Monthly Archives: August 2012

MEAD: Storm Legion Mage

MEAD: Storm Legion Mage

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

Storm Legion is coming. When exactly, we don’t know yet. But we have learned a little bit more about what to expect. Last week I got the chance to talk about the new lore that had been released. About times long since gone and an army we cannot even begin to understand. This week is something a bit more current in the Telaran timeline. One of the four new souls coming in Storm Legion, the Mage soul.

 

A teaser image was released and it really got the community talking. Talk of melee, two handed weapons and time travel bounced back and forth. And when it was finally time for the reveal thousands of people showed up. Over 3,000 at the very least for anyone interested in keeping count. And so we learned about the Harbinger.

 

 

The Harbinger is skilled at close combat. They transform their staves, swords and other weapons into deadly bladed weapons They’re experts at dealing with single targets but somewhat lacking when it comes to AoE. But then, that’s what the two other souls are for, right? They’re more survivable than the average Mage.

 

So what are the powers like? Well, a lot of them are your average hack and slash. Have blade will slash. We also got to see Elrar charge into a fight much like the other classes can. The armors have unique abilities which allow cast times to be reduced for other abilities. Not all the abilities are about hitting and getting hit though. You are just a Mage after all. You will also be able to dodge and parry while also absorbing damage and having a self heal. And if all that wasn’t enough you can also break crowd control. They focus around air and light damage. Air being an overarching theme in Storm Legion.

 

 

A favorite combination of souls on Alpha right now has been Harbinger and Pyromancer. They have a sort of opposites attract synergy with eachother that makes them a crowd favorite. Combining them makes you an expert in hit and run tactics while giving a boost to your survivability. For survivability in pve and pvp Harbinger/Chloromancer is a favorite. The Stormcaller and Harbinger souls are said to be a natural pair with eachother.

 

So we all know some big things are coming to the Soul Tree. With ten new levels being introduced they have to be put somewhere. Well that somewhere is the tree. Every soul is getting looked at, reworked, new powersets are going in. Even the positioning of powers is being changed. My first thought after hearing this was “Oh god, the patch notes are going to be huge.” Not that it’s a bad thing mind you. I can’t wait to my hands on them. We did get a glimpse at the soul tree for Harbinger but right now it doesn’t have its own images so it wasn’t anything new really. And they didn’t bother going into any detail as everything could change before live.

 

 

Mage pets are getting a deep look at. Everything down to new art for them. There are a small group of women on the forums expressing their displeasure at the lesser air elemental that was shown during the stream where all of this was revealed. The new air elemental is basically a cloudy, smoking looking woman. I’m actually going to put myself down as also being against it. Not so much because it is a woman, that can be argued as my Mage forming the elemental in her image, but more because I like the little swirling upside down dust devil. But then I also had trouble when they updated the other pets. I just like things staying as they start out to be.

 

Information about the other souls will be coming at a later date. Possibly in about a month or so they will host the next livestream to show off another soul. Part of the reason for the big delay is next week is Gamescom. Which I will be at myself. Hopefully while I’m there I will be able to actually get my hands on Storm Legion and let all of you know how awesome it is. So be sure to keep an eye out for our special live from Gamescom press coverage starting on Wednesday.

 

 

Dawn of Fantasy Announces “Siegeworks” Details

Dawn of Fantasy Announces “Siegeworks” Details

 

Dawn of Fantasy

 

Earlier in the week Reverie World Studios teased us with the prospect of an upcoming expansion to Dawn of Fantasy. Now new details have been revealed. This massive expansion pack, titled Siegeworks, is due for release later this fall, and promises to greatly enhance the gameplay experience in Dawn of Fantasy’s Online Kingdom. And the best part – this expansion is absolutely free! Reverie World Studios has stated that they see this as a way to give back to the community that supported the development of Dawn of Fantasy over the years.

 

 

The new expansion will put a strong emphasis on Player vs Player siege combat with the introduction of territorial control and epic realm warfare. In addition, the expansion will also greatly expand the game world, adding new towns to attack, new units to recruit, more quests to complete and new gameplay options.

