Monthly Archives: September 2009

Puzzle Pirates Interview: Minigames MMO

Questions by Eline Stiekema (Snow Cherries), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Three Rings dev team

Puzzle Pirates is a friendly, low-key kind of game that everyone can enjoy from the first moment. Onrpg gave the Three Rings dev team the third degree and learned some interesting stuff about the game, the community and upcoming events. And pirates, guess what… they disclose some about the new features!

Onrpg: What inspired you to create a game like Puzzle Pirates?
The original designers of the game, Daniel James and Michael Bayne, were looking for a way to avoid the grinding seen in many MMOs and how leveling up becomes the obsession of players in games of that sort. Daniel originally had the idea of using puzzles to circumvent this problem and has always had a love of pirates. Hence, the game was born as a way to provide some of the experience of an MMO from a more casual perspective.

Onrpg: Which feature of Puzzle Pirates are you the most proud of?
The team is most proud of the economy in the game, something that makes Puzzle Pirates far deeper than many comparable games. Every item in the game is essentially created from scratch (raw materials), distributed, and sold by players running “shoppes” on different islands. We think this feature makes it possible for players to immerse themselves in the world of the game to whatever level they wish. It does create some limitations for us in terms of distributing items, but the level of complexity it introduces to the gameplay is a thing to behold.

Onrpg: Which puzzle do you like best?
The next one! We add puzzles to the game on a fairly frequent schedule. We currently have around 20, covering both ship activities and the work required to run the shoppes on each island. There are actually several crafts for which we have designs for puzzles that are not yet implemented, including tailoring and weaving. We’re hoping to add them soon.

Putting aside the currently non-existent puzzles – we find that players tend to fall into two groups: those that enjoy more soothing puzzles like “bilge” or some of the crafting puzzles, and those that prefer puzzles with a more fast-paced arcade feel (like our swordfighting puzzles). Personally, I prefer carpentry as it requires more spatial thinking.

Bilge Puzzle

Onrpg: Why can a pirate’s name only consist of one word?
An excellent question! We often wonder why we didn’t allow two word names. Too late now, of course.

Onrpg: Why does the duty report that pop up while players are in the middle of a puzzle? Why not showing this when the puzzle is finished?
Problem one: When is the puzzle finished? Never! The duty report interruption of play is actually a design feature, although some players have asked for a way around it. From the outset, the duty report was intended to provide a moment for players to rest and interact with their crew members. People often take the time to compliment each other on good scores etc. and take a breather. More recently, we added “expeditions” to the game. These are short quests that involve going to desert islands or ship wrecks to hunt for treasure. We’re hoping these also provide breaks when players can interact more socially. We like to be sure people aren’t looked in the puzzling tunnel all the time!

Onrpg: What do you think makes Puzzle Pirates stand out from other games?
The most important aspect of the game was put in place with Daniel and Mike’s initial design: you don’t get better in the game simply because you grind away from level to level. This means that new players have a much better chance of joining the game and truly enjoying it. They aren’t going to get stomped by a more experience player simply because the newbie hasn’t been around as long. Any conflict between them is resolved based on how they both do at a puzzle. We think this makes the game more accessible and avoids the rather unattractive grinding feature that most other games impose on players.

Onrpg: If you could really go out your way without any restrictions, what would you add to or change about the game?
We actually have a lot of freedom in what we add to the game so I don’t think anyone on the team feels that we’ve not been able to include the features we’d like. Unlike some other games, Puzzle Pirates has evolved considerably since launch. We’ve added elements that have substantially enhanced or changed game play multiple times in the 5 years the game has been running so it’s hard to say there’s something specific we’ve missed, although we do always have ideas for the future that get the team excited.

Probably our greatest restriction is the rate at which we add features. There are times when we feel uncomfortable adding something at a particular juncture because of the time that will pass before we can add a complementary feature that would be needed as a balance to it. For some concepts, the fact that our team is of a certain size make it impossible roll out both parts at the same time. This sometimes puts the kibosh on an idea. That’s probably the biggest limiter we’re operating with.

Onrpg: Why did you decide to have free puzzle days?
We have free puzzle days so that players can experience all the puzzles in the game and, perhaps, decide they are worth the price of subscription or a doubloon badge. Exposing all our content to players in a metered way seems like a good way to promote each of the puzzles.

