Monthly Archives: August 2012

PAX Prime 2012 OnRPG/MMOHuts Day 1 Recap

PAX Prime OnRPG/MMOHuts Day 1 Recap

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

Co-Written by James Hunt (JamesBl0nde), MMOHuts Content Manager

 

 

PAX Prime is a monstrous event. Outside of Gamescom you’d be hard pressed to find a community gaming event that can match both the size and scoop of games being covered. Everything from arcade titles to indie Ipad games to portal gaming consoles to standard consoles to MMOs lined the convention halls with hardly any predictable order as to who was where. It is chaos. It is emotional. The Cosplay to norm ratio is roughly 2:3… It is PAX and it has begun!

 

 

Our day started with me waking up at 3am, downing a mana energy potion and donning my wizarding hat, and summoning my partner and our website’s head engineer Bowen into action. We immediately followed the line of sexy and awesome League of Legends cosplayers to the completely booked 6th floor of the convention hall to check in with Riot Games. What we witnessed was pandemonium as we arrived just at 11am when the opening ceremony of the NA League of Legends Regional Tournament was beginning! The crowd was deafening as cheer after cheer resounded through the hall while each member of the competing teams were introduced as if they were the starting five on an NBA line-up. Being relatively disconnected from the esports community, this was an extreme culture shock and sent chills down my spine as I realized I was witnessing the beginning of a new world of sports, now catered to the PC geek rather than the weekend warrior.

 

 

After a short elevator ride (including a freaked out Phreak yelling orders left and right about the coverage) we were on to interview Associate Designer Pabro, possibly best known for the following video:

 

 

We discussed the recent change in philosophy of champion design and artwork at Riot, some brief discussion on Syndra, what’s in store for Season 3, and of course I snagged somewhere around 6 Arcade Sona skins and 3 Riot Graves skins which we’ll be giving out in a trivia event coinciding our interview. So study up on your LoL, OnRPG, and MMOHuts knowledge because only those knowledgeable in useless information will survive the gauntlet!

 

 

Next up I finally finally got to meet the Firefall cosplayers Typhon and Mourningstar! Excuse my overuse of exclamation marks but I’ve seen them 4 times prior to this and never gotten a chance to talk to them so I feel a cloud has lifted from my soul. I then got a bit of a recap interview with David Williams (Lead Class Designer) on the massive changes that have come… and will soon be coming to Firefall on both the content side as well as the esports side. What’s more, I snagged 5 sets of Founder’s Packs to not only get you into the game but get you in with style and exp boosts to boot. This will also be going out when our interview airs on MMOHuts and OnRPG’s Youtube so don’t miss your chance as these babies cost from $50 to $120 a piece!

 

 

Afterwards we got a chance to talk to the esports queen of Firefall, Morgan Romine, about their epic new MGU (mobile gaming unit) that seemed to have had a rough journey plagued by overzealous fans throwing themselves in the way of the bus from Los Angeles through Oregon until finally reaching its sectioned off temporary home on Pine Street in Seattle. With 20 pimped out AMD PCs lining the interior walls and a bad ass shoutcasting station smack in the middle, you’d have to be crazy to visit PAX and not hit up this truck for some gaming action.

 

 

At long last we ran into JamesBl0nde fresh from his 105 degree Texas weather and ready to bask in the glorious 60s that is Seattle. We darted straight to the Unicorn theatre only to be corrected that Razor’s CEO was doing his presentation in the Pegasus theatre. Further aggravating the situation were those dang ponies telling me this was not the correct type of pony I was looking for. Fifteen minutes later we arrived sweaty to snag the final 3 press seats in the first 2 rows of the Razor demonstration. And it was a demonstration that may shake the foundations of the Gaming Laptop industry.

 

 

The second generation of the Razorblade gaming laptop was revealed to the appropriate slogan “The Beauty is now the Beast.” And that was no bluff. Weighing in at 6.6lbs and a mere 0.88lbs, this compact laptop brings the heat with performance and FPS rates on par with the much bulkier Alienware M17X! In addition it offers the special side bar (known as the Switchblade) features with customizable hotkeys, screenshot functions, and so many other features it’s hard to describe. With a 17.3” monitor and LED backlighting standard and a price tag of $2499, this is going to be a tough laptop to beat in 2012. Oh and for those early adopters that bought the first… well you earned yourself a $500 discount if you buy generation 2! Pre-orders are available now and the next-gen laptop will begin shipping in 30 days from today. I’m definitely ordering mine as the first generations were sold out for 4 months straight after launch.

