Monthly Archives: November 2010

Gaming Weapons You Wish You Had In MMOs

Gaming Weapons You Wish You Had In MMOs
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

How many years have you played video games? Yes, include the years that you spent on your console and your handheld. Done with your nostalgia now? Then relive your moments of victory after killing the most badass boss you’ve had the misfortune to meet since. Admit it, aside from Mario’s epic toilet plunger, the weapons we have for mass destruction or world peace in games today are just pretty generic.

 

In regular MMORPGs, there’s the generic sword for the tank types; the staff and scepter for the spellcasters; and bows and daggers for the rogues. There are also variations of javelins, maces, claws and (finally!) guns and rifles, which are usually the weapons of choice in FPS games. It seems like armaments are being underestimated in game development.

 

Since we’re on the topic, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to make a pretty suggestive article on some weapons that you would most probably love to wield against your worst nightmare in an MMO. Here’s a short list of some inspiring, crazy or unforgettable weapons that should be in your favored MMO inventories.

 

Lancer Assault Rifle AKA The Chainsaw Machinegun (Gears of War)

Preferably for: Melee Characters

 

The Lancer Assault Rifle is Gears of War’s trademark and default weapon. It can fire like crazy from a distance and is ten times deadlier up close. Think about it! If you had this equipped during one of your leveling sessions, then those murlocs would be sure to keep their distance. What about a Chainsaw gun wielding Paladin? That could work! Once he casts that protection spell, your best bet is to run away, unless you want to paint Tarren Mill with your character’s blood. Rogues, Thieves and Burglars would also find this awesome tool useful as they can probably 1-hit-kill anyone after going invisible; then again, who needs invisibility when you can just scare the buhjeezus out of your opponent by running towards him with a growling cutter gun? XD

 

Gears of War Lancer
Testing: Lancer in Action

 

The Plants (Plants Vs Zombies)

Preferably for: Nature classes like Druids

If these green demons can keep the undead out of your hair then they are probably even more effective on living things. Plants vs Zombies served as our training camp for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, but before we fight off those bald brain-eaters, we should probably enjoy these weapons inside MMOs. Totems? WHO NEEDS EM? Sentry guns? Too friggin’ expensive. If you’re going to manipulate the powers of nature, at least do so with style and splendor. Summon the epic pea shooter and make those PVP retards eat a whole shard of manure. Think about it! If you can summon at least three sunflowers next to your killer tomatoes then you’ll have all the mana you need. Potions? Bah, those merchants can just go bankrupt for all I care.

 

 

Plants vs Zombies Weapon

 

Red Queen (Devil May Cry 4)

Preferably for: Anyone who’s not a spellcaster 😛

Do you want a sword that not only looks cool but also possesses an awesome name that would keep you up all night while rubbing it with metal polish? Introducing the Red Queen! This sexy blade is handled just like any other blade but with a twist. While others just let you hack and slash like a Dynasty Warriors game, the Red Queen lets you do it with style and attitude. It possesses so much attitude you’ll probably be chosen as the next Power Ranger. The secret to the blade’s awesome performance lies in its motorcycle like switch that revs every time you twist the handle. So what else can it do?

 

Devil May Cry Red Queen

You tell me:  Red Queen in Action [Around 3:56 onward]

 

The Blades of Chaos (God of War)

Preferably for: Anyone! (It can kill Gods so might as well use it!)

When was the last time we even saw a long ranged whip-type weapon? Well, there are Dekaron’s whips, but does it really satisfy your hunger for blood and gore? My friend, what you need is a healthy dose of the Blades of Chaos! Crafted to god-like perfection and once held by the actual God of War himself, this weapon is definitely not your average bastard sword. Linking both swords together is an awesome ancient Greek chain that won’t shatter regardless of how hard you swing it. Not impressed? The blades are also engulfed in flames every time the bearer uses them. The catch? The chains are to be seared on the wearer’s arms (Yeouch!) if ever they wish to wield its power. Want to kill a God? Endure the pain, and bring in the bloodbath.

