Monthly Archives: May 2010

MMO Clichés: Repetitive Games To Break The Day

MMO Clichés: Repetitive Games To Break The Day
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

Ever have the feeling that MMOs are starting to get mundane? Constantly repeating scenarios and plots with only the main characters that differ? Yeah, today we’re going to tackle the clichés of MMO history. Here we will note everything that most MMOs consider normal and mandatory (and I’m not even talking about gameplay ). Repetitive content is one thing, but there are other things that most MMOs tend to pass down to their descendants. Let’s check it out, shall we?

 

MMO Cliches All About War
WarHammer Online is even called WAR!

 

1). It’s all about WAR

It’s always and will always be about WAR! Yes, that’s right! War! This theme is commonly whored by most MMOs. Maybe it’s because war is such an easy concept to pursue, especially since the developers probably don’t know what to do with millions of players, except by taking them in a remote arena for wanton murder. There are a lot of concepts to pursue and yet almost 80% (yes that’s just my estimate) of the MMOs we play are based on war. Whether it’s in outer space, another galaxy, a nightmare realm, a long forgotten forest, or a medieval setting, you can bet your arse that these races are bound to go PVP. Some games even take the word WAR and attached it to their title (won’t mention any lol). Maybe it somehow proves that they are the most WAR-ish game out there.

 

MMO Cliche War

 

2). The Old Gods (or something like that)

Ever had the time to read the background story in your favorite MMO’s? Maybe it’s just me, but why does it seem like everything is the work of some Old God (or Old GODS, in some cases)? I get it, they want to add the spiritual factor with the world being made by a group of almighty beings who end up fighting each other, separating the land into different regions, and thus your story begins-sound familiar? I thought so. Some actually try to change Gods into dragons to get an original feel, but it’s easy to see through that cheap disguise.

 

MMO Cliche War
Old gods, more war. Yawn.

 

3). The Elves are always cooler

Elves CooleR MMO ClicheAre we humans such wusses when it comes to fashion? The Elves seem to have the flashy dresses and the coolest costumes. When will we ever out-class these bunny eared humanoids? Yes, I’m sure you have noticed that Elves tend to dress splendidly compared to us humans. Dark Elves (if featured) are also twice as stylish compared to Elves as they are to humans. I suppose the saying “I’m only Human” can’t be applied to elves and dark elves as they seem to be living the good life in terms ofkit.

 

4). The small ones are always the smart ones

Take it as it is! Ever wondered why the dwarves in Lineage 2 get to ride humungous robots while Dark Elves roam around half naked (Don’t even get me started with Orcs)? Why do Bellatos get the huge and formidable MAU while Coras/Corites stick with their thongs? My points exactly. You must always be small to think big in the world of MMOs. Goblin Tinkerers, Dwarven Engineers, Gnome Alchemists <_<, need I say more? I can understand they needed to tweak the balance between brains and brawn, but do they really have to give all the smart stuff to the small ones? Inconceivable!

 

MMO Cliche
I may be short, but my latest device will trash you in a second.

 

5). If there’s a Paladin (or anything close to it), RUN!

Vit Knights, Crusaders, Paladins, Holy tanks, the condom class. One thing about these characters is that they have too much protection to actually get hit. I’ve been meaning to ask-“What’s with the whole HOLY bias?”. Holy heals, Dark magic does damage. Dark magic can heal but only upon inflicting pain, which is rather useless when dealing with the Paladins. Paladins are high-tier characters in almost any MMO. I know I’m bitter about it, but wouldn’t anyone be (except for the pallies themselves though)? If there’s a Paladin, RUN!

 

6). Different names, same thing

“Hello Shadow Dancer! I’m a rogue! I can attack fast and vanish afterwards!” “What a coincidence! Me too!”

One thing that makes MMOs interesting is their array of classes. For some, more classes mean a better game. It’s a cheap trick pursued by most MMO developers really. It’s like-“Let’s not feature Mages here! A lot of MMOs seem to have them!”  “All right! Let’s add an ELEMENTALIST!”. From Warlock to Necromancer, from Rogues to Assassins, Warriors to Berserker, they’re all the same.

 

7). Hot female characters = dude

Please tell me you noticed. Anyway, more than 60% of the females in the game are guys. There are some pointers to verify if you’re talking to an actual chick though.

 

MMO Cliche Chick Dude 

 

How to tell if your MMO chick is a dude

 

1). If the character seems to be sexier than the rest, it’s more likely to be a dude
2). Although it contradicts my first statement, Super ugly girl characters like Orc or Dwarven women are also dudes. Real girls only respect 5 races: Elves, Dark elves, Blood elves, High Elves and Night elves. If there are prettier races in the game, then you bet yer arse they’d pick that.
3). Chicks are OC with Quests, Dudes are OC with PVP

 

8). It’s always the Healer’s fault

“We wiped again”
“I blame healer”
“I blame healer”
“I blame healer”
“I blame healer”

Even if it’s not really their fault to begin with, it will always be the healer’s fault. It’s like an automatic trial every time you do dungeons and instances. This is perhaps the reason why it’s a dying class    no pun intended… LOL.