 

Dawn of Fantasy

 

This massive expansion comes with an impressive feature list:

More Towns – Fifteen new NPC towns that players can visit, siege and defend! This more than doubles the number of attackable NPC towns in the game world

New Territorial Control gameplay – players will be able to take command of any of new and existing NPC towns across the realm either through the expanded diplomacy system or through conquest

New PvP Mode – players will battle each other for control of NPC towns in the brand new NPC Town Siege and NPC Town Defense modes

New Units – Several new siege engines and units will be added to the game, giving even more strategic options within Dawn of Fantasy’s already impressive siege combat gameplay

More Quests – the existing quest storyline will be expanded, plunging players into global warfare as various NPC realms and towns fight for domination providing a lot of siege combat opportunities

 

 

Get ready to experience Dawn of Fantasy like never before. With fantastic siege combat in a persistent online world environment, players will build, trade, ally and siege with hundreds of other players as they try to dominate the entire realm in the most elaborate persistent MMORTS game on the market!

 

 

In the weeks leading up the launch of Siegeworks, Reverie World Studios plans to release numerous showcases, a detailed feature walkthrough and a video overview.

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/10: PSO2, Battle.net Hacked, RIFT, and More!

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/10: PSO2, Battle.net Hacked, RIFT, and More!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Hello readers! This is going to be my last Shotgun News for about a week. I’m off with fellow writer (and husband) Ardua to bring you guys all the latest news from Gamescom. Shotgun News will be making its return on August 21st. But for now there is a lot of exciting news for you to read.

 

 

Phantasy Star Online 2 Making Western Debut at PAX Prime

 

Sega has announced that Phantasy Star Online 2 (PSO2) would be making its western debut at PAX Prime later this month. The game has more than 730,000 players in Japan since launching less than a month ago. They will also be showing Aliens: Colonial Marines, The Cave, Hell Yeah! – Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS into dreams…, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and an as yet unannounced digital title.

 

 

Blizzard’s Battle.net Hacked

Blizzard is urging all Battle.net users to change their passwords after hackers compromised the service and took some personal information. Steps have been taken to close the illegal access but Blizzard is still urging caution. Data which includes a list of email addresses for global players outside of China, The answer to the personal security question, and information about the dial in authenticators. Blizzard will be asking people to change their secret questions and updating their authenticator software in the next few weeks.

 

 

RIFT Dev Diary Shows off Storm Legion

A new Dev Diary from Rift is showing off upcoming expansion Storm Legion. It is the perfect summary of what we can expect to see in Storm Legion, or at least what they’ve told us so far. Tonight they will be revealing the new Mage soul during a special livestream event.

 

 

 

Bioware Co-Founder Addresses Rumors

Greg Zeschuk has clarified rumors about him leaving Bioware saying that he had handed over leadership of the studio so he could focus on a wider range of Bioware games. Rumors had been circulating for several days that he had left Bioware after not being seen attending meetings.

 

 

Firefall Gets New eSports Toolkit

 

Red 5 Studios has announced a new eSports Toolkit for upcoming free to play action shooter Firefall. It has unique spectator modes and streamlined shoutcaster controls. In observer mode anyone can watch matches through a number of cameras which includes a top down action cam which will zoom in on where the action is. Broadcast mode will have replay controls and a multi camera preview.

 

 

TERA Lawsuit Settled With NCsoft

En Masse has confirmed that it has settled the Tera lawsuit filed in the US by NCsoft. En Masse maintains its innocence and wouldn’t disclose the details of the settlement. The lawsuit revolved around allegations that developer Bluehole which employed former NCsoft staff stole assets for Lineage III and used them in the creation of TERA.

 

 

Knight Age Open Beta Coming

 

Joymax has announced 17 events and activities for the upcoming Knight Age open beta which starts August 28th. Players will be able to start downloading the client on August 14th. Those who participated in the closed beta will need only to patch their client.

 

 

Guild Wars 2 Hosts Another Stress Test

ArenaNet is holding another stress test today for anyone who has pre purchased Guild Wars 2. Today’s test is running from 7PM EDT to 11PM EDT.

