Yearly Archives: 2011

Heroes of Might and Magic Online Review

Heroes of Might and Magic Online Review

By Jerrico Tan (JetSet), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

Meant as a browser game for the Chinese market in 2008, Heroes of Might and Magic Online (or HoMMO for short) arrived to western shores as a standalone client game last June 2010. TQ digital, a Chinese game studio, based this game on Ubisoft’s best selling franchise – Heroes of Might and Magic III but this time added an MMO spice to it.

 

 

For those who are unfamiliar with this long running franchise, this game is generally about the player being a hero of their race who sets out to become the ruler of their land with tactical prowess and castle management.

 

Choosing the Right Faction and Creating the Perfect Leader

 

Each faction displays its strengths and weaknesses to help you decide who to join


When logging in for the first time, the game lets you select one of 8 factions. Each faction has its own town design with a unique set of racial units to choose from, and each of these units have their own tactical styles, thus spicing up combat quite nicely. For example, choosing the ‘Castle’ gives you human units that offer straightforward attack bonuses while the ‘Necropolis’ gives you undead units that specialize in devastating debuffs (one of these units even has a skill that can cut an enemy’s HP in half!).

 

 

After choosing a faction, players must next create a hero that will provide commands to the selected faction units. They can choose from spell caster or melee type of hero. Both classes can choose the same illustrations/avatar pictures in the list, but their starting hero appearances are the same. You can customize your hero’s hairstyle and equip class specific armors later in the game.

 

A Different Kind of “Might and Magic”

As I have said earlier, this MMO spinoff derived most of its elements from Might and Magic III. The classic hexagonal turn based battles are still here, but TQ added new kinds of exploration elements to it.

 

The new exploration system makes this game feel unique from previous Might and Magic titles

 

The new kind of adventure element that separates this game from previous HoMM titles is the real time exploration. That means you can explore the beginner city of Harmondale and the rest of the world with your hero as an avatar. The realms outside the city are filled with wild creatures that can be farmed for items. There are also grinding types of quests that should be completed outside the city such as killing 8 wild beasts or reaching NPCs located at places in the middle of nowhere. You shouldn’t worry about finding the quests though because just like other Chinese MMOs (like Godswar Online), you can use the autopath feature to let your hero easily get to its required destination.

 

 

The classic turn based world travel system is still here, but is now part of Episodic Quests that have to be completed for rewards. These quests can also be completed with friends through co-op. Supply items can also be collected here (all supplies that you have collected in the quests can be deposited when you’re back in the city).

 

The City of Harmondale and Your Very Own Town

The city of Harmondale is the heart of the game. This is where you can sell and trade items, deposit looted supplies in quests, change your hairstyle and assign members for your army. Some special events (like trivia quiz contests) are held in the city daily. The main city is also the only place where you can gain access to your town.

 

 

Your very own town is the only place where you can upgrade units, and each of them has their own respected houses. Players can only gain access to the higher-level units when your town has reached its house requirements. Fallen units from previous battles can also be used to upgrade its squad’s star level (raising star levels give great bonuses in the unit’s stats).

 

 

Combat, Spells and PVP

Just like Might and Magic III, battles take place in a small arena with hexagonal tiles. Each player represents squads of visible units on each side of the screen. Ranged units can fire across the arena while melee units need to reach their opponents’ units first in order to attack. Heroes are on the side of the battlefield but can play an active role. They can only use spells learned in their spell-books (spells vary from powerful nukes to support buffs that can help your squads last even longer in battle).

 

 

Another unique element in this MMO is its spell learning system. Proficiency points (which can be achieved through in-game battles) are needed to level-up your spells. Unlike the usual MMOs, higher spell-books are required to master spells.

 

 

And lastly, through the game’s matchmaking system, TQ has perfected its PVP feature. Thanks to this, players are assured of having an even match against their opponents. Tournaments and ranking matches are held daily and winning players are greatly rewarded. These and many other features sum up to an MMO worth playing.

