Yearly Archives: 2010

Blade Wars Interview: Movie Grade Martial Arts

Blade Wars Interview: Movie Grade Martial Arts
Questions by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Angie Canary, Assistant Producer for Blade Wars

 

Blade Wars Intro

 

ChangYou can be counted as one of the newest MMO publishers to set foot in the western market, who primarily focus on the development and publishing of Free to Play MMO titles. The company is no “newbie” to the MMO industry though – its China headquarters has been in the business since 2003 and is one of the largest and most successful entertainment companies in the world. Blade Wars is one of the company’s latest titles, an F2P martial arts MMO which puts players in a mythical world of martial arts and myriad wonders. How will the game set itself apart? Let’s find out.

OnRPG: Hello, I am Fo Po (cinderboy) from OnRPG. Can you please introduce yourself?

Hi, Po! My name is Angie Canary, and I’m the Assistant Producer on Blade Wars. I’ve been  playing games for as long as I could hold a controller and officially entered the video game industry in 2004 as an in-game CSR at Mythic after deciding to leave a career in law enforcement (yes, that’s right, I’m a former police offer, behave yourself!).  Since then I’ve worked for EA’s Pogo Online studio, EA’s Sims Division, and in 2008 I got my first job as a game designer at Trion World. More recently, I worked at Sparkplay Media as the sole content designer for Earth Eternal, a F2P browser-based MMO. I’ve journeyed extensively in Azeroth, Norrath and Camelot and have a weak spot for any game that involves women who kick ass.

 

OnRPG: Let’s start off by learning more about the company, ChangYou. The company is one of the most prominent MMO companies back in China, why the decision to enter the English market instead of letting other Free to Play companies publish your titles?

Chang You believes strongly in its games and wanted to create a top notch US team to help localize their titles. Over the last few months we’ve brought on top talent from many of the leading free to play & pay to play companies. We’re already an internationally recognized company with the backing, game titles, people and resources to take our games world-wide and, as you know, if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.

 

Blade Wars ChangYou

 

OnRPG: What were some of the difficulties faced when starting out as the new kid on the block?

Most of us employees are veterans of the industry. What is new is the opportunity to bring our games directly to the American market, and the challenge there is just in getting western consumers used to the idea of not having to pay for game downloads or monthly subscription rates, and also in approaching eastern games with a genuine understanding of what Americans consider exciting and fun and being creative enough to work those elements in.

 

OnRPG: Let’s talk about the game. What is the main objective for players to achieve in Blade Wars?

Like all MMOs, Blade Wars takes place in a persistent world that grows with the community. The objective is to have fun and kick ass-there’s no end game but rather, as in real life, ever expanding opportunities to master new skill sets and explore new territories.

 

OnRPG: What is the learning curve like for players who are new to the MMORPG genre?

We’ve attempted to make the introductory process move as smooth as possible. The game is also unique enough that those experienced with MMORPGs won’t be too far ahead of those who aren’t-everyone is invited to come in and experience the world of Blade Wars, and we’ve tried to make sure that the game is accessible to anyone who’s interested in playing. Additionally, a huge amount of information can be found without having to leave the game at all. All players have access to a list of quests in range of their level that never force them to scroll through a massive list to find something specific. The guide covers almost everything possible – shortcuts, guild help, and monsters to kill….

 

Blade Wars Genre

 

OnRPG: Which way will players be able to level faster- mob killing or questing?

Questing will probably get you there a little faster, if your goal is to power through. But there are lots of different ways to earn experience in Blade Wars. For example, we have an exclusive Music Skill development path called “Maestro.” The Maestro system in Blade Wars allows players to make music through use of mouse movements. There are ten instruments and over 30 songs to play. Following a series of colored lines across the screen, players can begin to play pre-set tunes and then customize them with horizontal mouse movement to change the duration of selected notes and vertical mouse movement to change the pitch. If the player does well, their character earns combos and gains experience toward the next level in Music Skill. Nearby characters may enjoy the music and even join in. Extra experience and coins can also be earned by playing with other adventurers through Mentoring, teaming with friends, and teaming with guild members.

