Yearly Archives: 2009
Dragonica: PvP system unveiled
Dragonica, the free-to-play 3D side-scrolling MMORPG, will be available this Spring in English, French and German from the Gpotato.eu portal. While the gPotato team prepares for the launch, we are proud to announce information about the PvP system which will be available to all players once they reach Level 20.
Dragonicas PvP features frantic arcade-style action, a straightforward and easy to use interface and epic battles allowing up to ten players to battle head-to-head. Players have the choice of a variety of options to play alone or as part of a team, with free for all, team death matches and last-man-standing modes available. There are also plenty more modes to come including capture the flag and dedicated Guild War modes.
These can be played in a variety of locations from across the land of Dragotaka. Battle on a narrow strip of land in a magma chamber deep underground or elude your foes in the mysterious labyrinth. Bring the fight to a mushroom village hidden deep in a forest or descent into the crater of an active volcano. Regular players can earn special achievements, while Combat Points earned in PvP mode can be cashed in with an in-game character for a unique set of armour to assist you in the main quest and identify as a top PvP player to the rest of the Dragonica community.
Whether you are a hardcore or casual player, you can quickly jump between the main quest and battle modes. Starting or joining a multiplayer game in Dragonica is simple, easy to understand, and allows you to quickly get straight into the action with a click on the PvP button. From the matchmaking screen you can view your friends list to see who is online and join them, or browse through the games and join the match that best suits your mood and skill level.
Pirate Galaxy
A galaxy in turmoil. The Mantis have gained supremacy over the mining colonies and are exploiting the only remaining cryonite deposits.
Board your starship and fight alongside other outlaw pilots to hunt down the alien transports, loot their valuable cargo, and reclaim the colonies!
Have you got what it takes to conquer a galaxy?
You can purchase new starships and customize them individually, choosing from hundreds of modifications and upgrades. To hunt down and destroy your enemies more effectively, you can team up with other players from around the globe. As you and your clan mates explore the galaxy and travel to distant planets, you will gain access to new technology and cooler ship enhancements. Prove yourself in tournaments and epic clan battles, and conquer entire planets. Can you unravel the secrets left behind by an ancient alien civlization and become the most renowned space pirate in the galaxy?
A Tale in the Desert Review: Thriving Community
By Vincent Haoson, Onrpg Writer
When we talk about MMOs, the first thing that comes to our minds are games where there are monsters to eliminate, quests that needs to be accomplished and characters that are battling against the forces of evil. A Tale in the Desert is a game that tackles the less RPG-ish feel of most MMOs in the market today by going into a more developmental approach of gaming.
Set in Ancient Egypt
A Tale in the Desert is a game where you are a character that is living in Ancient Egypt. Your main goal is to improve yourself as a citizen of Egypt through various quests that require you to learn and apply your knowledge from the different schools found in-game. Think of A Tale in the Desert as an MMO version of Sims minus the social complexities that Sims is famous for.
Simulation is the main theme of A Tale in the Desert. The game in fact is chock full of quests you need to accomplish to be successful in the game. The leveling system here is based not on the usual how-may-exp-I-earned-by-killing-monsters but rather on the amount of skills and abilities you learn as you progress through the world of A Tale in the Desert.
Upon entering the game, you are already given your first quest, which is the Principles of Citizenship. This basically would be your introduction into the game. While doing your quest you would get acquainted with the controls and the game system thats unique for A Tale in the Desert.
The first unique feature in A Tale in the Desert is the way you finish your quests. You would need to collect various minerals that are found along the environment. You would need to gather said materials to progress through the game. Gathering and building are the only routes you have to take here in A Tale in the Desert if you want to improve your character unlike in most games where crafting only comes secondary and the only use you have for them is for better equipments.
Skills instead of Levels
The other unique system in A Tale in the Desert is the way you level up. Unlike in games where you need to gain experience to level up, in A Tale in the Desert, the only way you can level is through learning. School is cool in A Tale in the Desert and if you really want to progress through the game you would need to study a lot. You need to gather the necessary materials the school asks of you and viola! With just one click you immediately learn the skill! Now if real schools are like that, wouldnt life be easier?