 

9). The good for nothing leader

I’m sure you guys are familiar with your race leaders. Lothan the 3rd, Khorne, The Warrior Emperor, Varian Wrynn, etc-cool aren’t they? No matter what you do, you will always be nothing compared to them. They have legendary skills, you have your +7 lance that won’t even scratch them. The thing here is, regardless of how powerful these race leaders are, the only thing they will EVER do is stand in the corner of your base, waiting for progress. Jesus! We would have won this war by now if you guys just exerted a little more effort instead of standing there all proud and stuff.

 

10). The best crafters and tinkers (NPCs) always lack materials to work with

“Hello friend! It seems that I’m fresh out of Dragon scales to make my Uber weapon! Can you go to Cryshal Tirith and kill a Big Red Dragon for me?”

And you thought your racial leaders were incompetent. It’s the same scenario is almost every MMO. If there’s a quest, you can bet that there’s a lonely merchant out there looking for someone to bring him more materials. The funny part is that he only asks for one per character! Seriously, why not just let one character do all the work so everyone can rest easy? That’s almost as bad as the secret admirer who’s too chicken to deliver his love letter (well at least he pays you to deliver it).

 

Final Remarks

And there you have it! It would really be awesome for a game to remove us from this mundane life, but for a game to actually become mundane? They seriously need something new. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

Summer Blessing in Neverland Online

Summer Blessing in Neverland Online

 

Neverland online is having a series of events as the summer approaches.

 

New Holy Beast, a flying fairy-like pet, Nightmoon Elf is released. With the max intelligence of 8150, needless to say, Nightmoon Elf is one of the most powerful magical pet ever, and probably one of the cutest. Moreover, this pet is endowed with exclusive skills of restoring HP for single or group teammates; it is indeed a very useful pet when players are in Team VS Team PK. And the healing power is the best in the game so far. It also has attacking skill to deal damage to as many as 6 enemies. It is really a fantastic pet.

 

Moreover, Rare Gem Treasure Bag is on stage for the first time, player can get a random Inspiring gem gems from it, and the precious crafting materials like Demonic pieces (Rank 1) and Greater Artifact Pieces (Rank 1), and rare accessory are also given out in the event.

 

Neverland Moon Night

 

Neverland online is a 2D MMORPG Turn-based Webgame with brand-new game style. It takes 2 years to develop, and it is the first anime MMORPG webgame that enables not only browser-based but also client-based game experience. you can play it as a clientless browser-based game at any place and any time or download it through client to experience the perfect game quality. Login in either mode but with the same fun experience.

 

Players will found themselves in a fantastical world filled with legends and tales. And there are featured systems as skills, pets, guild, instances, mounts and many more others interesting systems. Now that the summer is in the air, look at the sunshine so have a nice day.

 

Neverland Online Event

Neverland Features:

– First Full Feature Browser Based MMORPG
– Multi-player, compete against thousands of people from around the world
– Huge immersive game world with thousands of rewarding quests
– Unique pet capture and training system
– Extensive crafting and gathering systems
– Convenient and casual gameplay, ex: Auto navigation system
– Completely browser-based, no downloads required, and free to play
– Playable via Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera
– Regular major content updates

For more information, please visit the official website.

Transform your Gender, Camouflage Yourself in 4Story

Transform your Gender, Camouflage Yourself in 4Story

 

4Story, a popular free-to-play hybrid MMORPG, announced that an unusual sweepstake event will get started from today for 1 month. More 5,000 gift keys will bring newly registered users the 5 unique potions which has been called “Transgender Potion” where you can switch your sex back and forth in game. Furthermore, this potion has been known as one of the top selling items and must buy ones within 4story royal fans. Since they are frequently consumes for camouflage your existence.

 

“To celebrate 4Story’s release of Coliseum Update, 4Story Global Service team is giving away free gift codes. Not only with this unique chance, all new comers will get newbie package which is worth 80$ as well for 1 month ahead. There is nothing more important in MMORPG world than reaching higher level faster and hiding your real force against the others. In this way, you will slay all enemies in severe coliseum battles. Have a fun with a large amount of gifts with friends.” said Hyunho Shin, a chief project manager of 4Story.

