Yearly Archives: 2010

Want Exclusive City of Heroes Keys? Follow us on Twitter!

Want Exclusive City of Heroes Keys? Follow us on Twitter!


Our good friends over at  City of Heroes have seen fit to bestow upon us the great burden of some pretty exclusive coupon codes… in the next couple of days we’ll be posting these codes to our @OnRPG Twitter account. First come, first serve!

 

Cross the line, DO IT!

 

 

The keys will be given out in a random order and they have a chance to upgrade your account with the following awesome packs:

– Cyborg Pack
– Magic Pack
– Super Science Pack
– Martial Arts Pack
– Mutant Pack
– Good Vs Evil Pack
– Wedding Pack
– 30 Day Jetpack
– Comic Con Ghoul Costume
– Praetorian PD Costume
– Praetorian Clockwork Costume

 

The big bang will arrive on the 17th though, because on that day we’ll give away a “Complete Collection“! That means mayor ‘tjitjing’ for City of Heroes fans!

 

So, make sure you keep a close eye on our Twitter account. Follow it to have the best chance of being the first one to grab these exclusive keys.

 

Remember, FIRST come, FIRST serve! You better redeem those keys FAST!

APB Developer In Deep Trouble?

APB Developer In Deep Trouble?

 

Remember last month, when the whole world was still extremely excited about All Points Bulletin and the sky was the limit for its RealTime Worlds? Well things are very different now.

 

Rumours have reached the OnRPG team that RealTime Worlds has laid off as many as 60 employees that were working on their only recently announced Project MyWorld. Since they were given notice 30 days ago, and announced the project roughly 14 days ago it seems they already knew the project would not actually go live.

 

Rest In Peace All Points Bulletin?


VG247 poster ‘Massiveslag’ seems to have insider information as he posts:

 

“I can confirm this. As of 11:30 GMT Realtime Worlds have put a large proportion on their workforce on gardening leave ranging from 4-8 weeks. It’s rumoured APB’s staff will be reduced to admin and a skeleton staff of devs and artists to keep it running and do general updates, but this looks like the end of RTW.”


Another sad message in the MMO space but also another sign that confirms what OnRPG readers have known for years: Free To Play is THE way to go for MMO’s!

 

If this rumour turns out to be true the OnRPG staff would like to wish the laid off RTW employees all the best!

 

Source: VG247

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa Interview: Looking at CBT2

Karma Operation Barbarossa Interview: Looking at CBT2
Questions by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Boo Kim, K.O.B. Project Manager

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa

 

KARMA: Operation Barbarossa is an upcoming MOFPS developed by Korean studios, Dragonfly, Futureport, Blueside and will be published by ijji for North America and Western Europe. With already a few online shooters in its library of games, including Soldier Front, A.V.A and Genesis A.D, why did ijji decided to host KARMA? What differences will KARMA feature which will blow its competition away? Let’s find out.

 

OnRPG: Hello, I am Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG’s journalist. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello, OnRPG patrons. My name is Boo Kim, and I am the Project Manager for the exciting new FPS, KARMA: Operation Barbarossa.

 

OnRPG: With quite a few MOFPS in ijji’s library, why the decision to include KARMA?
Good question. The answer is quite simple really. We are the destination for quality competitive FPS games. We are building a portfolio of games to suit the needs and wants of all gamers. For FPS games, we currently have A.V.A and Soldier Front. With the introduction of KARMA and Genesis A.D in the near future, we’ll soon have a very good selection of FPS’s for all types of gamers to choose from. I think those games are different enough and present unique features while maintaining the high standard we have for ‘competitive fun’ that our users will never have to look outside of ijji to find the FPS they like.

 

OnRPG: Do you see it as a risk to release another MOFPS so close after Genesis A.D?
As I explained earlier, they are all different games. They are categorized as FPS games but they all offer distinct playing experience for the user. If you want tactical shooting in a modern military setting, you can play Soldier Front or A.V.A. If Sci-Fi twitch action is your thing, we have Genesis A.D coming at you. KARMA gives you very unique features including the Skill Tree System in World War 2 setting, which is difficult to find in the Free 2 Play market. I’m a huge gamer myself, so I play all the current popular titles like Modern Warfare or Battlefield Bad Company. I don’t limit myself to just one or two games – if it’s a good game, gamers will find time for it. So, I’m actually very excited about our upcoming lineup headlined by KARMA and Genesis A.D. Come to ijji and check out all the fragging action!

