Yearly Archives: 2011

Interview – ARGO Brings back The Age of Steampunk

Interview – ARGO Brings back The Age of Steampunk
Question by Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Hendrik Loga

 

ARGO Online is one of Korean developer, Mgame’s latest MMORPG. The game will be brought to Europe and North America in early 2011 by burda:ic, through its MMO portal, alaplaya. Belonging to the rare Steampunk genre, the game aims to merge both technology and magic into the game and create a conflict between 2 races with superior knowledge of either: the technologically advanced Noblian race and magic wielding Floresslah.

 

Players will get a chance to play as either of the races and join the fight for the planet’s most valuable resource for survival: Earthdium. In this interview, we will be taking a more in-depth look into the game and find out how does ARGO exactly fit into the current competitive MMORPG market.

 

OnRPG: Hello, this is Fo Po (cinderboy), journalist from OnRPG. Can you please introduce yourself to the readers?

Hi Fo Po. My name is Hendrik Loga, Product Manager @ alaplaya. I’m in charge of S4 League and LOCO as well. Guess some of you already know these games^^. Today, I’m going to introduce our latest game ARGO to you and answer some interesting questions to give you and the OnRPG community a deeper look into an Online RPG with an absolutely interesting story in a very unique Steampunk and Fantasy remix.

 

Steampunk Melee

 

OnRPG: Amongst the many Free to Play MMORPGs available in the Asian market, why the decision to choose Mgame’s ARGO?

There are a lot of MMORPGs around spamming the market with a low quality and less affectionate developments. It is not easy for a good game to come up. Just, if you provide something that is in contrast to these mass products. A high quality standard and hybrid game concepts are the key of the next generation online RPGs. ARGO combines RPG with TPS and RTS into one very unique high quality game with the setting of a post apocalyptic world. But not only the combinations of different game genres are important to make a game interesting and unique, it is the combination of various styles as well. ARGO is a post-apocalyptic MMORPG which brings Fantasy and Steampunk together.

 

OnRPG: You did not alter the original name, ARGO. Can you tell us what does ARGO actually stands for?

The story of ARGO says that during the last World War only a selection of scholars, scientists and industrials survived in subterranean shelters. When they started their journey below the surface, they traveled in a ship called “ARGO”. It is not a specific shortcut or something like that.

 

OnRPG: ARGO is touted as a “steampunk” MMORPG. What elements should a MMORPG have in order to be given this tag?

Steampunk is a very cool and upcoming style. The steampunk community is already very big but there are still good games missing that provide such an interesting setting like in ARGO. “Steampunk” mainly is a literarily term that describes a dystopic fictional future leant to a postindustrial and Victorian age like you maybe know from “Jules Vernes” science fiction novels. Everything looks like as if it is made of old radios, mechanics, gears and copper. Steampunk stands for an alternative future were the steampower isn’t just used for railways and machines, but rather hover ships, weapons, buildings, space shuttles, etc.

 

In ARGO we have two factions facing each other. On the one side the Floresslah which is the “Fantasy” faction an on the other the Steampunk faction “Noblian”.

 

 

OnRPG: Players get to choose between 2 warring factions, the Noblian and Floressiah. Can you tell us what some of the differences between these 2 factions are and introduce the classes available?

ARGO shows a possible future of mankind after the World War 4, called Serpestis. In this post apocalyptic world, two factions with totally different life philosophies are facing each other. One stands for technology and process – the steampunk faction Noblian. Their goal is to rebuild the human’s civilization on earth with techniques and development.

 

A life in peace and symbiosis is the creed of the Floresslah. Since the humans have destroyed nearly the whole world ages ago, they started a natural life to become one with the earth. Mother Nature accepted this transformation and endowed them with magical abilities. In comparison to the steampunker Noblian, the Floresslah are the Fantasy faction in ARGO.

 

I think these two opinions and philosophies are very interesting and totally representative for the current situation on our earth. Everybody should ask himself how he sees the mankind’s future. Shall we keep go the trail of progress or shall we go back to our roots? What do you think?

 

The players can choose one from eight classes for each faction. Each class is balanced for PvP and PvE battles, depending on their equipment and skillsetting which is controlled by the user of course. In ARGO we have classical tank and healer positions as well as supporter classes like the Explorer or Elementarist.

 

 

ARGO Steampunk Slaying Cats

OnRPG: Do you have any worries that one faction will be more populated than the other, hence causing an imbalance in the PvP battles between the 2 sides?

Well, I think the two factions were created interesting enough to address the players for both. Main playground (or battleground) is the open world area. From higher level the two factions do questing together in the same area. PvP conflicts will be the order of the day. Beside this there will be several PvP dungeons and instances too.