Onrpg: What are the advantages for players who subscribe to full access?
Subscribers gain access to the tools needed to run a ship and get on the path to being a pirate captain. One of the beautiful design elements in Puzzle Pirates is that those players that do subscribe and purchase a ship, etc. are actually creating a great deal of the fun and excitement for the whole community. They themselves also benefit in terms of what they earn and their ability to engage in more involved adventures from creating excitement for the rest of the community. We think this feedback loop between the highly invested and casual players is one of the marvelous features of the design that Daniel and Mike came up with.

Onrpg: What do you think about the Puzzle Pirates-community?
The Puzzle Pirates community is absolutely extraordinary. Give its size and longevity, perhaps the most remarkable feature of the community is how civil, excited about the game, and genuinely open it remains. We also very much appreciate the deep game knowledge that many of the players, particularly those that participate in the forums, bring to the debate about the ongoing evolution of Puzzle Pirates. We definitely make a point of keeping an eye on the forums and the ideas that are proposed there.

We also have an amazing support team that’s very engaged with the player community. We make a point of encouraging events and outreach activities to ensure that the support staff retains close links with players. It is important for us to identify problems as they emerge in the both the economic and game play systems in Puzzle Pirates quickly. The player base is pretty vocal about this, as you can imagine. They are, of course, also all a crazy bunch of pirates, which is also great in and of itself.

Onrpg: I see you’re organizing three meet-ups in North Carolina, Melbourne and the Netherlands. Why did you decide to organize these, and why these specific locations?
These are actually player-sponsored events that are not directly affiliated with Three Rings. However, we do encourage players to coordinate these kinds of activities through our forums and sometimes support Ocean Master attendance at events (although our support staff are not attending in an official capacity).

Puzzle Pirates

Onrpg: What do you expect of these meet-ups, why should players visit one of them?
We actually did sponsor an event several years ago in our offices for players that were able to join us in San Francisco. Part of the reason for this, as mentioned above, was so that we could stay involved with the players and keep tabs how they saw the game developing.

What I found so surprising at that meet-up was how diverse the player base was. There were people from across the world and almost all age groups from younger than college age to retirement. It was, of course, enjoyable to see how excited they were to meet other people that played Puzzle Pirates. The best part, however, was that they were most excited not necessarily because they’d known each other in game, but because they knew they were in a community of people that shared a fascination with pirates.

There’s generally a sense of frivolity and swagger that many people that are attracted to the pirate world share. They have a sense that the world would be a little better if we all had a cutlass and bandana and a slightly kookier attitude towards things.  I think that certainly worth the effort to get to a Puzzle Pirate meet up.

Onrpg: Are there any particular player requests that will influence new developments in the future?
We’ve just finished a series of releases that substantially revamped and extended our “pillaging” system (pillaging being what Pirates do out on the high seas when looking for loot). Our focus is now turning to the higher end aspects of the game, including how players become the governors of the pirate islands, what they do when they become a governor, and how that feedback into the general experience of the game for the whole community. This is something that many players will agree is due some attention.

Onrpg: Are there elements of the game that were unsuccessful and have disappeared, or will disappear or change in the future?
We experimented with making smaller “adventure” versions of the current game using our existing art. Our goal was to create something more explicitly RPG-like. It turned out that the principle pillaging experience in the game, the first thing that the original designers created, is core to player enjoyment. Insofar as it wasn’t included in the adventures, we really hadn’t created something that was very fun. We’re hoping we’ll be able to build towards something more “adventure-like” with the recently added Expedition feature.

Onrpg: Are there any upcoming big events that players can look forward to?
There are several substantial blockades coming up on several of our Oceans. Blockades involve vast armadas of ships engaging in battle for control of an Island. They’re certainly something worth seeing. We also brought out a number of new features at the end of June. If you’re interested in how the economy of Puzzle Pirates works, it will be worth checking in to see what we’ve added.

Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood Unveiled

Turbine today unveiled The Lord of the Rings Online™: Siege of Mirkwood™, the digital expansion to LotRo. Siege of Mirkwood will expand the online world of Middle-earth where players will join forces to press further eastward into the dark, foreboding and treacherous forest of Mirkwood and take part in the epic conclusion to Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. 
 
