Monthly Archives: May 2010

Monster Forest

Monster Forest is a free-to-play 3D MMORPG with an adorable universe of unique gaming features for avid gamers and pet lovers. 

Set in a captivating fantasy world with hundreds of cute mysterious creatures and mini land farms to grow and nurture, Monster Forest sets players forth on exciting adventures with their adorable pets!

Mech Hero

Mech Hero is a web browser based MMORTS game and is a combination of classic strategy with some RPG elements. The scenery of Mech Hero is a devastated futuristic world in which gigantic combat robots are the means to control, power and ultimately victory.

The novelty Mech Hero brings into this game segment is an advanced combat mechanism coupled with a unique Unit Behavior System. This allows for an easy way to control individual unit combat behavior.

Unlike the typical MMOSGs the player won’t have to manage huge armies of thousands of units. In Mech Hero each combat robot is a separate entity and has its own characteristics, its own weapons and battlefield behavior pattern. 

In addition, with each battle robots gather experience, which allows upgrading their characteristics and enriches their “intelligence” on the battlefield. The game developers are also preparing many additions like artifacts, unique weapons – hidden on the world map or animated battle visualization.

The test phase will last several months and will cover a complete game cycle.

Pangya Review: Who Said Golf Was Boring?

Pangya Review: Who said Golf was boring?
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

 

Whenever you hear the word “golf” pop-out in any conversation, the first thing that comes to mind is either the PGA tour or golf’s famous personality, Tiger Woods. It never really actually crosses anyone’s mind that Golf can be enjoyable or cute, even if they use their imagination.

 

Pangya has, in its own right, taken golf to a whole new level. It has successfully created a harmonious mix of the essence of golf and something that’s cute and turned it into a game enjoyable to the general public.

 

Pangya Gameplay
Golf is an adventure!

 

Golf and cuteness combined

To give a brief explanation of what Pangya is, it’s basically an online golf game that uses cute characters as its selling point. However, Pangya stays true to the “physics” of real life golf with the exception of a few special skills that could never happen in real life. I think it is suffice to say that Pangya no matter how childish the game looks, still delivers an authentic golf experience. Also, the cute element of the game adds a unique color to the sport and it turns Golf into a sport that’s more down to earth than what it is usually perceived. 

 

Real life and fantasy Combined

One of the things I liked about Pangya is that the game goes beyond the usual Golf game and tries to play around the idea of scientifically possible moves that are humanly impossible to execute. This is seen through the game’s character skills which utilizes the usual “physics” concept in golf in an exaggerated manner.

 

Having this type of skill system infused in Pangya provides players with a creative means to make your Pangya game more efficient and fun. Furthermore, the game doesn’t go so far with the fantasy aspect that it turns the game into something unbelievable and illogical which would halve the game’s fun factor.

 

Pangya Item Shop
Colorful world which invites you to a personal adventure

 

Audio

Silence is the priority of real life Golf. Whenever a player goes for a shot it is a requirement for the audience to be silent. The reason behind it is that the golfer needs his total attention and concentration on his shot. If you are quite a golf fan, you would know that the silence before the shot is the most critical moment, however if you are the casual observer, you would find the interplay of silence and walking as somewhat boring.

 

So in this context it should be quite expected that Pangya, which does follow a semblance to real life Golf would have to follow suit. However, if it did, this would practically bore players to death. The game got around this problem by providing background music that is not too attention getting and is light enough to keep you upbeat and interested in playing.

 

Characters

If I were to choose something that the game lacks, it would be that the game is not open to creating your own character. This is understandable because if the game needs to keep the game balance players should be limited to a set of characters that have specific strengths and weaknesses.

 

Pangya Item Shop
Equip fashionable items which provide you with stats

 

However, the game already works well without the addition of any customization to your character model. Each character has their own set of reasons for being there, though the majority of the back stories for the characters are either too cliché or they are too simple for any character development. This isn’t really important because you’d be concentrating on the game itself rather than the characters, which suits the game just fine. And with the vast amount of items to obtain, as well as the designing events that are run by Pangya, there’s an endless option for changing your character’s looks.

 

Game Stages

The holes you play in Pangya are another example of the game’s capability of mixing fantasy into the whole golfing mix. The different courses, this is what you call the areas where you play Golf, provide you with enough challenges that it would take you a lot of games to say that you are quite familiar with it. The different courses in Pangya make it a point that you are not only trying to beat your opponent but also beat the stage itself. The holes have a lot of elements put into the mix that pushes you to be creative in trying to get through the course in as few shots as possible. Pangya has wonderfully stacked the stages different themes that vary in difficulty. This gives the game order in terms of the courses and that it gives players the goal to try and finish this whole set.

 

The other thing that makes the stages in Pangya fun is the random elements that give each stage something of a surprise hurdle for players. Though of course the random elements are tied to the courses overall theme which makes these elements somewhat predictable to an extent, you shouldn’t overlook these elements because they can really hurt your strokes if you don’t watch out for them.

