Yearly Archives: 2011

Early Access Preview: Guild Wars 2

Early Access Preview: Guild Wars 2!

 

 

OnRPG’s Early Access Column has more on the horizon than just Realm of the Titans. We have a special surprise coming in this week as well! Be sure to drop by OnRPG tomorrow for the beginning of our 3 part Early Access coverage of Guild Wars 2 straight from the European development studios! Our special European agent, Nilax, will be bringing two preview articles covering elements of the game never before released, as well as a video interview with Game Designer Jonathon Sharp!

 

 

So what kind of juicy details can you expect? Well I can’t say everything because that would ruin the anticipation. However we will be giving details on Guild Wars 2 plans to create a full eSport atmosphere complete with leagues and international championships! Oh we might be covering under water content as well. Yea I didn’t see that coming either. In the meantime you can bide your time by enjoying access to a never before released dungeon cinematic trailer we posted this morning. Check it out HERE and be back tomorrow around 9am PST for our interview!

Rusty Hearts Partners with CrunchyRoll

Rusty Hearts Partners with Crunchyroll for Anime Expo Coverage

 

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment has revealed it will be partnering with Crunchyroll, the leading global video network specializing in Japanese Entertainment, to bring live coverage of its Anime Expo booth. This is big news for anyone wanting to follow the new updates being released for Rusty Hearts this weekend. Expect more exclusive interviews from Mark Hill, Rusty Heart’s Game Producer, as well as streaming game demos showcasing all the goodness that is Rusty hearts. Submit your questions through the stream and you might even get them answered!

 

OnRPG will also be on site to discuss new information on the game’s development, including more details on a new half-vampire character. We are also going to get our first look at the Rusty Heart’s PvP and write our first impressions so don’t miss next week!

 

 

As if that wasn’t enough good news, Rusty Hearts has also announced a special bonus raffle for anyone who enters their closed beta key from OnRPG or other websites offering key giveaways. Be sure to grab your Closed Beta Key Here and register your account for CB to be automatically entered for your chance to win a Logitech G510 Keyboard (I use them to review all my games, and they are AWESOME!), a Logitech F710 gamepad, and the Rusty Hearts teddybear featured around my neck in OnRPG’s E3 Interview videos!

Battle of the Immortals Titan Update Coming Soon

Battle of the Immortals Titan Update Coming Soon

 

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment is pleased to unveil the latest Titan content update for its action-MMORPG, Battle of the Immortals, featuring one of the biggest bosses players have yet to face. In the recent battle with the Dragon Emperor, High Priest Demitrios was defeated, his soul corrupted by the dark forces he piously fought to protect the world from. In an effort to prevent the forces of good from collecting all three relics of Odin, Demitrios was ordered to perform a dark ritual to unleash a truly unholy force upon the world. Kronos, known as the King of Gods, stands over a hundred feet tall or over 30 meters for those who are on the metric system, and is ready to wage war against the heroic Immortals of Motenia.

 

 

With the new Titan content update, players can look forward to two new maps as well! The Black Dragon Lair and Giants Kingdom. The Black Dragon Lair features the mother of all dragons, Moser, with scales tough enough to withstand the strongest weapon and black feathers that are immune to any elemental magic.

 

 

The kingdom of the Giants, now abandoned, still holds much wreckage and remnants of their civilization. One particularly nasty relic is Gunk, a Robotic Sentry still carrying out his last orders to prevent outsiders from entering into the Kingdom. Rally your friends and prepare to disassemble Gunk and gain access to the many treasures he hides.

 

 

The Battle of the Immortals Titan Update is expected to go live in July.

Operation Gamma 41

Operation Gamma 41 is a browser based militaristic strategy game that takes place during the peak of World War II. Take up arms as either the Allies or Axis and wage war for dominance. However be prepared for a twist as a mysterious third faction intends to overthrow both sides with powerful unknown technology!