 

We have already started the discussion with our alaplaya community about these two factions. What they think about humans’ future and which side they would choose and it seems everybody has an interesting opinion about this. My first impression was that most of them would choose the Steampunks Noblian. But that was a delusion. In my eyes there are both factions strong enough that we won’t have any balancing issues like you suggested.

 

OnRPG: The game is touted as having traditional MMORPG, RTS and even TPS (third person shooter) elements. While it sounds rather confusing to players, can you explain how this system works and show us some screenshots of the different modes?

During the game the user can switch between a classical RPG view and the “free-aiming-mode”. In this mode the game feels like you are playing a TPS game like in LOCO for example. You really have to aim for your target and fire in the right moment. The RTS part is a PvP battleground mode were the two factions have to build up their own base and defense towers during the battle.

 

OnRPG: Let us now talk about the Player Vs Player (PvP) aspect of the game. Is it right if I say that other than normal leveling maps, there will be maps at higher levels where the 2 warring races will eventually meet? Is it even possible to infiltrate another race’s supposed “peace mode” maps?

To protect the lower chars and to give new users the chance to collect enough experience in the ARGO, both factions have their own starting area. When they turn Level 30, they will get access to a new continent, which is an open PVP area. From now on each step can be your last one :-). Infiltrating the starting areas is not possible.

 

OnRPG: I understand there is this interesting feature, the PvP dungeon. How does this actually works?

A PvP dungeon is a combination of a PvP battleground and a raid dungeon. The dungeon has two entrances – one for each faction. In the middle of the map both enemies need to fight a big boss of the dungeon and try to defeat him before the hostiles do so.

Steampunk Wings ARGO MMORPG

OnRPG: Are there any more elements for PvP found in ARGO you will like to add on?

Well, as already mentioned, the RTS Mode as PvP Mode will be very interesting. Of course we have planned to add more PVP modes to ARGO. One may be the „Capture the Flag”. But I cannot reveal anything about this now. Let me say some words about the mounts in ARGO. You can ride single mounts or use really big Juggernauts which can be mounted by up to ten players. These vehicles are big tanks, were users can fight from. Nice feature and strategical element for PvP battle is, that the users don’t need to leave their save positions.

 

OnRPG: ARGO at this point sounds like a very much PvP-oriented MMORPG. Will this be deterrence in getting the “m” players to play the game long term?

PVP is an important element of MMORPGs today. But the sector of a working PVE part becomes more and more relevant to the users. They want to explore a wide and nice world, do amazing quests and solve demanding stories. We tried to provide a balanced game which includes enough PVP as well as PVE content and possibilities. There are a lot of nice and interesting area and countries awaiting the PVE user to get explored.

 

OnRPG: Earthdium. Their preciousssssss. Tell us what role does this much sought mineral actually plays in the game and where can players actually find it.

At first, let me give you a small introduction about the background of this very rare element. Because of the humans’ high energy consumption in the 21the century, scientists and scholars need to find an alternative to stop this lack of energy. They did a lot of experiments and finally they have found a combination of different minerals. They named this new element “Earthdium”.

 

No.

Symbol

Element

Atomic weight

Melting point

Boiling point

Specific gravity

1

H

Hydrogen

1.0079

-259.14 ?

-252.9 ?

0.08987

2

He

Helium

4.0026

-272.2 ?

-268.9 ?

0.1785

3

Li

Lithium

6.94

180.54 ?

1347 ?

0.534

171

Ed

Earthdium

1017

6872 ?

21050 ?

29.7

 

With this element, most of the energy issues could be solved. After the nuclear age of World War 4, most of the creatures that lived on the surface began to transmute with this new element. Earthdium is very rare and both factions have the desire to own it. It can be found in the nature as well be looted from monsters and mutated creatures.

 

Everything in ARGO is about to gain this material. Both factions, Floresslah and Noblian, want to own this rare resource, because they need it for their weapons, mounts, professions, etc. Earthdium is required for everything in ARGO. So better you have enough of it.^^

 

OnRPG: Will ARGO have “life” professions, like botanist, alchemist etc? How important a role will these professions play as players progress in the game?

Of course each player can choose a profession for his character according to the class his is playing. It makes sense to choose a carrier as “Medicine Producer” if you play a “Priest” or “Shaman”. Currently we plan to open nine different professions from the beginning. Further details will be released later.

 

OnRPG: Almost every MMORPG released in recent times has a rather fancy pet system. While ARGO apparently has one of its own, how will it be different from the others? What role does the pet actually play alongside a player?

