Monthly Archives: February 2011

WEBZEN revealed ‘Soul of the Ultimate Nation: Episode 2′

WEBZEN revealed ‘Soul of the Ultimate Nation: Episode 2′

 

WEBZEN Inc. announced Soul of the Ultimate Nation: Episode 2 will be officially serviced at new Korean server today, February 24, 2011.

 

S.U.N.: Episode 2 will have completely new game systems all around from character level-up system, battles, items, and quests. S.U.N.: Episode 2 is expected to please various gamers with its simple and yet strategic game-play.

 

WEBZEN partially released the newly adjusted character balance and item enhance system on February 10, and revealed the remaining new quests and new monsters on February 17.

 

Newly added quests will start from the new continent, “Serient,” and they will be about resolving conflicts between tribes in different continents.

 

WEBZEN released S.U.N.: Episode 2 through the test server before official service in order to collect gamers’ opinions about the new systems.

 

“We are also planning to add popular elements from recently released games so that the contents of S.U.N.: Episode 2 will feel just like a new game. We are also willing to reflect user’s feedback from the test server,” WEBZEN representative said. “We are just as thrilled as our users to release S.U.N.: Episode 2, and we would like to encourage users’ to participate actively and express their thoughts.”

 

Two new maps, ‘Helron’s castle’, ‘Collapsed Etherain’ were added. ‘Helron’s castle’ is the last story map of S.U.N., and ‘Collapsed Etherain’ is the beginning of S.U.N.: Episode 2. The maximum level is increased to Level 135 as well.

 

Meanwhile, S.U.N. is being serviced world-wide, roughly in 180 countries, through global partners and global game portal, ‘WEBZEN.COM.’ Additionally, WEBZEN recently signed a contract for S.U.N. with INNOVA, the top publisher in Russia.

 

S.U.N.: Episode 2 will be launched through WEBZEN Global Game Portal this coming April. More details on the Soul of the Ultimate Nation can be found at the official website.

GDC: Valve Announces Steam Is Coming To TV!

GDC: Valve Announces Steam Is Coming To TV!

 

The first day of GDC has started with an interesting and unexpected announcement by Valve. With steam they already own the digital downloads market on the PC but this isn’t enough for them. Valve has annouced a “big picture” mode, a controller-friendly version of Steam built for playing on televisions.

“Our partners and customers have asked us to make Steam available in more places. With the introduction of Steam on the Mac, and soon in Portal 2 on the PS3, we’ve done just that,” said VP of marketing, Doug Lombardi. “With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house.”

This could instantly make Steam a contender for in the console market. Why bother with consoles if your entire Steam library is playable on your tv?

Valve will be annoucing more details on this new product during GDC and we’ll update you as soon as we find out more.

EverQuests Age of Rediscovery: First Impressions (Again)

EverQuests Age of Rediscovery: First Impressions (Again)

 

Fippy Darkpaw and Vulak’Aerr are a week old now. And while I admit I’ve not spent as much time playing as I would like there have been good reasons for it! All of my allotted Everquest time has been going towards reading guides and finding out information. But I’ll go into that a bit more later. What have I done so far on Fippy? Well, I rolled myself up a Wood Elf which as it so happens was the first race I ever played back in the day and was easily my favorite. I’ve run around the newbie area and enjoyed the city in the trees. I’ve fallen out of the city several times. But then who doesn’t? So after having played around a bit what are my first (re)impressions.

 

Character Creation

The very first thing I noticed about Everquest was the music. Epic, upbeat and appropriately fantasyish. It plays throughout the character creation process. Which, if you take any amount of time at all to create your character it can start getting a little annoying only because it repeats so often. So how does the actual character creation rate? For what it was at it’s time I would give it a 10 out of 10. You get a variety of faces, you can change a character’s stats. There seem to be a lot more options for customization but they were greyed out. I can only assume this is due to where we are in the progression. After the difficult process of picking a name (Is there really any game out there where picking a name isn’t hard?) I hit the button to enter the world.

EverQuest Character Creation

Nostalgia

Before the graphics had even finished loading the music started up and I was taken back. Once I found myself standing in that wonderful city the nostalgia hit me. I can’t remember how many times I saw that same sight. The brown blur of walls, the music, all that was missing was a smell and I might as well of been back in 1999. When I stepped outside of that little hut my Wood Elf started in I looked around. It was all exactly as I remember it. Only it looked more beautiful back then. Now, its outdated and blocky. Of course Everquest hasn’t changed, I have. It may not look as good as some of the other games out there. But it is perfect the way it is. After I finished reminiscing I decided it was time to set out.