 

 

While Dizzy was off somewhere trying to get exclusive swag from Kitty Mach, I got a chance to talk to Todd Harris from Hi-Rez about Smite and Tribes Ascend. I asked Todd, “As popular as Smite is does Hi-Rez plan on taking an approach to E-Sports?” His response, much to my surprise was, “Well we are working on an observer or spectator mode that will allow the person watching to snap to and see just what’s happening in the lanes.” I figured that was one step towards esports if you ask me. I was also interesting in knowing if we can expect to see any new game modes or maps added to smite. Todd confidently told me that we should expect to see that sometime in the future, however, right now their main focus is getting out a good number of champions for players to work with. On the Tribes Ascend side of things, Todd was able to let us know about plans for even more game modes to come. Stay tuned for the actual interview as Todd reveals the next class that will be revamped.

 

 

Right after Hi-Rez I found myself drawn to the Blacklight Retribution booth, but while I was there talking to the Zombie Studios Communications Manager Collin Moore, Their new title Special Forces Team X caught my interest. The game is still in development but it’s already packed with plenty of features, things such as being able to vote on map positioning based on your play style and also the fact that these developers have the rights to real weapon designs to feature in game. This game is going to release for Xbox 360 as well as steam for the PC later this year.

 

 

Besides our typical MMO and MMORPG coverage, we also took some time to check out what was popping outside our usual realm of gaming. Since our forums are constantly talking about Pokemon I spent some time to interview a member of the Nintendo team assigned to play non-stop Pokemon Black and White 2 during PAX. He fleshed out all the major changes coming including the path the former champion has taken, the revival of all the gym leaders from past Pokemon titles, and the introduction of all Pokemon being fully animated. The sprites and overall graphics were fantastic and I very much look forwarding to continuing a 2v2 slap bet going on in my apartment over who the best Pokemon Masters truly are!

 

 

On the indie side of things we also checked out two unusual titles. Card Hunter offers turn-based competitive strategy akin to Might and Magic, but one in which each character on the playing field has his own deck of cards based on the equipment you’ve unlocked and equipped on him/her. With multiple races and classes, a wide variety of card types and effects, and tons of tactical goodness, this is a title to keep an eye out for if you are a fan of the genre.

 

 

The other odd indie title we randomly stumbled upon thanks to an enthusiastic programmer sitting with his Ipad in a corner of the 6th floor was called Colour Bind. This platforming physics-based title incorporates gravity defying acrobatics and plenty of puzzle solving elements to force you to get through an obstacle course of flashy colors and death defying leaps. Not terribly surprising, it also comes with a color blind mode that replaces the flashy colors with crazy textures.

OnRPG/MMOHuts Gamescom Best in Show Awards

OnRPG/MMOHuts Gamescom Best in Show Awards

By Shannon and Jonathan Doyle (OnRPG Journalists)

 

 

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the OnRPG/MMOHuts GamesCom Awards.

 

 

We have been back and forth, pounded the walkways of the convention centre and come up with the following for you. Hope you enjoy.

 

Categories

Best Cosplay

Best Free To Play Title

Best Subscription Title

Best Sneak Peek

Best Non MMO

Best Upcoming

Best MMORTS

Best MMOFPS

Best MMORPG

Best Expansion

Best Co-Op Shooter

And of course Best In Show

 

So on with it!

 

 

Best Cosplay:

You know, I’ll be honest. I have no idea what they were dressed as and they couldn’t really tell me or Leliah thanks to a language barrier. However, style and attitude count for a lot. Best Cosplay goes to these two lovely girls.

 

 

Runner Up: Of course people put their most work in what they love, that’s why the Runner Up deserves a mention and a look, World Of Warcraft inspires again.