 

 

Questing For Bosses Comes to Wakfu

The newest update to Wakfu is live. With it comes Utimate Bosses, a new quest system, class balancing, adorable new pets, and more. To learn more check out the video below.

 

 

League of Legends: One Small Step For Diana…

League of Legends: One Small Step For Diana…

By Jason Harper (Hhean), OnRPG League Reporter

 

 

Diana is a bruiser assassin that primarily deals magic damage. She has a highly aggressive playstyle, with an extremely long range, spammable gap closer that allows her to leap straight at weak targets whenever she pleases. Her incredible shield allows her to jungle effectively, while her Crescent Strike gives her a strong harassment tool on mid or top lane. She plays very similarly to Akali, with Diana’s increased durability and ability to jungle being what differentiates them from each other.

 

 

Pros:

Extremely high burst

Destroys most mages on mid

Strong Jungler

Deadly level 6 ganks

Magical damage is uncommon on bruisers

Very strong shield

 

Cons:

Her curved skillshot can take some getting used to

All her crowd control is tied to one ability

Has very low gank potential until level 6

No sustain

If she’s fighting, she’s going all in. No half measures

 

 

Ability Summary

 

Moonsilver Blade [Passive]: Deals magic damage every three attacks, and grants a passive 20% attack speed buff. Lets her build AP and still have effective auto-attacks. Always try to have this up before leaping at an enemy.

 

 

Crescent Strike [Q]: Curved skillshot that damages and grants vision on all targets hit. Hits like a truck and is on a low cooldown. Insanely good harassment tool.

 

 

Pale Cascade [W]: Creates a shield around Diana, while also surrounding her with three spinning orbs. If these orbs hit an enemy, they’ll detonate, dealing damage in a small AoE. If all the orbs are consumed, the shield will refresh. Makes her incredibly tanky provided she’s in an enemy’s face, and does a fair bit of damage to boot. This also scales on AP, allowing her to build offensively while still getting some survivability. This thing is like Riven’s Valor, but with a magical bent.

 

 

Moonfall [E]: AoE pull centered on Diana that slows any everyone caught in its blast. Ideally used near the edge of the blast as an enemy is trying to get away, dragging them back into auto attack range. It’s a super charged version of Darius’ Apprehend.

 

 

Lunar Rush [R]: Long range, high damage targetted dash. This ability has a very short cooldown, which can be immediately reset if you leap to a target already hit by Crescent Strike. Possibly the strongest chasing tool in the game, and completely invalidates any attempt to protect an enemy carry.

 

 

Combos & Shenanigans

Probably the hardest thing about Diana is regularly landing her Crescent Strike. The curve is nearly at a 90 degree angle, and resembles a C when targeted directly upwards from Diana. This C will scale with how far away you aim the shot, but it will always maintain the same dimensions. The C is at its thickest in the middle, making hitting people far more reliable at medium range when aiming past your intended target.

 

 

The quickest way to get a handle on this unusual skillshot is to use it in the same way as any other, but always aim at a spot that is 90 degrees clockwise from where you would usually fire. So if you’re standing to the right of your enemy, rather than aiming to the left hand side of your screen, you would aim at the top. Once you’re past the initial hurdle of learning how to hit reliably with her Crescent Strike, she’s pretty simple to play.

 

 

Your main goal as Diana is going to be to get as close as possible as quickly as possible to the squishiest targets on an enemy team. Her damage output is so high that anyone without survivability items or abilities is going to die from a single burst. With her combination of high mobility and durability, she’s uniquely capable of getting straight to the heart of an enemy team, killing her target and letting the rest of her team mop up what’s left.

 

 

Before leaping at someone, try to make sure her passive is up, indicated by Diana glowing white. Keep up pressure with Crescent Strike, and when you score a hit, transform Diana into the moon fuelled woman-missile that she is. Immediately smash into your victim with her Lunar Rush, and trigger her Pale Cascade when they try to trade some damage with you. When they realize they have likely lost most of their health, your enemy will likely try to run, or at least try to attack while retreating. Wait for them to get just out of auto-attack range, then pull them straight back in with Moonfall. If they’re low on health, finish them with another Lunar Rush. If not, wait for Crescent strike to come off cooldown (this should only be a few seconds), and then hit them with the whole combo all over again. For Diana, relentless aggression usually will net you a kill.

