Monthly Archives: November 2010

Forgotten Elements Interview: Where’d I leave my Einsteinium?

Forgotten Elements Interview: Where’d I leave my Einsteinium?
Questions by Jonathan (Ardua) Doyle OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Marlon Drescher: Founder, Designer, Programmer, Composer, Graphic Artist

 

I recently had the chance to have a bit of a quick question and answer session with Marlon Drescher about Forgotten Elements, an old school MMORPG which he has almost single handedly created. If you remember still all those great games you played years ago, the dungeon crawls and the 2D worlds that possibly set some of you onto MMOs, this will be an interesting read for you. Have a look at what happens when nostalgia and innovation meet personal drive.

 

OnRPG: Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to talk to myself and our readers about the free to play hack’n’slay Forgotten Elements. Please introduce yourself or the company?
Hello and thank you for your interest concerning Forgotten Elements! 18 Months ago I decided to create an own innovative and dynamic Online Action RPG and so I started to work on Forgotten Elements and collected many important ideas to combine them in this game. A friend of mine told me that he would appreciate it, if he could write the whole story for Forgotten Elements. He is very talented and it is great to work with him on that project. All other work was done by myself and I am very glad that I have succeeded in achieving my aims so far.

 

FE

 

OnRPG: There’s no school like old school and I certainly enjoy seeing proper 2d adventuring games. Still for some, it’s different.  Why did you create Forgotten Elements in this way?
I have seen and tried many MMORPGs and Online RPGs, which were completed in the last years and advertised in a wide variety. Some of them have some nice features and great ideas, but mostly they appear comparatively boring and not really innovative to me. There are really many games, which are built on the same scheme and I am missing the individual character a game should offer. Further it is a personal feeling and I don’t like MMORPGs, where you just have to click on a monster and watch it being defeated. There is less challenge and many hours go by where you are just running or searching. I like fast, dynamic RPGs with lots of monsters and a clearly represented battlefield. In addition to that at many games I am still missing a special atmosphere, like e.g. Diablo created over 10 Years ago. So I think its a mixture of a personal feeling of nostalgia and visual presentation that I have chosen to make a 2D Online Action RPG.

 

OnRPG: What is the setting of the game if I may ask? After all everyone needs a reason to swing the sword or sling the spells.
You can consider Forgotten Elements as a huge playground, where you can have a lot of action. You have the chance to build up your character in a very unique and individual way, while having access to more than 100 skills. You also have the chance to combine the skills of your character with skills from other classes. Beside this there are thousands of different items and estate, you can collect and trade. Discuss different game strategies with other players or try to defeat them and improve your position at the ranking, while having fun at the PVP Arena. With the brand new crafting system, each player is able to create weapons and armors with desired attributes, arming themselves or putting it at the auction house, where they can earn a lot of gold. Forgotten Elements is a fantasy based RPG and many wondrous enemies and quests can be found in this large world. The dramatic story attracts the player, so that he feels like discovering new areas and secret dungeons. All these features create a novel game atmosphere where every player should feel comfortable. Many fancy things are planned for the future, so that the game remains fascinating for the audience. Beside this, Forgotten Elements can be played without downloading anything. The fact that it can be accessed from every computer and be played with Windows, Linux and Macintosh gives it a unique and revolutionary character.

 

OnRPG: With both a ton of quests and variable dungeons and a classic feel to it… is there much story telling in Forgotten Elements?
The storywriter wrote many pages and came up with tons of dialogues, so that I had to slow him down a little bit. Due to the fact we are talking about a peppy Action RPG, many people do not want to read a lot of words, but want to see many landscapes and settings. So we decided to make all important quests short and sweet ones, while giving the opportunity to talk with NPCs to find out about profound narrative content of this enthralling and exciting story! Hence the player can make his own decision, if he wants to find out the whole story in detail or just run through the game in a fast way. The story of Forgotten Elements is a about a legendary kingdom controlled by elemental forces and their servants. Since the day it lost his king the balance of power between the elements has been disturbed and other forces use this circumstance for their advantage. It´s a traditional story about good and evil fighting each other to determine the fate of the kingdom.