The pets in ARGO do not have just decorative functionalities. Each faction has of course different pets and it is up to the user to evolve them. Each pet has different “evolution phases” und gets several abilities during this evolution. You start with a small and cute babydog, but during your life in ARGO, this little fellow begins to rise till he becomes a terrifying hunter that causes serious damage to all enemies. But not each pet is for fighting. Some will support the player in other ways or loot dead hostiles and carry the stuff.

 

OnRPG: While this is supposedly too early to ask, how will the structure of the cash shop be? I am sure players will be worried since any “overpowered” items found will no doubt give spending players an overwhelming advantage in PvPs.

Of course this issue is one of the most sensitive and important points and we are going to take care about this heavily. A well balanced structure between cash and non-cash items is essential for the survival of a game.

But we have already a lot of experience with that from our other games like S4 League, Florensia or LOCO.

 

Steampunk Enviroment

 

OnRPG: ARGO has been slated for a Spring 2011 release. Is there a more specific schedule planned, like a month, for Closed Beta and Open Beta?

We plan to bring up the Closed Beta in Q1 this year. The CBT application has already launched. Maybe you can gain one of the rare CBT keys J

 

OnRPG: Will players get to see all the features mentioned above from the start of service, or will some be remain unreleased for further testing?

Yes, all the mentioned features will be available from the beginning of commercial launch. So, this is just the beginning. Lots of more nice features await you.

 

OnRPG: Before ending this interview, is there anything you will like to say to our readers?

If you have tasted blood now, you are good advised to apply for one of the rare closed beta key at www.argo.alaplaya.net. To shortcut the waiting time, maybe some of our other F2P games will awaken your interest. Just have a look through.  

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!

Thank you for giving me the chance to answer such interesting questions and I looking forward to meet all the OnRPG users in ARGO^^

Piercing Blow

Enter the near future in a country called Korogese, a country strife with conflict. Korogese rose from the ashes of the conflicted early 21st century with one goal in mind, create a nation of peace and prosperity. However in their attempt to create a utopian society, the founders of Korogese failed to foresee the strength of the corporations that fed and grew in this oasis protected from the hardship of war. Now these corporations have taken control of Korogese and pooled their resources to found Aegis Inc., an elite fighting force dedicated to build Korogese into a shining beacon of economic power, by disarming the citizenry and implementing the laws as they see fit.

In response.. The Corps consisting of the milita’s responsible for protecting Korogese in its early years have united to topple the corporations that have grasped control over the region. And civil war ensued.

Piercing Blow will test your skills as gamer with fast paced action and precision shooting. Choose your allegiance, The Corps or Aegis Inc., and enter a world of wild sophisticated weapons, diverse body armor, and dozens of mission modes to test your tactical mind.

Piercing Blow’s maps are designed to force players into unique situations where not all strategies are viable. Some may force you into hand to hand combat situations while others will favor sniper rifles and aim.

By completing missions, you will also gain medals that can be exchanged for better weapons and character stats. This will allow you to customize your character’s proficiencies to make you truly devastating with your weapons of choice.

Piercing Blow has shown great dedication so far in constantly adding new maps, new content, and new weapons. Jump into the fray in this first person shooter you won’t soon forget.

(Piercing Blow is also known as Point Blank and Project Blackout in other territories.)

Iris OnlineÂ’s First Expansion Will Arrive January 26th!

Iris Online’s First Expansion Will Arrive January 26th!

 

The gypsy-themed MMO, Iris Online is preparing for its first major expansion, V1.18! Slated to debut this Wednesday, January 26th, this expansion comes loaded with new features, bug fixes, and expanded content.

 

Iris Boss Daeriso

 

With a new dungeon, dozens of new monsters, and four new maps, players will be able to explore more than thirty new zones, while enjoying a level cap increase from 55 to 60. Each new map, from the desolate Corrupt Valley to the lush Eternal Forest, will have monster level ranges from 50-62.  The new PvP zone, Spirit’s Shelter, will offer a new ferocious field boss and the adorable Cactus Monsters.  Players 40+ will also have access to the new Wood Garden dungeon, where they must defeat three separate bosses before battling the epic final boss.  

 

Enhancement Auras

Thanks to feedback from the community, this patch also introduces key bug fixes and removes the “Force” mechanic so that the Battlefield experience is more balanced.  In addition to a new guild system, this expansion will also introduce level 60 Epic Items into the loot table. V1.18 will also showcase revamped Item Enhancement Auras that electrify with sparkles, and several new mounts and costumes in the Item Shop!  

