Monthly Archives: May 2012

Wakfu Launches Content Update 1.2 and Rogue Class

Wakfu Launches Content Update 1.2 and Rogue Class

 

 

Today, Square Enix and ANKAMA released the second content update, “Bombs, Pistols, & Runes,” for their recently released MMORPG, WAKFU. Content Update 1.2 introduces the bomb-wielding Rogue class and includes the new Smithmagic equipment-slotting feature, a new island zone, three new dungeons, a revamp of the guild system, and many other updates, modifications and improvements. Also included in this content update, due to player feedback, is the ability for Premium Members to group together with Free Members while questing through the World of Twelve.

 

 

The Rogues are WAKFU’s most feared bandits, and for good reason: they’re so versatile. Pistols, bombs, blades and gadgets are the main components of their devastating arsenal, and they won’t hesitate to use each and every one of them to achieve their nefarious goals! To see them in action, check out their class spotlight trailer. For a full description of the Rogue and complete patch notes, check out the official patch notes list here!

Scarlet Legacy Drapes Itself in Gold (Armor)

Scarlet Legacy Drapes Itself In Gold (Armor)

 

Scarlet Legacy

 

Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus.com, today announced a truly shining update for the popular fantasy MMORPG, Scarlet Legacy. With the introduction of Golden equipment, players will attain a new tier of power unlike any seen before.

 

 

“Our players have found some of the more recent dungeons, including Demon’s Lair and the Cavalier Dungeon, to be the largest challenge faced yet” said Hubert Yee, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “Gold Armor, acquired by either quest or scroll, will allow players to tackle current and future dungeons in a whole new way.”

 

Scarlet Legacy

 

Players can acquire Golden equipment through one of three means: via in-game quests, by purchasing a quest scroll with CampusCash (CC), or on the lucky roulette wheel, where spins can be acquired both by performing well in game as well as on the cash shop. This level 65 and up equipment is unlike anything currently available in game, and stands out in its brilliance.

 

 

To celebrate the arrival of Scarlet Legacy’s “Golden Age”, players have a chance to win numerous prizes, including the coveted quest scrolls which may reward a beautiful piece of Golden equipment on the official Facebook, starting tomorrow. Players can glide over to Facebook for all the details.

WoW Wednesday: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

World of Warcraft: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

By Meredith Watson (MerryQuiteContrary), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

To date there are three expansions for the World of Warcraft series and one in beta. While they each offered many different features not all expansions were created equally. Each expansion offered features that worked and were well received while others were met with criticism and yet there were some features that were just downright ugly.

 

 

World of Warcraft

The original game was released in the US on November 16, 2004 and in EU on Dec 6, 2004. It is known by its players as classic WoW, vanilla WoW or sometimes old school WoW. Parents will often tell their children stories of when they were young and had to walk seven miles to school in the snow, with no shoes, uphill both ways. That is rather like the classic WoW player. On any server across the game you can find the vanilla player regaling other players with tales of yesteryear and that is because WoW was a considerably different game then than it is now. Some would even say classic WoW was more difficult to play.

 

 

The subject most vanilla players will often broach is raiding. Raiding was no easy task. Raiding required 40 players plus stand bys as someone would invariably not attend that night’s scheduled raid. Prior to the raid a lot of farming for materials had to be done, in preparation, for items like potions. There wasn’t the overload of information on boss tactics that there is now. Often times it was just trial and error but the sense of accomplishment was great when the raid succeeded.  However, the downside to raiding or even quest rewards or dungeon loot was the itemization of gear and weapons. Pointless stats were commonplace.

 

 

Patch 1.4 brought in the honour system which was a system based on honour contribution gained and ranking. The honour system rewarded the player with PvP titles and gear specific to the player’s rank. Patch 1.5 introduced Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch. Previous to these being in the game world PvP was the order of the day with impromptu battles breaking out in Crossroads and Tarren Mill most often. Patch 1.7 gave the players Arathi Basin.

 

 

The game was in its infancy and therefore prone to bugs and serious latency issues. The world server was often down and emergency maintenance was par for the course thereby making questing, instancing or raiding quite difficult.

 

 

Vanilla WoW was time consuming. Everything the player wanted to do in game took time and commitment. As an example, prior to 1.3 and the meeting stones being introduced each player had to find their way to the instance or if they were lucky there would be a warlock in the party who could summon. Since mounts weren’t available until level 40 most of vanilla WoW was spent on foot.

