Monthly Archives: April 2009

LUNA Online Expansion: Rise of Spirit

Singapore LUNA Online announces new expansion, Rise of Spirit.  A 3rd Job change has open up and players have a choice of 12 different jobs to select. Other than that, 4 new maps are up for characters of higher level to explore.
During the launch of expansion, all players will get a chance to get a free skill reset, providing players an opportunity to rebuild their character.
LUNA Online is an MMORPG with many social interactive functions such as Match-Making, farms, couple instances and many more for players to explore.
To further provide a better gaming experience for players from around the world, LUNA Online will be upgrading their internet connection in May 2009. Players will be able to roam the Blueland with low latency and higher performance.

Lunia: New archer class

NHN USA’s popular anime-influenced MMORPG Lunia announces an exciting new upgrade to the game, now available on the renowned ijji.com portal.  The upgraded version features an intriguing new character, Arien, who is a member of an entirely new class to the game: the Elven Archer.
“Lunia’s colorful anime elements compliment the intensity of its arcade-style game play, and this new character further compliments that relationship, merging beauty and power,” said Philip Yun, CEO, NHN USA.  “As a strong figure in this fascinating adventure, Arien will be a character that both existing Lunia gamers and those experiencing the game for the first time are going to love.”
Generally peaceful until provoked, Arien embodies numerous qualities that attest to her strength and appeal.  With a desire to protect her native forest at all costs, she possesses several attack options, both long and short range.  This svelte archer has also befriended fairies of wind, fire and lightening to help her harness the elements to further protect her beloved home. 
Lunia revolves around a detailed plot and storyline comprising various episodes, meaning new content is always appearing.  The game has a very unique anime-influenced feel, with cell shaded animation in the style of Japanese Manga comics.  Players battle monsters and each other over the course of multiple, increasingly difficult episodes of the overall plot.  They often have to accomplish specific missions in order to advance to the next level.

Mir 3: Prelude To War

The Legend of Mir series is a MMORPG Game set in the Eastern fantasy realm. It has introduced Eastern style fantasy MMORPGs to the game market where Western style fantasy MMORPG dominated and has inspired many other games.

An Oriental based MMORPG Game
Legend of MIR 3 was released as an expansion to Legend of MIR 2. It inherits all the great features and storyline of its predecessor, but adds great features such as better graphics and improved quest systems. Other added features include new monsters, quests, items, zones and a class(Assassin).
Users will spend hours exploring new zones and dungeons. As users explore new areas they will encouter powerful and challenging monsters.

Zero Online Interview: Always Plenty Events

Questions by Jeffrey Kerkdijk (Hyarume), Onrpg writer
Answered by Wang Wei, Product Manager
 
Onrpg had the chance to interview Wang Wei chief game designer for TQ digital. Zero online is a sci-fi action MMORPG, with tons of features never seen in MMORPGs before! How is Zero online doing? Did I just hear something about a new expansion coming up?
 
 
Onrpg: Could you give us a small introduction about yourself and what you do for Zero online?

My name is Wang Wei, and I’m the chief game designer for TQ Digital. I’m responsible for overseeing the designs of all projects within the studio – to monitor those projects through development and ensure that they adhere to the vision and direction, while meeting the highest standard within the required timescale.
 
 
Onrpg: How is Zero Online doing at the moment?
Zero Online is currently doing very well. The players are really enjoying the game. Many game operators have offered to run this game, which is positive. For the moment, we have released several language versions, including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. More languages will be released in the near future.
 
 
Onrpg: What was the whole idea behind creating Zero Online?
Fantasy games currently dominate the MMORPG market, and more and more gamers are tiring of the fantasy genre and showing their interest in sci-fi. But the Sci-fi MMORPGs is one of the most under-developed genres, so players have few choices in sci-fi games to play. A lot of our designers and programmers are also big sci-fi fans, so we gave them a chance to bring their great ideas and abilities into full play.  The success of Zero Online proves that sci-fi MMOs DO have huge potential in the market right now.
 
 
Onrpg: What makes Zero Online “stand out” in the current MMORPG market?
Well, being free to play is a big stand out. All our servers have no IP restrictions, so people around the world can play together. This sci-fi themed game stands out because of its unique features, such as multiple units, transformation, core programs, spacecraft missions, satellite research, etc. We also hold all kinds of events and contests to give away fantastic prizes to our players. 
 
