Yearly Archives: 2011

EpicDuel Releases Largest Expansion Yet

EpicDuel Releases Largest Expansion Yet

 

 

 

Artix Entertainment announced today its popular PVP MMO EpicDuel will be releasing a new Delta phase of the game this Wednesday, June 29th, 2011.

 

 

EpicDuel is Artix Entertainment’s only PVP MMO game where players level up and climb leaderboards by battling against each other. Like AE’s other games, it is updated with weekly releases of new content such as new armors, weapons, quests, and areas. Delta will be the game’s biggest release to date; it will change the entire battle dynamic of EpicDuel.

 

 

In the new release, players will see the addition of three new class evolutions – these are upgraded (or evolved) versions of existing character classes with extra skills and abilities. Players will have to learn new strategies for playing and defeating players with these new classes. Also, Delta release will bring one of the most anticipated mechanics to the game: the all new 2v1 boss battle mechanic where for the first time, EpicDuel players will be able to team up with a friend to battle ultra-powerful bosses.  Aside from these battle-changing additions, the developers have also completely redesigned Fortune City (the main city in the game), and will be releasing a powerful new sword, new NPCs, a new achievement, and even some top-secret things that you’ll have to log in to find for yourself!

 

 

 

WHAT: EpicDuel’s biggest release ever

WHEN: Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 at 6 PM EDT

WHO: The AE team and YOU!

Rising of King

Rising of King follows the familiar genre of browser based strategy games. Choose from one of 3 empires and begin your quest to construct a bustling town economy that will eventually power and fund your army in the race to acquire more resources and land from your weaker unsuspecting neighbors.

 

Rising of King lets you recruit hero characters to lead your forces as the brunt of your damage. Hero customization includes purchasing or crafting armor, enchanting it, and moving your Heros and troops around the map to take part in various quests and battles.

 

Novice protection is active in Rising of Kings. A detailed comprehensive tutorial will set you on the right track and get your in tip top shapre before your 180 or so hours of novice protection expires. Once it does, it’s every man for themselves so be sure to access the easy to use Guild Recruitment menu to find allies to protect you in the early days.

League of Legends: Alas, Poor Yorick

League of Legends: Alas, Poor Yorick

By Jason Harper (Hhean), OnRPG Journalist

Patch v1.0.0.120

 

 

I knew him, summoners. This is the patch v1.0.0.120 article for League of Legends, the game of infinite jest. This patch includes a massive number of champion changes, reworks to how shields interact with champions, making gold per 10 items unique, a reworking of the rewards for death and kill streaks, reworks to vampiric healing, and Yorick, The Gravedigger. The fact that we skipped .119 and went straight to .120 is appropriate, since this patch really feels like two patches in one, by its sheer size alone.

 

Yorick is a burly damage dealer who uses a variety of summoned minions to make himself one tough customer in a scrap. At least, that’s what he’s intended to be. In actuality his minions don’t really live long enough to allow that sort of play, so he winds up being some form of weird mid range AD mage. His intended playstyle is likely meant to be similar to Trundle, using an ability to slow the enemy rather than leap at them, then spamming a strong melee attack until they die. In practise, he’s a moving lump of meat that drifts about the map without much rhyme or reason.

 

 

If you’ve come for the usual “Should you buy this guy?” bit I put at the end of these articles, you can stop right here. He’s awful. Truly, thoroughly bad. Lee Sin at launch looks like Hercules on steroids compared to this waddling sack of uselessness. Buy him as he is right now only if you want to troll your friends, or have a genuine desire to lower your ELO.

 

His first major problem are that his ghouls, while an interesting idea, don’t live more than a couple of seconds, and die even quicker if someone actually hits them with say, one of the numerous area of effect attacks in the game. This wouldn’t be so bad if the abilities themselves were very good and the ghouls were just an added perk (Much like Annie’s Tibbers, or Malzahar’s passive), but each one of his abilities seem to just dribble out onto the battlefield with the sound of a wet fart.