 

Imperfections

But amidst all the features mentioned, there are still noticeable flaws and drawbacks. It takes a long while for a player who is new to Might and Magic to learn the game’s basics. The user manual is also misleading. The game was poorly translated in English and some game dialogues were difficult to understand (Gibberish characters always appear after texts which can be annoying). The graphics is outdated for its time (2008) and making it 2.5D clearly wasn’t enough to compete with other MMOs in the market. Non-paying players are also at a large disadvantage as there are no opportunities to obtain cash items, unlike other MMOs

 

 

 

In conclusion, TQ did a great job in making this a special MMO spinoff of Might and Magic III. Unfortunately, hardcore fans of the franchise might get disappointed about this one. The MMO elements that were added made it lose the Heroes of Might and Magic feel. Plus, the game itself is more about the growth of your hero and spells instead of town and unit management. Nevertheless, this is still certainly commendable since this game was developed by a totally different team and the game itself is meant for another audience.

 

But despite all those issues, this unique Heroes of Might and Magic game is still one of the best strategy games around and is definitely worth a try.

 

 

The Verdict: Good (7/10)


The pros:

*Based on a highly acclaimed franchise.

*Wide range of factions and tactical gameplay.

*Great matchmaking system.

*Easy to manage buildings and units.

 

The Cons:

*Confusing game basics and misleading manuals.

*Poorly translated interfaces/scripts.

*Outdated graphics (for a client game).

Rusty Hearts Announces Awakening Update

Rusty Hearts Announces Awakening Update

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment has announced ‘Awakening‘, the first major content update for Rusty Hearts, its hack n’ slash dungeon crawler MORPG, which will be available on October 11, 2011.

This major addition to the fast-paced beat ’em up game features content that will uncover the history of Curtis Castle and expand the areas in the Cathedral hub world including an increased level cap to level 30, brand new dungeons, a second underground training facility, hundreds of new items, several new skills and weapons for each character, as well as over 120 new rich quests that will allow players to uncover more of Rusty Heart’s lore and storyline.

In search for signs of Lord Vlad and his missing fiancé, Frantz and his heroic friends unintentionally resurrect Thanatos, an ancient demon of death, from a sealed statue. While the group is pushed towards a forced alliance with Thanatos, another internal conflict begins as Lord Curtis, the last mortal tyrant of Curtis Castle rises from the grave with a raging surge to expel Lord Vlad, leader of the vampire armies, and all intruders that stand in his way.

 

“Since the simultaneous open beta launch and full release for Rusty Hearts less than a month ago, players can’t get enough of the game and have been asking for more exciting content,” said Mark Hill, Game Producer for Rusty Hearts. “Now players will need to be ready to do their very best to conquer the game’s new dungeons that also feature subdungeons within themselves, while defeating new and stronger epic bosses with abilities to viciously attack from below, deliver freezing blasts, and summon healing minions.”

Among a slew of exciting features and a plethora of new content, the ‘Awakening‘ update highlights new dungeons to raid and dominate:

Steamworks – Battle Lord Vlad’s comrades and be very careful as you step into a world of machinery and traps. This maze of broken pipes releases hot fumes and poisonous gases that require nerves of steel.

Collapsed Halls – Overthrow enemies lurking in the shadows while navigating your way through halls of ruins. Rumor has it that those who have entered have never returned, yet can still be seen wandering these halls.

Public Baths – Haunted with wicked minions, find your way through these baths without losing your towel or cool as you encounter a variety of mean bosses including giant ogres, archers, and well-equipped shark-men.

Guest Villa – Meet new tenants and discover the reason for the unfinished renovations on this warehouse turned into cryptic villa.

 

Be sure to check out our screenshot section for more images on the upcoming expansion.

EVE Online: Lightyears Ahead of the Pack

EVE Online: Lightyears Ahead of The Pack

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 


EVE Online isn’t just a game. EVE Online is its own universe in which its residents take space combat and investing very seriously. EVE Online has been quite a popular game for a long time now and it is still as populated as the first day it got released. This game doesn’t function like standard MMOs in which you kill baddies and level up your character and armor. In EVE you are free to seek out whatever goals you wish, be it power, money, or exploration. For the newcomers considering trying EVE, I have found a video that gives you some backstory into just what type of game you are about to hop into.