 

OnRPG: Other than open world PvE, will there be instances for players to group up and conquer?

You bet! We’ve got an Arena Duel system, mentoring and also Guild Battles aplenty! Groups of adventurers can form guilds, allowing for greater adventures. Continual cooperation between guild members increases the prosperity and standing of their guild, allowing the guilds to evolve into larger and more powerful entities. As a guild grows, it will gain enemies from other guilds who, you know, come to envy its power. Once a guild declares war on another guild, huge battles can occur between them, with the outcome affecting the guild structure itself. Powerful guilds can become infamous through too many losses, while small guilds can rise up with continued victories.

 

Blade Wars Conquer

 

OnRPG: How will players be able to strengthen their characters upon reaching each new level?

The best thing about Blade Wars is the ability to collect Skill Books from the wild in order to build a skill library for your character. These Skills can then be arranged into your own Combos, and changed at any time in order to suit your situation! The higher the Combo number – which means uninterrupted hits – the more powerful your attacks become! One of the goals among players is not only to pit Combos against each other to see whose is superior, but also to build them in order to max out with a 99-hit Combo!

 

OnRPG: The main feature of Blade Wars is no doubt the combo system, which adds both thrill and excitement into the game. Can you explain in detail what makes this feature stand out?

First of all, Blade Wars has set a new standard for martial arts MMOs with the hiring of Liu Hailong – the famous Chinese Sanda (Sanda = freestyle) champion. The motion capture system “Eagle4” was used to capture Liu’s best moves and animate them as Blade Wars fighting styles with nearly 100% accuracy. The game features 99 individual real motion-captured martial arts moves that can be used in the combos we’re about to discuss.

Do you know about Liu? His rise to fame as a Chinese Sanda champion started in 2000 during the King of Sanda tournament. Liu not only won his weight class, but went on to win a grueling one-night open weight round-robin tournament against much bigger fighters! This earned him the title Sanda or “King of Kings”. Liu has always been a fan of Chinese Kung Fu and has developed a very unique view on martial arts during his time as a Sanda fighter. As the choreographer for Blade Wars, Liu ensured that the highly exaggerated martial arts moves in close combat look as real as possible.

Famed Chinese Sanda champion, Liu Hailong doing the motion capture process for Blade wars:

 

Blade Wars Motion Capture
Motion Capture

 

So what do we do with all these amazing moves? We feed them into a build-it-yourself combo attack system. Our system allows players to chain a series of attack skills together to form special combination skill attacks. Combo strings can be set and tailored to suit varied attack scenarios. The best players have been able to create combo strings that result in a chain of up to 99 uninterrupted hits! So this gives you the chance to do more in combat than just press sequential buttons (or “mash”). The most formidable heroes use strategy to build the best Combo attacks possible, and switch between different variations based on the situation.

For example, you would want to try different variations against monsters in PvE than you would want to use on other players in PvP. We also have an “Occupation Combo Skill Recommendation” button.  This will give you a list of recommended Combos for your particular character type.  But if you want to make your own combos, you’ll need to pay close attention to each skill and follow the tips listed in their descriptions.  Some skills need to be preceded by one specific skill, or followed by a specific skill, or even sandwiched between two different skills.  It gives players a lot to think about and encourages some really inventive, amazing-looking attacks.

 

Blade Wars Attacks
Attack Skills

 

OnRPG: The PvP aspect is also what makes a good MMORPG. How are players encouraged to engage in more PvP duels in Blade Wars? What are some benefits for being a regular PvPer?

The combo system is really what makes our PVP system stand out. Two players with identical characters can duel and have a completely different style. The challenge is in creating the right mixture of moves to exploit your foes weaknesses before they find yours!

