Yearly Archives: 2009

BattleField Heroes Preview: Newest Installment Released

By Bryan King (Bryan), Onrpg writer

BattleField: Heroes is only recently released, so here is the preview that was made during the Beta phase. Atten-hut, soldier! Are you ready to experience EA and DICE’s newest installment of the Battlefield series?

SIR YES SIR!

Battlefield: Heroes is DICE’s newest Battlefield game. What’s the catch? It’s completely free to play! This new game takes a whole new direction on portraying the theatre of war, with a more casual, comical, cartoonish look, set during World War II. Both of these factions are fighting over the outcome of an Olympics Cycling Event.

New Release

Battlefield: Heroes consists of two factions, both of which are chosen during character creation. The National Army portrays the World War II German-style faction. The Royal Army portrays a British/American-style faction. Characters that join the National Army typically wear darker, more mysterious colors. Characters that join the Royal Army will wear lighter, boisterous colors.

Each of these factions have the choice of three classes. The Commando, who specializes in hit-and-run tactics, sniping, and stealth tactics. The Soldier, who inherits basic armament (such as shotguns, submachine guns, and pistols) and balanced speed. And the Gunner, who has slow running speed but can use heavy weapons such as anti-tank weapons, shotguns, and heavy machine guns. Battlefield Heroes also has “abilities” that are both universal and class-specific. For example, the Commando has an ability called “Cloak” that makes them invisible unless in close distance to an enemy, the Soldier has an ability called “Grenade Spam” that allows them to throw five grenades at once, and the Gunner has a skill called “I Eats Grenades” that allows them to “eat” grenades for health.

Players are able to level in-game by completing Missions, which are individually completed tasks for players. For example, a mission could be to gain five kills in one game. Another way to level is by capturing flag-points, healing teammates, and gaining special kills such as running over users with cars, gaining headshots, etc. Thus, players are able to buy new weapons, emoticons, and abilities as they level with VP, a spendable currency that is earned through missions and playing in games.

Joining a game of BF:H isn’t like your ordinary shooter. BF:H uses an advanced matchmaking system to better ensure players’ gameplay experience. The matchmaking system takes account of player skill level, actual level, and which faction a player is to further balance the on-going game. Heroes uses a tweaked version of DICE’s Conquest Mode previously used in past installments of Battlefield. Each team starts with 50 points and two flags, with more flags being available spread at strategic points on the map. Killing enemy players decreases enemy points, and owning more flags than the enemy team acts as a multiplier for decreased tickets on the other team. Spawn times are 5 seconds, as disparate to the typical Battlefield-oriented 15 seconds, to keep the action going.

Instead of choosing spawn points from already-captured points, BF:H’s Intelligent Spawn System spawns players at the flag closest to a large battle. BF:H includes vehicles that are modeled after realistic WWII transports. Including various tanks, jeeps, airplanes, anti-air and tank turrets. Friendly players can jump on the wings of a plane that is being taken into the air by a teammate and fire their weapons from there.

In the Battlefield

Battlefield: Heroes has limitless customization. Players are able to customize their skin color, hair, facial hair, face, head, neck, accessory, body, chest, hands, waist, legs and feet.

Gameplay

You start out in the Pacific Theatre by customizing your character with a faction and class. You are given the option participate in a tutorial that outlines the basic information you need to function in the game. In your first time playing in a game, you will be thrown onto your friendly faction’s team. You will participate in a battle to capture strategic points, as stated before. Playing as a Soldier, I quickly made my way around my spawn. I came into contact with an enemy Commando, who tried to snipe me from the shade of the tree. I pulled out my “Slugger”, a type of shotgun in the game, and finished him quickly with a couple of well-placed shots. Moving forward, I found a plane near the Port of the map, and took my place as the pilot while some friendly players jumped on the wings for some aerial support. Making our way to provide cover to our team on the ground, we instantaneously racked up kills.