 

I Was There Video

 

 

 

Gameplay

EVE Online is a MMORPG that takes place approximately 20.000 years after our time in a galaxy on the far end of the universe. EVE is a single “shard” virtual game. What that means is that everyone who joins EVE becomes a part of the same world and the same community. The industry standard for MMORPGs is to run the game on multiple smaller servers, so called shards, so that each player only has the opportunity of interaction with a few thousand other players even if the number of subscribers can be in the millions. In EVE you have the opportunity to affect more than 250.000 other players in one way or another as all our players are a part of the same persistent universe, hosted on the world‘s most powerful gaming server yet.

 

 

EVE Online isn’t a game where you can just rush head first into battle and succeed. You have to think about what you want to do in the future. Successful players consider both what they are aiming for and what they are currently capable of. You have to invest money (ISK) and time to advance to higher ships and skills. You will have to upgrade various skills and upgrade your implants to get better in the game. Skills are the most important thing EVE Online has made up. These skills aren’t just learned instantaneously  at a skill trainer. Skills are acquired ingame and then sold to market. Learning these skills also requires waiting x amount of real time. Acquiring better skills also opens opportunities for upgrading your ship and its defenses. These skills might unlock better guns or better armor for your hull, or they might affect the speed of your ship and other modules that is used by your ship and character.

 

Rigs

Rig selection is about as close as you will get to choosing a class in Eve Online. Your Rig determines the overarching strategy of your ship from movement speed, to range of fire, to rate of fire. Also the amount of damage you inflict is impacted by what Rig you are piloting (in combination with your ammunition type). There are also rigs that help you slow down the target or to make your ship go faster or that makes your shields stronger.

 

 

You can also change your playstyle by utilizing drones. Every ship is different and some of them have a bigger drone bay. These drones are little flying space robots that support you in battle. These robots are the most helpful little robot you can find in outer space because they can really make a different in your game. They are a valuable addition to your fleet so be sure to always bring them back into your docking bay after battle or you will lose then when entering warp speed. You’ll be glad you didn’t leave them behind when space pirates come knocking as your door.

 

 

Crafting

In EVE Online it is also possible to craft items and even ships. To start the process you need to acquire a blueprint. Once you have blueprints the long process of collecting materials begins. These items can be find through mining and salvaging ship wrecks. There are also different skills that are required to produce the item you want to make. Some skills you acquire can boost the speed of crafting time as well. This might seem pointless in most MMOs but crafting an entire ship can be a lengthy process in EVE.

 

 

If you are not a combat oriented player, a career in mining is likely for you; this is done by upgrading skills that are required when mining steroids and planets. But beware! Mining is done by big ships that are not that good at defending themselves and you are a big target for space pirates. The “Lower Sectors” seem to be particularly dangerous for new players learning the ropes of mining. Now you might be thinking ‘huh, booted to your capsule? What are you talking about?’ Well if a person is attacked and his ship gets destroyed you are ejected to your space pod. You are placed in a little capsule which can go into warp speed immediately when it is not engaged. If you are however targeted and your pod gets destroyed you might lose all your upgrades your character possesses. You are able to clone yourself to take insurance against this happening. Clones are the equivalent of creating a save state in an MMO. So if your capsule gets destroyed you will jump into that clone and you can live on happily ever after. Ship insurance also exists if you fear space pirates destroying your prized possession. There are different of options to insure yourself from horrible situations and there are different insurances you can take. Ship insurance is useful for miners but even more important for actual space pirates as you can expect to be blown apart quite regularly in that line of work.

 

Butterfly Effect Video

 

 

Lower Sectors

In EVE Online all the regions have a different security level, this security level determines how safe you are in the current sector. The CONCORD controls a lot of regions to keep you safe from pirate scum that try to engage your ship. However if you are in the lower levels of space that the CONCORD doesn’t control it is basically a free for all for everyone who is flying around. Now you might be wondering, why go to these sectors when there is a possibility of getting attacked and losing your ship. Well basically it is possible to acquire better objects in the lower sectors of space. Therefore many pirate corporations are located in the lower sections and use it as their special home.