God of War Blades of Chaos

See what I mean?: Blades of Chaos in Action

 

The LandShark Gun (Armed and Dangerous)

Preferably for: EVERYONE

 

Last but not the least, we have Armed and Dangerous’ Land Shark Gun. First of all, I’d like to say that this weapon PWNS everything listed above. Honestly, I’ve yet to see anything that can beat the awesome might and magic of this life-taking masterpiece. It looks like a rocket launcher, but what does it launch? REAL LIVE LAND SHARKS! No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. If sharks on water are as scary as hell, then I have no idea how much you’ll crap in your pants after being targeted and chased by land-swimming sharks straight from a cannon. I’m really sorry for not being able to post a picture. I really think it’s best that you see what it can do with your own eyes.

 

Presenting… the BEST weapon you could probably have in an MMO…

 


 

Need I say more?

TERA: “They aren’t going to stab themselves”

TERA: “They aren’t going to stab themselves”

 

The highly anticipated title, TERA, is due to set trails ablaze in the MMORPG world in 2011. The TERA race and class series rolls on with an unveiling of the amani race and the lancer class. TERA’s unique achievement system also features some new twists on the familiar classic system.

 

TERA's unique achievement system also features some new twists on the familiar classic system

 

Featured race: Amani
There’s no mistaking the amani race for another. The amani are of a considerable size and are distinguished by their reptilian features. Having endured years of enslavement at the hands of the conquering giants, the amani value their freedom above all else. Known for their honesty and candid nature, these giant reptiles don’t mince words. Earning the trust of the amani is no easy task, but well worth the effort as they make for a furious foe. The no-nonsense style of the amani is best exemplified by their common exclamation: “They aren’t going to stab themselves!”

 

Featured class: Lancer
The lancer is a battlefield dynamic that must be reckoned with. Featuring key attacks like the Lance Charge and the Onslaught, the lancer can cut even the biggest groups down to size. Along with enhanced combo attacks, the levelled-up lancer boosts the defence of his party members, while weakening that of his enemies. The lancer’s battlefield bona fides come at a price: he attracts aggro from all corners.

 

Unique achievements
MMO gamers are familiar with the process of levelling up, collecting items, and working through quests in order to build their character. TERA expands on the classic model, offering rewards from tasks that vary from exploration- and quest-based achievements to bestowing acclaim on players for PvP prowess and social interactions with NPC’s.

Forthcoming Runes of Magic Update Unlocks the Mighty Guardians of Kawak’s Tomb

Forthcoming Runes of Magic Update Unlocks the Mighty Guardians of Kawak’s Tomb

 

Frogster today announced that a new region, the Limo Desert, will be accessible to players with the release of Patch 3.0.6 of the online role-playing game, Runes of Magic. Brave adventurers will be able to test their resolve against five powerful guardians in ‘Kawak’s Tomb’ – the fiercely guarded resting place of the celebrated hero, Kawak Grollfang.

 

An ancient legend tells of Kawak Grollfang, former leader of the Iron Teeth, a barbarous tribe of canine people. During the Great Banishment, Kawak lured his enemies into a deadly trap and in doing so sacrificed himself for the benefit of his people. To keep the glorious memory of their brave leader alive, the Iron Teeth encased his remains in a golden sarcophagus, which has become an important tribal symbol. As a further homage to their revered leader, they constructed a pyramid-shaped burial chamber, and by carefully channelling runic power, talented craftsmen created mighty guardians to watch over Kawak’s golden sarcophagus protecting it from robbers and other enemies of the tribe.

 

In Runes of Magic brave adventurers will be able to test their resolve against five powerful guardians in Kawak's Tomb

 

In the depths of the pyramid lies a mystical subterranean dungeon designed for group play. The first obstacle to overcome is General Guzala Grollfang, a descendent of the legendary leader. Then, on their way to the golden sarcophagus, players must confront two mechanical guardians powered by rare runes, as well as a giant scarab. But these aren’t the only dangers lurking in the depths – many of the rooms have been equipped with deadly traps which can only be avoided through teamwork and skill. In the final chamber awaits the biggest challenge of all – a giant Anubis who personally guards Kawak’s golden sarcophagus and attacks all who dare to cross his path. Who will succeed in defeating him and bringing the mysteries of the legendary treasures he protects into the light of day?

