Red 5 Studios recaps some of the best moments of the first day of Firefall Fest!
Yearly Archives: 2012
OnRPG Shotgun News 10/25: RIFT, Civilization MMO, Lineage II, and Much More!
OnRPG Shotgun News 10/25: RIFT, Civilization MMO, Lineage II, and Much More!
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist
Rift Restructures North American Servers
Just a couple of weeks before Storm Legion goes live Rift has rearranged some of the North American servers. In all eight servers are being made into trial servers. Free transfers are being made available for all players to move their characters to one of the remaining servers. But it isn’t bad news says Trion, this has been made possible because the sizes of the servers have been increased to allow more players on an individual server at any time.
Civilization MMO Coming to Asia
Take-Two and XLGames have announced that an MMO based on the popular Civilization series is in development for the Asian market. There aren’t many details on the game yet. In fact that is all there is to know for now. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on it and hoping it makes the jump to western audiences.
Primal Carnage Launching

If you’ve ever wanted to hunt dinosaurs or be dinosaur hunting a person then Monday is a good day for you. Because that is the day Primal Carnage launches. The class based shooter is available for pre order on the Primal Carnage website, Steam, and several other online game merchants.
Lotteries Make a Return to LOTRO
Lotteries are back in Lord of the Rings Online today with slightly better odds than previously. Times of the lotteries have changed and two new ones have been added. Less characters will be competing thanks to an adjustment in what levels qualify giving slightly better odd all around.
Lineage II Glory Days Update Launches
The patch notes for yesterday’s release of Lineage II’s Glory Days Update are some of the largest to date for the game. There are new quests, revamped zones, class changes and much, much more. The improvements in the update are based on player feedback.
Meta’s Verse: City of Heroes Final Halloween
Meta’s Verse: Halloween 2012
By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Paragon Reporter
Halloween is a fantastic time in City of Heroes. Many, myself included would call it the best of all of City of Heroes’ events. They always added something new while keeping the classics. From trick or treating to zombie invasions this event is everything you could want in a modern day city full of super powered beings. And for the last time, this weekend City of Heroes will go dark for Halloween.
Holiday events are a long standing tradition in City of Heroes. And as much as I love the winter holiday event nothing in my mind can beat Halloween. For a set amount of time (this year only a weekend sadly) the world goes dark. There is no daylight which makes it a perfect time to farm badges for those creatures which only come out at night. And during this time every door becomes an opportunity for a treat…or a trick. Perhaps monster hunting is more your thing? Eochai and Jack in Irons escape Croatoa into the city. This is a great way to get reward merits and finding a monster hunting team is as simple as “Scrapper LF Monster Team”. If the sky goes red head for your nearest rally point and fight off zombie hoards. Or find the banners and take them out. And of course no one can forget the latest addition to Paragon’s Halloween fun, a haunted mansion. Enjoy all of these things this weekend. It won’t come again.

For me though, I love dressing my characters up. I spend sometimes a month picking out the perfect costumes for all my characters, This is the fourth year I’ve taken part in this tradition. I’ve had witches, Jessica Rabbit, and a million others. This year though I’m going above and beyond. It is the last Halloween in game after all. So everyone is getting several costumes because I don’t plan on stopping my characters just because the game is gone. I’ll need costumes for next year. And maybe even the year after that. This year’s costumes include an Egyptian Queen, a zebra, and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Making Halloween costumes is going to be one of the biggest things I’ll miss from City of Heroes when it’s gone.
The dev created events are fun and all, but it’s the player events and my own personal Halloween events that are far more entertaining. The Cape on Virtue always has something planned while quite a few other super groups have held events in the past. But, it has been a few years since I’ve held my own Halloween event. My last one was at the height of Statesman’s Watch’s popularity on Virtue. But this year, I’m changing that. Now, I’m not talking about anything huge. Especially since I just came up with it today. But I haven’t put together a City of Heroes event in almost a week so I think it is about time to do it again!

