Monthly Archives: May 2009

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss Coming Summer 2009

Mythic Entertainment officially announced Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss the upcoming expansion to legendary MMORPG Ultima Online. Slated for release this summer, Stygian Abyss will be the eighth expansion to one of the longest-running MMORPGs in the genre’s history. The expansion will introduce a flood of new content for the citizens of Britannia to explore and conquer.
Stygian Abyss revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Since taking center stage in the original Ultima series, Gargoyles have been a fascinating part of the Ultima story – now, Ultima Online players can enjoy Gargoyles firsthand, with a variety of unique skills, including Throwing, Imbuing and Mysticism.
Players will find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss dungeon itself – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. The dungeon will contain new boss monsters of unparalleled difficulty including the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones where adventurers will be turned against each other.

Project Powder, Wind Slayer and SoS news

Project Powder: The highly anticipated commercial release is coming this Thursday, May 7. The web store will be released along with tons of new gear! Customize your character with different stylin’ outfits, accessories, and a variety of extreme boards. Also check out the amazing new map. Challenge yourself to find speedy shortcuts by taking advantage of the jumps along the mountain.
Wind Slayer: A new map, The Serien Cave, is being released! This cave contains all sorts of unique creatures and challenging quest objectives. Also the Mystery Cube system is coming out. There will be Cubes that can either be created from in game materials or bought with SparkCash and they have a chance to contain special, rare items that can only be found within the cubes!
Solstice: A house system will be coming out shortly where players can decorate and hang out with friends inside their own house. The release date will most likely be around two weeks from now so keep an eye out for more information.

Myth War II Online: Dragons and Slayers Event

Myth War II Online is going to host a large scale online event called The Dragons and Slayers this month. Now stayed tuned with us to take a sneak peat into its intrigue storyline:
One such dragon, a giant that had lived innumerous lifetimes, had lived a solitary existence, guarding its dearest treasure, a huge magical gem embedded in the flesh on its long, sloping head. Slayers pursued it to the ends of the continent, and beyond, hoping to take the gem and leave their mark on history.
Becoming enraged by this violation, the dragon vowed revenge on the people for their greed and malice. Quickly torching the villages near his cave, none were spared his wrath.
Knights engaged the beast in battle. They had tricked it into following them into the Eternal Dungeon. The ten warriors were tasked by the city elders with guarding it. What came next doesn’t take a seer to figure out. 5 warriors quickly fell to its claws and were eaten alive. The other 5 managed to escape and block the door. They set elaborate traps and magical locks on the door, all in an attempt to put the beast to rest once and for all. However, in their haste to leave, they forgot about the weapons of their 5 fallen comrades. These were no ordinary weapons, they were treasures of the realm, having been forged by a skilled blacksmith and imbued with magic.
The city elders mourned the loss of these treasures and have begun recruiting new warriors to challenge the beast and get them back.

Dungeon Fighter Online

Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO) is an online ction game that combines immersive MMORPG elements with arcade-style beat ’em up combat. Players will battle monsters as an individual explorers or team up to journey through exclusive multiplayer dungeons. Along with an epic storyline, DFO has been enjoyed by over 400 million gamers across the world.

Features:

Unique characters: Featuring over 13 playable characters, each with their own play styles and abilities.

Intense action: Enjoy endless combos and eye-catching special attacks, along with engaging 1 vs 1 PVP.

Strong community support: The DFO staff values open and honest communication with their players. Expect hefty amounts of support, events and more.

Zero Online: Veteran’s Return Event

We are pleased to announce the start of the Veteran’s Return! We warmly welcome all pilots above level 100, to participate in this exciting event!
 
Duration:
May 4-22, 2009
 
Requirements:
Level 100 or above
 
Rewards:
Retuning Pilot: An Ultra Weapon
Recruiter: Free Zero Points
 
Rules
 
Returning Pilots
Are you above level 100 and not logged into Zero universe since before April 20? If so, this is your chance to receive a free Ultra weapon! All you have to do is return to the Zero universe and credit a TQ point card into your account during the event, then you can choose the Ultra weapon of your dreams. Each pilot can claim only one weapon.
 
Recruiter
Do you have a friend who hasn’t played Zero since before April 20? Send them your invitation to come back and fight again! Once your friend comes back to the game and credits a TQ Point card, you are eligible to get 10% of the credited amount in free Zero Points! You can receive up to 13,800 free Zero Points.
 
So if you’ve been away for a while, or know somebody you think should get back in the game, this may be just the incentive you need to experience the thrill of battle once more! The Alliance needs you! It’s time for you to take up your arms and fight the good fight again!
 