LOCO Guided Tour – Three Games in One!

LOCO Guided Tour – Three Games in One!
By Michael Sagoe (mikedot), OnRPG Journalist
Tour guide: Hendrik Loga, product manager for Alaplaya, LOCO, and S4 League

 

New to Alaplaya’s line up is a brand new action game that mixes DotA inspired RTS gameplay with RPG and third person action called LOCO. The game features 13 different heroes to choose from (with 17+ more heroes on the way), each with their own strengths and weaknesses to bring into battle. LOCO brings players fast paced gameplay and intense team based PvP, all wrapped up with Unreal 3 Engine goodness, and I got to try it firsthand!

 

For starters: I have never played a DotA style game before. In fact, I didn’t know that this sub-genre of RTS titles existed until a month or so ago, mainly because I suck at RTS titles. Looking at LOCO on the surface, I didn’t know that it was a DotA style game until I got into it. So let’s take a look at what makes LOCO such a unique experience, shall we?

Tour start: kicking things off

The tour started with me selecting my primary hero and then taking a quick romp through the tutorial mode. The heroes available run the gambit from looking generic to looking incredibly bizarre. I decided to go with Irene, a melee tank character that uses spears or maces with shields in combat. In the tutorial, the game explains just about everything you need to know about basic combat, and only took me around 10 minutes to run through (although I did skip a bit of the dialogue along the way.)

 

LOCO Wings

Irene alternate hero costume

 

After the tutorial: Hendrik went on to explain what they have in store with the game’s AP shop. Like with Alaplaya’s other titles, LOCO is free-to-play with an optional cash shop for players to purchase items with real money to enhance their experience. The thing about free-to-play games is that some people are under the impression that you’ll have to spend real money to be able to compete, but that isn’t the case with LOCO because the available cash shop content does not provide any major advantage over non-paying players. At the moment, players can buy special outfits for their heroes which gives them 50% more coins (in-game money) from battles. Players can also buy extra quest boards that give players mini missions to complete during battles to earn extra items, equipment and bonuses.

 

Game modes and rep system

It was just about time to get to the root of LOCO by participating in a live match. At the moment, there are only two game modes available (elimination and battlefield,) but there are more coming down the pipeline. While elimination mode was more of a straightforward team deathmatch kind of thing, battlefield is the real draw behind what LOCO is all about. While Hendrik started up a fresh battlefield room and waited for other players to join in, he explained the game’s simple reputation system: Next to each player’s username, there’s a small smiley face showing that the player is in good standing. If player leaves a battle without finishing, they can have their reputation level lowered and that smiley face will be turned into a devil. Players with the mark of this little devil can get booted from games without vote kicking, so you better not think about running away from a fight.

 

LOCO Lineup

Battle lobby

 

 

Getting down to business

 

Once the match started, I was given the option to play with either beginner or expert mode. Playing in beginner mode will allow the game to select your skills and items for you; while expert mode lets you do all that manually. There are no major disadvantages to playing in beginner mode against someone with expert mode set on, so playing with beginner mode lets me throw all the guess work out of the way so I could simply jump into the fray.

 

LOCO Basepoint

Warrior rush

 

 

Of course, jumping right into the fray isn’t always the best thing to do, since coordination with your team is the key to winning battles. This is where the DotA inspired gameplay mechanics come in, there is no permanent leveling progression in LOCO outside of gaining new equipment for your character, you’ll have to defeat enemies to level up your characters during each match. There are several objectives you’ll have to complete before claiming victory against the enemy team, such as destroying different types of enemy bases. Running right along with my team, we had to capture huge monoliths in order to take control of a giant flying battleship that rains fiery doom.

 

 

LOCO Visuals

 

 

Using the battleship to destroy enemy base points was only one of our objectives. Next, we summoned a bunch of giant weapons to help us take down temples, recall spots and other buildings. What were these giant weapons I speak of? Why, they were huge mammoths!