 

This is mostly noticeable with his main gap closer, Omen of Pestilence [W], which gives a 20-40% slow for 1.5 seconds, and then summons a ghoul with a slow aura of its own that dies almost instantly afterwards. This, on paper, should be a slow that lasts roughly 7 seconds, which is a pretty damn nasty, long duration slow that should get Yorick in range. However, due to the near instant death of his minions, this effect becomes laughable. Singed’s Mega Adhesive has longer range, a wider area of coverage, and slows for longer. This is considered Singed’s worst ability. Even Trundle’s equivalent, Pillar of Filth, has the useful impassible terrain aspect to it, and lasts longer. Omen of Pestilence does do a fairly moderate amount of damage though, so for use as a harass in a lane, it isn’t bad. The key issue here though is that it fails utterly to get you in range to actually hit someone with Yorick’s shovel, so against a high movement speed ranged character, or one with slows of their own, he could chase them from one Nexus to the other and never gain ground.

 

Until you start stacking movement speed items on him, playing as Yorick could be entirely mimicked by playing the Benny Hill music and trying to run after a nearby cyclist with a shovel in hand. You spend about as much time doing it, and your rewards are just the same – If you finally catch up to someone you’re rewarded with a single shovel hit and then a long winded explanation to anyone nearby, or you just get tired and decide to do something better with your time. Playing as any champion that isn’t Yorick, for example.

 

 

This theme continues with all of his abilities. Omen of War [Q] gives me a speed boost, and does a beastly amount of damage? Sign me up! Oh, I actually have to hit someone in melee before I get this speed boost? Er… Okay. Omen of Famine [E] heals me for how much damage the ghoul deals? Sweet, I’ll never die while the ghoul remains ali- Oh, it’s dead again. Omen of Death [R] lets me duplicate allies? Excellent, let me just put this on my AD carry… and it’s dead. Woo.

 

This is all quite a shame really, because I was quite looking forward to this particular gravedigger. His abilities fell in line nicely with Trundle, who I’ve been jungling a bit with recently (side note – Yorick can jungle, but it’s excruciatingly slow with awful ganking potential) and his pet mechanics acting as a steroid seemed like a novel concept. If his ghouls were more durable, Omen of Death had some more punch (Lasted longer, got some kind of damage steroid on the revenant), he could get some more health back from Omen of Famine, and the speed boost from Omen of War didn’t only apply after already making it into melee then he might be a serviceable character. That last one is the biggest catch 22 ability I’ve ever seen in this game, and makes me want to slam my head into my desk repeatedly out of the sheer frustration that one mechanic has caused me. Unfortunately though, by his toolset alone, even with some major buffs (that he sorely needs) he’s still not likely to be going to the next Dreamhack.

 

The light at the end of this tunnel though is that Phreak has already given an official statement that we will be seeing some buffs to the character in next patch, so hopefully some of this is going to be addressed, and he’ll be worth playing when he comes on rotation.

 

Speaking of Dreamhack, this recent patch shows a number of balance changes that clearly were a direct result of the recent championships in Sweden. The nerfs to both Vayne and Rumble’s ultimates are likely a direct result of their performance at Dreamhack. I really couldn’t agree more on Rumble’s nerf, considering just how much of a monster he’s been in the hands of members of the competitive EU teams.

 

 

As I’ve been playing Nunu often both before and after the patch, I can say that while these nerfs have hurt him, he’s still an exceptional counter jungler. Even as a frequent Nunu player, I cannot help but agree his nerfs were needed, since any game with him in during the championship became mind numbingly dull due to his early game dominance leading to passive lanes.

 

The Gangplank changes are pretty crazy, turning him from a rather useless sea dog into a devastating Kraken, sweeping his foes aside with a torrent of damage. I think time will tell if he’s become truly powerful due to these changes, or if we’re just getting over the shock of him no longer being utterly useless.

 

The Gold per 10 items becoming unique comes as no surprise to anyone paying attention to how top end play has been heading recently. They are still good to combine with each other anyway, it’s just you can’t sit on a pile of Philosopher’s Stones and call it a build now. That said, the Philosopher stone regeneration nerfs still don’t make the item useless, just a little less ridiculous. Anyone else notice the change in Eleisa’s Miracle’s cost? Smart move on Riot’s part there to stop the upgrade into selling trick that was so commonly used.