 

 

 

Best Sneak Peek: The Secret World

I may be biased (go on and correct me in the forums if you want). If I had to pick any one sneak peek that we saw, that is an update and not an expansion to any existing game, to win this award; hands down The Secret World takes the cake. From the dark and creepy monster art for Tokyo to the sheer fun of Rocket jumping into Atenists to the New York Raid, The Secret World scoops it.

 

Runner Up: The Old Republic

Not to be forgotten by any stretch is The Old Republic which peeked first for community and finally showed the floor the new updates coming in the future.

 

 

Honorable Mention: Project Theralon

In sneak peeks, I know I already defined it as an update to an existing game, but we will give an honorable mention to Infernum Games Project Theralon. It’s not quite ready for alpha, but it is shaping up wonderfully.

 

 

Best Non MMO: Star Trek

Ushered into a dark room and equipped with 3-D glasses, we sat down to see some early in game footage of Star Trek. I am reasonably convinced that what I saw was straight into the mind of J.J. Abrams and the next movie. Absolutely gorgeous visuals, spot on voice acting and the humour of 2009’s Star Trek movie were all featured in the play through. Hands down, the best non MMO we saw.

 

 

Runner Up: Sim City

Every time we wandered past the Sim City booth I grabbed at it like a baby who wanted her bottle. Anyone who is a fan of the Sim City series will have been waiting nearly a decade for a new one to come out. Now that it is just within our grasp we must start preparing to surrender our lives to our Sim overlords.

 

 

Best Upcoming: Defiance

Best Upcoming, like Best Sneak Peek is an unusual category. This is our nomination for the as yet unreleased games that excited us the most, regardless of any subdivision. To that end, Best Upcoming goes to Defiance. It isn’t content with “merely” being available on XBox 360, Playstation 3 and your PC. It is coming to your television too. Defiance is attempting to blend an MMOFPS with a television show in a manner that literally has never been done before. As a gamer as well as a science fiction fan, I couldn’t be more excited.

 

 

Runner Up: World of Warplanes

I admit it. I am not just a gamer, not just a sci-fi geek. I am totally a World War II guy. World of Warplanes scoops the runner up for Best Upcoming for the impressive, enjoyable and extremely diverse dogfighting world they are bringing to players.

 

 

Best MMORTS: End Of Nations

It appeared to me that if I wasn’t playing an MMOFPS or co-op shooter this year, I was playing Real Time Strategy. Leliah covers the less shoot you in the face sort of things and so this was left entirely up to me. My pick for the best MMORTS at Gamescom based on the pure enjoyment factor: End of Nations.

 

 

Best MMOFPS: Firefall

There were so many options. So many choices. The larger FPS games, compared to the smaller but no less enjoyable co-op team shooters, all faced off this year. In the end, there could be only one. For me, that one was Firefall. However my top 3 were all SciFi shooters so FireFall definitely has some stiff competition to compete with this year.

 

 

Runner Up: Dust514

Firefall may stand victorious but it was by no means an easy battle. CCPs Dust 514 takes Runner Up after sneakily putting a bullet in Planetside 2 while it wasn’t watching.

 

 

Best MMORPG: Neverwinter

There is nothing in the world more worthy of the title “RPG” than Dungeons and Dragons. That alone would be no where near enough to secure Best MMORPG for Neverwinter. Neither would the exceptionally fun combat and gorgeous visuals experienced on the convention floor. Finally by itself the ingenious Foundry system from Cryptic, seen in an earlier form in Star Trek Online, wouldn’t be enough to win. Taken all together, the setting, the lore, the love, the looks and the Foundry, hands down Best MMORPG goes to Neverwinter. More on the Foundry soon.

 

 

Runner Up: C9 (Continent of The Ninth Seal)

When you think of MMORPGS you think of grand settings, awesome moves and a compelling story. C9 has all that and so much more. What ended up really drawing me in were the amazing graphics, how fun it was and how easy it was for a complete newbie to pick up while playing on a Korean keyboard.

 

 

Best MMO Expansion: Rift: Storm Legion

There weren’t many expansions to be seen at Gamescom this year. So you might think that makes the choice even easier. But it really doesn’t. When it came down to decision time we went with Rift simply for the sheer size and awesomeness that went into it. The world will be three times the size it is now; each class is getting a new soul, housing, and a level cap increase. For a first expansion Rift is really outdoing themselves.

