Monthly Archives: April 2010

League of Legends: A beginner’s introduction to MOBA

League of Legends: A beginner’s introduction to MOBA
By Nicolas Chua (Raiyne), OnRPG Journalist

 

League of Legends (LoL) is another rising challenger in the unique genre of Defence of the Ancients (DotA) clones. That’s quite a mouthful, let’s just refer to them as Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) from now on. LoL has two of the ex-DotA contributors on board their  team, Steve “Guinsoo”, one of the early developers of DotA and Steve “Pendragon”, who created the popular DotA fan-site. With these two on the team, there are high expectations for LoL.

 

The Game Options

Once you login, you’ll be at the main area of the game lobby using the server, PVP.net. The lobby is the main place where you can access social functions, the LoL store and game options. The lobby currently feels very empty and few people bother to click on the chat tabs at the bottom of the screen to enter a chat room. You’ll find that outside the game’s arenas, you are  pretty much by yourself. Additionally, you cannot choose the game you wish to join. The game employs a matchmaking system based on the Elo rating system used in board game tournaments such as Chess and Go. Also, from the game lobby you can access your summoner profile. This summoner system is LoL’s persistent feature, we’ll touch on that later on in the review.

 

After joining a game, you will be brought to the champion selection screen. LoL has a roster of 37 unique champions, meaning they aren’t copied over from DotA, so newbie or DotA veteran, you will definitely have to readjust to the new cast. A neat function is the filter they have added, where you can type in a keyword describing your desired champion, such as “assassin” and you can easily find a champion in the archetype you’d like to play. You will be able to see a bunch of bars roughly estimating the champion’s abilities in each area of expertise – health, attack, spells and difficulty. The other tabs also contain a wealth of information, such as suggested items and champion specific strategies. I find this a really nice touch and, for a newbie who hasn’t tried every champion, it brings a lot of convenience to champion selection. The next two screens are for Runes, another form of enhancement for your champions and your summoner’s skills, which give you additional spells to use in combat. After you have completed your character, the game will go to the loading screen where you will get your first look at your opponents. I found the game took a long time to load, sometimes taking a few minutes when you have an opponent with a slow computer.

 

Fight Battle PVP League Legends
A League of Legends battle

 

Gameplay

The core gameplay of LoL is the same as DotA, with slightly different elements added. In case you aren’t familiar with DotA, here’s how it goes: Separated into two teams, each player takes a champion unit and advances towards the opponent’s base. Defensive towers guard each side’s area of the map and lesser units, which are commonly referred to as ‘creeps’, spawn at regular intervals and serve as cannon fodder. Killing these units and opponent champions earns gold which can be spent at the shop to purchase items to empower your champion. The goal is to destroy your opponent’s key structure. There is a tutorial mode, which provides a good introduction for a new player, and there are A.I. bots to practice against as well.

 

Controlling my champion was extremely simple, more so than DotA. The same concept of getting the killing blow applies here, although it seems to have less significance, with less reward compared to its predecessor. The basic RTS hotkeys we’re familiar with are also non-existent, namely the stop and hold function. In their bid to attract newer players, this seems to make the game feel over simplified and it left me experiencing a lack of control over my champion.

 

One segment of gameplay I really had issues with is the purchasing of items. The shop is a series of menus. Under the under a first initial category is another list of subcategories under it. Unlike DotA’s different shops arranged in plain sight or Heroes of Newerth’s (another upcoming MOBA styled game) less dense ‘pop open’ menu, LoL has no option to quickly jump from the different sections and this made it hassle to buy items. The categories are well labelled, though.

 

Another issue is that there is no way to drop or trade items. This leaves a lot of options closed to the player. For example, in DotA players would often share a regeneration item, a consumable, or have a teammate ferry an item stored in the base out to them in the battlefield. As a result of this, I found myself rarely communicating with my teammates, only occasionally pinging the mini-map. However, I felt there was a small redeeming factor in this aspect of the design, and that was showing ‘item trees’, where the progressive path of an item is shown. The player is clearly shown the options he has to combine and improve his arsenal of items. – certainly a welcome feature for newbies.

