Monthly Archives: April 2013

Elder Scribe: Variety and the Beast

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Elder Scribe

Quickly, check your spam. Did you get a beta invite? A new batch of beta invites for an upcoming Elder Scrolls Online beta event have been going out the last couple of days. But if you didn’t get one, have no fear, it is just a small one this time. If you did, SHUN! I mean…leave your log in information in the comments below…I mean….well, keep reading, unless you know you can log in right now. Then what the hell are you doing reading when you can be out there killing things? (Please don’t stop reading, I need fans like you to keep this going.) This week we’re taking a look at the most recent Ask Us Anything and the making of Ogrim which can really be applied to a lot of the creatures in Elder Scrolls.

Ask Us Anything: Variety Edition Vol. 3

This week’s Ask Us Anything tackles topics from all over the spectrum. Some more serious than other. The most serious of them all comes from Luke Clarkson, “Will I be able to make/eat sweet rolls? I must know!” To which the answer is, “Yes. And Fishy Sticks, of course.” Check out a few other questions below.

Will your level be scaled up when joining a PvP zone, or will you remain the same level and be a part of a level “bracket”? For example, if I am level 16 and enter a PvP zone. Will I be scaled up to max level along with everyone else, or will I remain level 16 and play with people in the 10-19 bracket? – By Yousef AlQattan

You will be scaled up to approximately level 50. You’ll be able to remain competitive, but a true level 50 will have the advantage of having more skills and abilities than you.

With such an expanse of playable area, will the player be able to fast travel from anywhere so long as certain conditions are met (i.e. not in the middle of battle)? – By Douglas Ownbey

As long as you have visited a Wayshrine, you will be able to travel to it. Travel between Wayshrines is free. Fast traveling to a Wayshrine from anywhere will cost you gold, and there are limits to how often you can do this.

You mentioned that there will be permanent character choices that affect the phase of an area—for example, saving a village or not saving a village. Let’s say I did save the village and my friend did not. We are not in the same phase; how will we be able to play together in that specific zone? – By Pavle Vivec

In some areas, phasing (or “layering” as we call it) is not based on a choice, but on whether or not you’ve done a certain thing yet. In this case, separation from another player would be temporary. In other areas, it can be based off of a choice you’ve made. Those choices tend to come at the end of the activity for an area, reducing separation.

There are other mechanisms we use to reinforce choice that have nothing to do with layering. You may experience something completely different than someone else based on your individual choices, but the ways we show this don’t separate you from others at all. The latter techniques are used far more frequently than layering. And finally, there are still other solutions we’ll discuss later that enable you to better stay together with others even if you’d normally be in different layers.

Also note that layering and channels are not the same thing. The megaserver places players intelligently into channels to make sure your gameplay experience is good and to prevent overcrowding. So if you’re in Glenumbra, but you can’t see your friend, you may be in a different channel. You’ll simply be able to join your friend in their channel or vice-versa. Channels, however, will be largely invisible, as we’ll try to put you in the best channel with the highest preponderance of your social connections.

So, that last answer was a bit lengthy but hey, it was important! The next Ask Us Anything will be in 2 weeks and cover topics about PvP and Cyrodiil. Questions are still being accepted by sending them to community@elderscrollsonline.com.

And that finally brings us to the Ogrim. You may remember them if you played Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Zenimax is bringing in Ogrim and many other creatures from all the Elder Scrolls games. The creation process, though lengthy and no doubt difficult actually sounds pretty straight forward. First they looked at the creatures in Morrowind and other already existing lore to get a better feel for the creature before creating concept art. Then, as parts of the look got more finalized they created more polished images which were to be used as reference for the figure artists. Figure Artists then start creating the actual model you will see in game. And finally, before it is done Texture Artists go in and put the final touches on the beasts.

But of course that isn’t the end! Images don’t just move on their own after all. Animators had to design the rigs for the creatures and work out animations. Finally, everything is put together and placed in the game. Zenimax was even awesome enough to make a video of how they appear in the game.

So there we have it! Another exciting week of Elder Scrolls news behind us. We got some awesome new images, a new video, some questions answered and a lucky few even got a beta invite. I can’t wait to see what the coming weeks have for us.