These returning pilots will not only support the existing veterans and recruits, but will bring some much needed experience and fun! Let’s fight together to prepare for the upcoming missions and research new tech!
 
Steps:
1. Access the event page and enter your account details to log in
2. You will be taken to the recruiting/returning page according to your status.
3. Enter your friend’s information to recruit /return.
4. If you receive no invitation at your return (your first login), your account will be listed as being invited by the system.
5. As a returning pilot, you can select a level-50 Ultra weapon once you credit a card into your Zero account, and your recruiter can receive 10% of the credited amount in free Zero Points.
6. As a recruiter, you can get 10% of the credited amount in free Zero Points once your returning veteran credits a card into the game.
7. All prizes are claimed from the Prize Manager (Steel Warship 505, 853).
 
This is your chance to earn an Ultra weapon and some free ZPs!

Angels Online: Desert Overview

The Angels Online team is getting ready to release their new expansion, House Party. Today, the Angels Online team is going to give a brief introduction about the newly-added desert maps.
The desert maps are located to the east of Eden and include stone forests, mountain villages, meteor holes, Middle Eastern style dwellings and palaces. Angels can start their exploration to the right of Cactus Plain and then enter the first new scene, Crescent Valley, to start their adventures.
 
Crescent Valley
The desert valley stretches on from the eastern Cactus Plain and you can find giant stones here and there. The desert style continues near the Iron Castle.
 
Landform Feature: It is a stone forest which is connected with the Cactus Plain.
 
Ghost Village
Players will arrive in a narrow valley after they leave the Desert Racetrack and head eastward. Many desert robbers have gathered here to rob travelers who pass by the hidden robbers’ dens. Recently, those robbers have been gaining in strength and power. Who’s supporting them…?
 
Landform Feature: A natural maze formed by natural stone walls.
 
Fantastic Sand City
It is a mysterious sand city. Nobody knows who built it. However, the beautiful colors on the walls still describe the glory and wealth from the past. At present, the centaurs occupy the city, ready to attack all strangers.
 
Landform Feature: A flourishing city with a lot of ancient buildings.
 
Nightmare Palace
Seems like a pearl in the desert. The giant palace surrounded by the mysterious Fantastic Sand City used to be where the Leviathan lived.
 
Landform Feature: A mystic palace built on a lake.
 
Instance: Leviathan’s Bedroom
Players can arrive in the Leviathan’s Bedroom after they pass through the mysterious passage in Nightmare Palace. It seems that a girl is always crying in the dark somewhere…

Gunz and Soldier Front: New Servers

Players of two popular titles on NHN USA’s renowned ijji.com portal are benefitting from some major update news.  Gunz the Duel, where outlaws and bounty hunters battle it out in a world of fantasy merged with industry, and Soldier Front, a modern military First-Person Shooter (FPS) game, both have new servers on the East Coast of the United States to further the speed and accessibility to the games’ players. 
Gunz the Duel launches players into a world where fantasy and magic meet the industrial revolution. In the ruins of decades of war between the Republic and the Empire, treasure seekers, bounty hunters and rogue explorers use stealth, magic and cunning wiles to sneak across the border on various quests of pillage and capture. 
Soldier Front is ijji.com’s action packed answer to a modern warfare FPS.  Take on the likeness of various special forces unit leaders, such as SAS, Seal, Delta Force and more and implement distinctive task force strategy found in today’s modern combat.
Players of both games have immediate access to the new servers, providing visual guides to help gamers find the one closest to their location. 

Bang! Howdy

Play Bang! Howdy, the latest tactical strategy browser game in the Wacky Wild West World.
 
Game features:
– play in 7 different game scenarios
– control up to 16 units with unique abilities
– use cards and other power-up items to intensify the battles
– create your own cowboy or indian avatar!

Wizard 101 Review: For friends and family!

Written by Mohammed Afzal (MageMoa), Onrpg Journalist
If you are looking for a unique game to spend your time without too much hassle, Wizard101 will be your best bet. Wizard101 has been created by Kingsisle Entertainment and is their only game. The game costs $9,95 for one month,  $49,95 for 6 months and $79,95 for one year.
For more information about subscriptions; Check their site!
The game offers you a wide world full of unique monsters, great battles and challenging quests. Other than that, there are many classes, summons, NPCs and features which are based on the storyline of the game. I’m going to take you all to the world of Wizard101 and let you experience one of the most unique games in the world!

