Yearly Archives: 2009

Runes of Magic announces Raid Dungeons!

With the launch of the second chapter of Runes of Magic, the gates of raid dungeon ‘Hall of Survivors’ will open to allow access into its subterranean workshops.  There, groups of up to 12 brave adventurers at a time can encounter the powerful Golems.
 
Once created by the hands of man, the Guardians soon turned against their creators. After suffering heavy losses, the people of Taborea banded together to turn back the Golems. Their workshops were forgotten, but in the deepest depths, the ancient creatures survived. Gathered around their leader ‘Protector Andaphelmor’, countless Guardians watch over their long forgotten treasures within ruins destroyed by lava flows.

 
The new raid dungeon in the bowels of the earth will demand much of players. Only the most exceptionally experienced and equipped 12-person raid parties should venture into the ‘Hall of Survivors’. Only these groups will be able to carry out the demanding tactical combat required to go up against eight bosses in total. Equipped with powerful abilities, each of the eight bosses can dispatch unprepared adventurers within seconds.
 
A sneak peek of the new raid dungeon, ‘Hall of Survivors’ which is launching with ‘The Elven Prophecy’ on September 15th can be seen right here on OnRPG!
 
 

Runes of Magic

 

Orion’s Belt: Announcing

Orion’s Belt, a free to play browser game, has announced their first Intergalactic Tournament.
 
Players will battle for a money prize of €2000! The tournament will be held on an 8×8 board game similar to chess on which they will need to lead their powerful combat units on a quest to be the supreme Orion’s Belt champion!
 
To participate you just need to register at http://www.orionsbelt.eu/ and enter the tournament. The tournament’s entry fee is €2.
Go check it out guys!

Orions Belt

Imperia Online Review: Medieval Is In

By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

Have you ever wondered how does it feel to be a Lord that has a ton of servants that jump at your every whim and desire? The feeling of owning a large piece of land that you can cultivate develop and eventually use as your stepping stone into a greater more majestic world? I do not know if you can do that in real life right now, but you can at least have an idea of how it feels  through Imperia Online, a browser-based game that puts you in the seat of a ruler who has recently received the tile of Lord to a piece of cyber-land.

Nay my liege ’tis your servants!

If you think being the Lord of the land is all that it’s cracked up to be then Imperia Online is going to be a shocker for you. The problem of having a newly acquired land is that it is still undeveloped and that is saying something with the game being in a medieval setting. Developing the land is no walk in a park, however.

The game does provide you with a tutorial that gives you tips on to distribute the resources you have, as well as teaching you the basic use and description of the whole interface. This helps new players get used to the game faster, unlike other same-themed browser based games where you have to only rely on the FAQ and the help page they have.

Playing the game sire

Imperia Online is a wait-and-see type of game where creation of your structures and earning of your resources takes time. This is a browser game that uses 40% strategy and 60% patience because in later parts of your gameplay you will have to wait hours before you can get a building to level up. This can be both good and bad because it means you won’t have to spend too much time on the game and you can even do something else while you wait for the building time to go down to zero. The other side of this however is that if you are someone who is in for the adrenaline rush of getting your medieval units into a clash and in time invade a neighboring land just like those barbarians in movies, you will be sorely disappointed.

Imperia Lands


Look yonder your land sire

The game does provide a medieval feel as a strategy game where you work with structures that were found during the medieval era of man. This setting does provide a sense of novelty and history for players who care to at least look at the buildings their peasants are making. This brings about a dull and boring point of view for you because it the medieval setting does not exactly bring about a fun environment, unless you enjoy history or the fact that the game remains loyal somewhat to the devices found in that time.

You cannot exactly say that the game is all static and dull though. There is at least a little charming display of movement that you would see in the interface. Your land’s windmill is spinning, you get to see your peasants work your land and so on. These little ‘charming’ effects give a little light to the otherwise dreary medieval setting the game has successfully incorporated. This is one of those cases where a game has successfully mimicked their target era, they have done it so well that you can get to experience how dull life is during those times.