 

 

Was it harder? While that question is the topic of many a forum post the answer is subjective. There will be a vanilla player somewhere in game that will happily give you his or her answer to the question.

 

 

The Good – Raiding was epic and there was a real sense of achievement. World PvP.  Battlegrounds.

 

The Bad – Bugs, exploits, latency issues, and downtime. Itemization of gear and weapons.

 

The Ugly – Gold farmers. Everywhere. Ninja looting.

 

 

The Burning Crusade

The Burning Crusade (commonly known as TBC) was released on January 16, 2007 and introduced two new playable races: the Draenei and the Blood Elves as well as the new planet Outland and its self-proclaimed leader Illidan Stormrage. Previous to TBC, shaman were a Horde only class while paladins were exclusive to Alliance. TBC saw Draenei shaman and Blood Elf paladins. Many features were added with TBC including a level cap of 70, jewel-crafting as the new profession, many dungeons, seven new zones, and the neutral city of Shattrath. For a lot of players though the main feature was flying. Flying mounts became available at 70 and allowed the player to explore Outland in all its glory.

 

 

Prior to patch 2.0.1, the player, in order to find a group for a dungeon, would have to rely on his guild mates or use one of the public chat channels to advertise they were looking for a group. With 2.0.1 came the Looking for Group Interface Tool. The LFG tool allowed the player to select from a drop down menu of specific dungeons or quests. This tool would later become the Dungeon Finder.

 

 

TBC was the expansion that gave the players arenas and a revamped honour system. Gone were the vanilla PvP titles. Though the player could still display their highest rank achieved. Blizzard tried to recreate the world PvP that was prevalent in vanilla, before battlegrounds, with TBC by including world PvP events in Outlands. While many participated in these events, the overall vibe of vanilla world PvP was not achieved.

 

 

Raiding was still more or less for the hardcore in TBC but it was now more accessible to the moderate raider. The raid sizes were reduced to 25 and 10 which led to some grumbling from certain quarters but by and large was a welcomed change. More outside information was being used now in planning boss fights which were becoming more complex. Raids really had to work as a team in TBC as they did in vanilla but it wasn’t uncommon for some members of a 40 man raid to be on auto follow and afk.

 

 

Finally, near the end of TBC, with patch 2.3 guild banks were added to the delight of everyone.

 

 

The Good – LFG tool, guild banks, flying. Smaller raid sizes.

 

The Bad – So-so world PvP.

 

The Ugly – Blood Elves.  Patch 3.0.2. (technically WotLK content patch but it was released a month prior to WotLK)

 

 

Wrath of the Lich King

Wrath of the Lich King (or as this writer likes to think of it – Wrath of the L33t Kids) was released on November 13, 2008 . WotLK introduced the new continent Northrend, raised the level cap to 80, the hero Death Knight class was added, as well as more dungeons, zones, and the neutral city of Dalaran.

 

 

In addition to the above listed features, WotLK added the first PvP zone, Wintersgrasp. Wintersgrasp is a siege warfare based PvP zone in Northrend. The player must be level 75+ to join the queue for the battle which happens every couple hours. In addition to the siege warfare there is a dungeon, Vault of Archavon, which is only active for the faction that is currently in control of the zone.

 

 

WotLK is a prime example of Blizzard listening to its player base. One of the complaints from the players in vanilla and TBC was that the casual player was at a disadvantage for raiding because they didn’t have the time to commit to raids yet still they wanted the goodies that raiders had.

 

 

With Blizzard trying to make raiding accessible for everyone, raiding reached an all time low with the introduction of the casual raider. Everyone was now able to get pre-raid dungeon gear whether they had intentions of raiding or not. Raiding became PUG-able. No longer did it require the teamwork and dedication of the hardcore raider or moderate raider. Anyone could do it and everyone did. Dalaran would end up being a sea of players clad in Tier 9 to Tier 10 gear all looking identical. The only difference being a slight colour change in the gear denoting how the player obtained it.

 

 

WoW has always had an elitist group amongst its players but with the advent of the add-on Gear Score in WotLK, elitism was taken to a whole different level. Gear Score essentially calculates the level of the player’s gear; however, some viewed it as a measurement of a player’s skill causing controversy in WotLK. Remember high school? Apply that mentality to the WoW community during WotLK and it about sums up the Gear Score debacle.