Battlefield: Heroes’ gameplay options are endless. With a hefty assortment of abilities, weapons, and vehicles, it seemed like every game I played had a different scenario. There’s a sniper defending a chokepoint, we need to get reinforcements there! Check. There’s an enemy anti-air turret that needs to be destroyed! Check. There’s an enemy Commando who’s cutting our line of defense! Check. On the flip side, I found the fact that you’re doing most of the same objectives in a game… boring. Capturing points, fragging other players, racking up kills in a constant stream can only stay fun for so long. I look forward to the developers adding more gameplay options, to bring players more ways to better the game. DICE has outdone themselves this time, and with a fresh breath of life in the F2P Shooter genre, gamers both casual and hardcore will both enjoy the gameplay BF:H has to offer.

BF:H

Graphics and Audio

The Battlefield series has always offered gritty, realistic games. What comes along with that is… gritty, realistic graphics. Battlefield Heroes’ visuals take a new look on the series’ past. This time, BF:H offers a cartoony, colorful look on the theatre of war. Don’t let that fool you though, BF:H’s graphics still bid high according to present gamers’ wants. The textures in the game look very well made, vehicle and gun renders are physically sound, and abilities have a unique animation.

The Audio in Battlefield: Heroes has to be one of the most impressive things, in my opinion. With my headset on, the audio had me believing I was watching a World War II documentary on my computer. Gunshots, grenades, screams and cheers from both allied and enemy players alike, all perfectly setting the WWII Battlefield.

Personal Final Impressions

Battlefield: Heroes has brought a new name to the free to play shooter genre. Hardcore and casual players will be attracted to the game’s unique features, limitless replayability, interesting customization, and impressive audio and visuals.

Pros:
– Impressive Customization
– Unique Graphics
– Awesome Audio

Cons:
– Repetitive Gameplay Options
– Some parts feel like you need no team.

The Warlords: 7-day Medallion Event

Attention! From July 3 to August 3, all players will be able to receive a 7-day Medallion. Don’t forget to log into the game to get it. As for the new players, hurry up to register a new account to gain this amazing prize. We welcome to join in Warlords, and have fun.
 
Functions of Medallion:
1. Obtain bonus Exp while you are online
2. Meditation when you are offline
3. Obtain 20% more Exp when slaying monsters
4. On the Spot Revival
5. 70% discount to purchase items from stores
6. Obtain 30% more silver when sell item to the store
7. No penalty when killed by players without medallion. Curse the player who kills you.
8. Penalty will be lighten when you are wanted (red name, purple name and black name) and killed.
9. Claim a Rider’s Return for free
10. 100% more experience obtained during Fury.

The Warlords

Warrior Epic Going East

Global online game publisher True Games Interactive announced today that it has signed an exclusive deal with Top Asian Publisher, Gamania Digital Entertainment who will exclusively publish, distribute and operate True Games and Possibility Space’s upcoming MMORPG, Warrior Epic,in China.
 
“Gamania is one of the premier publishers of online content in Asia and it is an honor to have them as a partner for Warrior Epic,” Jeff Lujan, Founder and Chairman of True Games Interactive. “While it is common for Eastern-developed online games to come West, it is rare that a Western-developed game would be published in the East, but that is how confident we are that Warrior Epic has an appeal that spans gamers worldwide.”
 
Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Gamania has been operating, publishing and servicing massively multi-player and casual games in Asian territories since 1995.  Gamania operates more than 30 games across the Asian territories including hits such as Lineage Online, MapleStory, Mabinogi, Kart Rider and more.
 
“We are thrilled to be working with True Games to bring Warrior Epic to the Asian community of gamers,” said William Chen, Chief Operating Officer of Gamania.  “We have brought some of the most successful MMO titles to market here in Asia and Warrior Epic will make a great addition to our portfolio of games.”

Warrior Epic

Ether Saga Online Officially Launched

Perfect World Entertainment Inc today announced the official launch of Ether Saga Online. Following its successful beta program, the popular free-to-play MMORPG has now officially “gone live” with its latest game play update which includes all-new features and quests, enhancements, and more. Players can now create permanent characters and fully immerse themselves in the expansive Ether Saga Online game world by downloading the game.
 
