasy games, Nobuo Uematsu (the game’s lead composer) has once again pulled a stroke of genius out of the musical sack.

 

Final Fantasy XIV is a graphical masterpiece.


Equally noticeable is the graphics; the game blows most other MMOs out of the water with its clean, crisp environments and characters. Gone are the days of squares for hands (for anybody who has played Final Fantasy VII). Final Fantasy XIV’s graphics have struck gold. Unfortunately, this high benchmark means that Square Enix has alienated a considerable number of players with computers unable to run the game’s system requirements.

 

 

Lightning Shouldn’t Strike Twice

Square Enix has at least admitted that Final Fantasy XIV didn’t meet expectations, and recently announced plans to rebuild the game from (almost) ground-up as Final Fantasy XIV v2.0. With their honesty in mind, it seems a little unfair to give them as much flak as they’re getting. This year the game has improved tenfold, but some really glaring issues still remain. Still you can’t play it and not get the feeling of missed potential and as you battle and scavenge within the shell of an online game meant for greatness.

 

 

The torrent of bad press initially lead the game to become free to play temporarily (so long as you have the box set), and while this no doubt made players a little less willing to criticize, Square Enix’s move back to a pay to play model in early 2012 might become more of a problem than a profit. The general feeling is that the game is only as popular as it is because it is currently free to play, and that the game is still too poor quality to be able to sustain itself under a subscription model. Whether or not this is true will be shown in the coming months. With at least a year until Final Fantasy XIV v2.0, Square Enix has to contend with the next twelve months of problems, and hope that their band aids can try to fix the gaping wound that the initial release created. At the end of it all, one can only hope that v2.0 is as good as they say it is; surely the same game can’t fail twice in a row, can it?

 

 

Graphics – 5 (one of the best looking MMOs around.)
Controls – 2 (clunky camera, bad targeting system, inconvenience UI, and sluggish WASD.)
Features – 4 (generic combat, but the crafting and gathering systems are incredible.)
Customization – 4 (access to every class makes the game far more exciting.)
Community – 2 (plays like a single player game, there are no incentives to play as a group.)

Rosh Online: Karos has Returned

Rosh Online: Karos has Returned

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Rosh Online: Return of Karos is a fantasy MMORPG which gives you the choice between a lot of different styles of gameplay. The game provides you with a lot of classes and content to keep you entertained for quite some time and this is all free!  Go mining, hunting, fishing or join a massive PvP battle. I got the chance to play this beauty of a game which is published by Ignited Games.

 

 

When creating your first character you are able to choose between 7 classes; each one of these classes has their own abilities and specializations that they are using. Since I have always preferred ranged characters I decided I would pick one of those. But the choice was not that simple because there are so many classes to meet the preferences of various players. In the end I just went with what I thought looked best.

 

 

These are the classes available in Rosh Online:

 

Mystic

The mystic is a female elf that is specialized in the ways of magic. She is a familiar Magician archetype to most veteran MMORPG players. Mystics utilize their mental strength to produce awesome magical effects. She draws power from nature to deal great damage to whoever stands in her way.

 

Bowmistress

As the name already implies, this class is specialized in the use of the bow. Range is this elf’s ultimate weapon. She is the expert in hit-and-run tactics, luring and quickly dispatching enemies with various tactical maneuvers.

 

Blader

The Blader is the warrior archetype of Rosh Online, equipped with a two-handed sword or spear. With effortless skill the Blader can take on several enemies at once using powerful area of effect skills that can cripple foes with stun attacks and knockbacks.

 

Paladin

The Paladin is the holy warrior that is capable of wielding a sword and shield. They are attuned to the power of the divine and can use their holy aura to enhance their comrades. Players can choose to spec them as tanks or dedicated healers, so expect some difficult decisions as you build your Paladin.

 

Rogue

This deadly warrior is equipped with two daggers. This deadly class strikes silently from the shadows while being proficient in evading incoming attacks, and dealing deadly fatal blows. The Rogue turns simple melee combat into a work of art.

 

Gunner

The Gunner is true to his name as well, equipped with a heavy rifle. The Gunner utilizes their advanced craftsmanship to employ multi-purpose devices in combat to augment the strength of their ranged attacks.

 

Sorceress

The Sorceress is a second option for the Magician archetype. The Sorceress is known as the shadow magician whose forte is using curses that cause slow and painful deaths. To defeat a Sorceress in combat you must strike quickly to destroy them before they have time to utilize the full potential of their curses.

 

 

Every class is bound to a race and since I went with the Gunner I was a little dwarf, er “Vaneese” with a big gun. When I was creating my first character I was a bit shocked to see that I was only able to change two details of my character. I could choose between three types of faces and only three types of hair. When my gunner was born I quickly received the message to introduce me to the basics of the use of my interface and my other controls. After reading through every tab in the tutorial it was time to take my first step towards greatness. Unfortunately the people of Asmara are suffering from countless evils that have befallen their land. I have been sent to help them but am in no condition to do so with my current weapon and power. It was time for a training montage!