 

 

Her jungling snowballs hard, starting out fairly slow but ramping up quickly as she gains levels and gold. Due to her damage all coming from a single burst, she can clear camps almost instantly once she’s got some levels under her belt. This makes her mid game counter jungling extremely effective, as she can run into the enemy jungle, blow up a camp and then run off before the enemy team even knows she was there. Her ganking can be deadly, as once she’s landed a Crescent Strike, she can let rip with her full combo.

 

 

Conclusions

Thematically, Diana doesn’t stand out much. She’s got a very cold, aloof personality that serves her well, but neither integrates well with her mechanics (like Draven), nor really leaps out through sheer performance (like Nasus). The visuals on her character are good, and really drive home her moon theme, but they don’t really make me like the character herself much. While she doesn’t grab attention, she also isn’t an infuriating sex-appeal mannequin that can do nothing but spout innuendo, so at least she’s a good deal more empathetic than last patch’s Zyra.

 

 

Her whole kit was built around leaping ahead of her team and turning the enemy carry into a red paste before they even know what’s going on. She even has enough survivability to actually survive her insane suicide charges into the middle of enemy teams, especially if she’s backed by a character with some strong crowd control. Amusingly, this actually makes Leona one of the better choices to assist her in teamfights, being an equally aggressive crowd controller.

 

 

She’s fun to play, though she doesn’t bring much new to LoL. There’s already a number of highly aggressive, high mobility characters, and the only thing that makes Diana really stand out is that she can actually survive after being a madwoman.

 

 

Final Verdict

Stick her on mid to win games. She’s currently looking very, very strong. Crescent Strike and Lunar Rush are likely going to get nerfed, as their damage output currently is far too high on a character with such good built in survivability. If you’re an aggressive player, there is little reason not to pick her up.

 

 

To discuss Diana yourselves, post in the massive League of Legends thread in the free to play MMOs section, or post in the comments section below. If you haven’t tried League of Legends yet, you’re missing out.

City of Steam: Third Time Still Charms

City of Steam: Third Time Still Charms

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

When I logged in on Saturday morning I was surprised to discover that the Greenskin Incursion had turned into the Goblin Incursion. One of the developers had been called away on business. And in a small company like Mechanist having even one person not there is a big deal. As a result Hobbes and Orcs were taken out of the plans for this weekend and a fourth Alpha weekend was sketched in. Either way I see it as a huge win. We get another weekend of this awesome game and I had planned to play a Goblin anyway.

 

 

There is something important about City of Steam that I haven’t really talked about. And it’s something that means a lot to me. History, the lore behind the game. City of Steam is unique, because it isn’t just Humans in a steampunk setting. It has all sorts of fantasy races and they prefer to call it Industrial. I mentioned previously that the history of the world could be read in game in the books that are scattered all through the world. But that isn’t the only place to read up on the lore of City of Steam. The official website has…more lore than I’ve had the chance to read. Just when you think you’ve read it all you find another page you never noticed before.

 

 

History starts in the Forgotten Age. A time so long ago that nearly everything about it is a mystery. From there it continues on to the Era of Myth. It is said to be a time of creation. Flesh beings were constructed but for reasons that aren’t completely clear, jealousy is one possible answer, they were cast away and automatons called Titans were made to replace them. A golden era followed and there was no famine or war. This was called the Revel. But all good things end. And when this did a great ark was built to take the people away from their home. Twenty years it took to build but it proved to be a failure. It fell from the sky. There was a long period of darkness while the world repaired itself. But it was a peaceful time and people expanded the reach of their cities. Starvation soon became an issue as the population expanded. Greenskins, who were known for their survival skills found themselves highly sought after. After the threat of starvation was gone life went on. City States were formed, alliances born. Perhaps the most important city of them all came to be, Nexus. It is there where a new archaeological find has drawn people from all across the world. And it is there where City of Steam takes place.