 

 

If you are a mining character and want to mine in the lower sections it is advised to bring yourself a group of defenders to help you mine the goods. Corporations in EVE Online usually have a schedule of when they are going to the lower sections to mine which will help out the miners a lot. However you are never safe in space so don’t expect to just chill around watching a movie while you are mining your goods. Space pirates are the least of your worries when two corporations’ mining schedules overlap.

 

The Man Who Had it All

Lately in real life you might hear a lot more about banks failing from the bad economy and pyramid schemes swindling people out of their life savings. A while ago something familiar like this also happened in EVE Online. Now you might be thinking, how is this possible? Well EVE Online is a very open game and allows the player to attempt just about anything he is gutsy enough to try. If you want to sell your character for real money or game money, you are free to do so. If you have plenty of money in real life and feel like getting richer in the game? Feel free to sell game cards since its sanctioned by CCP Games.

 

 

Now back to the story, there was once a man that decided to play the game and act like a real life bank. He had a little capital that helped him get started so he decided to loan out money to different people. Business went so well he decided he could also act as a bank that collects interest on loans, or pay interest on savings accounts. It was a success and big corporations started investing money and he earned a lot of cash by giving out loans and receiving money from corporations that would help him give out more loans just like a real economic system. Everything went smooth and solid for a steady 2 years until he decided to pull out the plug. But instead of giving the money back to its owners he decided he would just keep it all. Now this created some big chaos in the world of EVE Online; people wanted him banned and were starting to freak out. But since EVE Online has such an open game like this he couldn’t get banned since he did something the game actually supports!

 

Graphics

EVE Online is a really stunning beautiful game. To play this phenomenal space simulator you will need a decent computer rig. The game requires to have at least a 1.5 Ghz Pentium 4 processor and 1.5GB of ram. You will also need 20Gb of Free hard disk space along with a video card that has 128MB of video ram. If you are not familiar with your computer specs I’d say you will have no problem running this game with a computer rig that has been built in the last 6-7 years. The recommended system requirements are MUCH higher though than the minimum and require you to have at least a dual core processor along with a video card that has been made in the last 2 years. Hitting these specs is well worth the payoff on this game!

 

Conclusion

EVE Online has been the leader in space MMORPG’s for quite some time now and CCP can be really proud of this wonderful game. I have played this game for quite a while and wish I had more freedom to wander the endless realms of space. Personally I felt that in today’s instant gratification world, some of the wait times in EVE are a bit over the top. This is just a personal grievance though and the community interested in a game like this doesn’t seem to mind the immersion factor it adds to the game. EVE Online makes everything you can think of possible with a political-economic system well ahead of its time. Every space freak out there should at least give EVE Online a chance because it is truly an amazing game.

TERA Online: Chronoscrolls and You!

TERA Online: Chronoscrolls and You

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief

 

 

EnMasse Studios, North American publisher for TERA Online, has made it clear over the course of 2011 that they are going into TERA’s launch with a heavy focus on cracking down on botting and gold sellers. In a previous article I elaborated on the Crisp Platform, a program that tracks members of the TERA community, creates profiles of their behavior, and sends warnings to ingame GMs of illegal activity being performed by players. While this helps battle bots directly, it apparently is not enough by En Masse’s standards to block gold selling.

 

Enter the Chronoscroll

The Chronoscroll is an idea first implemented by CCP in Eve Online. It is essential an ingame item representative of a month game subscription. As such players who don’t wish to pay a subscription fee but have an abundant amount of ingame gold will be able to get an extra month’s subscription, while the player who paid real money for the chronoscroll gains some ingame currency in exchange for their chronoscroll.

 

 

En Masse confirms that there will be no price cap on the amount of ingame currency these scrolls can be purchased for. So market supply and demand will be the ultimate factor in how much you will be able to earn for your real world dollars. This is going to likely result in two outcomes.

 

 

For one, those with extra money in the real world are going to be able to earn an ingame advantage over their competition. Being this is a heavily PvP game with political systems, this marks a real threat to balance. Rich people in the real world can literally try to bribe elections in their favor with their superior purchased wealth!