 

 

The Good – Wintersgrasp. Graphical improvements. The new look of undead quest hubs.

 

The Bad – PUGs. PUG raiding. Elitism. Gimmicky quests.

 

The Ugly – Gear Score. Achievements.

 

 

Cataclysm

The most maligned expansion thus far, Cataclysm was released on October 12, 2010. Blizzard did something innovative here by destroying their old world and changing the way the game is played.  Innovative,yes, but not to everyone’s liking. With Cataclysm came two new player races the Worgen and the Goblins as well as a level cap of 85, five new zones, and flying in Azeroth to name a few features. For all of Blizzard’s intention of breaking Azeroth and giving the player’s something new, many players are finding it dull, too hard or just more of the same.

 

 

Blizzard has seemingly perfected phasing in Cataclysm and while questing is linear it is still quite enjoyable with notable quest lines such as those leading up to Cities in Dust. The problem, however, is in how fast the player levels. Cataclysm feels like the player is being hurled towards end game.

 

 

Raiding, like regular dungeons, in Cataclysm is leaning towards the quickest route possible with the casual raider complaining they may have to put in a bit of effort. The casual raider was created and then spoiled in WotLK. With Cataclysm, Blizzard wanted to use more elements of TBC than WotLK much to the dismay of those that had their heyday in WotLK or started playing at that time.

 

 

The Good – Undead quest line. Phasing. Zone revamps.

 

The Bad – Leveling is far too quick. Dungeons very short.

 

The Ugly – Not making use of Shattrath and Dalaran.

 

 

Blizzard has realized the mistakes they made with WotLK and tried to resolve them with Cataclysm. While Blizzard hasn’t quite succeeded in this yet, possibly with Mists of Pandaria we can all put WotLK behind us and get to kung fu fightin’.

 

 

What is your favourite expansion? Do you have your own list of the good, the bad and the ugly? Tell us what you think.

Darkblood Online

Dark Blood places players in the role of a descendant of a legendary hero. The game is a PvP fighting game, featuring fast paced hack-and-slash action in a variety of arenas. Dark Blood offers players an internal ranking system, all while delivering a mature, grim storyline.

 

 

Features

Action packed: The game is a hack-and-slash PvP game. This offers players the chance to hit-and-run, overwhelm their opponents, or play defensively in order to win. Combos and skills will determine the winner and loser.

 

Exciting arenas: Each arena has its own mechanics to be aware of. In order to succeed, players must overcome obstacles, or force their opponents to be hindered by them.

 

Internal Ranking system: Players will be ranked by skill and ability. Face players at your skill level, learn to fight better, and advance up the ladder.

 

Mature content: Blood, violence, and gore are the name of the game in Dark Blood. Expect brutality unending as you and your opponent seek to defeat each other.

 

Elsword Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary w/ 3DS Giveaway

Elsword Celebrates its North American 1 Year Anniversary w/ 3DS Giveaway

 

 

Manga-themed MMO game Elsword is turning one! To commemorate this milestone, Kill3rCombo is not only gearing up with in-game activities and bonuses, but is also awarding five lucky players with custom-skinned Nintendo 3DS Portable Gaming Systems. Beginning Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6 gamers can enter the raffle by claiming the “3DS Raffle Ticket” item from the in-game mailbox, and continue playing as usual. Winners will be announced on Wednesday May, 9 and will be contacted by the Elsword team.

 

 

“As with any new business venture in North America, we were both apprehensive and hopeful that online gamers would receive Elsword as well as audiences overseas have,” said Ben Colayco, CEO of Kill3rCombo. “Now, as we celebrate Elsword’s first anniversary, we are proud that the game continues to grow and has found its niche within the gaming community as the recipient of the 2011 OnRPG Online Gaming Awards Best Side-Scroller.”

 

 

 

Anniversary in-game festivities are live now and will continue through Tuesday, May 8. All-new features include:

 

Anniversary Cubes – Coupons will be awarded to players who craft special Anniversary Cubes which contain special rewards, including rare Ariel Magic Amulets!

 

Anniversary Cake – Now available for purchase, cakes provide 50 percent HP Recovery and Cure Effects.

 

Limited time Anniversary Coin – The exclusive Anniversary Coin accessory can be purchased from Luriel, and will only be available during the event.