 

The MOBA Genre

Many mechanics of DotA have been stripped from LoL. For one thing, there is no loss of gold upon death, meaning even the most dim witted player will be able to obtain high tier items after time. There is also no option to deny your enemy killing your friendly unit. There are no activated items either, so at most you’ll be using potions for boosts or healing. There is no buyback (instantly revive your champion for a price) function. These features certainly give you a lot less to think about, however the price of this is what most players find, a rather watered down game.

 

What the developers had hoped to achieve with these decisions, was to promote engagement of the enemy and thus more action for players. They claim that “top level games include 5v5 battles at level 1”, however, I find this rather hard to believe.

 

In essence, I feel they missed out on the flaws and limitations of this genre.  By making your players start with the bare minimum of 1 skill, you’re making them rely on their champions level, so there is no way you can encourage your players to engage at level 1 with a single weak skill in their arsenal. Focus has already been shifted from ‘farming’ creeps by decreasing reward and increasing hero kill reward.

 

Good And Evil
Champions versus enemies

 

On the plus side, I find the community to be strangely docile. In all the games I have played, I have seen very little trash talk or players lashing out. Leavers are one thing, and that is a rather common issue, but perhaps LoL’s forgiving nature gives players a less stress and in turn, the players are nicer to each other. However, your experience may vary, so don’t take my word for it.

 

Moving on, the summoner is one of the unique features of LoL. As a player completes more games and levels up, he gets mastery points. These points can be added to 3 different paths, similar the talent trees in World of Warcraft. The three masteries are Offense, Defense and Utility. This adds a level of depth to the player’s choice of customization and a sense of progression, although it happens in plain statistics and figures. One drawback I can see, is that higher ranked players will have significant advantages over a newbie, although the matchmaking system is programmed to prevent such matches from occurring.

 

Taking notice of Battle.net’s flaw in multiplayer game hosting, LoL uses a server to client networking system. Hence, unlike DotA, the stability of each match will not depend on the speed of the host’s network. This also eliminates the advantage of the host having zero latency, which happens over internet games due to the way Warcraft 3 has been coded. Also, my experience with latency was surprisingly good, receiving less than 150 latency even with heavy network traffic on my side, so games went smooth as silk and not once did I experience any form of lag.

 

Power Style Graphic League of Legends

 

Graphics and Style

LoL has adopted rather cartoon-ish graphical style, with a very colourful palette. The game world really jumps out at you like a pop-out page from a child’s book. The characters are rendered in a cell shaded style, making them look almost 2D sometimes, giving you the impression of a cartoon. Animations are smooth and the effects compliment everything well, adding to the chaos in large battles. Visual quality is clear in LoL, however, preference is definitely the deciding factor here and it will be a hit or miss with the player. Also, it is quite a big change to go from the slightly dark mood of DotA, or the grim crispness of HoN to this prismatic bundle of joy. Alright, maybe not so much joy, but you get the point.

 

The audio in LoL is rather sub par. Each champion has his or her own unique voice and responses to your commands, but that is expected. We can’t have every character with the same voice now, can we? The sound effects are fitting but are basically the typical run-of-the-mill fantasy effects. A woosh of an arrow, the cling-clang of swords, nothing amazing here. Background music in the game is rather subtle, a low droning that doesn’t do much for the player.I found my aural experience to be really empty and it was better to just put some music on to fill that void in the background. Basically, the audio is there, but you’re not going to notice it much.

 

LoL is estimated to be released in Q4 2009, with a F2P with optional payments for other benefits. With this business scheme, I foresee it will be very appealing to new players who want to give this genre of games a try.

 

Dragon League of Legends

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, LoL brings a twist to the new MOBA genre, choosing not to limit itself to the style of its predecessor and instead shifting the focus of the game to what they envision is best for their player, a bold move. The learning curve is gentle, so newbies to this genre or to the game will not feel intimidated or overwhelmed at all. Overall, League of Legends is a simple, enjoyable MOBA, however it leaves something to be desired for the experienced MOBA player.

 

Pros:
Newbie friendly
– Simple and no frills gameplay
– Quality cell-shaded cartoon graphics.

 

Cons:
Oversimplified mechanics
– Bland audio
– Lacking in social interaction.

Saga Review: Combining RTS and TGC

Saga Review: Combining RTS and TGC
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), Onrpg Journalist

 

When I first heard about this game, I was like “What the hell is this?!” An MMORTS? Really? I’ve seen tons of MMOs and tons of RTSes but to put them both together as one whole package does seem a little off. First of all, these two types of games barely have anything in common other than the unit population. Upon installing the game, I was anxious about what to expect, either it’d be close to DotA (Defense of The Ancients) or not.