 

OnRPG: There may be only three classes, but with the wide range of skills and thousands of items, people aren’t going to be all clones of one another. What inspired the multi classing or was it in part to aid the solo player?
Since three weeks there is another class you can find in realm around Telumin: The Huntress! So we have four classes now, which differ from each other in a significant way. In my opinion the most important thing in a MMO game should be the individual composite potential of each player. Every player should deploy his character in a self-contained way, without bound to many limitations. So the aim is to have many different and surprising character builds, so that the game and especially the PVP mode doesn’t loose its attraction, but gets pigmented in new colours every day. There is even a chance to combine skills from other classes, so that there are much more possibilities to design a character than expected at the first view. At this point I meet an additional challenge in an extensive balancing of the whole skills. But by now we have many interested players, who write down their opinion concerning balancing and skills in the forum and I try to analyze and realize all comprehensible suggestions.

 

Forgotten Elements

 

OnRPG: How many people can go adventuring together in the dungeon areas at one time? Do you find many people trying to go it alone?
Unfortunately Forgotten Elements is still lacking in a cooperation mode. That means that people can see each other in town and at the PVP mode, but while fighting against monster they are on their own. I am currently working on a complete MMO and social system, so that there are no limits in fighting with other players and creating groups.

 

OnRPG: Where there’s a community, there are tempers. Fortunately people can work them out in your Arena PvP. Was it hard getting a good PvP balance given how many different skills people can bring to the arena?
See above. (Maybe you make one question out of it)

 

OnRPG: The game is entirely free to play and browser based. Will there be an item shop when you finish open beta?
Forgotten Elements sets a high value on fairness and balance. So there is neither an item shop nor there are premium features, which could disturb this constitution or even destroy it. On the other hand the development and maintenance of such a complex game requires a lot of time and resources and cant be continued this way without adequate financial benefit. Hence each player has the opportunity to donate a little amount of money, to assure the perpetual development and the further grow of the game. For the future I have planned to reward donations and hand out “Skill-Reset Runes” to the players. With the help of this rune a player is able to reset a skill or remove a learned skill item, so that players without much experience have the chance to unlearn a skill they don’t want to use anymore, as well as adventurous people, who want to try different types of character builds and don’t want to start a new character. I think it is a fair and equal model, where nobody is forced to pay and nobody can improve the power of his character with financial effort.

 

Forgotten Elements

 

OnRPG: Forgotten Elements and elements to come. How is the open beta progressing and when do you think the game will officially launch?
The open beta evolves in a very great way and I am really happy with the community and how they embrace the game! Many players try to help me to get the game bigger and better and some of them have really good ideas. I know that there could be more players in the world around Telumin, but due to the fact that this is overall a one man project and it is still in development it is enough to get sufficient experience and continue with the work that way. At the moment I am working on a complete new zone with new monsters and a lot of new quests and challenges. After integration of this part and removal of some greater bugs, the game will be released and advertised. I think it will be at the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. We will see. 🙂

 

OnRPG: Have sword, will travel. Is there anything you’d like to tell the readers before we head off into the world of Forgotten Elements?
Are you a fan of Hack and Slay games and love to collect as many items with unique attributes as possible? You like to smash monsters, gaining experience and use a combination of skills and attributes, which makes your character singular and nearly indestructible? Then you are in good hands when playing Forgotten Elements, which is 100% for free! Just visit www.forgottenelements.com, create your character and prepare yourself to fight giant bosses, solve exciting quests or challenge other players. Believe me, its worth a try:) 

Drift City Now Live at GamesCampus

Drift City Now Live at GamesCampus

 

Online game publisher, GamesCampus.com, announced today that it has taken over service of and officially launched the popular racing MMORPG, Drift City, on its GamesCampus servers.  The servers that Drift City was previously hosted on have now closed so the only place the new version of the popular racing MMORPG can be downloaded and played is at GamesCampus.