 

4Story Trans Gender

LOCO – Land of Chaos Online Closed Beta Test Begins

LOCO – Land of Chaos Online Closed Beta Test Begins

 

Burda:ic, a leading publisher of online games worldwide, today announced the launch of the highly anticipated LOCO – Land of Chaos Online Closed Beta Test. For the first time, players can now explore the Land of Chaos as they take on the role of one of 12 characters featured in the CBT, including Octavian, Atin, Foxlady, RandyRozz, and more.

 

The CBT also features LOCO’s Guild and Enchantment systems, as well as three maps for use in Annihilation and Battle Modes: the ‘Forest of Chaos,’ the ‘Crimson Plains,’ and the ‘Lair of the Ancient Dragons.’

 

LOCO Happy
OMG the Beta Test has begun?!!

 

“LOCO is a welcome addition to our library of exciting and immersive games on alaplaya,” said Achim Kaspers, Managing Director of burda:ic. “We hope all the closed beta testers have a great time playing!”

 

Users who have already activated their Land of Chaos Online CBT key can log in immediately. Those who have yet to register can do so by visiting the Closed Beta page. To start wreaking havoc in the Land of Chaos, download the LOCO CBT client here!

 

 LOCO Battle

CTRacer Interview: Speedhacking Cause of Decline in Players

CTRacer Interview for OnRPG
Questions by Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by GM scrapbuks

 

CTRacer is a racing MMO that’s been up and about for quite a while now. We got the chance to talk to the people who make this game run as smooth as silk. Here’s what they have to say about the game.

 

OnRPG: With the game already operational for quite a few months now, how has the game been going?

For the past 7months CTRacer experienced Increase and Decrease of players due to encountered problems depends on how the players are affected, recently our game is experiencing confirmed speed hacking issue problem which hinders the enjoyment of the player which resulted to rapid User decrease, but there are plans already effective this month to eliminate the current major issue.

 

CTRacer Interface

 

OnRPG: How big is the current player base? Has it reached your target goal for the year?

On our current state we’re having a User decrease compared to the previous months. It is because of the problems stated above, but the good thing is we’re consistent and slightly having an increase to our current User count, we are glad we’re able to meet our planned User counts due to the events offered that kept the interest of the players.

 

OnRPG: What do you think is the game’s advantage over the other racing games available now?

CTRacer offers a variety of unique game features; this includes the availability of Maps from the original Initial D anime, so basically this attracts Initial D fan boys and those whom have an experience of playing the arcade version of the anime.

 

The game also offers free roam feature where a player is able to do quests in the main field, this includes the realistic streets from Korea Seoul (Gangbuk, Gangnam) China (Shanghai) they can challenge each other to the main field for a race.

 

CTRacer Through City
Racing through the city streets

 

OnRPG: What do you think is the main attraction of the game for players? Why?

Attentiveness of the staff: Fast and accurate solutions for their problems and inquiries with regard to CTracer Global, this made them feel well served and optimistic about the game. Unique and Different events offered to the players monthly: By these ideas we kept them interested and play extra hours our events covers all the resources we have in the game.

 

OnRPG: How customizable are the cars in CTRacer? Does this affect the game balance?

You can customize your car from its visual performance and its driving performance: Visual performance: This covers the Decals, Car Paint, Under Neon, Wing, Side skirts, and Bumper, Tires, car emblems and Guild Logos.

 

OnRPG: Speaking of game balance, are the premium items for CTRacer more centered on the player advantage over overall game balance?

The main priority of the players who are loading cash is to buy the latest cash car which of course has a better performance vs. the cars which can be bought by CT (game currency) but still the skill and the way they set up their car is playing major role on winning the game so this promotes balance to the game, except the visual performance since the accessory, neon’s, decals, are available by cash except for the paint job.

 

CTRacer Beauty
Customized

 

OnRPG: How do you then balance out those who pay to play and those who play for free?

Everyone in CTRacer is treated equally even you have cash nor playing for free you will get the same treatment and reward in event, event’s are created to hone the skills of the players and to promote competition to each other by this way we are able to create a competitive community, sometimes we do host events for cash “The highest player with TOP UP this month Will get reward” or “TOP UP Now and get addition cash” something like that.

 

OnRPG: Where do you get the decals and designs you use in the game?

Decals from the game came from the original client version of CTRacer which is formerly used by Koreans; also we do supply our own created decals in game which is used for season events like Valentines, Christmas and so on.

 

OnRPG: Are you planning on putting a limit to how many decals, designs and add-ons players can use on their cars? Or even in the game’s library? Or is it more of a certain design is only available for a limited time only? Why?

Yes there is a limit for our decal there are categories which they can choose where they want to place their chosen theme/logo, decals can be used in sides and hood, we also have top lines, designs are all permanent.

 

CTRacer High SPeed
Lines look good at high speed

 

OnRPG: How many cars do you plan to include in CTRacer’s roster?