So! Here are the details:
Meticulous Meta of OnRPG Hosts A Halloween Costume Contest
Date: October 27
Time: 7PM UK/2PM Eastern/11AM Pacific and 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern/1Am UK
Location: Pocket D, Virtue
Theme: Halloween! Come wearing your best Halloween costumes.
Prizes: The top 6 winners (3 from each event) will be featured in next week’s Meta’s Verse article.
As this is something I have just planned more may be added to the event than just a costume contest as others come on board. I know quite a few people can’t move from their home server, and for those of you I am very sorry. As you can imagine it would be very time consuming if I tried to hit up all the servers twice a day for Europeans and North Americans. To keep up to date on the latest information about the Halloween costume festivities head over to the City of Heroes forums or the Titan Network forums. The threads are called Unity Event 2: Halloween. I hope to see all of you there with some fantastic costumes!
Arctic Combat Open Beta Starts December 6th, 2012
Arctic Combat Open Beta Starts December 6th, 2012
WEBZEN Inc. announced the start of the open beta for the online tactical FPS game, ‘ARCTIC COMBAT’. On December 6th, the ‘Arctic Combat’ war begins. With much feedback from previous beta tests, WEBZEN is currently focusing on improving the game to provide an optimized and player-oriented version.
Before the open beta starts, preparation will kick-off with new contents revealed through the Arctic Combat Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ArcticCombat). Also during this period, user-interactive events add more anticipation for the awaiting players which will be held through the official AC website (ac.webzen.com).
Meanwhile, Arctic Combat is continuing to contribute to the e-sports world with the online region finals for North America and Europe held this October 27th and 28th. Later on November 8th, each winning team will be invited to South Korea for the ‘Veterans League – World Championship’ during G-Star 2012 at the WEBZEN event hall. The full event will be live streamed for viewers to watch around the world at WEBZEN.com.
Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said, “We are very excited to announce our official open beta date for Arctic Combat the anticipated high quality contents and service.” Also he said, “We look forward to seeing who will become the first to represent their region at the World Championship finals.”
WoW Wednesday – The First Rule of…
WoW Wednesday – The First Rule of…
by Meredith Watson
Less than a month after the release of Mists of Pandaria it has been announced that a new content patch is on the Public Test Realm. This is surprising as Blizzard doesn’t normally update WoW so soon after an expansion. Frankly it usually takes them ages to update. Is it any coincidence some other triple A titles have content patches or expansions due soon? Is Blizzard finally playing keeping up with the Joneses?

Officially, with 5.1.0, the Pandarian campaign will begin which is the attempt to make the game feel as if Horde and Alliance are still at war. They always have been but were somewhat united in the common goal of ridding Azeroth of evils such as Illidan the Betrayer, Lich King and Deathwing. Now that there isn’t the common thread we’ve gone back to fighting each other. And nothing says war like more daily quests. Am I right? Yes, you read that right. More daily quests as well as two new factions associated with the Pandarian campaign. Alliance will be getting Operation: Shieldwall, which reeks of gnome but is more likely a nod to Mass Effect 3. The Horde’s new faction will be the Dominance Offensive which doesn’t reek of anything except maybe tauren poo and bloodlust. Players will be able to kill NPCs and other players for commissions which will contribute to upgrading bases or recruiting guards to protect captured territory.
There will also be some changes to the pet battle system with 5.1.0. Battle stones will be added which come in two flavours and two qualities. A general battle stone will be able to upgrade any pet whereas family specific battle stone can only upgrade a pet of a specified family. A flawless battle stone will upgrade a pet to rare and the polished battle stone upgrades the pet to uncommon. In addition to battle stones there are quite a few improvements and fixes to the pet and mount journal.
The Brawler’s Guild will also be a new addition come 5.1.0. Two new fighting rings have popped up in Orgrimmar and Stormwind allowing players to test their solo PvE skills against “some of the toughest creatures in the World of Warcraft”. As players prove their skill they will increase their rank within the Brawlers Guild unlocking rewards and activities. It is possible to be a spectator in these arenas while waiting your turn or, from the sounds of it, just for fun. Clearly, this is Blizzard’s take on Fight Club. The Secret World has a version that is PvP and Age of Conan has a PvE version. While Brawler’s Guild isn’t a ground breaking feature it should still be entertaining.
If this is your first night at Brawler’s Guild, you have to fight.

