Monthly Archives: August 2010

Legend of Heroes

Legend of Heroes, is a multi-player web game that combines resource management, strategy game-play with role-playing (RPG), a game that will draw players with its simplicity in playing and yet complex with variations. In the Legend of Heroes, the world is a medieval fantasy world, filled with mythical and legendary characters and creatures.

Being a web game, you do not need to download or install on your PC or Mac, you can simply play it anytime anywhere with a web browser and an internet connection, the ideal game for anyone on the go and prefers a slower pace MMORPG.

In Legend of Heroes, player recruits and leads general, called “hero”, which in turn leads an army of warriors and creatures to explore, attack, defeat and conquer enemy castles and armies. The army is made of warrior, mercenaries and mythical creatures which are captured and tamed. Player must take on evil forces to resist their invasion. Sometime a single player’s force is not sufficient to repel the evil forces, the need to form teams and guilds with other players become a key feature in this game. With the concerted effort of other players, only then can the evil forces be defeated.

The various game plays like resource construction and management, training of heroes, exploration of uncharted territories, mission instances, the BOSS warfare, equipment upgrades, etc provides a permutation of development path for all types of players.

So be the LEGEND in the mythical world of Legend of Heroes!

Foreign Legion Interview for OnRPG

Foreign Legion Interview for OnRPG
Buckets of Blood Interview – Buckets of blood and buckets of fun
Questions by Bryan King, OnRPG Moderator and Journalist
Answered by _Pepijn Rijnders, Creative Director Sakari Games

 

I recently had the chance to sit down with Pepijn Rijnders, a developer over at Sakari Indie, the lead artist for Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood. FL:BoB is an over the top action third-person shooter that encourages users to gain levels and ranks, unlock and purchase new guns, accessories, and even new armor.

 

OnRPG: Hello Pepijn, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us and our readers. Could you please formally introduce yourself to readers?
Hello everyone my name is Pepijn Rijnders, I am a male human and was born in Eindhoven in 1978. I started creating games back in 1999 when the CD-ROM was hip and people where afraid their computer would explode when the date counter would reach 2000. After working as a 3d artist at various game studios I co-founded Sakari Games. In august 2009 we released our first title Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood.

 

OnRPG: In FL:BoB, is there any formal story that is involved? Is there something that players should be aware of or playing? Or is it a game where people can easily just buy the game and become immersed immediately?
The game is all about spilling as much blood as possible. The more gore you generate the more points you get. We created the game as something you want to play during your lunch break. A short burst of fun with no loading times or getting in the story again. It is also pretty easy to play. The controls are the basic WASD to move and mouse too look and shoot. Still there is some depth in the gameplay. You can unlock more weapons by reaching higher ranks. Your choice in weapons has a really big impact on your play style. Plus you can only carry 3 types of weapons so some levels you need to pick your weapons strategically.

 

OnRPG: What features are available in FL:BoB that separate it from other games?
I think the cartoon style works; it helps the game being light and fun. And it has some sort of guts. Shooting suicide bombers in their explosives for premature detonation has a political ring to it. I think you could see it as a silent statement. It’s a bit of a parody to the real world.

 

OnRPG: How long did it take to develop Foreign Legion?
The first version we put on steam took us 4 months with 3 people. We outsourced the music and the sound to Noel Wessels, who did a really good job. The game holds a lot more content now since we made an update for our loyal fans. The added content, like character customization, the leveling system, 5 more levels, more weapons and bonus stuff took us an additional 4 months.

 

OnRPG: What inspiration was used to create this game?
When the US barged into IRAQ for no real reason we made a little game out of protest called Iraq Invaders. It’s a bit like space invaders but tanks roll in and you shoot them to shreds with a bazooka. Now from that I liked to make a similar game in 3d. At the time we were creating the game, we were looking out for battlefield heroes. It seemed cool to play a game just by clicking on a ‘play now’ button in a browser and start shooting. The cartoon style they created really looked impressive. In the end when it came out you had to download 1 gig after pressing the ‘play now’ button and it started an exe from there. That bumped it out a bit. Plus World War II games are not my thing. But again damn DICE created something looking just super cool. I think the cartoon factor is something I myself just miss in a lot of games.

 

OnRPG: Can you please explain to readers the reasoning behind the name of Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood?
We did not want to pick sides globally. The foreign Legion army is a mixture of all sorts of people from all sorts of nations. That, and of course they are a very hardcore no questions asked soldiers, made it more universal. The Buckets of Blood subtitle just has a nice ring to it. You can read from it that it’s not taking itself to serious and it keeps various spin-offs possible.

 

OnRPG: What audiences do you guys think will appreciate this game the most?
People that are not super hardcore gamers and do not have a fortune to spend on their computer and on games. The specs are so low that it’s even possible to play it on a decent netbook and still look good. I think people with a sense of humor also tend to like the game.

