Monthly Archives: April 2009

Zero Online: VIP Services Open On April 11

An update for Zero Online from TQ:
To reward our valuable players for their continued support, we have decided to open the VIP service for the Zero Online players as of April 11, 2009.
If you have credited $150 US or more in TQ points cards since Jan. 01, 2008, you will be eligible to become a VIP member. The more cards you have credited, the better services you can enjoy.
As one of our very important people, you are able to use the following services, designed especially for VIP players:
Level 1 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Upgrade your gear’s level 2 grades at most with a Meteor.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean and Earth Scar for 3 times a day.
Level 2 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Upgrade your gear’s level 3 grades at most with a Meteor.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean, Earth Scar, and Mars Wasteland up to 4 times a day.
Level 3 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Upgrade your gear’s level 4 grades at most with a Meteor.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean, Earth Scar, Mars Wasteland, and Moon Fortress up to 5 times a day.
Level 4 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Use of the VIP Warehouse.
. Remotely repair items and Hangar access.
. Upgrade your gear’s level 5 grades at most with a Meteor.
. Join in the Spacecraft Missions without level or member restrictions.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean, Earth Scar, Mars Wasteland, Moon Fortress, and Neptune Orbit up to 6 times a day.
Level 5 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Use of the VIP Warehouse.
. Remotely repair items and open the Hangar.
. Upgrade your gear’s level 6 grades at most with a Meteor.
. Join in the Spacecraft Missions without level or member restrictions.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean, Earth Scar, Mars Wasteland, Moon Fortress and Neptune Orbit and Titan Icefield for 7 times a day.
Level 6 VIPs
. Remotely open the Warehouse.
. Purchase items from the Super Mall.
. Use of the VIP Warehouse.
. Remotely repair items and open the Hangar.
. Freely upgrade your gear’s level with a Meteor.
. Join in the Spacecraft Missions without level or member restrictions.
. Directly teleport to Blaze Ocean, Earth Scar, Mars Wasteland, Moon Fortress and Neptune Orbit, Titan Icefield, Seafloor, and Titan Dungeon up to 8 times a day.

Dragonica details announced

 

Heralding the launch of its new online games platform, THQ*ICE today revealed details about its first product, Dragonica Online with the debut of the game’s web site located at dragonica.thqice.com. Dragonica Online is being introduced as part of the joint venture with between THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and ICE Entertainment (“ICE”), an operator of online games located in Shanghai, China, to create micro-transaction-based massively multiplayer online (“MMO”) games that will be available at www.thqice.com.
 
Recently available in China under the name Dream Dragon, where it has already become one of the most popular MMOs, Dragonica Online merges innovative 3D side-scrolling, fast-paced combat and a comical, yet devastating, skill system into a single free-to-play MMO offering. The game is being developed by Barunson Interactive and is scheduled to launch online and at retail this fall, but fans can get a hands-on preview of the game when it opens for beta testing, currently scheduled for summer.
“Our new online game platform integrates ICE’s online operating experience with THQ’s product development and retail publishing expertise to develop and deliver innovative game content to consumers,” said Eddie Chen, CEO of THQ*ICE. “Dragonica Online exemplifies the original and entertaining casual MMO experiences that we plan to offer via our platform and we believe its distinct perspective and pacing will excite a broad audience of online action fans.”

Stargate Worlds

After the doubts concerning Stargate Worlds released expressed by Stargate Executive Producer Brad Wright (you can read the news here), yesterday FireSky Senior Marketing Manager Kevin Balentine gave an official response to IGN. Here it is:
 
“Our official response is that the lights here are still on and the development team is working hard every day to get this game built. Team members are in the office seven days a week to deliver Stargate Worlds. Brad Wright is the Stargate expert and a creative consultant on Stargate Worlds who advises us on the story; unfortunately we had not recently updated him on our progress or the impact from the current global economic crisis, and he was not fully aware of the continuing progress on our game. We are currently negotiating several deals that will cover our financial responsibilities and fund the remainder of development. When we sign those deals, you’ll hear about it. Until then, we’ll keep building Stargate Worlds, because right now, that’s the only thing that matters to us.”

Myth War II Online: Easter Egg Spree

Have you tried to claim one of the specially decorated Easter Eggs in the game yet?
In Myth War II, Easter Eggs are being given away to celebrate Easter this year! Beautiful Easter Eggs are a symbol of life and renewal. When they’re enchanted, players will get epic pets by removing the seals. Below is how the flow goes:
 
1.        Claim Easter Eggs: Go to Blython and talk to an NPC to claim one Easter Egg.
2.        Enchant Easter Eggs: Kill monsters in Revive Arena,Snow Ridge and the Sunset Plains to enchant Easter Eggs with magic power collected from dead monsters. The process will go faster if players partner with a newbie.
3.        Receive Blessings: Talk to the Bless Fairy to receive enough blessings to hatch the Easter Eggs.
4.        Unseal Easter Eggs: After one Easter Egg is hatched, the seal on it will be automatically removed. Players will then get an epic pet. It may even be a Deity Beast. To make this even more exciting, players can claim as many Easter Eggs as they like until the event is closed.

