Yearly Archives: 2008

La Tale: new zones and LaDeck system introduced

Two months after its worldwide launch, OGPlanet’s massively multiplayer side-scroller La Tale is opening yet another chapter of its fantastic world.

Players can explore new areas and brave new challenges. Ves, the newest city, offers beautiful scenery inspired by Indian culture and architecture. Orca Beach and the Jungle are as lush as they are dangerous. Plus, for the truly brave, the Ruin of Ktuka offers great treasures and secrets to those who can survive its challenges.

“The diverse new zones being added to La Tale give players even more to do and see,” said Ross Park, La Tale producer. “Each individual area has its own unique look and feel, and players will find themselves completely immersed in their new surroundings.”
Also coming to the world of La Tale in this new update is the LaDeck system. For just 9 Astros (OGPlanet’s cross-game currency), players can buy Gold Darts of Luck and use it to mark a square on a 20 x 20 LaDeck grid. Behind each square is a prize that ranges from potions to exclusive, ultra-rare items, but players will have to be quick and lucky to be the first to select the 1st Prize square!

Zu Online Interview

Questions prepared by Chris Scarbrough, Onrpg writer
Answered by Ice Han, Product Manager, Zu Online Team, IGG Inc.

Onrpg: Zu Online was released in December 2007. What were your expectations with regard to the game’s development and the player basis? Were your expectations met, or even exceeded?

Zu Online: We are glad to say that Zu Online has received a lot of attention and support from players since its debut. The game has developed very quickly too, which has enriched the gameplay a great deal and has also made the game better and better with each new update. Well, we’ve been very satisfied with the development progress as well as the player base we’ve developed. Nevertheless, we expect Zu Online to continue to get better and for players to keep joining us.

Onrpg: What inspired you to go the route of cell shaded graphics, which give Zu Online such a unique and cartoonish look?

Zu Online: In contrast to other 3D games, Zu Online’s cell shaded graphics are especially unique. Why did we choose this route? Because we believe the graphics highlight the drawing skill and the pure Chinese wash painting style very clearly.

Onrpg: Can you comment on the creation of an enemy or NPC that you’re particularly fond of? For example, was there a particular type of enemy, NPC or look that you wanted to create just for Zu Online?

Zu Online: Sure, all the NPCs in Zu Online have some basis in Chinese mythology. So, they all have unique backgrounds and personality. For example, Whitebrow, a master of Good magic, the Brute Marshal, who was beheaded but still tries his best to guard his master, Widow Yee, who has imprisoned many talented inner cultivators in the Magic Thread Cave, and many more… The various NPCs have all managed to create a magical and diverse world for players to enjoy. I believe choosing one would be a disservice to the others, as they all have an interesting story they’d like to tell.

Onrpg: The new Zu Online Version 1.8.01 is coming soon. Players can now level up to 259 and explore new zones. What can they expect from these great new changes?

Zu Online: It is really very exciting. In the new version, we have added a lot of new content. Besides raising the level cap and the two new zones, there are the star levels for the equipment system, the salary system and the pet combination system also. Additionally, many new cool items have been added, such as the metamorphic fashion items, Costume-Female Summoner and Costume-Sun Warrior.

In this new version, The level cap will be raised to 259 in the upcoming expansion. As a result, players will encounter greater challenges and have a more exciting gaming experience in the version. New quests, zones, monsters, spells, talents, items, pets and other features will also be added as the level cap increases. Also, players will enjoy a lot in the new zones and new instance. The players who reach level 190 can challenge the new super bosses in Frozen Sea and protect Secret Ruler to maintain justice. In addition, currently, there are various fashions, including weird Armor, Xmas Costume, Q head, Metamorphic Fashions, etc. for each class. Well, in the new version, new fashions will be added such as Panda-Q head, Bridegroom-Q head, Bride-Q head, and so on will be added to it. In a word, ?players can expect much more than their imagine from these great new changes.

Onrpg: There are many changes announced for Version 1.8.01, which are the biggest changes, and which are the most fun?