PlanetSide 2 Mobile App Now Available

 

 

Troops in the Auraxian War can now stay connected and strategize at all times, as Sony Online Entertainment has released the PlanetSide®2 Mobile Uplink mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices (including Kindle Fire). The app is available now for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

 

The PlanetSide 2 Mobile Uplink app is the official app for PlanetSide 2 and features a comprehensive guide to weapons, vehicles, classes and more, while keeping players updated on all news from within the game. Through the app, players can receive near real time updates to character stats, leaderboards and general updates from the battlefield, as well as voice chat with their outfit from the game. Additionally, PlanetSide 2 Mobile Uplink connects players to all of the game’s community sites and social channels, such as YouTube, Twitch streams and forums, so that they don’t miss a minute of the action!

 

To download the app, visit:

Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/planetside-2-mobile-uplink/id627456762?ls=1&mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soe.ps2mobile

OnRPG Shotgun News 4/16: Guild Wars 2, Neverwinter, and Origins of Malu!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Elder Scribe

 

Guild Wars Announces Anniversary Event

The 8th anniversary of Guild Wars is steadily approaching, and the folks at ArenaNet have made sure no one forgets it with the announcement of upcoming anniversary events. The old traditions of the Shing Jea Boardwalk and Rollerbeetles are making a return again from April 22nd to 29th. And be sure to grab the anniversary ranger pet, the hound of Balthazar.

 

Neverwinter Reveals Rothé Valley in New Trailer

Just days after the end of the final closed beta event of Neverwinter we’re being treated to a peek at the high level zone RothéValley where the drow from the House Xorlarrin are being enslaved.

 

 

Origins of Malu Beta Delayed

Burning Dog has just announced that the beta for Origins of Malu would have to be delayed due to not having enough time to put the proper polish on the game. The client will be available for download this week but there is no new date set for the beta.

Elsword Steam Greenlight Interview

Elsword Steam Greenlight Interview

Questions by Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief

 Kill3rCombo Elsword Greenlight Interview   

It’s been a long wait but Elsword has nearly clawed itself to the top of the mountain of titles vying for Steamification to take its rightful place among the star MMOs on the market today. But beyond this overly dramatic representation of the process, have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes to get a title voted up to this level? Or even be considered at all? I for one have been dying to know ever since jumping back into the game earlier this year and had a chance to sit down with Kill3rCombo’s Elsword Team to get a better understanding of the process.

OnRPG: So let’s go from the start. How did Elsword initially apply to gain consideration for Steam’s Greenlight process?

That’s one of the coolest things about the way Valve set up Greenlight. Anyone can post their game. It’s completely DIY and you have a huge amount of control. We started by creating a brand new trailer to highlight the best elements of Elsword and bring the Steam community up to speed with the game. For example, Elsword is an action MMO, but we support both PvE and PvP with tons of different features in each. We’ve also doubled the number of playable characters since we launched so we showed that in the trailer too. Lastly, we’ve received a number of critical accolades, so we wanted to work them into our page. All in all, we were really impressed with the way Valve set up the system and we just tried to get the most out of it.

 Kill3rCombo Elsword Steam Content

OnRPG: Most games nowadays plan to try to get Greenlit from the start of official launch. How are things different for an already established game like Elsword to get people motivated to support you?

It’s actually helped a great deal to be an established game. First, the single biggest component of our effort to get on Steam has been the tremendous support of our Elsword community, which we wouldn’t have if we weren’t out there already. Seriously, our players are awesome and I don’t know what we would have done without their support. It also gave us many more options when we were brainstorming ways to get voted up.

OnRPG: What have you found worked best in garnering support for the Greenlight project?

During this campaign we’ve run more than 10 different events, both in-game and using social media, so we’ve learned quite a bit about what works best. As mentioned before, the key for us was the incredible support of our player community, but we also did well exploring lots of different ways to reach and mobilize our community. For example, we started out with a big in-game event where every player received very powerful in-game “titles” as we moved up the Greenlight list. This worked wonders in the early stages since it really broadcast Greenlight to our fans in-game. We also made it easy for our players to access our Greenlight page via special buttons added to the game.

This helped get us pretty far, but eventually we realized we needed to reach out to players through other channels to keep moving up. We reached out to our players on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. One thing we discovered was that Twitter was surprisingly good for us. I think the simplicity of the message fit with Twitter far better than we expected. We also frequently asked our fans to add us to their Greenlight collections and leave positive comments as another way to share Elsword with their friends.

 

Kill3rCombo Elsword on Steam

OnRPG: In what ways do you feel getting Elsword on Steam will benefit the playerbase and the game as a whole?

