Yearly Archives: 2010

Alliance of Valiant Arms Interview: Not Just About The Pretty Graphics

Alliance of Valiant Arms Interview: Not Just About The Pretty Graphics
Questions by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answers by Wook Kim, Product Manager

 

Alliance of Valiant Arms Intro

 

Alliance of Valiant Arms (or A.V.A) is a MMOFPS published by renowned MMO portal, Ijji. Developed using the Unreal 3 engine, the game boasts insanely detailed graphics and realistic gameplay. Based on a fictional war between the EU (European Union) and the NRF (Neo-Russian Federation), how will the game be compared to the various MMO shooters out there?

OnRPG: Hello, I am Fo Po (cinderboy) from OnRPG. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello OnRPG, My name is Wook Kim and I am the Project Manager for A.V.A at NHN USA.

 

OnRPG: Can you briefly describe to us the background story for A.V.A?
The storyline of A.V.A is that in the near future a war breaks out in fight for oil and power.  Europe is split into two factions, the EU (European Union) and the NRF (Neo Russian Federation). While the NRF becomes really powerful and dominating all across Europe, the struggling EU gets assistance and support of the American troops.  And that is where the story of A.V.A begins. 

 

Alliance of Valiant Arms Ava Begins

 

OnRPG: It has been more than 6months since A.V.A launched. Your thoughts so far?
It’s doing really well.  Since launch, we have been updating twice a month so that we can offer our users as much content as soon as we can.  There are now over 30 different primary weapons and 15 maps compared to 13 primary weapons and 8 maps when we launched.  We also updated Prison Break AI Missions as well for users who enjoy Co-op missions against AI/NPCs.  Not only the content, but we also updated features such as Daily missions for rewards and revamped the in game economy system for more in game money output.  I think A.V.A in its current state is the best Free to play FPS game in the market and we are very excited for the future.

 

OnRPG: What were some of the difficulties the team faced initially?
One of the difficulties we faced initially was server setup. In Korea where A.V.A is originated, they use a P2P system.  Korea is about the size of California so they can service in a P2P method and have no lag in game.  But here in the US, P2P system would be very inconvenient for our users. We have two IDC server locations setup, one in West Coast and one in East Coast to accommodate the entire North America.  The difficulty here was managing the cost of the dedicated servers.  We wanted to provide the best user experience in a high quality game like A.V.A with no lag issues. Without going into too much boring detail, it was a difficult issue at first but we have it covered now.

 

OnRPG: The game is developed using the rather advanced Unreal 3 Engine. Does it mean that players who are interested in the game, but with a older system, will have difficulties playing?
Using the Unreal 3 Engine means that among Free to Play games, A.V.A’s graphics are unmatched. Users will need a decent computer to take advantage of the beautiful graphics on the highest settings, however, the game is still very much playable with some of the options turned off for users with older systems.

 

 Alliance of Valiant Arms Older System

 

OnRPG: From your point of view, what is the one thing that makes A.V.A stand out from the crowd?
Well, I really want to mention more than one thing. haha. Sure I want to mention the high quality graphics, all the game modes, weapon customizations, and more, but if I had to mention just one thing about A.V.A that stands out is the balanced gameplay.  It is really well balanced for the gameplay for all 3 character classes; Point Man, Rifle Man, and Sniper. One class does not stand tall amongst the others.  It really depends on the skills of the player in using the right class for the situation.  It is best to choose a class that fits your playstyle as well as the balance of your team.  In A.V.A, players can choose to switch classes after each death or round and it gives the player the option to change and enhance their game play.  Keep in mind, your opponents have the same option so  that makes it much more interesting and balanced in that you are always trying to play strategically and to outsmart your opponents.

 

OnRPG: How detailed is the tutorial for players who are new to the game?
The tutorial at the beginning of the game is very helpful for players to learn how to play A.V.A and understand A.V.A User Interface. It roughly takes about 10 ~ 15 minutes to complete for new players.  Also a reward of In Game Money is given to those who complete the tutorial.