As long as we can find a way to add more cars to the game we will do it there are no limits to that.

 

OnRPG: Where do you get the ideas and concepts for the cars you include in the game?

Cars in the game are actual cars from different car companies and others came from the idea of the developers themselves.

 

OnRPG: What’s the mostly used track in the game? Why do you think players love racing on this track?

Main fields which are Section A, B and Shanghai these are the places where a player can increase their Fame Points, Ranks, Mileage and CT’s, Techpoints (Some parts requires specific techpoint to equip.) and of course they can challenge each other for a race and the winners will get a status rank depends on his win or lose streak.

 

OnRPG: What kind of battle system is the most used? Why do you thinkthis is the case?

Downhill and Championship mode Battles, They have to practice the specific maps offered by this sections this is for them to train for the upcoming tournaments and hone their skills.

 

OnRPG: Do you plan on including any new game system changes in the future? Why or Why not?

Yes definitely, this is for our players to see major changes and keep their hype and excitement for the game, also this will attract potential customers to be part of the growing community of CTRacer Global.

 

OnRPG: What’s in store for players in the future?

Definitely there will be more cars in the market, new accessories, new decal designs, etc. as a major patch.

WorldShift Review: Is This An MMO?

WorldShift review: Is This An MMO?
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG journalist

 

It’s really hard to come up with something new nowadays, but it’s always a cool thing for MMOGs to inherit the awesomeness from old single player games. Since these games tend to evolve further, an improved version of an old genre may also be considered something new. This is where the game World Shift kicks in, being one of the most well played MMORTSes (Massively Multiplayer Online Real Time Strategy) today.

 

From afar, World Shift looks a lot like Warhammer: Dawn of War, but despite the similarities in visuals lies the unique and awesome game play of the said RTS. World Shift is unlike any other MMO or RTS today. The game is exquisitely fun and can provide you hours of game play just to figure out which strategy works for you. The system is indeed broad and would probably get you thinking every time you enter a bout. The game is set in a post apocalyptic setting where our way of life is no longer valid. In this time of crisis, our kin have banded together into different factions to settle their differences in the discomforts of war. Three factions in a battle of epic proportions… hmm, I’m in!

 

The Three Factions

There are three factions in this game, each with their own meta of gameplay, exclusive units and possibly individual strategies. The soldiers/units are technically what separates each faction from one another for some emphasizes themselves through attack speed while others focus more on defense.

 

Worldshift Character
Cool graphics

 

Is this really an MMO?

Other than the extremely cool graphics and multiplayer functions, one must ask if this game is really an MMO. Aside from the multiplayer functions (which allows you to request aid from other players), the game has a campaign mode (single player) that makes it pretty much comparable to the likes of other single player RTSes that also have Multiplayer features. While I’m still busy trying to figure out if this game is indeed an MMO, there’s no doubt that the game has everything going for it. Whether an MMO or just a plain RTS game, there’s no doubt that I am indeed hooked by the tendrils of its charms. World Shift is one awesome mutha fluffa, no doubt about it.

 

Watch Out Dudes! It’s the ABILITY GRID

Okay, now we’re getting something MMO like. Much like an MMO, each faction acts as a particular archetype that you must customize to further enhance your play style. The ability grid is what turns this awesome RTS into an MMO customization interface. Power ups, upgrades and special abilities are purchased rather than acquired through leveling in this game. How? By simply picking up resources scattered throughout the map. It’s pretty much obvious that you need to do your own bit of grinding while your troops do the dirty work. It’s a bit of a hassle, but you won’t get anywhere without it. Don’t fret though, each power up in your grid affects the entire squad as a whole, meaning you won’t have to upgrade them one by one XD (whew).

 

Worldshift Giants
Use special abilities

 

Hero? Battlemaster? What?

Much like other RTSes like Warcraft, Battlerealms and Warhammer, each faction is entitled to have a Hero (or in this game, Lord). Lords act as the main pillar of each army, and taking them down can lead to your enemy’s impending demise. Of course that would mean that they can beat the living crap out of you if they get to your lord first. Lords in short are the vanilla scoops on your rootbeer float, no icecream = no float.

 

Let’s join forces!

Major upgrade for the RTS factor as World Shift introduces the co-op mode which lets players perform various tasks aside from the normal player vs player routine. Yes, the game can be played in Single player but a helping hand would probably speed things up, considering the fact that you’ll be grinding for minerals LOL.

 

Pitbosses? Okay, this must be an MMO

Yes, you heard right! The game has a good number of Pitbosses whom you must beat to get good items as well as extra currency for future upgrades. Much like your average everyday MMORPG, Bosses are extremely hard and require a handful of power to beat. Yes, you can always play the maps on single player mode, but that won’t do you much good, as the boss would probably eat you alive if not last for hours eventually beating you anyway. This is where the multiplayer feature comes in brother! Don’t be emo, get a friggin party and cream that nasty DIPSHOT.