 

 

The removal of Ward jumping has been a controversial change, and a good number of people are up in arms about it. I can see both sides of the argument on whether the ward jumping mechanics were a good idea or not. On the one hand, its an obscure mechanic that isn’t very intuitive, which can result in people not understanding what just happened in low to mid level play. It also stops annoying stuff like a single ward rending Rammus’ power ball useless. On the other hand, its essentially a nerf to a group of champions that are already pretty underwhelming. Does Katarina really need to be any worse than she is right now? I suppose the debate is meaningless at this stage though, as Classick has already stated that Ward jumping is going to come back in, though likely with some changes to make it a bit more transparent what’s going on.

 

To discuss some of the changes yourselves, post in the massive League of Legends thread in the free to play MMOs section. If you haven’t tried League of Legends yet, now is the perfect time.

 

Europe 1400: We Play Dirty

Europe 1400: We Play Dirty

By Kei Beneza, Onrpg Journalist

 

 

 

Europe 1400 is a browser based MMO set in medieval Europe. The game focuses on trading, business, and politics. Here players start out with a small buy and sell business which will eventually expand further and bring them more options as they progress in the game. The best part about this game is how competitive the economic system can be. Aside from simply just buying and selling materials to increase their income, players can start digging dirt on various players, thus swaying the game in your favor as you wipe the board clear of competition.

 

 

Don’t Leave Me In The Dark

One thing I really didn’t like about the game is how the tutorials were laid out. The tutorials did explain a couple of basic features, but after teaching you how to buy and sell, it leaves you in the dark along with a pack of ravaging wolves. I tried looking for a FAQ page, but the only thing it did was lead me back to the crappy tutorial page. I know browser games should be relatively easy to learn, but not everyone has played the genre long enough to breeze through the features without proper instructions.

 

It’s Politics… As Real As Can Be

Honestly, I really love how the game exercises positions and various political movement. Once a player earns enough money and influence, they can start their political career and run for a range of positions, depending on which one your influence earns you. Note that you will be given various privileges and can easily work your way around sticky situations using these offices. The Mayor, for example can have people arrested, change laws, or have someone protected from various individuals. Your income may also increase dramatically once you advance to a higher position. Don’t think it’s THAT easy though. Being corrupt and power hungry has its advantages… as long as you don’t get caught.

 

 

Interface

As far as the interface goes, Europe 1400’s visuals are probably second to none in this genre. It’s amazing how the map scrolls around, giving players a semi 3D effect everytime they browse through it. Menus and features are also displayed in convenient locations, which is good since you will be using these panels a lot as you go through the game.

 

Need More Jewels

Once again the power of paying members prevail. Once you enter the game, you will encounter a couple of missions (quests) that will give you a good amount of gold. The painful part is that you will need JEWELs to start these quests, and the game will keep on charging your character until you either complete the quest or give up. Jewels can be acquired through labor (hard labor), but can also be acquired via the game’s item mall… for a price.

 

 

Verdict


I’m still of two minds about this game. First of all, the game is quite deep, which means that players should have a lot of things to look forward to. There iss also a good amount of betrayal and spying to keep players busy, especially since everyone wants to know what it’s like to rule the place. This good amount of features however, is shunned by the game’s constant lack of tutorials and a decent help page. As much as I would want to play a complex game that gives me a lot of options, it would be a lot easier if I would at least know what everything does before playing, rather than figure it all out on my own.

 

Pros

-Tons of things to do


-It’s still a fresh awesome concept


-Being able to rule and abuse authority rocks

 

Cons

-Paying members will really get more stuff, and it will take you a long time before you can catch up


-Lack of tutorials and a good help page.

Lime Odyssey Coming to North America in 2011!

Lime Odyssey Coming to North America in 2011!

 

 

Aeria Games today released a trailer and additional artwork to celebrate the launch of the new teaser site for Lime Odyssey, its upcoming 3D fantasy MMORPG. The development team behind the smash hit Ragnarok Online pooled their talents to bring to life the fantastical tale of Lime Odyssey: The Chronicles of Orta, which will join Aeria Games’ diverse portfolio of free-to-play MMO titles in 2011!

