Yearly Archives: 2009

Lineage II The Chaotic Throne: Gracia Final

Dev Diary # 5: New Items, Weapons, Armor, Capes/Cloaks in Gracia Final
Written by: The Lineage II NCsoft West Team
New Items in Gracia Final
 
The new Lineage II expansion, Gracia Final has introduced players to a myriad of new items, including weapons and armor, which have never been seen in the lands of Aden. Players can also enjoy other fantastic additions, such as Cloaks, Sigils, and Attribute Crystals, if they are willing to lend themselves to the new fight for good in the Seeds of Destruction and Infinity.
Brave warriors who conquer raid bosses deep within the Seed of Destruction and Seed of Infinity may find themselves owners of brand new Vesper armor. These pieces have been added as the new S84 armor grade. Vesper can also be upgraded to Vesper Noble armor by venturing back to the seeds where Vesper Noble Enhance Stones can be earned. As the path to this reward is paved with danger and uncertainty, only the most stalwart will survive in their quest to obtain this illustrious armor.
In addition to astonishing new armor sets, Cloaks and Sigil’s are also included with this latest update. As cloaks have never been available in-game, this is a milestone for Lineage II characters who wish to complete their physical appearance. Ancient Cloaks are awarded to those who brave the battlefields of Territory War, Knight’s Cloaks are available to those who have achieved high ranks within their clan, and Holy Spirit’s Cloaks are rewards for those who conquer major raid bosses, including those in the Seed of Destruction and Seed of Infinity. Sigil’s are newly added shield-type armor pieces that benefit magic using classes. While shields have offered simple protection, these smaller, wrist shield pieces equip in the shield slot and add varying statistics to specific magic using classes.
Stylish armor isn’t the only new draw to these battles. New Vesper weapons and Dual Daggers are waiting to be awarded to champions. The different Vesper weapon types are high level rewards for raid bosses in the Seed of Destruction and Seed of Infinity, just as Vesper armor pieces are. Various dagger weapons can now be combined to create a Dynasty Dual Dagger, an Icarus Dual Dagger, and a Vesper Dual Dagger. These Dual Daggers can be manufactured by the Blacksmith of Mammon or Master Ishuma and can be wielded by characters who have reached level 81.
Finally, players who are fans of elemental attributes will be thrilled to hear about new Attribute Crystals. This upgrade to the attribute items allows players to double the amount of elemental effects that can be added to their weapons and armor. Those who seek out the materials for Attribute Crystals in Gracia will be richly rewarded with this customization to their weapons and armor. 
Vesper armor, Icarus weapons, Dual Daggers, Sigil’s, Cloaks, and Attribute Crystals; these are only  a small part of the massive update that is Gracia Final. Explore new terrain, brave new dungeons, and soar into the atmosphere in a grand effort to obtain the latest and greatest items available in Lineage II.

Runes Of Magic Goes To Russia

Runes of Magic is also available in Russian language now. Frogster’s commercial partner Game Factory Interactive (GFI) has launched the open beta of the Russian version. So now anyone in Eastern Europe who is interested in a free to play game access can set this up on the Russian website www.rm-online.ru/. The full version of the free to play title is also available for free download. As has already been the case with the German and English versions, GFI won’t be deleting any characters after the open beta closes. They will be able to be carried over without any restriction into the official game launch.
 
“With the launch of the Russian version, we are broadening the target group for Runes of Magic by hundreds of thousands of potential players in the Eastern European markets. And in Game factory Interactive we have found the ideal partner for the territory.” commented Andreas Weidenhaupt, Chief Licensing Officer of Frogster Interactive Pictures AG and CEO of Frogster Online Gaming GmbH.
 
“The launch of the Russian version of Runes of Magic is a great event. We thank the company Frogster Online Gaming for their confidence in us and assure that this game will be a great success among thousands of Russian MMO players.” Commented Slava Plotnikov, Chief Executive Officer of Game Factory Interactive.
Solely with the German and English versions, Frogster just hit the one million registered players mark in Europe and North America. The announced Korean and two further language versions are already in development by the Berlin based publisher and should be published later this year.

Tales of Pirates: TOP Film Festival

Tales of Pirates is a vast world filled with shady characters that would feel right at home on the big screen. If you’ve been bit by the acting bug or just have a camcorder and a lot of free time, then ToP is the place for you to be.
 
