Yearly Archives: 2009

Knight Online Gladiator Symbol Giveaway Live

Onrpg and Gamersfirst are organizing a special giveaway for the Gladiator Symbol in Knight Online!
 
Immerse yourself in a relentless world with the most hardcore PvP environment in the MMORPG genre. Choose a nation and take part in the epic war between the noble kingdom of El Morad and the monstrous Karus. Knight Online delivers a gritty world of combat and strife that promises to test your skills at every turn. Do you have what it takes?
 
Then sign up for the Knight Online Giveaway and get your Gladiator Symbol!
 
Or visit the Event Forum and follow instructions from there, and chat about the game!

Knight Online Gladiator Symbol Giveaway Event

Bounty Bay Online: Add-on Ahoy!

With sails billowing full from a following wind, Bounty Bay Online is steering dead ahead for the coming add-on. Frogster is announcing today that the add-on Beyond the Horizon’ will be published in German, English and French versions on 25th November 2009.

‘Beyond the Horizon’ is the third and up to now most comprehensive add-on to Bounty Bay Online and offers over 250,000 European players countless new features such as the new continent of South America, six new cities, five new character classes, new instances, new PvP arenas and tournaments, new ranking systems and new mini-games. In keeping with its predecessors, ‘Beyond the Horizon’ will be available to download free of charge. Players can obtain regular bulletins about the content of the up-coming add-on at a special info web page: http://bth.bountybayonline.com.

Bounty Bay Online

Karos Online Preview

By Gabriele Giorgi (Darak), OnRPG Journalist


NHN finally arrives in Europe with Karos Online, a Free to Play MMO with a fantasy setting. The game is currently in Closed Beta, both on the eastern and the western market.

It’s a brand new MMORPG, so we are not talking about an existing title modified to appease the European players.

From the 21st to the 23rd of August the first Beta weekend took place: the participants had the chance to experiment some of the playable races (currently three, but they will be five at launch) and the corresponding classes.

Classes and races revealed so far are pretty standard for a fantasy world: there are humans, with the role of warriors; the graceful Shadows, gifted with stealth abilities; the Seroine, specialized in ranged combat with bows. Every class will have to choose between two different specialisations later in the game. The pairing race/class, predetermined in the Beta phase, will have more freedom at launch, when each race will be allowed more classes to choose from.

Many of the features are what we could expect from this kind of game (quests, mounts, PvP, etc.), but some of them might set aside Karos Online from other popular titles.

First of all, the main form of energy in the world of Karos is called Fletta: it can be used in many ways (you can imbue weapons with it or use it for crafting… or, banally, you can sell it, since it’s in high demand) and can be extracted in specific mines. The control of these sites will be a major component of the game, and guilds will be able to try and secure those mines to get as much Fletta as possible before the location is marked to be conquerable again by other people (but it can be defended, of course): in short, a new kind of PvP meant to have tangible consequences on the balance of power and the economy of the game.

Another innovative mechanics in Karos can be found in the event-driven dungeons: getting rid of the monsters inside such complexes, we can open a passage, make a section of the floor cave-in and something like that. Among the mobs, there will always be one triggering a specific event like those described above; however, this does not mean that we have to follow a pre-ordered path; quite the contrary: there will be many forks to reach the classic final boss, and maybe some of them can lead us to more interesting loot.

Alongside this type of dungeon, there will be another mazelike one: walls will rise and fall in a preset period of time, or, as before, when you kill a random mob: you will have to make your way through with extreme caution, since nobody knows what the next wall might hide.

As a final note, much like many eastern games, Karos will sport excellent animations and graphics, especially considering the limited dimension of the client.

Major update for MapleStory Europe scheduled

MapleStory Europe, the worldwide hit free-to-play MMORPG with more than 1.2million enthusiastic players in Europe alone, prepares another big update with a new map, striking new quests and seasonal event.
Slated for October 22, the next patch includes the addition of “Magatia”, the residence of two rivaled alchemist groups “Alcadno” and “Zenumist”. In order to settle down the tumult and to solve the mystery that lies beneath the compelling story, players need to solve various challenging single- and party quests in a fascinating medieval town.
Furthermore, Halloween will be celebrated at MapleStory Europe in its traditional, annual custom, and players are invited to the mysterious, creepy pension of the former toymaker “Prendergast” who used to be the happiest man on Maple World until… something terrible happened to him.
“We just had the “Ariant” map added to MapleStory Europe in September, and brining another new map just after one month may be a challenging task” says Sung Jin Kim, Director at NEXON Europe. “But the loyalty and enthusiasm of our players are huge and we really feel the need to keep up with their stunning digestive power of game contents. We hope that our players will enjoy the dynamic pull at MapleStory Europe, and definitely look forward to bringing the further updates that we have in line.”
 