Besides the uniqueness of the leveling system in A Tale in the Desert, the game has the law making system. This game system sets A Tale in the Desert apart from other MMOs because players can take direct actions in helping or controlling the laws in-game. Of course the laws you can create in-game are limited to what the game has, still it adds flavor and fun that you can actually affect the game by the laws that you try to pass.
Weighing it Over
Right of the bat, A Tale in the Desert is not a game that is for everyone. The first reason is that A Tale in the Desert is totally unlike most MMOs found in the web. The game play itself is superbly unique but the uniqueness also comes with the price that not a lot of players are willing to try this one out.
The game pace is slow and a laborious process. This wouldnt fare well for those who are used to wham bam type of actions especially on MMOs who are already established in the online gaming scene. The graphics is not that great too, especially for a game that requires a subscription after one day of free play.
Another quite disappointing factor for the game is that the game isnt newbie user friendly. In my earlier experiences on the game I would need to ask people around to realize that I already passed a lot of mining areas where I need to gather for a quest. True the game doesnt lack in icons where its user friendly, but the user friendliness of the icons are only useful when you know what it means.
A Tale in the Desert has a big learning curve plus the default controls need time to get used to. Another thing is that most of the in-game controls are point-and-click, this is kind of unnerving especially if you are used to games where there are icons that you can use to navigate through the game.
Still with the graphical limitations the game has, Ive never seen a community as active in A Tale in the Desert. What practically helped me stop pressing the alt+f4 key from the frustration of trying to figure out what to do were the people who courteously helped me out with the barrage of questions I have about the game.
Amazing Community
The game has a following that you would never see in most games. Majority of the players you see in game are people who you can actually talk to. Unlike in some games where a lot of people doesnt necessarily mean a live community. A Tale in the Desert is in fact a nice game to play if you are into games where basically what you do is collect, talk and be with people.
A Tale in the Desert is basically one of those games where the community is how it should be. It is an developmental kind of MMO where a live community is needed to make it thrive. So I say if you are the type of player who wants to socialize in a friendly environment and also have fun then you could try out A Tale in the Desert. I think a days worth of trying out of the game could in fact help you decide to actually spend on it or go to another game out there.
Conclusion
A Tale in the Desert is basically a simulation game where you need to build your character into a citizen that Egypt can be proud of. Even if the game lacks some of the elements that make other MMOs great and that the games play is totally different from what we are used to, A Tale in the Desert has its charms. A game like this wouldnt last four evolutions and almost a decade of operation if there is nothing special about it.
Pros
– Thriving Community
– The game isnt level dependent
– Its like sims without the social complexities
Cons
– The game isnt that graphically stunning
– The controls needs to get used to
– The game pace is slow and tedious
– The interface isnt newbie friendly
Online gamer face $6000 bill!
The Australian Daily Telegraph reported the following news:
When Justin Cavanagh decided to play online games with his mates over the Christmas break he didn’t realise his actions would cost him thousands of dollars.
Mr Cavanagh, 29, connected three computers at his North Gosford home so his friends could go head-to-head on the popular online World War II strategy game Battleground Europe.
But he exceeded his Telstra Bigpond 60GB ADSL2+ plan by more than 38GB.
Telstra’s policy is to charge excess data at a rate of 15c per megabyte but, the company says, Bigpond customers are always sent email notification when they are nearing their download limit.
When Mr Cavanagh’s next Telstra bill arrived it said he owed them $6041. A distraught Mr Cavanagh contacted Telstra about the massive bill and was told to send an email.
Have you got examples of Telstra over-charging you online? Tell us below!
It was a bit hard to send an email because they cut off my connection, he said.
When The Daily Telegraph contacted Telstra a spokesman rang Mr Cavanagh immediately and said the bill would be waived as a gesture of good will.
(source:The Daily telegraph)
Fiesta: Instance Dungeons Now Available
Dragon’s Tomb, Fiesta’s first instance dungeon is now available.
A dark and mysterious force has revived the great dragon king Cornelius, and his phantom is now threatening to raise another dragon army and unleash destruction on the world of Isya once again!