 

The game is set on a medieval fantasy world, giving the impression that it would probably look a bit like Lord of the Rings or Warcraft 3 complete with Humans, Elves and Orcs. What exactly should we expect from a hybrid of two genres that are technically different from one another? The game claims to be the first of its kind (namely the first MMORTS ever) so this should be interesting.

 

Beast Saga

 

Starting out: Git yer’ troops ready young lad!

There are six races to choose from, each representing one of two sides: The Order and the Brotherhood. The Order is comprised of Humans, Dwarves, and Elves while the Brotherhood contains Orcs, Dark Elves, and the recently added Undead. The Brotherhood used to have two races to choose from, making it a bit imbalanced. However the developers were kind enough to offer extra backup with an additional race. The game lets you jump to the tutorial feature after creating your nation. There you will learn the basics of combat, upgrades and other mandatory features. You’ll also be given the necessary buildings to start your campaign, and once the voiced tutorial ends, you’re on your own.

 

Not your average Real Time Strategy game

Aside from being the first MMORTS, there are tons of things that make Saga different from its parents (the MMO and RTS). Unlike traditional RTS games like Warcraft and Red Alert, you won’t be training units or building ballistas throughout the game; instead, you’ll be operating in the field using cards (YES CARDS). The game is basically an RTS operated and optimized by its own TCG (Trading Card Game). The stronger your cards, the more abilities you’re likely to posses. It’s an interesting factor as this may be the most unique game I’ve ever seen. Simply calling it an MMORTS won’t suffice as it has the game play of what seems to be an MMORTSTCG LOL (which is also another unique genre). Booster packs and other super cards can be found around the world. You can also trade with other players to provide less hassle.

 

Well enough about the RTS factor. Like any MMO, you can choose between an array of quests for you to obtain the mandatory add-ons like spells, gear and money. Everything is run in a persistent territory, so enemies are likely to be there almost every day. You’re not safe from attacks either, so make sure you pump those troops with enough juice.

 

Saga Strategy
Strategy Setup

 

There are 100 types of troops to choose from, anything from dragons to skeletal warriors. This makes army customization a bit more exciting as the game lets you exercise a rather broad scope of customization. Given the amount of cards and upgrades in the game, I’d say customization in this game has limitless boundaries. The game also lets you team up with other players, which is a good idea since you’re most likely to get crushed by other people due the game’s persistent nature.

 

Real TIME Strategy eh? They weren’t kidding

One thing I dislike about the game is its browser game real TIME waiting. Most of your constructions may take time to build so you’re basically stuck in the waiting phase most of the time, making it super boring. I guess this was the part where they implemented the MMO factor which is WAITING. Units do continue their construction even after you log out, meaning it’d be wise to watch a movie or surf around the net while waiting for your building to go up. 

 

Castle Saga
Castle

 

Graphics and visuals

You really don’t have anything to expect from Saga’s graphics. Everything is poorly rendered and gives just a small amount of detail (at least compared to today’s MMOs). If I were to compare, it kind of looks like Khan online on high settings with mass produced characters. It’s not that bad since the game play does make up for it, and it runs on low end PCs (wish they had one for the Mac too though). The game does have a couple of visual glitches which have been  encountered by a lot of players online. Some of the patches claims to have fixed this issue, but I still keep on seeing stuff about it, so I guess it’s still there. The sounds on the other hand makes up for the low end visuals, with voiced out tutorials and a fine set of SFX that makes the whole idea of war a bit more immersive.

 

The verdict

You pretty much have everything going with Saga as it is a free to play game, especially since it’s the only game in its genre. There are a lot of things to look for in this game due to its diverse methods of army creation. At least you know that your kin aren’t the only ones you can put in your army. The graphics are bearable and can still as it preserves a rather different type of game play. If the Wii managed to hit high even with its low ranged graphics, I don’t see how this title can’t pursue the same path. The TCG factor is just amazing as it sets a new type of economy in game. As a TCG fanatic, I must say that I never expected such a hybrid to work out well. There are tons of visual glitches that can annoy the hell out of you (possibly a reason for you to quit), but you’ll definitely want to be there once everything is all nice and stable. Give it a chance, it’s actually pretty cool.