 

EverQuest Nostalgia

 

First Combat

The first combat didn’t come until after I got lost in the city looking for a lift down. And had a fall, discovered the map which to be honest I can’t remember if it was there before or not. I don’t remember there being a map. But it may have always been there and I just didn’t know. Eventually I found my way out to the newbie area. There were far more people there than I cared for. But eventually I settled on my first target, a giant wasp. I’ve heard many people who never played Everquest shocked by the fact that the things you fight have such simplistic names name Rat or Giant Wasp. I enjoy it. It gives you a sense that it is a simple world. A wolf is just a wolf, a rat just a rat. Whoever wrote the combat music did a very good job. I can feel myself tense when the music starts. It makes the fight feel more frantic, more life and death. My first combat related death came while I was killing a bat. I didn’t see the Orc wander up behind me. And before I knew it I was down. I kept going back for more.

 

Everquest Combat

Crafting

I decided that my little outfit which is really nothing more than a swimsuit needed a bit more. So I decided I wanted to make a cape. I found the right person to buy the recipe from. But then there was the trouble of figuring out where to use it. Or even how to read it. Did I need to be a certain level before I could use it? The frustration just continued to build until I decided to go back to fighting.

 

Frustrations

It wasn’t long before I realized that I had no idea how to track what level I was. Or even where to level up. I spent several days reading guides and other things. It makes me wonder if this would prevent a casual player from continuing onward. I never stopped before. But then I don’t remember anything about levelling either. I eventually found a bar in my character screen that is tracking my level. Now the only question is if I have to find someone to go to for level two or if it just happens automatically.

 

It might seem like I have no idea what I’m doing. And to be honestly, I really don’t. But that is all part of the process. Rediscovering what I’ve been away from for so long and trying to relearn how to play a game so old. There’s no arrow over someone’s head saying talk to me. There’s no easy way to do things. You have to talk to everyone, try everything. I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep trying, keep learning. Its been a great journey so far. And I’ve barely started. I can’t wait to continue my exploration.

Eudemons Pets: More than Just a Pretty Face!

Eudemons Pets: More than Just a Pretty Face!

 

Eudemons Online is a famous, free 2.5D Fantasy MMORPG presented by TQ Digital Entertainment. TQ Digital always sticks to self-development, and has become one of the first-class game developers in China through their unremitting efforts. Using top-grade game development capabilities, TQ Digital has earned many outstanding achievements. Conquer Online represents the most successful domestic game to move into overseas market. While in China, Eudemons Online is the hottest game ever, which combines a gorgeous western style with oriental aesthetic perspectives, perfectly. You can choose to become a Warrior, a Mage, or a Paladin. Each class has its own pets, called Eudemons. There are over 100 distinctive Eudemons and Mounts to help you along your adventures. With their assistance, you will never venture out alone!

An old game or a new game?
Eudemons Online has been running for about 5 years. As a long lasting game, it has attracted hundreds of thousands of players from all around the world. But yet, it never fades away as the time passes by, because Eudemons Online keeps coming up with novel ideas and new features. Going through the Divine Path and Demon Rising, it has grown up rapidly. Now, it’s like a brand new game is standing in front of us! Mature, but still vibrant and youthful. The newly announced “Vampire” class is set to join the holy war very soon. What will be brought up from the underworld? We’ll have to wait and see!

What is the soul of Eudemons Online?
It will definitely be Eudemons’ Composing System. Eudemons Online is most famous for this unique pet system, which is what TQ Digital mainly focused on. You’ll find it the most interesting and attractive feature in the game.

Eudemons Pets - Not just pretty faces!

A wide range of choices
Except those Eudemons designed for three different classes, there are loads of special Eudemons, such as Astral Eudemons, Divine Eudemons and Flying Mounts. Every year, new Eudemons will be added in game, according to the Chinese lunar year. What’s more, some super eye-catching limited versions of Eudemons are released at times, which are only available for a short period.

 

While heading out on an adventure, you can take up to 12 Eudemons along with you, and summon 3 of them at a time. Strategically speaking, you need to pick them up wisely from more than 100 Eudemons, according to different PKs, Quests, or Boss Hunting. Each of them has its own unique appearance and power! After going through all kinds of adventures, you’ll gradually find the most suitable and loyal companions for you. And you are going to need to make a greater effort to power them up! Well trained Eudemons will be able to more ably support you in combat and crafting.