 

Our last objective was a strike on the HQ, which we took down with ease. The commander NPC that was spawned from the destroyed HQ wasn’t so easy. He was able to take down my team in a matter of seconds. Since this was the objective for my team to tackle, we had to wait a good minute and a half before we could respawn back in. Regardless, we headed back down to destroy the commander and won the match. Sure, the whole thing was a bit one-sided since the players on the enemy team were playing one man down but hey, a win’s a win!

Wrap up

The tour ended and I got a pretty good feel for what makes LOCO tick. The mix between RTS and third person action seems to blend effortlessly and future content planned sounds very promising. For those looking give LOCO a whirl, redirect your browsers over to the official website!

World of Tanks Rolls Out American Tanks

World of Tanks Rolls Out American Tanks

 

Wargaming.net is glad to announce the release of a huge update for World of Tanks that includes a brand-new line-up of American vehicles.

 

The fresh reinforcement brings into action American armor of various classes: fast and furious light tanks, manoeuvrable medium vehicles, powerful heavy and super-heavy units, and precise artillery thus offering absolutely new gameplay opportunities and extensive options for tactical manoeuvres and teamwork.

 

“We know that our fans all over the world have been waiting impatiently for the “stars and stripes” to appear – so here they are!” says Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. “The tanks that we have in the game at the moment form the backbone of the American armored fleet that will gradually grow bigger and stronger. Such legendary vehicles as Pershing, M10 Wolverine, and M18 Hellcat are already in development and will join the ranks soon!”


Wargaming.net is glad to announce the release of a huge update for World of Tanks that includes a brand-new line-up of American vehicles.

 

The current patch also adds two new battlegrounds – Monastery with its mixture of urban and countryside landscapes, and Sandy River that recreates a part of a desert – and implements a number of balance tweaks and performance fixes.

HEAT Online

HEAT online is a free-to-play MMORG (Massively Multiplayer Online Racing Game) developed by Invictus-Games Ltd. Experienc e the thrills of high-speed on and off road racing with tens of awesome cars in HEAT online. You can race against thousands of fellow players on the racetracks of Germany or the Hungarian and Mexican off-road tracks, in the English countryside, on the rooftops of Shanghai and many more. Invictus’ l atest game engine offers a realistic real-time damage model. The vehicles are user-customizable both in appearance and performance. Win points by racing, buy items in-game and tune your ride. This game does not require professional driving skills; we’d like to see you having fun!

Exclusive Aion 2.1 Patch Notes with Increased Rewards!

Exclusive Aion 2.1 Patch Notes with Increased Rewards!

 

NCsoft is delivering its biggest in-game environment change to-date with Aion 2.1, hitting PTS today, November 11, and then the live servers November 17. Aion 2.1 brings players significantly increased drop rates along with a consistent in-game event schedules (Dredgion and Fortress Siege times) ensuring more meaningful and rewarding play experiences.

 

Aion Increase the Rewards


To showcase the extent of the increase in rewards, NCsoft looked to Victor Shugo, an in-game character casted to lead a new experimental lab by the Black Cloud Traders Experimental Division. Victor, known for his brilliant yet dangerous research – charging phlogistonic aether with lightning, will use player hypotheses for his mad experiments. For his first lab experiment, Victor took to Fire Temple, Beshmundir Temple and Dark Poeta to determine the exact increase in drop rates coming in Aion 2.1.

 

It was no surprise that comparing 2.0 and 2.1 drop rates revealed a significant increase. In fact, this update to the gaming environment is the single biggest change ever implemented by NCsoft across its entire portfolio of games.

 

In addition to the rewards offered by increased drop rates, NCsoft is introducing the Aion Adventure Guide. The guide is designed to give players advice on where to find level-appropriate in-game content that will help with progression and reward them with items along the way. Crafted in-game messages and guides let players know where to go to find game content (quests, instances) that help progress them to the next level and give them hints on how to use new areas, such as the Abyss, and systems, such as Stigma Stones to their advantage.


By addressing very specific recommendations given by our western players and supplying the Adventure Guide to help players expand their experience and resources in game, NCsoft’s commitment to reward players for their time is readily apparent. Now more than ever players will reap the rewards of their time as the Aion team readies Aion 2.5, slated for early next year.


