Yearly Archives: 2009

Parabellum: Closed Beta started

GamersFirst has started Closed beta signups for Parabellum!
Parabellum is a Free-to-Play massive multiplayer online First Person Shooter (MMO-FPS), it combines the best elements of FPS (First Person Shooter) and MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games to create an extremely unique and fully customizable gaming experience. Parabellum introduces the first interactive non-linear multiplayer campaigns in addition to an advanced character & weapon development system.
 
Game Setting –
By the year 2018, the privatization of global military forces created highly profitable opportunities for ex-soldiers, mercenaries and adventurers. Set in a world in a not too distant future, you must choose your alignments carefully to survive. You must join forces with one of the two foremost covert reconnaissance organizations in the world. The CTF; an organization avowed to keeping anarchy at bay, or the Syndicate; a legion of bloodthirsty rebels bent on destruction and chaos. Each of them are solicited by the C.I.N. a Global Mercenary Network that provides contract missions to each of these factions who vie against one another with the fate of the World as the ultimate prize.

Florensia: All-New Trade System

Burda:ic, a publisher of online games worldwide, has announced the launch of the Trade System for free-to-play maritime MMORPG Florensia. Players looking to make a profit on the high seas can now try their hand at the mercantile arts by visiting one of the Trading Posts, which have popped up on every major island. In addition, eight brand-new islands have been discovered along the trade routes: Aria, Celestyn, Clouds, Ease, Eva, Gem, Misty, and Selina.
The owner of each Trading Post carries a variety of items, including olive oil, rum, spice, and millet. Up to three kinds of goods can be carried at a time, and prices vary according to supply and demand across the market. Stingy players will have to risk taking a loss as they transport wares, but savvy traders can pay a small fee to get insider info. If you make good time sailing to an island where rum and spices are being sold at a premium, you’re sure to make a killing in the marketplace.
Of course, with all this potential profit comes significant risk. The soon-to-be-busy trade routes of Florensia are an open invitation to pirates, and players may no longer respawn at sea, so every trip is sure to be fraught with danger. This is also just the first stage of the Trade System, and the plethora of updates to come is guaranteed to raise the stakes!

Zero Online Review: Just Casual

By Jeffrey Kerkdijk (Hyarume), Onrpg writer
 
Zero online is a MMORPG developed by TQ entertainment. Zero Online is a sci-fi action MMORPG worth your time if you are looking for a sci-fi adventure in a unique setting, with gameplay like one of a kind.
 

Pick a machine, pick a character and go!

When you first start the game, you have to pick a robot and pick a driver. Instead of customizing one you have a few characters to choice from. After that you are ready to begin the game. At the very start, a tutorial teaches you the game by guiding you through some beginner quests.
 
The main goal is hitting the maximum level, which can be done in a week, probably even just three days. Leveling is so simple it isn’t even a challenge. It is just too easy. And once you are done with that there isn’t much to come back for,  there is some player versus player content. But that’s it.
 
Quests are often kill-quests and tasks to go and talk to another NPCs. These aren’t much fun and there is an automatic walk system(auto-pilot) so you don’t have to move all the way to the NPC, you can watch the AP do it.
 
Zero online has plenty of places to go, but It isn’t much fun. Because if you need to somewhere, you can just let the Auto pilot do it.
 

Funnel system

The game lets you operate three units at the same time. You can get your first extra unit when you are level 100 and the last at level 145. You can freely shift between and using this system makes you a lot more powerful in the game.
 

Transformation system

You can transform when you are playing Zero Online, any unit can do this. This will not only change how you look, but it will also affect your abilities.
 
One thing that is fun is the combat, you click in a direction and shoot or attack in that direction. You click on a skill and right click to do the skill, wherever you want to. There are a lot of weapons and skills you can learn. The combat in Zero Online is pretty fun.
 
But it has a minor downside: once you run out of ammo, you can let the auto pilot auto-walk you to the vendor. You buy what you need and head back to the hunting spot. This breaks up combat and adventuring.
 
There isn’t much more to do than some normal player versus player. Or PK, which is just a game of who has more potions.
 

Graphics and sound.

The characters in Zero Online have rich 3D graphics although the world itself is 2D with 2.5D graphic effects. The world has plenty of detail and some places look amazing. You even have places where you see a planet in the background which looks absolutely fantastic. Skill animations look great. I love the graphics of this game, for a 2.5D game it looks out of this world (which it is, being sci-fi!)
 
The game music is good and fits the style of the game and the combat sounds really make you think that you are in space. Generally the audio is excellent and suits the atmosphere just fine, but some of the effects can be pretty annoying.

 
Conclusion

Zero online is a decent game, although there isn’t much to do in the game. But enough for a week of fun. There aren’t any events and there isn’t much of a community when you are playing the game. I have seen no GMs during my time in the game. Quest are pretty boring, but can get you some good items or some money if you like to gear up.
 
If you are looking for a casual MMORPG to play, then Zero might be your game. If you are looking for a game for the long term, this is probably not the game for you.
 