Composing
Composing is the best way to improve every quality of your Eudemons, and it’s also an important part of Eudemons Online. There are altogether 8 ways to Eudemon Composing. Sacrifice is inevitable while composing. Five common ways of composing are Main Attribute, Sub-Attribute, Initial-Attribute, Luck, and ID Composing. You need to check the detailed information of your Eudemons beforehand, to compose smartly and efficiently. Good composing will certainly make your Eudemons grow fast and efficiently.

Three special ways of composing joined afterwards, as every hero in Cronus is so eager to have the most distinguished Eudemons. Different kind of composing will improve different qualities of your Eudemons. Apart from the composing, your Eudemons will have to go through Evolutions to be fully grown.

Evolution
All Eudemons will go through two holy evolutions, one at Level 20 and the other at Level 40. Every evolution might bring your Eudemon a new look and more power!

After the second evolution, a unique ID will be given to the Eudemon, to make it stand out from other ordinary Eudemons. What’s more beneficial is that your Eudemons may randomly get special talents, such as a Town Gift, Repair Gift, and Identify Gift. And it may even turn into the strongest race, Thunder! Eudemons are your formidable weapons, and Converging is the best way to make full use of these weapons.


Converging

Converging makes you realize that the most loyal friends are your Eudemons. They sacrifice their lives for you, and will never betray you. In order to fight against various monsters, you will have to consider the most effective way to converge with your Eudemons.

Warrior Eudemons are perfect guards for Mages. While converged with them, their superior attack and defense power will be added to your character. They help you bring up the ultimate energy in you, and protect you till death! Meanwhile, Warriors can use Mage Eudemons to fight from a long distance, and thus get extra M-def and M-atk power!

Besides the great pet system mentioned above, Eudemons Online has a splendid PvP system, with 5 modes to PK in. There is a massive community system, reminding you of love, friendship and brotherhood. All kinds of fun and rewarding events are available every week. Eudemons Online has kept on, and will always keep on, surprising you with fresh and new stories!

 

If you want to give it a try you can sign up for Eudemons here!

Zu Online: Cull the Golden Ox Demons

Zu Online: Cull the Golden Ox Demons

 

Whether you’re a fan of its engaging PvP battles or the beauty of its flash-rendered graphics, the world of Zu Online is anything but peaceful. The latest threat to vex Zu’s brave adventurers is a horde of Golden Ox Demons that have overrun Thunder Peak.

The decade-long war between the Immortals and the Demons still casts a shadow over Zu’s inhabitants and heroes alike. Hidden devils walk among its people in human form, spreading cruelty and craving blood wherever they go. An invasion of Golden Ox Demons only makes an already dangerous situation even more deadly.

 

Zu Online: Cull the Demon!

 

The Telepath Envoy has learned that the evil Golden Ox Demons recently barged into Thunder Peak and stole the Silver Stones. Though the Envoy’s power is great, it is no match for so many of these creatures. He has sent out a call for help, seeking higher-level champions to cull the Golden Ox Demons in Thunder Peak and recover the Silver Stones.

Beginning March 1st, the event will be available to all eligible characters each day from noon to 2:00 PM and from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM EST (GMT-5). Recover the precious Silver Stones to earn incredible silver stone gifts, as well as the Telepath Envoy’s eternal gratitude.

Welcome to a Fantastic Age!: One Man in a Land of Children

Welcome to a Fantastic Age!: One Man in a Land of Children

By Stephen Boyd, OnRPG Journalist.

Fantage is for kids. And I’m not saying that because I think it’s childish, or silly. The game was designed for children. It is closely monitored by the developers to try and provide a safe environment for children between six and fourteen and I think that anything that builds the next generation of gamers is a great thing.

 

Fantage Start

Fantage starts with creating your avatar in the nigh omnipresent ‘kiddy manga’ style used by most free to play games these days. While the art style does not appeal to me personally, it is obviously popular with the seven million players of Fantage worldwide.

While the initial options for your avatar are limited, in-game stores sell new hairstyles, clothes, shoes and accessories. From investigating the first few ‘Towns’ in-game, the variety of looks on display seems to almost limitless.

Navigating the game world is very simple. Your standard old school point and click interface navigates you around the screen and a World Map can be used to fast travel between destinations.

 

Fantage Worldmap

Fantage currently boasts ten towns, each with its own social hub. These hubs are used as meeting places for avatars and also host a set of mini games. The Star Café in the starting zone was packed when I entered. Icons on the wall displayed portals to each of the mini games. Fruit Stack was a Connect Four like game where you chain apples or oranges to win. Memory Mix Up plays like your standard match the tiles puzzler. Snack Tac Toe, as you may imagine, was a Tic Tac Toe or Noughts and Crosses using Cookies and Donuts rather than Xs and Os. Winning these games earns you stars and these stars can be used to buy certain items.

