Monthly Archives: December 2009

Grand Fantasia Kicks Off Open Beta With 1 Million AP Giveaway

Aeria Games is celebrating the launch of Open Beta for Grand Fantasia by hosting a leveling contest, the winner of which will receive 1 million Aeria Points (AP). The event comes after the conclusion of a successful Closed Beta period, in which the game attracted more participants than any other launch in the history of the publisher.
AP is a form of currency that can be used to purchase virtual items for games published by Aeria Games. All players who reach level 50 in Grand Fantasia before the contest end date will be entered into a raffle for the 1 million AP grand prize. Additionally, players who achieve the level goal will receive an exclusive in-game item, the Silver Sprite Trophy. Aeria Games has also announced that the first ten players of each class to reach level 35 will win 1,000 AP.

Players in Grand Fantasia

 

 

Grand Fantasia is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the magical world of Saphael. In addition to creating their own heroes, players can customize pets called “sprites” and use them to gather resources, create items, and salvage loot for parts.  Those seeking a more action-oriented experience can participate in player-versus-player (PvP) combat, team-based battlefields, and challenging dungeons.
The 1 Million AP Giveaway Contest will conclude on January 5, 2010. For more information about the game, or to participate in the contest, players are encouraged to visit the official Grand Fantasia site.

Join the Battle of the Strongest in Grand Fantasia

Richman Online

Richman Online is a colorful casual MMO boardgame where anyone – literally all types of gamers – can have fun. Buy land, build houses and collect extravagant taxes from trespassing opponents. Think up strategies, plant bombs and drain your opponents’ life and bank account to a big fat zero! In the insane world of Richman, you’ll be in for some wacky fun and laughter with your friends and family!
 
It’s a typical Monopoly type game with cards that dictate your next moves and powerful NPCs or Evenet Spots ahead of you to intervene. Overall the game will certainly bring some laughs.

Dark and Light Review: Game Had Potential But Failed to Deliver

Dark and Light Review: Game Had Potential But Failed to Deliver
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

Dark and Light is the perfect example of a good MMORPG gone bad. While the game tries to execute various methods to improve its gameplay, it only led to its untimely demise as an MMO. The game description itself would be good enough to hook players into trying it out. Good thing I didn’t believe the rumors, otherwise I would’ve been more disappointed than I already am.

 

THE FIRST UNIQUE MMO WORLD (thats what they said)

Although I may have already disrupted your hopes with my opening statement, the game does have a lot of things to brag about. First of all, the online world is around 15,000 square-miles complete with diverse areas. As a player, I would say that exploration is one of the key features in almost every MMO. The best way to implement this would be to put enough areas in the game for people to visit.

 

Regardless of how big the world is, linear visuals would only render it dull and boring. Which is why this game does have something to be proud of. Another good feature would be the lack of loading times. Long loading times can be quite annoying when you’re in a climactic battle of epic proportions. Although it’s not the highest priority while making a choice what to play, a game with no loading time does sound excellent.

 

Flying Through the Immense World

Flying through the immense world of Dark and Light

 

Leveling is somewhat different here compared to other MMOs since you basically level up a lot of different things at the same time. The axes (axis in singular form) represent your character’s benefits as well as your combat level. Quests don’t normally give level experience like other MMOs since much like combat, you’ll be leveling a specific Axis (geez… how complicated) whenever you’ve finished a certain task. The three axes are Crafts, Combat and Social (now I’m sure those things are easy enough to understand). 

 

Crafting in the game does require grinding. You would need to create lower level items before being able to create a more suitable item for your character. I don’t see why people tend to hate the game over this since even WoW (World of Warcraft) employs the same form of repetitive useless manufacturing when it comes to creating items. The game’s crafting method is quite appealing (and hard at the same time) overall. Moon phases as well as other addons yield different results when crafting your item. There are tons of buffs to experiment on, so players can have fun when trying out new stuff. Does it remove linearity? Well, stereotypical builds are quite normal in every MMO, so I guess everyone will keep on doing the same thing when they find the high tier buffs.