Siege of Mirkwood will be available as a digital download this Fall with an increased level cap, a new region including the legendary evil fortress of Dol Goldur, major enhancements to combat and Legendary Items and the introduction of Skirmishes, a new system where players will train customizable soldiers and take them into battle as part of the War of the Ring.
“2009 has been a year of unprecedented growth for The Lord of the Rings Online and the launch of Siege of Mirkwood will end the year with a bang,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online.  “As the game expands east of the Misty Mountains, players will face the raging war and shadow that has spread across Middle-earth and the new Skirmish system will thrust players and their soldiers into the War of the Ring.”
NEW FEATURES:
The Epic Conclusion to Volume II: Mines of Moria™ – Under the command of Celeborn and Galadriel, players will fight through vast armies of Orcs alongside the Elves of Lórien in a battle that will take them to Dol Guldur, the fortress of the Ringwraiths.  This update includes Book 9 and the Epilogue to the sweeping epic tale begun with the award-winning Mines of Moria expansion. 
Increased Level Cap – Players will be able advance their characters up to level 65, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. 
Answer the Call of War! – Jump into the heat of battle with the new Skirmishes feature.  Skirmishes offer endless action in repeatable, randomized instances where players can create and lead customizable soldiers into battle, training them to greater skill as they earn victories against the forces of shadow.  Answer the call of war wherever violence erupts with the new “World Join” function that lets players and their fellowships band together to fight in various locations throughout Middle-earth. 
– Take up Arms! – Infiltrate the dark jails, deadly arenas and savage stables of Dol Guldur, the fortress of the Ringwraiths, and strike a blow against Sauron’s forces in new 3 and 6-player instances.  Call upon your fellows to adventure into the most deadly 12-player raid yet and face the ultimate challenge – the Nazgûl Lord!
– Major Gameplay Enhancements – Turbine continues to improve the award-winning experience of LOTRO with major improvements to the combat and Legendary Items systems.  Players will experience improved responsiveness when in the heat of battle.  Players will also be able to create and craft their own customized Second and Third Age Legendary Items from raw materials and grow their weapons’ power to level 60.  Achieve new Legacies, new titles, and a fourth Runic slot that will make Legendary Items even more unique and powerful.
Lord of the Rings online

Hello Kitty Online: Beta for North America announced at PAX

Hello Kitty Online (HKO) will make its first public debut in North America at the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle, Wash., Sept. 4 – 6. Hello Kitty Online  brings the world of Hello Kitty and Sanrio friends to life in the first free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) based on the global pop-culture icon. Members of the press and PAX attendees are invited to experience a demo of Hello Kitty Online at the Aeria Games booth (# 22).  Hello Kitty Online is currently in closed beta and will transition to open beta later in September.

“Hello Kitty gaming fans have long been looking for the ideal level of online community and engagement, and Hello Kitty Online delivers that in a format that will thrive as the fan base continues to grow,” said Grant Wei, executive producer, Aeria Games. “We are proud to have the opportunity to bring one of the world’s greatest characters into the free-to-play PC online gaming space via Aeria Game’s high-quality publishing platforms.” 

Developed by Sanrio Digital and published in North America by Aeria Games, Hello Kitty Online invites players to create a fully customizable character and engage with other online players in a world rich in adventure and inhabited by more than one hundred original Sanrio characters and other newly-designed creations. Thanks to the innovative social media features of Hello Kitty Online, players are able to share videos, screenshots, blogs and email messages with other players without leaving the game world.

“Hello Kitty Online was designed to be a fun and interactive social gaming experience that brings Hello Kitty and Sanrio fans and friends together in an engaging MMO setting,” said Robert Ferrari, vice president of publishing and business development, Sanrio Digital. “We look forward to bringing Hello Kitty Online and the integrated SanrioTown social networking site to Hello Kitty fans across North America.” 

Hello Kitty Online

Chaos Online Review – For The Casual At Heart

By Rick Charbs (Jammart), OnRPG Journalist

Chaos Online is a classic-styled MMORPG featuring a simplistic style with very easy playability. Set in a world of chaos, in which an awkward balance of modern science, weaponry, and tactics oppose against mystical nature’s forces of wisdom. Currently, there are two races you may join from (coincidentally a race on the modern science side, and a race from the nature oriented ancient civilization).  First, there are the Genotians: modern, civilized, and technologically advanced, and secondly, the Natarian: peace keeping, nature-praising people.