Based on the Chinese literary classic, “Journey to the West,” Ether Saga Online combines a robust feature set with lavish graphics and a youthful anime style.  The game’s intuitive game play systems and large variety of unique features create a truly one of a kind experience for gamers of all skill sets.  Unlike other MMORPG games that charge subscription fees, Ether Saga Online allows players to immerse themselves in the expansive game world free of charge.  Once inside, players can earn and spend in-game currency to upgrade their character and an assortment of items in real-time to enhance and personalize their game play experience.
 
The latest Ether Saga Online game play update includes additional features and enhancements such as:
 
o Increased Level Cap to 105 – Characters gain access to 13 new class skills from levels 91-105, effectively doubling the number of core player skills.
o Quest Line Enhancements – The main quest line from levels 1-45 has been streamlined to introduce players to the game mechanics and reduce the number of kill quests.
o New Raid Encounter – A new raid has been introduced. Designed for 6-24 players, The Obscurity is sure to challenge adventurers.
o New Difficulty Modes – Now features Easy and Hard modes for dungeons to encourage more casual gamers to compete in quests.
o Enhanced Gear Upgrading – Enhancements to the gear upgrading system provide players with new options to increase their chances for successful upgrades.
o New Monsters! – The addition of new elite monsters and the White Dragon world boss further adds to one of the most compelling aspects of Ether Saga Online’s game play. 
These new game play elements further bolster Ether Saga Online’s extensive feature set, which also includes:
 
 
o Integrated Quest/Navigation System – Players will not be confused about where to go or what monsters to kill.  Quests will have “link” which allow players to click on them and automatically navigate to their quest objectives.
o Unique Races and Classes – Three different races as well as six different classes.  Each class having its own unique play style and gameplay.
o In-Depth Pet System – Every player starts with their own pet.  Players can tame and capture new pets as they adventure through the world.
o Element Leveling System – As players level up, they receive points that can be assigned to specific elements.  Each element has its own characteristics and affects the core gameplay of each user.
o Unique Skill System – Each class has a set of unique skills.  Skills are not learned from trainers but rather on the fly through a battlefield menu system.
o Birthday Skills – Each character receives special abilities and skills related to the day their character was born.
o Clan Skills – Players can create clans/guilds and have opportunities to learn new abilities and skills as a group.
o Fusion System – Players can actually fuse with their pets and gain access to new abilities and gameplay options.
o Monster Card System – Players can collect monster cards which allow them to transform into specific monsters.  In monster form, players gain access to new abilities and skills.
o Crafting System – Players can choose from 9 different crafting and gathering skills.
o Reputation System – Monsters will have their own factions in-game.  Players can gain reputation with these creatures and gain access to new content.
o Alliance System – Clans can group up into Alliances in order to combat difficult monsters or even other Alliances.

Ether Saga

EVE: The Burning Life

CCP is pleased to announce a grand space opera set in the universe of EVE Online, the largest and most successful science fiction Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) today with over 300,000 subscribers worldwide. EVE: The Burning Life will be published in November 2009 via partnerships with Tor Books and Orion Books.
‘The Burning Life’ is the first effort of novelist Hjalti Daníelsson who has worked in different capacities on EVE Online since its 2003 release and currently serves as CCP’s main creative writer for the harsh universe of New Eden, the setting for EVE Online. He is the author of more than seventy short stories and some plays set in the EVE Online universe. A visceral writer whose aggressive prose and grand operatic scope is reminiscent of Iain M. Banks and Joe Haldeman, Daníelsson’s storytelling talent and familiarity with the EVE universe make him the ideal candidate for a full-length novelization for fans and newcomers alike.
“EVE is a phenomenal SF offering,” said Eric Raab, Tor Editor. “The game is beyond awe-inspiring, and its intricacies deserve stories. Hjalti’s storytelling skills shine in-game and in his short fiction. We at Tor are truly excited for his first foray into the novel form.”
“Though the player-driven drama unfolding daily in EVE Online is the essence of our virtual world, CCP firmly believes that EVE can transcend the boundaries of a single medium to offer new ways of experiencing its richness” said Thor Gunnarsson, VP of Business Development at CCP. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the incredibly talented teams at Tor Books and Orion, two recognized giants in the science fiction world, to bring a taste of the EVE universe to sci-fi readers around the world.”
A hybrid of space opera and military science fiction, EVE: The Burning Life stands on its own for science fiction readers looking for a new universe to explore. It also appeases fans by complementing the vast EVE backstory and providing a personal narrative to their enjoyment of the game similar to that given by last year’s EVE: The Empyrean Age novel by Tony Gonzales.
Availability and Pricing
EVE: The Burning Life will be available at retailers everywhere in November 2009 and is currently open to pre-orders on Amazon.com and its affiliate sites.