 
Onrpg: I noticed that when playing the game, once you reach a certain point there isn’t much to do. Are there any future content updates that will change this?
We have regular content updates every month. Players can expect new events or features almost every week. We will be adding 4 more events and some new features in April. The new expansion has been released in Chinese version, and it will be brought to the English version in May. A lot of new features and content is already under development, including new missions, features, skills, items… We are dedicated to giving our players a fresh and exciting experience in Zero Online.
 
 
Onrpg: Will there be new features released in the future?
Of course! We have the new expansion to be released this May.  By then, players can merge their main unit and ARMs into one super unit, many destructive new skills to give players the thrilling experience of utterly destroying their enemies, the Satellite Research Academy can offer the hard-working pilots an opportunity to research the combats and programs, and new regions for the pilots to explore.
 
Many other missions and new features are already under development, and will be released soon.
 
 
Onrpg: Could you give us a short description of how the PvP works in the game?
PKing is one of the biggest features in Zero Online. The new players are protected from being PKed, but once they grow up and become powerful enough, they can try their hand at PKing. Of course, in all the cities, PKing is prohibited. Players can also choose not to PK, and just explore the universe. To stop those ruthless PKers from killing the innocents, there are severe punishment rules for the PK abusers. If a player has killed too many people, he can be put into the PK jail, or if they’re killed, they might drop some of the items they’re currently wearing. There are also weekly and monthly PK tournaments for players to prove their prowess and gain recognition among the community. Players can also choose to duel with a rival, and not have to worry about losing any of their hard-earned items.
 
Onrpg: How is the community involved with the game?
The strong community is one of the best features of Zero Online. Players can be guided and mentored by the high level veterans, well known traders can become trade partners to trade their items more freely, friends can share exp, married couples can cut damage taken in half, and eligible adventurers can team up to complete spacecraft missions. Players are encouraged to organize a Fleet and Squad to band together and face their challenges head on. The fleet and squad members can take part in the fleet and squad battles to win prizes. The weekly and monthly PK tournaments are also a good place for players to get to know each other.
 
One of the things I like in the game, is that each male pilots can receive a rose each day to give to a charming lady. We also constantly hold a lot of online and offline events to encourage players to communicate with each other.
 
Onrpg: What is your favorite feature from Zero Online?
Zero Online is popular for its exclusive features.  The favorite features are the transformation, spaceship missions, R&D center, multi-weapon system, ARMs, core system, unit overhaul, and of course, the community.
 
1) Transform. Players can learn different transformation skills to transform their units into all kinds of powerful forms.
2)  Spaceship missions. Players can team up to complete the varied missions, which require not only strength, but also teamwork and skill.
3) R&D Center. Here players can research and develop their programs and battle skills.
4) Multi-Weapon. Players are allowed to equip multiple weapons, which can offer the pilots the choices of just which way they want to destroy their foe.
5) ARMs. The pilots can command not only their primary unit, but also the ARMs. The main unit and ARMs can also be switched freely, to be used in just the right situation.
6) Core system. Players’ power is not only decided by their level and equipment, but also by the core programs they have installed. Different kinds of programs are integrated in a core, which can greatly affect the results of any battle if used correctly.
 
 
Onrpg: What motivates players when they are playing Zero Online?
In Zero Online, we provide opportunities for all of our players to experience success, by setting goals in both the short and long term. Players can receive recognition and honor in a variety of areas. Their efforts will bring them not only the Ultra quality equipment and powerful skills, but also the leadership, fortune, and glory.
When players become powerful enough, they can mentor and guide the lower level players, command the spaceship members to help complete all kinds of missions, donate their money to gain a title of nobility, conquer their rivals in the PK tournaments, lead their fleets and squads in the wars to dominate the territories, and to have their names shown in the Hall of Fame.
The pride and respect that arise from these successes can help players to develop self confidence, and the desire to try even harder.
 
 
Onrpg: Are there any new system features in development?
Currently we have quite a few new system features we’re developing, including the new expansion which is planned to be released this May. This expansion contains new units, transformation skills, missions, maps, and research that can be done.  We are also developing the sky missions, the PK tournament for transformed units, quiz contests, and some additions to the currently existing features.
 
 
Onrpg: What customization options are available?
In Zero Online, players have many choices for customizing their characters. For example, they can paint their units with their favorite colors, choose unique avatars, stamp their equipment with laser signatures, select their desired ARMs, decide to become a merchant or not, socket their equipment and cores with different gems, compose the cores with different programs, transform the units into a cooler form, and so on.
 