Some of the sites that specialize in data-mining of the public test realm have offered up their finds such as the Vol’jin and Windsteed mount get a new look, party hats (can only assume holiday event related), some new Darkmoon Faire models and a few achievement changes. There are also some new potions which can only be used in the brawl area added as well as some new companion pets, a new type of cloth and consumables.
One thing Blizzard has consistently done over the years is tinker with the classes and this patch is no different. Steady Shot and Barrage are now usable while moving. Hunters are slowly taking over Azeroth. Hide and watch. Mages are getting a little nerf concerning mage armour and spell steal. It isn’t that big of a deal however – with just a mana cost increase for spellsteal and an absorption reduction for mage armour. To be fair mages, at least arcane mages, barely use any mana as it is. Shockingly, it seems holy priests are getting a little love this patch which almost never happens. Disarm takes a little hit as well which should annoy the warriors and rogues.
The most exciting thing, for me at least, with 5.1.0 is the introduction of a Black Temple scenario. Some sources are saying it is a warlock only and some are saying it is for everyone. I so hope it is for everyone but if not I will finally make a warlock and level it past ten. I would love to return to the Black Temple. I have such fond memories of playing a level 70 holy priest and seeing Illidan and Wilson * for the first time. Either way whether a scenario for everyone or just warlocks, the lore nuts are having a field day. And of course Akama will be tied into all this somehow-possibly as his own faction.

Except for the insane amount of new dailies (20ish) I am quite looking forward to this patch. How the Pandarian campaign will pan out is anyone’s guess. As it stands now with Mists of Pandaria it certainly doesn’t feel as if war is imminent or raging all around us. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still animosity between factions coming from the players themselves. It seems like just yesterday I was spit on by a nasty little goblin. Oh wait.
*Wilson was the name of the Skull of Gul’dan in Azerothian Super Villains -a World of Warcraft machinima series by Ian Beckman. I suggest watching all six episodes. Great stuff.
NYCC 2012 Hawken Interview w/ Mikedot
Mikedot discusses all things Hawken in his meeting at NYCC. Ready to get into beta? We’ve got keys coming your way!
RaiderZ Open Beta Now Live
RaiderZ Open Beta Now Live

Perfect World Entertainment Inc. today announced that its highly-anticipated, monster-hunting MMORPG, RaiderZ, is now live in Open Beta.
“The positive response from both players and critics alike to RaiderZ has been incredible,” said Mark Hill, RaiderZ Senior Producer. “Today, we’d like to thank fans who’ve followed the development of the game and welcome everyone to join the RaiderZ Open Beta and explore the Kingdom of Rendel. This is just the first part of our commitment to provide a great experience for years to come.”

In RaiderZ, players must “Hunt Together or Die Alone” if they hope to succeed in battles against Rendel’s most deadly creatures. With its action-oriented combat system, flexible class system, unique and engaging boss encounters, and stunning environments, RaiderZ promises a breath of fresh air to fans of MMORPGs. The best part: RaiderZ is free-to-play.
Find out what critics and fans are talking about by joining the RaiderZ open beta today! Grab an OnRPG exclusive Wolf Boss transformation pack and go wild!
OnRPG Shotgun News 10/24: Allods Online and Rose
OnRPG Shotgun News 10/24: Allods Online and Rose
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist
ROSE Online Comes To Steam
Gravity Interactive has proudly announced that ROSE Online is now available on Steam. Fans can play the game for free by joining the ROSE Steam Community.
Allods Crafting Changes Incoming

