Yearly Archives: 2009
Warrior Epic: Spirit System trailer
Warrior Epic is an MMORPG set in an original fantasy universe. Warrior Epic’s “Spirit System” is a unique gameplay feature where the death of a character can actually be the beginning of a whole new strategy in the game. Watch this video to learn more about it!
Khan Wars
Khan Wars is a free-to-play real-time strategy game taking place in a beautiful 2D medieval fantasy world. Take to your personal kingdom managing resources, building armies, cultivating cities, attacking others, and defending your home at all costs. May the leader with the best tactics win. Available via browser.
Features:
To Battle: Adapt to any military situation with over 23 unique combat units to choose from.
Planet Gold: Nurture your economy by juggling food, minerals, building upgrades, and scientific research.
Social Manipulator: Frequently wrestle with the various possible interactions regarding other players. Constantly being on the offensive or defensive won’t get you very far, mix and match your options for optimal efficiency.
ACE Online Interview: Episode 3: War of Pandea
Questions by Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), Onrpg writer
Answered by Wilson Ling Marketing Coordinator for Subagames.com
When it comes to F2P space games, no other game has the rich history ACE Online has. The game has spawned from various titles up until to what it is now. Under Subagames, home of other famous MMOs like Pristontale, Ace Online is now a thriving fully established MMO.
With Ace Onlines episode 3 released the game has finally received the content update that players were looking for. Now with months after the release episode 3 we here on Onrpg got a chance to talk to the people behind the game.
Onrpg: What is the storyline of Episode 3: War of Pandea?
Ling: Episode 3: War of Pandea takes place a few years after the events of Episode 2: Aerial Strike. At the end of Episode 2, the Deca Race, including the nations of Arlington (ANI) and Bygeniou City (BCU), declared a truce to end their long-drawn war. Now at peace, both nations have started expansion projects to gather resources in the neighboring continent of Pandea. At the same time, the Vatallus race, who previously resided in Pandea, was building up their military power in order to become the dominant race on the planet Phillon. This is where the player comes in, as the rest of the storyline is revealed through completing new missions that are exclusive to the Episode 3 expansion.
Onrpg: How do the new maps integrate into the storyline of episode 3 as a whole?
Ling: The new maps add an interesting twist to the existing flow of the game. Originally in ACE Online, there was only a single primary line of maps and whenever various nation war events were triggered, the war was very much a one front war. The addition of the new maps opens up a new direction adding a whole new front to nation war events. Also, there are new missions which take place exclusively on the new maps, which serve as the setting for Episode 3s expanded storyline.
Onrpg: What factors did you consider as you thought of new concepts for episode 3?
Ling: As new features for the expansion were slowly revealed, we were forced to consider very carefully their implementation into the North American version of the game in order to maximize the players experience with the new content/changes. As Episode 2 came to an end, we carefully adapted the game itself, and our tech, in anticipation of Episode 3. Player feedback and feature requests were also considered in formulating the content, and implementation of, Episode 3.
Onrpg: What was the response of players after episode 3 was released?
Ling: The response has been very good. ACE Online was in need of a breath of fresh air, and new content has helped to reinvigorate the community and the game itself. Prior to the introduction of Episode 3, ACE Online had not changed much since its early days as Space Cowboy Online.
Onrpg: With the latest episode already released and that the game is already into months of operation after the Open Beta Test how is Ace Online faring now?
Ling: ACE Online is currently doing very well, despite the highly-competitive environment of the current free-to-play games space. At launch, there were many obstacles and issues working against us, that we have since successfully overcome. Even now its a very tough uphill battle, but we are putting our best effort forward with plans for continued growth and expansion of the ACE Online game and brand.
Onrpg: How vibrant is the community of Ace Online?
Ling: The ACE Online community is one with a long, storied history and a passion that is unsurpassed. Many players came from previous versions of the game (for example, Space Cowboy Online) so there are plenty of ties in the community that run very deep. Its a unique community that has gone through a lot due to the games rocky history. Fortunately, the community is highly resilient and has grown stronger because of this shared history.
Onrpg: In what ways does the GM team help out in keeping the community in-game as alive as possible?
Ling: An ACE Online GM has two main responsibilities: keeping close contact with players and providing fresh and exciting events and in-game content. The ACE Online community is a highly-vocal and highly-active one, so constant communication and involvement with players is always a top priority.
Onrpg: How do you keep the balance between the two factions in Ace online? Do GMs in-game participate in helping out in balancing?
