Yearly Archives: 2012

Fantasy Tales Online

Fantasy Tales is an MMORPG that’s playable right in your browser window. The quest based gameplay and simple mechanics further the retro feel of the game — it’s like an old 16 bit RPG, right down to the graphics! With a colorful world to discover, countless adventures await you. You don’t need an account to play; however, registering the game will let you save your progress for continued fun later!

 

 

Features

 

16 bit fun: While not as graphically intense as a lot of modern games, Fantasy Tales Online retains a retro feel for players who grew up with consoles like the SNES and Genesis. The world is colorful, and the adventure is waiting to be found!

 

Four character classes: Choose to be a brute, an assassin, a medic, or an alchemist. Each class plays slightly different, and you’ll find something to enjoy any time!

 

Simple controls: Fantasy Tales Online doesn’t bog itself down with complex controls, preferring to keep things simple. Clicking NPCs and monsters interacts with them, and you also click where you want to go.

Multi-Platform: Fantasy Tales Online will be available for Windows, MAC, and Linux.

Core Exiles

Core Exiles is a browser based MMO that gives its players the freedom to explore and fight in space. After your exile from the Core, you set out on a journey to make a name for yourself across the stars. Fight, trade, or govern your way into the history books. Compete against other players in exciting mech-based combat. The game is constantly receiving new updates and contents, letting everyone experience something new.

 

 

Features

 

Combat based missions: Fight against notorious space pirates, or become one yourself. Pillage ships for their bounty to sell or develop your own ship.

 

Settlement building: Players also have the option to develop a settlement, protecting your people and becoming a wealthy nation. Mine asteroids for resources and explore strange worlds to help develop your colony further.

 

Competitive action: Mechs are the name of the game here! Fight against player opponents in an arena, seeking glory, renown, and money.

 

Mix and match: Play however you like. Play as one, or combine all of the above for a truly unique experience.

Pockie Pirates

Experience the newest tactical browser from Game321. Pockie Pirates features some of your favorite pirates from the hit anime OnePiece. Choose your gender and one of four archetypes and set out to make a name for yourself in the pirating world as you recruit your crew from one of four infamous factions. With dozens of customization options, endless skills, equipment, treasure hunting, fishing, trading, story driven plot lines… well you get the idea! It’s time to find the One Piece and become king of the pirates!

Knight Age Launches into Limited Open Beta

Knight Age Launches into Limited Open Beta

 

 

Joymax, leading online game developer and publisher widely known for breakout titles like Digimon Masters and Silkroad Online, stampedes into the open beta of their highly anticipated free-to-play MMORPG, Knight Age, today.  The characters that players create and play during open beta will move directly into commercial launch.  This is also the last chance to enter one of the most sought after Open Beta contests, which includes a decked out brand new laptop as a prize.  Join now to enter the event and experience the newly opened beta test at Knight Age’s Official Website: http://bit.ly/GKAPortal_0828.

 

 

“Players said one thing consistently throughout closed beta: ‘Knight Age is great, and we want more!’ And that was great to hear!” said Nam-Chul Kim, CEO of Joymax. “We’re happy to give players exactly what they want with more mounts, more pets, more dungeons, and more PVP!”

 

 

With mounted combat being the focus of Knight Age, it’s no surprise that the number of mounts has been doubled between closed beta and open beta.  Mounts can be everything from hooves to paws to claws, and even a quacky surprise: players can now discover a hidden avian mount and ride into combat on a duck!  Mounts level up independently of their masters and can bestow additional boosts to their riders.

 

 

Knight Age’s Pupa system has also seen improvements.  Pupae (plural form of Pupa) are pets that all characters train up to become their partners in combat.  Pupae can be fed with equipment to speed their leveling; fusing together two Pupae creates a new pet that will take the strength of both parents.  Eggs for these amazing creatures can be found in the field, or purchased on the cash shop, but the best Pupa will be rare boss drops.  The number of Pupae has doubled between closed and open beta, meaning there will be more to collect!

 

 

The most anticipated feature launching in open beta is the PVP War system.  This colossal PVP mode can support up to 1 vs. 100 and will determine who will be the sole owner and wielder of Excalibur!  Open beta also brings the launch of the guild system known as Legions.  Legions will be able to take the field against other guilds for the Order of Knights, which pits 50 vs. 50 in mounted combat.  To arms, Knights, and prepare for battles both large and small!