 

Worldshift Boss
Pit Bosses

 

 The Graphics

The graphics are way flawless and are probably one reason for you to play this game. Just by looking at it makes it safe to say that the game belongs in the next-gen list. The animations are smooth with an awesome frame rate that will probably give you a gaming seizure if not ready for so much awesomeness.  The backgrounds are rendered exquisitely, matching the other elements for a livelier scene. If it’s a battle for eye candy elements, this one is a winner.

 

Worldshift Assault
Worldshift battle in progress

 

The Verdict

Hmm… I’m still confused whether this game is an MMO or not, but if it is, we’re looking at one of the biggest breakthroughs in MMO history. The gameplay was fun, and the single player lasted as long as it should. The campaign is pretty nice, and having someone to help you out makes it twice as much fun. Grinding for minerals while buying new upgrades add into its fun factor as well, as you are entitled to keep on searching for the right build (much like any other MMO). The graphics are sharp and can probably compete with most of our up to date RTS games (yes even the single player ones) due to its bright and detailed elements. If you’re looking for a game that’ll keep you entertained, then this one’s a keeper.

 

The good:
– UNIQUE! Barnone
– Multiplayer mode rocks
– Singleplayer mode rocks too LOL
– Possibly the best of its kind (MMORTS)

 

The bad:
– It’s just not an MMO O_O (GEEZ KEI! GIVE IT UP!)
– Its way of grinding isn’t that fun at all…

Last Chaos Interview: Episode 2 After Half A Decade

Last Chaos Interview: Episode 2 After Half A Decade
Questions by: Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by: Keith Kawahata, Aeria Games Producer

 

OnRPG: The game has been in operation since 2006, how has the game fared now with already half a decade of being online?

Aeria:  Last Chaos has and continues to exceed our expectations. Last Chaos as a game is a living entity which we have and continue to work with the developers to improve and update continually.

 

Last Chaos Battle

 

OnRPG: Has the game reached the population you were expecting it to reach? Do you guys have a target goal for this year?

Aeria:  The Last Chaos community is our oldest, one of the largest and most intense within the Aeria Games family.  Over 1.5 million players have logged into Last Chaos and we expect that number to exceed 2 million by the end of this year.  We have players still in game who started with us in closed beta in 2006 and new players who logged in for the first time this week.

 

OnRPG: Speaking of which, a game doesn’t survive on population alone, so what’s the status of Last Chaos’ community? Are players still as excited with the game as it was years ago?

Aeria: The Last Chaos community is stronger than ever.  We have over thousands of new players trying Last Chaos for the first time each week and they are greeted by over 40 player volunteers and over a half dozen helpful GM’s. 

 

Last Chaos Defeat 

 

OnRPG: The game seems to be readying for Episode 2, why has it taken this long for Last Chaos to get a major update like this?

Aeria:  The developers took their time developing Episode 2 to ensure a proper release to be as bug free and playable at launch as possible.  In addition we have had a number of internal changes on the Last Chaos team which slowed down the deployment somewhat.

 

OnRPG: What were the things that you considered when you developed  the new features in Episode 2?

Aeria:  The bulk of the Episode 2 content is focused on high level players giving our loyal and long time users additional content to explore and adventure in.  Post Episode 2 the developers have been working on mid and low level content looking to revamp and add to existing systems for the bulk of our user base.

 

OnRPG: Where did you get the idea of including a Night Shadow class in the game? What was the goal of including this class in the character roster of Last Chaos?

Aeria:  The Night Shadow class is a reward for players who have made it to level 90 and above giving them the opportunity to try a new class with unique skills and systems compared to the other base classes.  The ultimate goal of the Night Shadow was to expand the play styles for the players to encompass a wider variety of strategies and make the larger PvP/PvE content more fun.

 

Last CHaos Skull
Evil night shadow boss

 

OnRPG:  How strong is the Night Shadow class? Will this class affect the game balance? Why or why not?

Aeria:  The Night Shadow is a very strong class with area of effect (AOE) and other unique skills.  The strength of the Night Shadow is offset by the increase in skill point requirements meaning that in order to fully realize the potential of this very powerful class a player will have to commit more effort.  The idea behind this system is that we achieve a balance in the amount of effort required to be powerful regardless of the class a player chooses.

 

Last Chaos Epmonster
Monsters unleached into the lands

 

OnRPG: How does the new episode coincide with the game’s lore?

Aeria:  Episode 2 expands the lore of Last Chaos by opening up a new continent through the Gate of Shadows.  As the war between the races intensified the Gate of Shadows was opened releasing the Night Shadow from their northern prison and unleashing monsters and demons on the lands of Iris.