The scales of balance sire

Imperia Online is a decent strategy browser game that has loyally stuck to the core theme of the game which is the medieval times. The game is balanced up to an extent, I must say, that this is one of those games where it is rewarding to pay. Getting a premium account is one of the most obvious things the game wants you to do. As a way to convince you of this, the game provides you with a taste of how things go when you get yourself a premium account. You would only feel the imbalance gameplay of Imperia Online in the later stages of the game and when you get to finally develop your land using your free account into something decent. Unless you get yourself a premium account by then you would see yourself being left behind by players who spent money for their land to prosper.

Imperia Servants

How is your experience sire?

Imperia Online is challenging and at the same time boring because you have to also rely on other players if you want to get some action going. It is challenging in the sense because you have to match wits with people and not just an AI and boring at the same time because it takes ages for the two of you to make your respective moves.

Another good thing about the game is that at least it has graphic support. I can only imagine how duller Imperia Online would be if it was only text-based. The game competes on the dreary factor of other medieval-themed browser games such as Bite Fight, Vampires vs. Werewolves and the like. However it fails to bring about the mysterious aura that those other games have done wonderfully.

Imperia Combat

The best way to describe the game is that its more of a text-based online version of Civilization, however Imperia Online is only concentrating on the medieval ages unlike in Civilization that spans the past, present and even possible future of human advancement.

Imperia Online is no civilization but if you are after something that has a faint resemblance of that game online then you should try this game out.

Pros:
– The game is graphics supported
– The in-game graphics moves and looks good enough so that the game doesn’t feel dead
– The game delivers the medieval feel successfully.

Cons:
– The look of the game is too monotonous that it can kill your gaming experience
– It takes time to manufacture if you are using a free account
– The advantages of a premium account outweigh significantly the free account which can alter the game’s balance.

Bounty Bay: New character classes online

The next big expansion of Bounty Bay Online will integrate five character classes with their individual special abilities into the historical world of exploration. Each of the five new classes Royal Military Officer, Imperial Guardian, Caribbean Pirate, Treasure Hunter and Armed Businessman, will receive its own individual skill tree in ‘Beyond the Horizon’. Using talent points, which can be acquired through applying their abilities, players can further expand on their special skills in the three areas of land combat, sea combat, and production (crafting). Players can drag & drop the active skills of the new classes such as certain special attacks into their skill bar and directly execute them from there as required. Passive Skills for the new character classes act as a permanent ‘buff’ or bonus.

Upon meeting the first NPC in Athens in a new Tutorial Quest, beginners will have the choice from one of the five character classes in the upcoming expansion ‘Beyond the Horizon’. A class trainer in the city will further instruct them in on-going use of the new system as the quest series progresses. Advanced players can choose one of the five classes in addition to the abilities they already learned and thereby complement these with the new special functions. All five character classes are playable as either male or female game characters. The choice of character class has no influence on the outward appearance of the characters. But all of the five classes can acquire an impressive new equipment set that awaits them as booty to reward success in high level instances, or as a reward for the victory  in a PvP tournament.

Frogster is going to publish the expansion ‘Beyond the Horizon’ with its many new features in both German and English language versions. A little later French players of Bounty Bay Online  will also be able to check out the new content, such as the new continent South America, six new cities, the five new character classes, the active pet system, 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 free of charge.

 

Bounty Bay - Maya Fight

 

 

Dungeons & Dragons Online now free-to-play!Dungeons & Dragons Online now free-to-play!

Today DDO introduces an innovative new pricing model that allows players to download and play for free, purchasing adventure packs, items, and account services a la carte from the new DDO Store, or to subscribe to get unlimited access to all of the game’s content. Starting today, players can download and play DDO Unlimited for free.

“Today Turbine changes the way gamers experience their online entertainment by providing them with a choice in how they pay and play for a premium MMO,” said Jim Crowley, CEO of Turbine, Inc.  “The DDO Unlimited Beta program has been a huge success and the initial response to the game from both press and players has been nothing short of phenomenal.  In response, we have already more than doubled our capacity to handle the increased demand.”

