Yearly Archives: 2008

Tabula Rasa: An Open Letter from General British

Fellow Soldiers of the AFS,

I am happy to finally be able to write the players and community of Tabula Rasa. We’ve been on quite a journey together. First in creating a game unlike any other on the MMO market, then growing a loyal community and finally launching the game and its players into space with Operation Immortality. It has been quite an unforgettable journey, one that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I am very grateful to you loyal players for sticking around through what I think we can all honestly say was a rough launch. I thank the development team for pushing hard to get polish, updates and new content out every month since launch…a feat that I think is unusual in MMO development. They have a lot to be proud of.

Many of you probably wonder what my plans are, now that I have achieved the lifelong dream of going to space. Well, that unforgettable experience has sparked some new interests that I would like to devote my time and resources to. As such, I am leaving NCsoft to pursue those interests.

This news is difficult for me to deliver. I am honored to have worked with the team I’ve had and I’m grateful to the community who makes this game so unique and fun.
Thank you and farewell.

Richard “General British” Garriott

Rappelz Celebrates its 2nd Anniversary

In celebration of Rappelz’s 2nd anniversary, Gala-Net Inc. has announced a series of in-game events to take place starting from November 12th. Gala-Net’s acclaimed MMORPG, Rappelz, has captivated millions of users since its launch back in 2006, and continues on this journey with its latest release, Epic V.

For this notable milestone, not only will all players receive a FREE “7 Day Hidden Village Pass,” but the “Raining Pets” event is finally here! Pets are the unique feature to Rappelz, and they are arguably one of the most important aspects in the game. Pets can help players do everything from healing to helping destroy opponents.

The Raining Pets event will bring a surge of pet items for all users! Simply play the game, defeat the monsters and collect your prize! Monsters may drop a Rain Drop, carrying a huge variety of pet items- anything from a Creature Name Change to a Decorative Pet Box. Items from the drop include (but are not limited to):

  • Creature Name Changes
  • Creature Resurrection Scrolls
  • Pet Re-Specialization Potioons
  • Taming Cards
  • Pet Boxes
  • Decorative Pets

This event is the most anticipated event of the year for Rappelz players, as it celebrates one of the most defining features of game play in Rappelz.

“Pets have always been a distinctive component in Rappelz, and with the recent release of Epic V, they only prove to be more valuable to players,” says Senior Producer Michael Powers. “We wanted to reward our users with this landmark and hope that Rappelz continues its epic to reach out to the many other MMORPG players out there. Happy Anniversary Rappelz!”

Darkfall Online: new beta invites

TheDarkfall team just announced on their forums that they sent out some new invites for the Closed Beta. Here’s the full announcement:

We sent out the second batch of beta invites last night and we’re going to continue inviting people as needed by our testing process. There’s no ETA to the invites, we’re moving along based solely on our needs. We might invite more people in as early as tonight, and as frequently as every day. The testers are under strict NDA and it would be very unfortunate if we had to ban people and/or to modify our testing – so we would like to ask everyone to respect our process and procedures, even those of you not yet in the beta.

If you’re not in the beta yet, please don’t take this personally, it’s likely you don’t fit our immediate testing needs. There are a lot of criteria, but it can be as simple as hardware, location, time zone etc. We appreciate your understanding as we’re trying to get Darkfall ready, we take this process very seriously.

Another thing: We mentioned this before but there is no official Darkfall pre-order. Sites that offer Darkfall pre-orders are not affiliated with us, and we don’t support their offering in any way.
Finally, in our beta invites we’ll never ask you for your password. We’re not asking for any information, we have everything we need in your beta sign up. There are fake beta invites circulating, and you need to use some common sense and be careful.

That’s all for now, we’ll keep you updated about any changes or developments.”

Cronous US Review

by Adam Williams, Onrpg writer

I recently sat down to play CroNous-US, an MMO that was originally created in Korea until Aeria Games, a North American game company purchased the right to open a US version with their touches on it. It’s still in its Open Beta phase.

Gameplay
There are four classes, named Fighter, Valkyrie, Magician, and Savage. The first thing you notice when you start CroNous, is the limited customization in the character creation system. During character creation, you pick class, sex, and that’s it, so you come out looking like every other person who ever created a character. If you ever played Diablo 2, you’ll recognize the character types. Savage is very reminiscent of Diablo’s barbarian class, Valkyrie is a combination of the usual RPG thief/rogue classes, and Fighter is a new melding of Savage and Magician.