 

Iris Scorpion Symbiosis

With more costumes, more mounts, and more maps coming soon, Iris Online continues to grow and thrive and welcomes new players to see why Everyone Loves Iris!

 

To learn more about this expansion, stay up to date on current events, and download the new client, please visit the official website Iris.gPotato.com

Mythos: Beta than Ever!

Mythos: Beta than Ever!


Satyrs are sharpening their horns, Humans are stretching their muscles, Gremlins are perking up their ears, and Cyclopes are tweezing their unibrows – all with good reason: The closed beta of the hack´n´slash MMO Mythos is starting on the 8th of February.  

 

Mythos Beta than evar, MMORPG

Fans will be able to get a first glimpse of the Mythos beta in the “beta sneak peek” which runs from 27th to 31st  January.  

 

Mythos will initially  be available in English but other language versions are scheduled to appear over the course of the closed beta. Registration is now taking place on the official website, www.mythos-europe.com, where gamers will get the opportunity of being part of the sneak peek and the closed beta. Fans that already have keys can simply enter them on the official website www.mythos-europe.com/en/key allowing them to continue once the beta commences. Registration on the website will still be possible after the start of the beta.  

 

During the test phase, monster hunters will be able at first to explore the first two regions, Greenreach and Bloodbristle Desert, and get their character up to level 27.

Metropolis Now: Welcome to DC Universe Online

Metropolis Now: Welcome to DC Universe Online
By Stephen Boyd, OnRPG Journalist

 

30 years ago an uncle of mine gave me a Superman comic. And that was it. A lifelong obsession was born. About five years later I was given a ZX Spectrum and that sparked off another addiction that still plagues me.

 

Fast forward three decades and a whole lot of miles later, we find ourselves here at the launch of one of the most important MMOs ever. DC Universe Online is a major MMO release in its own right, but it basically holds the future of console MMOs in its sweaty little palms.

 

Although the concept of a super hero MMO is not new to us, remember before World of Warcraft we had City of Heroes, but the DC Comics license and sheer volume of character and story that comes with it may well prove the deciding factor. If the comic buying public get behind this one, Sony Online Entertainment could well have a huge hit on their hands.

 

DCUO Wallpaper MMORPG

And this is not their first belly up at the MMO Bar, folks. You may remember SOE from such other online game experiences as Star Wars: Galaxies and a little franchise named Everquest.  

 

Now, a great license and a built in fanbase do not guarantee a hit. Warhammer Online showed us that 30 million tabletop game players did not jump into the online world. Will the comic fanboys sign up for this?

 

How will the PS3 version fare?

 

The next 30 days should give us a fairly good idea.

 

I did not play the beta version of this game, and have intentionally avoided as much coverage as I could. I wanted to go in fresh and, as a comic and MMO fan, I have been looking forward to the game’s release.

 

As I stood in the freezing cold outside my nearest game store waiting for them to open I did not exactly see  a huge queue waiting for the release of this game. Inside, my friendly neighbourhood sales clerk tells me that they only have six copies of the PC version in stock, only two pre-orders and no gametime cards. That does not bode overly well.

 

The installation of the game went remarkably smoothly, no issues here. Registering the game though requires my credit card information immediately. I am given the option to use a gametime card; however, as stated above, no gametime cards were available.

 

Registered and logged into DCUO portal, I found an 8GB patch to apply. The patch downloads fairly quickly and we are into the game.

 

After a world destroying battle in the future between Superman’s Justice League and Luthor’s Injustice Society (as seen in the awesome Blur trailer from last year), Braniac has swooped in to devour the remains of earth. In an effort to prevent Braniac conquering our planet, Lex Luthor has returned to the present with technology stolen from Braniac that can turn your everyday schmuck into a super powered soldier.

 

And so, after a brief cutscene from future Luthor explaining the premise, we are into the character creation phase.

 

Firstly World selection. At launch there are only two European servers available. One PvE and one PvP. Two more servers have been added within the first two weeks one PvE and one PvP, a clear sign that the game is popular so far.

DCUO Server Select

Server chosen, I move on to creating my first hero.

 

The first choices to make are gender, size and morality.

DCUO Gender Female Character Create MMORPG

One medium heroine later we get to the first unique feature of DCUO. You are given the choice to either custom build a character or use an Inspiration template.

DCUO Superman Inspired MMORPG

DCUO Arrow Inspired MMORPG

With the vast array of characters in the DCU, the 16 templates offered are a little limited, but I am sure that more will be made available in future updates. The Create options are quite varied, but not bewilderingly so.

 

Even if you choose an ‘Inspired by’ character, you can still edit the look.