“DDO Unlimited is the most innovative, exciting and feature rich MMO to ever hit the free to play market,” said Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer of DDO Unlimited.  “We’ve come a long way since our launch and it has been very rewarding to see the positive response to the game from players and reporters alike.  DDO Unlimited’s future is very bright and we’re already getting more adventures ready to introduce to the game later in the year.”

Gnoll Wizard fight

Roma Victor

Roma Victor is a classical non-fantasy MMORPG based on the Roman Empire, circa 180AD. Most of Europe is in the clutches of the Roman Empire. Commodus has succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher Emperor, and is exerting tyrannical influence.
 
The Praetorians keep a strict and oppressive rule over the entire Empire, which is defended and (outside Rome) largely policed by the Legions. Many Barbarian outposts and enclaves exist peacefully outside Imperial rule particularly in Britannia, Gaul and Germania. These people however always live in fear of the Legions, which threaten their culture and their very existence. If they stand united, they may just hold them off.

World of Warcraft: Paragon gets world-first kill on Heroic Anub’arak

World of Warcraft guild Paragon got a world first kill on Heroic Anub’arak.

With only four attempts left they finally managed to finish the fight with 11 people standing.

Interesting detail is that there are some rumors flying around about another guild transfering server earlier this week to reset their attempt-count. Guess they got outplayed anyway!

About Paragon
Paragon is a Finnish speaking hardcore raiding horde guild on EU-Lightning’s Blade. Paragon was formed by the core members of Knockout (Twisting Nether) and Sauna (Stormreaver) specifically for WotLK raiding. Before WotLK (and before 3.0) they cleared Sunwell for fun in a week with only five guys who had cleared it before. In Ulduar all of their hard mode kills have been top 15, with four top 3 kills. They were 10th guild to kill Algalon the Observer(25).

Congratulations Paragon!

Anub Arak down

Fallen Earth: Release postponed to the 22

FALLEN EARTH, LLC, the creator of Fallen Earth, has announced that it plans to extend its the launch date to September 22.

“Our main focus is to make sure that Fallen Earth is easily accessible to as many fans as possible,” said Jessica Orr, product manager for Fallen Earth. “We are working on initiatives that are near fruition and we simply need more time.”

Pre-order customers will still enter Early Access on September 9, with an additional six days of access before the live program begins.

 

You know what they say about men with big guns right?

Turf Battles Preview: First Looks

By Bryan King (Bryan), OnRPG Journalist

Who says the power of community can’t be strong? Due to popular demand, AeriaGames, a major F2P MMO publishing company, bought the license to Turf Battles, developed by IMAZIC. Turf Battles makes usage of the Unreal Engine.

Turf Battles is a PvE and PvP Free MMORPG in which tribes and their allies battle over vast areas of land. This game encompasses massive Turf Battles in many varied landscapes. Battle alongside other players or against them with help from your faithful pet. You can fend for yourself and fight a wide assortment of monsters, zombies and mutants. Otherwise join a tribe of other players to fight for the turfs and their resources. Form Alliances with other tribes to share a turf and become an imposing force in the Turf Battles.

There are many classes to choose from and advance to such as: Blade, Fist, Archer, Blue Mage and White Priest. You also have the option of fighting in the fast paced PvP battles and prove yourself to be a force to be reckoned with. But how did these Turf Wars begin?

Turf Battles Story

As quoted from the Turf Battles website.

“As all stories, the story of Turf Battles has a beginning. Long ago elves and humans lived peacefully but separately on a large island called Sephiroth. The elves called their nation Veros and the humans called their nation Ladianes. But the evil of arrogance and power caused the leaders of both nations to declare war and battle for control of this island. Many brave and good elves and humans died in the resulting Turf Battle. Finally an alliance between Veros and Ladianes was made and once again the land was at peace.

