Monthly Archives: July 2012

Entropia Universe: Planet Cyrene Tour

Entropia Universe: Planet Cyrene Tour

By Narfi, OnRPG Guest Writer

 

 

After an invitation by the development team at Digital Scryers, I got a chance to explore Planet Cyrene, their new game within the Entropia Universe.

 

 

I flew to Cyrene from another planet and landed near a huge Coliseum at the base of a large waterfall guarded by marble statues.

 

 

Cyrene is currently in its ‘soft launch’ stage, which means that players can go there and play but that a lot of the content has been limited until they are ready to release it all.  Because of this, I was not surprised to find very few people on the planet, but I can certainly see the potential for this planet when it goes live.

 

 

Everywhere I went, I found a plethora of low-level monsters which seem designed for new players to fight and skill against. I especially like the low-level monsters that are physically big.  I remember when I started playing I felt more satisfaction from killing something big even if it was technically easier than one of the physically smaller mobs.

 

 

Having played in the Universe for 4 years now, I started looking for the biggest, baddest monsters I could find. There is nothing I enjoy more than finding a new monster that takes me a few tries to defeat.  Having talked to friends who had already explored Cyrene, I started looking for the Fenris Dock Guardian.

 

 

Before I found it though, I found another beast which distracted me for a while.

 

 

The Mature Rhino Beatle doesn’t sound scary until you see it. It’s HUGE and hits hard too.

 

 

It was a lucky distraction for me too.  After killing only a few of them, I got my first global on Cyrene!

 

 

124PED = $12.40USD I won on that kill, not bad for a short hunt.

 

 

One of the key things that set Cyrene apart from the other Planets in Entropia Universe is its PVP arenas at the ‘The Hub.’

 

 

While it is kind of hard to PVP in a game without any population yet, I still went and explored the area to see what it was all about.

 

 

Here is a video a buddy of mine at MindStar Media made introducing The Hub.

 

 

When entering The Hub, everyone is temporarily set to the same HP and stats as well as having all outside armor/weapons/etc… unequipped.

 

 

When in The Hub everyone is equal, this allows for fast-paced and fair PVP matches.  Each arena has a fee to enter ranging from 25PEC (2.5 cents) to 10PED (1 dollar) and you are awarded 80% of that for each kill you make until you die. So assuming you practice and are good enough to kill 2 other players for every time you die, you will be profiting (pay 25PEC, win 20+20PEC = 15PEC profit by the time you die).

 

 

We aren’t talking big money here, it’s just micro-transactions, but the potential is there for either cheap play, or even small profits.

 

 

I did not have time to explore the mining and crafting during my short time there. I talked to multiple NPCs though who asked me to mine different resources for them, so I know it will play a big part in the game.

 

 

To understand Cyrene and its strengths and weaknesses, you really need to understand the platform it was designed for.  The planet being developed within the Entropia Universe means that they develop the graphics, storylines, items, quests, etc.  However, the game mechanics themselves are the same as on every other planet in the universe.

 

 

A few things to know about Entropia Universe before you can fully understand its complexity:

 

-Began beta in 2001 and went Gold in 2003.  It has been around for over a decade and still actively updating and expanding.

 

-Based on an RCE (Real Cash Economy), the game is free to download and free to play, but everything you win or buy in the game can be sold for PED (Project Entropia Dollars), which is the in-game currency which can be legally deposited and withdrawn from your real life accounts.

 

-The Universe currently has 5 development studios developing/maintaining planets each with its own theme. There are more expected in the near future.

 

-Sometimes referred to as the ‘Ultimate Sandbox Game,’ there are no restrictions to where you can go or what you can do.  The skill system is open and anything you do awards you skills in that area.

 

 

After a few hours of exploring on my own, Ed Robles III, Creative Director of Cyrene, met up with me and we chatted about the game for a while.

 

 

I have been following the development of the planet since I first heard about it, and having seen concept art of spacecraft a year or so ago, I asked him about that first.