 

The good:
– New type of game play
– Army creation is broad
– Good sound effects
– Collectible card game in an MMO? What more could you ask for?
– It’s the innovator of its own genre.

 

The bad:
– Graphics may not be as good as you think (looks better on trailers than ingame)
– Visual glitch issues
– Still acts like an unfinished product despite its final release
– The persistent feel makes it hard for newbies to cope.

For the Tribe: Destiny Online’s Expansion Pack Unveiled

For the Tribe: Destiny Online’s Expansion Pack Unveiled

 

We are glad to announce that we are going to release “Glory of the Tribe”, the 3rd expansion pack of Destiny Online, in mid April. The long-awaited new Tribal War will be highlight of the expansion, along with the raising of the level cap, the indispensable new Super Pets and avatar items. Reach ever-higher heights, become stronger for the glory of your Tribe! So why not take a look at what we have to offer, and sign-up to see for yourself!
 
Escalated Tribal War
Crucial changes are made to bring the Tribal War (aka Guild War) to a whole new level, making it probably one of the most fierce and the most intense guild wars in all MMORPGs as of now. Previously the Tribal War was fairly 1 dimensional and allowed for a large bias towards the champions. Now it’s a level playing field and anyone can take the shot and become the Champion!
 
The Tribal War has been improved in the following ways:
– Introducing the idea of Tribal Alliance and extending the participating sides from the previous 2 to Defender, Defender’s Alliance and the Attackers (allowing Tribes to exclusively fight alongside a Tribe of their choice)
– Closely combining PvE with PvP (something that we feel has been too heavily divided in the past)
– Picking the winner by the amount of damage inflicted (allowing smaller tribes to make a mark by adding a new method to the battle)
– Amply rewarding every participant and increasing the usage of Honor Points
– Live broadcasting the real-time progress of Tribal War in the whole server
 
Exotic Weapons Destiny Online Expansion Tribal
 
 
Level Cap Raised to 145 
The expansion pack will raise the level cap to 145 from the previous 140, opening up a new round of competition for high level gamers. The corresponding new equipment and weapons for every class is on the way as well. This will add to the arsenal of weapons currently at hand for all classes in the game. As you can see below, they make quite beautiful additions:
 

Loyal Pets Destiny Online

 
 
New Super Pet
From the very first day Destiny Online was released, these adorable pets, especially Super Pets, always held the spotlight in every update and expansion pack and this one, Kirin, will make no exception. With its glowing appearance and extraordinary abilities, it is bound to be the object of affection for every pet lover.
 
New World Boss
With level cap raised to 145, a more ferocious World Boss monster will be introduced to the game bringing greater challenges to the versatile high level gamers. The Boss is named “Grim Gargoyle”, a grotesque winged monstrous humanoid creature, with a horned head and a stony hide, grasping a hulking war hammer in its claw.
The world bosses previously released include something for most levels in the game, going alongside Area Bosses which serve as a taster for lower levels to the challenge  that awaits them once they level and toughen up to be able to fight the World Bosses.
 
New Mount
For a long time we have offered fun mounts in the way of Elephants, Foxes and Turtles etc. Feeling that the players deserved a little something more on this front, we decided we’d give them another choice to what they ride! We will give you the hilarious, cutting edge Flying Carpet. Imagine flying like Aladdin and the princess.
 

 
New Costumes
A large part of the fun of Destiny Online is the ability to change your looks. You can change your hair colour and style, your equipment and of course your entire costume. Anything from bride and grooms to nurse outfits are currently available, adding a whole new edge of fun to the game.
Two more outfits can be added to your wardrobe with this new update: Funky Valentine Costume and Eastern Gala Costume. You will find their stats very much come in handy. And of course, the change to your looks can be nothing but good for your ego!
For more details about the Expansion Pack, please visit the official Destiny Online website.
 
About Destiny Online
Destiny Online, based on eastern mythology, is a 2D free-to-play fantasy MMORPG featuring teamwork, pet raising, pet farm, weapon refinement, tribe system, marriage system, master/apprentice system, fun quests and so forth. It is also the first MMO that “Pays U 2 Play”, meaning that if you stay in the game continuously for some amount of time, you will earn Gold Points, that can be used to purchase valuable items from the Destiny Item Mall.