 

Drift City

 

Drift City is the unique driving game that is part role-playing game and part racing game.  It offers both mission modes and multi-player racing modes incorporated with cell-shaded style graphics for a unique racing experience.  Players can choose their vehicles, modify and customize the design, and upgrade the performance of their vehicles.  Now that the game is available on GamesCampus.com, transferred players will be able to play on GamesCampus servers with all the newest updates.  The latest updates to the game include: new maps, quests, new battle modes and brand new systems! Additionally, all vehicles obtained or purchased on the previous server have been transferred.  Although in-game currency is non-transferrable, GamesCampus will award transferred players with these compensation items:

 

*Mito drink (30 days)
*EXP drink (30 days)
*Item drink (30 days)
*3x 50% off aero set coupon
*3x 50% off car upgrade coupon
*1x Enhancement formula
*Tire gift box (7 days)
*Wing gift box (7 days)
*Booster gift box (7 days)

 

Additional compensation items for players at certain levels include:
– Level 1-10 will receive  10,000 Mitos
– Level 11-25 will receive 200,000 Mitos
– Level 26-50 will receive 500,000 Mitos & 1,000 Campus Credits ($10)
– Level 51-90 will receive 1,000,000 Mitos & 2,000 Campus Credits ($20)
– Level 91 and above will receive 2,500,000 Mitos & 5,000 Campus Credits ($50)

 

Drift City

 

“Since announcing the arrival of Drift City To GamesCampus, we have gotten a great deal of positive feedback from our community,” said Uyen Uyen Ton Nu, head of marketing for GamesCampus.  “Drift City is an illustriously immersive MMO for racers and car enthusiasts alike. With the launch of service at our portal, Drift City welcomes a major content update including a new city course, new cars new quests, special events and much more to enhance the experience even more. Drift City welcomes new users, as well as former Drift City players looking to see what the new version has to offer!”

 

The transfer of Drift City to GamesCampus includes multiple updates to the game including a new 5th City map, Mitro City, new quests, a new dealership system, game optimization and AI modification and much more.  Players will also soon experience a first drift shop upgrade, main screen modification, a GT Championship system, and a 2010 Special Event for the new service known as the Golden Harvest. 

 

Genesis AD

Genesis AD is an epic, Sci-Fi FPS that puts you in the realm of elite super-soldiers. Wield unique and dynamic abilities such as blasting through enemy lines with your impact booster backpack, jumping off walls, and deceiving your enemies with your cloaking ability. All these features will boost game play far beyond today’s modern combat shooters. What will your effect on the new world be?

Dragon Age 2

 

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

 

Key Features:

Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.

Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.

Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.

Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.

Nostale Review: Being Cute is The Next Best Thing

Nostale Review: Being Cute is The Next Best Thing
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

 

Nostale is a cute 3D MMORPG that is jam-packed with features aside from questing and grinding. The game puts you in the shoes of an adventurer trying his/her luck in the world of Eastmile.

 

The World

Nostale is a world that’s fun, cute and full of things to discover. The game’s vibrant background will make anyone want to play unless they prefer more serious themed games. The world of Nostale reminds me of kids games which I think is a deliberate act from its developers. The game gives off an innocent and carefree atmosphere that is normal in this genre of MMOs.

 

Combat

 

The game has a wonderfully created gaming atmosphere. The bubbly atmosphere’s a dime a dozen in a lot of MMORPGs out now. If you look at the game’s graphics alone there’s nothing that separates the game from others like it. The good thing about the game is that that’s not the only thing it has.

 

Game Features

As I’ve mentioned a lot of times, Nostale has a lot of features that sets this mmorpg apart from other games that have the same theme and gameplay. The game has a lot of features that you can spend time on aside from the usual questing and grinding.