 

 

However, I can agree with En Masse’s reasoning that if this option isn’t available, players will seek out illegal gold selling websites all the same to get their advantage. Just having this sanctioned competitive gold selling system will hopefully eliminate much of the game’s gold selling and botting will decrease as a result. The other impact of this system likely will be an increase in player population. Now that hardcore players will be able to use their ingame currency to buy game time, they might decide to play whereas they would normally shy away from a P2P game.

 

 

All in All this is likely to be an interesting test in the MMO world for just how successful this system is going to be. TERA Online doesn’t seem afraid to break the norms in game development so if anyone can do this right, I believe it’s them!

Dungeon Fighter Online Act XIII Launches Wednesday

Dungeon Fighter Online Act XIII Goes Live Wednesday

 

 

The Altar of Infinity will be opening up its gates in Arad this month during the Act XIII: Chaos Reigns Update in Dungeon Fighter Online. Nexon’s arcade-style massively multiplayer online game will receive the Act XIII update on September 28.

 

 

Players levels 30-70 will soon be able to explore the Altar of Infinity, which is Reaper Dreyfus’ third structure in the Valley of Fallen Souls. While the new dungeon may be familiar to players who have battled through the Tower of the Dead and the Tower of Illusion, at the Altar of Infinity players will face 15 rounds of deranged beasts to test their body and spirit. Once players fight through the Altar they will ultimately face boss monster Chaos Agares. Any Dungeon Fighter who challenges the Altar of Infinity will have the chance to be selected by Chaos Agares to become the Chosen One, a title that will be bestowed upon the anointed ones each Friday at  5 pm PT.

 

The Act XIII update will also feature a mentorship system which allows players to be both a Mentor (a high level character) and an Apprentice (a lower level character). By forming an Alliance, players can help each other’s characters level up by battling through dungeons together as party-playing will grant both an EXP and gold bonus. A Mentor can have up to nine Apprentices under them, and after reaching the Alliance level ten, the Mentor and the Apprentice will receive rewards even when they are not party-playing with each other.

 

 

Dungeon Fighters will also be able to experience even more power with the 2nd Chronicle Sets, which are exceptional items that can be acquired through specific quests, NPC Dorothy and from dungeons run on King’s Road. Each character class will have an enhanced new set of items giving them the edge against evil and other Dungeon Fighters.

Fiesta Online: Fairly Fluffy Fun

Fiesta Online: Fairly Fluffy Fun

By Jake Winters (Kibeth), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Despite an already saturated free-to-play MMO market, Fiesta Online shows surprising resilience in fending off its rivals. With the North American version (published by Outspark) nearing its fourth birthday, the game remains a strong competitor with a loyal fan base.

 

Fiesta’s selling point is its charm; its anime-style graphics and array of colorful monsters, maps and equipment are enough to woo even the stoniest of hearts.

Even the fearsome dragons look adorable.

 

 

 

Character Creation and Class System

Beyond its charm, the game is incredibly similar to a number of other free-to-play MMOs. Players create a character and are thrown into a game world full of quests, rabid monsters and other similar-looking players. Character creation involves choosing a name, gender, and hair style. The creation process is relatively bland, with only three hairstyles for each gender and no customization such as facial features. Players also pick their class, though the classes are uninspired and generic:

Fighters, physically strong but with no magical aptitude.
Archers, skilled at range but weak in melee.
Mages, glass cannons skilled with magic.
Tricksters, nimble but fragile assassins.
Clerics, indispensible healers built for party play.

 

The class system is incredibly customizable; skills are learned every few levels and each of these can be upgraded as the player wishes (to do additional damage or have a reduced cooldown, for instance). Towards the end of the game, players are given the opportunity to specialize their class (Fighters for instance may specialise as offensive Gladiators or defensive Knights), giving Fiesta ten different classes at end-game.

As with any good MMO, the more flesh on show, the stronger the character.