 

Runner Up: World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

To ignore the Panda in the room would be nothing short of idiocy. Mists of Pandaria drew huge crowds, had a danceoff and had lines at all times of the day. It is safe to say that people are looking forward to World of Warcraft’s fourth expansion.

 

 

Best Co-Op Shooter: Warface

Once again, it comes down to personal preference. Personal experience. I experienced a fair few co-op shooters in Cologne but if I had to pick one to win, without a doubt it goes to Warface. Engaging PvE content, fun PvP content and a shotgun on the medic that left me giggling and enemies flying… Warface takes it.

 

 

Runner Up: Arctic Combat

Maybe I am a sucker for helicopters and UAVs. Maybe it all comes down to fun. The runner up for best co-op shooter then goes to Arctic Combat for the second most fun I ever had getting owned in the face.

 

 

Best Unique F2P Title: Brick Force

There were many shooters of both the massive and co-op types this year. I had the chance to play many, see many more and come to some conclusions. If I had to give Best Free To Play title to any one game, it’d be for sheer fun factor above and beyond any FPS/RPG/RTS subdivision. In this, Brick Force takes the cake for me. Is it pretty? Well… if you like cubes it is. Is it massively complex? You shoot the other guys to win. Is it fun? Oh my God yes!

 

 

Brick Force is what you get when you cross Minecraft, a map editor and a team based FPS shooter and blend until awesome. Design, build, dominate.

 

 

Best Subscription Title: Rift

What can I say? The competition may have been narrow with the sheer number of free to play titles out there on the floor and online. Even so, don’t consider this a throw away. Rift wins for its sheer aggressive updating, ear to the community, constant improvements and bright future.

 

 

 

Best In Show: League Of Legends

Who put on the best show? Who brought legions of fans to Cologne? Who or what stole peoples hearts, minds and attention better than anything else. Judging by the adoring fans, the ESL tournaments, the consistently packed booth whether hats were flying or not, the Best in Show from OnRPG andMMOHuts goes to Riot Games’ League of Legends.

 

League of Legends NA Regionals Have Begun!

League of Legends NA Regionals Have Begun!

 

 

Today through Sunday Riot Games will be streaming the North American League of Legends Regionals straight from PAX Prime in Seattle. With $150,000 on the line and the chance to proceed to the finals where $2,000,000 will be up for grabs, the action is expectedly fierce. Check out the stream below to join in the action yourself!

 


Live video for mobile from Ustream

 

DK Online Dev Spotlight: Paladin

DK Online Dev Spotlight: Paladin

By Aeria North, Aeria Games Representative

 

 

 

Greetings, followers of the light,

 

We’re back to talk some more about DK Online‘s third class spotlight, the ever-shiny, never-shady Paladin! These holy fighters are handpicked by the goddess Dione herself to charge into battle and defend their allies from Kharvag’s minions.

 

 

We’re going to go a little off course here and share some of what Paladins used to be, because ongoing improvement is always a crucial part of the development process. Much of DK Online is being fine-tuned and overhauled as we continue to work towards releasing the game, and the classes are no exception. This also gives you a glimpse into the game development process as a whole, where things have to be flexible and fluid as certain needs and demands arise.

 

 

So what did Paladins used to be? The earlier vision for the class was that of a primary damage dealer and support class. Whereas Warriors once favored the good ol’ sword-and-board and Paladins relied mostly on two-handers (though both classes could use either, they were each designed around a particular weapon), there’s now much more parity between them. Paladins before were best suited to being straightforward dps, but they now have the tools in place to enhance and defend their party as they lead the charge into battle.

 

 

New abilities are also being added to make the play-style more engaging. We felt like the Paladin of old needed more active abilities, and was perhaps too reliant on passive skills. While the class still has very useful passives, we decided that it is important for the Paladin to actively take control over the party’s well-being. We’re continuing to add abilities as we go, so that the end result is fun, interesting, and really establishes the image of the Paladin as a bastion of light.

 

 

Our Favorite: Well, in light of all that, it’s hard to pick a favorite skill—but we’re going with Heaven’s Wrath. In addition to having the coolest name, the hard-hitting attack leaves nothing but a crater where the enemy once was. On top of that, enemies that take the hit and are still standing have a chance to be stunned, opening them up for further punishment.