Features

Two Faction System: Take up arms as Allies or Axis and brace yourself for a fatal encounter with a mysterious third faction.

 

Varied Combat Modes: Challenge your rivals in intense Arena Duels. Or Form up with your friends to forge alliances in large scale PvP combat.

 

Recruit or Create War Heroes: Choose between various customizable, powerful, upgradable war leaders with unique skills to change the tides of war. Or you can create your own unique hero from scratch!

 

Direct Battle Control: Command your formations of Air and Ground troops in live action combat. No passive battles to be found here.


Unlimited City Expansion: Build your base as large and powerfully as your enemies allow you to! The sky is the limit.

New Early Access Column Preview: Realm of the Titans

New Early Access Columns Coming Soon: Realm of the Titans Preview

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Hey OnRPG viewers!  This is DizzyPW bringing a special update about my next Early Access column. On the week of July 11th, I will be flying out to Santa Clara to get some near exclusive early access to Aeria Games’ upcoming DotA inspired hit, Realm of the Titans.

 

Those familiar with our Eden Eternal series should know that this means OnRPG will be bringing you the earliest and most in-depth look available for Realm of the Titans that you will find anywhere. So stay tuned 2 weeks from now to learn how Realm of the Titans stacks up in the ever increasingly competitive DotA strategy gaming market!

 

To tide you over until then, we have a short discussion of the Realm of the Titans “Crystal System.”

 

 

The Crystal System in Realm of the Titans is an upgrade system that rewards dedicated players for multiple matches. It features all of the following:

In-Game Bonus Skills – Base Titan skills spice up combat by offering a set of bonus skill options prior to each match. Use Titan skills to supplement your hero-specific skills

 

More Victories, More Boosts – After each match, players receive Battle Points (BP) and valuable rewards, depending on your in-game performance. BP unlocks the Crystal upgrade system for Titan skills. Use your match rewards to upgrade Titan skills via the Crystal system.

 

Permanent Upgrades – Available Titan skill upgrades include mana cost reduction, cooldown time reduction, range increase and many more.

 

Customize Your Strategy – Heavily invest in a handful of Titan skills, or spread earned upgrades across them all, depending on your play style.

 

 

You can get a closer look at this system by checking out the image section of our Realm of the Titans Profile Page. Realm of the Titans is promising to change the way Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas are done with a slew of new features ranging from mounts to multiple trap filled battle maps. But if you want more juicy details, you will have to come back in July!

Dragon Nest Open Beta Confirmed

Dragon Nest Open Beta Date Confirmed

 

 

 

Nexon America concluded the closed beta testing phase last week for Dragon Nest, the highly anticipated online Action RPG developed by Eyedentity Games. Nexon is using the data collected during the closed beta to enhance and improve the game, which is set to launch later this summer.

 

 

Here is a sample of what players accomplished during the closed beta test:

 

  • A concerted effort: more than 12,000 players from the United States, Canada and Australia collectively logged nearly 140,000 hours of gameplay during the CBT’s five day duration

 

  • An epic journey unfolds: 467,820 quests were completed by the intrepid beta testers

 

  • Masses of monsters: adventurers slew a total of 265,873 boss mobs

 

  • Leveling up and feeling the power: players learned a total of 196,430 new skills

 

 

“The closed beta test exceeded our expectations considering the participation levels and the feedback we’ve been getting from players,” said Davy Garaix, Dragon Nest producer at Nexon America. “The data we collected from the players and the responses they are providing via the Dragon Nest forums is proving invaluable as we continue to refine the game and make adjustments to the content and features.”

 

“One good example of actionable feedback we’ve received so far relates to the empowerment system,” added Garaix. “Players found the system difficult to understand, so we’re making adjustments to improve how the empowerment system is explained to players.”

 

 

Beginning July 26, residents of the United States, Canada and Australia will be able to join Dragon Nest’s open beta test. Details about how to sign up will be provided in the near future.