Battle of the Immortals to hit Closed Beta next Tuesday, April 13

Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced that players can look forward to joining the closed beta for Battle of the Immortals next Tuesday, April 13. As a 2.5D multiplayer game that combines eastern and western cultures ranging from Norse Mythology to the Qin Dynasty, players can expect intense PvP action, hardcore dungeons and highly-articulated equipment with the Soul Gear system.
 
“Battle of the Immortals is offering unique hardcore PvP and PvE,” said Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager for Battle of the Immortals. “Not only will players challenge elite monsters to obtain highly coveted Soul Gear, but they will also have to compete against other players for the right to slay epic bosses.”
 
Battle of the Immortals Key Features
– 5 Unique Classes – Each with their own distinct skill set and equipment
– Zodiac System – Empower your character according to their Zodiac symbol 
– Auto-Navigation Quest System – Progress through quests easily with auto-navigation
– Soul Gear System – Unique sets of armor and gear specifically tailored toward each class that grows and changes as players use them
– Hardcore PvP – Battle other players to be the best within an in-depth ranking system
– Hardcore PvE – Compete against other players for the right to take down epic bosses
– PvE Time Trials – Race against other players to gain access to even greater challenges
– Pet System – Collect a wide variety of pets ranging from cute to devastating monsters
– Mount System – Ride upon giant beasts to shorten your travels and engage in combat 
– Territory War System – Battle other guilds for rare relics, resources and other treasures
 
For more information on Battle of the Immortals as well on how to obtain a closed beta invite, please visit the official BOI website.

Kingdom Heroes Developer Blog: Leveling, Loyalty & Battle

Kingdom Heroes Developer Blog: Leveling, Loyalty & Battle
Chances are that the first major game feature you’ll come across in Kingdom Heroes is its unique soldier system. I don’t want to spoil too much about the first fifteen minutes of the game, but I will say that the new player experience is very tightly designed and, after a harrowing sprint through a dangerous chasm, it caps off with the gratifying reward of earning your first upgradeable and customizable NPC soldier.
 
Because Kingdom Heroes is built around the concept of large-scale kingdom warfare, soldiers can potentially become a very powerful and important part of the game. When you factor in mounts, siege engines, player ships, guild combat, and city conquest, NPC troops add another crucial element in recreating the experience of being caught up in a massive battle of epic proportions.  
 
As you rise through the ranks of your chosen faction, you acquire skill points that you can invest in a variety of attributes. Some of these will determine your character’s overall attack and defense scores, but others, like charisma, will affect your leadership prowess on the battlefield. The greater your command rating, the more troops you’ll have available at your immediate disposal. Additionally, there’s a loyalty subsystem in play that affects the morale and, in turn, the effectiveness of your NPC allies. If you have enough of your soldiers’ respect, they’ll fight that much harder for you.
 
While a fair amount of the high-level content in Kingdom Heroes emphasizes cooperation between players, the soldier system allows you to take an independent approach to the game if that’s the kind of play style you prefer. At the same time, that’s not to say soldiers are strictly for solo players – groups (made up of a maximum of six players) can ally together and combine their NPC forces to become an incredibly formidable and self-sufficient team. Those who collaborate efficiently, effectively, and execute the best strategies will always come out on top.
 
A leader is only as strong as his or her team, so it’s important to complement your character with a custom outfit of soldiers that augment your strengths and/or make up for your weaknesses. There are a handful of subsystems you can take advantage of to suit your individual strategies, including solider classes, unit formations, tactics/behaviors, loyalty, and equipment upgrades. I’ll touch on a few of these features below.
 
In Kingdom Heroes, soldiers accrue experience independently of one another. As a particular NPC unit increases in level, he/she/it has the option of advancing along different paths. For example, a lowly Volunteer can ultimately evolve into an experienced Lancer, Longbowman, or Cavalry Archer (see a preview of one of the NPC class trees above). An NPC’s path is entirely up to you, and if you’re the cunning sort, you’ll want to develop your troops along lines that suit your primary character’s skill set.
 