 

 

We hope you enjoyed the latest look into the development process. We think it’s good to have a bit of transparency too! Keep an eye out for our next class spotlight as it comes down the pipe!

RF Online Server Transfers Begin Today

RF Online Server Transfers Begin Today

 

RF Online

 

GamesCampus today announces a temporary suspension of services for the PVP centric sci-fi MMORPG, RF Online as it moves to its new home at GamesCampus. A mix of fantasy with a healthy dose of science fiction, Rising Force Online launches players into a massive three-faction nonstop battle that equips them with everything from swords to nuclear weapons to bring the opposing factions to their knees! Players can sign up now for a GamesCampus account at rfonline.gamescampus.com, and starting August 31st players can transfer their accounts from the former host to the GamesCampus network.

 

 

“GamesCampus is committed to making a smooth, full transition for all interested players.” said Hubert Yee, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “Whether players wish to retain their old accounts or start over, we’ve got plenty in store for the rest of 2012.”

 

 

Starting August 31st, players can use http://rfonline.gamescampus.com/?page=transfer to move their characters from the old servers to their new home at GamesCampus, who will service RF Online moving forward for the North American and global audience. One week later, on September 6th, space enthusiasts can begin logging in to RF Online again at approximately 11:00am PST.

 

RF Online

 

New to RF Online completely or just want to start over? Join us on the new server Excelsior! This new server will be available from September 6th to November 6th, and will not take transfers of veteran accounts. Instead, players new and old will have a chance to start from scratch and compete with and against similar level friends and foes. Eventually, Excelsior accounts will be merged into the central server to compete against the full pool of Rising Force players.

 

 

GamesCampus is also pleased to announce they will be launching Patch 1.5 during Q4 2012. This new update has never been seen on the English version of RF Online, and players will be delighted with the fresh content and myriad of exciting changes, which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/30: End of Nations, GW2, Ragnarok, and much more!

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/30: End of Nations, GW2, Ragnarok, and much more!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Drakensang Online Celebrates One Year

Drakensang Online is celebrating its first anniversary by announcing it has surpassed 10 million registered players worldwide. To celebrate Bigpoint is giving every player who subscribes to the newsletter 250 units of Ancient Wisdom. There will also be a series of community oriented competitions which will be held later. Later this year there will be new content releases, and a fourth character class added.

 

 

Guild Wars 2 Is Going To China

ArenaNet has signed a deal to take Guild Wars 2 to China. The partnership is with the KongZhong Corportation. This is one of the biggest licensing deals to bring a Western game to China.

 

 

End of Nations Third Beta Weekend

Trion Worlds has announced the dates for the third closed beta event for upcoming free to play strategy game End of Nations. It will run from Friday, September 7th to Sunday, September 9th. This beta weekend will see the debut of Elite Companies which are pre-configured armies that can be purchased to serve a specific purpose.

 

 

Dragon Saga and Ragnarok Collide

 

The latest update as part of an ongoing expansion through the year has brought Ragnarok to Dragon Saga. Portals have been created by Ragnarok scientists which allow players to travel between dimensions.

 

 

Grepolis Update Brings New Features

InnoGames has released an update which gives new players a new starting experience in the browser version of the game. While mobile users will have new toolbox access to the game’s forums.

 

 

Dino Storm Enters Open Beta Phase

 

Have you ever wanted to ride a dinosaur while dressed like a cowboy and shooting lasers? Well in Dino Storm you can do just that. Splitscreen Games has announced that open beta for its brower based MMO, Dino Storm has begun. Getting started is easy, just head on over to the website and create an account.

 

 

Black Prophecy Powering Down Engines

After a year and a half of being online Black Prophecy has announced they will be shutting down. It will remain open until September 26th with events planned for the remaining four weeks. Players will no longer be able to purchase KK$, the in game currency. Players with currency remaining funds will receive vouchers in their inboxes to transfer the currency to one of Gamigo’s other games.

 

 

MOGA Announces New Software Partners

PowerA has announced new software partners for MOGA, the mobile gaming system which is said to bring console quality gaming to mobile devices. New software partners include, Virtual GS, Brisk Mobile, and Flex Friday Creations. Gamers will be able to get their hands on the MOGA for the first time ever at PAX this weekend at the PowerA booth.

