Yearly Archives: 2007

Myth War: Thanksgiving Activities Preview

Thanksgiving Day 2007 is fast approaching. In order to thank the loyal players for their long-term support, the Myth War (http://mw.igg.com) team will be holding a series of activities in game and in the mall, as well as in the forum.

In-Game Activities
1. 4x Exp for defeating mobs
Event Duration: 0:00 Server Time Nov 12, 2007 — 23:59 Server Time Nov 30, 2007
2. Drowcrusher Quest
Event Duration: 0:00 Server Time Nov 22, 2007 — 23:59 Server Time Nov 23, 2007
3. Chest Picking
Event Duration: 0:00 Server Time Nov 12, 2007 — 23:59 Server Time Nov 30, 2007

Thanksgiving Celebration
GM will be online to interact with players on Thanksgiving Day, including some activities below:
Interaction Activity
Activity Time: 8:00am on Nov 22nd
Who Will be a Lucky Player?
Activity Time: 11.22 — 11.25

Item Mall Activity
Thanksgiving Promotion
Players will receive a 20% discount on all items in the Item Mall (excluding New Item and Constellation Pack and Super Power Pack). In addition, players can gain double integrals if they buy items via a Credit Card.

Forum Activity
Event Duration: 2007.11.12 — 2007.11.30
Selection Duration: 2007.12.1 — 2007.12.3
Players need to design the best travel route according to the current Mythwar Maps and put the pictures of Thanksgiving meal with their wishes and hopes under the travel route they design. GM will randomly select some lucky participants to spread their wishes and hopes.
Rewards:
First Place(1): AOD+1 (draconic necklace)
Second Place(2): Hell Pheonix Egg + Dragon Eye
Third Place(2): Pheonix Egg + Dragon Bone
Fourth Place(3): Lucky Egg

For more information, please visit the official website at.
http://mw.igg.com/modules/news/displaynews.php?parent_id=2&url=/uploadfile/text/20071108/1194507730.htm

Aeria Games Announces the Closed Beta for Shaiya

California, U.S.A. (November 12, 2007) Shaiya will be launched by Aeria Games for a Closed Beta test in North America starting on the week of November 26th.

Shaiya is a fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG). Located on a distant planet, Shaiya puts players in the middle of an age-old blood feud between two warring factions: the Union of Fury and the Alliance of Light.

The Beta test phase gives players early access to a game with dozens of maps, hundreds of monsters, over 1,000 quests, and more than 1,000 different items, armor and weapons. This classic-style MMORPG offers players:

PvE, PvP, RvR: The best of all game worlds in one game. Slay monsters, battle friends in duels, smite opposing players in PvP, and fight for control of the continent in Realm versus Realm combat. To the winner of RvR goes the blessing of their Goddess and all the bonuses that includes!

Intriguing Content: Run bootlegs to the opposing faction and sell wares to the enemy. Go on quests that range from delivering love letters to completing a hit on an enemy. Impact your entire realm with your acts of heroism on the battlefield.

Classic RPG Elements: shining armor, dragons, elves, orcs, swords, magic, dramatic music, beautiful realms, quests, faithful steeds, and never-ending of battle of Light versus Darkness.
Players are encouraged to sign up for CB on the Shaiya website at: http://shaiya.aeriagames.com

Signup for beta requires an Aeria Games account which can be registered for free.

Aeria Games Announces the Addition of a New Server for Last Chaos

Aeria Games Announces the Addition of a New Server for Last Chaos

California, U.S.A. (November 12, 2007) Aeria Games will launch a new server for Last Chaos starting on the week of November 19th. Several exciting promotions will be available for new players as well as current players and these include a limited item giveaway event and a variety of in-game contests.

In the world of Last Chaos, the mortal races fight for power and conquest of Iris. In a land of shifting alliances, bloody betrayals and insatiable ambitions, players have full control of their destiny; every action and decision is meaningful and important. Fate rests on their shoulders and they determine the evolution of Last Chaos’s story through brutal warfare, brilliant strategy and building trusted alliances.

By accomplishing missions, learning crafting skills, rearing helpful pets and experiencing adventures in the huge and unknown world, players acquire the bravery, intelligence and strength to become the true ruler of Last Chaos.

For more information regarding Last Chaos, please visit: http://lastchaos.aeriagames.com

A Happy Ending to Zu Online Alpha

The end of the Zu Online Alpha Test is quickly approaching, and IGG would like their players to save their special memories of the test.
IGG encourage the players to feel free to explore as much as they can and take as many photos as they like during these last few days in game with their friends, teammates or guildmates, the monsters they feared or their lovely pets.
GMs will appear in the game world for players to take photos with on the last day from 9:00 PM EST (GMT-5) to 11:00 PM EST (GMT-5) on Nov, 11. IGG hope that their players can make this a very happy ending to a very successful Alpha test!