 

OnRPG: Who makes the graphic novels for Last Chaos? How do the graphic novels tie-in the game and the story?

Aeria:  Our graphic novels are produced by a number of our talented Game Masters (GMs).  As we got closer to the release of Episode 2 the GM’s became engrossed in the lore of Last Chaos and wanted to share the rich story with the community.  The “Gate of Shadows” series of graphic novels lead up to the discovery of the Gate of Shadows and the series culminated with the release of Episode 2.

 

Last CHaos Gate of Shadows
The gate of shadows

 

OnRPG: Do you think that episode 2 will affect the number of subscribers to the game? Why or why not?

Aeria:  After the release of episode 2 we saw a large influx of old players who returned to Last Chaos to experience the new content.  Many of these players have found new life in the updated content and continue to play Last Chaos today.

 

OnRPG: When will you be completing the sections of the Episode 2 guide found on your site? Was it intentional that you left a lot of things unsaid at the moment to build up player interest? Why?

Aeria:  The Episode 2 guides are being rolled out as they are built and although we would have liked to have all of the guides released with the content there just wasn’t enough time to complete everything.  We are also looking to the community to suggest which guides they would like to see first with a number of forum polls and Q & A’s requesting player feedback.

 

OnRPG: Once episode 2 is released how long will it take for you guys to make episode 3 of Last chaos? Or will you be concentrating first with episode 2? Why?

Aeria:  Episode 2 was released in November 2009.  The developers of Last Chaos are currently hard at work on Episode 3 which we expect to bring live later this year (2010).  In addition to the large Episode 3 content we are also working closely with the developers on smaller content releases with a focus on revamping existing content, fixing bugs and improving overall game play for our players.

 
 

Last Chaos Revamped
Last Chaos revamped

 

OnRPG: Will there be any updates that cater to low level players because it seems that high level players will get the most out of episode 2? Why or why not?

Aeria:  Episode 2 was in large part a high level only content update.  That said we have rolled out a number of systems for low level players such as an updated tutorial and help menu.  Later this year we plan to roll out low level content which will greatly enhance the experience of low level players.

 

OnRPG: When will you be releasing episode 2? What are the things that are you still fixing before the game updates?

 

Aeria:  Episode 2 was released on November 19th 2009.  We had a bit of a rocky release as a number of issues made their way into the live version that were not present on our test servers.  We have since fixed the majority of these issues and players are now able to explore the new continent of Ascadia.

 

OnRPG: Thanks so much for you time!

Aeria:  Thank you Vincent it’s been my pleasure.

How can you help your friendly neighborhood Game Master?

How can you help your friendly neighborhood Game Master?
By a long-term game master 

 

I’ve worked on a major title as a Game Master/Customer Service Representative. I’m writing this to give you guys some insight into the work of a Game Master, and to give you some pointers for when you talk with one, when you need the help, or when you write feedback. I’ve played online games for eight years, and have received all kinds of service, from excellent to horrible. I decided to become a Game Master to be able to provide players proper service and to aid you on your way to the phat lewt and glory. We all know you most likely pay to play and when you do that, you expect something in return, not just a good game.

 

I knew when I got the job that I wouldn’t be able to help all of you with all your queries, but I would do what I could to make sure that you got a good experience and to make sure that you understand that not all Game Masters are ego-tripping power abusers.

 

Game Master Warhammer Online
Warhammer Online Game Masters

 

As a Game Master I needed to level my own expectations with the expectations of the players and balance this with the policies and procedures of the company I work for. Although my player demands  the restoration of an item and  I see his case and genuinely want to help him out, I’m still representing the company I work for and for all the service to work, we have policies and procedures. You’ve no doubt heard about those and cursed them several times, when a Game Master has rejected your demands.

 

How can you help me to help you?

Game Master Runes of MagicThere are many different kind of players with different goals who have different expectations of a GM. I’ll try to explain how I can help you as a player. I want you all to understand that I know players are different. You guys are literally what make a game become a great game, and it takes time and effort to grow into the position, as a gamer, you’re in today. You guys are the reason I had this job, and I greatly enjoyed my job and the interaction with you! You can’t be put into boxes, but for the sake of this article, I’ve done it anyways. Most of you will fit into many of my boxes; some of you will not fit into any of them. Also I would like to make sure that you all know that not all Game Masters work like I did. We all have our different approaches to your issues, all within the procedures of our job. This is my main reason for writing I instead of we. All MMOs on the market today have more or less varying policies and procedures for their Game Masters to follow, so what you read here may not apply to the games you play.