Players can also organize their troops into various formations, allocating exactly where it is they want to position each individual soldier. Every formation has its unique advantages and disadvantages, and, like choosing NPC classes, you’ll want to use a formation that plays to your strengths and guards against your weaknesses. For example, pretend you’re an expert archer with a complete arsenal of unit types – how are you going to organize your troops? You’ll probably want to position most of your units far ahead – perhaps swordsmen or cavalry out in front and pikemen protecting your flanks? The choice is entirely yours to make.
 
If that isn’t more than enough, you also have the option of creating and saving multiple soldier sets for later use, accessible from within the soldier system interface. You’re certain to encounter a variety of obstacles in the game world, and this handy feature can become a lifesaver if you find yourself in a hairy situation where your usual soldier set isn’t ideal for the circumstance. With a combination of a few clicks and buttons, you can call out your specialized squad of reserves and swap them with your primary team of bodyguards.
 
Customization is also an important part of the soldier system in Kingdom Heroes. Apart from NPC class selection, players can give their soldiers unique names and outfit them with armor and weapons that their own character may have outgrown. Instead of selling off your equipment at the auction house or a vendor, you actually have a reason to hold onto your old hand-me-downs. Additionally, if you find that you no longer have a use for one your soldiers, you’re free to sell off their services to someone else via the auction interface. 
 
Sound interesting? You can enter the world of Kingdom Heroes and lead your troops into battle when the game begins Closed Beta in late Spring 2010. To be among the first to sign up for an early glimpse of the game, visit the Kingdom Heroes website to join the discussion and start planning your war strategies.

Kingdom Heroes Leveling Battle Closed Beta

Pentacore

Welcome to Pentacore: a world of magical energy, legendary creatures, and global wars. Pentacore – The Lords of Edges is a browser based online strategical MMOG which joins the best features of role-playing games with tactics and social simulators.
 
You will rule a castle which you can personalize and develop as you prefer. You will meet new friends and join together with them to create a huge organization in one of the ten versants! You can enter into one of the four guilds: merchant, jeweler, weaponsmaster, or spy! You can summon an army of terrible monsters to fight your enemies! And you will navigate in a 3D world with your browser!
 
Join a huge world
A huge game world: a fantasy universe shaped with a twenty-four sides on 10 versants, each of them populated up to 15.000 sorcerers
 
Be part of a unique economic system
A detailed and organized Economic system: Sorcerers accumulate resources and use them to create buildings for themselves and for the community. The most important buildings require the participation of many sorcerers.
 
Choose your profession
Four different guilds: Your sorcerer can be a wealthy merchant, or a crafty jeweler, or a skilled weaponsmaster, or a smart spy!
 
Be ready to fight!
Battles using hundreds of fighting units, magic spells, and Artifacts
 
Explore the world
You can travel around the Pentacore world looking for treasures and adventures…
 
Be part of the government
A unique system of social interactions in a browser game. There is an established social structure and an organized goverment, with elections and appointed ministers.
 
Collaborate with other sorcerers
Text quests and search quests that require the collaboration of other sorcerers to solve. A successful quest means a lot of rewards for you!

World of Battles Interview: RTS Just Got Served

World of Battles Interview: RTS Just Got Served
Questions by Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Vladimir Titarchuk, World of Battles game designer

 

Real-time strategy is a game genre that’s rare to see in the online gaming scene and it seems that somebody took another shot at it with World of Battles. The game is off to a good start and we got a chance to talk to the people behind the game and here’s what they have to say about it.       

 

OnRPG: When I was visiting your site I couldn’t help but notice the catchy- old school cartoon-like game music. Is this the official World of Battles song? Where did you base the song?
Frogwares: You should definitely listen to the music inside the game. It was created by Frogwares’ artists, and there’s several tracks, none of which can be called “an official World of Battles song”. Right now there’s no content in “sound and music” page of our web site, but soon it will be included in the multimedia section. Every World of Battles fan will be able to download and listen to them.

 

OnRPG: When it comes to RTS games, one of the concerns is the game’s balance. With nine races to choose from (plus three alignments) how do you balance each unit in each race found in World of Battles? 
Frogwares: The difference between races and alignments isn’t the most important one; our units also gather experience, and their stats change with upgrades and equipment. To balance all this, the system of AP (Army Points) was created, measuring each and every unit’s battle efficiency. AP of an army equals to the sum of units’ AP;  thus players can compare overall strength of their army to their opponents’.