 

Eve Online

Manga Fighter Interview: Fun, Crazy Combat

Questions by Vincent Haoson, Onrpg writer
Answered by Binh Tran and Shannon Pratt, Community Manager of Manga Fighter
 
In a game that centers around cute characters beating each other senseless with various weapons you would find it hard to think that a game like this would suffer problems especially when it comes to the population.
 
Of course the real world is totally different and that sometimes things do not always go according to plan. The people behind Manga Fighter have admitted to this and have given Onrpg the chance to get to talk to them and give us the scoop on what is going on in their world.
 
Onrpg:   With the game in operation for some time now how is the game faring?

At the moment there’s been a bit of a drop off in interest but we’re hoping to attract both new and old players back to Manga Fighter in the next couple months with our coming updates. With the coming updates, this should draw in more players and those that have taken a break. We think they will be pleased with the coming plans and we look forward to brining them new content.
 
Onrpg:  What were the recent problems you had to face regarding the game?

For a period of time, we had no updates and had to work with what we got. Now that we’re back on track, we have plans for a lot of changes coming. Some recent changes we added help out new players adapt to the game a bit faster and easier.
Onrpg:  There had been cases where the lag in a match can be quiet terrible how do you address this problem? What are the possible reasons why it happens in the first place and could you give tips to players so this would not be an issue in the future?

For lag, there can be many reasons. Lag can be caused by anything from a large amount of people being logged into the server at the same time to a poor internet connection to a few players who are experiencing major lag due to downloading while playing or many other reasons. We have been testing solutions with the server and different options we can take to decrease the lag and improve all latency issues. What usually helps alleviate lag is not running any other programs while playing the game and not downloading. A fast and stable internet connection speed is always recommended as it’s beneficial in many ways.
 
Manga Fighter

Onrpg:  What were the reasons behind the playable characters you have?

MiuMiu (cat), Kuma (bear), Ken (boy), Hana (girl), Sai (round head robot), Dr. Uru (square head robot),
We decided to use these characters because of the friendly, cute looks along with resemblance to anime characters. Each character has their own ups and downs for balance reasons and even their own funny taunts and animations. We wanted a friendly funny look to attract those that are interested in anime/cartoons. This gives the game a less serious and realistic feeling so players can enjoy the bright colors and fun games.
Onrpg:  Would you include a back story for the characters?

Ken and Hana are normal middle school students who are always making trouble together, Ken being the more intelligent one and Hana being the more active one. As the story goes, one full moon night Ken and Hana were accidentally brought to Pangaea, the fantasy toy world where toy’s souls are born and reside. The two animal characters are Kuma and MiuMiu. Kuma is a big Teddy Bear, but is very strong in both body and mind. MiuMiu is a slender Cat who exudes nothing but style at all times.  The two alien characters are Sai and Dr. Uru. Sai is a Space Probe agent from the planet Ulala who is good at research and survival and has built-in radar next to his head that allows him to scan any creature. Dr. Uru is a Space Probe researcher from the planet Ulala who is good at survival just like Sai is only his radar is on top of his head as opposed to being built-in.
 
Onrpg:  Would ken and Hana eventually leave Pangaea and get back to Earth?

The world may never know…
Onrpg:  Who is the most used character in Manga Fighter? Why do you think users prefer them among the rest?
MiuMiu is the most used character because what MiuMiu lacks in power it makes up for in speed. Although MiuMiu is the fastest character, MiuMiu is also the weakest character making it the easiest to kill. Brute strength is not the key in this game; strategy and team work plays the biggest role.
Onrpg:  How about the least used character in Manga Fighter? Why do you think so?