 


Image: Runes of Magic Game Master

 

The casual players

They bimble around spending a loooong time completing quest chains, finding game specific fluff and chatting with their guildies. They like the lore of the game and want to suck it all up before heading to a new area where they can start over, with more lore and quests. They will most likely have issues with a quest they can’t complete for various reasons.

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I cannot give you hints about how to complete quests and find lore fluff. I can’t tell you where to find Wolf Skin; you will have to find it yourself. However, I can tell you that everything in your questline is currently working, so you shouldn’t run into any obstacles on your way. To help yourself, try making good use of one of the many, many sites that are dedicated for you to find the information you need right now.

 

The PvPers

They live for the heat of battle and killing other players. They spend a significant time on various blog sites, information programs etc, min-maxing their characters to become even better. Not to forget mentioning gloating about their own success and spreading it around them. They’ve most likely reported another player for abusing mechanics or bugs, harassment, ‘speed hacking’ and various other things that takes the joy away from the other players around them.

 

Pr0tip of the day: I need definite proof of another player doing something wrong. According to our policies, before I can take action towards him or her I need solid proof. Your screenshots and videos are unfortunately invalid information, as these can be tampered with. I need to see the offender doing something wrong with my own eyes, and get the proof myself. You also need to understand that it can take time to get this proof, and you might run into the offender again before I’ve taken the appropriate steps to keep him or her sticking to the rules in the future.

 

The PvEers

 They spend a lot of time on preparing for their weekly bash at the various encounters in the game. Just as the PvP’er, they can spend significant time on their character sheet. They’ve most likely reported an issue with a specific encounter and need help to get on with their raid. Or they finally killed the Boss and now the loot is gone.

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I can only give you limited assistance with your encounter. I can’t kill the Boss for you; you need to do that yourself, regardless of how tough it is. Also please understand that sometimes an encounter is just broken. Plain and simple. I can’t help you if that’s the case. I unfortunately can’t recode the game from my position. And I can’t help you get on with your raid. Sorry. I can, and I will, report the bugs you report to me to the developers.

 

Often when loot hasn’t dropped it’s a glitch in the game and I will let our Quality Assurance department look into it. I will do everything in my powers to make sure that you get your loot, however if you have deliberately killed the boss in a position where the loot cannot be reached, I can’t help you. You chose to kill him there, not me. Also in these situations, it’s vitally important that only ONE person from the raid, usually the raid leader, writes a ticket to me. If I have another 5, 10, 20, 40 people writing to me about the same issue from the same server, it will take longer to solve your issue.

 

The RolePlayers

They spend a lot of time interacting with each other on a level that’s hard to understand for most other players. Roleplayers ‘live’ in the world that the developer has created and use this opportunity to meet people with same interests. These players are quite often also lore junkies. They often have an impressively well developed character that they roleplay exceptionally well. These players mainly report other people for not being ‘in-character’ in open chats.

 

Game Master World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft Game Master

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I really enjoy your dedication to your character. But honestly you also need to tone down your expectations of newbie roleplayers. Perhaps you could help and guide them on their way to become a good roleplayer, yourself?

 

The whiner

This kind of player is self-explanatory. They will whine and moan about literally -everything- in their path to supreme elitism. Nothing is good enough for them. A quest is not developed well enough, a boss hits too hard or not hard enough, Class A, B, H, M and X are all supremely overpowered or underpowered in comparison to the class they play themselves. Or the other players cheat and abuse the game, because they themselves got beaten in battle. And don’t get me started on the lore whiners. For me it’s easy to understand that a whiner usually whines from a good heart, they just want the game they play to be better, faster, harder!  But for other players, the constant stream of negative blah blah can be pretty annoying.

 

Pr0tip of the day: If you can stick to being informative, constructive and somewhat neutral in your criticism, I will make sure that the developers gets your feedback. However if all you can write is curse words and insults, you can be pretty sure that your feedback goes straight in the bin.

 

The fanboy

These guys just love the game. They will spend an enormous amount of time doing everything they can to get the most out of it; they will do PvP, PvE, do quests and sometimes roleplay, just to enjoy themselves more. These people have a genuine desire for the game to be successful in any way. They quite often get into heated battles with the Whiners on forums, blogs and other community sites. Fanboys can become rather extreme and even sometimes refuse to see that a particular aspect of the game actually is broken. Perhaps class X -is- overpowered, but to the fanboys class X is just ‘utilized’.

 

Pr0tip of the day: I generally appreciate your love for the game. It’s great to see someone genuinely enjoying all aspects of the game; however you don’t need to send feedback praise about the look of a particular tree in the world every other day. As with the whiner, keep your feedback constructive. Although it’s great to hear how much you love and enjoy the game, it does take time to process your query and that will take time away from people that genuinely need assistance in the game world.