 

Questing and Community

The game world itself is brightly colored, and the game’s cell-shaded characters and vibrant horizons completely contrast the broken and at-war world in which the game is set. Anybody who looks around the game website may stumble upon the incredibly alluring storyline involving warring Gods, betrayal, and death. However, the game itself shares little of this beautiful story, and players are instead instructed (through a series of incredibly repetitive “go to this place and kill that monsters then come back to me to rinse and repeat”) to embark on a quest in which the only goal is total pointlessness.

 

While quests do provide a significant amount of signposting throughout the game (including a helpful quest finding feature which overlays maps to point you in the right direction), the amount of running from place to place means that players may choose to grind in a single spot, as doing so requires less effort and is just as efficient. The game has a heavy grind element to it, and this kicks in after the first twenty or so levels.

 

Kingdom Quests are group quests that run several times a day, calling on all adventurers to band together to defeat exceptionally strong monsters, and provide a break from the monotonous go-and-kill or go-and-fetch quests, as well as encouraging group play. Beyond this, the game’s community is enhanced by a guild system (which also provides rewards for players as they level), as well as guild Academies: free-for-all groups that anybody can join. Players generally are respectful, some even offering help and items to newbies, though this is uncommon.

”Why did the mushroom go to the party?” “Because he was a fungi!”

The final community option is PvP, which is introduced early in the game. Free-for-all arenas (called BattleZones) are dotted around various cities, accessible by talking to their Gatekeeper. BattleZones are divided by level to maintain a fair playing field, though this is somewhat destroyed by the cash shop (with cash shop equipment being grossly overpowered in comparison to equipment found in the game).

 

Unique Features

Fiesta boasts a wide range of unique gameplay elements that compensate for its dry quest system. Gameplay is enhanced by Alchemy, Fiesta’s gathering and creation system. The world is dotted with herbs, metal nodes, treasure chests, and other goodies, and all of these can be farmed for raw materials. Players then use these with Alchemy to create potions, weapon enhancements, or buff scrolls. This constant need for new materials keeps the market fresh, and money-sinks throughout the game prevent inflation from becoming unbearable (as is a common issue with many ageing MMOs).

Another of these features is the title system, which allows players to prefix their character name with a title. Titles are rewards for various feats of strength, similar to an achievement system, with over one hundred different titles available.

 

Cash Shop

As previously mentioned the game is free-to-play but is funded primarily through a cash shop. SparkCash can be traded for a variety of powerful items, such as wings, rideable mounts, buff scrolls, enhancement items, and equipment. A large number of these are not permanent items and disappear after 30 days, encouraging players to keep investing in SparkCash to keep their characters well-equipped. The end result is that a fully-geared player may end up paying far more than a pay-to-play game subscription.

 

SparkCash can be bought via the Fiesta website, but can also be earned by filling out surveys and questionnaires provided by Outspark’s associates. While this is great for players unable or unwilling to access a credit card or PayPal, a number of the surveys require players to offer up important details such as phone numbers. As always, be careful of what information you give out online.

 

Summary

Fiesta is the kind of game that players may find themselves logging into when they want to pass a few hours (then looking at the clock and seeing that it’s 3 AM), and has an addictive cuteness to its gameplay. The colorful graphics and upbeat (though repetitive) music provide a little light-heartedness to the MMO arena, and its expansive class system and profession system give the game some much-needed depth. Conversely however, the quest system and poor story integration leave role-players and story lovers frustrated, and those unable or unwilling to dig deep enough to pay for the incredibly expensive cash-shop may find their end-game and PvP experiences stunted.

 

Overall, the game has survived well and has plenty to offer for those not looking for something too deep and time-consuming. Those looking for a deep engrossing story-line might be disappointed though. If you want a bit of MMO nostalgia be sure to check out Fiesta Online for yourself!

Graphics – 4 (colorful anime-style graphics are visually appealing)
Controls – 4 (offers mouse moving and WASD, though both can be clunky at times)
Features – 2 (poor quest and story immersion leaves this as another grind MMO)
Customization – 4 (many end-game classes, skills and professions are highly customizable)
Community – 4 (the game makes plenty of effort to encourage group play)