Monthly Archives: November 2010

French Armor to Invade World of Tanks

French Armor to Invade World of Tanks


Wargaming.net is glad to announce the release of a new development tank tree for its highly-anticipated massively multiplayer online game World of Tanks.

 

World of Tanks French

 

The development tree illustrates level-up paths for each of the five classes of French vehicles available in the game including some prototype models and provides an overview of premium and captured tanks.

 

French roster features a unique mixture of slow but powerful heavily-armored pre-war vehicles and fast maneuverable but rather vulnerable wartime machines offering an ample array of gameplay styles and tactics to choose from.

 

“With French vehicles we are going to take another step further in expanding World of Tanks armored fleet, drawing new tank enthusiasts into the game and providing more extensive gameplay options for those already playing”, said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. “We believe that more than 50 new machines will add extra depth and variety to World of Tanks battles bringing even more fun to our players”.

 

Join the beta today! 

 

Pirates of the Burning Sea Is Now Free!

Pirates of the Burning Sea Is Now Free!

 

Pirates of the Burning Sea could now be called “Pirates of the Burning Free!” as it has announced that it has gone Free to Play!

 

Pirates of the Burning Sea has announced that it has gone Free to Play

 

In the new system there will be three tiers of accounts: Free, Premium and Captain’s Club. The Captain’s Club account will set you back $14.99 a month and after having it on your account for at least a month your account will forever be a Premium member. Free to play accounts are very limited, only giving players 2 character and dockyard slots.

Good and Evil must Unite in City of Heroes Issue 19!

Good and Evil must Unite in City of Heroes Issue 19!
The Heroes and Villains of Earth will harness all new powers in their fight against an invasion that only the most powerful players can thwart.

 

Paragon Studios and NCSoft today are announcing the release of City of Heroes Issue 19: Alpha Strike!

 

City of Heroes

 

This is the first game update since the premiere of City of Heroes: Going Rogue/Issue 18 in August. Issue 19 builds on what was created in Praetoria and also features the launch of the Incarnate system for high end players, previously held out of the Going Rogue launch so it could be properly tweaked.

 

From later today City of Heroes will now feature:

 

The Alpha Slot: The first part of the new Incarnate system for high level players. This is the beginning for characters at level 50 on  their journey to even greater power.

Two New Task Forces: Apex and Tin Mage Mk II have been sighted in the Rikti War Zone working with Vanguard to deal with the Praetorians.  Having begun their invasion of Primal Earth in Going Rogue, protecting Paragon City and the Rogue Isles from such overwhelming forces requires more than any hero or villain has ever given before. Consider unlocking your incarnate abilities before taking the battle to Praetoria.

Three New Praetorian Zone Events: Allowing players to take part in three new world events that ultimately determine how the story will unfold, and allow players to earn new rewards.

Inherent Fitness Pool Powers: In a major quality of life improvement, the Fitness Pool Powers will now be granted to all new and existing characters starting from Level 2.

Alternate Power Animations: Giving players the option of being able to customize the animation for some of the blast sets.

And much more: Collect new Exploration Badges, experience Merged Monorails and Ferries, Mission Architect Enhancements and two new free Auras including Snow and Fireflies.

 

Suffice to say this is the first step, both with the Incarnate system and building on the new lore brought in through City Of Heroes: Going Rogue. Are you prepared to take it?

City of Heroes Meta’s Verse: Issue 19 Alpha Strike

City of Heroes Meta’s Verse: Issue 19 Alpha Strike


Hello and welcome to OnRPG’s new weekly column Meta’s Verse all about City of Heroes. I will be covering topics ranging from the latest game related news to player run events. Anything and everything related to the City of franchise that catches my eye will be talked about. Christmas may be on its way but only one thing is on the mind of the player base, Issue 19: Alpha Strike.

 

City of Heroes

 

With the next game update, Issue 19 due pretty much any day now, its on everyone’s mind. Maybe you’re excited about the Fitness pool becoming inherent, or maybe it’s the alpha slot you’re most eager to see. Personally I can’t wait for those smaller, quality of life things. The little things no ones going to notice for a week or two while they’re busy squeeing over the new task forces and completely redoing their build to accommodate the three powers you’ll be free to take once you respec into inherent fitness.