 

 

R.O.H.A.N.: Blood Feud Is Released

 

 

YNK Games has announced Blood Feud is live, bringing full integration of the Spanish language to ROHAN. In addition there are two new servers, an increase in the success rates for forging, refining and reinforcement. There is also a new UI, adjustments to the levelling experience and modifications to the exchange market. To celebrate events are being held, to find out more about them head over to the official website.

 

 

Ultima Online Producer Lays Out Future Plans

As Ultima Online stands on the brink of celebrating 15 years Producer Bonnie “Mesanna” Armstrong addressed fans in a letter which talks about future hopes and plans for the game. In it she says that Publish 78 is on its way to a server near you. And work has already started on Publish 79. Some of the things they hope to work on in the future include, a pet revamp, armor revise, new wearables, and a battleground shard. To read the entire letter just click here. http://www.uoherald.com/node/685

Remnant Knights: Heroes of Kasmari Impressions

Remnant Knights: Heroes of Kasmari Impressions

By Meredith Watson, OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

Remnant Knights –Heroes of Kasmari is a Free to play Anime MMO published by GameSamba featuring PvP, questing, dungeons and crafting with an emphasis on social activities.

 

 

Remnant Knights is a bright, cheery, and colourful game which is strongly anime. There is a very childlike, cutesy theme throughout. Graphically it isn’t spectacular but it doesn’t need to be. This game does have a very distinct look and feel which is partly Asian with some American junior high school thrown in for good measure meets Harry Potter.  I would have thought Remnant Knights would have been aimed towards tweens but I was assured, after chatting with a GM, that it is aimed towards young adults that appreciate anime.

 

 

Remnant Knights also has a varied soundtrack.  The intro music can only be described as cute and pop-like whereas the music from Sunset Pier is almost haunting.  The only issue I have with the sound is that there isn’t a way to turn off the characters combat vocals (which are very repetitive and somewhat annoying) without turning off all sound effects except music which has its own setting.

 

 

If you are a lore fan, this game might be a bit of a disappointment.  The backstory is rather weak but to be fair lore isn’t really the selling point of this game.

 

 

Character creation is much like most games out there in that there are very few choices for hair, face and colours.  There are three class “circles” to choose from when deciding class. Each of these three circles split into two distinct classes after level 10. The three circles are gun, magic and fight.  The Magic Circle becomes the elementalist and the priest, the Gun circle splits into Heavy Launcher and Dual Gunner, and the Fight Circle leads to the Striker and the Crusher.  I have been playing casters lately so picked the magic circle.  Aside from determining the circle I needed to choose between the Owl Academy and the Dragon Academy. The Owl Academy is focused on magic whereas Dragon is science. It isn’t immediately obvious how the two Academies impact gameplay other than acting as a faction.  There is a persistent theme of school throughout from registering a student ID card to acquiring a dorm room.

 

 

After each level, including before level ten, there are skill points to spend. The skills before level ten seem to focus on enhancing your existing spells/skills. After level ten they are spent in your chosen specialization.  The skill tree is fairly straightforward and offers some choice but isn’t very in depth nor is it overwhelming.

 

 

The tutorial phase of the game is done on your school campus when first entering the game. Here you learn all the basics of the game. Remnant Knights is fairly standard in its tutorial and does a reasonable job of acclimating the player to the game.   Controls are the usual WASD, click to move or arrow keys.

 

 

Now where this game truly shines for me is in the combat. Combat is very fluid with no awkwardness in the controls or hotbars. Combat feels comfortable. There isn’t a steep learning curve though I will point out, because most spells seem to be AoE and the mobs are fairly close together, it is easy to get overwhelmed by mobs. It isn’t an issue as long as you are aware.  Some would call the questing in Remnant Knights a grind. I didn’t see it that way. I personally prefer kill quests versus a lot of running around, talking to different NPCs and whatnot. Remnant Knights is absolutely chock full of kill quests and to a lesser degree drop quests  There are many dungeons on Kasmari but I’ve only visited one which allowed me to choose the degree of difficulty before entering. It was recommended for three players but was easily soloed.