 

OnRPG: FL uses a leveling system that allows players to gain experience and money through doing the missions within the game, what methods are used to prevent players from hitting level 20, stockpiling a lot of weapons, and becoming bored? Are there different difficulties to keep the fun going?
The longer you play the more you unlock. On steam there are also a bunch of achievements that can extend the fun for achievement lovers. The game has an extreme mode you unlock after finishing the game. Only Merlijn Van Holder, who did most of the gameplay, and a handful off hardcore fans can last it a round in that mode. Still the game will full fill your need for blood at some point. But hey 5 bucks for at least 4 hours of proper fun, I think that is a good deal.

 

OnRPG: Do you guys plan to let users use an SDK to create custom content?
A level editor takes a lot of time to build and might not always interest the majority of our audience. On the bright side, we made the game with unity3d and that’s free now. So I’d rather encourage people to download unity and blender, the programs we used to create the game, form a team and start making your own games. Making games is a fun thing to do.

 

OnRPG: You guys have had many patches that have been custom tailored to fit the wants and needs from the community, and went so far as to hire another programmer to further enhance the game. How has your community pushed you guys to take that “extra mile” to make FL:BoB the best game it can be?
Well enthusiasm keeps you going I guess. You create games for people to play them. And if they like them you feel like you did your job well. We are completely independent and feel that the community is the best feedback for what people would like.

 

OnRPG: As the Art Lead for this project, can you explain to users the unique art style that was taken while developing FL?
I can’t really tell where it came from. I think I’m lazy so I exaggerate the stuff I think People like and make that cover up the bits I don’t want to work on. It also might be a heritage from ps2 development. Make your polygons count and keep your shapes visible on a SD TV. Shape is more important than detail to me. A strong shape draws your eyes in the right direction. The bottom line is that I just rebuild the world that is in my head. Good thing that that world is low-poly so performance will never be an issue.

 

OnRPG: As said on Sakari Indie’s blog, a multiplayer mode will be released soon. Please share some details about what players can expect to see in multiplayer competitive mode and cooperation mode.
Soon is a word I’d rather not use. Let’s say when it’s done. I want to release a multiplayer as bad as or even more than our fans. Gee last year I never even thought we would have fans. But sadly time and people do not always match, so just bear with us. We are working on something to keep you happy in the meanwhile…  And what to expect for the multiplayer… well we had so many great ideas from the community, shotgun soccer, chicken hunt, Suicide bomber run… Personally I love the co-op aspect and would like to bring that to the front. Maybe that is because I always get killed all the time in death matches.

 

OnRPG: Will this multiplayer portion be added as an update, DLC, or as an entirely new game?
This would be a new game. The simple reason for this is that to be independent, meaning you do not have somebody else paying your bills for you, you need money to keep going. Now I believe the game now is really good money for value. Adding a multiplayer mode for free will not generate a lot of income. Not enough to live off anyway. So the multiplayer will be sold separately but we will try to use the stuff you achieved in Buckets of Blood in the Multiplayer. Like carrier level we’ve shown on our blog we’d like to go for new and better looking environments too. We might add some Buckets of blood maps as a bonus. We want the game will have a set of new maps specially designed for multiplayer.

 

OnRPG: Also released recently on your blog, there will be a Kart vehicle released in future content. How will this play a role in single-player, and can we expect to see it used by players in multiplayer?
Yeah well that came along by introducing Unity3d to a college from an outsource job. We will put the game online during development so people can respond to the gameplay early on. This will also lay the base for some multi-player tests. The karting game might end up as a full FL spinoff game on steam at a super reasonable price. So to answer the question this will not be added as an update to the single player. The game is meant to be the as fun to play as Mario-kart but a lot more aggressive.

 

OnRPG: Where do you see FL:BoB a year from now?
On all the computers off the readers of this interview next to the other games that will hopefully spin off of this

 

OnRPG: Thank you again for your time, we really appreciate it.

MMORPGs on iPhone – A World in Your Pocket

MMORPGs on iPhone – A World in Your Pocket
By Neil Kewn (Murxidon) – OnRPG journalist

 

MMORPG – Those six letters personify PC gaming. Logging into your level 67 battle mage and spending countless hours mashing mouse buttons and hitting hotkeys. It’s the way these games were meant to be played, right?  Since its release in 2007, the iPhone has been nothing short of a phenomenal success, and with the App Store revolutionising gaming on the move, is the way we approach online multiplayer gaming about to change?

 

Imagine having a full-featured persistent world sitting in your pocket, ready to pick up and play whenever you’re in range of a WiFi or 3G signal. No longer will players be tied to their keyboard and mouse in order to level and adventure with their characters. Developers are looking to capitalise on the lucrative MMORPG market by offering something new, an entirely different roleplaying experience for handhelds. The MMO on the go is a reality.

 

Pocket Legends – Looking for something familiar?