 

 

He told me that they do in fact have spacecraft developed and ready to implement, but that they will wait a while until the population gets larger.  This is something I will keep my eyes open for since space has always been fascinating to me and my goals in-game are to own one of the larger spacecraft (to the extent that I am currently participating in a 6month grind event to hopefully win one).

 

 

While we were talking about vehicles in the game, he told me that he had a surprise for me, and opened up a trade window and gave me the first of their next line of flying vehicles yet to be discovered in the game.

 

 

The Lancer v1 (L) seems to be faster and much more responsive than helicopters from the other planets. I had a lot of fun flying it around and showing it off to a few of my friends later.

 

 

Ed tells me that the blueprints for this ship are in the loot pool now and he is surprised that no one has discovered them yet.

 

 

Besides The Hub, which is an area unique to Cyrene in the Universe, I was really impressed with their plans and what they have ready once they go live and have an active population.

 

 

Currently there are 3 server areas open to explore, but they have multiple servers already developed and waiting to be implemented, each with new mobs, quests, and items, including armor and weapons.  These areas are ready to be unlocked by players who will affect the storyline with their actions and play. He mentioned a few areas ready to be unlocked, ‘The Zyn Lands,’ ‘The Icelands to the North,’ a ‘Desert and Stone’ server to the West, and another possible rainforest to the East.

 

 

Once discovered this will make the map pretty big, and I am sure by then there will be instances and other additions as well.

 

 

I will have more time in August, so hopefully they will have their full launch by then, and I will go and explore some more. Maybe I will do some of the daily quests or try to collect the parts to put together a set of armor. If you want to learn more about this unique game, feel free to check out my dedicated blog at http://www.cashplanets.com/.

 

 

Good Luck wherever you are, and have fun!

Narfi

Faithless is He: Zombie Chronicle

Faithless Is He: Zombie Chronicle

By Jonathan Doyle (Ardua), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Another week, another adventure in Kingsmouth. You would think between the head start and the amount of time I have devoted to The Secret World that things would be a bit further along and to be honest you would be right.

 

 

My group and I are currently working our way through the somewhat less zombie infested and somewhat more terrifying Savage Coast as we follow the threads of story woven throughout Solomon Island for our enjoyment. Check back next week and see what lies within room 13 of the Overlook Motel. But first I have much to tell of my group’s adventures so far.

 

True Freedom

It was something touted again and again by Ragnar and Martin, The Secret World has true freedom of progression and I myself am really digging it. In my own personal experience I have gone from wielding a hammer and zapping zombies into the dirt to blasting away with pistols, shotguns and assault rifles. All within a short frame of time. There is no need, as some demand, for a respec function. Early ability points come easily and changing your mind is never punished.

 

 

On the lack of a respec option, the design philosophy as touted by Funcom and the team is shown again. Nothing is handed to you here. Nothing is shall we say dumbed down. You have to consider your options, your missions, and your targets. Thought and effort are rewarded, blind flailing are … if not punished then certainly not encouraged.

 

 

So in our little adventures across the face of Kingsmouth Town, my group and I had pushed on to the Savage Coast only to find that two of our friends had come along. Redoing content, any content, is not always the most rewarding of experiences. After all you know the answers, you know the plot and you probably know the fastest way to get through anything. Redoing the content in Kingsmouth admittedly was the same content as we had done before, but was still very rewarding in terms of XP and naturally in terms of playing it with friends.

 

 

The old barriers to that sort of group play, whether helping friends catch up or trying to bring yourself down to their level, are falling. These torn down barriers aren’t limited to being able to merely replay the content or change your character’s ability loads on the fly, they’re coming down where the idea of a server is concerned. If you’re unsure what we are talking about, check out last week where we covered briefly the dimension server technology.

 

 

All in all these things add up. I have also heard from friends that the dungeons, which have Elite and Nightmare versions, have a system that ensures that they will remain challenging by reducing the effectiveness of over levelled gear. The idea that I can at any time, join any player, on any dimension and do or re-do anything granted with varying levels of effectiveness is simply liberating.