 

Play time bonus – Players who are logged in for more than one hour will receive special rewards, such as Accessory Cubes, Ariel’s Ice Burner and Fluorite Ore Exchange Tickets.


Increased drop rate – Starting on Friday, May 4 through the weekend, there will be a two time drop rate increase and EXP during specific times.

TERA NA Launches Today

TERA NA Launches Today

 

 

En Masse Entertainment, a player-driven publisher focused on delivering fun and innovative online games, announced today that its award-winning action MMO, TERA, has shipped to retail stores in North America and is now available for an MSRP of $49.99. TERA sets a new standard for MMOs by delivering true action combat for players who want a more exciting, skill-based alternative to the repetitive gameplay that typifies conventional online RPGs. A new trailer demonstrates this focus in gameplay style and is definitely worth checking out. The innovative PC roleplaying game can be purchased in standard and collector’s editions at retailers and online stores.

 

 

With a focus on contextual combat and an emphasis on position and timing, TERA is a new breed of online game. For the first time, players can get the best of both worlds: all the depth of a traditional MMO with the visceral gratification of an action game. In TERA, players actively aim, dodge and block, as the game’s real-time combat system takes into account player skill and position as well as stats.

 

 

“TERA ushers in a new era of true action MMO gameplay that advances the online roleplaying genre,” said Chris Lee, vice president of publishing at En Masse Entertainment. “It’s time to move past yesterday’s repetitive combat mechanics and embrace a more intense and deeply immersive approach to MMO gaming, where every player is actively engaged in skill-based combat and the most savvy players rise to the top through an innovative political system.”

 

 

Players will begin their journey through TERA’s world of savage beauty by creating a highly customized character from any of seven races and eight classes. After creating characters, they will join with an alliance of all races to save their homelands from ravaging armies that threaten to destroy the very gods who hold the world together. TERA also introduces a revolutionary political system in which players wield power in a province based on their in-game political prowess.

 

 

Two collector’s editions of TERA are available—a traditional boxed edition and a digital download. The digital edition will grant players unique in-game items, including the Regal Frostlion mount for in-game travel, along with two valuable necklaces: the level 15 Velik’s Bloodstone necklace and the level 40 Shakan’s Bloodstone necklace. The Digital Collector’s Edition is available for $59.99.

 

 

Available in limited quantities, the physical Limited Collector’s Edition includes all of the in-game items from the digital edition and also includes collectable items such as a Letter of Marque, a canvas world map, a field guide, a Valkyon Federation-issued compass and a game soundtrack, all for $79.99. All versions, including the standard edition, include 30 days of game time. Additional game time is available for $14.99 per month.

 

 

TERA is developed by Bluehole Studio, co-produced and published by En Masse Entertainment in North America, and distributed at retail by Atari.

MicroVolts Gets Ready for Spring with Maypole Challenge

MicroVolts Gets Ready For Spring With New Maypole Challenge Update

 

 

MicroVolts

 

 

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd. announced today the launch of its new Maypole Challenge update, for its cartoon style third-person shooter, MicroVolts. In this new spring update, MicroVolters worldwide will battle it out together to complete particular goals to unlock exclusive prizes that will benefit the entire MicroVolts community.

 

 

The latest Maypole Challenge update will have MicroVolters battling it out for a bevy of cool prizes through elimination matches, zombie infections and so much more. Up for grabs is an ultra-rare Gold Rifle and Silver Katana, and for the ultimate grand prize, players will receive a Triple MP and EXP Weekend and never-before-seen Hippo-So-Cool Costume Set!

 

 

MicroVolts

 

 

“We’re anxious for players to get in the game and check out what’s in store for each and every character during the Maypole challenge,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “This new update will have maximum choice and maximum reward for the entire MicroVolts community.”

 

 

Players can rack up kills in fresh new gear with all-new weapons, parts and accessories. Knox is celebrating the MLB season in his “2-Spot” catcher’s uniform and there’s no doubt he’ll be dodging those baseballs flying out from new “Sluggergun” gatling guns! Naomi and C.H.I.P. both pay tribute to Japanese culture in their “Ceremonial” costume and “Gozen” Samurai costume sets. Not to be outshined, Pandora is marching in on the battlefield in a rather risqué “Spicy Unmentionables” costume set that leaves little to the imagination!