 

Graphics

 

Pet System

The first obvious and most recognizable feature in Nostale is the pet system. The pet system of Nostale is very user friendly and very much integrated into the game system. You can actually capture the monsters you get to face in the game. What I like about the Nostale pet system is that you get to capture the pets from the get go.

 

You get to actually experience the pet system from the start. The integration of the pet system in the newbie’s quest is a good way to emphasize the importance of pets in your Nostale gaming. The fact that you can capture, keep and nurture the pets you have is another good point of the game’s pet system.

 

Lands

Nostale also allows you to acquire your own land and home. You get to actually buy materials for your land. The virtual land you get is like a place for you to lounge and have those fun breaks with your party and friends if you get tired from grinding.

 

The lands also allow players to play mini-games which will reward with items corresponding to their level. Think of the lands as your little home away from home. Acquiring lands also mean you can harvest materials that can boost your character.

 

Time Stones

Time Stones are big crystals that you will find all over Eastmile. Time Stones transport you to an instanced dungeon where the only way to get out is finish it through or die in the process. Time Stones can be done solo or by a party.

 

Time Stones are the alternative to the game’s questing and grinding. Aside from earning experience points, Time Stones also record the time it took for you to finish the instance. The times you have in Time Stones will be recorded and will be compared to other players who have gone through with the same stone. The record serves as your bragging rights and players all over who will go through the Stone will get to see your time.

 

Quest

 

Time Stones also reward you with special bonuses depending on how fast you finished the instance. These stones are the other “competitive” feature in Nostale that can really rile you up if you’re very much a competitive player.

 

Nosmate

Aside from the pet system, Nostale also allows you to have another companion in the form of Nosmates. Nosmates are NPCs which you can equip weapons and armors with that serve as your support in your Nostale Adventure. They are similar to your pets in terms of use but majority of the Nosmates you can acquire aren’t animals.

 

Nosmate

 

Raid

You can also raid instanced dungeons in Nostale. The maximum of 15 players can join in raids and you need to have a special seal before you can enter the raid dungeons. Finishing raids requires you to clear all the dungeon’s objectives and eventually finish of the dungeon boss. Raids reward you with chests that provide you with a random reward.

 

Raids in Nostale can be associated to with the raids you have in big named games such as World of Warcraft. The difference in Nostale is that the difficulties of raids are not really on the level as those of other games that it won’t take most of your time.

 

Characters

There is a limited set of customizable features enabled at the start of your Nostale experience. Majority of the customization in Nostale is based on the premium costumes and items that you acquire in the Nostale premium store. Also, the job classes you can have in Nostale are limited to three. Once you branch off from the adventurer class you have the choice of becoming a warrior, archer or sorcerer. From there you can branch off to “specialist” classes. The specialist classes are the more powerful evolutions of your basic three classes. Your character also evolves into a cooler version of itself as you continue to level up.

 

Char Info

 

Nostale is also skill centered. You don’t need to allocate stat points to make your character stronger. Your character’s strength is based on the skills your character has. Furthermore, PvP in Nostale is determined not by your character stat build but more on the character skills, equipments, weapons, pets and Nosmates.

 

Conclusion

All in all I like Nostale as a cute MMORPG. It is chock full with game systems that will definitely get you hooked. Among the myriad of games out there I think that Nostale’s combination of cutesy graphics and kick-ass game features and sprites makes this game better than those already out there.

 

Of course the game is still dependent on your tolerance on cute graphics. If you are looking for something bubbly, vibrant and has a kid-like atmosphere in your MMORPGs, then Nostale is the game for you. However, if you are more of the serious gamer and would prefer to go for games that have a more mature nature then you had better go elsewhere.

 

Pros:
– The game’s pretty lively
– The game’s graphics is cute and zany
– There game is full of game features to increase interest.