 

 

The controls in Rosh Online are fairly simple and used by many other MMORPGs. You can use your WASD keys on your keyboard to move your character and use the right mouse button to look around and move your character to its destination. If you’re lazy though or simply have one hand free to play you could always point to click to your destination. My first impression was a bit of disappointment due to the lack of ground texture, but after traveling around for a bit I realized the details of your character, the environment and the sky is actually pretty well done and come together for a solid package. When compared to other similar free-to-play games it is definitely above par.

 

 

My first mission was to kill 3 puny spiders that were on the farm of this elder named Domingo. After killing three of these annoying spiders I found out that you actually have to right click your mouse button in order to use the auto attack. The game also shows an arrow above your character to show which direction you have to head to in order to find your quest objective, which is quite useful to fight your ADD tendencies that will surely kick in while gazing at the beautiful horizons.

 

 

Graphics

Rosh Online is not the best looking game on the market but certainly shines under the right lighting. This game has a lot of beautiful landscapes and cities that made traveling around a very enjoyable experience. If you are wondering what kind of computer you require to run this game then you will be shocked by the low requirements. The following computer specifications are needed at minimum:

 

Windows XP / Vista/ Windows 7

CPU: Intel Core TM 2 DUO e6700(2.66GHZ) and above

RAM: 1GB and Above

Hard Drive: 5GB And Above

Video: Geforce FX 6200 / Radon 9600 and Above.

 

 

If you have no idea whatsoever if your computer is able to play Rosh I would say that everyone that has purchase a computer in the last seven to eight years is easily able to play this game just fine without any problems.

 

 

Conclusion

Rosh Online’s strongest point is its massive fantasy world that a player can easily become lost in for hours. There are a lot of classes to choose from and it really kept things fresh when constantly partying with the unique play styles each brought to the table. Unfortunately every class is bound to a race but this is merely a gripe on personal aesthetics. Rosh is rich in content with plenty of monster variety and plenty of side ventures if you need a break from leveling up. If smooth flowing gameplay is a key element you look for in MMORPGs, then Rosh Online’s well polished combat won’t disappoint. But really the question is, who doesn’t like a good looking fluid MMORPG?

The Repopulation Online

The Repopulation takes place on the alien world of Rhyldan. The initial settlers were forced to wage a hard war against the native species known as the Lesoo but ultimately prevailed through superior technology. However the true enemy on this hostile world was not the Lesoo, but their fellow space pioneers. Now take up sides with the Free People’s Republic or the One World, One Nation alliance to forge a sandbox world like you’ve never seen before in your image. Or strike out on your own and form a third rouge nation to take the fight to both.

 

Features

Three Faction System: Join the OWON or FPR or label your faction as Rogue and stand up in arms against both.

City Building: Construct cities under your nation complete with walls, turrets, harvesters, workshops, houses, and other structures that benefit the city and people as a whole.

Massive Customizable Skill Tree: Master over 100 skills with 15 tiers of advancement in each skill. Skills fall under one of many trees such as combat, social, rogue, crafting, medical, and general.
Advanced Pet System: Capture local wildlife or build your own robot, then advance them as you see fit.

Original Combat Style: The Repopulation features unique combat that allows players to play in typical MMORPG hotkey style, or go FPS and aim each shot in action combat. The “Openings System” allows players to take advantage of created openings for their allies to reward players for coordinated strikes. The “Momentum System” allows you to build up over the course of a long battle to unleash ultimate skills. Players may also use terrain and crouching skills to gain cover from enemy fire. Continuous combat with particularly species or weapon types can also help build immunities against them.

Miramagia

If using your powerful magic to grow mystical ingredients and plants, Miramagia has everything your cultivating magical horticulturist needs. Join in a social, browser-based community as a Druid, Sorceror, Mage, or Shaman, and manage your estate. You can even raise your own dragon and learn spells to pull pranks on others in your village!

 

Features

Quests: Partake in many quests and challenges by growing and trading your plants for profit and experience.

Make Friends: Each estate is connected to a village, where you can join together with other magically-minded wizards to chat, trade tips, or challenge each other for prizes.

Creative Spells: Use your growing magical powers to create magical decorations, play pranks, and even nurture a baby dragon.

Repulse Online Early Access Preview

Repulse Online Early Access Preview

By Michael Sagoe (Mikedot), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

Aeria Games is gearing up for a closed beta release of their newest sci-fi shooter, Repluse. Before closed beta gets rolling, Aeria Games invited OnRPG to try out the game first hand.

 

 

Repluse is the re-launch of a previous FPS title called Genesis AD (hosted by ijji). While the name has changed, almost everything else from the original game is still intact. Repluse is all about twitch-based shooter action mixed with class based combat roles. As a previous Genesis AD player, I checked it out to see what was new, and to give you readers a look at to expect from the closed beta.

 

 

Upon logging into the game for the first time, you’ll instantly notice the game’s brand new UI.  Many of the menu options from the previous game are still available, including the old boot camp tutorial. Not only that, but they’ve also included new tutorials that explain the basics of combat for each class. Most of the tutorials are easy to complete and can be played once to earn some free credits, so make sure you try them all.