 

OnRPG: Can you briefly give us a refresh on the different modes available in the game?
Currently, there are 7 game modes in A.V.A.  There will be more game mode updates in the near future. 

 

* Demolition – This game mode is a Search & Destroy or to explain simply ‘plant bomb & defuse bomb’ game mode.
* Escort – In this game mode, EU team’s mission is to escort a Leopard2A6 tank to the other side of the map while the NRF team’s mission is to stop the EU from achieving their mission at all costs. This game mode is team based with a team death match type of style where players respawn after each death instead of each round like Demolition. NRF will use a RPG launcher to attach the tank while EU repairs and keep the tank moving.
* Annihilation – Annihilation is the team death match game mode in A.V.A. In this game mode, both teams have the same objective, annihilate the opposing team. In A.V.A annihilation game mode, you score a point for your team by killing your opponent and you also get bonus points for your team by collecting a number of enemy dog tags from falls enemies. The team to get to the pre-set win score amount wins.
* Convoy – In Convoy, there are two parts to the objective. Both teams have the same objective which is to retrieve the objective item then make way to the objective point to escape or deliver the objective item. This makes for very strategic game play that both teams can either attack or defend.
* Domination – Domination game mode is similar to King of the Hill in Halo or Conquest in Battlefield. The team to hold the domination objective point for the winning condition amount of time wins the match. In A.V.A, the losing team can ask for help by calling UAV and AI controlled allies flying in helicopter to assist them for a limited time.
* Free For All – Free For All is a individual game mode where there are no teams. Simply put, it is a individual deathmatch, every man for themselves.
* Prison Break AI Missions – Prison Break missions are Co-op missions where players are on the same team (EU) fighting against AI controlled NRF prisoners. Each team can have up to 4 players. There are 3 different missions in Prison Break; Survival, Escape, and Rescue. Each of them are different in that it has different stages and different objectives. Rescue is the hardest and it also has a easy mode where players can form 5 man teams to conquer the rescue mission. Each mission has rewards for completing the mission.

 

OnRPG: In most online shooters, players do not have the option of customizing their weapons or equipment compared to traditional MMORPGs. Will A.V.A be any different?
Yes, one of the great things about A.V.A is the weapon customization. Customization to your weapon gives the player the option to add various custom parts that can increase or decrease the stats of your weapon. For example, on the AK47, one of the custom parts that can be added is the Reinforced barrel. This custom part increases 3 damage points while decreasing 1 stability point and 1 Rate of Fire point. So it is up to the user how to customize the weapon.  While most guns have a customization option, some of the guns in A.V.A have a modification option. For example a G36 by default can be modified to G36 Rail. Again, the option is given to the player to customize or to modify – it is up to the player.

 

Alliance of Valiant Arms Player

 

OnRPG: What roles do the different classes play? Is there a medic class?
There is no medic class.  There are 3 classes in A.V.A; Point Man, Rifle Man, and Sniper. Point man uses SMGs and Shotguns and has the ability to unlock various skills such as running skills that increases their mobility, knife training for more melee attack damage and range, and other various skills. Rifle man using Assault rifles has the ability to unlock various skills such as Advanced Defense that increases defense rating, Grenade Throw skills that increases the throwing range of grenades, and other various skills. Snipers obviously using a sniper rifle have ability to unlock skills such as Pistol Training that increases reload speed of pistols and ammo capacity increase, SR Training that increases weapon draw speed, and other various skills. All 3 classes play a very important role for the team and all have their advantages as well as disadvantages.

 

OnRPG: How does A.V.A promote team play within the game?
A.V.A promotes team play in the fact that basically almost all modes in the game are team-based.  In PVP game modes, the highest rank player is given the title of Squad Commander. Squad Commander is the only player who is equipped with binoculars.  There is one squad commander for each team who can use the binoculars to zoom in to look for enemies and take a snap photo. When this occurs, the locations of enemies who have been observed through the binoculars  are given away to the rest of the team. In Escort, when repairing a tank, having two people repair at the same time cuts down repair time by half.  There are also radio command messages along with hand signals that teams can use to communicate to each other of what they are doing at the moment. Team play is one of the biggest factors of winning in A.V.A. In AI missions, teams have to be made to go up against the AI controlled NPCs.