DCUO Legs MMORPG

Clothing items can be changed and your general colour scheme can be tweaked.

DCUO Gear Colours

Next comes your power type selection. At launch there are six power selections to choose from.

 

Fire & Ice – These are “tank” roles and generally have higher defence and/or health. In group content these characters are responsible for keeping the enemies’ attention and taking the majority of the damage.

 

DCUO Fire And Ice MMORPG

Gadgets & Mental – These are “controller” roles. In group content these characters manage the enemy swarms by stunning enemies and generally controlling how many enemies are dangerous to the group at one time.

 

DCUO Gadgets

Nature & Sorcery – These are “healer” roles. In group content these characters are responsible for keeping the group alive by distributing health to the group members.

DCUO Nature

Although these are the official guidelines from Sony, as far as I have seen, all of the power types have abilities that relate to these archetypes, so my advice is to create a few characters and try things out. My healer characters has both tank and control abilities, so pick the power set you think will be fun and run from there.

 

All the power sets can be switched on the fly in game, as soon as you reach level 10 you get to choose your role, and all characters from that level have two loadouts; one for damage dealing and one for your group role.

 

The next selection is to choose your movement mode. You have the choice of flight, acrobatics and super-speed.

DCUO Speed MMORPG

Again, this is up to your personal choice as all movement types have their own strengths and weaknesses. I found that the super-speed was the hardest to control and my speedster often got stuck in corners or on the ceiling!

 

The final choice is your weapon type, which basically governs your combat type and how you will deal with enemies in the game. No matter which weapon you choose your hero (or villain) will have a ranged attack and melee attack available. The choice of weapon mainly effects the look of your character and you can change your weapon selection in game.

DCUO MMORPG Bow

 

Now, all that is left is to choose a name for your character. The filter on the name selection is quite strict so any registered DC characters are off the list.  As soon as your name is approved you will enter the game, captured on Braniac’s ship.


Click here to see part 2 where I’ll be looking into the opening chapters and PvE  in our next feature of DC Universe Online.

Land of Chaos Online Review – DotA With A New Perspective

Land of Chaos Online Review – DotA With A New Perspective
By Michael Sagoe (mikedot), OnRPG Journalist

 

Land of Chaos Online (LOCO) is a multiplayer online strategy game hosted by Alaplaya that mixes RPG and third person action to create new gaming experience like never before. While LOCO is unique in several ways, many gameplay elements from LOCO are inspired by DotA (Defense of the Ancients) style games such as League of Legends or Heroes of Newearth.

 

Even though I’m personally not much of a fan of these games, LOCO made it easy enough for slow witted strategists like me to keep up and deep enough for full-on DotA masters to show their stuff.

 

Starting Out

LOCO begins with you choosing between heroes that range from completely standard to absolutely insane. You have access to brawny warriors, loli wizards, berserk monsters and more. Each hero has different stats, skills and weapons to work with, so you’ll need to choose wisely.

 

 

LOCO Create a Hero MMORPG DOTA

 

Once your hero is made, the tutorial will begin to explain the main gist of LOCO’s main game mode (battlefield) in fine detail. Controls are handled FPS style: WSAD keys for movement, spacebar to jump and left mouse button to attack. You can also use Q key to block and TAB to switch weapons. This tutorial will take you about 20 minutes to run through and there are videos available after the tutorial to give you some extra pointers.

 

From there, the lobby opens up where you can chat with other players, manage your heroes, shop for new skills, equipment, cash items and other different functions.

 

 

LOCO Character Creation MMORPG DOTA

 

You can join a game automatically using quick join or search for games from the room list, although as a beginner you’ll constantly be nagged to play only on the novice map for a while. Play options for creating rooms are fairly limited and active rooms that are not in session will not start until all player slots are filled up, which sucks if you’re just looking to get in a quick game, but instead you’ll be waiting quite a while before a match begins.

 

Gameplay

Now LOCO only has two main modes of play: Annihilation, which is your typical team deathmatch and Battlefield, where DotA elements come into play. Annihilation mode is very straight forward, so I won’t go into that, but just to give you a quick idea of how DotA games work: Two teams go head to head to see who can destroy the opposing team’s base. Before your team can destroy the enemy base, you’ll have to kill enemy players and NPC monsters (called creeps) to level up your character and gain new skills. Along the way, you can also purchase items that can be combined with other items to create even more powerful items to use in battle. Attacking them enemy’s base must be done in a specific order (such as destroying the base points first, then the healing fountains, etc.) and then the headquarters can be destroyed which will earn your team a victory.