Difficulty Change in Praetoria

Don’t panic! They aren’t making Praetoria harder or easier. It will be completely left up to you. Just like the Hero Corp officers in Paragon and the Fateweavers in the Rogue Isles there will be a contact in Praetoria you will be able to talk to change the difficulty of missions in Praetoria. This is a feature many players were screaming for almost the moment Praetoria was released. To this day playing in Praetoria has meant finding a fragile balance between getting on a team big enough to survive and not outleveling the content. More often than not if you wanted to see all the content you would have to turn off XP from time to time. Now smaller teams won’t struggle, unless they want to. Seeing the content will be easier, debt badges will be harder to get and the people will rejoice.

 

Extending train lines, new flight paths and extended ferry routes

Getting across the city of heroes and city of villains gets even easier. In Paragon city the train lines will be extended, connecting all stations to each other. No more crossing Steel Canyon or Skyway City to get from the lowbie zones to the higher content zones. The black helicopters in the Isles are also seeing a merge. Maybe its an effort by Lord Recluse to save money by using fewer helicopters which make more stops, maybe Recluse has realized travel in the isles is difficult at best. Who really can get in the mind of an evil genius? Either way we win. Travel by helicopter will become easier, and who knows maybe it will be more popular than the ferries? Well actually, I really doubt it will because even the ferries are getting extended. No more going to the wrong ferry in Cap Au Diable when you want to get to Port Oakes. I do this more than I care to admit. But now travel in our two cities will be easier. Add this in with the mission teleporter, the base teleporter and the consignment house teleporters and you have to start asking yourself if taking a travel power is even worth it.

 

Zone level range displayed

This really is one of those small things that I love about Issue 19. Anyone in any global channel has seen this scenario at least once. A player, new or old asks what zone they should go to for teams in a certain level range. I’ve played long enough to get Addicted, the thirty-six month veteran badge (that’s 3 years for anyone who doesn’t want to do the math) and I still have to ask from time to time. Now anytime you use the trains, helicopters, ferries or leave Ouroboros when the list of zones comes up for you to select from, you’ll get the level range right next to the zone name.. Now I won’t have to look silly asking people who have been in the game half the time I have which zone to go to for a level 35 team.

 

City of Heroes

 

More Hospitals and Nursing Staff

Every zone gets a hospital. It started with The Hollows just off Atlas Park. Now every zone is getting a hospital. Maybe this will mean the hazard and trial zones will get more love? Instead of having to travel from another zone when you die you’ll stay in the zone you died in. Might this make Dark Astoria a more popular destination? One thing is for sure it will help with Hamidon raids. With a cap of 50 players in the zone at once if you die you either wait for someone to help you up or you take the risk of going to the hospital and most likely not being able to get back in. Hopefully this will encourage even more Hamidon raids. In addition to every zone getting a hospital they’ll be getting a new nurse as well. This nurse will sell tier one inspirations to you for 50 inf and Awakens for 150 inf. This is of course the standard price they currently are sold for from contacts and in the arenas. So no discount, but you also won’t have to travel who knows how far to pick them up.

Log Out Changes

A complaint I have always had about switching characters is having to log out, type your password in again, select the server you want and finally get to your character selection page. Well, with Issue 19 you’ll have a few less steps. Finally, the option to skip a couple of steps and go straight to your character selection page! Sure, you can still log out all the way if you want to. You can still shut the game down straight from there. But now comes a third option, log out to character selection. This I think will be the biggest little detail in Issue 19. Everyone who plays will notice the change and fully embrace it. Ask anyone, they will tell you this has been needed and wanted for a long, long time.

 

So there you have it. My run down of the little things to come in Issue 19. This won’t be the last you hear about Issue 19: Alpha Strike, really it is only the beginning.

 

Meta

Meta’s Verse is written by Meticulous Meta who lives in Atlas Park with her dog Snuflé.

Lucent Heart Start Contest Offers $1,000 Plus Prizes

Lucent Heart Start Contest Offers $1,000 Plus Prizes


Gamania Digital Entertainment announced that it’s extending the deadline to enter its big Lucent Heart Star contest until December 18th, giving guys and girls additional time to make a big impression and walk away with fantastic prizes. Everyone who enters is guaranteed a free spot in the upcoming Lucent Heart Sneak Peak Beta. The lucky winner gets $1,000 in cash, modeling opportunities, press coverage, and the honor of representing Lucent Heart for its North American launch.

Lucent Heart is a Zodiac-inspired Anime MMORPG that’s bringing groundbreaking new features to North America. Players will experience the wonders of the Horoscope System, endowing upon them a daily fortune and giving them access to awesome Zodiac skills and armor. Tied to a character’s birthday, players will have different Zodiac signs enhancing their gameplay.