As you may have already found out, the conflict of the game basically revolves around the quarrels of both races-pretty typical. Despite the poor context, the storyline is given a great deal of potential, and Ingle Games is planning on releasing a third race in the future to add twists to the game, and to provide more variety for players, evidently!

General Gameplay

As previously mentioned, Chaos Online plays very simplistically in all terms of gameplay. The controls are very easy to learn, the skills are pretty basic, and everything seems a tad bland. Combat is extremely linear, and the PvP is a little less than captivating. That being said, the game still retains some interesting points. Massive wars between the two races are held quite often, and even though PvP was never my forte, I found the system simple enough for me to be proficient in battle against other players. These Massive State Wars are basically the foundation of the game, and they are extremely popular within the game’s small community.

Chaos Online also features an interesting mount system. Although they do not contribute much to the gameplay, there is a ton of variety in the selection of mounts you can use, in dependency of your race, and they look pretty neat. Various other interesting, and surprisingly unique, features Chaos Online has in store for its players are the following:

-Growing weapons (weapons that level up and gain more strength as you kill monsters)
-An in-game credit card system (system that allows players to purchase expensive items before having the money required to purchase them with physical currency)
-A robot system that allows players to gain experience while they are away from the computer

Chaos Online Plant Attack

Graphics and Sound

I will be very honest as to say I did not enjoy the graphics or sound of this game at all. Unoriginal 2.5D graphics and mediocre background music-needless to say, I was not too impressed. The graphics and sound were both very bland, the sound being barely present or just plainly obnoxious, and the graphics being very outdated and repetitive. However, the style of graphics attracts its players; it is well enjoyed and also allows players with lower end computers to play the game on full settings, without suffering from serious lag constraints. This proves to be the most useful during the more large-scaled State Wars. The music can easily be muted and replaced for one’s personal playlist, which is what I would highly recommend, unless you wish to leave the sound on during important battles or events.

The style of the game could highly be compared to Conquer Online, in terms of graphics and sound, however they are much less developed  in Chaos Online, and unfortunately, much less popular. One can also quickly recognize the fact that there is little to no customization for players, even though there is a huge variety in the amount of monsters and mounts in the game.

Personal Recommendation

Chaos Online was a so-so MMORPG. I would not imagine it would stand out as an MMO, as nowadays free MMORPGS need to follow a completely unique structure to gain any amount of attention. Chaos Online lacks the attractive element that brings players to yearn for more, but Ingle Games is most definitely working to reach such a goal. With the addition of the new race, and hopefully new exciting updates to the game, Chaos Online is sure to be a hit with the 2.5D gaming crowd.

Chaos Online Art

As a casual game, Chaos Online can be very entertaining; you do not ever have to waste time levelling as the legal in-game bot can do that for you. On the other hand, if you wish to play the game very seriously, this may not be the right spot for you to devote your gaming time. I would definitely not suggest such a thing, but if you enjoy the game’s style and the small community within it, nothing is stopping you. Keep in mind that the in-game bot really does kill the fun if you’re in it for the long run. That being said, you do gain much more experience if you play without it. Chaos Online was one of the few games in which I enjoyed the large scaled battles, because they were so easy to join and participate in. I just love how simple this game is while still being somewhat interesting and indefinitely fun. Consequently, the game can be rather dull and repetitive at times, and often severely lacks in challenge if you do not wish to participate in the Massive State Wars.

With the innovation of the credit system, and the weapons that gain experience alongside you, Chaos Online is not lacking in features. I really enjoyed the crafting and growing weapon systems in the game-something I had never experienced in an MMORPG before-and it kept me very interested in that respect. I have already mentioned that the game has potential, and I believe it will reach that potential so long as there are measures taken to help the community grow: perhaps events, contests, add-ons? I suggest you try this one out if you’re looking for a new (very) casual MMO to play. Happy Gaming!

Pros:
– tight knit community
– various mounts
– growing weapon system
– large scale battles
– easy to play, does not require a lot of your time.