 

Launching this summer for the PC in the United States, Canada, and Australia, Dragon Nest combines fast-paced action with an engaging story and distinct art style, and will be free to play. Dragon Nest follows the story of a band of adventurers as they battle the corrupt dragons and their followers in order to save Verathea, the once pure and beautiful world created by the goddess Althea.

Conquer Online’s Summer Guild War Event Returns

Conquer Online Summer Guild Wars Event Returns

 

 

TQ Digital announced today that Conquer Online will be holding a Super Guild War Event in August. This event is the equivalent of a Conquer Online PvP Superbowl, and players across their servers have been anticipating the return of this event for an entire year!

 

 

Once again, this summer the flames of battles will be lit and war will rage throughout the greatest guilds! The horns are being sounded for the coming of the Super Guild War! More blood will be spilt, and more heroes will emerge as champions! The never-ending war has intensified in the name of honor, glory and the ultimate dominion over the land of Conquer!

 

 

Start prepping for battle now. You have less 2 months to prepare for this test of might. Some of the greatest rewards in Conquer Online await the victors so don’t miss your chance!

Meta’s Verse: City of Heroes Brian Clayton Interview- Freedom

Meta’s Verse: City of Heroes Brian Clayton Interview- Freedom

By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Journalist

 

Meta reporting in. I’ve been on the ground working overtime to bring all the coverage of the big upcoming F2P changes occurring in City of Heroes. Luckily I had the opportunity to sit down with Executive Producer Brian Clayton and talk about Freedom and Issue 21 to get answers to some questions that were on my mind shortly after the announcement that City of Heroes would be adopting a Free to Play model. I hope you find them as eye opening as I did.

 

Meta: Will we still have access to Galaxy City outside the tutorial? If we do will Galaxy City look messed up or will it look as we know it to be now?

Brian: You can access the original Galaxy City by travelling back in time through Ouroboros. But the new and devastated Galaxy City is far too dangerous for players to go back to. It’s a no man’s land that even the Freedom Phalanx is having troubles with.

 

Meta: Can you narrow down when we should expect Freedom to go live?


Brian:
City of Heroes Freedom will definitely launch later this year. We’re not announcing the specific date yet, but I can tell you that we kicked-off our closed beta test on June 21, in conjunction with the announcement.

 

Meta: What will happen to the veteran badges?

Brian: They’ll still be there, but in a new and improved form. Players will keep all of the badges they’ve earned, and they’ll be able to earn the ones they don’t have (including new ones) in the new Paragon Rewards program.

 

Meta: Will VIP status cost the same as monthly subscriptions do now?

Brian: Yes, there will be no change to the subscription price. It has been a priority from the beginning to provide more value than ever to our subscribers with Freedom at the same subscription price.

 

 

Meta: Can you tell us which Archetypes will be available to those who choose free to play?

Brian: New Free players will have access to Blasters, Defenders, Scrappers, Tankers, Brutes, Corrupters, Dominators and Stalkers. However, returning players (or Premium players) or players who choose to downgrade their subscription, may qualify for access to the other 4 archetypes based on their status within Paragon Rewards program (more info on this in the weeks to come).

 

Meta: With the progression of the Praetoria story will we be seeing Praetorian epic archetypes in the future?


Brian:
You never know… It would be premature to comment on this right now. But as you can see, we still have a lot more great stories to tell in Praetoria, particularly with Issue 21: Convergence.

 

Meta: For those who decide to go to Premium what will happen to characters who have existed already but are archetypes that will be unavailable to them?

Brian: As mentioned earlier, access to certain archetypes are going to be tied to the new Paragon Rewards Program. New Free players will need to grow their status within the Rewards Program to gain access to those Archetypes.

 

Meta: In the past there was early access to new power sets. Will we be seeing this as an option for Time Manipulation?

Brian: Our current plan is that VIP players will have access to Time Manipulation on launch.