Pros
-Great combat system
-Fast leveling
-Funnel system
 
Cons
-Some irritating sound effects
-Not much to do
-PvP relies on potion spamming

Outspark news and Events

Secret of the Solstice: Mountable Pets are coming out Wednesday, April 28! Current pets were only able to follow you around and look cute, but now they can do so much more! While riding your pet you will gain a movement speed bonus, a stat bonus, and your pet will be able to assist you in battle, attacking whatever you tell it to! You can even enhance your pets using items from an in-game quest at any town’s alchemist, to boost the amount of stats the pet gives you while riding it.
Project Powder: GM Races and Battles, and Web Store! To celebrate the release of OBT2 for Project Powder, Game Masters are hosting events every day but Wednesday, until Sunday, May 3. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. Also, the Web Store, along with the official release is coming early May. Keep an eye out for more announcements!

Alganon: Families Introduction

Families will be an important feature in Alganon for those that wish to join groups above and beyond their guilds. A major theme players look for in a game is flexibility. This is a key feature that gives players another option for grouping with each other.
About Families
 
Being a part of a family in Alganon is a great way to join with players that share similar interests. For example, power gamers can be in the same family and casual gamers can be in their own family. You can switch families for a fee or by completing a certain quest, but only between families for a given race. A Kodian cannot join a Human family, for example. While family names will be displayed by default upon entering the game, you will have the option to turn them off.
 
Each race has five different families, and each family represents a different “theme” that attracts gamers of a specific category. Instantly communicate with your new family, protect your siblings, and establish your family’s name in the history books.
 
1. Achiever – Players focused on building their character, collecting things
2. Competitor – Players who focus on competition
3. Explorer – Players who prefer to explore the game
4. Socializer – Those who prefer social interaction foremost
5. Crafter – Those who prefer to gather, build and sell items
 
Major cities will have Family merchants that sell merchandise just to specific family members. These items are called heirlooms and only affect the player visually. Wedding dresses, tabbards, and even smoking peter pan caps, all types of fun stuff will be available. Different families will have different colors and themes. There are also heirloom pets, such as kittens, frogs, etc. All of these options are based on race and family type.
 
Every family has its own chat channel that all family members can freely participate in. This channel is automatically “made active” when you log into the game. You will be able to disable/remove the channel, but can rejoin it at any time. You can only join their own family’s channel. MyAlganon will have a Family section that lists all the families in the game (for each race) and the members of each family, when they joined, their heirloom status, etc.
 
You can also create guilds and accomplish tasks to be etched in the Great Library’s history books.

Masters of Belial: Major Update

Masters of Belial is a Team PvP Action RPG game similar to Warcraft 3 “AoS” maps “Dota Allstars”, “Age of Myths” and “Hosk”. Players select a hero of their desire and slowly build up in power in their quest for power and domination. Each map is carefully designed to offer a mixture of strategic PvP combat along with good old dungeon crawling.
– New Ladder system ranking players from all over the world based on team and personal achievements.
– Official Dedicated Server Hosting.
– 3 New Maps
– Bot AI
– Revamped spell, item and attribute system.
– New gameplay mechanics such as wells, shrines, last hit and rested bonuses.
– New EasyUse matchmaking interface.
– Improved Engine scalability to support older hardware and take advantage of new ones.(Playable framerate of 20+ on INTEL GPU Laptops and 30+ on 3 year old NVIDIA/ATI Laptops)
– Soft Shadows & Soft Lighting highlights
– Widescreen Support with resolutions up to 1920×1600.
“The first version was made to see, this version was made to please.” said Argi Baltzi founder of Brain Seal. 
 
Masters of Belial 1.1 continues to be a free to download and play with certain account restrictions. Players can upgrade once their accounts to have access to all content including
the new ladder system, all 12 heroes and 3 maps for the price of 12.99EUR (Roughly 16.99$).

Lineage II The Chaotic Throne: Gracia Final

Dev Diary # 3: Clan Updates in Gracia Final
Written by: The Lineage II NCsoft West Team
Clan Updates in Gracia Final
The Gracia Final expansion includes several benefits for Clans in Lineage II.  The clan level cap has been raised to eleven, and provides several key bonuses for clans who can achieve this feat.  Additionally, clans who meet the prerequisites can now control their own airships and can have direct access to the Gracia continent.
 
Clan leaders who own a castle have the ability to expand ownership to an entire territory. Through territory ownership, clans now have the ability to raise their level to eleven. Some of the benefits afforded to those attain this accomplishment include an increase in clan members, strengthening of the Royal Guard, and earning valuable clan skills. 
 
But if leveling your clan is not enough, Gracia Final has also introduced the Rim Pailaka Rune dungeon. For castle and fortress owning clans, this new instant zone will offer a new and exclusive area to explore and master, making residence ownership even more vital to your clan’s success.
 
Another exciting feature in Gracia Final is the addition of clan airships. Clans above level five will have the ability to obtain their own airship. No longer will you have to wait for those public transportation airships to ferry you around Gracia. Take command of your own vessel and pilot an airship so you and others can explore the skies of the Gracia continent!
 
From a new clan level cap with unique features, to taking the helm of a clan airship to explore Gracia first hand, the Gracia Final expansion offers its players a memorable Lineage II experience that will enhance their game play and enjoyment.