 

The game has four decent character archetypes (fighter, hunter, healer, mage) that later evolve into fifteen different classes. As far as class variety is concerned, nothing is better than getting to have a wide selection of classes. I must say that character definition has always been a treat, so this is one aspect in which the game excels.

 

Battle in Dark and Light

Fighting An Outdoor Boss

 

 

Okay! So where’s the bad stuff?

There’s been a lot of complaints regarding a glorious amount of bugs in the game. Now I know that bugs are practically out of the game design, but they’re not doing anything about it are they? Some of the game’s features load up for several minutes which completely obliterates their no loading time rule (tsk tsk for empty promises). Some of the game’s texts are badly translated and are either typos or just plain forgotten.

 

There are also a lot of graphical glitches that sort of looks like Doom 1 with the IDCLIP cheat on (it means you can pass through walls). Most of the time, you’ll come across black blocks on your screen which pretty much insinuates how unfinished this game really is. Don’t get me wrong, the graphics aren’t that bad but rather raw. I know it’s quite normal to see a few bugs then and there but this is just preposterous. Progressing in the game does seem rather troublesome since it’s basically work dressed up as an MMO.

 

Visual Alert!

 

If I were to sum it all up, I’d say that the visuals are shiny but not “flashy”. Regardless of their level, armors tend to look dull and simple. Most of them are just big hunks of silver molded into the shape of your character’s torso, making them look like raw 3D models from the early PS1 days.

 

The large area really compliments this game (and any other game that could pull it off), although the great lack of detail degrades its supposed merit. The area looks like an overstretched bitmap, all pixelated and blurry when displayed on a higher resolution. That really shouldn’t matter since we all enjoyed a lot of games  that share the same problem. Much like any other MMO that got criticized, it got us all hyped up only to find out that we’d be getting a game that should’ve stayed in open beta.

 

Simple Robe

Simple Robe Shows Medium Quality Graphics

 

Dark and Light does have a lot of interesting ideas, if only it could implement it in a more decent manner. The world is filled with lots of visual bugs and glitches, meaning they definitely have a lot to work on. The game also features a nice variety of poorly named monsters which would normally yank a few chuckles from players. Fortunately, huge boss monsters are always a delightful thing to have around, and this game doesn’t fail in giving you these necessities.

 

Some Weird Stuff

If you’re a Diablo fan then you’d prolly know what I’m talking about when I say “Bankruptcy through death”. Yeah, the game forces you to drop gold upon death. This is NOT a good idea. First of all, if a player happens to see another player getting mangled while exploring, their behavior changes: they just let him die and steal his gold (that’s just nasty…. really…. no really… that is just brutal). I’m starting to think that the developers have major issues with the kind gesture of helping a fellow player. “WELCOME TO YE OLDE AGE WHERE WE STEAL YER FINE GOLD!”

 

Ye Olde Verdict

 

This game had potential (yes… HAD). The whole idea of a 15,000 square-mile world would be marvelous to behold and the possibilities are quite profound. If you were going to play an MMO then you might as well pick the one with the biggest world. I think that this game just failed to deliver the epic justice of what it was destined to serve.

 

The visuals aren’t that bad due to the awesome frame rate, but greatly lacks detail and depth in style that makes the game less flat and pixelated. The gameplay is somewhat complex, though it focuses mostly on grinding aspects of the three axes. Enjoying the game may be quite tricky since it requires a workaholic to deeply enjoy games like these. This is a game that I would rather not mention. Fairly disappointed, but who knows? Maybe it’s got a few tricks up its sleeve.

 

The Good:
– Smooth framerate
– A truly huge world
– Good array of monsters
– Good lineup of classes.

 

The Bad:
– A bunch of bugs and glitches (duh)
– Bad world detail
– Flat character design
– Unfulfilled promises.

 

Visit the Dark and Light Game Profile.
Visit the
Dark and Light Official Website.

Karos Online: Win Prizes in the Open Beta!

Open beta for NHN Corporation’s new free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Karos Online begins this Friday, the 4th of December, and NHN Corporation is celebrating by offering lots of useful prizes to players as they discover the game. “We are really excited to open Karos Online to everyone this Friday,” said Heejin Jeong, Senior Overseas Sales Manager at NHN Corporation. “We hope the players will have a lot of fun taking part in the various events that we are preparing for them, and we wish everybody good luck in gathering prizes!”