The ToP team is holding their always popular TOP video event, and this time their players will be competing for the mysteriously powerful Death Armor. Player can form groups of up to 3, or go it alone. They’re also pulling out all the usual requirements and giving players free rein this time, except for one rule. The video must be related TOP. Although this may sound restrictive, they explain that this still leaves a lot of room for players to express themselves. They can give the world a peek behind the scenes of their guild, shoot a documentary on a high level player, or expose the dark underbelly of pet fighting rings; whatever inspires the artists within TOP is what they want to see.
 
The TOP film Festival will last from June 1st until June 20th. After the event the TOP team will select the best videos and then announce the winners.
 
1st Prize (1) – Death Armor
2nd Prize (1) – Death Weapon
3rd Prize (2) – Black Dragon Gem
Honorable Mentions (5) – Kal Runestone

Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent Charges Into Open Beta

Full steam ahead! Atlus Online’s fantasy-steampunk massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, kicks off its open beta today. Anyone who registers before June 8 will have an opportunity to jump in for an early glimpse at the game, and to reward players for their dedication, all beta characters will automatically roll over to permanent accounts at the game’s commercial launch. All that hard work and hours spent customizing your character will not be in vain!
“Building a strong, happy community is our priority, and the open beta of Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent is our chance to cater to our members, show them the great progress we’ve made with the game, and continue to take their much-appreciated feedback,” says Tyler Kim, Head of the Online Division, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. “In the remaining weeks before the game’s official launch, we encourage players to take a look at Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent and contribute to the blossoming community.”
 
The Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent open beta will culminate with an exciting special gift, a pair of steampunk-inspired goggles handmade by an artisan specifically for one lucky fan. Atlus Online, a daily destination for community-focused gaming and interactive entertainment, will also continue to run various promotions beyond commercial launch, giving away prizes and exclusive in-game items.
 
Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, Atlus Online’s first MMORPG, transports players to a world where two nations battle over a precious resource called Neo Steam. From the onset, customization is key to each player’s experience, where they can choose which nation to join and select from a number of specialized classes. As players battle to expand their nation’s resources and protect their borders from invasion, they must learn to harness steam technology to upgrade their equipment, learn new abilities, and progress in their chosen class. Adding to the immersive aspect of the fantasy-steampunk world, the game also features various forms of steam-based machines and vehicles for faster in-game traveling.

Galaxy Online Europe

Galaxy Online is more than a strategy MMO game. Somehow, playing Galaxy Online is just like giving you the idea of playing the I-go or Chess with your all the players online.
 
Features:
 
1. Free Development Space
In the game, you can lead thousands of fellow players attempting to conquer the universe. You may do business or even act as a common worker to exploit resources diligently and offer supplies to your faction.
 
2. Six Available Factions Extremely Intense Competition
There are six factions available for players in the game. Each faction is allowed to attack hostile factions at will. In addition, there is one computer controlled faction – Galactic Pirates – which adds a random element to the intense faction competition. You may lead your allies to attack hostile factions, or you may be attacked by several hostile factions at the same time. Whatever the situation, the perfect faction design will give birth to never before seen intensity in an online game.
 
3. Design Warships and Fleets Yourself
Warships are the most important part of the game. They are not simply machines of war, but a means of transportation, leadership and protection. With various warships, you can found fleets with different functions. You can form fleets to carry goods, colonize unclaimed planets, attack and defend. The design of fleets and warships is in your control.
 
4. Strategy Overcome Controls
As a strategic game, Galaxy Online attaches importance to players’ strategy and tactics but not controls. Early when you begin to develop your first planet, you should consider carefully what should be done first, what should be done next, as well as every action you may take in the future. How should you gather resources the fastest? How can you develop a galaxy quickly? How can you form a strong fleet? Above all, you need careful planning and consideration. If you study the game again and again, only then can you become an expert Galaxy Online gamer.
 
5. Leisure Gameplay Not Wasting Time Meaninglessly
Once you have a perfect plan, you won’t need to spend much time in developing your planets. When you deploy your resources, you may even activate the Planet Trusteeship service and the server will help develop your planets even when you are not online. If you do not have much time to play the game, you can spend a few Mall Points to ensure you have a rich game experience, even if your time online is limited. So just make a plan to develop your planets and you will become strong in time.

Goonzu Gameplay Trailer

A gameplay video for the US version of Luminary: Rise Of The Goonzu published by Aeria Games. Take a look at the interesting features that you can find in this economy driven free MMORPG by watching this video!