Lucent Heart also features a robust matchmaking service that’s going to breathe new life into online dating. Players will use the incredible Cupid System to seamlessly find a perfect match, go on thrilling dates in unique locations such as special date dungeons, and discover each other through a whole new level of interactivity. For those who are bored by traditional matchmaking services, who want more interaction than just a chat room, and enjoy a quality role playing game, Lucent Heart is just the love potion they need.

Those looking to be a part of the Lucent Heart revolution just need to head over to the Lucent Heart Star contest. Getting in is as easy as submitting a photo and answering the following questions:

1. What was the most romantic moment you’ve had in your life?
2. Do you believe that you can find love online?

There’s no wrong answer, both guys and girls are welcome. Gamania wants to see more great stories of romance and to hear peoples’ thoughts on dating online – such as contestant Thanh’s comment on finding online love:

“…I believe in it because I met my fiancé in a game. It took a long time, but eventually we realized it was right.”

Excited contestants awaiting the Sneak Peak Beta are having a blast sharing romantic experiences and showing off at the Lucent Heart Star contest page. From cool cosplay to fun Halloween costumes, fans are pulling out all the stops.

“We are ecstatic to have such playful and creative entries,” said David Wong, COO of Gamania. “We never expected to see so many awesome costumes and heartwarming stories of romance! There’s going to be a great community playing this game.”

Don’t miss out on one of the most unique MMORPGs to hit North America. Join the Lucent Heart Star contest for great prizes and the chance to play the game during its exclusive Sneak Peak Beta coming this winter. By combining a full matchmaking service, an awesome horoscope system, and exciting Zodiac skills, Lucent Heart brings the traditional RPG gameplay that players love while offering special features they won’t find anywhere else.

Lucent Heart

Lucent Heart is a social, free-to-play fantasy MMORPG; it combines many traditional RPG elements with a unique soul mate system. Players take on the role of a human blessed by the Gods to save the world, which has become tainted with evil by a corrupt Goddess. Complete quests, fight off monsters, raid dungeons, dance, and even find yourself falling in love with a unique in-game dating system!

Xhodon Review: You Get Yourself a Palace for Free

Xhodon Review: You Get Yourself a Palace for Free
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Xhodon Palace

 

Xhodon is a browser-based MMOG that puts you in the shoes of a magician who has been provided a palace to rule, which is believed to come from a forgotten kingdom. The game is the usual browser strategy resource building game set in a mythical world.

 

First Impressions

Xhodon Preview Story


Upon starting my Xhodon experience. The game starts off in the usual MMOG manner, providing you the tutorial, which teaches you the game basics. You are introduced to a world that has shifted in your favor after a dragon provides you with its egg, which transforms into a palace that belongs to you.

 

 

Xhodon Preview Tutorial

 

After getting your bearings, you are then tasked to establish your own rule through the tree of life that the dragon egg provides you. You are given the beginning armies to serve at your beck and call and from there you are then left to your owndevices.

 

Establishing Your Rule

In Xhodon, the way you build your structures is by conjuring them into the tree of life. For a certain amount of time you are given  newbie protection where you are safe from harm from other magicians. Hopefully during the time frame you establish yourself enough that you can protect yourself from invaders.

 

 

Xhodon Profile

 

Xhodon has all the things you need in a game like this. It has a diplomacy tab, which is Xhodon’s Guild system and provides you information on guilds that you can join. Through this tab you can create your own guild if you have enough resources. As usual you can collect resources either through invading or enhancing your resource gathering structures, which then earn you resources in every tick, which is Xhodon’s version of time. Each tick corresponds to five minutes of our time and each act is connected to it.

 

Heroes

Xhodon Preview Heroes


Being the magician that rules your realm, you don’t go out into battle so you have heroes to go out and beat the stuffing out of creatures or other magicians around your land. Your heroes can level up and you can even allocate points to their stats and enhance their racial bonuses to make them more effective in battle.

 

The one thing Xhodon doesn’t let you dofor your heroes is equip them with items.  All the equipment your heroe may gather during attacks is only useful to your magician. In fact if you look into the connection between your magician and your heroes I can say that it is quite similar to the connection between Saruman and his Orcs in Lord of the Rings (Movie and Novel). The units rely on their innate strength and numbers while the magician provides remote boosts that enhance their battle prowess.