Ling: The game balance in ACE Online is a very delicate issue. The GMs have methods of stimulating a shift in balance, but at the same time GMs would rather not intervene too much because doing so comes with its own problems and repercussions. The game balance is closely monitored to ensure the proper actions are taken at the right times. If the game balance reaches a critical point, then it is permissible for GMs to take more obvious actions, to the benefit of the game community as a whole. This said, ACE Online GMs are always willing to accept suggestions from the community on the issue of balancing. So far, we have found that the game tends to balance itself out, as long as players are well-informed as to the current balance within the game and are willing to cooperate for the good of the community.
Onrpg: Speaking of balance in-game, do Ace Online GMs directly participate in balancing the in-game economy? If so, in what ways is this achieved?
Ling: The GMs do not directly influence the in-game economy. This is because ACE Onlines economy is finely tuned to operate on its own, adjusting the supply and demand of items and resources in the game naturally. The GMs do try to prevent rampant scamming that might cause shifts in the games economy though.
Onrpg: What factors do you consider whenever you are thinking of events for Ace Online?
Ling: When coordinating events, there is a lot to consider. For larger events, things like timing, the effect of event items on player growth, the effects of the event on in-game wars, are all closely analyzed. Also, we often try to tie events to a specific theme related to the time period in which it is released. For medium scale events, we often consider the current in-game balance, the average level of players and some other more specific information. So far, event planning has proven to be a constant learning experience and source of information.
Onrpg: Do you consider the events suggested by players in your forums whenever you are conceptualizing events for the game?
Ling: We greatly appreciate event suggestions from the community. Unfortunately, there are very few that are actually implemented, for a variety of reasons, though we do view and consider them all.
Onrpg: What hints can you guys give us regarding the soon to be released episode 4?
Ling: Unfortunately we cant say too much about Episode 4s content. We can say that players shouldnt expect the update to Episode 4 for some time.
Onrpg: It seems that there are players who wish to ban the IPs of players outside of NA. Whats your say on that?
Ling: IP blocking is something of an ongoing topic/concern. On issues like this, we try to do what we feel is best for the community and the game currently, however we are also thinking about the future of the game and the implementation of new content down the line. If blocking IPs outside of NA becomes the best or necessary option to take, we will definitely consider it.
Onrpg: There has been an ongoing discussion titled, Would somebody ****ing listen? in your forums regarding the service rendered by Ace Online. Could you tell us what steps you have taken to address player inquiry?
Ling: At Subagames, we maintain many avenues by which players can contact GMs and technical support. Currently, the most effective way to communicate with Subagames support directly is through our Customer Service tickets. The forums are a great place for the entire community to gather and discuss, but it is not a very good place to get individual problems solved because it is a public space. Our Customer Service tickets provide a private and highly-personalized channel to respond to the needs of players. We have recently upgraded the Customer Service to log every ticket that comes through in order to ensure that customer inquiries are constantly monitored and responded to. These tickets are accessed through the support section on the ACE Online Home Page.
Onrpg: What can players expect from Ace Online in the succeeding months of 2009?
Ling: We plan to continually host exciting in-game events throughout 2009, with many already in the works. Players can also expect constant improvements to the game-system, in order to make things easier for both the players and our staff, and to improve the games quality on the whole. Though I cant talk about them specifically, players can also expect a variety of exciting new developments from ACE Online and Subagames in 2009.
Fantasy Tennis: season 2 launched
Burda:ic, a publisher of online games worldwide, today announced that free-to-play MMO Fantasy Tennis will be available to North and South American gamers beginning March 12 with the launch of Fantasy Tennis Season 2. The fantastic and colorful sports RPG pits player against player as they level up their characters and take to the courts with a variety of powerful strikes and spells. Aspiring virtual athletes will need both quick reflexes and sharp thinking to win, because even the easiest lob can be difficult to return from the middle of a meteor storm.
Season 2 features a number of updates from the original Fantasy Tennis, such as improved opponent AI, new clothing sets, and a freshly-updated user interface. Equally significant is the all-new Heroic System which raises the level cap from 50 to 60. Those extra levels could make a big difference in the soon-to-be-added Guild Warfare, as theres sure to be a lot of competition for ownership of the league castles!
Fantasy Tennis Season 2 Features Include:
- Standard tennis matches or battle matches with magical spells and items
- Themed islands with a wide variety of minigames and quests to complete
- Leveling and experience system that lets you choose your strengths
- Battlemon pets who partner with you in doubles matches
- All-new graphical user interface and improved opponent AI
- Enchantment system to improve the power of items and outfits
- Item shop featuring a ton of unique costumes, special items, and Battlemon
Legends of Qin trailer
The successful Chinese free MMORPG Legends of Qin is finally being released in Europe. The game features more than 2,000 unique quests, extensive PVP, guild systems, complex crafting and mounts. Watch the video to enter the Legend!