 

OnRPG: Will there be a big gap between cash shop spenders and non-spenders in terms of gameplay?
There isn’t any gap between cash shop players and non spenders. We kept the game balanced so that there is no big gap at all between the two groups of users. We didn’t want to push away our non spenders from the game by making things overpowering to the cash shop users. All the weapons can be purchased through G Coin which is ijji.com’s portal cash currency or In Game Money.

 

OnRPG: How is A.V.A holding up against hackers who disrupt the game?
We are holding up very well against hackers. We use gameguard as anti-hack system. We also have the server detecting hack usage itself and kicking out those hackers detected.  And then there is an in game hack report feature where players can report hackers. With all 3 of these systems in place, A.V.A is so far doing very well against hackers.  And then there is our legal team that takes legal actions against those who create or distribute the hack programs. Our users will also agree that A.V.A is the most hack Free to play FPS game there is on the market. 

 

Alliance of Valiant Arms Market

 

OnRPG: What are some of the future updates and improvements players can look forward to?
There are still numerous maps, weapons, and items to come. By end of 2010, we also plan to update a new game mode called Cross Steal. In this game mode, teams go back and forth obtaining the opponent’s objective and taking back to their own base.  It is similar to the Capture the Flag game mode. And we will also have another all expense paid trip for International Tournament in Korea hosted by IeSF, International E-Sports Federation.  We attended last year and USA team got 3rd place.  Hopefully this year, we can place higher than we did last year. 

 

OnRPG: Are there any upcoming events planned for the game, especially its first anniversary?
We don’t want to spill the beans of our event plans just yet since it is still quite some time away.  But we will definitely have an event planned for our anniversary. 

 

OnRPG: Before ending this interview, is there anything you will like to say to our readers?
I would just like to thank OnRPG for conducting this interview and I would like to invite all the readers to come and play some A.V.A. We feel very confident that A.V.A will be a great experience and you will not regret downloading and installing it. So come and join the fun at http://ava.ijji.com.

 

OnRPG: Thanks for your time!
Thank you OnRPG!

Runes of Magic Fashion Show at GamesCom

Runes of Magic Fashion Show at GamesCom

A unique fashion show which Frogster is staging as part of the general GamesCom program of events on the main stage in Hall 8 will bridge the gap between the virtual world of Runes of Magic and reality. As part of a catwalk presentation featuring  runway models the publisher will exhibit a one-off fashion collection for the first time worldwide on Friday 20th August from 16:00 until 17:30 and Saturday, 21st August from 15:00 until 16:00. Based on the motto ‘Gaming goes fashion’, the Berlin-based design studio, “Textilzelle”, will present interpretations of seven different character classes from the virtual world of Runes of Magic that they have transformed into an extraordinary fashion collection. Frogster has also integrated the fashionable outfits in digital form to the game world and will present them in their virtual surroundings.

Runes of Magic Fashion Collection

The event will be presented by Florian Kamolz, former presenter of the German gaming TV channel ‘GIGA’ along with Gina-Lisa Lohfink, a well-known model who was recently featured on the front cover of German Playboy.

The fashion show will also feature a large costume competition, an interactive element which will put the creativity of the RoM community to the test. Runes of Magic’s biggest fans will get the unique opportunity to strut their stuff on the catwalk in self-designed costumes honoring the virtual world of RoM. An expert panel of judges including Gina-Lisa, Frogster’s board member Dirk Weyel and fashion designers from the Berlin-based Textilzelle will award winners with valuable RoM-themed Casemod-PCs. Gina-Lisa will be available for photos, autographs and interviews on Friday and Saturday before and after the fashion show at Frogster’s stand C020/B021 in Hall 9.1. To round off the fashion show, the a cappella metal band Van Canto will make a live appearance on stage. The band’s inimitable style involves substituting a range of instruments with their voices and using only a drum kit for accompaniment. At Gamescom they will present their new in-game video for the RoM song ‘Magic Taborea’ for the first time ever alongside other songs from their existing repertoire.