Cons:
– in-game bot (may be a pro for some users)
– lack of customization
– repetitive
– not very challenging
– bland graphics/sound. 

Karos Online: PvP details released

More details have emerged about the PvP gameplay in the upcoming MMORPG Karos Online.
 
Dates of additional Closed Beta Weekend events will be announced shortly here on OnRPG, and players possessing an access code for any Closed Beta Weekend may continue to play in future phases. Karos Online is scheduled to be released in English during Q4 2009, with versions in German and Turkish to follow later.
 
PvP is a strong feature in Karos Online, and is very tightly linked to the social and economic system of the game. Players who enjoy PvP can choose from a variety of experiences, all rich with opportunities to show off their skills and write their own histories in-game.
 
Guild alliances and rivalries: In Karos Online, every guild leader can register other guilds as either allies or enemies. All members of the guild can then immediately recognize these players as friends or foes, and decide to help them or kill them on sight when they meet in the world of Asmara. Expect the game of alliances and rivalries to be intense and political!
 
Fletta mine takeovers: The precious mines where players dig for the magical energy Fletta become vulnerable to takeovers once each week, and guilds can fight over them in massive PvP battles. The victorious guild earns the privilege to control the Fletta resources of the region, and decides when the next takeover will be (within a timeframe of 4 to 7 days).
 
Castle sieges: After commercial launch, regular castle siege battles are planned to be added to Karos.
Karos Online will feature several interesting PvP features

Zodiac Online

Zodiac Online is a colorful, free to play MMO based on the Chinese Zodiac. Its 12 characters are set in a fantasy land born of an amazing legend of allegiance, valiance, and guardianship.

In the game players will act as Zodiac Envoys on a mandate from heaven, which creates an unforeseen and mysterious set of circumstances.

Zero Online: Double EXP? Here We Go!

Need a faster way to level up? Here comes the chance!
 
September 5th and 6th, all online players can enjoy double experience getting 200% experience for killing enemies. The more you kill, the more extra experience you gain. This is not the time to show mercy!
 
If you use a Double EXP Potion during this weekend. You will gain Quad experience! You can never imagine how fast you can level up!
 
Enjoy the Double XP

Fast and Furious FIG

Only the boldest, most daring people in the world can handle the high intensity of street racing and live to tell the tale. On the streets you either win their respect or get out of the way.

This free-to-play game pits players against other players all over the world. After building, modifying and painting their cars, they must prove that they have what it takes to rule the road.

Eudemons: Events!

On the upcoming first Saturday of September, Eudemons will hold Mount Races from 18:00 to 20:00. There are 3 kinds of races:
– Reborn Sphere Rally (3 maps)
– Red Stone Rally
– Gold Rally
 
Two of the above three rallies will be held during the event time, each lasting 1 hour. 18:00 – 19:00 is the first round and 19:00-20:00 is the second round. There is only one rule; be the first to reach the destination. Ammo (Cronus 212,573) will tell you more about it.
 
Time and Duration
The 1st Saturday of every month
18:00-19:00 First Round
19:00-20:00 Second Round
 
Rewards
Reborn Spheres, Red Stones, Gold, Exp
 
Requirement
a 10-Star Mount
 
Location
Cronus
 
Key NPC
Ammo (Cronus 212,573): Introduces the quest details and sends you to the Mount Race map.
 
2nd Weekend Event: Legion Snowman
On the second Saturday, let’s have some snowy fun during this hot, hot summer! Come to Snow Valley and build the most glorious snowman Yartland has ever seen!
 
Enter Snow Valley. Legion leaders have to purchase a snowman site first. Then hunt monsters for the materials you need to build the snowman. Legions will be handsomely rewarded according to their snowman ranking.
 
More details will be coming soon! Make sure you don’t miss out!
 
3rd Weekend Event: Fairy Day
The third weekend will be great because the Demon Lords will drop lots of sweet stuff! But you need to hurry up as they are on the material plane for only 2 hours. Collect the quest items and then you will be able to swap with the NPC for your rewards every 20 minutes!
 
4th Weekend Event: XP Tournament
The 4th weekend, enter the event zone and challenge your XP limit! Winners will be handsomely rewarded according to their ranking. And the top character of each class will receive extra prizes for their outstanding performance!

Eudemons - Mount Race