Shotgun News 11/13: RIFT, GW2, EQ2, and much more!
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah) OnRPG News Journalist
Storm Legion Comes to Rift
Today is the day Rift fans have been waiting for. The first expansion to Trion’s massively popular MMO is live! Storm Legion brings 10 new levels, triples the size of the world, gives players housing and much, much more. Be sure to look out for OnRPG’s Storm Legion coverage.
Guild Wars 2 Introducing New Armor
To help address the issue of players hitting the Legendary wall Guild Wars 2 is introducing a new level of armor called Ascended. It falls between Exotic and Legendary on the rarity scale. With it will also come a new condition for monsters, and upgrades to fight that condition called Infusions. These were all highlighted in a recent reveal on the official GW2 website.
Everquest II Launches Chains of Eternity
There isn’t just one major expansion coming out in the world of MMOs today. Everquest II is releasing it’s ninth expansion, Chains of Eternity. To keep the server hamster’s happy and busy while the servers down a diary of their adventures is being posted on the site. For all the details of Chain’s of Eternity check out Merry’s preview here.
Chrono Tales Closed Beta
Keys for the closed beta of Chrono Tales are now available via application on the official site. Priority for the codes will be given to anyone following the 3D Browser MMO on Twitter or via Facebook.
By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief
After experiencing a wonderful traditional Korean Dinner consisting of raw ginseng, noodle specialties, and a whole fish with head and tail included, as well as witnessing the impact of the rice wine Soju as it pummeled some of the more party prone members of the press, it was off to the second day of GSTAR. Thanks to Neowiz I had access to an exhibitor pass and was dead-set on taking full advantage of raiding the B2B section to see what was going on behind the scenes at GSTAR 2012!
I wasted no time hitting up the Neowiz booth where I was blown away by the secret of the show, the early prototype for EIN – Epicus Incognitus, a game that blurred the realms of console graphics and storytelling with MMORPG team building elements and gameplay. The below trailer says more than words ever could.
Impressed yet? I can say I knew of Neowiz prior to this event. But with these two games looming in the distant future I feel this Korean based dev-publisher combo will soon be a household name among MMORPG enthusiasts from California to the UK.
After the Neowiz presentation ended I went to work collecting notes, business cards, and as much information as possible on every title I could. I felt dizzy as I moved from booth to booth witnessing the early prototypes of titles we likely won’t see in the west for another 2 to 5 years. Thankfully I ran into a AAA title you may be familiar with from our PAX coverage this year, Phantasy Star Online 2! While at PAX I was awed enough to award this title Game of the Show, witnessing the upcoming end-game content post-level 40 immediately made me imagine God of War styled battles transformed into an Anime. Characters flipped through the air, slamming their weapons down against three story tall dragons and huge ogres in what I feel is still the smoothest combat to date in any MMORPG.
Next up I met with Gravity Interactivity who were unfortunately very tight lipped once they realized I was with the western media. See a lot of marketing teams like to keep much of the information on their games under wraps for as long as possible so they can build hype once the game is closer to launch in a respective region. Gravity knows this drill all too well and all I managed to snag was a few tidbits on Ragnarok 2 and the sad fact that there are no current public plans to bring Alicia Online, a horse racing MMO, to the west. My girlfriend, NuttyKitten, is heartbroken at the news.
Across from Nexon I found ChangYou, a company with a similar history to Neowiz in being relatively unknown in the west but with major titles looming on the horizon. Last year my associate Nick brought me a pamphlet showcasing some of the details on their title Duke of Mount Deer, which I can sum up in one sentence as the chibi version of Guild Wars 2. I took comfort knowing that this game was receiving the recognition it deserved, taking home the Popular Asian Developed Award, second on the list of awards to only the President’s Award (won by Icarus Online). For more info I highly suggest taking a look at last year’s article on the game here. After much haggling I managed to get their representative to spill that we may see this unique title in the west as early as Q4 2013. ChangYou lacked a skilled English speaker at their booth but thankfully provided a book filled with information on their upcoming line-up I hadn’t yet heard of.
Heroes of Legend is a 3D real-time turn-based MMORPG, one of the first of its kind to take turn-based gameplay through the Unreal Engine 3. It offers 471 story-driven missions in which players can collect skills, pets, and unlock further classes via their Cloud Class system that allows you to experience every class fully without ever having to reroll. With a graphics style akin to Duke of Mount Deer and a wild range of Wujiang martial arts skills to acquire, this should definitely be on the wishlist of any strategy fans out there.