 

OnRPG: What other features from Blade Wars will make it unique in the Free to Play market?

In addition to the real mo-capped Kung Fu, the combo attack system, and Maestro, we have a unique Weapon Creation system that allows adventurers to collect and create their own special weapons out of pieces of long discarded weapons dropped throughout the world over the eons. Every class has its own special weapon handle and weapon head, and each piece can be different from other similar types of pieces. Once a weapon handle and a matching headpiece are collected, players can travel to a Weapon Forger in any major town and pay him to assist in the creation of a new weapon. The new weapons contain the combined benefits of the individual pieces, allowing flexibility in choosing which items to forge.

 

We also have thematic environments set in a bright palette to give Blade Wars a vibrant feel.  A combination of 2D and 3D graphical elements viewed from an isometric perspective immerses players within the world with dizzyingly spectacular quality.  Snow, rain, lightning, swooping birds, and highly detailed environments create a universe that is defined by beauty. Additionally, each major town has its very own theme, and surrounding each major town are wild areas that mimic the town’s prosperity. The wild areas share similar traits to each other, allowing for a smooth progression from luscious green land to desolate wastelands.

 

Blade Wars Wastelands

 

Blade Wars also includes great Guild Battles and exciting Arena Challenges, as well as tons of life skills and fun adventures, both PvE and PvP.

 

OnRPG: How big will the gap be between players who spend more on the cash shop compared to those who spend little or none?

We’ve worked really hard to keep this balanced. You can get up the highest levels without ever visiting the cash shop, or you can have fun purchasing unique costumes, potions and items that will enhance your character customization and improve your success rates for certain tasks.

 

OnRPG: Are there any major changes made from the Chinese version when localizing the game for the English market?

You mean aside from the story, the quests, the names, the conversations, the items, the mobs, the in-game events, the players and the support? Not much. ;-P

 

OnRPG: Is there any new content or improvements players can expect in the near future?

There are, but get in the Beta first-then we’ll talk!

 

OnRPG: Any last words to the readers out there to end this interview?

Open Beta has began – visit Blade Wars to join us!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!

Thank you!

 

Blade Wars Final

Fists of Fu

Fists of FU is Outspark’s new free-to-play, hilarious Arcade-Action MMORPG featuring a beat-em-up multiplayer storyline, anime style graphics, and an immersive 3-D environment. Join your friends to take on the evil Monster King and his armies. Master dozens of skills as you learn the martial arts of the Fighter, Magician, and Archer classers. Use your deadly combos and special moves to beat up your friends in awesome Player vs. Player battles, and challenge PKers for rare items.

Monster Forest Review: Be A Poke-err… Monster Trainer

Monster Forest Review: Be A Poke-err… Monster Trainer
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

Monster Forest is an MMORPG set in the Liberon continent of the Eran world. The game emphasizes the use of pets, which is quite interesting as we have yet to see an MMO that completely focuses on pet usage. Just as the title suggests, Monster Forest can be compared to the likes of Pokémon (or at least the whole idea of it) where characters can catch a wide variety of monsters to aid them in battle. Other than the battle sequences and monster mayhem, the game offers players a nice list of things to do (which will be discussed later). Consider it a Monster Rancher MMO on steroids. It’s a rare concept, but does it have enough juice to impress the gamers of today? Let’s find out…

 

Starting Up: Please Create Your Tamer! I mean Trainer…

I can’t really say much about the character selection screen as it doesn’t really have that much to offer. You’ll be given three faces to choose from (three for each gender that is). After choosing your character’s face, you’ll be opted to choose between a short list of shirts, leg wear, gloves and shoes. It would’ve been much better if they provided a wider selection of clothes, but this game revolves around the pets anyway, so I guess the cloning process can be ignored.

 

Pets Are The New PC: I CHOOSE YOU!