 

 

LOCO Group Combat MMORPG DOTA

 

That’s basically how most DotA style games work and in turn so does LOCO. The main difference between LOCO and other DotA games is that LOCO uses a third person perspective, rather than top down, plus it plays out like a third person shooter where you must aim at your targets instead of point and clicking. While this aspect seems nice, DotA style strategy is still the main driving force behind LOCO’s core gameplay. Skill usage is very important since you must choose between several normal skills and one of two ultimate skills to use. These skills have considerable amounts of cooldown after each use, so you’ll need to use them when the time is right.

 

Presentation

Despite that LOCO’s visuals are powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, they look somewhat dated, even with the texture sliders set to high. All the character models look as if they were made out of plastic, as do the buildings and NPC units. The character design of the heroes all fall under the categories of generic, bizarre or creepy. Environmental visuals are far superior with detailed terrain and scenic backdrops to gaze at while you’re on the battlefield.

 

 

LOCO Airship Graphics DOTA MMORPG

 

The voice work done for each hero is to say the least, poor. The majority of the voices don’t fit judging by the physique of the heroes. The music, while short and repetitive is very nicely constructed.

 

My Thoughts

LOCO’s gameplay options made it easy for a non-DotA fan like me to be able to jump in and have a ball, thanks to the beginner or expert mode selection before matches start. Playing in beginner mode allows the game to automatically handle the selection of new items and skills for you character for each time that you level up or earn a set amount of gold. Playing in Expert mode lets you select your skills and items manually, so pro players can devise their own battle styles during matches. Beginner mode was a total godsend for me since it throws out most of the guess work and allowed me to focus solely on the battles at hand. No matter if you’re a casual or hardcore player, using either beginner mode or expert mode will not give you any major advantages or disadvantages.

 

 

 

I was somewhat disappointed with the third person action in LOCO because I felt as if it was simply just for show.  The combat felt way too loose for my taste and aiming the targeting reticle did not have any real importance other than turning the camera in direction of your enemy. Not only that, you can lock-on enemies using right mouse button or R key, so it might make you wonder why aiming is available in the first place. Even with cooldowns set on every skill and item, spamming is very possible. Also: I’m not fond of the way heroes are currently balanced. Some heroes can stun enemy players or set immunity up towards particular attacks so they have an early advantage. While some heroes have stat and skill advantages early on, most other heroes can only become formidable in the late game if they’re built up properly with equipment.

 

Conclusion

LOCO contains an interesting mix of genres made solely for DotA fans, but from the general looks of things, it doesn’t have much of anything different from its influences and the third person shooter aspect should hold a lot more value. Still, tweaks and updates are constantly being made to balance and improve over every aspect, so with that alone I think DotA fans will happily move over go loco over to LOCO.

 

Pros:

A mix between TPS and DotA style RTS action

Several heroes to choose from with more on the way

Play settings for both casual and hardcore players

 

Cons:

Very limited amount of modes and maps to play on

Seemingly dated visuals

Doesn’t play much different from other DotA games

Third person action is just for show

Interview – Big Bang Hits MapleStory

Interview – Big Bang Hits MapleStory
Questions by: Chen Fo Po (cinderboy), OnRPG journalist
Answered by: Crystin Cox, producer for MapleStory at Nexon America

 

MapleStory is the world’s most popular 2D side-scrolling MMORPG, with the original Korean server celebrating its 7th anniversary this year. The global server, publish by the developers themselves, Nexon, was recently updated with the biggest expansion to date, the appropriately named, “Big Bang.” This expansion essentially changed many of the game’s core mechanics, including leveling curve, balancing the classes, and more. In this interview, we will find out if the Big Bang update made as much of an impact as its name suggests.

 

OnRPG: Hello, this is Fo Po (cinderboy), journalist from OnRPG. Can you please introduce yourself to the readers?

My name is Crystin Cox and I am the producer for MapleStory at Nexon America.

 

Maple Story Themed Events MMORPG

OnRPG GMS, as the players affectionately calls Global MapleStory, is 5 years old this year! Congratulations! Did you foresee the gazme lasting this amount of time?

Five years is a huge milestone and we’re very grateful to our players for allowing us to get to this point; without them, there really would be no MapleStory. Of course, you always hope your game will last forever, but really, five years is pretty astonishing even to us. It was clear from the start that MapleStory was fun, but we really had no idea how many people would log on, but we are glad they have and now with the huge revamp of Big Bang we are looking forward to five more years!

 

OnRPG Big Bang. I read a while back that there was an event asking players to rename the Big Bang expansion. Why the decision to stick with the original?