 

Meta: What kind of in game benefits will you be able to get with reward tokens?

 

Brian: You can use Reward Tokens to unlock the Veteran Rewards that are available today with some additional perks, AND you can use them to access awesome new consumables, powers and costume sets. More details on the Paragon Rewards System willbe released in the coming weeks.

 

 

Meta: Can you tell us which content and rewards will be available only for VIP?

Brian: If you are a City of Heroes subscriber today, you’re going to have access to all of the content and rewards you currently have when you become a VIP player. On top of that, you’re going to have access to Signature Story Arcs every month, 1 free server transfer/month, access to a new VIP-only server, 400 paragon points per month to spend in the store, live customer support, and that’s just for starters.

 

Meta: It was mentioned that stories would be wrapped up. Is there anything more you can tell us about it in light of all the new living world content that Freedom will be bringing to us.

Brian: We’re working on concluding the Emperor Cole storyline in Praetoria, but that’s just the end of one chapter of the story. As you’ll see in the Signature Story Arcs, there are some amazing events that will come to Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, even bigger than a meteor strike.

 

Meta: Champions went free to play recently, are you taking lessons from their successes?

Brian: We follow everything in the online gaming space. I believe the online games that will be most successful with this type of model will be the ones who fully embrace it. We’ve been working on the Freedom initiative for well over a year and believe that to have long-term sustained growth you can’t just “flip a switch”. For example, Freedom is well-suited to a hybrid model thanks to its massive amounts of content and the fact that we’re taking steps to break down barriers to the game. This includes introducing an awesome new tutorial experience as well as enabling new players to jump into the game within five minutes of hitting “download.” Not to mention, adding more value to subscriptions through our VIP benefits and Paragon Rewards program are ways we’re making sure that we lead in this field rather than just take lessons as well.

 

Meta: About how long will the new monthly mission arcs take? Will they be like the recent trends in task forces and be on average an hour long. Or will it take a longer time to complete them?

Brian: Each Signature Story Arc will have around 6-8 missions total, featuring hero and villain content. Because this content is single-player friendly, players will be able to play them at their own pace. These missions will feature epic moments within the CoH story and players will likely play this content multiple times.

 

Meta: Will Premium players have access to the Incarnate System? If not what will happen to the Incarnates they already have?

Brian: First, let me be clear that Premium player will never completely lose anything they’ve purchased or earned. In the situation you described above, those characters will still be available, but the Incarnate Powers will be greyed out. Premium players can simply re-enable access to those powers by becoming a VIP subscriber.

 

 

Meta: The decision seemed to come out of nowhere. When was it decided that you would be adopting a free to play model?

Brian: People may have been surprised by our announcement because we’ve been doing so well and now we’re ready to do more.

Again, we’ve actually been planning for this change for over a year, making major improvements to the game’s hardware and software back-end, as well as our development structure and process. We feel Freedom is the best way to provide the most value for our subscribers. We have more resources now than ever before to deliver great MMO content, as you can see from Issue 20 and the recently announced Issue 21 content we’ve disclosed so far. We’ve been an industry leader for over 7 years and continue to be the world’s most popular superhero MMO. Over the past few years, MMO players have been enthusiastically embracing “choice”. By making the transition now, we’re putting our stake in the ground as a leader in the industry, helping to define the future of the MMO gaming space.

 

Meta: Was Issue 21 made with Freedom in mind or has it been altered to work with it?

Brian: City of Heroes Freedom and Issue 21 were always designed to go hand in hand. We wanted to lower the barrier to entry for all of our players, and ensure that they had access to the best content we’ve ever created. The development team has truly outdone themselves in regards to the quality of the content coming in Issue 21.

I’d like to say a big thank you to Brian who took the time to answer these questions for us. I can’t wait to see what Freedom and Issue 21 will be like. Now if you will excuse me I need to check my mail and see if I got a beta invitation.