Frogster will be presenting Runes of Magic at exhibition stands C020/B021 and C021 in Hall 9.1 along with their two new top titles, TERA and Mythos. MMO fans will be able to try out a preview version of the latest content from Runes of Magic as well as the first playable versions of TERA and Mythos on 40 computer terminals. The former GIGA presenters, Florian Kamolz and Philipp Senkbeil, will also hold regular stage presentations to showcase all the latest from the world of Runes of Magic. The leading RoM guild Delirium will demonstrate how players can adeptly bring down the Demon Lord Sirloth through live raids. Alongside many other features of the program the top guilds Delirium and Pravum will provide a fun challenge involving speed-runs. Players will also have the opportunity to win fan merchandise and exclusive pets for Runes of Magic at Frogster’s stand everyday.

Ministry of War

Ministry of War (MoW) is the world’s most sophisticated browser game, with unparalleled graphics and gameplay. MoW is a true MMO RTS, where you will battle alongside thousands of other players in PvP and PvE warfare. MoW also includes a special Guild vs. Guild (GvG) battle system, where you can vanquish your rivals and become a Guild superpower.

 

Engage in real-time combat against NPC’s, World Bosses, individual players and guilds for dominance in a world rocked by perpetual conflict. Join forces with other players to create massive allied legions of combined forces, then lay siege to the cities and lairs of your enemies. Train your military units, level up your heroes and troops, upgrade your armor and weaponry, and learn specialized combat skills to gain ultimate mastery in MoW battle.

 

Ministry of War offers a huge world map, the largest gameplay environment of any Free-To-Play MMO browser game. Explore this vast territory and sail the seas to foreign nations. Dispatch your traders to acquire exotic goods and sell them in cities across the known world.

 

Ministry of War has a unique feature in the world of browser MMOs: an Endgame. There are four MoW civilizations: Rome, China, Egypt, and Persia. If one of them rises up, through alliances and victories over rival empires, and defeats the other three, the winning civilization will be declared Champion of MoW and the Realm will reset, with spoils to the victors. For this reason, there are no sidelines in Ministry of War. You must form strategic alliances and fight or your empire and civilization, or it may be swept from the Realm. Each Endgame victory will form a unique chapter in the history of MoW.

Maid Marian announces Major Update to Sherwood Dungeon

Maid Marian announces Major Update to Sherwood Dungeon

 

Maid Marian Entertainment Inc., the one-man team behind the cult hit, Sherwood Dungeon, announces a major update to its free-to-play, browser-based MMO game that all bow loving players will appreciate. As a completely new addition to Sherwood Dungeon, players will gain access to Bow & Arrows at level 21. Players will earn two additional equipment slots for these items, as well as the ability to purchase magic arrows (Fire, Ice, Poison, Night) from the local weapons merchant. 

 

Unicorn Death
Killing Unicorns 

 

In addition to the new weapons, this update includes numerous changes such as AI improvements, economy and item rebalancing, and a complete dungeon overhaul, replacing old maps with new ones. Fitting the grassroots nature of Sherwood Dungeon, this update was made possible through the direct support and feedback of Sherwood Dungeon’s loyal fan base, which beta tested the update and helped work out any bugs. 

 

Sherwood Bugs
Report bugs in Sherwood 

 

Lacking the need for a gaming PC, a credit card or login, Sherwood Dungeon proves that high-end fantasy gaming doesn’t need a box, a download, or a monthly subscription fee to deliver high quality gaming for casual MMO players.

Heroes of Three Kingdoms Interview: Staying true to a Classic

Heroes of Three Kingdoms Interview: Staying true to a Classic
Questions by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Aaron Potter, Product Manager

 

Heroes of Three Kingdoms

 

Heroes of Three Kingdoms is one of Perfect World Entertainment’s upcoming MMORPGs. The game is based on the historical Warring States Period, stamped into the annuals of history in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. How will this title differentiate itself from the massive number of Asian-themed MMOs out in the market?