For more information, please visit the Aion Powerwiki.


Full 2.1 Patch Notes
This release includes the 2.1 updates from Korea, and many additional fixes for the English client. We have tracked down many inconsistencies between item/monster/NPC names and the blue in-game dictionary links, and have changed (usually) the dictionary link so that they match up.

Items
– Greatly increased the drop rate of all main (Eternal/Fabled/Heroic/Superior rank) gear from instance boss monsters.
– Greatly increased the drop rate of all main (Eternal/Fabled/Heroic/Superior rank) gear from field boss monsters
– Greatly increased the Item drop rate of gear dropped by all monsters. This includes:
– Drop rate of Common/Superior Weapons, Armor, and Accessories.
– Drop rate of Heroic/Fabled Weapons, Armor, and Accessories.
– Increased the drop rate of the main items acquired from treasure boxes.
– Increased the drop rates of all Skill Manuals and stigma stones dropped by monsters.
– Increased the drop rate of fluxes dropped by monsters.
– Increased the number of Common/Superior rank fluxes.
– Greatly increased the number of Heroic/Fabled rank fluxes.
– Increased the drop rate of Superior rank manastones dropped by monsters.
– Fixed a problem in which a few items dropped in Instances were not temporarily tradeable, as they were supposed to be.
– Anurati’s Corundum Earrings/Turquoise Earrings
– Fixed some items’ stats, which were not working as intended.
– The Enmity Boost of Laize’s Leather Pauldrons (an Asmodian quest reward item).
– The Enmity Boost of some Elyos/Asmodian coin reward items.
– Added a Strike Resist stat for Pazuzu’s Nephrite/Jadeite Necklaces and Sorolov’s Jewel/Crystal Rings.
– Added new designs for Tailoring:
– Master Carved Firm Mask (Both Elyos and Asmodian)
– Master Carved Prolix Veil (Elyos)
– Master Carved Hoca Veil (Asmodian)
– Increased the skill level required for some crafting designs:
– Handicrafting: Major Dragon Blood Stone (450P -> 470P)
– Tailoring: Inert Burning Balaur Blood Stain (450P -> 470P)
– Fixed the problem where the Hide Detection Effect was not working properly for the Asmodian Oculazen Candy.
– Added new potions and food that will be dropped by monsters.
– Changed the appearance of the “Dragonbound Shield” item.
– Fixed the tooltip for the “Defender Captain’s Jewel” so that it shows the item’s stats correctly.
– Moved some gatherable items from areas where gathering is not permitted.
– The issue of some items appearing incorrectly upon equipping has been resolved.
– Fixed the system message that appears upon using an Explosive Bead in Kromede’s Trial.
– Changed level 55 “Stalker’s” item series to “Tracker’s” items to distinguish them from the level 50 Stalker’s series.
– Changed “Unfest Candy” to “Graveknight Candy” to match the monster that it transforms you into.
– Changed the names of some quest items, which had mistakenly been given the same names as the quests they belong to.
– Changed the dictionary names of some items, where they did not match the names of the items themselves.
– Changed the quest item for [Elyos] Deathsong Dangers quest from “Crasaur Flipper” to “Crasaur Fin” to distinguish it from the quest item for [Asmodian] Irresistible Soup.
– Fixed a bug where the design for the Worthy Darkwater Orb was mistakenly labeled “Design: Worthy Darkwater Tome”.