 

 

This is the best time to join the game with 17 different events in store.  There will be prizes and events for everything; from simply registering in the game to battling for the legendary Excalibur!  The Open Beta Test will even feature grand off-line prizes including a brand new laptop and iTunes gift cards!

Runescape: A New Look at a Classic MMORPG

Runescape: A New Look at a Classic MMORPG

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

RuneScape is the game where it all began for me. This game was a big part of my childhood and will always have a little spot in my heart. And I’m not alone in this upbringing as most of the current MMO fans probably passed through this wonderful game in the early days. Since I was a little kid and new to the Internet this game opened a lot of doors for me, to be able to play a role playing game while playing with your friends? That was absolutely awesome. After all these years the game is still a big success and has evolved constantly to reflect the ever growing demands of the industry. But what exactly has changed over the years? I decided to head back into the action where it all began…

 

 

RuneScape is a free-to-play 3D MMORPG made by Jagex Games Studio and was released in the year 2001. This game is completely playable in your browser and is one of the few MMORPG starters to actually manage to succeed with this. Without a doubt this game had a lot of success and is still one of the best available MMO’s on the market, but what makes it so good? The best part of RuneScape is, you are completely free whatsoever and you can go on different paths than other people.

 

 

Your freedom to explore is complemented by your freedom of character build, unrestricted by class. It is a little more complex than that in fact so I’ll break down the details. You can choose to level up specific skills to excel in only one part, or you can take the longer route and just level everything up. That’s why you see a lot of different people choosing their own paths. For instance some like to fight people more so they choose the best possible skills to fight people with. Or some prefer to go the production route and excel in fishing, mining or anything else that earns the player some serious cash. That’s why most people also use multiple accounts, so you can be at two places at once and earn money while you fight.

 

 

The combat system in RuneScape is different from many other games; unlike normal MMOs the combat is done by a semi-real-time combat system. It is also a really important aspect of the game since you have to level up the different combat skills in a system similar to the Elder Scrolls series. You either fight with a sword and shield or you use magic or bow and arrow to fight your foe. And all these different skills need to be leveled if you want to be an all-around character. As you can imagine this takes a long time to max all the skills and that’s only the combat. You will also need to gain money, food, and supplies so you have to level woodcutting, fishing and other skills as well. And as you can guess, this isn’t done in a day. It takes quite the effort and time to get your skills all on the highest level, extending the path to true end-game in RuneScape beyond most any other MMORPG on the market.

 

 

The game is so popular that there are servers all over the world in most of the countries this game is played to help reduce lag in each region. Since RuneScape is a free-to-play game there is also a catch, you can buy a premium account to gain access to a lot more content. If you have a premium account you will be able to access the premium world and special premium servers. These servers are only for premium members and thus you can get in better contact with people with a membership. You will also be able to do more quests and gain more items and equipment. As a free-to-play member you can still do most of the content but players with premium definitely get the sweeter deal. There is a lot of special equipment that only premium members can use.

 

 

Over the years RuneScape got a lot of patches and updates, not only did the game upgrade its graphics multiple times, but regular content updates continue to roll out even now. Back in the day myself and many of my friends quit due to the lack of end-game content as our primary complaint. Luckily for the people that like to party up with friends there is a now a dungeoning system. Along with this new system there also came a skill basically allowing you into the dungeon without any items and materials and you are left alone or with others to fight your way through many levels. By clearing these dungeons your dungeoneering skill will level up and there will be even small objectives that require your other skills to proceed.

 

 

Graphics

Over the years the graphics drastically improved and the game looks completely like a MMORPG from this generation. I must admit I do miss the old graphics since I grew up with that but in this new version the game looks completely different and a lot better. From the big picture to the tiny customizable details in the recently released guild bases, everything has improved. To play RuneScape you will need the following computer specifications:

 

512 MB RAM

1Ghz CPU

For DirectX or OpenGL graphics: 128MB 3D Graphics Card (i.e. Nvidia® GeForce™ 4 or above, or ATI 9800 or above)

 

 

As you can see the game requires almost nothing out of your system and the game is completely open for everyone. All it asks is the Java plugin and you’re good to go to play this game.