 

OnRPG: Hello, I am Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG journalist. Can you please introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello, my name is Aaron (A.J.) Potter-Product Manager for Heroes of Three Kingdoms.  As a fan of the Three Kingdoms period, when I was given the responsibility to spearhead the effort to bring Heroes of Three Kingdoms to the North American audience, I was thrilled.  I look forward to showing you what all Heroes of Three Kingdoms has to offer.

 

OnRPG: What is the main difference between Heroes of Three Kingdoms and the other games in Perfect World Entertainment’s stable?
First and foremost, Heroes of Three Kingdoms is the first MMORPG in our portfolio that is based on history.  Players will have the opportunity to choose between one of the Three Kingdoms during that period-the Wu, Shu or Wei.  Unlike other MMOs, your “class” is determined based on what weapon type you choose-and you can even go on to master two!  This is also my favorite feature, as it means that I’m no longer locked into a particular role, and I can switch depending on who I’m grouping with.

 

Interacting with players and guilds becomes a very important part of the game, as Heroes of Three Kingdoms has an extensive Territory War system, which will pit kingdoms against each other.  Players will be able to turn the tide of war in favor of their side, earn different titles and even become a general of their kingdom!

 

OnRPG: Heroes of  Three Kingdoms is loosely based on the classical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There are many great warriors, leaders and rulers who brought the whole storyline to life. What roles do they play in the game?
Fans of the classical novel, and the Three Kingdoms era, will be able to see their favorite warriors, leaders and rulers throughout the game.  Through the Campaign mode, there are a variety of different tasks available for players to experience-from fighting alongside Zhao Yun to rescue Liu Bei’s son, to infiltrating an enemy’s camp undetected to steal documents.

 

Steal Documents

 

OnRPG: When will players get to choose which of the 3 kingdoms they can pledge their loyalty to? What differences will there be choosing between the 3 kingdoms?
Beyond the ability to acquire unique equipment, joining a kingdom will also grant players entrance into their respective fortresses, where players may acquire a number of quests.  And of course, most importantly, your faction determines the side that you will fight for in the Kingdom War system.

 

OnRPG: One of the main features of the game is the weapons system where players get to choose one of the 18 weapons available to specialize in. Will players get to change their specialization or even master a second weapon as they progress?
Absolutely-players are able to choose from any of the other weapon types at any time.  Besides eliminating the need to create ‘Alt’ characters, this allows the user to create their own hybrid classes, and to form their own play-style, able to adapt to any situation.  Players can ultimately master every weapon, as well as acquire the ability to wield two weapon types.

 

H3K Weapon Types
Weapon Types

 

OnRPG: Developing the skills for 18 weapons must be no easy feat. How many skills are available for each weapon type? Will players be able to master every skill?
In order to allow ease of access-as well as to not appear daunting-there are often no more than 20 actively used skills available to any particular weapon.  Considering the number of weapons available, and the potential skill combinations-it was our goal to allow players to focus on their current objectives, and not on what button to press.  There are, however, many passive skills which augment actively used skills, as well as to provide passive benefits to the character.

 

OnRPG: Will all 18 weapons be available at launch?
There is no set number, though it will likely depend on the status of translation and localization at that point.  The great thing about Heroes of Three Kingdoms though, is that once these weapon types are ready and made available, players will not be forced to restart in order to utilize them, and they may continue with their existing characters.

 

OnRPG: How is the combat system in Heroes of Three Kingdom like? Will it be any different from the normal Point and Click system found in most MMOs?
In terms of the combat system itself, the style and animations are very fluid and natural, as we used motion capture technology to record the movements from a martial arts expert.  As for basic gameplay and movement, players will be able to point-and-click or use WASD-style movement keys.

 

OnRPG: Will there be a system in place to make sure one kingdom is not overpopulated, hence causing an unfair numerical advantage during kingdom wars?
Though there are a number of variables that determine how Kingdom Wars progress, to summarize-each kingdom is only as powerful as the combined ability of all players for that faction.  As players within each faction will have to manage regions that they conquer, neglecting to do so will make it easier for rival factions to take them over.  Further, as the regions grant resources needed in order to fuel the war effort, the more regions that are acquired, the more these resources are stretched, and the more vulnerable they become.