 

 

Xhodon Preview Stats

 

The heroes you choose in Xhodon are more like “captain” units that lead your creatures. These units can be named and depending on which race you choose is either a defensive or offensive unit. I like how Xhodon keeps the hero stats simple so that you don’t have to think hard on which kind of hero you need to pick out. The game provides you with enough hero types that youhave no problem which hero to choose to fit your game strategy.

 

Battles

Xhodon Preview Battle

With Xhodon being a browser-based MMOG, it is already a given that battles are more text-based and static compared to flash-based MMOGs. Creature battles also don’t happen instantaneously and are really dull if you don’t have anything else to do.

 

 

Xhodon Preview Attack Successful

 

I can say that while Xhodon’s battles are not that innovative or genre defining, it can be an MMOG to tide you over during the boring hours at work. With the game being  text-based you can play it easily on any PC because as it’s not so resource expensive for computers. The game also doesn’t require you to pay close attention every minute, especially if your structures are in the higher tiers of the structure tree.

 

Socialization

Xhodon is not all battles and wars however, the game promotes socializing between players. There’s a pretty obvious chat box that appears whenever you log into the game and it allows you to talk real time to players and even some game staff.

 

While it is a pretty nifty game feature it’s also obstructive especially if you want to concentrate on your game for the time being. The game does allow you to change the height of the chat box or even close it so that it won’t be much of an eyesore.

 

Liking the chat box is an acquired taste really and even after seeing it there for quite some time it still makes me want to close it every time I log in. However during the boring moments of waiting for my attacks to happen or the moments where I’m waiting for the structure improvements to be finalized the chat box was my companion and made the game more engaging for a short while.

 

Conclusion

All in all, Xhodon is not an impressive browser-based MMOG. However, it does provide a good alternative to spend the boring hours at work. The game does provide  decent enough game play so you never really care about the lack of innovations. Of course I’ve set the standards high for this game because there have been a lot of MMOGs in the same genre which are pretty engaging.

 

Xhodon, is more of an MMOG which requires time before it becomes good enough to make you want to log on and play for the rest of the day. The problem with that is that most people don’t like these types of games and prefer games that engage you from the start. Players are used to browser games that you can join and leave in a heartbeat and Xhodon isn’t like that. If you are the type who is patient enough and doesn’t mind dull moments then Xhodon is the game for you.

“A Mystical Land” Has Been Discovered

“A Mystical Land” Has Been Discovered

 

Neonga and Mad Otter today presented “A Mystical Land”, a Massively Multiplayer Online Game developed by Mad Otter Games for download, browser, Facebook and mobile devices.

 

“A Mystical Land” is a free-to-play 3D fantasy MMO that combines elements of casual Facebook games with traditional MMOs. There are traditional fantasy role-playing classes like Wizards, Warriors, Archers, and Healers; players may fight and defeat monsters, accept quests to earn rewards and improve their character. More casual activities include fishing, mining, blacksmithing, and cooking. Players can also engage in choosing and decorating a house where they can garden and ranch.  “A Mystical Land” will offer a diversified and fun gaming experience. The game exploits the Facebook Connect viral features allowing players to easily find their Facebook friends in the game and to publish achievements and news via Facebook.

 

“Mad Otter has strived to keep “A Mystical Land” easy to play and understand for players, while layering the deeper gameplay so that players discover it as they become familiar with the game.” stated Damon Slye, CEO, Mad Otter.

 

Neonga ( Ne w On line Ga ming) is a newly formed games publisher headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The new company is led by the ex-Frogster and Gamigo executives Rolf Kloeppel, Benjamin Kaiser and Stefan Hinz with the intent of bringing games to the new generation of online- and mobile-gamers throughout the world.

 

“Our first game, “A Mystical Land”, is truly a big step forward for gaming especially within the social platform.” says Rolf Kloeppel, CEO, Neonga. “We are excited to be able to make this step with Mad Otter and present a full scale 3D MMORPG to a whole new audience of gamers that currently play games like Farmville.”

 

“A Mystical Land” Features”

A fantastic world full of adventures
Cooperative gaming with thousands of other players
Considerable crafting features (fishing, mining, collecting, cooking etc.)
Free of charge
Gaming on PC, Facebook, Browser in an all-encompassing world

 

Starting today the Website is accepting Beta Applications. The Closed Beta Test of the Game is scheduled early 2011.


Free registration at www.mystical-land.com