 
Onrpg: How do you deal with bots/gold sellers?
In order to protect the game and its players from the destructive influences of cheating, any illegal third-party programs and gold selling can result in a permanent ban of the involved accounts from Zero Online, as well as the other TQ games.
 
 
Onrpg: Zero online is set in a sci-fi themed world. How do you maintain that atmosphere?
Zero Online is a lush world full of high-tech equipment, programs, spaceships, and mutant aliens. In this futuristic world, the infantry and artillery pilots can command the ships to complete missions on far away planets, research and develop core programs in the Satellite Academy, control multiple weapons and units, transform and merge their units, and run fleets and squads of other pilots to achieve whatever goals they choose.
 
 
Onrpg: How does Zero online reward its players when they play the game?
Players can receive rich rewards from Zero Online. They are rewarded with free units and equipment once they meet certain requirements, and they can win fantastic prizes from the spacecraft missions, PK tournament, and Fleet and Squad Wars. The experienced players can also gain bonus exp from mentoring and guiding the lower level players. Also, Military Badge holders and VIP members can claim other benefits, like free cores every day.
 
In addition, we often hold all kinds of events to give away exclusive items for free, such as double exp, free Zero Points, Meteors, Military Badges, and many other prizes.

Silkroad: Magic Pop system

Joymax, an independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for the global market, today announced the launch of “Magic Pop,” Silkroad Online’s new system. Adventurous, risk-taking players simply have to purchase a Magic Pop card from the Item Mall, choose the item they’d like to play for, and take a chance if they want to win big!

Players who get a winning red coupon may receive Grade-S Devil’s Spirits, Grade-B Devil’s Spirits, popular character outfits, 9th and 10th-grade Seal of Sun Weapons, or one of many other powerful items. Players with losing green coupons won’t get one of the grand prizes, but consolation prizes include additional tickets, Gold Time or Skill Gold Time Day Passes, 8th-grade Seal of Star Weapons, and more!

Lineage II The Chaotic Throne: Gracia Final

The Lineage II: Gracia Final expansion introduces a brand new continent, Gracia, and provides captivating PvE, PvP, and small group experiences.  This expansion also has a number of exciting new features, ranging from flight to inventive instances to airborne raid bosses.  Anyway you look at it the Gracia Final expansion offers an invigorating and breathtaking adventure for players.
 
The Gracia continent is a unique part of this Lineage II expansion.  Part of what makes this land so exceptional is that it allows one to explore the skies with several aerial transformations.  The Aurabird Falcon, Aurabird Owl, and Final Flying Form transformations enable players, who have met the prerequisites, to soar through the skies of Gracia, and experience PvP and PvE like they have never seen before in Lineage II.  Up in the sky await new aerial hunting grounds and monstrous raid bosses that incorporate the flying transformations and truly take Lineage II combat to new heights.
 
In addition to the continent itself, unexplored hunting grounds have been unveiled.  These zones will test your strategy, strength, and skill while battling for ownership of the Seed of Infinity and the Seed of Destruction.  The seeds are structures of a different world which were summoned by descendants of the Shilen worshippers before they were banished from Gracia.  In order to fight these worshippers, the human race has allied with the Gracia Lord to keep the worshippers from re-entering Gracia and taking control.  Overthrow enemy strongholds, take charge, and then defend strategic points so the enemy will not regain control.   These ongoing and ever-changing wars bring an invigorating breath to the PvE world of Lineage II, by banding all players together to fight for the common goal of victory.  The rewards will justify the battle, but the question is: Are you strong enough to survive?
 
What Lineage II expansion would be complete without the addition of new raid bosses?  Gracia brings new raid bosses that push players to their strategic edge by melding expert group coordination and efficient individual skill use.  Players are also invited to tempt the air again by engaging flying raid bosses over the Gracia skies.  Warm up your wings, sharpen your swords, and lift off for amazing adventures. To the victor goes the spoils of battle and the thrill of the next challenge. To the defeated, only a shallow grave awaits far below the battleground.
 
Prepare yourself to take to the air, battle for supremacy over new raid bosses, and join forces with allies against the exiled descendants of Shilen worshippers in the new battle grounds. The Gracia continent in Lineage II awaits the brave and courageous.

Luna Online: Closed beta starting on April 17th

The highly anticipated title finally hits stateside, bringing a whirlwind of innovative social features combined with solid traditional MMO features, to an already eager fan base. Luna Online, will be a fresh take on the MMORPG genre for MMO players as the game provides for extensive social systems focusing on the community. Players will connect with other players from around the world on Luna Online’s Matchmaking System, Date Instances, Family System and Guilds Alliances System.