It was important to us to tell our players why Steam was a good thing right from the start.  For example, some players were worried this might result in too many players and strain our servers, but we made it clear that we are prepared for the addition of lots of new players. There are basically 3 main benefits. First, it’s more fun for all players to have more people to play with. For example, it’s easier to form a guild or party, matchmaking in PvP works better, and it’s easier to find someone to trade that rare mana gobbler backpack. Second, we will be creating special starter packs and most likely Steam achievements as well, which is another way Steam adds depth for everyone. And lastly we have some players who would simply rather play on Steam. It’s the way they prefer to play and we want to do whatever we can to give our players the most fun experience.

OnRPG: How close is Elsword currently to getting Greenlit? Where can players track this progress themselves (and vote while they’re at it)?

We’re currently in the top ten and doing everything we can to move up the list. Anyone who wants to learn about Elsword can check out our Greenlight page here, and yes, a vote for Elsword will make Kill3rCombo your best friend forever.

 Fighters Club Steam

OnRPG: What has your team learned from this experience that you can use to speed up the rate that Fighters Club gets Greenlit in the future?

We’ve definitely learned about what channels and events get the best results so this helps us better focus our efforts. I think if we did it again we’d also be more active with social media events from day one. We weren’t using our Twitter or Google+ accounts as much at the beginning, but next time around we’d be there from the start.

 Kill3rCombo Elsword Steam Interview

OnRPG: Thanks for your time! I look forward to my Steam friends bugging me during my future Elsword game sessions.

Thanks for talking to us. Hopefully we’ll see your Steam friends in one of our online tournaments–they’re going to get way wilder once we’re on Steam.

OnRPG Shotgun News 4/15: Marvel Super Hero Squad, SimCity Social, and Pangya!

OnRPG Shotgun News 4/15: Marvel Super Hero Squad, SimCity Social, and Pangya!

 

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Elder Scrobe

 

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online Celebrates 2nd Anniversary
Gazillion is celebrating the second anniversary of Marvel Super Hero Squad Online with events, new challenges, and even a few new heroes. Bombastic Bagman, Spider-Man Noir top the list of new playable characters being added. While completing the Mayhem mode bosses unlocks an all new boss, M.O.D.O.K. Five new levels are available for every character and lots more.

 

 

EA Shutting Down SimCity Social Studio

 

After being named the worst company inAmericaless than a week ago EA has announced they are shutting down Playfish games, the makers of hit Facebook games The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society. Not only will they be shutting down the studio but the games are going as well. Shutdowns for each game will occur in May and June, while players are being encouraged to make the move to a PopCap game.

Pangya Celebrates 4th Anniversary
SG Interactive’s Panygya is turning 4 with giveaways and events. The golf themed MMORPG will be hosting a scavenger hunt of sorts where players look for Master Keys to take a spin at the 4th Anniversary Wheel and win all sorts of prizes. Players can also take part in a fan art competition on the official website.

OnRPG Shotgun News 4/12: Defiance, Neverwinter, FFXIV, and Much More!

OnRPG Shotgun News 4/12: Defiance, Neverwinter, FFXIV, and Much More!
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Elder Scribe

Patches and Presents for Defiance Players

Defiance players are in for a bit of a treat. As a thank you for putting up with a rather rough start, Trion has put together a little gift pack. It comes with the exclusive “Daredevil” title, and a week worth of boosts. In addition they’ve released the first major bug defeating patch with massive patch notes. Some highlights include, area voice chat being off by default, Hellbug skitterlings are more aggressive, and removing the orange glow that would sometimes appear over loot weapons.

Neverwinter’s Last Closed Beta Event and the Great Weapon Fighter

This weekend marks the last closed beta event which is being specially held just for those who purchased the founder’s pack. It is also a chance to try out the Great Weapon Fighter. And as with every class release there is a montage video. Check it out for yourself below.

Winnti Hacking Groups Targeting MMOs

According to a report from Kaspersky Lab, a Chinese hacking group has been targeting online game companies for years, stealing source code and digital certificates for software using the Winnti Trojan. It has infected over 30 companies around the world, many of them based in Southeast Asia. The group is still actively doing this now, but the report was released in the hopes that companies would take security more seriously.

FFXIV Reveals Magitek Armor

A new video has been released from Square-Enix which shows off the new Magitek Armor coming to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Even if you don’t plan on playing watch the video for a bit of Final Fantasy nostalgia.

Rhode Island Considers Default on 38 Studios Debt

Just when you thought you wouldn’t hear about 38 Studios again they’re back in the news. This time lawmakers in Rhode Island are considering defaulting on the debt from the 38 Studios disaster. The Economic Development Corp however opposes the measure saying it could make it harder to finance future projects and hurt the state’s bond rating.