 

TwelveSky 2 Open Beta in coming

MAYN Interactive Pte Ltd., today announced that their critically acclaimed Free-to-Play Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game (MMORPG) “TwelveSky 2 – Rise of the Sky Clan” will begin Open Beta on April 23rd. 
“We are excited to announce the launch of Open Beta!” said Raymond Gunawan, Sales & Marketing Director of MAYN Interactive. “Our user community has been waiting for this with bated breath. Today we are excited at the prospect of starting Open Beta in just a couple of weeks. We would like to thank all the players who have helped make Closed Beta Phase II a success and invite more players to try out the game during Open Beta. We have added more content and are very eager to see the fans’ reactions.”
To accommodate the expected increase in the player base, MAYN Interactive is bringing several new servers online in addition to the existing infrastructure. The players who have participated in Closed Beta Phase II will be allowed to carry their characters over to Open Beta. 
Prior to the end of Closed Beta Phase II, MAYN hosted an in-game event: ‘The Last Warrior’. The event helped end Closed Beta on a high note.
 
“TwelveSky 2- Rise of the Sky Clan”, successor to the already popular game “TwelveSky”, harnesses the full potential of the self-developed game engine, GXD, which results in improved graphics and game play.

Armada Online

In Armada Online you can become a captain of your own ships. The alien armada that conquered Earth seeks to prevent humans from reaching the stars. They are your enemy. Study them and exploit their vulnerabilities.

 

If you want to survive in deep space, you have to create teams to fight the armada. So group up and form strategies in order to proceed.

 

You can modify your own ship to promote technological evolution. Life is upgradable too!

Infinity Online Review: Combined Hack & Slash with Style

Infinity Online Review: Combined Hack & Slash with Style
By Jeffrey Kerkdijk (Hyarume), OnRPG Journalist

 

Infinity is an online room-based hack and slash multiplayer game developed by Windysoft and hosted by Gametribe for the European public. The game offers a wide variety of missions and PvP.

 

Infinity online is like a martial arts combat centered game with its own style. Just like in Dynasty Warriors you will have to hack your way through hordes of enemies (not as many enemies at Dynasty Warriors but still you get the picture). Yes, you are going to hit everything on your path with a single blow in Infinity Online. It’s one of games that can remain entertaining for many hours, not despite but because of its flashy, overpowered repetitiveness on offer.

 

Into the Game

There are nine initial character archetypes you can choose from, and they are rather defined by their gender, body-type and, most importantly, their weapons. For example you can choose Kirius, a slender, gloomy-looking man with a long spear who is out for revenge and will bitterly slay anything in his way. Or else you can choose Beakho, a smaller but broad and powerful man with a sword in one hand and a claw in the other. He has devoted his life to battle and becoming stronger. Or if you go more for the female playable characters, Elina has a dual bladed spear and looks like a little angelic-demon (yes, that dual-sided). The nine different types have their own background stories and therefore developed their own independent fighting style and preference for different use of weapons. All of them are powerful souls who will let nothing stand in their way.

 

The background of the game-world doesn’t have a real story, although there are missions (called ‘acts’) that have their own descriptions which add some depth to the game. Mission rewards include XP, items and Luna (the in-game currency). Infinity also hosts PvP content in arena style. Pick a map, mode, fighting type and whether you want to fight with guards or without guards. There are some maps where you can fall off; these so called Ring-Out maps are more challenging than the regular maps. But these matches are also shorter. You can buy other guards, extra characters, extra skills, and other clothing all in the item shop. Some of these can be purchased with Luna, but most of the items on offer require you to get KASH to pay for it. KASH is the cash shop currency from Gametribe.

The controls are good, you move the camera with the mouse and you can attack with it too. You can jump with spacebar, dash with Q and counter attack with R once fully charged you can even unleash a special attack with F. All of these moves, obviously based around the standard WASD navigation keys. The controls work excellent and offer for quick responses in any direction as you mow down your enemies. 

 

Graphic Quality

The graphics of Infinity Online are pretty good. The designs are amusing and carry a heavy East-Asian influence: the fantasy-combat outfits are all shiny and reveal skin at the most interesting places. The combat moves are highly graphic and will flash around the screen, accompanying the tossing of bodyparts. Overall the animations look top-notch and the game can look amazing. Certainly the moves may get somewhat repetitive, but there’s more than enough entertaining content so that even the grinding doesn’t get boring. If you adjust the settings, you will hear that the sound-effects are standard but that is good enough.