Please submit your group photos to:
http://zu.igg.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=1723&extra=page%3D1

Glitter and Glamour in Martial Heroes Europe !

All that glitter and glamour

After working really hard the GM’s decided some fun was in order. To bring themselves and our heroes a place to relax Pandora’s Palace has been built. You are all cordially invited to join them in the grand opening of this brand new casino. To top this Dave and Pandora are feeling generous, but be careful, they won’t be giving things away for free!

Event features:

1.Players are invited to come and play with Pandora and Dave in Pandora’s Palace

2.Jackpot monsters will drop nice gold bars for you to play

3.The GM’s will turn KAO on players. Kill them and a fair share will be yours.

The event will last 4 weeks and the casino is here to stay.

Tales of Pirates: Journalists Recruitment

IGG will recruit journalists for the forum of Tales of Pirates (http://top.igg.com). If players would like to share stories and experience with others, they can go to the official website of IGG for the latest information. IGG will hold the Journalist Recruitment Fair every month.

Recruitment Duration&amp-Nov 8th– Nov 14th
Recruitment Objects-All TOP Players
Qualification:
1. Players should be familiar with TOP and can be online for a long time. The characters in the game should be level 30+ and relatively famous.
2. Players should be familiar with the official forum of IGG and have posted at least 30 posts.
3. Players should be sensitive, calm and reasonable and can finish their work on time.
4. Players should love the work of being a journalist and can finish monthly assignments on time.
Application Format:
1. Forum name
2. Server name
3. Character name and level
4. Age
5. Occupation(Student or not)
6. Usual online time
7. Application motive
8. Plan about the future work
9. Post an article or an article link

Players can get more information in the official website of IGG (http://www.igg.com) or the forum of TOP (http://top.igg.com/forum/).

Domo Interview – with Jax Chou, Producer

Domo Interview – with Jax Chou, Producer
Questions by OnRPG
Answered by Jax Chou, DOMO Producer


OnRPG: Will your version of DOMO be any different than the European version?

Yes! We’ve made a serious effort to make DOMO have a more Americanized feel. Our creative department has added a few pop culture references here and there where we felt it would add a chuckle or two. We’ve also been hard at work writing new quests exclusive to the North American audience for future use. We are also adding the Hunter class for our version. The Hunter class (currently) is available in our version and the Asian versions of DOMO. Also, players who help out in the closed beta will receive a special collector’s item. Aeria Games has a large and friendly player base who are extremely enthusiastic about DOMO. They can’t wait to get their hands on it. Expect GMs to play an important role in organizing events and assisting players both in and out of game.

OnRPG: Can players expect it to be close to the same version in Taiwan?
While trying to Americanize the game, we’ve also tried to keep the game true to its roots. There’s a lot of mythology in DOMO that is truly Eastern and trying to alter that would break the flow of the game. So, yes, for the most part, gameplay will closely resemble the original.

OnRPG: What will be done to discourage bot programs and such?
We have always felt the community is best at policing its own games. Much like a neighborhood watch program, our players are our eyes and ears at all times. When they speak, we listen closely. Players have always done a wonderful job at reporting incidents such as bots, spammers and exploiters to us. We actively peruse any and all reports of behavior that would disrupt the enjoyment of the community. We also have our own internal methods that alert us to fraudulent activities.

OnRPG: Given glut of free games coming out, what drew your company into licensing DOMO?
Compared with the other titles in our stable, DOMO is really unique. Sure, the free to play MMO market is indeed increasing and it seems every time you turn around there is a new player in the market… but overall, we’re happy to see new ideas being presented to the game industry as a whole.

We admit that DOMO might make some players scratch their heads. But after a bit of time reviewing the game -in a language that no one here could read- we were convinced that DOMO could be a hit. We all felt that we were in the position to bring DOMO to North America and make it successful not only for Aeria Games, but for fans as well. Despite some head-scratchers, we believe that DOMO has a wide appeal. It should provide an amazing gameplay experience for our players, regardless of gender or generation. Whether you are a casual player or lean more to the hardcore style, there really is something for everyone.

OnRPG: How many characters are players allowed per account?
Players are allowed 2 characters per accounts, but have the ability to change job and classes at will. This option may very well change in the future to add more characters. Players can also delete characters whenever they choose.

OnRPG: Can you explain the human relationship system in more detail?
In other games, you find players you want to team up and go. The only benefit to teaming up in those games is the power in numbers. In DOMO, the characters created by players can develop most close relationships beyond just “hi, how are you?” Through the use of in-game items, players are able to deepen their relationships with each other. DOMO offers three types of human relationships: Teacher and Student, Friends, and Lovers. By the use of Dream Stones, relationships can be increased and new skills can be obtained. Different relationships interact differently and it’s these differences that should get players charged up about finding new friends. Building personal relationships with other players should be boon for DOMO players.