 

 

Conclusion

It’s a nice change of pace to make a nostalgic return to an MMO title and actually see its current state to be greater than you remember. The game still feels the same but there is so much more new content now. The number of features and side ventures you can join in dwarf the original version and as I mentioned before, the constant stream of updates show no signs of slowing down. Whether you’re in a market for a new browser game or just feeling nostalgic towards the old days, I recommend giving Runescape another look.

FireFall Returns to PAX Prime with Massive Update, Founders Packs

Firefall Returns To PAX Prime With Massive Update And Founders Packs

 

 

Firefall

 

 

Red 5 Studios announced today that it’s returning to PAX Prime on August 31st with its upcoming open world PC shooter, Firefall. In addition to featuring the in-game store and Firefall’s largest update ever, the Tribe is celebrating at PAX with new limited edition Founders Packages – on sale this Friday, August 31st, at a special discounted price. Red 5 will also have its tournament-on-wheels, the Firefall Mobile Gaming Unit, outside of the convention center at 9th & Pine for fans to explore before it departs on its cross country tour this fall. Red 5 Studios and Firefall will be located at booth 3103 & 3203 all weekend long.

 

 

“The store launch is a very important step for us,” said Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5. “Not just because we’re monetizing Firefall but also because we’re beta testing our free-to-play model for the first time. We’ve done our best to give players cool and original in-game items to purchase at a fair price – our discounted Founders Packages are part of that – but we’re always looking for ways to improve the experience. Our commitment to incorporating community feedback doesn’t stop at monetization.”

 

 

Firefall’s in-game store is currently live, offering an initial set of aesthetic items, XP boosts, pets and more. Red 5 has promised that there won’t be any more character wipes, but they’re emphasizing that the game and its store are still considered to be in beta. Everyone is encouraged to give their feedback and help the Tribe continue to improve the game.

 

 

Firefall

 

 

Early adopters will be able to support Firefall by purchasing one of Red 5’s limited edition Founders Packages going on sale this Friday, August 31st: http://bit.ly/MWFWtX. Three tiers containing exclusive bonuses unique to Founders will be available at a 25% discount during PAX Prime:

Commander: Receive $120 worth of Red Bean currency, a permanent 15% XP bonus, a 10% squad XP bonus, a reserved Army and player name, an exclusive Founders version of the Light Ground Vehicle, in-game gifts, an exclusive Founders Decal and a Firefall beanie.

Lieutenant: Receive $55 worth of Red Bean currency, a permanent 10% XP bonus, a 5% squad XP bonus, a reserved Army and player name, in-game gifts, an exclusive Founders Decal and a Firefall poster.

Ensign: Receive $20 worth of Red Bean currency, a permanent 5% XP bonus, a reserved player name, an in-game gift and an exclusive Founders Decal.

All Founders Package buyers will receive priority queuing for Firefall beta access during the next wave of invites.

 

 

Finally, Red 5 Studios is bringing its epic tournament-on-wheels, the Firefall Mobile Gaming Unit, to PAX Prime. Packed with 20 AMD powered gaming stations, Razer peripherals, support for 1,000 person LAN parties and livestreaming capabilities with full shoutcaster support, it’s an amazing gaming innovation. Fans can check out the MGU at 9th & Pine throughout the show.

 

 

Firefall’s exclusive invite-only beta will continue to rollout through 2012.

Guild Wars 2 News Recap

Guild Wars 2 News Recap

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Because there was so much news today and a lot of Guild Wars 2 news I decided to split them up. So if you’re looking for the regular Shotgun News go here. For anyone looking for a ton of news on Guild Wars 2 keep reading.

 

 

For anyone who didn’t take part in the headstart of Guild Wars 2 today is the day you have been waiting for. The game is officially live! The launch has had a series of minor issues but the fans seem to remain optimistic despite them all.

 

 

400,000 players took part in the headstart weekend. And it was announced that over 1 million copies were pre-sold. This doesn’t include day one purchases.

 

 

Events Around America

To celebrate a day 5 years in the making Arenanet is hosting events in Gamestops around the US. ArenaNet employees will be on hand to sign your Guild Wars 2 memorabilia, they will be giving away t-shirts, posters and and exclusive in game item. This is a first come first serve thing though so arrive early! And last but not least they will be holding a raffle at each location for a Guild Wars 2 Collectors Edition. European players should keep a look out on fansites and press sites for similar prizes. Here is a list of events:

 

 

Seattle: September 1, 6:00 – 10:00 PM Pink Ultra Lounge (Pacific Place), 600 Pine St. 4th Floor in Pacific Place, Seattle, WA, 98101.