 

Personal Experience

Back when I played Infinity Online for the first time during the Game & Game beta, I was hooked. I told my friends that I had found a great fun game to play. During that same year half of my school class got into the hack and slash game that Windysoft made for us. The game was different back then, and the NEW Infinity has changed. It is bigger, more in depth and overall it feels like a new game now. They implemented things like jumping, purchased skills that only last for a week, or a month, and so on. The game became influenced by the cash shop. Premium characters are now only available on cash shop. Overall it became a commercial game.

 

Nowadays Infinity Online is heavily influenced by the cash shop, the balance that existed between the players during the Game & Game beta is gone. Players that pay for the game will have a big advantage of those who don’t and it is sad to see that this has happened to a good game like Infinity Online. The game is still fairly popular, but to me it has lost its touch.

 

Summary

Infinity Online is not a bad game; the game offers a lot of things to do and is fun if you play casually. However if you are a hardcore player Infinity online won’t be fun for long, and you will notice you’re doing the same missions over and over again. PvP is a rather interesting feature of Infinity Online and can be fairly fun. There is a pretty good balance between the characters, but the cash shop does have an influence on the balance of the game. Some characters are only available if you purchase KASH. These characters aren’t overpowered or anything but they are different, they have a totally unique style of battle and not having these characters might give your opponent an advantage against some of the standard characters.

 

Infinity Online, being a hack and slash 3D multiplayer game does have several flaws, but if you can overcome these flaws and if you can enjoy a casual game give Infinity a go. If you are like me, a player that had played Infinity Online from Game & Game, then let it go because it is a different game now.

 

Pros:
Action combat with fluent animations
– Missions
– PvP that is somehow balanced

 

Cons:
– The cash shop
– Repetitiveness

 

Florensia: Private Banking coming

Burda:ic today announced the addition of Private and Account Banks to free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Florensia. The focus of today’s update, access to the Private Bank is free for everyone and available in the center of every city within Florensia.
 
With 28 slots of storage space that can be expanded by purchasing additional slots from the Item Shop, players will never have to worry about running out of inventory space again!
The Account Bank also provides 28 slots of item storage, but may be accessed by every character a player has on a server. Does your Explorer have a powerful item he or she can’t use? Just drop it in the Account Bank and give it to your lower-level Saint! Access to the Account Bank can be purchased from the Item Shop in 7, 15, and 30-day increments, and just might change the way you play Florensia.
 
Also included in today’s update is a bevy of new monster skills, a number of small tweaks to the recently-added Free Battle Zones, and a major Item Shop update that kicks off Easter festivities in Florensia. These springtime outfits include everything from Bunny costumes with matching ears to colorful top hats, and are sure to get players in the mood for Easter egg hunting!

Ys Online: The Call of Solum – Races

 

The Ys series has long been a staple of the Japanese RPG market, comparable in both popularity and success to the Final Fantasy Series. However it has remained relatively unknown in Europe. Which is ironic, since the game series itself is set there!
Discover with us the races that inhabit these beautiful lands.
RACES
Eresian
– Class: Cleric, Knight, Rogue, Warrior, Wizard
– Personality: Friendly
– Specialty: Alchemy, Archaeology
– Average Height: 170cm (5.5ft)
Eresians are extremely gifted in many traits including combat, magic and alchemy to name but a few. Their bodies are elegantly proportioned; not too muscular and not too frail. Their attitudes and demeanor mirror their diversity. In one moment, they can be extremely kind and generous, yet brutally cruel the next. They love to outwit the continent’s other races with their superior intelligence, and what they cannot outwit, they confront with powerful arcane magic.
Afrocan
– Class: Guardian, Nighthawk, Myrmidon, Wicca, Witchdoctor
– Personality: Rebellious
– Specialty: Refinement, Weapon crafting
– Average Height: 190cm (6.2ft)
Afrocans tower head and shoulders over their cousins, the Eresians. Unlike Eresians; who prefer a more subtle approach, Afrocans like to conduct business with the sharp end of a battle axe. Of course, it helps that they are naturally muscular and seemingly carved from granite. It is not surprising that their enormous physical strength and power are ideally suited to combat and they often take part in fierce battles.
Kimoan
– Class: Archer, Conjuror, Protector, Shaman
– Personality: Reclusive
– Specialty: Collection, Cooking, Crafting
– Average Height: 120cm (3.4ft)
While Eresians rely on their intelligence and Afrocans boast of extraordinary physical attributes, Kimoans take pride in their physical agility, sculptural arts and supernatural abilities. Kimoans are the most advanced race on the continent as they harmoniously harness the power of nature and technology.