 

 

It was then time to meet up with hosts (GM Dropkick and Mike G) and get a few matches going. First mode up was Sniper mode set on a new map called Eagle Eye.

 

 

I usually played as an Assault or an Engineer in the previous game since sniping wasn’t my best skill, but I gave it a try anyway. After the first few minutes of play, I could barely get a shot off on any enemy. I wasn’t sure if it was my horrible aim or my weapon, but the hosts then gave us a few credits to pick out some nice weapons from the store.

 

 

I got myself suited up with a better rifle and some cloaking gear.  I picked up the Hunter-X10 rifle, which had a solid firing rate.  It wasn’t a one shot, one kill weapon, so it was definitely made for a player like me. After a few more rounds of sniper mode, it was then time to switch off to some good old fashion team deathmatch.

 

 

The next map we played on was called “Face Off”, a smaller map that seemed perfect for quick 4 on 4 matches. It was time to really get into action so I switched to the Assault class and equipped myself with a Zealot Mk-II (Assault Rifle) and Cobra-S (Shotgun) combo, as well as a booster pack. It was hot gun-on-gun action as players were flying and dodging bullets at high speeds. My teammates weren’t doing so hot, but I was totally carrying them.

 

 

After a few more rounds and few map changes, it was time to check out their newest game mode: Invasion!

 

 

For starters, Invasion mode plays similar to those increasingly popular zombie modes, but with a more hectic pacing. When the game starts, one player will be selected as the host alien and will attempt to infect all players, while normal players must kill as many hosts or infected as possible. In short, the player with the most points at the conclusion wins.

 

 

While zombie modes can be fun; they can get old really fast. However, I found the invasion mode to be addictive with swarms just coming at you so quickly. The host alien has the same abilities as the Assault class, meaning they can boost, wall jump and dodge, as well as use a slime shot that can attack enemies at mid-range.

 

 

First round of invasion, one player was chosen as the host, and quickly made short work of the other players, but I and another guy were still alive. We weren’t coordinating our survival or anything, so it was only a matter of time before I was pinned down.

 

 

Next round up, I was chosen as the host. With some quick dodges here and there, I managed to infest a good chunk of players, but one of the remaining human players managed to find a nice camping spot. It was easy for him to pick off infected players, but not for the host alien. I slashed him up pretty good and won the match.

 

 

For those that are wondering about any changes that were made to the game’s presentation: Overall the game looks to be completely untouched in terms of visuals. There is, however, some new voice overs for radio chatter and event cues that I would like to say are ten times better than the original ones. Instead of the soldiers sounding all boring and lifeless, the new solders sound a lot hunkier and they’re apparently “too handsome to die.” Just so you know, it’s a line you’re going to be hearing a lot, so you better get used to it.

 

 

Last game up was set to an old familiar map: Sinkhole, a warehouse map made for both long and close quarters combat. I used to perform some of my best assault play on this map, so it was time for me to start wrecking the place up.

 

 

…or I would have, if there wasn’t a guy on the other team that was just as skilled as I was. Every shot we took at each other each felt like a western gunfight: Up front and tense. They were really awesome fights, though.

 

 

Overall, my time spent playing Repluse was a fun throwback to some good times, and with new modes and features, it looks like it’s going to have a brighter future this time around.

 

 

For more information on Repluse, check out our profile page here at OnRPG.com.

 

 

Oh, and don’t forget to grab a Combat Package Key on our event page!

New Sci-Fi FPS Repulse Enters Closed Beta Testing

New Sci-Fi FPS Repulse Enters Closed Beta Testing

 

 

Repulse Standoff

 

 

Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today that Closed Beta testing has begun for Repulse, its newest sci-fi themed FPS game.

 

 

In Repulse, players must create a soldier and enlist to help save the future of mankind by battling enemies in a variety of player-versus-player (PvP) and player-versus-environment (PvE) matches. The game’s fast-paced combat is fueled by an arsenal of futuristic weaponry and enhanced movement abilities. Matches take place across a diverse selection of engaging environments. Each map is strikingly rendered in crisp, 3D graphics and loaded with plenty of sniper hideouts, choke points and other twists designed to create an edge-of-your-seat shootout between players.

 

 

Repulse CTF Tag

 

 

Repulse fires up the free-to-play FPS genre with these explosive features:

 

Thrilling Game Modes: Test your skills in nine action-packed game modes, each with a unique objective. From Capture the Flag to Death Match to Invasion, each game mode delivers non-stop blistering battlefield action.

 

Switch Classes: Cloak and assassinate enemies as the deadly Sniper; fire off high powered weaponry as the Assault class; heal your teammates as an Engineer. All classes can utilize the game’s signature Boost Jump move to claim victory! Each class possesses unique abilities, yet all are fully equipped for combat.

 

Closed Beta Events: Dozens of forum contests, Facebook giveaways, and exciting in-game events will take place during Closed Beta! Participate in rank contests or post a screenshot of your greatest victory to win fun prizes. All Closed Beta participants will receive an exclusive Gold Plated Hammer!