It’s up to the world’s greatest heroes to band together and strike down Cornelius for good! High level players can team up with a party of fellow adventures to take on this exciting new instance dungeon.
Featuring four sub-bosses, a host of new traps and challenges, and a showdown with the dragon king Cornelius himself, Dragon’s Tomb will push Fiesta players to their limits and reward them with the most powerful weapons and armor available in the game.
WoW: is patch 3.0.8 a disaster?
Wowinsider.com issued an article claiming that the latest patch for World Of Warcraft ‘has been a disaster’. Here’s an extract:
Wintergrasp (one of the biggest promoted features of Wrath) shut down. Unbearable lag on the realms and in instances (and this patch was supposed to fix that). Blizzard even went live with the patch knowing that major bugs (the Warlock summoning and animation and clipping errors) were in there, and, perhaps worst of all, bugs that have been in the game so long they seem to belong there (we’re looking at you, Pet Cower bug) didn’t even bother showing up in the patch notes, and haven’t been fixed.
In short, patch 3.0.8 has been a disaster.
(…)
It’s broken more issues than it was even supposed to fix, and bugs that existed before the patch haven’t even gotten a mention, as Blizzard is scrambling to re-do all of the changes that were supposed to go live with 3.0.8.
(soucer: wowinsider.com)
Myth War II: Spring Festival Event
Chinese New Year is almost here and the inhabitants of Myth War are looking for a brand new start.
The Gods governing Rarus Continent have opened the Festal Treasury to see if any brave souls will pick up the gauntlet and fight without fear to grab these rare, divine treasures.
Event Duration
January 22 to January 31
Public access will be given during fixed time periods each day.
Event Description
Event One: Take the Festal Treasury The Festal Treasury is an 8-story building. Each floor is guarded by a Patron Saint. Players must team up and battle against them and the Treasury Guards. As players venture to each new floor, the combat will become more intense as the Patron Saints you face get much tougher. Players will win Honor Points and even Gods Chest after the death of the Patron Saints and Treasure Guards. If there are players below Level 30 in party, bonus Honor Points will be given to all teammates.
Event Two: Honor Points Exchange Players can go to Luna’s Palace to exchange their Honor Points for many fabulous prizes. High level pieces, Saint Pets or Deity Beasts are included in the prize list.
Event Three: New Years Wishes During the event period, the New Years Fairy will be available for everyone to send their Chinese New Years wishes. Each player has only one chance to send their New Years wishes every half hour. Prizes will be given for sending well wishes.
Zu Online: Little Sky Strategy
When travelling to Little Sky in Zu Online, you may doubt whether you are in a dangerous place, because it looks so peaceful. Do not let this beauty fool you into letting your guard down.
Little Sky was originally the place where the Boulder Immortal resided and cultivated his spirit, but then it became a forbidden area to imprison immortal beings.
So, what will you encounter while you are exploring Little Sky?
Water Goblin (Level 142)
They are gentle winged creatures that live in Little Sky. They like to fly over the water and look a bit like a horse. Some of them are extremely clever. Some of them can even speak to immortal beings and serve as a mount.
Tablet Trapper (Level 157)
They were talismans of Purple Mansion and originally the tablets used in the Trapping Formation to help trap immortal beings. When some immortal beings infused vigor into them, they became talented creatures. Many immortal beings then created Tablet Trappers to fight for them.
Impudent Taoist (Level 163)
They were originally uncommonly strong men who made great achievements and then got the third eye. By using the third eye, they can see the world more clearly than others and even attack their enemies with fire.
Skullcap Taoist (Level 179)
They seldom speak. They exude power. But actually, they have traded their spirit to a mystical, talented person in Purple Mansion for the power they posses. This terrible deal they made has caused them to lose not only their souls, but their minds as well.
Cheen (Level 190) Danger lurks everywhere amidst the tranquility of Little Sky. Be careful and reap great rewards!
Cheen is one of the three talented masters of Purple Mansion. The weapon in his hand is amazingly powerful. He always acts arbitrarily. Rumor had it he fought against the Immortal Tansoo, but in his haste to kill his enemy, he went to Little Sky and was trapped there.
Rappelz Interview: New Content And New Events
Answered by: Itoki, Rappelz GM