Yitien Chronices Open Beta Pack Giveaway

OnRPG is partnering with R2Games to offer a special Privilege Pack for the Open Beta of Yitien Chronicles!

 

 

The Yuan Dynasty is faltering. Their mismanagement of the Chinese economy and governmental structure has left the kingdom divided. People are starving and hopeless. Bands of warriors, including the Heavenly Eagle Cult, the Ming Cult, the Emei Sect and the Wu Dang Sect are fighting amongst one another for power. Legend says that a hero, the so-called, “Fated One” will appear, unite the different sects, gain control of the legendary Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre and overthrow the ruling Mongol emperor, restoring Han Chinese rule. Take up your weapon and forge a destiny of your own amid the chaos. Perhaps the “Fated One” is you?

 

The Privilege Pack Includes:

Essence Orb X3
Enchant Stone X3
Hero Medal (Uncommon) X5
Lesser Growth Orb X5
1.5X EXP Orb X2
Small Silver Pack X5

 

 

 

To get your key you have to follow these instructions:

  • Enter your OnRPG username and password below to get your key
  • The key will appear at the bottom of the page. Copy & paste it to a safe place as you may not be able to retrieve it once you close your browser!

To Redeem your key:

  • Create an R2Games account HERE
  • Log-in and Choose Your Server
  • Once in-game, click the New Server Events button at the top right
  • Select Privilege Pack and enter your code
  • Your pack will be bound to your character. Codes are one good once per server. Enjoy!

until your input key digit numbers is verified, then click “Apply”.

 

Arctic Combat Invasion Pack Giveaway

OnRPG is partnering with Webzen to brace the brave soldiers of Arctic Combat for the coming turmoil. The aliens have landed and World War III takes a truly unexpected turn! Luckily our Invasion Pack has just what you need to keep your advantage over this Advanced AI.

 

 

Set amidst the chaos of World War III, ARCTIC COMBAT is a multiplayer online first-person shooter (MOFPS) featuring a realistic gameplay experience and a tactical skill development system. The game revolves around the story of a national conflict between two groups; the Allied Forces (AF), led by the United States, and the Red Star Alliance (RSA), led by Russia. What begins as a dispute over natural resources in the arctic territory leads to a violent clash between the AF and RSA, dividing the world into two opposing forces and signaling the beginning of World War III.

The Invasion Pack Includes:

One Special Edition Golden Weapon
An EXP Boost
Game Points

 

To get your key you have to follow these instructions:

  • Enter your OnRPG username and password below to get your key
  • The key will appear at the bottom of the page. Copy & paste it to a safe place as you may not be able to retrieve it once you close your browser!

To Redeem your key:

  • Log-in, Download, and install Arctic Combat
  • Click ‘FREE TO PLAY’ and choose the server located near you from the launcher
  • After creating your character, select and enter a server/channel.
  • In the game lobby, move to the ‘Item Shop’ or ‘Inventory’ to redeem your promotion code.
  • Enter your code and check your received promotion items in your ‘Inventory’.
  • Join the battleground and take the fight to the alien menace on April 18th!

until your input key digit numbers is verified, then click “Apply”.

 

Age of Wushu White Tiger Pack Giveaway

OnRPG is partnering with Snail Game to snag you a White Tiger Pack in celebration of the launch of Age of Wushu!

 

 

Age of Wushu is a new martial arts themed MMORPG directly from China’s Snail Games. The game brings an authentic presentation of Chinese martial arts to devoted players, and with its innovative combat, cultivation and offline play, the game creates a unique martial-arts experience. Now Age of Wushu is in its full launch. To thank our loyal players, Snail Games is offering a great opportunity to get a White Tiger Gift Pack.

 

The White Tiger Pack Includes:

Life Continuation Pill*5
Large Restoration Pill*5
Xuan Spirit Pill*10
Horse Whistle “Dayuan Horse” (14 Days)*1

 

 

To get your key you have to follow these instructions:

  • Enter your OnRPG username and password below to get your key
  • The key will appear at the bottom of the page. Copy & paste it to a safe place as you may not be able to retrieve it once you close your browser!

To Redeem your key:

  • Visit Age of Wushu’s redemption page HERE
  • Log-in to your account and make sure you’ve created a character in-game (this can be done via the early character creation system prior to launch)
  • Return to the redemption page and enter your code
  • Confirm your server information when prompted.
  • Your White Tiger Pack will arrive in your in-game mail within 24 hours!