 

 

While chatting with one of the GMs I was told that there isn’t a raiding end game and that what there is of an end game is PvP focused. There are only a few high level dungeons for 55-60 but there are multiple ways in which to engage in PvP and it is always optional.  Marble Battle is a 5v5 point capture, Arena Battle is level 60 tournaments, and Club War is to capture a region. World PvP and duelling are also available.

 

 

Not to be overlooked is the club (guild) PvE event called Club Challenge. As well as the Club Challenge, there appears to be an event going on at all times of some description or another.  There certainly isn’t a shortage of things to do in Remnant Knights.

 

 

I do love crafting in games so it was nice to see there was some gathering available. Resources seem to primarily be mines and plants. The actual production of items is done a little differently in Remnant Knights.  For example, if you want to make a potion you will need to find a nurse and ask to make something. This will then bring up an interface in which you pick an icon of what it is you want to make from the left hand side. On the right side the ingredients would be listed for the item chosen and you would then insert the ingredients from your inventory in the appropriate place.  This seems to be the way to make clothing and gems as well.  There isn’t any real depth to the crafting and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of choice as far as what can be created.  Fishing in Remnant Knights is a little different as well.  Instead of just casting your line and waiting for a bite you have to struggle with your fish by pushing arrow keys until the fish tires. Think of The Abyssal Ride quest in World of Warcraft which utilizes arrow keys and you will have it. Once you’ve caught your fish you will need to find a cook in order to prepare it into a food that acts as a short term buff.

 

 

A bank and an auction house are both available on your school grounds.  The bank requires a password and is taxed, which ties into the PvP element.  I did find the search function on the Auction house subpar and the interface wasn’t as helpful as it could have been.  That being said, the UI for the most part is quite tidy and streamlined.

 

 

Remnant Knights is a very social game.  There is both Twitter and Facebook integration but in game as well there are a lot of activities centred on being social such as a bonding system and a matching system. The bonding system is a mentoring program whereas the matching system is quite literally a matching system for players to find like-minded players.  This is done by registering your student ID card. Your student ID card states where you are from, your gender, interests and very oddly, your blood type.  Any of these categories can be ignored when filling out your ID, which also isn’t mandatory.

 

 

Remnant Knight also has a pet system . The pets, when out, will need to be fed using a pet feed card but they also provide some boosts such as defence, mana, or movement to name a few. The higher level the pet the higher the boost. Pets can be stored in your dorm room. Pet feed cards and skill cards as well as additional pets can be found in the item mall.

 

 

At level ten I got my dorm room and after a cut scene explaining how I can have friends around, I was able to decorate it. Decorating my room included placing the furniture and picking a lighting colour. The placing of furniture and the room interface was similar to Runes of Magic.  Different styles of room furnishings can be purchased on the item mall.

 

 

The item mall, which can be quite obtrusive on other free to play games, is not in Remnant Knights.  There isn’t any in game spam advertising specials or the like.  The item mall is full of fun mounts, costumes, and furniture.

 

 

The other very unique aspect of Remnant Knights comes in the way of their customer service.  Remnant Knights boast “If you are online, so are we” and they aren’t lying. Every time I logged in, which was many, there was a GM online announcing his or her presence and interacting with the community through events, contests and trivia.  I did want to see how helpful they were and if they would in fact answer any questions as they claim.  Maenon, the GM I spoke to, was very accommodating and was able to answer my questions while being very pleasant.  This degree of customer service in any MMO is unheard of and I think it ties in with Remnant Knights’ social aspect nicely.

 

 

My time in Remnant Knights has been fun which is all one can really ask for in an MMO. This isn’t the type of game I would normally play due to the anime styling and overly cute art direction but I was pleasantly surprised by the gameplay and found myself enjoying it.  If you are looking for a fun, cute, social game with a strong competitive spirit instilled in the community then this just might be the game for you.  Give it a try!