OnRPG: When reading up on DOMO, I stumbled across the destiny system, how does this work?
The themes for “Dream of Mirror Online” tend to revolve around destiny versus creation. Because of this, the game will preset some destined characters for each player when they create new characters. Those preset characters will form the players’ destined relationships. Again, these destined relationships are set at the start of the game, so once you make it to the main game world, your destiny is set; there’s no going back.

Through the course of game play, players will be drawn towards their destined match; it could be for love, work, or a rival. The game itself makes these matches with the given data so players will never know who their match is. It’s just one more feature to encourage social interaction within DOMO.

OnRPG: How will all the tradeskills work?
We don’t want to give too much away, but there are many different types of tradeskills. Some are used for improving weapons capabilities and others for making useful items. Players will be able to go out into the world and “farm” for all sorts of material. Players can fish, use pickaxes for mining, hatchets for forestry, and many more skills. What they collect than then either be sold, or in some cases, used to make something else.

OnRPG: What sorts of plans do you have for the item mall?
Players can expect A LOT of variety from the item mall. In addition to great deals on popular items, players can expect a new outfit every month. We’ll also introduce special weapons, accessories, and consumable items. Of course, we will listen carefully to our community and work closely with our developer to deliver the most requested items on a regular basis.

OnRPG: Can we expect to see GMs take an active role in game management and events?Absolutely! GMs are the backbone of the company. Without them there is no community. We see our GMs as vital in maintaining a positive and working relationship with our players. Expect GMs to run events daily, interact with players in game, and contribute over all to the feel of the game.

Shaiya Interview: Eron Garcia, Producer

Questions by Brian Perry Jr.
Answered by Eron Garcia, Producer Aeria Games

Onrpg: How would you describe Shaiya to someone who has never heard of it before?
Strip down an MMORPG to its base elements (one side versus the other, dragons, magic, swords, shiny armor, PvE, PvP) then build it back up from there.  Shaiya is the classic story of light versus darkness, except that neither side is really “evil.” The ongoing fight goes back to the time when the Gods walked the world of Shaiya and there were only three races on the planet. That was ages ago, but the war continues.

On one side, you have the Elves and the Humans; they make up the Alliance of Light. The other side has the Vail and Nordein (also known as “Deatheaters”) making up the Union of Fury. And then, of course, I can go into the beautiful graphics, the gorgeous soundtrack composed by George Oldziey (Wing Commander III, IV, and Prophesy; Ultima IX: Ascension; Crusader: No Regret), the varied landscapes, the detailed characters, the engaging storyline. But I think the word “massive” really does sum it up.

Onrpg: I have been told that the game will carry a warning similar to 12-Sky that the game is not suitable for those under the age of 17. Why is that?
Well, there are some elements of the game that might be inappropriate for some game players. All right, there’s no dancing around it: there’s blood and nudity. We’re dealing with a fantasy realm here and when you kill a monster, it’s going to bleed. And, since we are in a fantasy realm, there are some monsters that have some uniquely feminine attributes; and since they are monsters, what are the chances that they can pop over to the local tailor and get a nice blouse?

Onrpg: What are some of the core gameplay elements of Shaiya?
I’ll actually highlight my favorites. First up is the fact that players won’t make just one character, level it up, and be done. No, if you want the baddest character in the game, you’ll need to cruise through the levels three times. We have “difficulty modes” in Shaiya, and you only start off with Easy and Normal available. Once you cruise through Normal, Hard is unlocked. Once you get through Hard, Ultimate is unlocked. These different modes offer up tiered skillpoints and statpoints to reward the players as they progress (more points awarded at each tougher mode) and they allow players to access more and more of the armor and weapons in the game.

Next up is the Goddess Blessing. When you engage in combat with the opposing faction, your kills gain you and your realm points with your Goddess. It’s more in depth than that, but once your side has gained enough points, the Goddess Blessing starts to kick in. The Blessing affords your entire realm bonuses like increased experience points per kill or quest, increase in attack power, reduced cool-down time for spell casting and item consumption, and so on.
The last one I’ll talk about is Bootleggery. Mainly, I just like the name: Bootleggery. Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Bootleggery is your way to make a profit off of items that your faction can’t use. Say you find a staff that no one in your realm can use. Well, you could sell in town, but you won’t make much money off of it. Instead, you run a bootleg to a secret underground facility where players from both sides of the game gather to sell their wares. No fighting is allowed, just good old-fashioned bartering.