The light at the end of the tunnel for customization however is shone upon you with the skill tree of the game. The skill system for CroNous is very detailed and varied. Almost no two characters will have the same skill sets yet, at least until the game has been out long enough for the longtime players to define the ‘uber’ skillset.

There were however many glaring annoyances to the game that may or may not get fixed, as Aeria has limited control of what they can change in the game code.

The biggest annoyance is that CroNous has a fixed camera angle that you can never change or move at all. It’s held at a set point directly above the character, and other than spinning left or right, you can’t shift it for different perspectives of the battlefield, or even move it closer to your character. This is made even more annoying by the method of moving it. The only method of attacking or using special abilities against enemies is with the mouse, but movement is shared between the mouse and the keyboard, and you can’t toggle which one you prefer leading to weird conflicts where you slightly mis-click and go charging up to the enemy whether you mean to or not (this causes very large annoyances if you try to be a bow Valkyrie and want to shoot from a distance and perform a Leeroy Jenkins into a crowd of enemies).

Secondly the quest system is about as bare-bones as you can imagine it. As far as I could see, there were three quest types in total. Go talk to person Z; Go kill X monsters; or Go kill X monsters for Y items. There are also time limits imposed on the quests that while they aren’t irritatingly short, they do cause problems if you’re a new player and have no idea where to find the monsters.

The collision system for players and players versus mobs is one of the more annoying I’ve ever encountered. You cannot move through players or monsters at all, meaning that in very crowded spots it becomes an exercise in maze completion to get by, and if someone happens to be away from keyboard in a small doorway, you have no way to get by them to try and reach whatever you’re after.

And finally, there is no way to rest in this game at all to recover hp/mp, and there is no cure spells at all that I ever encountered or even heard about, leading everyone of all jobs to have to spam hp and mp potions like a crack fiend with a trust fund. Potions are cheap, but this still isn’t a very enjoyable way to run around, just quaffing potions over and over and over.

Graphics
The graphics of CroNous are rather simple quality so far, in an older 2.5D Style. The limited graphics also make it confusing trying to differentiate between the three to four different types of the same monsters outside cities and in other areas. They all look exactly the same until you move your mouse over them to see what they are.

Sound
The music of CroNous however is very good. It’s very fitting to the areas I thought, and was one of the better sound layouts I’ve seen. The fighting noises and monster noises were the usual grunts and explosions, but once you turn those off its much more enjoyable.

PvP
Ah, the real point of CroNous, the PvP system. I wasn’t able to personally participate in the PvP system, but according to other players its very fun and balanced. There’s also a virtue system in place where people who like to go around and gank lower level people end up so low in virtue that if they happen to die, they’ll drop some of their more valuable gear.

Summary
CroNous seems like it will be a very fun game once it receives a little bit of love and polish from Aeria. It has some quirks right now, but the depth of the skill trees and the friendly people will likely have you coming back.

Enlist in the CROSS FIRE Closed Beta!

Be Among the First to Experience the Intensity of Warfare in the Closed Beta for G4BOX’S New Online FPS



G4BOX Inc, a North American publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment media, today announced that the highly-anticipated, free-to-play, online military first-person shooter Cross Fire has entered closed beta. The closed beta test begins today and will run for approximately one month, offering gamers an opportunity to play-test one of four high adrenaline game modes prior to the shooter’s official launch later this year.



With its addictive pick up and play game play, simple learning curve, and high intensity fire-fights, Cross Fire has the appeal to captivate the first-person shooter community throughout North America and the United Kingdom,” said Howard He, CEO and Co-founder of G4BOX. “Players have read about its success in Korea and China, have seen the awesome screens and trailers, and now finally they get a chance to check it out for themselves!”



Cross Fire is an online, military-themed, first-person shooter for the PC platform. The game features two International Mercenary Forces Corporations locked in a global struggle. Players assume the role of either a Black List terrorist or Global Risk mercenary, and then join an online team that must work together to complete objective-based scenarios. There are four online modes in the game including, Team Death Match, Team Match, Annihilation Match and the all-new Ghost Match. Based on their performance in-game, players will receive experience points and be promoted through various Military Ranks. Players will also have the ability to customize their character’s equipment and appearance through Cross Fire’s in-game item shop.

Outspark Prepaid Card Scratch Away Event!

To celebrate the launch of Outspark Prepaid Card at Best Buy and Target, Outspark will be running the Prepaid Card Scratch Away Event and giving away more than 20 awesome prizes for each of their game, Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice.