 

Meta’s Verse: My Vindicators

Meta’s Verse: My Vindicators

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

For the last month City of Heroes’ P.E.R.C (Player Event Resource Committee) has been running what I would say is the most interesting competition to come to City of Heroes in its history. The idea was to give the Vindicators a makeover. And while there were a ton of great responses to the competition I never got the chance to put in entries of my own. The rules were simple, give the members of the Vindicators a makeover using only what is available in the costume creator. The Vindicators are a group of heroes who is lead by Ms. Liberty and happen to all be the sidekicks of the members of the Freedom Phalanx. So since I didn’t get to show off my creations I’ve decided to cheat a bit this week and share my creations with all of you.

 

 

Ms. Liberty

 

Ms. Liberty is the leader of the Vindicators and has taken the mantle in Independence Port where her Grandfather, Statesman once stood. Her original costume is a tribute to her mother Miss Liberty. I took some basic elements from that outfit, the dress, boots, gloves, shoulder pieces and belt and added them to a modified version of Statesman’s outfit to create a tribute to two great heroes who have left us while giving Ms. Liberty a more grown up look.

 

 

Aurora Borealis

 

Aurora Borealis was the sidekick of Sister Psyche. But it is safe to say she went above and beyond the call of duty when she housed Psyche in her mind. It was only with the help of her husband that she was able to return to her normal self. The loss of her friend has prompted her to update her look, making herself more colorful by accenting her outfit in gold instead of silver.

 

 

Infernal

 

Infernal is a master of demon binding and summoning. He comes from an alternate Earth where his order binds demons to their armor and weapons. He’s been in the same armor for years now. As a gift for her close friend, Numina had new armor custom made for Infernal.

 

 

Luminary

 

The original Luminary was a man. When he retired Positron presented him and his wife an Andriod who was modelled after her with powers similar to his. In the near decade she has been activated she has seen a lot of action. And though she was easy enough to repair the dents were really starting to show. With the help of Positron and her dear friend Citadel she was given a redesign.

 

 

Mynx

 

Mynx is the result of a Crey experiment and the aid of Synapse who helped her develop control over her new abilities. She has always been described as a girl, now she is all grown up and though she’s still fond of her old look she’s changed the shade of blue she wears while at the same time getting new ears and a tail.

 

 

Swan

 

Swan has been Manticore’s faithful sidekick ever since he saved her and offered her a chance to fight at his side. After having grown tired of being told that she practically looks naked for years now she’s decided it is time for a makeover. I also thought that she was a bit freakishly tall so I made her shorter. No story reason for that.

 

 

Valkyrie

 

Valkryie was once an archaeologist until she was injected with nanites and her personality was changed completely. She came to Paragon City to help her come to terms with who she is now. When she first started out her armor had to be bulky to stand up to the abuse she gives it in combat. Now though technologies have advanced and she doesn’t have to wear all the heavy armor she once did to get the same protection. Once again, like with Swan I felt she was a bit freakishly tall so I made her a bit shorter.

 

 

Woodsman

 

The Woodsman is the conact for my favorite task in all of City of Heroes, the Eden Trial. He also happens to be one of my favorite heroes as far as costumes go. So when it came time to change him I didn’t want to change him too much. Though I did, like with the last two make him shorter.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my creations as much as I enjoyed making them. Who knows, maybe in the coming weeks I will do some more makeovers. When the winners of the actual competition are announced I will be featuring them. I think we can be expecting that in the next week or two.

Elsword Launches Phase 1 of 3 Phase Overhaul

Elsword Launches Phase 1 of 3 Phase Overhaul

 

 

This week, Kill3rCombo will launch the first of a three-phase overhaul of skills, gameplay balance, and dungeons for the free-to-play manga-inspired action MMORPG Elsword. All players will have their skill builds reset for free as part of the massive rebalancing, offering a rare opportunity to try an entirely different character build without the need to start a new character.

 

 

The “Elsword Awakened” rebalance introduces new skills for every character and reorders skill trees to add additional depth and strategy to player-versus-player (PvP) combat, while making progression in player-versus-environment (PvE) content smoother and more fun.

 

 

PvP fans will discover that their characters have new combos and new PvP titles. In addition, the matching system has been revamped to provide better PvP battles. PvE players will also see major improvements. The quest system has been overhauled to give players a deeper storyline and a more immersive experience, fulfilling Elsword’s goal of letting gamers “play their Manga.”

 

 

The remaining two phases of “Elsword Awakened” will take place in September, revamping and adding to new content to the dungeons.