The least used character in Manga Fighter would be Kuma the bear. Big, strong, and slow is the game with this character. Mostly used by beginners because of the health allowing beginners to live longer. Being slow and big makes him an easy target to be singled out which is the down fall.
Onrpg:  Among the six characters you now have in your roster who can you say is your favorite? Why?

My favorite character is Ken. He is well balanced and very deadly. The best taunt available is available for this character making it even more fun to use. Recommended for beginners to get the hang of the game but also has a fair amount of health keeping you in the game. Not too slow but not too fast either. Your style of play adapts to the character and then takes over. From there on its instincts and experience.
 
Onrpg:  What do you think would be the selling point of Manga Fighter?

Fun, Crazy, Combat that’s free to play and a great stress reliever!
 
Manga Fighter

Onrpg:  What’s the most successful event you have had in Manga Fighter? Why do you think so?

The most successful event that we had would be the Xfire event we had a while back. This event allowed players to talk with the development team and our staff members for questions and suggestions they may had. Even off subject questions were answered and we all really enjoying hearing from our players. We gave out goodies to our players and selected a few to win a rare item that was designed for this event.
Onrpg:  Who is your target audience for the game? Why?

Our target audience is teenagers around the ages of 12-18. We wanted a younger audience because the older crowd is more into realistic games and not too many are into cartoons or anime. The younger crowd tends to like more intense and fast paced games. They are also into anime and cartoons more than the older crowd so Manga Fighter gives them a better feel and is more attractive to them. This matched up perfectly as Manga Fighter is an anime based game with a fast and intense pace. Blink for a second and you never know what could happen.
Onrpg:  Why did you choose melee weapons, guns, launchers and throwing weapons as your default weapon types?

We wanted to have varieties in weapon choices for each character. Being stuck with one weapon is never fun and having to run around to pick up weapons can be frustrating at times. Let’s start off with our weapons of choice and so we can focus more on the battle field. More focus can be kept on the battle field and you don’t have to focus on “where’s that rocket launcher?!”. Adding in melee weapons is a fun concept especially with different melee weapons available. We hope to add in specific weapon mode in the near future which allows players to create games using only specific weapon types (melee, guns, launcher, throwing weapons).
Onrpg:  Do you plan on including more playable characters and maps in the future?

We definitely have plans for a lot of changes coming soon. Unfortunately, we can’t say what they are exactly but we hope you stay tuned.
Onrpg:  What’s in store for Manga Fighter in the succeeding months?
We have some cool plans for Manga Fighter in the coming months. We hope to continue having these updates to constantly improve Manga Fighter and hope to attract a new audience to expand the community even more. Since we are now back on track with our plans and development, we really hope everyone enjoys the coming updates and the updates to come after.
 

Cities XL

CITIES XL is the next-generation in city-building games, allowing gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps using an incredible collection of unique structures. The game’s online features and services will let gamers create interconnected cities on virtual and persistent planets. By combining a fantastic single-player game with the social and multiplayer aspects of an MMO, CITIES XL will shape the future of the genre by offering more variety, bigger cities and multiple gameplay layers.
 
Key features of CITIES XL include:
* Hundreds of buildings and monuments based on American and European-influenced architectural styles
* Extra large and incredibly detailed 3D maps feature a variety of terrains: mountains, hills, canyons, beaches and islands, all set in different climates from tropical to desert, Mediterranean to temperate. Topography and terrain affect resource availability and city design
* Sophisticated transport system: players can define the number and uses of traffic lanes; while using bridges and tunnels to expand the size of their cities
* Realistic representation of the population. Citizens have a profile consisting of age, education and wealth. These profiles will affect what types of services and entertainment the player must make available to the city’s inhabitants.
* Self-sufficient global economy, balanced by price fluctuations and citizen demands throughout the game world
* On going content production allowing player to regularly upgrade their game.
* GEMs (Gameplay Extension Modules) allow players to switch their mayor position for CEO seats, from car dealerships to ski resorts, players will find a wide variety of businesses available to them.
* Fantastic high-end graphics engine provides near photo-realistic quality visuals
* Developed by the team that created the popular City Life serie