Warhammer Online expoands recruit-a-friend program
Mythic Entertainment today announced that it is expanding the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) Recruit-A-Friend program in North America and Asia Pacific to now provide exciting in-game rewards for dedicated recruiters on both sides of the ongoing Realm War. The new item rewards bolster the 30 days of free play time already rewarded to players every time they bring a friend and family member into the Realm vs. Realm fray.
Anyone who recruits two new subscribers will receive an exclusive pet – the Imperial Hunting Hound for Order players, or the Warlords Fell Hound for Destruction players. Those who recruit four new subscribers will be granted a powerful new in-game item, either the Rod of Service or the Collar of Servitude, which increases experience and renown earned by 5% for all group members. In addition, these pocket items allow a player to temporarily raise a fellow realm-mates level to give them a fighting chance against more powerful foes.
– 1st recruit = 30 days free game play
– 2nd recruit = Exclusive in-game pet, plus another 30 days free
– 3rd recruit = Another 30 days free
– 4th recruit = Exclusive in-game item, plus another 30 days free
– All additional recruits = 30 days free for each new recruit
Now is the time to heed the Call to Arms and recruit friends and family to fight at the frontlines of WAR with a free 10-day trial!
TwelveSky 2 End Closed Beta Phase I, Prepares For Phase II!
Today MAYN Interactive Pte Ltd., European publisher for the critically acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game (MMORPG) “TwelveSky 2”, will officially be opening up enrollments for the second phase of Closed Beta in order to give more players in the Western market a sneak preview of the FIRST English version of the game. On March 23rd, MANY additional players will be able to pick up arms with their brothers and wander through the perilous yet alluring towns of Ancient China in search of adventure and conquest.
“Having officially concluded as of March 9th, Closed Beta Phase I was a great success!” Said Young Shin, CEO of MAYN Interactive. “The users response was overwhelmingly positive, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank those players who participated in the test! Now that the initial testing is complete, were excited to bring this fantastic title to the next level.”
“TwelveSky 2”, 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. Additionally “TwelveSky 2 Europe” introduces a new and rewritten story arch, even compared to its sister counterparts which are currently released in Asia.
A month after its initial release, “TwelveSky 2” soared to the Top 5 position in the MMO genre in Korea and the Taiwanese version is quickly gaining speed. Now aiming for Europe, the game is setting up to be a major success within the Free-to-Play space.
Zu Online: Recent Development Trend Revealed
At present, Zu Online focuses most attention on developing later versions, improving the current version, holding in-game events and maintaining the game server. Since its debut, Zu Online has received great support and loyalty from players. Now we are pleased to reveal the recent development trend of Zu Online in order to give something back to our players.
First of all, I would like to talk about the development of later versions. We are going to raise the level cap by up to 265 and also add related contents such as new zones, new monsters, new quests, etc. They are all in development now. In the later versions, the Wind Calamity quests are the first to be released. You may have noticed that the Honored Immortal title had been added to the titles list.
Are you eager to challenge the Wind Calamity? All right, but please be a bit more patient. Here is some good news. We have completed readjusting the style and overall arrangement of the Wind Calamity related zone?Sharpwind Castle. We have completed the quests design of the first two scenarios and also reversed the mounting settings in Sharpwind Castle so that players are unable to mount in the castle. Weve also strengthened the monsters there.
In addition, we would like to talk about the improvements made to the current version. Class balance is one of the most important issues that we are concerned about. First, we will change the effect duration and cooldown of the Sun Warriors Heavenshot and Heaven Hegemony spells. Also, we will raise the Moonmaidens attack power but how to raise that is still being tested. Currently, we are trying by raising the damage of some spells. Swordsmen will be strengthened too. At present, we have 2 choices to strengthen Swordsmen. One of them is to raise the Swordsmens defense and maximum health. The other one is to raise the Swordsmens attack range and attack speed. They are being tested too. As for Summoners and Bead Fairies, weve not yet made plans.
Also, considering its not easy to gather precious materials for making equipment, we will raise the chance of getting the Mystic Stones back when disenchanting equipment. We may adjust the chance to 30% from the former 20%. But, it is being tested too.
In addition, in order to help beginners get started easier, we will add signposts to the two beginners zones?Blue Mountain and Ghost Canyon, and also add some more detailed descriptions of the daily online reward system and the spirit training system.
Above is merely a brief introduction to the recent development trends in Zu Online. Are you looking forward to them? Anyway, we will keep working hard to improve Zu Online. Again, thanks for your continued support!
Dungeon Party trailer
Enter the world of Dungeon Party, a free MMO full of fun and craziness! This video will show you a few of the customizations options available for your characters, but also the highly charged and crazy atmosphere omnipresent inside the dungeons, where teams of heroes are fighting to capture the treasure. Watch the video now!