 

OnRPG: Speaking about kingdom wars, what requirements are needed for players to participate? Are the kingdom wars a 24-hour feature or only available during specific times?
In order to allow users on both sides ample time to prepare, there are designated times in which the attacking force may launch their assault when attempting to conquer a region.   However, players may also initiate raids into enemy territory prior to the siege, where they can attempt to weaken their forces and sabotage defenses.

 

OnRPG: Surely a trademark of Perfect World Entertainment games now, is the massive amount of gorgeous mounts found. Being in the Warring States Period, what kind of mounts can players expect?
We definitely have quite a few mounts, but unlike some of our fantasy-based MMOs, the mounts found in Heroes of Three Kingdoms are mostly based in reality.  Players will be able to have a variety of horses, elephants, and even tigers.  One interesting thing is that mounts in Heroes of Three Kingdoms replace the pet system found commonly in other MMOs, as players are able to upgrade their mounts, changing both their attributes and appearance.

 

Attributes Appearance Heroes of Three Kingdoms
Changing mount appearances

 

OnRPG: Can you tell us more about the siege system found in Heroes of Three Kingdoms? Will there be many different kinds of siege machines available for different uses?
Without going too much in depth, the siege system is one of the highlights in Heroes of Three Kingdoms, and players will be able to experience a multitude of siege weaponry available during the Three Kingdoms era.  Players who learn how to best utilize the siege weaponry will have a distinct edge that will allow them to lead their kingdom to victory.

 

Heroes of Three Kingdoms Siege

 

OnRPG: The Battle of Red Cliff is one of the most epic battles fought during the Warring States Period. Naval strategy was used widely during this period to gain victory. Will we be seeing any naval action in the game?
I’m glad you ask, because as you mentioned, naval warfare was a key part of the Battle of Red Cliff.  While the open beta will not have naval warfare, this is something that we are currently looking into, and is definitely something we are hoping to achieve in Heroes of Three Kingdoms.

 

Naval Action Heroes of Three Kingdoms

 

OnRPG: Players will also get to conquer cities found in their own kingdom. Is this part of the PvP features found in the game, like a territorial guild war?
Yes, the territory-or Kingdom War-system revolves around the conquering cities, constructing fortifications, managing their resources, and defending them against enemy attacks.

 

OnRPG: There will be a Ranking System found in Heroes of Three Kingdoms. Does this mean players can actually serve the imperial courts of their respective kingdoms? What new features will open up to such players?
Yes, players who gain higher reputation and respect through natural game progression will get special privileges-such as titles or items.

 

OnRPG: We have been talking mostly about kingdom wars and PvP. Will the PvE system found in Heroes of Three Kingdoms as exciting as PvP?
The highlight of PvE definitely revolves around the Campaign system, where players may participate in historical events, each with a variety of objectives and different play-style.  With roughly 75 to choose from, these Campaigns serve to both retell the story of the Three Kingdoms, as well as to introduce a new and unique gameplay feature.

 

Gameplay Feature
Campaign System

 

OnRPG: What are some of the events planned as the game gets ready for an official launch?
Along with the typical closed beta events, we’re actually giving away $1,500 worth of prizes to our players who participate in the closed beta.  All they have to do is redeem a closed beta key for Heroes of Three Kingdoms between now and July 27, 2010. There are some great prizes ranging from the latest Kindle DX reader to copies of John Woo’s ‘Red Cliff’ movie.  The only bad thing is that I can’t participate!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time! 

Aika Online Review: PvP Tour with GMs

Aika Online Review: PvP Tour with GMs
By Michael Sagoe (mikedot), OnRPG Journalist
Tour guides: GMLingo and GMAugury

 

Aika Online is a free-to-play MMORPG with a strong emphasis on Player vs. Player (PvP) content. Players can create characters with allegiances to five different nations and compete in small-scale battles for glory and bragging rights, or engage in huge 2000 player wars that could shape the face of an entire nation. In this tour, we’ll be taking a quick peek at some of the PvP modes that Aika Online has to offer, including Relic Wars, Battlegrounds, and the Aitan Arena.