Austin: September 1, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM GameStop store at 10000 Research Blvd., STE 564, Austin, TX, 78759

Orlando: September 1, 1:00 – 4:00 PM GameStop store (Waterford Lakes Mall), 675 N Alafaya Trl, STE P05, Orlando, FL, 32828

New York: September 1, 1:00 – 4:00 PM GameStop store (Broadway & 85th), 2322 Broadway, New York, NY, 10024

Los Angeles: September 1, 1:00 – 4:00 PM GameStop store GameStop (West Hollywood Gateway), 7100 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste 117, West Hollywood, CA, 90046

 

 

Player Memorial on September 5th

 

A memorial is going to be held on September 5th to remember Roger “Oldroar” Rall, a player for whom the Sanctum of Rall server was named. The event is being hosted by his former guild Gaiscioch. Events will take place on September 5th at 6PM PST at Shaemoor Garrison in Queensdale on Sanctum of Rall. Those who plan to attend are urged to arrive early as Queensdale will fill quickly.

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/28: TSW, Hawken, LoL, EVE, and much more!

OnRPG Shotgun News 8/28: TSW, Hawken, LoL, EVE, and much more!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond Renamed Starlite

 

The NASA themed MMO by Project Whitecard Studios has been renamed to Starlite. It is being privately funded and developed in accordance to the “Space Act Agreement” with NASA Learning Technologies. The adventure game will be playable in browsers and on mobile devices. Beta is expected to start by the end of 2012.

 

 

The Secret World Sells Over 200,000 Copies

Funcom’s Q2 reports are out and show that more than 200,000 copies of The Secret World were purchased. This is well below what was expected. This has been blamed on poor reviews by press with some giving the game a rating as low as 50%. As a result the company is undergoing cost cutting measures which include a reduction in personnel. Funcom will be introducing initiatives to acquire new players. It isn’t all bad news though. TSW has had a very high player retention rate, meaning once they get players they keep them. Funcom also has an upcoming Lego Minigs free to play MMO and an unnamed large scale MMO being called Project A upcoming.

 

 

Hawken Will Support VR headset Oculus Rift at Launch

 

Free to play first person mech shooter Hawken will launch with support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The Oculus Rift headset is still in it’s Kickstarter phase, though only for a few more days. Meteor Entertainment has promised that latency will be as low as possible to try to eliminate any motion sickness players may experience.

 

 

MLG Disqualifies League of Legends eSports teams

The MLG has taken back titles and over $40,000 in prize money from two LoL teams competing in this summer’s championships. The teams, Curse NA and Team Dignitas are accused of “collusion” during the first round of the summer championship’s final match. Both teams are accused of manipulating the rules, something for which Curse NA has come out and apologized for. MLG has decided not to award 1st and 2nd place finishes for the summer championships for LoL, a decision the developers Riot Games fully supports.

 

 

Nexon America Appoints New CEO

Min Kim who is currently serving as Nexon America’s Senior Vice President of Live Games has been appointed the new CEO of Nexon America. This move comes as current CEO Daniel Kim relocates to Seoul to take on new duties at parent company Nexon.

 

 

Singularity Brings EVE and Dust 514 Together

 

CCP has announced that Singularity is open for both EVE and Dust 514 players. This will allow players of both games to communicate with eachother in local chat, send emails back and forth and importantly Dust 514 items are available on the market, though you can only buy them in EVE.

 

 

Game Developers Choice Online Awards Opens Audience Voting

The GDC Online awards have opened voting to the public to vote on their favorite persistent online game. Voting will run until September 14th but the winner won’t be revealed until the award ceremony on October 10th. Games that qualify for the award include subscription MMOs, Free to play MMOs, browser games, social games and others. For your chance to vote go to http://www.gdconlineawards.com/audience.php

 

 

The West 2.0 Launches Into Beta

 

Frontier Adventure Browser game The West is getting its most extensive upgrade since its launch in 2008. Players who are eager to get their hands on it now can go to the beta servers to try it out and give feedback before it goes to the live game which InnoGames hopes to do in the next few weeks.