In a patch preview some crafting changes that are being made to Allods Online’s crafting system were outlined. Some professions will be merged with their gathering counterpart so players will only need one profession for one craft. Profession level progression is being simplified to scale with your character level. And last but not least there will be a new crafting UI.
Tyrian Times- Something Wicked This Way Comes
Tyrian Times- Something Wicked This Way Comes
By Meredith Watson, OnRPG Tyrian Reporter
The first major content release, Shadow of the Mad King, for Guild Wars 2 is now live! The content patch brings in the first holiday event, PvP paid tournaments which I covered in a previous edition, new items to the Trading Post, more events, jumping puzzles, bosses, mini dungeons and achievements. Most of this new content is Halloween related such as the items added to the Trading Post. It is unclear if non-Halloween stuff will be added to the Trading Post but it has been stated there will be Halloween costumes.
Arena Net, coincidentally, first introduced the Mad King event in 2005 as their first ever event in Guild Wars and by all accounts to rave reviews. Will it be as successful for Guild Wars 2? Only time will tell but if we look at how the event was orchestrated in Guild Wars we may get a clue about what is in store for us.
Who is the Mad King?
Mad King Thorn was a Tyrian king long ago. He was more known for insanity than philanthropy; he wasn’t a nice guy. While his people starved he banqueted. He would order villagers skinned alive for whatever reason. Needless to say, he wasn’t looked upon favourably by the commoners who eventually would be his demise after an angry mob carved him up with a knife. The Mad King now lives in the Mad Realm, which is in the underworld, as a spirit. Because he is restricted by a series of seals he may only return to Tyria one day of the year and that day is October 31st. While this sounds rather grim though appropriate for the season, ArenaNet likes to incorporate humour as well. When the Mad King appears he is often accompanied by candy corn servants.
In Guild Wars the event would start with the arrival of Bruce the Herald and his gang of undead who would alert the people to the Mad King’s return. Many of the outposts would be appropriately decorated for the season. ArenaNet liked to include many imaginative changes and features to the game world during this time as well such as ships that were previously floating would be sinking, the water colour changed to a sickly green, the sinister appearance of the moon and the transformation of NPCs. All the transformed NPCs would have a little something to say about the Mad King and/or lore of the event.
It wasn’t all cosmetic though. There was plenty to do. There were several quest lines the players could do for experience, gold and trick or treat bags. Trick or Treat bags were presents the player could open which would have one of the following: Vial of Absinthe-an alcoholic beverage, Witches Brew -also an alcoholic drink, Ghost-in-a-box which is, as one would expect, a ghost. The ghost was non-interactive and disappeared after a short time. Squash Serum would create a pumpkin on the player’s head. Candy Apple, Candy Corn and Pumpkin Cookie could also be found in Trick or Treat bags and were buffs to stats that lasted ten minutes. The alcoholic drinks would count towards the Drunkard title (obviously).
In addition to quest lines there was the Costume Brawl. Introduced in 2007 the Costume Brawl was a PvP event that let the player fight as one of the famous characters from lore. There were different skill sets depending on which character you were fighting as. The character type was randomly selected for each round. However, equipped and inventoried weapons stayed with the character. Though if you didn’t have an appropriate weapon one would be dropped on the ground once entering the arena for the player to pick up. There were four different arenas and over 50 guises. Rewards were faction points and Trick or Treat bags.
Finally the Mad King himself appeared on October 31st in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan every three hours. When he arrives he begins a game of Mad King Says, which as you guessed is Simon Says but with the added fun of death if the player didn’t do it right. When the Mad King would say, the player needed to emote whichever emote the Mad King was asking for. Trick or Treat bags were rewarded for each successful attempt. For an unsuccessful attempt the penalty was death. The Mad King will also tell jokes and play Rock, Paper, Scissors. After about 30 minutes, the Mad King gives everyone a festival hat when his appearance is over. New festival hats were introduced each year from 2005 to 2011 including styles such as pumpkin crowns, wicked hats, scarecrow mask, zombie face pain and even a tricorne.
What we do know about the Guild Wars 2 Halloween event is that it is a week long, will come in four acts, and definitely feature the costume brawl. If the Guild Wars Halloween event is any indication of things to come, we are certainly in for a treat (see what I did there?). Because Guild Wars 2 is meant to be bigger and better than Guild Wars I do hope the Guild Wars 2 event reflects this. While I look forward to seeing the Mad King my wish is that the event stays true to Guild Wars 2 and isn’t just a rehash of the Guild Wars event.
Combat Arms Adds Store-Front Battle with New Map: Bloodbath Bazaar
Combat Arms Adds Store-Front Battle with New Map: Bloodbath Bazaar

Nexon America has released “Operation Second Wind,”new content for its high-intensity, online first person shooter, “Combat Arms,” that includes battle map in a market called Bloodbath Bazaar, adds new game modes to its Death Row map, adds user interface improvements and new weapons to its enormous armory.
“Combat Arms,” which has millions of registered players in North America, features the market-themed map, Bloodbath Bazarr in its newest content update. This map, based in Turkey, is the epicenter for chemical weapons smuggling, which results in a massive firefight between forces where a variety of combatant’s skills can be put to use. The map allows for tactics such as all-assault as teams vie to control the map’s two courtyards. The map gives ample cover and high-windows for skilled snipers to take down their enemies. A stealthy player can also use the market’s many shade-giving awnings to jump from to out-flank and surprise their enemies.
Additionally, “Operations Second Wind” adds changes to its Death Row map, enabling One Man Army, Spy Hunt, Quarantine Regen and Last Man Standing game play modes. The update also improves the user interface including an updates shop image view, an ignore list and better video recording information. Adding to its more than 300 gun arsenal, “Combat Arms” has added the G18 Carbon Black pistol and the Tristar Cobra Force pump-action shotgun.