 

To be honest, when the tour first got started, I was feeling a bit nervous since this was my first time covering an event. I had the feeling that would miss some important bits information or something, but as we got the ball rolling, I felt more and more comfortable about the whole thing. So for starters, I met up with GMAugury to take a look at one of the first PvP event of the day: The Battlegrounds.

 

Battlegrounds

The battlegrounds is a straight up team battle where players of each nation can join up with each other and set up battles against other players with several different match options. Players will earn points for defeating enemy players and the first team to reach the target score wins. Setting up matches in the battlegrounds uses a room based system which is simple and easy to use for creating and joining matches.

 

Aika Waiting Room
Battlegrounds waiting room

 

When I entered the first battlegrounds match, I quickly realized that I had forgotten to pick up some skills for my warrior. Luckily, I was able to make do without them thanks to the party alliance that was formed during the beginning of the match. My team was primarily fixated on rushing the other team down, and it worked to some degree. With my warrior, I attempted to go Rambo on some of the enemies and was able to take down a couple of them before falling to my doom.

 

Aika PVP
Aika PVP

 

My team ended up winning the match with a very strong lead and I managed to snag some honor points on the side. Honor points can be used to earn extra EXP, special equipment and more, so players that constantly use the battlegrounds can earn lots of great benefits for their character.

 

Next event up: Relic Wars

 

Relic Wars

Relic Wars is the most popular PvP event in Aika Online, where nations go head to head in large-scale wars to control objects called relics. Nations that have control over these relics can receive many different kinds of buffs. The buffs received from these relics can be stacked, so nations will do whatever it takes to control as may relics as possible.

 

During the first half of the relic war, I was greeted by Lord Marshall Lashen of the Alethius nation who gave me the basics of warfare. Speaking of which: Lord Marshals are the leaders of each nation. They control tax rates, relic upgrades, nation alliances and more. Essentially, their decisions can become major influences for the well being of each nation. Lord Marshall Lashen has been a part of Aika Online since closed beta testing and really knows a thing or two about how relic wars typically go down.

 

When the relic war began, Lashen instructed everyone to head straight for the temple at the Ruins of Algon. Unfortunately for me, I ended up heading for the temple at Tabaza, instead. GMLingo then ported me over to the ruins of Algon so that I could witness the mayhem. Players with alliances with other nations were gunning for the relics and each other. Even during the mass mayhem of a relic war, Lashen was calm and collected when giving orders (especially considering that he was working in the front lines of the war, too!). Lashen then redirected all units to head for the temple at Tabaza and we were able to capture the relic with ease.

 

Aika Battle
Relic Warfare

 

After we captured the relic at Tabaza, Lashen ordered all players to rush back to the Amarkand Temple as the nation of Vanov was attacking a previously captured relic. (or was it the Algon Temple again? I’m not sure.) The confrontation with Nanov was fierce. Swords and shields clashed, magic was cast all over the place, and soldiers were dropping like flies. Trying to pick out enemies in on the battlefield was fairly difficult for me, but I would later figure out that I could have simply used the TAB key to locate and target the closest enemy. Despite the hectic action taking place, I was able to pick off a few players and assisted my allies to re-capturing the relic.

 

Last event: Aitan Arena

 

Aitan Arena

The Aitan Arena is another team vs. team based PvP mode with some special conditions. First off, players of the same nation compete with up to 200 players on teams of two. Unlike the battlegrounds, if your character is defeated in the Aitan Arena, you’re out for the rest of the match. However, the rewards of surviving and defeating other players in the Aitan Arena can be great, as you can earn tons of honor points, medals, and items. These Aitan Arena battles are held twice a day from the PvE channels and anyone over level 11 can participate against others of equal level.

 

Since the Aitan Arena would be the last event I would participate in, I decided to have another player tag along for this one. I asked GMLingo if I could bring friend who was a fairly active Aika online player (level 37 spellcaster) to join me in the Aitan Arena. GMLingo agreed and warped my friend over to our position in a flash.