 

A Chronicle of Your Adventure

Moving on from Kingsmouth, there is another new feature regarding The Secret World. Specifically Funcom have today launched The Secret World Chronicle. The Chronicle is an armoury feature that allows you to view your character and let others see how you are doing.

 

 

Want statistics on how many monsters you’ve killed and how that stacks up against the world totals or simply in your own cabal? You can get those.

 

 

Want to check on a friend and see how they are geared and what decks they’ve completed? That’s available too.

 

 

The Chronicle system for me is something I have never really paid attention to in other games that offer a similar armoury feature but I can see myself using it quite regularly for The Secret World. It is very enjoyable to have the ability, unless of course someone chooses to set themselves to private, to see how you yourself compare to other players or even just to keep an eye on the progression of friends. I can, at a glance, see what sort of decks my friends are driving towards and potentially plan accordingly.

 

 

Looking Forward

Both the Chronicle and my weekend misadventures are in the past now. The Chronicle is there for you to enjoy and if ever you feel compelled to peek on my progression, feel free. http://chronicle.thesecretworld.com/character/Sharur

 

 

What would any newly launched game be though without news of the future?

 

 

You’ll be happy to know that the launch dimensions are filling up fast and Funcom has made some suggestions for new players to join either Grim or Daemon. We will keep you informed of the dimension hopping changes as they occur.

 

 

With all the new players, there have also been requests for further customization options for characters and these requests have been heard and responded to here. Ever a bunch to seize an opportunity, it seems the team isn’t going to merely update the creator and give out free tokens for the first use, there’s going to be a story around it. A reason for everything.

 

News In Brief

It might be a good idea to end this particular instalment of Faithless Is He with some specific tidbits from The Secret World.

 

 

First and foremost, the official The Secret World trailer has been released. Enjoy!

 

Secondly, UKIE chart information is in and The Secret World has come in #2 for top PC titles this week. This, along with the smooth launch, is a definite feather in Funcom’s cap.

 

 

Finally, I know some of you are looking to have a quick look at The Secret World and you’ll be happy to know that there are buddy keys on offer.

 

 

However given that I only have one at the moment, I thought I would steal a little page from Funcom’s book.

 

 

For a buddy key invitation, you’ll have to get code breaking.

 

 

Rotate this thirteen times to win: vevfucnegvpyr@ubgznvy.pbz

 

Catch you next week when the Garage Band of the Apocalypse takes on Hell itself.

OnRPG Shotgun News 7/9: Ragnarok Online, The Secret World, and League of Legends

OnRPG Shotgun News 7/9: Ragnarok Online, The Secret World, and League of Legends

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Ragnarok Renewal Goes Live

 

Gravity Europe has released the latest generation of smash hit Ragnarok Online called Ragnarok Renewal. There are 13 all new classes and players can now reach level 150. It is available now via the Gravity Gateway which is Gravity Europe’s new online gaming portal.

 

The Secret World Chronicle

Today Funcom officially announced the beta of character record keeper and leaderboard, Chronicle. Player stats are updated once a day. There are many features planned for Chronicle and players are being asked to leave feedback on how it can be improved.

 

 

League of Legends Launches 100th Champion

 

 

It’s been a long wait but the 100th champion is now live along with a huge balance changes across tons of different champions! Jayce brings a unique skill set akin to Nidalee in which he sacrifices an ultimate in exchange for the ability to completely change his playstyle from ranged AD to AD Melee Bruiser at the drop of a hat. Be sure to keep an eye out on the full review from Hhean in the coming week!

SEGA Announces Western Release of Phantasy Star Online 2

SEGA Announces The Western Release Of Phantasy Star Online 2

 

Phantasy Star Online 2

 

SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd today announced that free-to-play multiplayer action RPG Phantasy Star Online 2 will be coming to North America and Europe in 2013. For a first look at this new entry in the legendary Phantasy Star series, check out the official Phantasy Star Online 2 teaser site at www.pso2.com.SEGA

 

 

Phantasy Star Online was a revolutionary game when it was released, and we want to make sure that its successor in the series is every bit as ambitious,” said Chris Olson, Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We look forward to introducing Phantasy Star Online 2’s unique, easy-to-access multiplayer action to the rest of the world next year!”