 

World of Battles Dark Elves
Dark Elves on Mounts

 

OnRPG: With players able to acquire special units using cash in the game’s item mall, what’s your plan on trying to keep the balance between those who chose to avail the premium units and those who are playing for free? 
Frogwares: All special units have their own AP cost, different from costs of basic units – we include not only unit’s battle stats into it, but also unit’s special abilities. So, if one player fields an army of special units, another one can oppose him with a larger army of normal units with the same AP cost!

 

OnRPG: With only 16 active units for a player’s army. How big do you expect are the battles in the game? There’s a possibility that players may in fact find this number too small. (Will future patches increase the number of active units a player may have?)
Frogwares: 16 units is hard enough to control, if you take into account the fact that they should be micro-managed in order to avoid crowding each other, and all of them can take part in intense action. Large battles in our game take place between four, five or even six players, and this number will be increased with future patches! So, right now you can easily find a battle where about 50 units face each other – and that’s a lot of bodies, because each unit numbers from 12 to 20 soldiers!

 

OnRPG: Why is the number of active units only limited to 16? How are the reserve units part of the player’s fighting arsenal? 
Frogwares: Our game have no buildings to build or resources to gather during battles – it’s all about the battle itself, and controlling 16 units during intense action is a hard task even for experienced generals! Sometimes it’s easier to manage a smaller army, moving part of units to reserve; then, when preparing another battle with the same opponents, you can change the composition of your army, selecting units best suitable for your task and moving them from reserve back to roster.

 

Army Amazons World of Battles
Army of Amazons

 

OnRPG: The game allows customization both as a strategic advantage and for aesthetics. Does that mean that players can actually see the weapons and equipment your units have? Up to what extent can players customize their units? 
Frogwares: Unit equipment is divided between weapons, armors, helmets, greaves, etc. When equipping a unit with new item, player will see the difference on the unit figure immediately. Each race have thousands of possible equipment combinations, thus making customization a very interesting process. Fully equipped army of many units make a fantastic sight on the battlefield!

 

OnRPG: World of Battle utilizes a lot of tactical strategies for players to use. Where did you get the strategies found in the game? Will you be including more in future patches?
Frogwares: There’s a wide variety of tactical strategies in the game. There’s tactics on the level of general’s decisions during the battle – how to attack this particular unit, which unit needs to be surrounded to defeat it quickly, whether to send the cavalry into a charge through enemy ranks or use it to sweep the enemy rear ranks… And there are unit abilities such as charge, standing ground, square, cohort or wedge formations, all of which are based on historical analogues. Some special units have more unusual abilities, which allow to influence several units at once, attack multiple enemies or help multiple friendly units. New special units are being released constantly, which brings even more tactical strategies into the game.

 

OnRPG: Can you elaborate on the ELO model system you use in terms of the rating a player’s army? How does it determine a player’s battle prowess?
Frogwares: ELO rating system is based on the one which is used in chess tournaments. Each player starts with basic rating of 1000, which can be decreased by defeats or increased by victories. Increments or decrements of the rating are determined by the rank of your opponent – so, if one wins a battle against high-ranked opponent, he will receive more rating than if he’d win the battle with a low-ranked army.

 

OnRPG: What’s your expectations when it comes to PVP action? Have your expectations been met?
Frogwares: PvP action is what our game is about, and players recognize that as soon as they learn the basics of it. There are  one-vs-one duels in Arena mode are feasts of tactical genius. On the other hand, there are massed Deathmatch battles where slain armies respawn, putting players into real large-scale action! Both of these modes are loved by our players, and a new mode will be released soon, integrating a concept of flags and domination!

 

Marching Armies World of Battles
Marching Armies

 

OnRPG: How big have the battles been in the game? What’s the biggest battle recorded as of this moment in World of Battle?
Frogwares: Up to now players were unable to create battles bigger than 3 by 3 players, with total number of units more than 64. This limitation was imposed by the game mechanics, and a lot of such battles had been recorded since the release. Even now, our design team is improving data transfer mechanics to allow for even larger-scale battles – 4×4 and above!