 

 

There is something else I haven’t said yet, something very, very unique. In City of Steam the world isn’t round. It isn’t entirely flat either. It is called the World Machine. This machine is made up of the Great Ring, inside which sit gears. The Major Plate takes up most of the space inside the Great Ring. But there are also four Elemental Spokes around the outside edge of the Major Plate. Beyond the World Machine sometimes rogue gears can be seen, drifting. It is believed they were once a part of the World Machine.

 

 

This week I didn’t notice many changes from previous weeks. The tutorial had a few new tips. And the first attack button has been moved to Q. The map in the corner of the screen had new icons to represent a variety of things. I thought that was everything, until I decided to reroll a new character and I noticed something I had never seen before. On the lower left hand side of the creation screen I saw three little boxes. This was part of a new class tree system (specialization that we haven’t seen in City of Steam before now). From the start you get to pick one of three ability trees to specialize in. Archanists for example can pick from Fire, Ice, and Lightning. Channelers get Harmony, Healing and Radiance. The stats on them aren’t final and the Design team is working on making them better balanced so look out for any changes in the next Alpha weekend.

 

 

Speaking of the next Alpha weekend, break out your calendars because it is set to take place August 17th to 19th. And this time around the focus will be on the Greenskins we didn’t get to play this last time around, the Hobbes and Orcs. Sadly I won’t be at home to cover it. Instead I’ll be in Köln getting the latest news from Gamescom. But, never fear.  I have asked for a bit of help in making sure OnRPG is there from fellow writer Remko Molenaar (Proxzor). So be on the lookout for his article on the last Alpha weekend in about two weeks’ time. Or just grab a key on our Event Page and see the game for yourself!

Past and Present Collide in Eden Eternal’s Stunning New Expansion

Past And Present Collide In Eden Eternal’s Stunning New Expansion

 

Eden Eternal

 

The eternally popular Eden Eternal is going stronger than ever today as Aeria Games announced the launch of a brand-new expansion. Shadows of the Past is a colossal new content update for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that ushers in a new age—literally.

 

 

Chief among the additions is the new Sage class, which is accessed in an unprecedented way. Players must undergo a series of trials, during which they will experience firsthand the saga of the lost Sage in a bygone age. Completion of these trials will fully unlock the new class, which players will need to challenge the Sage’s old enemies—the Shadowers—who have resurfaced in the present.

 

Eden Eternal

 

Plenty of other content arrives along with the new class and its intriguing story. The level cap has been raised to 70, and three new maps have been added for questing and exploration. Four new dungeons are also available for PvE. On the PvP side, players will continue to enjoy the recent addition of 10 vs. 10 arenas, which arrived shortly before today’s expansion.

 

 

“This is the first time that the lore has had something tied to the world’s past, a compelling story of the corruption of the Zumi race and why there are no Sages anymore,” said Andy Muesse, producer. “This expansion hits home for all of our users, and we’re very excited to keep this perennial favorite updated with lots of great content for our players.”

OnRPG August Expansions Update!

OnRPG August Expansions Update!

 

 

The MMO world is alive and well this month as a constant stream of expansion and game update  announcements have been arriving at OnRPG. Here’s a quick guide to what’s new around the net this week in game updates!

 

Second Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 Trailer Released

Fans have been given a second trailer for the upcoming A Realm Reborn patch. The first trailer was released just two weeks ago and Square-Enix is being fairly tight lipped about what the patch will feature. But this new trailer is action packed and makes fans even more eager.

 

 

Age of Empires Online Adding New Civilizations

Babylonians are coming to Age of Empires Online. A new booster pack is also being released which will feature the land of Mesopotamia. It is filled with level scaling quests for levels 20-40. These will be released on August 16th to coincide with the game’s one year anniversary.

 

 

EVE Inferno 1.2 Overhauls Tutorial

EVE’s tutorial has been given a complete overhaul in the most recent patch in an attempt to make it more friendly to new players. In addition the character creation process has seen some changes. These are just a couple of the huge list of changes in the patch notes. Which can be found by going http://community.eveonline.com/updates/patchnotes.asp

 

Dark Blood Unveils Act III

 

Dark Fantasy MMO arcade brawler Dark Blood has unveiled the details for Act III which include a level cap increase to 40. There is also a map expansion which features dungeons, mobs and bosses. A poisonous gas turns Knights into zombies which you then have to fight.