 

Fantage Beach

Each town has shops to purchase new looks for your character and house. When I tried to buy a stylish new moustache, even though I had enough stars, I was blocked as many items are only available to Premium members. This may be a problem if you have to explain to your child why they cannot buy that sparkly pink hat they want.

 

Adding a touch of variety to the mini games I have already discussed are the Special Agent Missions. It seems that even in the peaceful land of Fantage, dastardly villains are out to get us.
By accessing the secret underground base, your avatar can be drafted in to assist the Secret Service to battle all manner of ne’er do wells and malefactors.

 

Mission Center Fantage

In your first mission, if you choose to accept it, you will face off against evil Ninja Monkeys to rescue General Gopher and retrieve the Golden Monkey of Hanoi. But you will not face them alone; at your side will be the ninja’s natural enemy, the pirate.

While you do not go into combat directly on these missions, Flash animations show your allies battling enemies while you go off and solve puzzles to achieve your objective.

 

Fantage Cutscene

 

All in all, I felt that during the two hours I spent in Fantage I barely scratched the surface. There are dozens of mini games and missions to complete, each leading to currency rewards and unlockables. While Fantage may not be for me or you, the game seems fun and likely highly playable for the younger gamers out there. The UI is simple and intuitive and a great learning tool for those using a PC for the first time. And let’s face it, any game where you get to smash Ninja Monkeys with a giant hammer can’t be a bad thing, right?

Faxion Announces Second Closed Beta Phase

Faxion Announces Second Closed Beta Phase

 

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust – as the eternal battle between heaven and hell continues, and the forces of Heaven and Hell are recruiting you for the war. UTV True Games announced today that its combat driven, free to play MMORPG, Faxion Online, entered the second phase of beta testing. Register at www.FaxionOnline.com, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get exclusive keys, news, item giveaways and more.
 
 
New players chosen for beta test two, along with existing closed beta players, will experience all new content, features, bug fixes, and balancing that was addressed based on valuable feedback from the community. Some of the key improvements include an all-new user experience where the Heaven class begins behind the pearly gates, and the Hell class starts their experience amongst fire and brimstone, complete with a more intuitive tutorial. The second Closed Beta also features a polished and rebalanced multi-classing system that clearly indicates how skills improve through ranks, and how attributes are distributed as a user invests more in secondary and tertiary classes. In addition to these major system adjustments, additional content, maps, and convenience features like teleportation stones have been added in the latest patch to improve the overall player experience.

 

Faxion Second Phase of Closed Beta Is Announced
 
“The responses to the first closed beta have been incredible in helping us determine updates for this second phase,” said Frank Lucero, Studio Head at UTV True Games. “Our community has provided invaluable feedback and we are looking forward to their response to the latest content in the second closed beta patch.”

 
Players can side with Heaven or Hell in the relentless struggle for ultimate domination over the seven deadly sins.  With a comical twist, Faxion Online is one of the first free to play MMORPGs to deliver aggressive and robust PVP game play and a unique territory control system that allows the different factions to battle for the fate of the seven deadly sins.  With a unique multi-classing system, players will have the freedom to play the way they want with achievement and glory through adventure and combat.

Runes of Magic Goes Browser-Based! (ish)

Runes of Magic Goes Browser-Based! (ish)

 

Frogster and Kalydo are working on a fully playable browser and Facebook version of Runes of Magic, the first glimpses will be at GDC in San Francisco.

 

Runes of Magic will be entirely playable in a browser window and on Facebook starting in Q2/2011. The international publisher has closed a cooperation agreement with technology partner Kalydo. The Dutch middleware provider will realize the browser integration with a browser plug-in and a scalable server platform running on cloud computing that they developed. Using the so-called Kalydo Player, the originally client-based MMORPG can then be enjoyed through any browser on practically every Windows PC without any constraints.

 

Runes of Magic on Facebook

 

The initial focus of the partnership will be Facebook integration. For the registration, the partners will use the social network’s user-friendly single-opt-in function, allowing every Facebook user to dive straight into the virtual world without having to complete any additional registration procedures. Once inside the social network, Runes of Magic can be played in either full screen or window mode without limiting any of the game’s functionality. The Kalydo team has already started with the technical implementation of the browser version. Frogster will show a first test version to selected media partners at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco from 28th of February until 4th of March. The publisher can be found on a common booth with Gameforge in the North Hall of the Moscone Center, booth No. 702.