The next title is currently code named X7 and is built from the Dark Fire engine, an engine designed to push graphical output to the limits while still maintaining 1,000 player battles between 5 factions. If mass scale PvP is your forte, you’ll fall in love with this beautiful title that builds on past customization and development MMORPG styles but on a scale that can’t be described as anything short of extraordinary. I’d say the biggest selling point on this title is the vehicle-based siege warfare combined with massive mechanical birds that enable aerial combat during territory wars. The dynamic engine that allows the game world to change based on player actions is also a plus.
God Slayer was the personal favorite of ChangYou’s representative. Similarly to EIN, it is built off a variation of the CE3 engine and features non-traditional untargeted combat with a strong focus on a five element system that will force you to react to your enemy’s strengths and weaknesses on the fly to do well. The game also supports large scaled open world PvP with air, land, and water mounts/vehicles. You can expect to find all the usual modern physics here as mounts and players react to each blow in realistic fashion. Akin to RaiderZ, you will also have to focus on the weak points of major bosses to take them down tactically (because these bad boys will destroy you in a blow for blow contest). And for the phone junkies out there you will have full access to the auction house, guild functions, and many other basic social aspects via cross-platform apps to keep you in the game even when you’re afk.
While ChangYou had much more to show the rest of their titles either had no clear launch planned in the west or too little information to bother sharing. Still it goes to show just how far detached the western and eastern gaming worlds are from each other and how much this industry is set to change in just the next few years.
Following ChangYou I hit up GalaNet to try out Eternal Blade for the first time since GDC San Francisco. The game is extremely polished and ready for its Korean launch, and we should be seeing it in the west in the very near future as well. If you’re looking for Diablo style gameplay with a more Asian setting and a F2P business model, I doubt you’re going to find anything higher quality than Eternal Blade.
The Taiwanese were out in force at GStar as I got to finally meet some of the marketing team behind XLegend, best known in the states for their partnership with Aeria Games for Grand Fantasia and Eden Eternal. Unfortunately they haven’t revealed any plans past Glory Destiny Online so I don’t have new info to share but I made sure to thank them. After all their title Eden Eternal was the first press event I was invited to which got me noticed by many game publishers to do awesome exclusive reporting including our recent SOE Live and Elder Scrolls Online reveal coverage.
Next up on the Taiwan tour was OMG Entertainment, who you might remember from the other major title I shown the spotlight on during GStar, Bella Legend of Crystal. While most of the details regarding this game haven’t changed from last year’s preview article, they did announce that they will be using a business model in which players can sell in-game items on the auction house for cash shop currency rather than in-game currency. In fact coins aren’t dropped by monsters at all, making the cash shop currency essentially the currency of the entire market. I’m a bit iffy on how this will all work out but one thing is for sure, this game will not suffer the typical inflation that most MMORPGs have trouble dealing with these days.
OMG is also pushing for more social interactivity by allowing players to connect their in-game profile to the profile of their favorite social networks. As a result you will be able to share your pics, interests, and more that you have flagged for approval with in-game friends straight within the game client itself. On the mobile app side you will be able to take care of your in-game pets and acquire exclusive equipment through mini-games only playable on the mobile app. A new trailer also showcases the unique class diversification system.
At Gameforge it’s always Oktoberfest, even in Korea!
The final stop on the Taiwan tour was to meet up with my new pals at Runewaker, the infamous Tang brothers I met a few weeks back at SOE Live. The timing was perfect as a high ranking representative from Gameforge approached the booth, pulling the Tangs into an impromptu meeting likely about publishing Dragon’s Prophet, allowing me to get the unfiltered inside scoop from their sales associate Danielle Yen. I literally have pages upon pages of notes of information not covered in detail at SOE Live so expect a full article on what’s new with Dragon’s Prophet including an in-depth look at the dragon taming system and Frontier system.
With that out of the way I prepared to make my way to back to the B2C section of the hall until a small booth in the corner caught my eye. It was none other than my favorite group of game publishers, En Masse Entertainment. Yet when I asked what about TERA they had come to promote they replied that they were actually in the market to acquire another title. This news was music to my ears as En Masse does a truly fantastic job managing TERA in the west and I feel any title under their care will receive proper treatment. Though when I asked if it was going to be another action heavy Unreal title Knoxxer hinted towards a no. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what they are plotting in their secluded Seattle office.
Finally I ended the day scoping out some of the titles I didn’t have a chance to try on my first day around the booth. Or so I thought before I realized there was an entire array of new showgirls in attendance on day 2!
Spongebob was spotted outside directing traffic to the Tales Runner rappers
The Korean Creativity group was represented by a girl with Minnie Mouse ears. No this doesn’t make any sense. Yes I still love them for it.
Nvidia lured all the Asian press to their booth with a unique draw, they had the only two white showgirls I saw at the entire show! Unfortunately I failed to capture a picture of the other but both were dressed as fairies.
I couldn’t help but feel bad for Mario. Standing directly between the Neowiz super machines and the Nintendo booth must have been scorching hot in that suit.