 

 

World of Tanks Announces 8.0

Wargaming has announced the details of update 8.0 for World of Tanks. It features a newly improved game engine, realistic tank movement physics, and improved rendering. New customization options are being introduced which include mini-map functions. Five new Soviet tank destroyers will be added and the British will get their first premium machine, the Matilda Black Prince experimental medium infantry tank.

 

 

Forge of Empires Shows Off New Buildings

 

Innogames has published images of four Great Buildings which will feature in Forge of Empires in the next few weeks. There will be legendary buildings from the Iron Age to the Colonial age. Players get access to these buildings by collecting blueprints then constructing them. They give significant stat boosts to the owners and anyone who helps build them receives rewards as well.

 

 

Gremlins Come to Vindictus

A new pet has come to Vindictus, Gremlins. You don’t have to worry about feeding these guys after midnight though. These cute little creatures help you fight and look adorable doing it.

 

 

Sea of Dawn Comes to ROSE Online

The new update coming to ROSE Online is Sea of Dawn. It increases the level cap to 230, has a new multi tiered dungeon and even includes new weapons. Veterans will be introduced to Exalted Raids which brings in the hardest level raids so far. But will great difficult comes great loot.

 

 

Stronghold Kingdoms’ Summer Update Brings New Quests

Over 150 new quests have been added to Stronghold Kingdoms in the new Summer Update. These new quests will be made available in a new quest system which will unlock quests as you progress. In addition there is a new Quest Wheel which awards players with in game items

 

 

Allods Online Opens New Horizons

 

The launch of the new expansion called New Horizons has been announced. The update rebalances Paladin and Psionicist classes and introduces new buffs. In addition a new server has been opened for North American players.

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/9: League of Legends, GW2, TERA, and More!

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/9: League of Legends, GW2, TERA, and More!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

League of Legends Launches Announces PAX Prime Cosplay Fashion Show

After launching the new character Diana earlier this week, an AP burst assassin who plays similar to Akali, Riot Games has revealed details for the upcoming LoL themed Cosplay fashion show at PAX Prime. The shows will take place each day at 1:30pm. While sign ups will take place from 10 to 12 noon each day. Cosplayers will get LoL swag and an official cosplay badge. OnRPG will of course be on site to cover and record the show!

 

 

 

Guild Wars 2 Surprises With Another Stress Test

Another stress test has been scheduled for Guild Wars 2. The test will only last four hours from 3PM to 7PM EDT. The announcement was made on the Guild Wars 2 Facebook page.

 

 

En Masse Hit With Layoffs

 

TERA publisher En Masse has been hit with layoffs. This comes as they transition into the next phase of the business. En Masse is working with those who are affected to find new jobs in the industry.

 

 

Digital Sales Up During Second Quarter

The NDP Group has announced that digital video game sales are up 17% in the second quarter of 2012 in the US. It totaled 1.47 billion dollars from April to June. However it hasn’t offset the decline in retail sales. These findings were compared to those from Europe where the results were very similar.

 

38 Studios’ Assets Transferred to Rhode Island

US Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath declared at a hearing yesterday that 38 Studios’ assets would be transferred to The Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. and the Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co. after expressing concern that the IP would be lost during the dismantling of the business. The IP will now be sold in an attempt to balance its debts.

 

 

Ragnarok Online Enters New Age of War

A new event has come to Ragnarok Online. Eerie sounds have been heard in the Guild Halls leading to a discovery of dimensional cracks which lead to alternate dimensions. A competition has broken out for ownership of the Hall of Abyss. But this is a war of money, not strength. The highest bidder will lay claim to this new zone. So let the bidding begin.

 

RaiderZ Closed Beta Now Live

 

The closed beta for RaiderZ has officially started. Players who are confirmed to have access will be able to log in straight away. Those interested can still register and claim a premium CB key from OnRPG’s giveaway page!