The beginning

When creating a character, you will have to choose between quite some classes. By doing a test, you will find out which kind of magic fits you the most. After choosing a class, you will have to create your character. The character creation of the game is not really complex. You have to pick your robe, hat and shoes and dye them.
When you are done with this, you will have to choose a name. Sadly, you will not be able to create your own name. You will have to choose one by going through a big list full of names.
After choosing a name, you will be set into Wizard City. By talking to The headmaster of Ravenwood School, you will start your adventure in the world of Wizard101!

Classes and magic

There are many classes to choose from. Your character will have a main class but you will also be able to get spells from a different class. This is a great way to keep balance between your spells. These different kinds of magic also affect the gameplay of your character.

The Schools of Magic
Storm School: The Storm School has the ability to use lightning as its own kind of magic. Lightning magic causes the highest damage, but also has the highest chance on failing while casting a spell. Other than that, they have the lowest amount of health. If you are going to pick the Storm School, it might be smart to get a defense school as a subclass.
 
Ice School: The Ice School is the school with the most balanced stats. It has a decent amount of defense and health and it does medium damage. It is a great class if you like to party with your friends.
 
Fire School: The Fire School is a special school. It has long duration spells, which means that it will take a while before your opponent is killed. It is one of the hardest types of magic and I would recommend you not to start with it.
 
Myth School: The Myth School can be seen as the summoning school. They rely on their minions while using buffs to protect themselves and their party members from their enemies. The Myth School is frequently used with an offensive or a long duration school, because this will keep their spells in balance.
 
Balance School: The Balance School is the most balanced of all the schools if you are talking about spells. They pretty much have a little bit of everything. They can heal themselves, they can buff, but they can also attack their opponent. The Balance School is a good subclass if you have a very unbalanced school as your main school (ex. Storm School).
 
Death School: The Death School is a mix between long duration spells and healing spells. Death magic has the ability to absorb heal from their opponents while dealing decent damage. The Death School is a hard school to master when you are new to the game, especially because it takes quite some time to understand their way of battling.
 
Life School: The Life School has the power to heal and protect their party members and themselves. It is the most used subclass, because it has many healing spells and a few offensive spells. Life School is not an offensive type of magic, but it will make a great combo with a strong class (ex. Ice School).

Gameplay

Wizard101 offers us a unique way of combat. The combat of the game is turnbased. This basically means that you will have to wait for your turn before being able to attack your enemy. The turnbased combat of the game is also very user friendly. You will not be attacked if you stay on the sidewalks and kill stealing is impossible; everybody gets the same amount of exp and gold.
The second unique feature of the battles must be the card magic. Each school has their own spells. The power of these spells is sealed in cards. Other than permanent cards, you will also be able to obtain or buy one-time use cards from other schools to fight tougher monsters. You will be able to choose your own deck before starting a battle. You will always be able to change this deck of cards. When you fight an enemy, you will have to use your cards to attack.
There are many kinds of cards which will be explained briefly:
– Damage cards: These deal damage to the opponent.
– Healing cards: These heal yourself or your party members.
– Health Drain cards: These damage your opponent while absorbing a part of their health.
– Shield cards: These cards will protect you against spells and give you resistance against some kind of magic.
– Manipulation cards: These will basically allow you to control the cards of your opponent.
– Global & Charm cards: These cards buff yourself or your party members and some cards are even able to curse your enemies.
– Enchantment cards: These cards increase the effect of other cards (higher damage, more defense etc..).

Features and graphics

Wizard101 is a child friendly game.  The graphics are cute and colorful and they will not harm players of any age. Even the scariest monsters are somewhat funny, so you don’t have to worry about violence or anything if your child plays this game. Wizard101 might be a bit too overprotective; Children can’t type whatever they want and even with free access to the chat, you will still be very limited.
The game has quite some nice features. One of these features is the minigames function of the game. You will be able to play many different minigames to restore your mana. These minigames are amusing and they will give you a break from playing the game. The game also offers us PvP. It is just like a regular battle; the only difference is that your opponent is not a NPC, but a player.
Last but not least; The pet feature. Wizard101 has lots of small creatures which guide you through the game. The pets are not just for fun; Some of them raise your attributes or give you permanent cards!

Conclusion

Wizard101 is a unique game which mostly targets younger players, but it is also a great game for the older gamers. It is different from other MMORPGs and you will never get enough of the game! There is always something to do!
Pros:
– Unique combat
– Many classes
– Great features
– Amusing quests
– Smooth graphics
 
Cons:
– Limited chat
– Limited trial
– A bit too overprotective