I don’t know what PStore is but I think I suddenly want to buy what they are selling @_@.
A rather intimidating Blizzard associate in this beautiful Chinese dress kept the rift raft out of the back entrance of the Mists of Pandaria demo.
Meanwhile this unusual group maintained order amongst the chaos outside the Starcraft II demo.
I barely managed to snag this quick shot of the Cyphers girl before I was pulled back into the Starcraft swarm.
Finally after making my rounds I got in line to try Icarus, the only title that had literally no openings for press meetings when I ran into them in the B2B hall. After an hour long wait in the line staring at the sexy showgirls working the booth, I finally got my hands on the game. Much like Dragon’s Prophet though, this title will require its own article to describe so I will leave that tale for another day.
Overall I have to say GSTAR is by far my favorite convention I have yet worked. The PR group at Neowiz was beyond expectations, offering a professional and organized schedule with enough free-time to allow me to explore the entire show rather than only focus on their own titles. Despite the language barrier I learned that MMORPGs are truly a universal language to themselves and anyone with the opportunity to attend would be a fool to miss out on the chance. Save up your money, grab a passport, and meet me at GSTAR next year. It’s an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life!
OnRPG Shotgun News 11/12: Blizzard, The Secret World, and League of Legends
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist
Blizzard Facing Class Action Suit Over Player Data
Blizzard is facing allegations that the Battle.net Authenticator has made them millions while providing minimal security protection. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, asking that Blizzard be prevented from forcing battle.net accounts on non MMO games and finally that Blizzard not be allowed to add undisclosed costs to ensure security.
The Secret World Updating PvP in Issue 4
Issue 4, Big Trouble in the Big Apple is coming. And aside from nasty monster trouble in New York players can look forward to some big changes to the most popular PvP region in TSW, Funsang Projects. One of the biggest changes is that defending objectives is incentivized. This means that zerging as Fusang is currently run will be no more. There will be pvp vendors in Fusang, White Marks of Venice will be changed and there will now be cross dimension Fusang.
League of Legends Pre-Season Changes Coming
Riot Game’s Lead Designer Morello has been rallying all the big names in the dev department for League of Legends over the past week preparing their players for a huge line-up changes set to rock the foundations of the way players tackle Summoner’s Rift. With changes coming to champion itemization and build diversity, new jungle items, gold cost reworks, jungle monster reworks, and a few unforseen changes that have yet to be announced, players of old will have to relearn their tactics and adjust to a possible change in the way the game is played. Today also marks a hefty patch to bring season 2 to a close, offering rewards for competitive players that earned them while offering hefty buffs to multiple AP characters including newly released champion Elise.
EIN – Epicus Icognitus is set to merge the worlds of console style gaming and MMORPGs like never before. Using an advanced Cryo engine, they have created breath-taking graphics and a fluid combat system including mounted combat, puzzle-based combat, and fun action skills that will keep players on their toes. A engaging storyline told through interactive cut-scenes will also test a team’s coordination.
Guild Wars 2 Update Shows Fans the Wonder and Scope of Online Worlds
NCSOFT® and ArenaNet are excited to release the second major content update within three months since launch for Guild Wars 2 this week, entitled The Lost Shores. Arriving November 15, the update brings many new features to the game and will be highlighted by a multi-stage, one-time event that will forever change the world of Guild Wars 2.
A Mini-Expansion
Following the hugely successful multi-stage mystery of the recent Halloween event, the Lost Shores update continues ArenaNet’s tradition of delivering regular content, compelling events, and unequalled ease of access in its regular game releases, all subscription-free. The Lost Shores update is a mini-expansion worth of new content that brings players an unprecedented amount of new areas to explore, challenges to conquer and goals to achieve. This is all punctuated with a massive one-time event that will change Tyria forever.
In addition to numerous improvements and additions across the entirety of the game, major features that players can look forward to include:
A mysterious zone to explore, accessible to all players regardless of level
A challenging new dungeon to conquer
A new PvP map set within a Kodan dojo
New gear to acquire, ranging from additional weapons skins to item enhancements to an additional tier of items between Exotic and Legendary.
Crafting updates including a new resource to harvest and 200 new recipes
A one-time in-game event that will forever leave its mark on the world of Tyria, starting Friday, November 16 and ending Monday, November 19.
Play with Friends
To make it easier than ever for friends to share in the mystery and epic events of the Lost Shores update, Guild Wars 2 will be opening its doors for a refer-a-friend trial period. Starting today, players who have already purchased the game will be able to invite up to three friends to join a free trial period from November 15-18.
Additionally, the update also brings guesting to Guild Wars 2, allowing players to explore Tyria with friends on a different server free of charge, without the need for a home world transfer.