The stories of these brave warriors were told by bards and storytellers by the light of campfires over the passing stretch of years. Humans and elves who sat huddled around the safety of these campfires often looked in fear at the surrounding woods while listening to these stories, because the light casted by the campfires and their own fueled imaginations sometimes made the shifting shadows of the surrounding trees appear as if the long dead heroes and villains of these stories had once again picked up their weapons to continue their endless battles. Over time even these bards and story tellers became a dim memory and the legends that they song and spoke about became mere tales to tell children before they were sent off to sleep. Sephiroth was peaceful and the lessons of the original Turf Battle had been long forgotten. But the evil of arrogance and power soon destroyed this tranquility.”

The Rundown on Gameplay

Creating a character in Turf Battles is as ordinary as in any other game, you choose from a selection of randomized or limited customary selected features such as hair, body parts, etc. Players are able to choose from two races, the Humans or the Nephilim. The Nephilim may sound very unique, but it does resemble the typical elf. The goal of Turf Battles is to gather resources, such as gems to enhance weapons and armors, and herbs to make potions with. The whole center of the game is to compete over Turfs and their resources.

The races in the game do have a factor on what class you end up playing. Speaking of classes, the classes in the game are as follows: If you choose to play a Nephilim you can be either an Archer or a Blue Mage. If you decide on a Human character you can be a Fist Fighter, a Blade Fighter, or a Red Mage.

Turf Battles Mage

All of these classes have the option of basically becoming a new class at a certain level by putting points into specializations of another race. One thing that I enjoyed about the game was the constant interaction between players. The alliance of Tribes is extremely important in the game, due to the fact that there are turf battles that occur once a day per turf and whomever controls it gets riches that can help them become even stronger. Some Turfs are not owned by players, however. They are owned by powerful ghosts and monsters that require a large amount of players to capture them. In return, these turfs have a large amount of natural resources that can be harvested.

I was instantly impressed by the fact that the game focuses on territory occupation but at the same time adds great PvE elements and the need for alliances to become the best. This need for alliances brings a new sort of realism to the game, and it doesn’t stop there. Simple things make the game even more realistic, which could be very great for gamers who are tired of the casual trippy MMO. When your weapons are not engaged, your character runs faster, player attack animations are well-detailed and take the player through all the processes of regular spellcasting. Also, pets have to start out as eggs, after which they hatch and become your companion.

The game’s pet system is extremely well done and detailed; you can raise animals such as dragons, puppies, or unicorns that raise your stats accordingly. These pets level up and become stronger, which allows you to gain even more stat benefits. Apart from that you can use your pet to your advantage in battle.

Turf Battles does not offer much to newbie players other than fighting monsters and doing quests, which is extremely cliché. You have to be a certain level to do anything related to PvP, which some players might not be interested in playing.

How does it look? – Graphics

Sadly, Turf Battles has graphics that cannot be compared to how great the gameplay is. I noticed bad character models, for the beginning areas. The human female and male look extremely alike. I had a hard time telling which one was which, other than… you know. However, spell animations look REALLY good. When you shoot arrows it looks realistic in the sense that shooting arrows through obstacles is impossible. Fire-type spells actually show fire on the caster’s hands. The casters will move their arms and hands in certain motions that are unique for every spell, which is actually pretty cool, and breaks out from the norm of magic-based classes.

Turf Battles Visuals

KABOOM! – Sound

On the other hand, the sound in the game is actually quite impressive. The musical score in the background does bring a new sort of enjoyment in an industry of games filled with the generic poorly produced music that you see. The sound effects are pretty well-done too. Arrow shots let off the realistic “PLINK!” when shot. You can hear mom’s home baked cooking when conjuring up a nice fire bolt and heals let off the melancholy sound when casted. It’s put together realy well.

Conclusion

Turf Battles brings an awesome experience in terms of PvP. If you don’t mind heavy emphasis on Player vs. Player, more so than PvE, or dated graphics, Turf Battles is a great game for you!

Pros:
– Large amount of unique classes
– Detailed and dynamic player vs. player system.
– Amazing pet system
– Great music and skill effect sounds

Cons:
– Not newbie friendly
– Dated graphics
– Weird character models
– Limited character customization