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa

 

OnRPG: A.V.A was developed using the Unreal 3 Engine while KARMA was developed using the little-known FAME Tech 1 Engine. Will this cause a newer game to have inferior graphics?
KARMA’s graphics are no slouch. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how crisp the graphics are when you see it. When it comes to the discussion of graphics quality, often overlooked is the fact that nice graphics come at a price of higher system requirements.  I think we were able to achieve the fine balance between maximizing the quality of graphics while maintaining accessibility for the majority of our users.

 

OnRPG: What are some of the main differences which will set KARMA apart from other MOFPS in the market?
Just to name a few,

– WWII Setting
– Skill Tree System (Aerial Reconnaissance, Canine, and tons more)
– Weapon configuration based on Payload system (i.e., you can carry three Primary Weapons)
– Use of Iron Sights (i.e. aimed shot from MP-40)

 

Better yet, this is a F2P FPS and K.O.B. is still quite a young title, which means we’ll work with game developers to introduce more contents that users want for FREE.

 

OnRPG: In Korea, the game was simply called KARMA 2 (its a sequel). Why the change of title?
The original title, KARMA Online, was never introduced to gamers in our markets.  It would have made it confusing to our users to call this KARMA 2, when there has not been KARMA 1 in this market.

 

OnRPG: The storyline takes place in a fiction WWII after Germany has conquered Europe. Which side(s) will players be able to join?
Players will be able to play either side.

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa

 

OnRPG: For players who are not used to shooter games like Counter Strike, will there be difficulties picking up KARMA?
I don’t feel the learning curve for KARMA: Operation Barbarossa will be very steep at all. Of course, there will be some unique features that first-time users will have to learn such as how to configure your weapons or use specific skills. But I feel the basic control schemes are similar to other FPS’s in general. And for those users who have never played shooter games before, there are some things we can do to help that learning process such as tutorials or beginner channels, all of which are being considered right now.

 

OnRPG: Latency is clearly the most important factor in any online shooter. Will ijji be doing any adjustments for players outside of North America?
Obviously we take latency issues very seriously. It is very clearly our goal to provide superb service quality for all of our users. However the fact of the matter is, lag issues are real and they exist in competitive online environments. As games expand and the user base grows, these issues can crop up. What we try to do is always monitoring the situation and providing best possible solutions. Currently we have servers in the West Coast, East Coast and in Europe. We feel they provide very clean and smooth playing experience for users located in Pan-Pacific countries, South America, Europe, and even Middle Eastern countries.

 

OnRPG: How big a role do tactics and strategies play in the game?
Like I said earlier, I play lots of FPS games. I’ve seen in other games situations where one or two highly skilled players dominate and make it not as fun for the rest of the players in the room. I think the question is how we can provide a balanced game playing experience where individual skill and team play are equally valuable. I think tactical and strategic game play will be very important in KARMA: Operation Barbarossa, and the game provides enough features and game system to encourage that type of game play.

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa

 

OnRPG: What game modes will there be available and how many maps are there at launch?
For CBT2, there are 6 maps and 4 modes.

 

OnRPG: How many types of weapons are there? Any unique items compared to other MOFPS?
For CBT2, there are 18 Weapons, 6 Equipments, and 4 characters all up for KP (KARMA Point, in-game money) purchase.

 

OnRPG: How will the cash shop be structured to make sure there is no obvious advantage?
There are lots of discussions on-going on details of business model for K.O.B.  It is too early to say anything definitive, but we are doing our bests to control the rarity of premium items so that it does not throw off overall game balance, yet appealing enough for those who are willing to spend small amount of money.

 

OnRPG: ijji is famous for its competitive tournaments. Will KARMA be having the same treatment?
We are definitely planning to host competitive tournaments with awesome prizes, such as free trip to tournaments hosted overseas plus more.  These are still in planning stages however, and it is a bit too early to say when and in what form this will be organized.

 

Karma Operation Barbarossa

 

OnRPG: Are there any upcoming events planned for KARMA?
There are several events planned for KARMA CBT2.  One of the biggest one that means a lot to our CBT2 participants, I think, is we will transfer CBT2 participants’ achievements to OBT so that no time you spend in CBT2 is going wasted.  For detailed information, please visit KARMA Official Event Page.

 

OnRPG: Any details you can leak with regards to ijji’s upcoming game, Huxley: The Dystopia?
I am not directly tied to that project so I do not have any details. All I can say is that ijji has a very high standard for the games we publish. We try to make sure when we launch a game, we are able to meet the expectations of our users. So please have patience and stay tuned!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!
Thank you and your readers for this opportunity! I did my best to answer your questions. For any further questions and if you seek other information regarding KARMA: Operation Barbarossa, please visit KARMA Forum.

Hope many of you will see what I’m talking about first-hand.

Sincerely,

Boo!