Instances
– [Chantra Dredgion] Fixed a problem causing the bulkhead between the Armory and Gravity Control not to show up sometimes.
– Fixed an incorrect system message that popped up when a player trying to enter Kromede’s Trial was not eligible to enter it.
– Fixed a bug causing the entry level for Alquimia Research Center not to display properly.
– Fixed an error in the resurrection popup message that appears when a character is in an instance where they can resurrect at the beginning of the instance. This popup would only display when a character had left their group and then died.
[Udas Temple]
– Reduced the level requirement to enter the Udas Temple and Lower Udas Temple from 52 to 51. It is no longer necessary to complete an entry quest.
– Boss monsters in the Udas Temple and Lower Udas Temple will now sometimes drop a Fabled grade accessory:
– Anurati’s Corundum Earrings / Turquoise Earrings
– Debilkarim’s Corundum Necklace / Turquoise Necklace
– Kingspin’s Corundum Ring / Turquoise Ring
– Malika’s Leather Belt / Sash
– Changed the appearance of the armor and shield items that can be acquired in the Udas Temple to look more like Dragonbound items.
– Forsaken Temple ~ Series
– Anvilface’s Drenium Shield
– Anvilface’s Malevite Shield
– Increased drop rate for the “Jotun Vault Key” in the Lower Udas Temple.
– Decreased the number of monsters spawning in the Udas Temple and Lower Udas Temple, and also decreased their Max HP.
[Beshmundir Temple]
– Fixed a bug causing Dorakiki the Bold not to aggro the surrounding monsters when pulling a Spiritmaster’s summoned pet in Beshmundir Temple
– Fixed a bug causing a second protector/guardian monster would spawn when a player attacked Dorakiki the Bold in Beshmundir Temple.
– Decreased the difficulty of Beshmundir’s final boss, Stormwing.
– Slightly decreased the damage Stormwing deals.
– Increased the cooldown time of Stormwing’s storm skill.
– Decreased the number of monsters spawning in Beshmundir Temple.
– Decreased the abilities of all boss monsters in Beshmundir Temple.
– When combat begins with Isbariya the Resolute in the Beshmundir Temple, the exit door will now close, and when the battle ends, the door will open.
– The Mystery Box containing the Ritual Chamber Key no longer appears.
– Isbariya the Resolute’s transformation skill, “Sixth Sense”, now applies an altered state effect to the player.
– Made the boss monster Plaguebearer easier to defeat.
– Plaguebearer no longer summons its fragment when using its digestive fluid skill.
– Plaguebearer now uses its mucus skill less frequently.
– Reduced the combat range of boss monster Dorakiki the Bold.
– If you step out of Dorakiki’s combat range, the battle ends, and you are returned to your original location.
– The Incinerator Key, which opens the door to the Blue Flame Incinerator in the Beshmundir Temple, no longer disappears after use.

NPCs
– Platinum Medal quest NPCs and Special Ordnance Quartermaster NPCs in the Balaur Fortresses will always spawn while the friendly faction is in possession of the fortress.
– Modified the type of weapons equipped by the Elite Aetherguards that Ulsaruks summon through Illusion Gates.
– Fixed a bug causing Stormwing, the final boss in Beshmundir Temple, to be aggroed by certain summoned pets.
– Fixed a bug where Saira Sharpeyes’s (boss monster in Gelkmaros) max HP was set abnormally low.
– Changed the design of certain daily quest NPCs’ costumes so as to be more distinctive.
– Fixed the bug causing guard NPCs by the Balaurea fortresses and artifacts not to be able to detect targets in basic stealth.
– Fixed the buttons on a handful of NPC vendors’ text windows back to the default buttons. (They had mistakenly been changed to player dialog.)
– Fixed the dictionary entries (blue links in quest text) of a number of monsters so that they matched the monsters’ actual names, including:
– Changed the names of the following monsters to match their dictionary names, because they were too vague and causing confusion with other, non-Lepharist monsters:
 