Timing of The Lost Shores event is as follows:
Thursday, November 15, 18:00 CET (17:00 GMT) – Free trial period begins, update build is released
Friday, November 16, 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) – One-time Lost Shores event begins
Sunday, November 18, 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) – Final event stage begins
Monday, November 19, 07:00 CET (06:00 GMT) – One-time event and free trial weekend ends
EverQuest II – Chains of Eternity Preview with SOE Team
By Meredith Watson, OnRPG Journalist
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Holly Longsdale and Carlos Mora, producer and game designer respectively of EverQuest 2, for a virtual tour of Chains of Eternity. Holly narrated the tour while Carlos navigated. Chains of Eternity for those that don’t know is the ninth expansion for EverQuest 2 since its release in November 2004. Incidentally, they’ve just had their eighth anniversary. Personally, I have been playing off and on since 2006 and it has always been one of my favourite titles.
Firiona Vie says to you, “It sounds like the Duality was on the right track, then… ugghh…”
You say to Firiona Vie, “Are… are you all right?”
Firiona Vie says to you, “I… I think so. I just feel really light headed all of a sudden. Something… something isn’t right…”
You say to Firiona Vie, “Can I get you anything?”
Firiona Vie says to you, “What… what is haaapppeeenninnnggg??? AAAARRRGGGHHHHH! Folloooowww… the… ravennnnnaaahhhhh!!”
You say to Firiona Vie, “Firiona?? FIRIONA??” -Excerpt from Unexpected Consequences
Fironia Vie, the beautiful high elf protagonist of EverQuest and EverQuest II that is featured on every box has died. Or has she? Fironia Vie is lying in state in the Greater Faydark in a new memorial which is where we started our tour. Working with the Duality and Revanus a tear has been opened in the Feeroot to allow the inhabitants of Norrath to pass through to the realm of the dead, Ethernere. Ethernere is the dominion of Drinal, the Silver Reaper, and is being overrun by the Harrowing Horde.
The first zone the player encounters in Chains of Eternity is Eidolon Plains, and while it resembles the Feeroot with its lush jungle vegetation and rich colours, it is clear that you are definitely not in the Feeroot. There is a chilling sound whispering through the trees reminding you that you are in the realm of the dead. The Harrowing Horde, once protectors of the realm, have seemingly gone mad and the effect is taking its toll.
The skies have turned red and the trees have eyes.
Obal Plains, the other overland zone in Chains of Eternity, will be familiar to most. It does seem like it should be Loping Plains in spots but, again, something is not quite right. Areas within Obal Plains such as Hallow Cleft and Breathledge have been overtaken by the Harrowing Horde. Obal Plains is lusciously done in blues and purples with a gorgeous haunting soundtrack.
One of the best features of Chains of Eternity is that the signature lines will be completely solable, allowing everyone to experience the complete story. Players will also be able to get to adventure and crafting levels of 95. Guilds, too, will be able to level to 95.
Crafters will see the introduction of prestige abilities such as Experimentation which allows the crafter to add new stats to an item, Salvaging which turns items into pure resources, or Mass Production which allows the crafter to make multiples of the same item at once.
There are nine new dungeons in Chains of Eternity all with their own unique feel. For example, in Ethernere players will find the Temple of the Faceless, the Dreadcutter and Drinal Citadel (Harrow’s End). The Dreadcutter, while we didn’t get to visit it in our tour, Holly Longsdale seemed particularly excited about the ship citing the full experience of the moving sails as well as hearing the flapping of the sails, adding to the overall immersion of the area.
Outside of Ethernere there is Wyrmborne Crag which is home to the Ashlok. Wyrmborne Crag is cleverly done with even more attention to detail. Because the Ashlok are nocturnal their abilities change at night. This is yet another example of the level of design in Chains of Eternity. This area has a real feeling of depth not just in space (though that is quite impressive) but again in the details such as the Ashlok running and jumping on the platforms overhead, or the flags blowing in the breeze. The zones in Chains of Eternity have a different look and feel to them than other expansions. There is a richness of colour and fine detail that hasn’t previously been seen. Sound is also taking more of a role.
Spirit stones are a new adornment item that can be found in Chains of Eternity. Spirit stones will grow in power as they are used and may open unique passive abilities. As well as spirit stones there are level 95 weapons that drop throughout the new zones. While these Ethereal weapons are considered to be the best in game, they are also quite a rare drop.
In addition, Holly also mentioned that the platinum limitation has been removed for free players so that they may participate in the Krono market which has recently gone live. The Player’s Studio is moving right along and the team are getting ready to put submissions in the game.
Chains of Eternity will be released on Wednesday, November 13th. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet there is still time. Just head on over to the official site http://www.everquest2.com/expansions and get your copy today.