Dead Frontier Review: Creepy is it’s Middle Name

Dead Frontier Review: Creepy is it’s Middle Name
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

 

The game’s first impression to me is that it’d probably another failed attempt on creating a “scary” MMO. However, as I played through Dead Frontier, the chills I got were real enough for me to acknowledge that the game does provide the creep factor I never expected it to.

 

Dead Frontier Intro 

 

Zombies!!!!

I must admit, even if the game takes on the usual path most zombie games tread on. Dead Frontier brings a whole new meaning to the term “zombie killing” in browser-based games. My first reason for saying this is that the game uses Flash instead of the usual text prompts, which enables you to experience the creepiness of the game in a different way to that of normal browser games. Furthermore, the game effectively maximizes what Flash can do in providing the creep factor that you feel as you play. The second reason is that the game has a lot of familiar elements that are found in real life. Though this has been used a lot on other zombie browser games, the mix of the dark atmosphere brought upon by the game’s dark flash-based interface completes the whole creepy experience.

 

The third reason is the game’s eerie soundtrack. The mix of the dark atmosphere, familiarity, and Dead Frontier’s eerie audio adds to the sense of hopelessness you have if you are living in a dark post-apocalyptic world. The slow and deliberate tempo of the sound provides the constant tension even though the tracks seem to just repeat for the duration of the game.

 

Dead Frontier Game Opening
Game Opening

 

Characters

Dead frontier has a huge roster of characters you can use and each is based on actual professions in real life. This adds to the “familiar to real life” element of the game that further puts you in the shoes of your character. Each character has a starting weapon and specific bonuses such as more exp boost or more starting money. Every character starts from scratch and basically the character you choose is based on your preference of gaming style.

 

Gameplay

The game uses the overhead view and you use both the mouse and keyboard for movement. There’s also a fog system implemented in the game, which impedes your vision to only a few inches in front of you.  The fog adds suspense to your game even if you already have big guns at your disposal because you don’t know how many or how strong the zombies that you are out there are, so there’s an off chance that you can be run over by zombies if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings. Speaking of which, the zombies in Dead Frontier are not the typical zombies that are easy to kill. They are faster than your usual zombies and the majority of them are harder to take down even if you have guns. The variation of the zombies keeps you on your toes and makes every trip into the game an adventure.

 

Dead Frontier Overview

 

Multiplayer

The game feels like those custom maps you get to play in Warcraft III, especially if you get to join in areas with other players. The multiplayer feature gives the game more character and adds another reason to keep on playing. What I liked about the multiplayer feature in the game is that even if you are with other players the fog system is still in effect. Although this time you get see more due to other people’s field of vision, however there is still a limit as to how much you can see. This adds to the tactical element with how you play with other people because you can’t just go guns-a-blazing because you have other people to worry about as well.

 

Speaking of which, communication is chat based and there is no voice chat available. This can be seen in two ways. Number one it is a challenge, because you have to feel the other player or find an easier way of communicating what you want to happen. Number two, it is a nuisance because you can’t really express your commands, suggestions or thoughts in the game, plus it’s very awkward for you to switch from controlling your character to chatting. Also, the game seems to become harder when you join other players. There are more zombies who pop out and there are times that you have to dance around them just to survive and escape, mind you, you are already in a group so don’t expect the game to be easier.

 

Dead Frontier Died
Died!

 

Stats

Dead Frontier uses a stat-based gaming system where your character levels up and has stats points that you can put on certain attributes. This gives the game a sort of “goal” for you to work toward.

 

Weapons

There are a variety of weapons in the game. You get to choose from melee weapons all the way through to the standard guns that you often come across in zombie-themed games. The variety is good but not huge, but you don’t notice so much because you are generally busy concentrating on working toward your next level and  the next stronger weapon. The game mirrors real life to an extent because you also have to buy the ammunition for your weapons, so there’s a possibility you can run out of bullets while being mobbed. This makes your Dead Frontier experience more than just a shooter game but also a tactical one much like Resident Evil.

 

Dead Frontier Weapon
Weapon in Dead Frontier

 

Conclusion

Dead Frontier is an unbelievably good browser game to play. Even if it applies the overused zombie post-apocalyptic theme it provides players enough reasons to play. Furthermore, I am quite surprised that a game like this has made me think twice about MMOs not being able to break the “horror” genre. Though this game is only creepy it made me hope that there might come a time where a MMO may in fact be good enough to make a successful horror-themed game. The game still needs a lot of improvements however it already has solid game play and even a catchy and entrancing opening video. If you are a fan of the zombie genre and are currently looking for a decent zombie themed MMO, then I highly suggest playing Dead Frontier.