Much to our surprise, the players voted overwhelmingly for keeping the name “Big Bang.” I think it speaks to how the original name is so great that it spoke to both users in Korea and North America.

 

OnRPG What was the reaction within the GMS team like when originally shown the concept of Big Bang?

We were very, very excited. Big Bang came directly from player feedback. We received hundreds of messages from our players every week and we take that feedback seriously. Suggestions from gMS players were taken heavily into consideration when the original plan for Big Bang was created. We are always excited when we can make player suggestions a reality. Additionally, after working with MapleStory for 5 years, we shared many of the concerns and frustrations that our players did about the game and we felt that the changes in Big Bang were going to advance the game further than it had ever been before.

 

OnRPG Were there any of the changed features which were actually proposed by the GMS team?

It’s tough to give credit to any particular team for the changed in Big Bang, these where things we had all wanted to see happen for a long time. That being said, I believe that gMS was the first to really start pushing for the changes to the EXP curve. So much content has been added to the game since its original launch over seven years ago, that the slow leveling experience just didn’t make sense anymore.

 

Maple Story Full UI Combat

OnRPG Phew, with so many changes made to the game, I don’t know where to start. Let’s start right at the beginning. The leveling system has been revamped to minimize grinding. Can you elaborate more on “how much” and give us an example?

The overhaul to the EXP curve is one of the most significant changes in Big Bang. The amount of EXP needed to achieve level 70 has been reduced to 20% the previous amount and higher levels have been reduced by half. Of course, we have rebalanced quest rewards and the EXP gained by defeating monsters as well ,so you won’t literally level 5x faster than before for every level, with balanced play you should gain levels about twice as fast as before. More emphasis has been placed on questing and party quests, so these activities give better EXP than just hunting level appropriate monsters.

 

OnRPG I understand that the new group of characters, The Resistance, will initially have the Wild Hunter and Battle Mage as new additions to the roster. Can you give us a short introduction to these two new classes, their specialties when soloing and what role do they play in parties?

The Wild Hunter is a ranged class that prefers a crossbow and attacks from on top a tamed jaguar. This class is versatile and has strong, multi-target ranged attacks but can still do damage up close with the jaguar. Wild Hunter is a great choice for solo play and is the only bowman that can attack while moving.

 

The Battle Mage is a magic user that wields a staff, but attacks up close. This class is much tougher than other mages and can take quite a few hits making it a great choice for those that want to play a magic user that can take care of himself. The Battle Mage is also an excellent party member due to his powerful, party wide buffs called auras.

 

OnRPG Will the game, with so many elements redesigned, cause the veteran group of players feel like total strangers in a game they have played for years?

Absolutely not. In a lot of ways, I feel that Big Bang is really most interesting for long time Maplers. These players will most appreciate the changes made to skills and class balance and will enjoy exploring the new world that still feels like Maple World but has a lot of new things to discover.

 

OnRPG The Korean server rolled out the full Big Bang patch in 3 different parts and different times. Will this be the same for GMS? When can the players expect to see the much anticipated Mechanic class added?

Yes, Big Bang will arrive in three phases for gMS with the final member of the Resistance arriving in January of 2011.

 

Maple Story Korean Server MMORPG

OnRPG A really burning question of mine. Will players eventually get to face and fight the Black Mage?

Fortunately for the Maple World, the Black Mage is not yet attacking Maplers openly. For now players still need to contend with the Black Wings. With the arrival of the Mechanic this January, Maplers will be able to gain the upper hand on the Black Wings, but they are unlikely to give up easily. Should the Black Wings eventually succeed in restoring the Black Mage to his former power, the resulting battle would be more difficult than anything the players have face, in fact, player levels are probably not high enough now to come face to face with the Black Mage.

 

OnRPG Thanks for your precious time!

Thank you, and I’d also like to thank the readers.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising Dev Q&A: Art

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising Dev Q&A: Art

The team over at Heatwave have conducted the following Q&A with their art team.

 

For our second Dev Blog Q&A session, we’re engaging the Art Team! We’re happy to bring you Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising news by answering some of the questions we receive from the forums, Facebook and Twitter. Our hope is that these weekly Q&A sessions will help answer some of your questions as well as raise awareness of the work we’re doing.

 

We reached out to Nick Carter, our Studio Art Manager for the following Q&A session!

 

Q: What are the biggest challenges for the Gods & Heroes Art Team?

A: There have been several large challenges for the Heatwave Art team on this project. Some of the big ones have been the cataloguing and inventory of existing art assets. It’s like cleaning out a huge garage. You are not sure what you have and what state it is in. It is a very manual labor process. The second large problem was updating our art pipeline to support newer versions of our software. We had to take old versions of plug-ins and scripts and convert these to work with present day 2d and 3d software applications. Lots of bug fixing and R&D work. Additionally reverse engineering workflows and processes to understand why things are done the way they are from the previous art team.