 

 

Lime Odyssey tasks players with scouring the Earth-like planet of Nysis for pieces of LIME, a sacred substance prophesied to restore peace to the fractured continent. Experience stunning visuals as you traverse a beautifully crafted, expansive world full of dungeons, monsters and exotic treasures.

 

Lime Odyssey features:

 

  • Three Races – Choose from a variety of customization options to design your ideal character – create a bold young human thief, a diminutive Pam mage, or a battle-hardened Turga warrior.

 

  • Classes & Professions – Enrich your experience by picking up a profession and perfecting your trade. Outfit your friends as a Tailor, concoct delicious recipes as master Chef, or become the local Blacksmith and forge powerful tools and weapons.

 

  • Expansive World – Visit the sweeping plains of West Tumbara, swim through the waters of Blue Coral, and navigate the exotic streets of the Loran bazaar as you work to fulfill the Lime prophesy.

 

 

Hailed as the “spiritual successor to Ragnarok Online,” Lime Odyssey is developed by a celebrated team of industry veterans and features a soundtrack scored by the composer behind such classics as Chrono Trigger and Xenosaga. Be sure to check out the teaser trailer HERE!

Rusty Hearts Closed Beta Date Confirmed

Rusty Hearts Closed Beta Date Confirmed

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment is gearing up to begin Closed Beta Testing for Rusty Hearts. The ultimate hack and slash dungeon-crawler and multiplayer online game adds new elements to Perfect World Entertainment’s existing diversified game portfolio by offering players cel-shaded anime art style, fast twitch combat, and controller support. Rusty Hearts CBT phase is scheduled to launch on July 27, 2011.

 


“Many fans are anxiously waiting to play Rusty Hearts and we are very excited that we will soon be able to welcome players into the fast paced action game,” said Mark Hill, Product Manager for Rusty Hearts . “We’ve been working hard to ensure a smooth closed beta launch for Rusty Hearts and aim to continue raising players’ expectations for free-to-play games.”

In closed beta, players can anticipate a thrilling gaming experience and epic dungeon crawling fights led by the unique heroes of Rusty Hearts , each with their own compelling backstory.  Among the many features that the game has to offer, players will get to challenge themselves with multiple difficulty modes, complete quests, level up and customize their characters, gear up with wicked weapons, and find a PvP experience that suits their taste.

 

 

OnRPG is all over this game trying to ensure the most up to date coverage to our fans. At our E3 meeting I had some hands on time with this game and it brought back fond childhood memories of games like Battletoads & Double Dragon. The graphics are crisp, the combat is smooth, and the ability and skill required to unleash full on team combos makes mastering the controls in this game a very rewarding exercise. And big news for next week! We will be meeting with Perfect World next Saturday at the Anime Expo to discuss the never before revealed third champion for Rusty Hearts! Be sure to grab your Closed Beta Key Here to ensure a spot in Rusty Heart’s beta testing.

 

Need more Rusty Hearts Information? Check out our Interview series with Mark Hill here:


Part 1- Introduction


Part 2-Gameplay


Part 3-PvP

Team Fortress 2 Goes F2P After 4 Years

Team Fortress 2 Goes F2P After 4 Years

 

Valve, creators of bestselling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), announced today that after four years and over 200 updates, its popular and critically-acclaimed online action game Team Fortress 2 is now Free To Play. The F2P announcement comes as part of the “Über Update”. Released today, it is the largest content pack delivered to TF2 since it shipped in 2007. New players interested in experiencing TF2 will have access to training and offline practice modes, so they can hone their skills before jumping into the ever-expanding TF2 universe.

 

 

This update also addresses multiple bug fixes, an improved crafting interface, new match making options, and improvements to the Trainer Mode.  To celebrate the launch of the Über Update, Valve has released “Meet the Medic,” the latest in its series of TF2 animated shorts. TF2 is now Free to Play for PC & Mac players via Steam.