– Changed the name of the Lepharist boss monster “Scout Captain”, in the Halabana Hot Springs in Morheim, to Katerios, since he was supposed to be a named monster.
– Fixed a bug where NPC Harami in Inggison was mistakenly named “Design: Platinum Glasses”.
– Fixed typos in the dictionary links of various NPCs to make them match the actual names:
– Changed the name of the Lepharist “Laborer” mobs in Eltnen to “Druges” to distinguish them from the Laborers in Morheim.
– Changed the name of the Lepharist “Peon” mobs in Eltnen to “Plodders” to distinguish them from other Lepharist Peons.
– Fixed a bug where two different kinds of Worgs in Verteron were called “Violent Worg”, while only some of them would update the quest “The Forest Outlaw”. Changed the ones that do not go with the quest to “Aggressive Worgs” to reduce confusion.
– Changed the name of the Jotun named monster “Oddwood” in Lower Udas Temple, because it was mistakenly given the same name as another monster. The Jotun is now named Bergrisar.
– Changed the “Ashikar Assaulter” mobs in Gelkmaros to “Naduka Striders” because they were among other Naduka and had been mistakenly assigned to the wrong Legion.
– Fixed a bug where the adult Ice Canyon Griffons in Beluslan’s Roof, Beluslan, were called Griffos. Changed the adults to “Ice Canyon Griffons”. (Left the young ones as “Ice Canyon Griffos”.)
– Changed the name of the “Angry Bee Swarm” in [Gelkmaros] Antagor Battlefield to “Angry Bees” to match all the quest references and the dictionary name.

Skills
– Added information to the tooltip for the Sorcerer’s “Barrier of Severance I” skill about its damage absorption effect.
– Fixed a bug that would occur while players were transformed with that increased HP/MP. When certain skills were applied to players in this state, HP/MP would suddenly decrease as if the transformation effect was not active. This has now been fixed.
– Energy of Repose now grants additional Exp. for quest completion and gathering/crafting.
– When an Assassin checks “Only high-level skills are displayed” on the Active skill pane, “All-Seeing Eye I” and “Searching Eye I” skills will now display correctly.
– Fixed a bug causing Chanters to automatically acquire a skill when their Boost Physical Attack I skill reached level 25.
– Changed some items that were referred to as “Oruga’s” items to say “Kinquid” to match the monster that drops them. (There is no Oruga.)

 

Quests
– Reduced the prerequisites for Greater Stigma Quests.
– Now, players will be able to acquire Greater Stigma Quests without having to complete an Instance Dungeon entrance quest.
– Players will be able to purchase Greater Stigma Quest Collection Items with Shulack Coins without going through the Steel Rake/Dark Poeta instance dungeons.
– Group members can now simultaneously collect items for solo Greater Stigma Quests.
– [Elyos] Taloc’s Heart Full of Soul, [Asmodian] Stigma Expansion
– [Asmodian] Fixed problems that were hindering players from completing Stigma Expansion.
– Fixed the problem where Drakan Researcher wasn’t dropping quest items.
– Added Drakan Researcher to the link in the Quest Description window.
– Modified the temporary quest marker so that it will no longer be displayed when a quest updates because the player acquires Kinah.
– Added new quests that give out fabled class rewards in Inggison and Gelkmaros.
– [Elyos] A Weapon of Worth, [Asmodian] A Helping Hand
– Fixed a bug in the [Group] Pressing the Attack quest where, even if a player hadn’t completed the first part of it, the lettering would turn gray as if they had finished the second part.
– Fixed the error message that showed up unnecessarily for the [Elyos] Allergic Reaction quest reward.
– Fixed a problem where the following bundled [Asmodian] Field Warden armor items could not be unwrapped:
– Fugue Leather Gloves Package (3 days)
– Fugue Leather Gloves Package (7 days)
– Fugue Leather Gloves Package (14 days)
– Increased the quest timer on the following Beshmundir Temple quests from 5 minutes to 7 minutes:
– [Elyos] To Liberate Souls
– [Asmodian] Mired Souls
–  Added level 55 greater stigma solo quests.
– This quest can only be acquired if you do not have the existing level 55 greater stigma quest in your quest journal, even if you have completed that quest and are at the reward stage.
– If you have the existing quest and wish to get the new quest instead, you must abandon the old quest.
– Added new Groggie (Shulak coin) daily quests, which can be undertaken without joining a daily quest faction. Also, for the Groggie, greater stigma quest items, weapons, armor, and other items can be exchanged.
– Changed some Platinum Medal reward quests to daily quests. Greatly decreased the number of items that need to be collected.
– [Elyos] Decreased Exp. and kinah rewards for the “Teleporter Repairs” quest.
– Fixed typos in some quests.
– Fixed a bug causing some campaign quests to be re-acquired after a player had already completed them.
– If you have been affected by this bug, and have a re-acquired campaign quest in your quest journal, the game correctly treats that quest as if it has been completed.
– Renamed Reshanta [Elyos and Asmodian] quest “Giant’s Core Weapon” to “Petralith’s Cores”, to make it clear that it’s connected to the Petralith monsters. Renamed all associated quest items accordingly, and made their dictionary links match when there was a discrepancy:
– Changed [Asmodian] quest name “The Freezing Orb” and associated “Freezing Orb” quest item to “Frozen Orb”, to distinguish it from the “Freezing Orb” weapon.
 UI
– In order to give players an additional warning before deleting a character, changed deletion message at character selection screen from ‘Enter”Confirm Delete” to delete this character.’ to ‘If you delete your character, the items in your inventory, private warehouse and mail box will also be deleted. If you still wish to delete your character, please enter “Confirm Delete”.’
– Fixed the Gelkmaros map so that Spiritfall Gate now shows up correctly.
– Fixed the legion window so that the “last logged in” information will be updated when said window is closed then reopened.
–  Upgraded AionTweet from v0.7 to v1.0, and added some new functions.
– You can now join Twitter directly from AionTweet:
– Added a [Suggested] button in lower left of the AionTweet screen. Click this to get a list of suggested Aion-related feeds: (There are currently no suggested feeds for the NA/EU market. We will add these in an upcoming build.)
– You can search for any Twitter user on the [Search People] tab. This will display the same results as using the search box on the Twitter homepage:
– You can change your Twitter profile using the [Profile] tab:
– Click “Twitter Handle” at the bottom of the Profile screen to enter your Twitter ID as the note in your Social panel:
– Click someone’s ID on the list to view their profile:

 

Environment
– Fixed a bug that occurred when players used the “raise camera angle” option while in a windstream. Camera will no longer be locked looking up at the sky.
– Fixed the arrows for the Altar of Avarice and the Temple of Scales on the signpost in Angrief Ruins in Inggison.
– Fixed the problem where characters were not able to make any motions while activating artifacts in Balaurea.
– [Abyss] Changed all siege weapons so that they can now only be used near the fortress
– Fixed terrain bugs in both Inggison and Gelkmaros where characters were able to access areas that were intended to be inaccessible, giving them an unfair advantage over the other faction.
– You can no longer set up a kisk in these areas.
– Spiritmaster’s can no longer use their “Summon Group Member I” skill in these areas.
– Players who log on in these areas will automatically teleport to their obelisk bind point.
– Fixed a bug with the Gatekeepers in Gelkmaros, where players could bypass them and get through the gates they guarded.
– Fixed a bug in several parts of Mitrakand, in Gelkmaros, where players would get stuck inside the terrain and buildings.
– Fixed a bug allowing players to get through a wall inside Eltnen Fortress
 

Known Issues

– There is an issue with the face sliders during character creation. Dragging any of the sliders (except ‘facial ratio’) will cause the whole face on the character model to become invisible until the slider stops moving.
– Asmodian quest “A Helping Hand” and Elyos quest “A Weapon of Worth” are not currently available. If the player does manage to acquire one, it will have odd broken code in the quest journal entry and will not be completeable.

Praetoria Prepares for War!

Praetoria Prepares for War!

 

Praetoria Prepares for War!

 

Paragon Studios and NCSoft will soon be releasing Issue 19: Alpha Strike for City of Heroes. Rumours from the recent Californian Meet & Greet with developers suggest that Issue 19 and the new Incarnate System will go live this coming Tuesday. It remains to be seen if that is the case, but at any rate there is now information available on the lore, the system being introduced and the Incarnate Alpha Slot available on their website

Champions Online announces Archetypes

Champions Online announces Archetypes


Champions Online, which is currently in testing for a move to a freemium subscription/f2p hybrid model like Lord of The Rings Online and DDO, has announced the free to play archetypes that all new players will be restricted to. The builds are outlined for players along with a handy description  of what they have envisioned for the archetypes along with suggested concepts.

 

Champions Online announces Archetypes

 

Champions Online announces Archetypes