Aranock Review: Powerful Game-Play

By Kei Beneza (Dividelife), Onrpg writer
 
Astonia, Astonia v2 or mercenaries of Astonia as it was also known was a MMORPG game developed in the late 90’s (is now closed), it was an immensely popular free online role playing game (MMORPG), with a fan base that’s well over 16 years old. Aranock is a clone of Astonia v2 with many improvements to carry on its legacy as a great game for everyone to enjoy!
         -Aranock Online
 
Aranock online is a free to play (F2P) MMORPG that carries on the legacy of the old game “Mercenaries of Astonia V2”. Trying to rekindle the flames of the fossilized game, this doppelganger has improved its peg in various ways such as the gameplay and of course the meta. It’s really nice (if not surprising) to see a game that carries another game’s legacy. It is kind of sad to see an MMO game close down. I guess Mercenaries of Astonia was pretty lucky to have their legacy passed down to the next generation.
The world is rather polygonal and is mostly composed of blank spaces due to your character’s line of sight. You won’t be able to see anything other than the room or area that you are in. When it comes to the game’s frame-rate, I’d say it’s quite comparable to the first SIMs game if ever you were playing it under the requirements.
The graphics are really poor when compared to our modern MMOs. The characters are polygonal without the slightest bit of detail. You’re basically stuck with nothing more than a couple of characters that look like 3d versions of the “karateka” models back then during the NES era.
So why play this game? What makes it really good anyway? Have I not stated enough reasons for one not to play this game? Not really, the game has some really cool features as well.
Since this was based off an old game,  I would say that the powerful influence of nostalgia would drive anyone to play this game. Mercenaries of Astonia fans are still on a slump due to the unforeseen disaster that is of course the game’s untimely demise.
You can tell the game’s graphic capability just by looking at the site. Nothing fancy there… no flash “clickables” or even the slightest things like screenshots and wallpapers.
There are some useful information on this site however, like a fine list of items and of course their corresponding abilities and compatibility. The stat arrangement kind of reminds me of the old Dungeons & Dragons ™ game. With the pluses and stat requirements, this game is really a key for hitting up a couple of stuff that are usually buried in your memories by now.
 
The site also gives you a decent list of monsters complete with descriptions and where to find them. Visiting the site without a doubt would help you out on your journey.
 
One thing that surprised me is the game’s lack of spells. Of course it is pretty much obvious that spell casters can be found in these type of games. It’s a bit of a letdown if you’re looking at it through that perspective. Then again, not making mages complete makes them cooperate better when it comes to helping others. Probably a good way for them to know their place in combat.
 

Classes and Races

 
I was surprised after realizing that other classes can be used after performing certain conditions. Seyans for example, can only be used after you’ve defeated the gatekeeper. There’s a decent list of classes or races in the game. There are also their enhanced versions which you can use as you progress throughout the game.
 

POWAH UP!

 
You can also get a couple of items that enhances your character’s capabilities. Scrolls, as they are called can give you a permanent boost to your stat depending on what kind of magic scroll you’re using. These rare items can also act as tomes from where you can learn spells and other skills as well. There are also equipments that greatly compliments your character’s capabilities. There are tons of magic items in the game so you better head off if you want to get a lot of them.
 

Amazing!

 
One thing about this game that’s quite amazing is of course its Live Quest feature. Live Quests, unlike regular quests are daily quests that are issued by the admin or game master. These things change over time so you won’t have to worry about playing the same quests over and over again. New quests often kills the game’s linearity and of course a good reason for players to look forward to something every time they log in.
 

Clans

 
Clans are pretty similar to Guilds. They’re basically a group that lets players gather and talk to one another. Need help? Then perhaps you should consider getting into a clan.
 

Interface

 
The interface takes up fifty percent of the screen. It mainly displays your stats along with your character and inventory. The mini-map can also be found on the bottom left portion of your screen. There’s also a nice window that lets you know what’s happening around you like a status bar of some sort.
 

The verdict

 
You’d probably agree with me if I say that this game looks pretty old. Even if it’s the new version of Mercenaries of Astonia, it’s still pretty old in this era of gaming. The game’s lack of visuals however, doesn’t affect the strong power of its gameplay. A role-playing game that caters the awesomeness of its predecessor. With a tiny bit of imagination, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this game if you’re looking for a place to exercise your role-playing capabilities. Live Quests are really nice and probably something that other quest based games should have. I would definitely consider this game as a role-playing benchmark for old and new games alike. It’s a really good game… without a couple of graphical adjustments, this game could probably survive on this new age of gaming.
 
Pros
– Live quests
– Nostalgic influence
– A good successor for Mercenaries of Astonia
Cons
– Graphics are very poor
– The HUD attracts too much attention
– Lack of sounds