Players can receive prizes in several ways:

 

Referring friends: From the start of open beta, players will be able to invite their friends to play Karos Online via the official website. For every five friends who join the game and reach level 5, the referring player will receive a reward, as follows:

– Five friends will award the player 10 Strength Potions
– Ten friends will award the player 3 Weapon Enchant Scrolls and 3 Armor Enchant Scrolls
– Twenty friends will award the player 5 Weapon Enchant Scrolls and 5 Armor Enchant Scrolls
– The first invited friend to reach level 5 will be awarded 5 Big Potions of Rejuvenation, which restore their character’s HP and MP.

 

Karos Online - Battle Scene!

 

Entering a Gift Key: Gift Keys will be offered by participating websites starting this week. Upon entering a Gift Key, players will receive 5 Strength potions which temporarily increase their character’s movement and attack speed.

Levelling up: Upon reaching levels 5, 10 and 20, players will be automatically entered into a weekly prize draw. The draw will take place every Friday, and winning players will be announced on www.karosgame.com. The higher the level, the greater the prize!
– Level 5 (10 weekly winners):  an Amethyst, Diamond or Sapphire (depending on character’s class) giving a bonus when combined with an accessory
– Level 10 (4 weekly winners): 10 Weapon Enchant Scrolls and 10 Armor Enchant Scrolls  
– Level 20 (1 weekly winner): an Iron Wyvern, a Holy Creature piece of armor which serves as a mount in the game.

 

Guild building: The start of open beta will also kick off a month-long build-up exercise for guilds that will run through the 31st of December. Guilds meeting the target criteria on the 31st will receive exciting prize bundles — more details coming soon!

 

 

Karos Online - Play the Open Beta to win Prizes!

Warrior Epic: European (GOA) servers shutting down on the 21st of December

 

GOA, the European publisher of Warrior Epic among other games, has announced that it will be shutting down its European Warrior Epic (and Kart n’Crazy) servers on the 21st of December.

 

Warrior Epic - Fighting the waves

 

Here is what GOA Community Manager Björn ‘Umlaut’ Loesing had to say:

 

 

Dear Warrior Epic Community,

In May of this year, we launched what we hoped would be a cutting-edge free-to-play MMORPG: Warrior Epic. In many ways, we feel this game is just that. Warrior Epic has some unique features, such as the Spirit System, which make its underlying concept an exciting one. Unfortunately, despite major efforts by the development team to improve Warrior Epic since its launch, the game hasn’t achieved the player population we had hoped for.


We have therefore decided to focus on our other titles (Warhammer Online, Pangya, and League of Legends) to provide the high level of quality and customer service that we feel you, our players, deserve.


So, it is with great regret that we announce that Warrior Epic will end service in Europe on December 21st, 2009. For those of you who wish to continue playing Warrior Epic, we encourage you to download the US client.


In the coming days, you will receive a personal email containing a loyalty-package to thank you for your time spent with us in Providence. We hope we will see you in our other games!


We thank you for your loyal support of Warrior Epic to date, and hope that you enjoy all that is to come from the game on the US servers.


The GOA Team

 


Please note that the Warrior Epic servers that are being operated by True Games will remain open. You can download the client in the Warrior Epic Overview page right here on OnRPG!

The OnRPG team wishes the hardworking crew at GOA all the best. Shutting down a game is never fun but focusing their attention on their other awesome games can only be good for us gamers right!

Source: Official GOA Warrior Epic Forums

 

 

Warrior Epic - An Epic Warrior!

Eve Online’s 12th Expansion “Dominion” Goes Live

The long awaited expansion “Dominion” by Eve Online goes live today! The servers will have a downtime while it is finalized, before the game resumes its play. Track the status via the official website!
 

About Dominion

“This expansion represents the type of conquest never realized by pretty words and poetry. It is true power born from the broken hulls of a thousand starships, the genes of the ambitious and the hubris of the greedy. EVE’s 12th free expansion offers the power of control to anyone bold enough to seize it, bringing you the tools for you to rally legions together and carve out your own space.
 