 

Both my friend and I joined the red team for the Aitan Arena. We didn’t really have a plan or strategy going into the battle, so we both just winged it and rushed in as soon as the doors swung open. As the battle commenced, I noticed that both teams were running around in a huge circle formation against each other. I wasn’t too sure of either teams’ planning behind this strategy, but I went with it anyway.

 

Aika Aitan Arena
Aika Aitan Arena

 

After a few minutes of running around in circles, I ended up stepping out of line. I ended up getting attacked and defeated by an enemy rifleman. As I watched the rest of the match with my lifeless warrior on the ground, my spellcaster friend managed to do significantly better and even managed to get a few kills in before getting thunder-shocked to death, Sith lord style.

 

Tour wrap-up

After all the events I participated and witnessed, my impression of what Aika online was all about was clear: PvP is everything. With the Battlegrounds, Relic War, Altar war, Castle Siege and Aitan Arena, Aika Online tailors to the most hardcore MMO PvP fanatics out there, and with the recently released “Ashes of Betrayal” expansion that features new skills and equipment, new additions to relic wars and a new nation balancing system, Aika Online’s PvP aspect will be greater then ever.

EQ2 Jumps On The F2P Bandwagon

EQ2 Jumps On The F2P Bandwagon

OnRPG and its loyal readers knew it already but it seems more and more large companies are picking up on this fact as well now: Free 2 Play is where it is at!

Sony Online Entertainment informed us that a new free adventure service is coming to players worldwide with the release of EverQuest II Extended, offering all of its content absolutely free.

Everquest 2: Free Adventures

Extended joins the highly successful EverQuest II live subscription service, and together, provide EQII players with a choice of either a subscription-based or free-to-play business model — two distinct experiences operating in parallel, a first in the MMO industry!

“As the digital entertainment market evolves, SOE is focused on continued innovation in content delivery that best fit the needs of the growing consumer base,” said Sony Online Entertainment President, John Smedley. “Our goal with Extended is to offer players an alternative to our current subscription program that gives them the option to choose a program that best fits their play style.”

Extended provides access to premium subscription-quality content through free and optional paid membership levels.  Powered by an all-new web-based download application, new and veteran players alike can experience the excitement and depth of EQII’s content without a daunting installation or a massive download.  Players can register within minutes, download the client to join other people in an epic journey, and launch into adventure in a fantastical online 3D world.  Extended is the ultimate MMORPG experience. Excitement with every breath and adventure around every turn is now available for free!

“The very nature of an MMO is change, and the decision to create Extended was fueled by evolution of the industry landscape,” said EverQuest II Producer, David Georgeson. “By offering two services side by side we have given the power to our players to determine the program that best fits their game play style.”

Extended players will finally experience the vast depth of content only available in EverQuest II without a subscription, credit card or software purchase. Extended will include free access to all EverQuest II game zones through The Shadow OdysseyTM. Players will be able to purchase power-up potions, armor, classes, races, weapons, mounts and more through the marketplace.

Everquest 2 Extended Membership Matrix

It seems like Sony is trying a fresh new look at the F2P market. We do wonder if F2P players will accept that they will not have any customer support in EQ2 while most of the F2P competition does offer this fairly basic service!

MicroVolts

MicroVolts is a free-to-play online multiplayer third person shooter with cartoon style graphics. It includes deep customization options, tight controls, excellent gameplay mechanics, social features, and impressive visuals.
Players have full access to 7 different types of weapons during a match. All weapon types are available to any player, not being tied down to a specific class. Being able to quickly switch weapons to suit the current situation in a match is a key aspect of gameplay.

Story:

 
For ages, a secret battle has been waged, going unnoticed right in our own backyard.

No one knows for sure when or where the first toy declared war.

Rumor has it that their uprising began with four original limited edition figures, code named MicroVolts.

Naomi, Knox, Pandora, and C.H.I.P. were the prototypes. Battle lines were drawn, and they were soon joined by an endless number of modified versions. Now, toy figures around the world are engaged in all out war for valuable battery resources and supremacy of the Micro World.

All we can do now is stay out of their way and wait for a champion to be declared.