 

 

“The number one thing we want to provide players in Phantasy Star Online 2 is an adventure that changes every time they log in. Just as great table-top RPG experiences revolve around imaginative and unexpected encounters, we want players to consistently be surprised as they explore dungeons and undertake quests,” added Satoshi Sakai, Phantasy Star Online 2 Producer at SEGA of Japan.

 

Phantasy Star Online 2

 

Over ten years have passed since the release of the boundary-breaking Dreamcast hit, Phantasy Star Online, and SEGA is poised to continue the Phantasy Star series’ multiplayer legacy on PCs worldwide with Phantasy Star Online 2. In the Year 238, the New Era of Light, players will join a new band of Arks in the fight against mysterious D-Arkers, embarking on another epic adventure of infinite possibilities!

 

 

Phantasy Star Online 2’s features include:

Deep sci-fi fantasy universe filled with lush landscapes, extraordinary creatures, and epic adventures

Revolutionary real-time combat and third-person action with devastating combos and counters to master

Flexible, class-based leveling system that lets players define their own play-style with distinctive melee, ranged, and magic weapon types

Randomized maps and unexpected mid-quest encounters that ensure each quest is different for each player

Deep character creation system with a nearly limitless number of potential appearances

Three degrees of humanity to experience across three unique races: the versatile Humans, spiritually-powered Newmen, and artificial CAST

 

 

Be sure to check out the accompanying teaser trailer as well!

Eternal Blade Dev Diary: Enchanting System

Eternal Blade Dev Diary: Enchantment System

By StirFryRobot, gPotato Representative

 

 

Going off of last week’s theme, we will be introducing yet another way to spice up your equipment with the presentation of our *queue drum roll*

 

 

Enchantment System.

Throughout your adventures in Eternal Blade, some of the items you come to find will have the ability to receive special Enchantments, gifting them with additional stat bonuses. Not all weapons you find will be able to be enchanted and whether or not a weapon may receive an enchantment will be specified with either “Able to Grant” or “Unable to Grant“.

 

 

In order to place an Enchantment on your weapon, you must first visit the Dice King. The Dice King is a magic blob monster who will imbue your select items with these magic properties.

 

 

 

When I told the Dice King about this week’s Fairytale Friday topic, he said he wanted to explain the Enchantment System himself! Take it away, Dice King.

 

Happy Summertime Hello, Dice Friends!

Do you want good weapons? Better weapons? BEST weapons? Then you bring them to Dice King, best for cheap! Dice King sees the hidden potential of silly swords and staffs that are too shy to tell you how much sharpest and much fastest they can be. You put them in Dice King’s belly, and look see! I give them a good jiggle for a tiny fee.


 

Look what I did! Do you like most? You can change again if you do not. Change can be done over and over and over and over, cheap and easy for you to improve all weapons without losing precious gems or stones. You want to keep those later, Dice King thinks.

 


Do observe: Dice King loves you very much, but no refunds! If you want more change, you give more gold. Dice King has many thrones to buy so he can greet you properly in every town. Make sure you say “Hello!” to Dice King when you’re there! Good travel-times, Dice Friends – I want to meet you again!

 

 

Uhm… thanks, Dice King! Like he said, in order to reveal the hidden stats on your weapon, simply place them into the Dice King’s belly and pay him a fee to reroll the weapon’s bonus stats. Don’t let the Dice King squeeze all the money out of you, though! Remember that the fee is based on the quality of your weapon, so make sure you have enough money to afford the upgrades.

 

 

The list of possible stats thus far are as follows:

Attack Speed – Increases the speed of attack

Focus – Increases Stamina and MP Recovery rates

Life Leech – Steals HP each hit

Mana Leech – Steals MP each hit

Accuracy – Increases chance to land a successful attack on a target

Battle Power – Increases overall attack power

Critical Hit Accuracy – Increases the chance to land a successful critical hit

Magic Damage Amplification – Increases the damage of magic based attacks

 

 

As you can tell from the list above, there are quite a few stats to be revealed on your weapons. Coupled with the other upgrade systems currently present, players will have quite a degree of freedom in their character customization process. Tanks may aim to stack Amethysts for a health boost as well as place Life Leech on their weapons to continue to replenish lost HP, while the DPS might strive for as much Crit Accuracy as possible to land those big damage dealing blows. Below is an example of a sword awoken with a nice Crit Accuracy bonus.