After customizing your “clone”, you’ll be prompted to pick your starting pet. One good thing about this feature is that you can actually pick your pet’s gender. Not that it helps you in any way, but at least they managed to add more depth in pet choices. Male pets also look different from their female versions so you can choose the one that matches your threads. One thing to be noted is that humans are the aesthetical characters in the game. The difference between Monster Forest and other MMOs is that the class archetypes are given to monsters. If I must explain, classes are interchangeable, depending on which pet you want to put out or use. Pets can be traded anytime, allowing players to maintain their ability to fight even after losing a party member.

 

Pets New PCs 
Pets at the new PCs

 

Much like PCs in other games, pets also level up and earn new skills as they progress. They can also evolve (change form) once they reach a certain level. Other than the level requirements, you’ll also need the help of some evolution items to let your pet reach his/her next stage. Pricey and “grindey” at some point, but you’ll see that it’s well worth it once your monster evolves and kicks arse.

 

Skills That Kills

As stated earlier in this review, monsters can use skills that are presented in card format. Skill cards can be acquired either through creation or combination. You can gather all your collected materials and make your own powerful card (how cool is that?). Running low on power? You can always upgrade your skill card, provided that you have enough items to heighten the percentage of success. Skills greatly affect the outcome of each battle, so do yourself a favor and start editing your deck (or whatever you call it).

 

Skills Kills
Awesome skills

 

Quests

The quest system is quite superb. Aside from the average quest found in various MMOs, the game provides a set of daily quests to keep your income steady (or keep you occupied). If that’s not enough, you can always try doing the guild quest, which as the name implies can be accomplished by grouping together and fighting alongside your guild. Quests are always delightful to have. Not only does it remove the linearity of grinding, it also points players to their proper leveling grounds.

 

Monster Battle Goodness

Unlike your average MMO game, Monster Forest sports a turn-based system similar to RPGs like Suikoden. The game provides a grid system that allows players to assume formation, allowing melee pets to protect their lesser-health comrades at any given time. Much like your average turn-based RPG, you can order your pets to attack, defend, or move depending on the situation at hand. Seeing who goes or attacks first, revolves around the pet’s PP (Priority Point) and his/her corresponding skill card, so be sure to observe your surroundings well before clicking on random skill cards. It’s a very fun method of gameplay and is easy to learn for most players.

 

Monster Forest Battle Goodness
Monster Forest Battle Goodness

 

Achievements

One thing that strengthens the replay value of a game is the achievement system. Achievements are fun for both hardcore and casual players, allowing them to test their skill and patience while keeping track of their in game accomplishments. I think that achievements are not mandatory, but a great add on to any game. Nothing beats the feeling of satisfying these requirements and this would keep you busy even without the presence of certain quests.

 

PVP

There are 2 ways of doing PVP in the game. First we have the traditional duel system which allows players to fight each other provided that the challengee accepts the attacker’s invite. There are two zones in the game: Normal and Open-PVP. The second method of dueling is by sending a PVP invite while in an open PVP area. Unlike normal zones, both players are instantly locked in combat the moment a player sends a PVP request. There’s no need for confirmation here.

 

Miniland: Too Much Joy

If you’re tired of grinding and questing, you can focus on other things like making money. There’s a lot of stuff to do in Monster Forest. In the game, players can start their own farm, shop, restaurant; otherwise known as minilands. Call it a semi Restaurant City/Farmville. It’s really fun to expand your territory, but don’t go around thinking that your hard work won’t pay off. Basically, this acts as your personal business in the game, allowing you to earn more cash as you increase your hub’s popularity.

 

Monster Forest Miniland
Miniland in Monster Forest

 

The Verdict

Monster Forests’s pet system is definitely something new in the MMO world and is a must try for MMO players everywhere. Pet gender? What other MMO features that? The turn-based system is enthralling but kinda boring at some points, especially when you’re waiting for your next turn. The Miniland function is pretty attractive and fairly addictive. With better graphics and actual sound effects, you’ll be glad you’re not playing it on Facebook <_<. Overall I’d say Monster Forest is a good game. Cute monsters, newbie friendly system, miniland functions, a must play game for cutesy lovers everywhere.