MapleStory originally launched in South Korea in April 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the most successful online games of all time, with over 92 million registered accounts across the world. MapleStory Europe launched in May 2007 and counts more than 1.2 million registered players, offering gamers in Europe the chance to play MapleStory in four different languages – English, German, Spanish and Dutch.

MapleStory Europe Halloween

Alteil

Alteil is a free to play strategy battle game and a card collectible all in one! Contrary to the first image of the game, it is very much a story driven game, where players can challenge each other to card battles, or else play three different minigames. Registered players in Alteil are called Iczers.

Final Fantasy XIV: Can it handle the competition?

By Joshua Temblett (Dontkillmydreams), OnRPG Journalist

In 2005 Square Enix announced that they were developing a new MMORPG.  Now, four years down the line, we’ve finally been shown glimpses of this masterpiece-in-waiting.  The problem is the game looks nearly the same as its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI.  I’ve always said that if there’s one developer who can make a great MMO, it’d be the team behind Final Fantasy XI.  After seeing gameplay footage of their new title, I’ve got to admit that I’m slightly worried.

Now I don’t know what Final Fantasy XIV will be like, my judgements are made from the video footage available at present and the various interviews that are floating around.  Also just to clarify the big question I’m approaching in this article isn’t whether or not Square’s new MMO will be good, but whether or not the game can compete in such a saturated market, where new experiences are constantly coming out every year.

FFXIV Scenery

These new experiences not only include games like Fallen Earth and Champions Online, but also titles like Aion which build upon the status quo.  Star Wars: The Old Republic is probably one of FFXIV’s biggest rivals.  Not only is this game incredibly hyped, but its release date is 2010 (probably within the 4th quarter of the year) just so happens to be in the same time-frame as XIV.  Oh and did I forget to mention that it’s Star Wars?  Wait; allow me to elaborate on that.  It’s a Star Wars MMORPG developed by BioWare who have made very successful games within the franchise before.  I mean, come on!  Who wouldn’t play that?! 

You see game developers are approaching their games differently and are (finally) beginning to focus on other demographics than the typical hardcore MMORPG gamer who likes to stay up late and grind.  Gameplay in MMOs is becoming more streamlined and casual orientated.  Not only that but games like Champions Online are attempting to merge the action and RPG genres to create an experience that fits the more action based American audience.

This change of focus from the Eastern to the Western markets is an important one.  The Eastern market is no longer profitable enough to sustain the large development costs of making a game, so instead developers have to capitalise on American and European audiences, the latter being probably one of most important as it’s still growing.  This change in attention is important as it affects the games design and appeal.

At the moment casual gaming is what most game companies are focusing on.  By casual gaming I don’t mean mini games, I mean gaming for the masses that is easy, accessible and streamlined.

MMORPGs have never aimed at the casual audience though.  So how do they grab that audience?  They do so by providing instant satisfaction to the gamer.  The problem is Final Fantasy XI was never about that, it was before the era of casual gaming, and focused much more on the long term gratification, rather than the short term.  Now before you think that this is a bad thing, it really isn’t.  FFXI wasn’t meant for the soft and wimpy, instead for the old fashioned hardcore gamer that would, in his/her prime, stay up late every night trying to complete Mega Man 2.

This is what made the game great, and I believe is what keeps the 500,000 players logging in everyday.  However in this day and age, is that what gamers want?  Yes, I think it is.  Is this the audience Final Fantasy XIV is after?  Yes.  Expect a game similar to FFXI, but easier to get into and with less of a learning curve.  Sure the game will have some casual appeal, but don’t expect the hardcore aspects to just get up and walk away.

There is still a fan base for these types of hardcore games, and Square Enix knows that.  What they also know, unlike many other MMORPG developers, is that they can’t take away World of Warcraft’s audience and so there’s no point in creating a game similar to it.  Instead a video game that has its own unique gameplay and experiences will be more successful.

But is XIV truly unique?  Well we don’t know until we get our hands on it and review it.  From the footage that’s been released so far, it looks like FFXI but much more streamlined.  Heck even the races look the same.  The developers are in danger of creating an experience that looks almost identical to their first MMO and whilst I’m sure that they’re not the same, there’s the possibility that some people will look at the game and just go “Meh, it’s the same as Final Fantasy XI”.

City of Uldah

Let’s just hope that however the game turns out it’ll still keep the feeling of Final Fantasy XI, which in my opinion no other MMORPG has really been able to crack.  XI was a special game that gave a great feeling of achievement.  Whilst I never really had the opportunity to thoroughly play through it, the world felt ever huge and expansive, and you really felt like you were in a different world.  If XIV can keep that feeling then I’ll definitely be picking it up on day one.

It’s all about whether or not Square’s new MMORPG can find its own niche in what is a very competitive market.  I personally think that it will be able to and that the game is in a very capable developer’s hands. 

 

Heroes of Bestia Announced by IGG Inc.