 

 

Take care Bladers and stay tuned for further dev diaries to be released every week leading up to launch!

MEAD: RIFT Summerfest 2012!

MEAD: RIFT Summerfest 2012!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Summer has come to Telara. The flowers are in bloom, little creatures wander the fields and fishing is the favored pastime. Even Telara’s geekiest resident is out enjoying the sun. Or well at least he’s out in it. Which I suppose is a start. Next step for him is getting a girlfriend. Anyway, its Summerfest in Telara. That means quests, achievements, things to buy and fun to be had.

 

 

Quests

Every event in Telara has quests. The major quests this time around are the scavenger hunts. Being given a clue and sent off to find where that clue leads you to. There are the quests for the fishermen and women out there to craft lures and catch special Summer Sunfish. And for the survivalist in us all after we have caught those fish we turn them into Po’ boys. For those of us who have the Ascend-a-Friend companion and mount we can also take part in Dog and Pony shows.

 

Merchants

Completing the quests gives you one of two types of currencies this time around. There are the friendship bracelets which are rare and limited and there are the merit badges which are quite common. You will only be able to get six friendship bracelets on one character this year, but there are well over six things to buy for them. This means one of two things. One, you accept that you won’t get everything this year and that you’ll have to wait for next year. Or two, use your alts to get more bracelets for your mains. Neither of which are really all that appealing to me to be honest. And there have been a lot of people on the forums who agree.

 

There is also the problem that you can’t transfer bracelets from one character to another so you have to buy the item on your alt then ship it over to whoever it is intended for. Being the completionist whore that I am and the fact that I love adorable things, I am going to end up spending the time grinding out the bracelets. It does leave me wondering though if next year when the summer event rolls around am I going to regret doing it because I have all the accessories already? I suppose only time will tell.

 

 

The life weapons which were previously available via the world merchant are back, but this time they are available via the merits. In addition there is an Aelfwar outfit. On women it looks a bit like a night dress to me. But that isn’t going to stop me from wearing it. There also is the usual variety of planar essences. In addition six titles are up for grabs and a couple of companions that you cannot get anywhere else in the world. Unlike the ones I’ll talk about soon.

 

Achievements

There are nine achievements to get during this event. Most of them come from completing the various parts of the scavenger hunts. The others come from either catching 100 Summer Sunfish, squishing 300 bugs doing the daily quest, or completing 20 Summerfest quests.

 

Companions

As I said earlier there are a couple of companions which are available via the merchant. They’re adorable, but not what I’m going to talk about now. There are 11 new companions out in the world, one in each of the main zones. What is so special about these is that they’re trappable. If you see one running around a trapping icon temporarily appears on your screen. If that sounds like a little too much work you can also spend 500 merit badges for a box with a random companion inside.

 

 

Maze

In the beginning of the event there was a lovely, very well done maze in each of the major cities. Inside this maze were the merchants and the quest givers. After Trion received many complaints about the maze messing with camera angles and getting people seasick from glitchy sudden camera movements, they decided to remove them. I’m sad to see it go. I really liked the maze once I figured it out. I think people missed the point of the maze and possibly the point of the entire event. The idea is to slow down and enjoy life. Enjoy the downtime because tomorrow, well tomorrow you may be sent out to die. Now I think the event area of Meridian looks sad and naked, because people couldn’t just learn to slow down. I really feel bad for the poor person/people in Trion who spent who knows how long crafting that beautiful maze.

 

As with all things this event seems to be having its share of ups and downs. But overall I’m looking forward to a relaxing summer in Telara. I just hope nothing happens to ruin the summer fun…like a dragon to the face.