Zu Online: Well, the biggest changes are probably the new systems, such as the star levels for the equipment system and the pet combination system by which players can become stronger and stronger. Another one is salary system. They can get weekly salary in it. I do believe all of these are what players longer for. As for the most fun changes, I believe the new instance and the new zones won’t disappoint anyone. In the new instance, players can challenge high-level bosses like Stony Devil, Broadsword Lord and Broadaxe Lord

Onrpg: Concerning PvP, players sometimes feel that after so long, PvP becomes less appealing. Are there any plans to adjust the PvP system or add new features?

Zu Online: Yes, sure. We have been working hard to improve clan balance in order to make PvP more fun. We have been working to adjust PvP system too. For example, we have taken releasing an exclusive zone for PvP into consideration.

Onrpg: With hackers targeting MMORPGs more and more often, are you concerned this will become a problem for your website and for your players?

Zu Online: To be frank, we have always done everything possible to prevent hackers and third party programs from infiltrating our games, but there will always be a few bad apples out there trying to ruin it for everyone. Of course, we will continue to keep a close eye out for these people and we hope that our players will be proactive in taking every precaution they can to prevent these sorts of things from happening.

Onrpg: What was your motivation to change the prices of CT Commercial Travel and how do you see this function in the future?

Zu Online: Originally, we designed CT with the aim of helping players earn money quickly. But some players found it’s not quick or easy to earn money from CT and this defeated the whole purpose of the system. That’s why we’ve made adjustments to try and improve CT again and again, even offering Golden Strikers for free. So, with the change we’ve made, players don’t have to worry about losing their own money anymore and they can get a lot more money from CT than before.

Onrpg: Are there any plans to add additional character customization or classes?

Zu Online: Hum…as for the new class, it is really a good idea. We thought of it. But we will not add new class in near future. Just because most players are satisfied with the current 5 classes and these classes are indeed popular. Every class have their own spotlight. Swordsmen specialize in sword fighting skills and have mastered the ability to separate their spirit from their body. Beautiful and intelligent Bead Fairies are good at healing others and casting other beneficial effects. Sun Warriors can scare any tough monster away just by flexing their strong muscles. Cool and beautiful Moonmaidens always kill their enemy with amazing speed. Summoners specialize in summoning and controlling minions. Players enjoy different fun from different class. However, maybe in future, we will add some. We are doing our utmost to make players can get more freshness in Zu Online.

Onrpg: Some people feel the gap between experience rewards for killing enemies and experience rewards for doing quests is too high at lower levels. Are there any plans to fix or change this?

Zu Online: Hmm…A major difference between Zu Online and other MMORPGs is that quests reward much more experience than the killing of enemies. For one thing, we feel that the story is an integral part of the game. Good vs Evil and the battle for supremacy of the immortal world are not things to be taken lightly. However, this doesn’t mean players cannot level quickly just from slaying monsters. Actually, players can even level faster by slaying monsters than doing quests alone if they get a full group together for the fights. In fact, we received a lot of players’ suggestions before we determined the numerical value of experience granted from quests and monsters. So, I think each type of players can find fun from the design.

Onrpg: The recent decision to merge the servers Holy&Desert and Ghost, has many players concerned due to the five character limit. Can you tell us a little more about that choice?

Zu Online: Well, the server merger is aimed at increasing the number of players in the server at one time, which means a more diverse server environment and better gameplay. This is especially true for things that require a group of players, such as Area Occupation, the Monster Slaying Contest, Pets’ Adventures, and so on. As for the five character limit, I think it will satisfy most players’ needs because there are only five classes available in Zu Online now. Surely, some may suffer some losses from it. That’s why we decided to compensate all the players for the server merger. For example, we will give out Cursed Stones for free and raise the exchange rate between Gold and Silver.

Onrpg: Do you have any plans for a special Christmas event? Can you give us a small preview of what to expect?

Zu Online: Of course, we know that Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for many Western countries, and we would like to help our players enjoy a fun and special Christmas holiday in Zu Online . Actually, we have planned several Christmas events for them. They are still being developed, but they should be ready soon. Maybe Xmas Letter Card and Xmas Stockings will the held during Christmas. Just may be. The one thing I can tell you firmly is that every player who joins the event will get big surprise and much fun. So, please key eyes on our latest notices at our official site.