 

Q: Are you keeping the same customization options for Character Creation?

A: Currently right now we are keeping everything the same. As the project progresses and overall art is improved we will move onto expanding player choices.

 

Q: The before & after screen shots show the work the Art Team is improving. Are you reworking animations, too?

A: Right now our big focus has been to address large scale overall visual improvements such as terrain textures and grass. We have spent some time writing new shaders to support Normal maps and improve the overall lighting for the game. As we fix large global visual improvements we will progressively narrow our scope and focus on more detailed areas. This includes animations. As feedback comes in from Design testing, QA and the community we will address the animation quality and player experience.

 

Q: Which art pieces have been your favorites to rework?

A: For me the grass and adding the normal map textures have been my favorite. It is really neat to see major improvements come online with the flick of a switch. Since the game takes place at all times of day and night I really enjoy the little details such as the normal maps changing the way they are lit as the time of day changes and the way the grass moves as the wind hits it.

 

Q: Do we get more silly hats or cosmetic fun items?

A: This stuff is all on our radar. The team has been working on new ideas and tossing around concepts for these type things and additionally new weapons ideas and such. So yes! We like cool stuff too so any suggestions you have let us know!

 

Thanks to Nick for giving us some great answers to the questions you’ve been asking! Next month, our Dev Q&A will be with the Design Team about COMBAT!

Exclusive: burda:ic Announces the Launch of S4 League: Season 1

Exclusive: burda:ic Announces the Launch of S4 League: Season 1

New Expansion Goes Live as “Dark Lightning” Strikes S4 League

 

Big news from burda:ic today as they announce a new expansion for S4 League. This update, entitled S4 League: Season 1, will be the first installment in a series of planned additions to the title, and features a plethora of new weapons, a new map, a new character, and a mysteriously ominous plotline. S4 League: Season 1 will take players on a dark and dangerous ride they won’t soon forget.

 

S4 League Dark Lightning

S4 League: Season 1 introduces new maps, costumes, weapons, capsules and more. Set in the realm of Dark Lightning, the new “Nightmare” map for example offers players a battlefield filled with gloom and ruin, and it holds a secret magic of its own. The new map is available in both Chaser mode and the recently introduced Captain mode. New costume capsules, including the gothic Rocaille Set Capsule, are also available, as well as a number of deadly new weapons. Whether players seek out the Bloody Spy Dagger, magnetically charged Twin Blade, or Earth Bomber grenade, there are plenty of dark new ways to deal out damage.

 

S4 League Dark Lightning MMORPG

If that weren’t exciting enough, a new chaser has also appeared in S4 League, the beautiful Ophelia Virus. With higher attack and defense stats than the Demon Virus, Ophelia Virus is a force to be reckoned with. That deadly beauty aside, Ophelia also offers players the possibility to select a higher or lower probability to become the Chaser.

 

Exlusive new expansion for s4 League

For more details about Ophelia Virus, as well as info on how to join the fight today, check out the official S4 League: Season 1 website here.

Dragonica Europe Reveals Details On Upcoming Expansion

Gala Networks Europe is delighted to announce more features for Awakening of the Ice Dragon, the upcoming expansion for its free action MMO Dragonica. Awakening of the Ice Dragon is set to raise the game’s level cap to 75, open up an entire new continent filled with game-play content and introduce a wide range of new features based around in-game markets and auctions.

 

The new continent of Pagosia will be open for exploration as soon as Awakening of the Ice Dragon launches. The new land offers players a host of new maps, new monsters and new challenges for high level players between levels 62 and 75. Some of these monsters may seem familiar to the seasoned adventurers, as they are the spectral versions of monsters that players may have encountered on their journey through the world of Dragonica.

The long-awaited Strategic Defence Mode (F7) will also be available, in which players must defend their core from invading monsters that follow paths around a specific route. Players may attack monsters directly, or progress more strategically by creating defensive structures to repel the onslaught. Furthermore, a whole new chain of hero quests and daily quests will be available to aid players in Dragonica’s new ultimate challenge – reaching level 75.

For anyone thinking of joining Dragonica, there are some exciting developments in the lower level ranges to look forward to when Awakening of the Ice Dragon goes live:  three new dungeons will be available, designed specifically for lower level player characters, and a series of feature and quest updates in the early stages of Dragonica will make it easier for new players to enter the fray.

Dragonica Europe Expansion Announced!