 

Pangya Smileys
Express yourself in the various ingame tournaments

 

Tourneys and things to look forward to

True to its roots, Pangya is open for golf tournaments which are similar to real life Golf tournaments. Tournaments serve as the game’s primary competitive draw due to its rewards and of course earning the right to brag and a possible rank upgrade to boot.

 

Taking part in tournaments is no simple matter though, you can be whisked away into tournaments that take about 20 holes to finish, which eats up a lot of your time. The tournaments serve as your “grinding” area in Pangya because normal rooms can’t just really cut it in terms of rewards and points.

 

The tournaments bring Pangya’s gaming experience into a whole new level because of the competitiveness involved. What was once a cute-golf game turns into a stroke match where it doesn’t matter how cute the holes look, it’s how fast and how efficient you finish the course that counts.

 

In the previous seasons of Pangya, the tourney was where it was at, however, season 4, which is the game’s latest updated ushered in a lot of things you can look forward to as you play.

 

There are a lot of game upgrades such as new characters, new game systems such as card skills and treasure hunting, there’s also a new character in the game roster and the rewards are better for the stages. The game difficulty has also been increased and you can record your game as you play.

 

Conclusion

For all its worth Pangya is a game that has truly made Golf into something interesting and fun for gamers. Plus with the introduction season 4 the game has become more interesting and there are more reasons for you to keep on playing.

 

Pros:
– Harmonious mix of real-life physics and Fantasy
– It has successfully made Golf into something interesting
– Provides an authentic Golf experience minus the boring interludes

 

Cons:
– The game’s bgm becomes repetitive if you play for a while
– Tournaments really take a long time to finish
– Lack of customization may be problematic for players

Update on Aika’s IP Restriction

Update on Aika’s IP Restriction

 

The past few weeks have been a rocky road for Aika players around the world, as some found their IPs suddenly blocked. Although they are no longer able to accept players outside North America, those players that did sign up before the restrictions will still be allowed to play.  This is the official statement offered by Gala-net:  

 

“This is the final update on the Aika service restriction issue announced on April 7, 2010.  We informed the community that gPotato’s version of Aika Online would be restricted to the North American region.   On April 7 (PDT), we limited new player registrations from outside of North America, but did not block existing non-North American player accounts.

 

We’re pleased to announce that non-North American player accounts which existed on or before April 7 (the day the registration IP block took effect) will be able to play gPotato’s version of Aika.  The registration restriction will remain in effect for new accounts outside of North America.  We realize that the past few weeks have been a time of uncertainty for the community, and we appreciate your patience while we resolved this matter.  We thank you for your understanding and invite you to join us on the forums and in the land of Lakia for all of the wonderful plans we have in store!”

 

Aika Server

GameHi Announces Dekaron’s Trieste Fishing Hero Spring Event

GameHi Announces Dekaron’s Trieste Fishing Hero Spring Event

 

GameHi, Inc. the U.S. division of the notable Korean-based online games company GameHi Co., Ltd, today announced that their wildly popular massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), Dekaron, is welcoming in spring with a little R&R in the stunning world of Trieste. Beginning April 29th through May 27th, players will be able to fish using the limited edition ‘Golden Fishing Rod’ and ‘Golden Bait,’ all in hopes of catching the highly sought after ‘Golden Carp.’

 

 Dekaron Casting Line

 

The ‘Golden Fishing Rod’ and ‘Golden Bait’ are available for use during the duration of the Spring Hero Event. Each item increases the rate at which players catch the rare and beautiful ‘Golden Carp.’ Players are encouraged to catch as many as possible because these golden prizes are exchangeable within the ‘Fancy Random Box,’ which is loaded with valuable in-game merchandise. To learn more about fishing in Dekaron, please visit their game guide at the Dekaron official website.

 

Dekaron Fishing

Closed beta testing starts for Black Prophecy

Closed beta testing starts for Black Prophecy

 

It’s the moment players have all been waiting for. gamigo and Reakktor Media have given the green light for closed beta testing of the space action MMOG “Black Prophecy”. The virtual universe is now open to a select crew of daring pilots looking to join the Genide or Tyi factions.

 

In the past few weeks, the Reakktor team has been working very hard to get “Black Prophecy” ready go to into beta testing. The focus during the first phase of testing will be on server and program stability.

 

For that reason, only a small group of about 100 players will have access to the game server. More fighter pilots will be recruited in time.

 

Registration for beta testing is open at the Black Prophecy official website.

 

Black Prophecy Beta

The Dungeon of Dalanis Releases Its Terror Across Taborea

The Dungeon of Dalanis Releases Its Terror Across Taborea

 

New Group Instance Comes with the main release of Runes of Magic Chapter III

 

With the ‘Dungeon of Dalanis’ Frogster introduces the first new dungeon for six players to be included in the main release of Runes of Magic ‘Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms’ this May.