How to Participate:
– Purchase a $25 Outspark Prepaid Card from Best Buy or Target stores between November 2nd, 2008 – November 30th, 2008

– Use the SparkCash to purchase a Fiesta Item or Solstice item and you’ll automatically be entered a raffle drawing. (The in-game items you win will be determined on where you spend your SparkCash.)



1st Place Grand Prize – One Winner (for each game):

– 8GB iPod Nano (Your choice of color and custom engraving) and

– [Critical] White Tiger Costume (Top,Bottom,Shoes,Tail)(30 Days) or

– One Cowboy Set (30 Days)



2nd Place – One Winner (for each game):

– PNY 9600GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 Graphic Card and

– [Critical] White Tiger Costume (Top,Bottom,Shoes,Tail)(30 Days) or

– One Cowboy Set (30 Days)



3rd Place – One Winner (for each game):

– Logitech G5 Laser Mouse and

– [Critical] White Tiger Costume (Top,Bottom,Shoes,Tail)(30 Days) or

– One Cowboy Set (30 Days)



4th Place – 15 Winners (for each game):
– [Critical] White Tiger Costume (Top,Bottom,Shoes,Tail)(30 Days) or

– One Cowboy Set (30 Days)

Tales of Pirates: New “Frozen Sea” Server

Tales of Pirates will release a new server Frozen Sea to cope with the ever-increasing number of players joining TOP. A new world and a new start await those who want to experience it, as well as new friends. IGG will also hold a 10-day double experience event for the players in the new server. Who will finally take the thrown of the new server and emerge after the Leveling Contest this time? Go check it out!

In order to celebrate the new server release, IGG has prepared many cool activities, Come join and have the fun!

Zu Online: A Story of Stone Golems

When you come across an unfamiliar monster, you can imagine it is a Boss. But many players are unaware of the history and legends behind some of the mysterious Zu Online monsters.

Most monsters in Zu Online are based on legends in ancient Chinese mythology. Many of you will have seen the Stone Golems wandering around Miracle Town, but how many people know the myth of Shi Chi, the father and creator of them all?

Shi Chi was a tragic man. As a young boy, he was orphaned by his parents and sent away to a Taoist temple to be raised. He was a quiet boy, spending his time isolated and obsessively carving stones. After a long time observing the strict Taoist rituals and sermons, one day he could not bear it anymore and stole away to the Evil Stone Cave. There, he perfected his stone carving skill and finally created 365 gruesome Stone Golems. Despite their terrifying appearance, he was comforted by their presence and carried them with him wherever he went.

However, the Stone Golems were soon bewitched by Viper Scholars and began to wreak havoc, eventually killing the poor, lonely Shi Chi. After that, the Stone Golems became minions of Evil forces around the world, and an obstacle to the forces of Good trying to recapture Miracle Town.

The shape of the Stone Golems is designed according to traditional Chinese records, and their age-old features evoke a lost era of ancient Chinese culture. Their faces, savage and brave, are both solemn and stirring at the same time.

Each monster in Zu Online has its own story and background. Behind each monster you can find a tale that will teach you a little bit more about traditional Chinese culture and help you enjoy the game much more. Stay tuned for more legends and myths from Zu Online.

Jumpgate Evolution Blasts Beyond 150k BETA Signup Milestone

Upcoming Elite Space Combat MMO Gains Momentum as BETA Approaches

Codemasters Online & NetDevil today announced that BETA signups for the highly anticipated elite space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution have now exceeded 150,000 with numbers climbing rapidly! Gamers can continue signing up for the chance to participate in the upcoming BETA.

‘We are pleased to announce this exciting landmark for Jumpgate Evolution,” commented Edward Relf, Director, Marketing, Codemasters Online. “Since the commencement of the BETA signup program three months ago, we have seen overwhelming support for the game and look forward to inviting players into the BETA in the coming months. We encourage everyone looking to get into BETA to sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.”

Jumpgate Evolution is the definitive elite space combat MMO published by Codemasters Online and developed by the US-based NetDevil. This unique new title will allow players to choose from one of three playable Nations and engage in an intense action experience featuring ship-to-ship combat in a persistent online universe. Gamers can embark on an immersive and accessible space adventure where they can trade valuable commodities, take part in dangerous large-scale intergalactic battles, meet and play with friends and live out the dream to become an elite space hero. Jumpgate Evolution features both a rich and varied universe to explore and has been designed for experienced and novice MMO players alike.

Jumpgate is set for release in 2009 with closed BETA due to go live soon.

For more screenshots from the Jumpgate Evolution Beta, please visit the Jumpgate Evolution Screenshot Gallery.