Luna Online’s already robust community has been eagerly waiting for Closed Beta Testing to finally open its doors. On April 17th, users will be able to test out Luna Online’s multitude of exciting features.  

“We’ve been behind the scenes, in the preparation phase of Luna Online for quite some time now, it is a real pleasure to finally present our hard work and dedication to our users! With our focus squarely on the community, our users will be right at home for quite some time at Luna Online.  I’m looking forward to seeing our community’s reaction to the game.” -Elliott Coward, Producer of Luna Online.

Final Fantasy XI: A Brief History of Final Fantasy XI

By Joshua Temblett (Dontkillmydreams), Onrpg writer
What, why, when, how, where and who?  These are the fundamental questions when looking at history, and video game history is no exception.  What inspired the idea of Final Fantasy XI and who took on the challenge of conceiving and creating it?  How did this giant MMORPG get its first foot off the ground and into the door of a giant, ever expansive world?  Join us, as we take a brief look at how this game got started and how it became a legend.
 
With an emerging MMORPG market that showed the world it could certainly pack a punch (with games like Ultima Online and Everquest becoming ever popular), Hironobu Sakaguchi, the mastermind behind the Final Fantasy series, managed to convince Square to test the waters of the new genre in the year of 1999.  The developer who was given the task of creating the online world, was the team behind Chrono Cross, but of course little did they know what would lie ahead of them.
 
Final Fantasy XI is described by its producer Hiromichi Tanaka as the “most [representative] Final Fantasy of all the instalments”, strongly influenced by the early Square release Final Fantasy III, and one can easily see its influence in Final Fantasy XI.  FFXI’s first MMORPG featured a huge amount of features new to the genre, whilst building and improving on most of the staples set by other MMOs. 
 
One of the most well known features of the game is the multi lingual servers which, instead of giving each region a server, meant that players could play together from all over the world.  Not only did this create a truly worldwide community (there was a multi-lingual chat system so players with different languages could communicate with each other), but also reduced costs of the development of the game by 66%.  This did create some small problems though as Final Fantasy XI did not have a worldwide release which meant that once it was released in North America (one year after the Japanese release) most of the players had already completed the majority of the quests and the game was generally unbalanced.  To solve this problem though, Square created new servers which didn’t feature an already evolved economy and community.
 
Another feature that played heavily to Final Fantasy XI success was the ability to change class at any point during the game, by just going to see your own personal moogle (a series staple) in your home.  Unfortunately you could only create one character; you’d have to pay if you wanted to create more.  This wasn’t really much of a problem though, considering you could change your class at anytime. 
 
Whilst most MMORPGs are fairly light on storyline, FFXI was not.  The game features a deep lore and an engrossing story, with cut scenes to boot.  However, one complaint at the time was that you’d really dig your teeth in to level up and play through huge bits of the game in order to get to the next story sequence, which did of course create a hook for gamers, and meant that they had to keep on playing in order to find out what happens next in the story of Vana’diel.  The story was vast, with your character meeting many other unique characters along the way.  In short the storyline in Final Fantasy XI was epic.
 
Final Fantasy XI was directed by K?ichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series; however Hironobu Sakaguchi and the great artist Yoshitaka Amano also contributed to the title.  Nobuo Uematsu (the composer behind the large majority of the Final Fantasy games) worked on the giant score for the game.  Naoshi Mizuta followed Uematsu’s excellent work on the original game and worked on the scores for the expansion packs. 
 
2003 saw the release of Rise of the Zilart, Final Fantasy XI first expansion in (in America and Japan) which included the level cap of 50 being lifted along with the new areas available to explore.  Final Fantasy XI finally got a release in Europe in 2004 with the inclusion of the expansion packs Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia.
 
To include all of the history of Final Fantasy XI would make this article several pages long and a tiresome read.  If you wish to find more about the history of the game, or more importantly, where the game is now, give it a whirl, as there is no better time to enter the world of Vana’diel.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief history.

Holy War

Holy-War is a free and complex browser-based role playing game! Dive into the age of the Holy War! Take on the role of a Knight as a Christian, Saracen or Pagan and conquer or defend the Holy Land!
Features
– 3 different faiths
– 7 property values
– Weapons, shields, armour, helmets, horses and elixirs
– A unique weapon for every faith
– Pursue diplomacy, form alliances
– Order battles and Holy Battles
– Warrior vs. warrior fights, plundering
– Arena and tournaments
– Marketplace, shops, mercenary market, tavern …