Onrpg: What classes are there to play as in Shaiya, and what are their attributes?
Each of the four playable races have 3 different classes available to them. The two sides are pretty well mirrored for the sake of balancing, so you’ll wind up with Light having an equivalent the Darkness’s Pagan, and the Darkness has an equivalent to the Light’s Ranger.
That said, in the Alliance of Light, we have the Fighter, Defender, Priest, Ranger, Archer and Mage. In the Union of Fury, there are the Warrior, Guardian, Oracle, Assassin, Hunter, and Pagan as mirrors to their Light-side counterparts.
Fighters and Warriors are your standard toe-to-toe hack and slash melee guys. Defenders and Guardians are the tanks of the game, all hit points and defense. The Priest and Oracle are the healers of the game, but with several twists; one of those twists is that they are able to transform an opponent into a harmless animal during combat. The Ranger and Assassin are your masters of stealth and subterfuge; they can disguise themselves as animals or as the opponent and set traps for the enemy. The Archer and Hunter are your distance fighters; if they are allowed to keep their distance, they can rain death on their opponents quite quickly. Last up we have the Mage and the Priest. The Mage is your magic-wielding devastation station. The Pagan has similar powers, but they are all based in nature and the spirit world. Different approaches to the same result: expedient death.

Onrpg: Are there any unique aspects to Shaiya that are not shared by other titles?
As I already noted, Difficulty Modes and Goddess Blessing are pretty unique features. I don’t really know if other titles have anything similar, but if there are similarly set games, I’m unaware of them. Something else that sets Shaiya apart is the ability to physically dodge attacks. Players can double-tap Q or E to try to sidestep an attack, or they can double-tap S to perform a backflip. They don’t always work and you have to be quite good in your timing, but adds another layer to the combat in the game. Sure, you can point-click-attack, or you can be a bit more interactive in the game.

Onrpg: Can players expect crafting of any sort to be included in the game?
No and yes. Currently, what we have isn’t exactly crafting, it’s just weapon improvement. However, the developer has already implemented a crafting system in the next episode of Shaiya, so we will get crafting… just not yet.

Onrpg: When the game launches, what will be the maximum level players can achieve, and roughly how many hours would you say it would take to reach that point?
The characters are currently capped at level 60. Unfortunately, I have no idea how long it will take to get there. Add to that the fact that players have to do it three times and I’m hopeful that players will be sufficiently challenged.

Onrpg: How will PvP play out in the game?
Ah… PvP. There are multiple different ways that PvP will work. First up, you can duel. You can challenge a player within your faction to a battle. The winner gets bragging rights while the loser gets to slink away and lick his wounds. Next up is encounters in the Borderlands. Players from both sides can run around in the borderlands, so random encounters are bound to happen. And then there’s the big Realm versus Realm battle. This is the battle that decides which side REALLY gets the favor of their Goddess. There’s also a way for Guilds to battle each other, but we haven’t been able to see it yet.

Onrpg: Will there be anything like raiding at launch or in the future?
The portals to the opposing factions are heavily guarded by unstoppable NPCs, so players cannot launch a raid on their own. However, that’s not to say that some industrious GM couldn’t portal a mess of Union players over to the Alliance territory…

Onrpg: What sorts of items will you have purchasable by players in the item mall?
Convenience items, mostly. Experience percent boosters, portals to Bootleggery (I can’t get enough of that word!), warehouse calls, that sort of thing. But there will also be some seriously useful stuff like a Resurrection Stone… useful for those trips out to the Borderlands. We’ll also have some vanity items. Heh, one vanity item in particular might raise some eyebrows: a Sex-change Scroll. Yes folks, now you too can flip-flop your gender in the wink of an eye! It sounds weird, but it’s a great selling item overseas. It doesn’t just let you change gender -I mean, you don’t have to change gender at all- but it also lets you change the facial look and hairstyle of your character… with more options than are available at the initial character creation.

Onrpg: What is the air speed velocity of an unlaiden swallow?
Do you mean African or European? …Ok seriously. How did you know that was going to be one of the questions asked of players who want to register for the Closed Beta? I was going to ask that but changed my mind at the last second. Do you have a spy here at Aeria Games I’m unaware of?

Kicks Online Begins

After a convincing Beta Test phase, Kicks Online is now fully available. You can download and play it for free as it was during the beta test but now you can access the shop ingame.

A wide offer of items is now available for players in this shop, where you can buy whatever they desire to customize your character’s look and skills. From a new t-shirt to a new pair of sunglasses, you can purchase using Kash (the Gametribe virtual money) or from using experience points gained in game.

In order to use Kash players simply need to login to GameTribe.com and recharge your account using credit card and/or Paypal within the secured payment system developed by Gametribe.