 

OnRPG: Can you elaborate on the Quest battles in the game? If it’s a battle between good and evil what happens to those who are neutrally aligned?
Frogwares: Quest battles are special scenarios where forces of Good and Evil meet each other, and global number of victories is recorded for each side. Side having more victories at the end of Quest Battle term wins this Quest and receives appropriate benefits. In large-scale conflicts like Dominion Campaign which takes place right now, the goal of Good and Evil armies is to conquer all regions of opposing side, while Neutral armies receive benefits from maintaining the balance between these two powers. So, if the Good side wins, Neutral armies should better support Evil legions, and vice versa.

 

OnRPG: Isn’t the load a problem for the servers when big battles happen in game? Are players free from worry that the game can’t take the load of huge battles?
Frogwares: Game servers can process several hundreds of battles simultaneously without overload. This is due to the architecture of the game, which places most of the calculations on the most accessible and most powerful PC of the group of players, making him the “host” of the battle. Battle results are saved regularly, so even if a crash occurs on host’s PC, all players will receive their hard-earned battle rewards.

 

OnRPG: What do you think is the game’s advantage over other MMORTSes out right now? Why do you think so?
Frogwares:  No other games combine massive PvP action (up to 3×3 players) with permanently growing and progressing  armies! Armies of different levels can compete with each other due to AP system, different game modes and playing in a team of 2 or 3 players! Also, our game makes emphasis on battles, not on buildings and resources!

 

Tower Defense World of Battles
Defending Against the Enemies

 

OnRPG: What’s the defining feature that World of Battle has that can be said as the game’s signature?
Frogwares: Perhaps it’s collector’s approach to player’s armies. Player can have several different armies of many units, each of them able to use different equipment, and thus being amazingly visually different. To see them all at the battlefield is truly a magnificent sight! It brings World of Battles closer to tabletop wargames, where hundreds of detailed miniatures are prized possessions of their owners.

 

OnRPG: What’s in store for players in the coming months ahead?
Frogwares: First, completely new class of units will be released, totally dominating the battlefield! Second, new gaming mode will be introduced! Third, game interface will be remade in modern style, for better usability and more style. And, with constant releases of new special units and maps, you see there’s a lot of things to look for and to prepare your armies for!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!
Frogwares: And thank you too! Come play with us in our game!

Lords Online: New Dungeon Coming Soon

Lords Online: New Dungeon Coming Soon

 

IGG’s self-developed SLG web game, Lords Online, has been moving forward smoothly. The LO Team announces today that it will launch a new Dungeon instance in April as they open the 10th server in the game.

There are lots of portals available to access the Dungeon on the vast in-game Mu continent. The Dungeon is a strange new underground world with hoards of powerful, wild monsters and mysterious NPCs. Deep dark underground passages intertwine, suddenly to reveal scores of monsters, treasure, or more! It’s a crisis-ridden adventure. Escorting the sacred Bosses there are a large number of lower-level monsters in the Dungeon, which let players obtain considerable EXP within a short period of time, which allows rapid leveling up. If you are strong enough and brave enough, gear up to challenge the Bosses. If you are lucky and skilled, and you defeat them, make no mistake: you’ll end up with awesome equipment that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s a dangerous place where only those who combine strength and wisdom can survive.

NPCs inside the Dungeon are completely different in both appearance and characteristics. Take time to listen to their special stories, and to receive special quests as well. Complete the quests to obtain tons of awesome stuffs. With NPC’s tips and help, it will become easier to get things done and travel into even more deep places.

NPC’s stories and special quests combine to create a twisted underground world. All the riddles mixed with the destiny of each race await your exploration. Are you ready to face the challenges ahead?

 

 

Lords Online - New Dungeon Coming Soon!

Business Tycoon Online Released Special Easter Items

Business Tycoon Online Released Special Easter Items

This year the Easter Bunny is making a special stop at Business Tycoon Online. To celebrate, DOVOGAME has planned a special event for this exciting holiday.
 
Players will be able to crack open colored Easter Eggs and collect baskets full of useful BTO items.There might even be a chocolate rabbit or two!

Business Tycoon Online - Come have an Egg-cellent time!

 
From April 1st to April 8th, players with small-sized corporations or above will get one FREE EASTER EGG in Character-Login Rewards. Crack it open and see what surprises await!
 
Easter Medals and Wisdom Medals are new special items been created for the first annual Easter Egg Hunt. Easter Medals will bring a 25% bonus and Wisdom Medals will bring a 25% bonus to players’ basic revenues.