Will your ambitious new Alliance rise up to the challenge and stake their claim, evolving territory to suit it’s needs? Will your established empire hold fast against the fleets that press at your borders, hungry for the wealth you protect? Will you call old friends to your side and convince them to join you once more in battle? Or are you the clever entrepreneur who sits clear of the danger and fuels the war from the periphery?
 
Dominion enhances the tools of communication and evolves the dynamics of war, altering the very way in which pilots interact with each other through warfare or cooperation. The vast riches of sovereign authority await for those bold enough to seize them amidst a beautiful, deadly universe of possibility.”

Eve Online Dominion released

Conquer Online: Achievement Ranking System

There will be endless things for you to conquer as Conquer Online strives to make that statement the cornerstone of their game. This time, they are glad to introduce the new Achievement Ranking System. Everyone will find his/her place in Conquer Online, from creative entertainment events to heroic battles.

What is the Achievement Ranking System?

Achievement Ranking sets a goal for you to challenge yourself. You will get achievement points as reward once you attain these goals. By doing this, you get more out of the game when you begin seeking ways to attain these achievements in game. This, in turn, will bring you more excitement as well as generous rewards once you achieve your goals. At the same time, you can use it to show off your progress through in the game!

 

Conquer Online 2 - Achievement Ranking System Introduced

How many achievements are there in the Achievement System?
The game currently has 12 achievements in the Achievement System, including Prestige Achievement (Player Character Level), Virtue Point Achievement, Players’ Recruitment Achievement, Clan Achievement, Marriage Achievement, Equipment Bonus Achievements (Refined, Unique, and Elite Equipment Achievements), Fortune Achievement, Weapon Proficiency Achievement and Online Time Achievement.

Strategies

1. Achievement Guide

You may be lost in the various types of achievements when you first laid eyes on our Achievement System. You might ask: what is the quickest way to gain achievement points? Now we will introduce some easy ways to get achievement points to you. I am sure that you will find a suitable way to gain your achievement points.

 

2. Obtaining Achievement Points

You can get achievement points in Conquer Online by upgrading your character, finishing quests, or inviting friends to play Conquer Online. Of course, there are many other ways to get achievement points as well, so try everything; you never know what could turn out to be an achievement.

 

3. Check Your Achievements

Enter the Achievement System and enter the “My Achievement Interface” to check your achievements and the achievement points you have gained.

 

4. Swapping for Rewards

You can start to swap your achievement points for prizes at 17:00 PST time each Sunday. Once you reach your weekly limit, swapping will be disabled. Your Online Time Achievement data will be refreshed at 17:00 PST time each Sunday.

 

Conquer Online 2 - Lots of people are testing the new Achievement Ranking System

Ether Saga unveils Ether Castle a new PvP zone!

 

Perfect World International recently unveiled the new “Ether Castle” zone to Ether Saga Online over the Thanksgiving weekend. Infamous and Slayers were the first alliances to gain access into the new PVP zone, which is an extension of the recently implemented Territory Wars and features designated territories and special rewards for more dynamic PvP game play.
 

Ether Saga Online - Desert Fight

 
Ether Castle features include:
– Specially designated territory for player alliance battles
– Rewards for the victorious alliance including special mounts and items
– Players who are not part of an alliance can fight in the battle as mercenaries
 
 
“This newest feature that we’ve added builds upon other great features implemented in the past two months,” said Craig Beers, Product Manager for Ether Saga Online. “With the new ‘Ether Castle’ zone, alliance members have a chance to battle for ownership of a brand new territory, complete with great rewards. We also recently introduced a PvP battleground, so between territory wars and the Battle of Xanada, there is plenty of content for PvP aficionados.”.
 

Ether Saga Online - New PvP Zone!

 
A prequel to Chinese literary classic, “Journey to the West”, Ether Saga Online features a bright, anime style graphics and an in-depth pet system for every player, entirely free of charge.
To learn more, please visit the official Ether Saga Online website.