Price: Free        Download from iTunes App Store

 

iPhone Pocket Legends MMO
The first fully 3D MMORPG for the iPhone

 

Pocket Legends is a fully 3D MMORPG from Spacetime Studios, available for your iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. There are three races to choose from, each with their own class, The Firbolg-like Ursan warrior, the Elven enchantress and the Avian Archer. Instead of a world that all players go about their daily business in, players can host their own “games”. These are instanced dungeons that provide a slew of monsters to fight. There are usually five to ten players in each game, but you don’t necessarily have to team up to earn levels.

 

The user interface is intuitive and the learning curve is extremely short. Multitouch gestures have been incorporated to cut down on the number of buttons on screen, and the app will be very familiar to anyone who has used an iPhone for more than ten minutes. Pinching the screen zooms in, whilst two finger swipes rotates the viewing area.

 

For a platform like iPhone, this full featured MMO is extremely impressive. With PvP Arenas now a reality with the latest update, Pocket Legends is definitely worth checking out.

 

iMobster – Simple, but addictive

Price: Free          Download from iTunes App Store

 

iPhone Mobster MMO
Don’t try this at home

 

iMobster is one of the many text and image based MMORPGs on the App Store. You start as a lowly mobster, performing missions to level up your character and gain notoriety in the criminal underworld. Tasks range from shoplifting, to stealing cars, to organising heists, all with the intention of obtaining better items, vehicles and weapons.

 

From level four, you can attack other players to gain money and experience. The equipment you have determines how effective you are, so attacking a player with an AK-47 and a mob size of four with a lowly revolver isn’t advised. You won’t find flashy 3D graphics here, but the images and animations used are stylish and do a whole lot to enhance the game.

 

The app incorporates an item store that sells “Favor Points”. This in game currency can be used to purchase stolen goods, in game money and new members to your mob. But don’t worry, all of these upgrades are optional and can be achieved just by playing. Developers Storm8 offer a range of text-based MMOs for the iPhone platform, so if gangsters aren’t of much interest to you, try out World War or Vampires Live.

 

Merchant – A new concept, a new experience

Price: Free (paid version available)         Download from iTunes App Store (Netherlands only)

 

iphone Merchant MMO
Location based MMOs – A hugely interesting concept

 

It’s time to brush up your business skills. Merchant is a unique MMORPG, in that it’s based around your real-world location. Taking advantage of the iPhone’s GPS abilities, your phone becomes your caravan. Your handheld home can be taken anywhere in the world, developing your settlement along the way. Players interact with you through trade and thievery, with the objective being buying low and selling high. Commodities available include ore, food, wood and stone.

 

Unfortunately the game is only available in Netherlands, so players are required to have an iTunes account and associated payment from that country to download.

 

Anrufen Online – A classic RPG for on the move

Price: Free (but limited) – $12.99 Premium          Download from iTunes App Store

 

iPhone Anrufen Online MMO
Nostalgia in your hand!

 

Anrufen Online is an isometric MMORPG very reminiscent of Diablo and Ashen Empires. A touch joystick is used to control your character, with action bars displayed along the bottom of the screen. This type of MMO is made for the iPhone. After a while, I actually forgot I was playing the game on a portable device. The fundamentals of classic dungeon running are all here, and it is a perfect time waster for fans of the genre.

 

Unfortunately, Anrufen has been heavily criticised on the customer satisfaction front. Gold selling and scamming is rife, with developers WiStone Wireless Entertainment doing little to actively combat the problem.  It’s disappointing, as the game itself is an extremely solid multiplayer role playing experience. 

 

A viable alternative to desktop-based MMORPGs

The biggest issue with mobile MMOs is exactly that. They’re mobile. The playing area is much smaller, the hardware less powerful and the player is naturally less inclined to commit eight or so hours a day to their characters. But, that is not what these app developers are going for. The games are designed to be played casually, giving people on the go the ability to drop in and play for a few minutes at a time. They succeed in providing a slice of the unique massively multiplayer experience whenever you’re in range of a WiFi or 3G network.

Until there is increased awareness of these pinnacles of portable pleasure, player numbers are going to be low (even more so, when most only play for a couple of minutes at a time). To combat this, users have much more interaction with players that are offline. In iMobster, you can attempt to assassinate players who aren’t even logged in. But in a game like Pocket Legends, you never really get the feeling that the world you’re playing in is brimming with budding MMO adventurers. What has been proven though, is that these games are a realistic (and at times, fantastic) display of the iPhone’s potential in terms of mobile gaming possibilities.

 

iPhone Apple Ipad MMO
Can the Apple iPad become a successful gaming handheld?

 

Can they possibly compete with the more established MMORPGs? Probably not, but I don’t believe that’s what these games are aiming for. The iPhone user base is almost seven million, the iPad is selling like hotcakes and the App Store has over three billion downloads. The audience is there, but only time will tell if developers, and the hardware, can make a successful, lucrative and popular mobile MMORPG.