Background Story
A dark era of turbulence and desperation ended in Bestia after the death of the Three Gods and the Devil King. Legions of creatures have begun struggling over the continent’s remaining materials to build their own kingdoms. Elves seek to regain their former glory. Humans continue to look toward the frontiers and new territories. Cavemen simply want to return to their underground haven and forget all about the destruction wrought on the surface world. The inhabitants of this world finally have a chance to decide who will wield the ultimate power.
Gameplay
Heroes of Bestia has taken the lead in the next generation of browser-based games by introducing a unique movement function that lets you move your hero anywhere in the game world you like. This improves interaction with other players and creates a more lifelike connection with the heroes you are commanding. Ultimately it is the hero takes the lead in battle, and it is up to these intrepid lieutenants to carry out your orders. This makes the building of powerful heroes, the forging of top equipment for them, and the mastery of the myriad skills available to them the most important factors of game play in Heroes of Bestia.
 
In addition to the heroes, there are other creatures that play a vital role in Heroes of Bestia, including the legendary Black Dragon, and lovely and powerful Angels. Players will also learn amazing magical abilities that will help them realize their ambitions, such as the devastating Armageddon spell.
 
Besides, the Heroes of Bestia team is pulling out all their stops to offer players an exciting and intuitive combat system that puts players right in the middle of the action as the chief warlord of their kingdom. They can use various skills and spells to control the outcome of battles and manage large armies to conquer new territory.

Gryphon in Heroes of Bestia

Runes of Magic: The Revenge of the Zurhidon

A series of in-game events starts on Wednesday 14th October!
 
The Zurhidon have long been quiet. Their last attempts to conquer Taborea failed thanks to the efforts of numerous heroes. But now, one by one, a series of reports is shaking the peaceful population: The Zurhidon are back!
 
From Wednesday 14th October, Frogster is launching a series of in-game events in the Runes of Magic game world. In a weekly rhythm, a dangerous troop of Zurhidon warriors will strike in turn on the various European servers always at 20:00. In the course of the manually GM controlled event, the Zurhidon will use their sinister powers to the fullest, summoning up demons for their own dire purposes.
 
In order to overwhelm Taborea, they send  two generals in addition to their demonic and Zurhidon troops. The task lying before players of Runes of Magic will be to beat back this evil and ferocious force. But take care; the powers of darkness will try to cut off the well-intentioned player troops in order to lure them into an ambush. Instead of being content with just one prime location, they will actually attack on two fronts simultaneously. 
Runes of Magic and Onrpg Fan-Fiction Contest
Next to that RoM and Onrpg have worked together to prepare an exclusive contest. Join the contest and win great prizes, as you can see below! Between hitting the 2 Millionth Player Mark and preparing upcoming released, Runes of Magic is offering special game T-Shirts, mouse-mats and unique ingame prizes to the winner of the all new Runes of Magic Fan-Fiction Contest!!
 
You can prove your writing skills and present a unique story related to RoM and win these great prizes! Find out more on the Fan-Fiction section on the forum!

Runes of Magic prizes

Mabinogi Announces Dragon Update

Nexon America has released a video showing off a new feature coming its fantasy MMOG Mabinogi shortly with the release of the Dragon update. With the Dragon update, Mabinigi will be adding flying brooms. These brooms will provide a very fast mode of transportation, on the air and on the ground. They also will help find treasure by sweeping the ground to uncover valuables and will also support players in battle.
“Almost all adventurers know about the recent dangerous happenings in the northern parts of the world, but the ominous stirrings beneath Zardine have caused other curiosities throughout Erinn. Most notably, brooms…have come to life! Antiquated star brooms, more commonly used as ornaments than housekeeping tools, are standing upright and skittering earnestly across the ground.
 
Anyone able to tame one of these brooms will find they’ve acquired a loyal companion, eager to do the bidding of its newly-made friend. Not only do star brooms use their unique “sweep” function to dust the ground for lost treasure, they can also fly! That’s why they’ve been nicknamed “Flying Stars.”
Flying Stars makes excellent pets because they move quickly over both land and sky. In the air, Flying Stars move faster than Pelicans but slightly slower than Eagles. Unlike their winged counterparts, however, Flying Stars move quickly on land, too! They’re as fast as Shire horses, and just a bit slower than Thoroughbreds.
Flying Stars make excellent traveling companions, thanks to their shining versatility and unique abilities. You just might want to get better acquainted with the broom sitting forgotten in your closet…it could end up carrying you through the skies of Iria!”

Mabinogi Dragon Update

Shadowtale

Shadowtale is a great browser-based fantasy MMORPG where you step into a world with many monsters and mysteries. It’s set up really great and it takes just a short time to get completely hooked!
Your travel through the Royal Maze takes you to the spooky Gravelands Slipshard, where you will fight demonic creatures and reach the Spirit of the Maze itself! Reaching the Queen to warn her of the Vizier’s plan will take training and skill. Her solution to the problem may surprise you!