 

Deep beneath the metropolis of Dalanis, the dungeon for aristocratic criminals has lain hidden for centuries. In ‘Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms’, workers uncover a secret entrance and discover the terror that lurks within . For centuries the corrupt Prince Maxim Erekat III has used the ruins for monstrous experiments in a power struggle for the rule of the kingdom. In response to these vicious attempts, the King orders adventurer groups with character level 57 to drive the terrors of the dungeon out of the city and to eliminate the evil prince.

 

Maxim Erekat III himself will be the end boss in both of the instance’s two difficulty levels – a newly introduced feature in Chapter III. To fight the prince explorers need to defeat four other boss opponents, all of which are creatures from Maxim’s hideous experiments. Among these Experiment No. 203: a cross between a lion, an eagle and a snake, and Okander ‘Mad Man’ Mallen, a member of an evil band of robbers, reincarnated by means of forbidden rune magic.

 

For additional information on ‘The Dungeon of Dalanis’, please visit the Runes of Magic official website.

 

Runes of Magic Dungeons of Dalanis

Realtime World and EA Announce Global Shipdate All Points Bulletin

Realtime World and EA Announce Global Shipdate All Points Bulletin

 

Realtime Worlds, Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that APB (All Points BulletinTM) will be released for the PC on June 29th in North America, July 1st in mainland Europe and July 2nd in the UK. APB takes the universal theme of Criminals and Enforcers and brings it to a persistent, open-world, online multiplayer setting in the modern, crime-ridden fictional city of San Paro. Some players will achieve notoriety by feeding on the city, its people and its businesses…the Criminals. Some will live by a higher code and instead feed on the criminals and their organizations…the Enforcers. This dynamic where players become the core content for other players is one of the many unique features of APB.

 

David Jones, Creative Director of Realtime Worlds said: “We’re delighted to finally be announcing the release date for APB, and we’re looking forward to welcoming players on to the mean streets of San Paro. Gamers will soon get to experience a world of unparalleled customization, conflict and celebrity – whether they choose to be a Criminal or an Enforcer.”

 

Founded by industry legend David Jones, creator of Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2 and Crackdown, Realtime Worlds’ latest project, APB, introduces a unique payment model defined by three core concepts: value, flexibility and no commitments. Players pay precisely for time spent in the game’s action districts.

                                            

Gamers can purchase a retail version of APB either in-store or via digital download at standard retail price of SRP $49.99, £34.99, €49.99. The game includes 50 hours of action gameplay out of the box plus unlimited time in APB’s social districts customizing, socializing and trading in the marketplace. Once the 50-hours are up, players have flexibility: top up their game time from as little as SRP $6.99 (£5.59, €6.29) for an additional 20 hours, or opt to purchase a 30-day unlimited package for only SRP $9.99 (£7.99, €8.99) with discounts available for 90 and 180 days. In addition to this flexible payment model, players can also earn game time by actually playing the game. APB provides avenues for accomplished gamers or creators to earn rewards for their creativity and subsidize their ongoing costs with their in-game efforts.

 

David Jones added: “We wanted to provide a simple and flexible way for occasional and core players alike to pay for their play without being financially tethered to the game. The model also provides an opportunity for customers to subsidize their costs by leveraging their talent or market savvy in the ‘points’ Marketplace. Highly talented players could potentially even play for free in this way”.

 

Customers can pre-order the game from leading retailers and online from the official All Points Bulletin website. Pre-order incentives include early access ‘APB VIP’ game time, access to the ‘Key to the City’ demo, exclusive in-game Asylum Upgraded Criminal Car and Enforcer upgraded Patrol Car, C.S.A Enforcer and Asylum Criminal clothing, ‘Chicken’ and ‘Strike-a-pose’ exclusive Emotes.

 

David DeMartini, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, EA Partners, added: “It’s an honor to be working with Realtime Worlds to bring an exciting and original new IP to PC gamers. We’re confident that the action and customization in the game will prove to be a huge hit.”

 

All Points Bulletin Retail

 

Lords Online: Put Your Friends to Work

Lords Online: Put Your Friends to Work


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your friends work for you? Now you can find out when you play Lords Online.

Get your friends to serve as your slaves and help expand your kingdom. Assign them to farm any resource and watch as you immediately reap the benefits of accelerated growth thanks to your virtual workforce.


Lords Online - Slave System Introduced

Under this new system, each player can take on the role of both slave and slave owner, but they can only serve one master at a time. This limitation means you can’t simply promise each prospective slave that you’ll return the favor. That’s why it’s so important to take the initiative in recruiting your friends before someone else does.

 

Managing this new source of labor requires more than just some recruiting. Each lord can use up to ten slaves to farm resources that are vital to the growth of the kingdom. There are 20 levels of slaves, and the higher the level of a given slave, the faster they produce resources. To keep them working, a lord must be attentive to their needs. If you fail to tend to them for 72 hours, they will escape and end up serving another lord.

 

Do you have what it takes to be both a wise and responsible master? If so, your kingdom will become stronger than ever before. Act now, before your rivals lay claim to this valuable new source of manpower and leave you in the dust.