 

Cons:
– The game’s graphics may be too cute for hardcore players1
– The beginning job class may be too few for those who are used to more choices2
– The game’s atmosphere is childlike.

CardMon Hero

Assemble a powerful deck of summoning cards to do battle with in CardMon Hero. Summoning cards may be found in the field or crafted with materials, each with a unique set of abilities to maximize your strengths.

 

Game features include:

– Persistent and open 3D world: Adventure through a massive and beautiful world filled with quests, creatures and enemies just waiting to be discovered.
– Quests without the grind: Complete quests by adventuring through numerous zones and maps that don’t require players to grind. Level up through quests that Heroes can overcome on their own or challenging quests that will offer greater rewards with the cooperation of your friends.
– Extensive Hunting Mode: Join a party or band the guild to face strong monsters that yield unique rewards and rare items, scaling up in difficulty as you gain Mission Points.
– Unique battle strategy: Experience familiar game mechanics popular to MMOs while strategically creating, recruiting and customizing mercenaries to summon and aid you in battle.
– Endless Mercenaries: Discover new summoning cards, craft new mercenaries out of materials, upgrade mercenaries by combining cards with unique skill sets, and even recruit monsters that you encounter in Aria.
– Full customization: Create a Hero unique to your personality with selection of gender, faces, clothes, armor, weapons and shoes. Mix and match summoning cards to build out an army of mercenaries that complement your battling style and strategy.

The Synopsis of Anmynor

The Synopsis of Anmynor

 

Spaniard Blend has revealed today the synopsis of its first title, ANMYNOR, and the first screenshots of one of the 5 environments of the game, the “arena” of fire.

 

ANMYNOR is set in a magic world, ravaged by the war. In a time so far that nobody can remember, man discovered magic, until that moment savage and unknown, and this discovery became in source of wealth and prosperity for mankind; the alchemist masters, wise and hermit beings devoted to the art of magic, created the runes, powerful stones that contained magic.

 

Soon the greed of man interfered in the course of the History and centuries of wars amongst villages, cities and even civilizations devastated the earth and decimated mankind brutally. Man, full of yearning of revenge, found in magic the way in order to continue the fights and created the golems, magic beings built with runes, with incalculable and splendid powers and controlled by the mind of his masters.

 

From that moment, the battles of man were fought by the golems who fight to live or death in the “arenas”, parallel worlds created for the war.

 

To be the best master, the most powerful of the warriors, and the most respectful magician is the motivation for the men of ANMYNOR world, that are still fighting nowadays.

Mission Against Terror Announces Clan System

Mission Against Terror Announces Clan System


Mission Against Terror’s clan system has been unleashed. The results, as we’re sure you’ll agree, were worth the wait; get ready to lock and load, soldiers! The clan system is nothing short of comprehensive as players will find both a simple and engaging framework behind it.

 

How It Works:
Clan leaders will be required to be a seasoned veteran at Rank 20 to be able to create a clan, with members only requiring minimal battlefield experience at Rank 5 to join a clan. Up to 1200 soldiers in total can be enlisted at any given time. Players can send applications to clans completely within the system without the need to visit clan-specific forums or anything third party, and clan leaders can approve or deny applications with ease.

 

Mission Against Terror's clan system has been unleashed

 

The heart and soul of the clan system is the Clan Battle server, where clans can participate in 5v5 or 8v8 scrims. The process is simple: Players create a game much like a regular game room but only members of the same clan can join that room. Once the team of 5 or the team of 8 is all ready to go, the system will match the team with another team of the same size and the match will begin.

 

Results are tracked by the system and clans are ranked based on their performance, encouraging competitive play. There’s no need to set designated times or coordinate with other clans to get a clan match going, matchmaking is done in real-time and on-the-fly, allowing for less wasted time setting things up and more time taking each other down.

 

The Clan Battle server will be open every day from 4:00PM EDT(GMT -5) to 12:00 Midnight. Exciting times are near! Gear up, turn the safety off and fight your way to the top!