Onrpg: What can we expect to see in the future for Zu Online?

Zu Online: First of all, let me say thanks to those who have ever supported Zu Online. Secondly, we promise we will keep surveying players’ suggestions and improving Zu Online again and again. At last, thank you for your interest in the game and your interview.

For screenshots of Zu Online, please visit the Zu Online Screenshot Gallery.

DOMO: major new update

Gametribe.com, the premier destination for Free-to-Play games is happy to release a major update for DOMO fans this week.

First huge info, the pet riding system is now live on Eversun!
This mount system is a major addition for the community, accelerating the travels and allowing players to attack while mounted.

Players can now make their pets grow to the third step of evolution (Evolution 3) by using the brand new Advanced Evolution Stone, get a saddle and ride their own boar, cat, bear and sea serpent (pet must be level 60 minimum).

All the info you need about the mount system is available on the official DOMO website.

Here are the items to take profit of the mount system:
– Advanced Evolution Stone: This can be used to make your Pet evolve to the next level (mount)
– Pet Saddle (basic saddle): This can be used to ride your Pet and increase its walking speed
– Crimson Rabbit Saddle (advanced saddle) to ride your Pet, increase its walking speed and Max HP/Max MP
– Mount Pet Goodie Bag: if you have no lvl 60 pet ready to evolve, you still have a chance with this goodie bag to get a special pet, dedicated to travels (but it won’t get XP, please refer to official website)

As usual, the weekly update brings more new contents:
A new Main Quest: Confusion Moves Chapter 3 is offering epic adventures. Rumors about powerful stones grow quickly in the taverns of Eversun

New items and costumes:
– 3rd Edition Pets will be reintroduced to the game for a limited time. These pets will be available for only one week
– Bunny Costume and Headgear
– Large American Army Uniform
– Rare Goodie Bags available until December 3rd :
– Knight for males can contain permanent Knight helmet, costume or sword or the new permanent Set Box containing the helmet and the armor costume together
– Princess for females can contain permanent Tiara, costume or Little Angel’s Wings or the new permanent Set Box containing the tiara and the costume together
– Backpack (inventory) Security Lock: This is to protect your backpack. You can insert a pin code, which will be used to lock and unlock your backpack.
– Ornamental Pet Name Tag
– Public Address System: to broadcast a message to other players over the entire server

The new update will be available to players after the weekly Wednesday maintenance window.

Phoenix Dynasty Online: New Server “Fire” Opens now

Enjoymm.com is proud to announce that a new server named “Fire” will be launched on 0:01 am PDT Nov. 22, 2008. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our players who have contributed to the improvement and growth of Phoenix Dynasty Online as well as to welcome all the new players who will start their adventure in this game!

We will be holding a lot of new exciting events after the new server opens such as: 4x Experience, 3x Drop Rate, 3x Magic Points and many other interesting events, including “GM online lotteries”, “Prizes for the First 5 Guilds”, “Leveling up Contests”. This is a real active world; you will see GMs in the game every week as well as being helped by the most friendly game community.

If you have heard about this game and never tried; if you have just watched a movie called the Mummy Returns and want to experience the oriental myth; if you are a returning warrior of the game, we welcome you to join the new Fire server and light your passion for friendship and fun again! We will provide the best service for you!

Secret of the Solstice: new Thanksgiving content released

To Celebrate the upcoming holiday Secret of the Solstice has released new Thanksgiving content in the latest patch!

Every year at this time, the people of Xen celebrate and thank the gods for the yearly harvest. Kayla, the owner of the Safe Bar prepares a large feast for everybody. Unfortunately Mogras has been sneaking into the food storeroom to steal the food! Help save the feast by getting rid of the Mogras infestation! Players will be able to participate in the new Saving the Great Feast Event.

The event will consist of a mini-game where users can help save the feast!

Dofus Gameplay Video

This video about gameplay in Dofus, free MMORPG, shows the richness in characters and classes, leveling options, and an example of crafts. You are shown how monsters attack and strategic ways to battle against them! All the while Dofus looks cute and has funny graphics for your character.