 

Pros:
– Expanded pet system
– PVP
– Instances
– Quests
– Skills and crafting of skills
– Evolution of monsters.

 

Cons:
– Character creation phase needs some tweaking
– Graphics look outdated
-Combat gets old at times.

Wonderland Online: New Maps Arrive with Version 6.0

Wonderland Online: New Maps Arrive with Version 6.0

 

Clash of Champions, the new version of IGG’s Wonderland Online, has released. Among the many new additions are two new maps: Cornwall and Domremy. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the legends surrounding these famous locations.

Cornwall, Britain

In medieval times, most of ancient Britain was swathed in lush green forests and bountiful plains. Hidden in this verdant land was the legendary, mystical fairy kingdom known as Cornwall.

 

One day, the kingdom descended into turmoil when the old King fell ill and the Prince disappeared. At the time, the strongest warriors of the land sensed the weakness of the ruling family and began battling for the crown and control of Cornwall. When Prince Arthur heard this news he knew his rightful claim to the throne was in danger, so he journeyed to find the powerful magic sword that had been sealed in a stone. Claiming the sword and its power, he battled the warriors seeking to usurp him and once more brought peace to the land. Prince Arthur had become King Arthur and made Cornwall a peaceful and prosperous land once more.

 

Domremy Church

 

Domremy, France

St. Joan hails from the village of Domremy, an otherwise quiet town located in the Lorraine region of France. When she was a little girl, Domremy was the site of countless attacks, and the threat of danger was a constant presence. Buildings were destroyed by fire and whole villages were sometimes leveled at the whim of invading armies. The people could have given up and let their enemies take the land, but they didn’t. They banded together and under her inspirational leadership fought for freedom from oppression.

 

Visit the official Wonderland Online site for the latest details about the Clash of Champions update.

 

Domremy Town

Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms

Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms is set during the time of Chaos, just after the Dark Messiah cycle. Urgash has been freed from his prison and the demons reign over Ashan. The six elemental dragons sons and daughters of Asha, have disappeared. Guided by a prophetess, the players of M&M Heroes Kingdoms and their allies will have to form an alliance in order to reclaim the tears of Asha and try to prevent the whole world from falling into chaos.

3D MMO Gaming: The Next Big Thing?

3D MMO Gaming: The Next Big Thing? 
Written by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist

 

3D MMO intro

 

To start this article off, I will first like to refer to this recent article I have read: “9you, one of the fast rising MMO developers and publishers in China, recently announced that they will be integrating their upcoming MMOs with 3D technology. You read it right, players will have the chance to view their games through 3D vision goggles and experience the same kind of thrill when watching Avatar 3D (who hasn’t watch the movie in 3D?). The company also admitted that the recent Avatar 3D wave helped them to speed up development of the project.”

 

 Talk about riding huge waves.

 

3D MMO Avatar
Avatar’s 3D effect

 

9you will apparently be the first company in the global MMO industry to announce this rather ambitious type of project. Personally, I expected a bigger company, say Blizzard, to embark on this project first, due to the massive finances involved. The company, realising that gaming in 3D will tire out players’ eyes and that 3D gaming is still at its infant stage, will first trial this new feature on their casual games and side-scrollers. In the beginning stages, only special features like skill graphics and character models will be in 3D.

 

I have to applaud 9you in this particular venture, seeing that it is no easy task. And mind you, 9you is a developer and publisher of Free to Play titles, this really tells you how far the Free To Play market has come. The company is also working with some technology firms on plans to distribute the 3D vision goggles needed and other essential peripherals.