 

Pros:
– It’s not text based
– You get to choose between single player and multiplayer modes
– The game is simply addicting.

 

Cons:
– Awkward chat system
– The game is creepy but can’t be considered as horror
– The game is hard for beginners.

GamesCampus’ MMORTS Soul Master Open Beta Starts August 12

GamesCampus’ MMORTS Soul Master Open Beta Starts August 12

 

Starting Tomorrow Players Can Enjoy The One-Of-A-Kind MMORTS With MMORPG-Style Character Control 

 

Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus, announced that its genre-bending, free-to-play MMORTS, Soul Master will enter open beta tomorrow, Thursday, August 12.  Developed by NPluto, Soul Master is an addictive new game that takes the innovation behind customizable “Hero” units in the RTS genre to a whole new level by allowing players to have complete MMORPG-style control over their characters. 

 

Soul Master Knight

 

“While many MMO’s claim to blend genres into a new and unique gameplay experience, Soul Master actually delivers on that promise,” said Uyen Uyen Ton Nu, Head of Marketing for GamesCampus.  “With easy to learn controls and well-balanced gameplay, Soul Master offers a truly unique and incredibly addictive MMO experience.”  

 

Soul Master features a unique combat system that allows players to create structures, progress through technology trees and produce and command units–all while developing a persistent character of their own.  With resource-driven RTS combat, Soul Master allows players to create defensive towers, barricades, resource harvesting structures, and unit production facilities while progressing through simplified, traditional RTS tech-trees that let players focus on strategic, active gameplay in both Team and Free-for-All PvP.  Players will find the game’s PVP highly competitive and a variety of strategies will be necessary for each player to utilize their own strengths in order to win. Players enter the game’s battle lobby and can join teams of up to 6 people and enter Team Vs. Team games or Free For All matches playing against either human opponents or AI controlled characters.

 

Soul Master includes rich item customization systems that enable players to acquire unique stat and skill bonuses both for their personalized avatars, as well as their RTS buildings, production capabilities, and controlled units.  In addition to the robust PvP content, Soul Master features a wide range of PVE scenario modes such as defending objectives, escort missions, co-op challenges, boss raids, and AI RTS battles.

 

Soul Master Priest Units

The Return of DragonSpires

DragonSpires is a 2D isometric multiplayer online role playing game written in Java. The light-weight, cross-platform client runs on nearly any computer operating system, including Windows, Mac, and Linux! Equipped with just a netbook, you can play DragonSpires anywhere, anytime!

Runes of Magic Adds a New Zone and a New Level Cap

Runes of Magic Adds a New Zone and a New Level Cap

Players of Runes of Magic can soon enjoy the content of update 3.0.3 called “In the depths of the forest” that will go live tomorrow. The new content update offers players a new zone with new quest lines and the option to make new friends through the new relationship system. Beginners will all enjoy the company of a very special virtual pet and the update also includes a rebalance of a large number of skills in the game.

the option to make new friends through the new relationship system

 

Over 100 quests will lead players through the new region of the Northern Janost Forest. Players will continue to explore the story of the third chapter of Runes of Magic by helping the Angrens defend their land against degenerated elves. If adventurers accept the challenge, they are able to reach the new level cap of 60, the final limit raise linked to Chapter III.

 

Apart from this new high-level content, every player will be able to enjoy a new relationship system allowing them to bind themselves together as friends, master and students or even lovers. Every relation will grant the persons involved special buffs when they are grouped with their partner. Lovers will even be able to marry their soul mate by exchanging their wedding ring in a chapel which has been built in Varanas, the most important city of Taborea.

 

Another new feature has been introduced by Frogster to help out beginners to discover and enjoy the game in its early stages. From now on, a special pet, taking the form of a golden pixie, gives new players hints on how to play the game and help them out by granting them special buffs or healing them when damaged.

 

Masks of the World event announced for Business Tycoon Online

Masks of the World event announced for Business Tycoon Online

 

DOVOGAME has announced the release of an exciting new event for their game Business Tycoon Online. The so called “Masks of the World” event brings culture and history to the fast paced life of Liberty City. The popular web game will feature different masks that players will be able to collect and wear.

 

DOVOGAME had this to say about the event in their official announcement. “These masks will not only provide tycoons with a cool new look but also provide huge bonuses to their businesses! The cooler looking and rarer the mask, the higher the bonus it will bring to the business. “Masks of the World” features masks, headdresses, crowns and even full raiment from around the globe; Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas are all represented.”

 

Business Tycoon Online Mask 

 

This new event looks to bring an exciting twist to BTO, where now items will help players not only statistically but also in the all-important area aesthetic appeal.
For more details on this event, please see the official BTO website.