Dofus Teaser Video

This Dofus teaser video presents different characters and classes, team options and many designs for areas that can be explored! If you are looking for a good free MMORPG, in Asian animation style, Dofus gives you what you are searching!

MMO Grinding

by Joshua Temblett, Onrpg writer

Grinding is the chore that you hate doing, it’s the cleaning the toilet of all house work. It’s horrible. Yet despite this, why do game designers decide to constantly add this “feature” into their games. Do developers really think that we just want to constantly fight the same monsters to level up? Do they really think that we (sometimes) want to pay $15 dollars a month for doing the same repetitive task over and over again? Simple answer, no. Yet we still pay monthly for this chore and still get sucked into the marketing rubbish that this game will be different from the rest.
Before I continue this mother of all rants I just wish to clarify that I personally do not mind “grinding”, a bit of killing monsters on your own (or of course a party) here and there is fine with me, as long as I have a goal to work for. In fact, levelling up for a quest can be fun as long as you know you’re going to get a shiny new reward. What gets me is constant grinding with no (or little) reward. I hate it also when developers and the PR tell you that there is something around the corner, something new, something special. Of course these “rewards” are hours out of reach, meaning it’s going to take you a very long time to get to that one feature which is the reason why you’re playing.

A lot of games choose to follow grinding as it’s an incredibly easy way to keep players hooked and remain in the game. For pay to play games this is the normal case, as the longer you keep them playing and waiting to get to the cool features, the longer they pay monthly, the more money the company get and the richer they become. Grinding and levelling up also make the player think they’re having fun by then addicting him/her as the player will always want to keep playing to achieve that level just above to look that slight bit “cooler” and gain that new piece of gear.

Grinding is of course easy to program compared to making real, good content that the gamer will enjoy as all that needs to be done with grinding is to make a load of load monsters inhabit an area, put a level cap on the next major event (or area) and hey presto you have just made a MMORPG. But it does not matter if it is bad, as it is cheap, keeps you playing and brings the money home for the company.
So you have got the grind, all you need now is a very low item drop rate, expensive items, armour and weapons and some awesome “new feature”. There, now your game is set to be distributed to the masses. Slap pay to play on that and you have an instant income.
So how can we stop the grind and rid it from the world for good? Well I would like to say don’t buy or play games that have a lot of grinding in. However I know that this will never happen due to some of these games having good end game features, or features that appear midway through which of course inspire people to play and the fact that there will always be idiots in the world who pay for rubbish like that. The thing is for as long as MMORPGs retain the point and click style of play, there will always be the much hated grind. In order to be rid of such an evil the genre itself needs to break out of it’s tried and tested conventions and create a new way to play and new experiences. But of course this will not ever happen as this method of playing is what made the genre so great and well loved. We need developers to focus on creating more dynamic content and much fun orientated scenarios from which the player can level up in.
Guild Wars has started this trend of team bonding mission gameplay that creates a nice environment from which the player can level up in a successful way. Guild Wars has started the trend, and now we have to wait and see what other games have to offer. The genre has always surprised us, its loyal fans, so no doubt we will be surprised very soon.

Runes of Magic: Dragonfang Ridge unveiled

Just in time for the upcoming season, Frogster publishes details about the seventh region of Runes of Magic. Dragonfang Ridge is covered mostly with ice and was the location of numerous conflicts over the years. For many decades, Humans, Ice Dwarfs, Gnolls and Cyclops were fighting for dominance in this area. Their armed conflicts are still leaving a lasting mark on the game world of Taborea.

Despite resource shortages and biting winds, Humans have created settlements in different locations of Dragonfang Ridge, only to lose them just a little later to the Ice Dwarfs and Cyclops. Eventually, even Bors Ironwall’s military finesse couldn’t oppose the threat and the few remaining Human outposts are far-scattered and mostly isolated. Because of that, they are losing more and more of their importance. Numerous ruins in Dragonfang Ridge are evidence of the fact that the conflicts in the region are lasting for eons already. The most prominent ruins in Dragonfang Ridge are the mysterious Rune Throne and the large mountain gate, but today nobody knows anymore what they were once used for.