 

9you’s first few 3D games:

 

Dungeon Heroes 3D MMO
Dungeon Heroes

 

Audition 2 3D MMO
Audition 2

 

Weapons of the Gods 3D MMO
Weapons of the Gods

 

City Transformers 3D MMO
City Transformers

 

 

The limitations

Tech geek I am not, but I have skimmed through several articles which touch on the topic of 3D gaming for the PC system. Firstly, 3D gaming on the PC currently requires a special monitor which has the capability to refresh at 120Hz. While some players might not mind the cost of one (around USD320 for a 22inch one), 3D gaming will need the majority of players utilizing it to start the market up.

 

Secondly, the 3D vision goggles. The only branded (or brand) 3D vision goggles for PC gaming I have come across are from Nvidia, and they cost a rather hefty USD199. Once again, it might be a small sum to some, but a princely price to the majority. What about gamers who are already wearing glasses?

 

GEFORCE NVIDIA 3D MMO Vision Kit
Nvidia’s GEFORCE 3D Vision Kit

 

Thirdly, the ill-effects of prolonged 3D gaming. You don’t have to be an Optometrist or even an Ophthalmologist to acknowledge that players will soon experience severe discomfort in their eyes. Gazing at a normal LCD monitor for a few hours for either work or gaming already causes dry eyes, itchy eyes, bloodshot eyes and whatnot, I can’t imagine the degree of damage 3D gaming will cause to the eyes and overall health of hardcore gamers.

 

Conclusion 

Overall, in my opinion, 3D gaming is not a necessity anytime in the near future. It will no doubt edge closer to being mainstream in the years to come, but there are still more doubts (especially long-term health concerns) to clear up. Will more companies start to embrace 3D gaming? Or will this new way of gaming be just a short term fad? It’s really up to the gaming community to decide.

The Allods Quest for Chests $50k Giveaway

The Allods Quest for Chests $50k Giveaway

$50,000 Giveaway Event!

 

 Allods Online Quests for Chests

 

Play an hour a day to get a key that might unlock the chest of your dreams!

 

Use your keys to open chests for a chance to INSTANTLY WIN some of our most popular Item Shop items, including Enchanted Saddles, Dragon Hide Backpacks, and Holy Charms! Each time you open a chest, you will also be entered into a drawing to win that quest’s amazing prizes, such as Alienware Aurora PC Desktop gaming systems, custom Astro A30 headsets, iPads, and 52″ LCD TVs!

 

Allods Online Quests for Chests Information
Allods Online: Quests for Chests Information

Nadirim

Players begin their adventure as a simple citizen of the Empire of the Eternal Sun, where the sun never sets. The old Caliph sacrificed his life so that the sun would stand at the zenith and the powers of evil Nadir, the Lord of the Void, would be imprisoned in the darkness. After more than 100 years, the people have begun to lose their faith in goodness, and the darkness is creeping slowly into the hearts of the citizens of the empire. The sun is slowly setting and the first servants of the mighty djinn Nadir are starting to appear.

 

With one of the five different character classes – Warrior, Sage, Nomad, Ruffian, or Caravan Master – each with two different and unique talent trees, players must answer the call of the secret Order of the Inamas in order to save the Light and with it the kingdom itself.

 

The main plot begins in Ennahar, the Town of Adventures, and unfolds through numerous quests. Characters can enter solo quests, PvP, group, and even guild quests. Along with the extensive PvE content, players can engage in PvP arena battles to earn extra experience and additional rewards. Thanks to the different skills of the various character classes, every battle in the turn-based combat system is unique.

Features:

  • Free to play online browser game in Arabian Nights
  • Strong PvE and PvP content
  • A huge variety of solo, group, guild, and PvP quests
  • Five different character classes, each with two unique talent trees:
    Warrior, Sage, Nomad, Ruffian, or Caravan Master
  • Turn-based combat system
  • Extensive guild system
  • Crafting and trade system with huge variety of magical items
  • Social media connectivity – players can share their progress andadventures with friends

Unique level of detail and captivating music