 

Your community

The connection between all of you is that you want to enjoy the game. I for one understand that, I play the game myself after all. But often you also need to grab some insight into your own behavior. Game Masters don’t set the rules (our bosses do)  we only enforce them. It’s up to all you lovely players out there to make sure that you enjoy the game. A game community is a very, very strong assembly of people that share the same interest on various levels. Even if you have the opportunity to nail a newbie to a plank, you shouldn’t take it. You’ve been a newbie yourself at some point and everybody understands that it’s a tough job to grow as a player to get to where you are today. Help each other; be friendly and positive towards another player. If players rub you the wrong way, then turn your back to him or her. Use the ignore function and get on with your game. I promise you that with mutual respect and courtesy towards other players, you will enjoy the game even more. With that said, you shouldn’t accept any behavior from other players and if they generally become really nasty towards you, report them to me and I will take care of them from there on.

 

Game Master Workload Hard Work

 

It takes hard work

And dedication to be a Game Master, and more than anything I need to stick to the rules that I’ve been given. Otherwise I could lose my job. And to be honest, the 10 bucks a month you pay to play, does not outweigh my paycheck, at all. On the contrary, I’ve had some great hours with my players, and definitely also with my colleagues.  I can definitely recommend being a Game Master as a job, if you have a desire to help the people you play with. Just be aware, that you cannot be the bird, but every single day you will be the statue.

 

 

 Game Masters Statue Shit

Sneak-Peek! Tales RunnerÂ’s New Chapter, Chaos Genesis!

Sneak-Peek! Tales Runner’s New Chapter, Chaos Genesis!

 

Whose side will you be fighting for; Light or Dark?

 

TalesRunner, a fantasy casual MMO, introduces its biggest chapter since the launch, Chaos Genesis. The new content will be updated starting from June 1, and the highly-anticipated Chaos Battle will begin on June 17! Chaos Genesis features a battle and confrontation between two factions; Angel and Devil.  Players will be asked to choose their own faction and fight together to conquer the land. To add more fun to the battle, new angel and devil-themed alchemy armor sets, missions and maps will be updated.

 

Tales Runner Chaos Map
The Chaos Map

 

Chaos Genesis: New  Features

Chaos Wars

Choose a Faction…Angel or Devil!  Fight together with your Faction in order conquer the land and receive points for awesome prizes!  Prizes include Pets, Shoes, Wings, & More!  Will you be the one to carry your Faction into glory?

Tales Runner Angel Demon Chaos Genesis

 

Angel & Devil Alchemy

Two sets of Alchemy held the balance of the Tales Land for Thousands of Years…  Recently, the Devil Alchemy Set was stolen!  Fearing the unbalance of power within the Realm, King Henry ordered the unsealing of the Angel Alchemy Set as well…  Thus, began what will later be known as the Chaos Genesis…

 

Kai The Demon Child

They mysterious and dark adopted child of Dr. Hell will arrive to Tales Land this Chapter!  Find out about his story, history, and secrets!  Watch out!  If his emotions get the best of him such as in fury mode, his inner demon will appear!

 

The Guardian Dungeons

Hidden in a dark corner of the realm lies a giant secret dungeon where magical powers dwell…  For thousands of years, this giant dungeon housed the powerful Angel and Demon Alchemy…  Absorbing the powers  of these incredible items, the surroundings too grew powerful!

 

Some call them Demons while others call them Guardians…  Whatever they may be, they are angry at the removal of their precious source of power!

 

Fight together in a group of 8 to tackle on this new addition to racing!  Experience racing like never before where the key is to cooperate with other players to tackle on and defeat monsters!  PvE in a racing game?!  Now’s your chance to experience it yourself!

 

Tales Runner Chaos Genesis

 

Chaos Emblems

Elder Izarth realized that in order to curb the turmoil and chaos that is running amok in the land, we will have to find a Chaos Master.  A Chaos Master will have to go through many ordeals in order to proof himself or herself worthy of this title.  Therefore, Elder Izarth decided to travel to the Tales Land in search of a worthy Chaos Master…  Collect the 9 regional emblems to unlock the Chaos Master Emblem!  Be the first 5 to become a Chaos Master and be recognized as the ones to unleash the power of the “Redemption of Chaos” to the world!

 

Redemption of Chaos Alchemy & Mantras

Few individuals will ever evolve into the perfect being and the ones that do are deemed God-Like…  The effects are temporary and the retrieval of the Secret Remedy may prove to be difficult for many…  It’ll also take 5 Chaos Masters for this secret to be revealed to the world…  Experience the Power of the Redeemed and hold the Mantras of Archangels & Archdemons! 

 

Experience Racing Like Never Before!  The Fantasy World needs your help!  Choose Your Side and begin your tale in the Chaos Genesis!

 

Please visit Tales Runner website for further details on Chaos Genesis.