“We are expecting to see a marked increase in the numbers of players for Runes of Magic through this cooperation with Kalydo. Powered by the impressive Kalydo technology the browser version will enable us to attract new target groups who previously have found the download, installation and registration process too complicated”, commented Andreas Weidenhaupt, Chief Licensing Officer of Frogster Interactive Pictures AG on the signing of the contract.

Doki Tops, CEO of KalydoDoki Tops, CEO of Kalydo agrees with him:  “This is the future of gaming. Players enter the game with a single click of the mouse instead of spending hours on a download and installation and get the exact same experience. We praise Frogster for recognizing this potential and taking a leading role with us in pioneering this massive new style of gaming.”

Kalydo has already incorporated the 3D role-playing game GodsWar into Facebook, which has gone from strength to strength.

Colony of War

It’s the year of 2627. Five generations have passed since the new era of space colonization began and humans have fully adapted to their lifestyle in space by expanding colonies and modifying robots. As more were forming, profit-making was irrefutable for humans. Nearby colonies were conquered and alliances were made. This brought the beginning of two separate nations, the SUF (Solar System United Front) and UGA (Universe Government Allies). No longer was it about living in space but surviving in your own colony of war.

Colony of War is the newest web browser game which includes a basic building concept as well as creating robots to have a war in universe.( invade other players’ colonies.)  There is 50 different types of robots and more will be created after collecting a feedback from players.

While players build, manage, and operate their own colony, they can build robot troops to enjoy fighting in a battle for other colonies.   Furthermore, players are able to place their own robot as a commander of an army to boost entertainment.

Key Game Description:
1.    Space Colonization
–    Develop colonies and activate robots
–    Attack colonies using your army force and space warcrafts
–    Defend your colony from space invaders and opponents from other nations
2.    Robot Production & Fusion
–    Construct robots of various rank and class based on resources and technology
–    Fuse two existing robots to create a brand new one
3.    Real Time Battle (Battle in Space)
–    Travel and battle in real time (MMORTS Game)
–    Open PvP
4.    Space (Map)
–    Space is divided into 63 zones and 9 planets with space stations in each zone. Transport to other planets and launch through “Space Gates” in the universe.

Angels Online: Spotlight on Rare Pet Eggs

Angels Online: Spotlight on Rare Pet Eggs

 

Angels Online is an MMORPG that stresses friendship and companionship, so it’s no wonder pets is such an essential element of the game. Skill-laden pets are armed with special (and sometimes deadly) abilities that help their masters quickly rise through level after level. Players invest a lot of attention and care in these loyal companions. As it grows, a pet develops based on training styles that can influence its abilities. With a wide range of possibilities, different players can train similar eggs and end up with very different results. Pets can even change their masters as players adapt their fighting style to take full advantage of their pets’ skills.

When it comes to finding and nurturing the perfect pet, rare pet eggs are always in demand. To get them, players must defeat Bosses and trust in lucky drops. If you’re searching for a rare pet egg, we’ve got the lowdown on several favorites to help you decide which one you want to make your own.

Brute’s Egg
With exceptional defenses and stats, this egg transforms into a Blood Wolf, Evil Werewolf or one of six other possibilities when it reaches mid-levels. With incredible defenses and some amazing abilities, these pets are great choices for those looking for a defensive stalwart.

Beast’s Egg
The Beast’s Egg has a low drop rate and is only available from a few select Bosses. Like the Brute’s Egg, it features has impressive stats. It also gains incredible strength as it levels up. With each skill it learns, its appearance undergoes dramatic changes, until you end up with a majestic pet that is both attractive and powerful.

Nature’s Egg

Nature’s Egg is one of the rarest in Eden. Along with its unique appearance it has great basic stats. In an evolved form, such as the Crying Cactus or Shouting Cactus, it will grant players a much-sought-after advantage in PVP battles.

Elf Egg
One of the rare pets from the “Lost Atlantis” series, the Elf Egg pet’s bubbly and cute appearance makes it irresistible to many players. Though adorable, its ability to leech at higher levels is very useful when you want to keep other players occupied in PVP battles.

 

Angels Online Mount

 

Dragon Egg
In China, the mystical dragon is a symbol of authority that has always been revered for its power and regal appearance. Though some may wonder if its reputation is greater than its value, many would rather run from a fight than face this creature’s mysterious abilities on even terms.

Fuzz Ball Egg
Despite its strange appearance, the Fuzz Ball is most prized for its looks. Its cuddly and furry form also sports a small set of wings that give it an angelic appearance. The Fuzz Ball comes in many colors, including black, white, yellow, pink and green.