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Monthly Archives: June 2013
Panzar Review: Forged By Chaos!
By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF), OnRPG Journalist
Panzar: Forged By Chaos is a new third-person action game with a large emphasis on team competitive play. You will choose from four different races, with two classes each, and do battle in beautifully designed arenas. The classes range from spell-casters, to tinkerer’s, to tanks, and more. It features a level progression system with skills trees, crafting, and tournaments to take part in. All-in-all, this should make for a very exciting gaming experience.
Customization
There is a decent amount of customization for the type of game Panzar: Forged By Chaos is. A lot more than one would expect. Unfortunately, a lot of the customization will require you to purchase crystals, which is the game’s cash shop money. If you are willing to pay the price, you can buy hair styles, taunts, and even color your armor. You can make yourself fairly unique.
Other than cosmetic customization, you will also get to customize your character’s skills by using the talent tree. Unfortunately, I did not see many options in this tree. There’s enough to keep you occupied for a bit, but more talents to choose from wouldn’t hurt. These talents range from new skills, to upgrades for old ones. Like I said, it’s enough to keep you interested for a while, but for how long is the issue.
Cash Shop
Usually I don’t mention the cash shop in my reviews. This time, however, I feel that I need to. While almost everything in the game can be accomplished via in-game methods, using money will allow you to get everything done a lot easier. Depending on your perspective of things, this could be a bad thing or a good thing. For me, I’m OK with it and do not have an issue with it.
Crystals can be used for almost anything, including crafting.
You can do a lot with Crystals. Stuff like buy equipment or recipes. The good news is that you can buy recipes for a lot of stuff using the in-game gained Gold. I already mentioned that you will need to use Crystals to make your character look unique. Just about everything will have an option for using Crystals, you can even convert Crystals into gold. The good news, at least in my opinion, is that Crystals seem to be fairly cheap so you can probably buy five dollars’ worth and be set for a while.
Graphics
What really appealed to me when I was first reading up on Panzar: Forged By Chaos was how good the game looked in screenshots. I wasn’t disappointed when I actually got into the game, either. It looks great and I’m surprised by how well it ran on maximum settings. There was a constant frame-rate, even in the heat of battle. Because of these great graphics, you will feel immersed in the fight and your adrenaline will begin to pump immediately.
Intense fire-fights like this make the Gunner class so much fun
It’s not just the graphics themselves, either. The physics are a blast, too. Watching the body of your enemy go flying right after you slam your club into the side of their face is so satisfying. And when your teammate accidentally pushes you into a pit of molten lava, you are sure to have a laugh. The only issue I’ve had is that sometimes I will have trouble getting on top of rocks or other raised surfaces, but a bit of ingenuity will often get me where I want to go.
Behold my gravity defying beard!
Map sizes are generally pretty small. For some maps, this means you will feel very claustrophobic. Other maps, they are big enough for it to not be an issue. Either way, the maps are wonderfully crafted and are filled with neat surprises, such as the lava pit mentioned above. The only thing I could wish for in terms of maps is one or two that have a much larger size than what is currently available. But that’s just personal preference.
Controls
If you’ve played any other online multiplayer game in the past 2-4 years, you will probably be able to pick-up the controls in Panzar: Forged By Chaos very fast. It’s your typical, “WASD to move, left click to attack” type deal. There are some unique things you will need to get used to, but there is a nicely done tutorial mission that you can do that will teach you the basics and reward you handsomely. I had no issue with the default controls, and found them to be very smooth. There’s really nothing to complain about here, which is great because I love a game that puts effort into having smooth and easy to use controls.
Community
Right now, the community is kind of on the low side. However, I’ve noticed that new people have been flooding in each day. When you first start playing, you will not have an issue finding a match and it will only be a matter of seconds. When you get into the higher levels, you may have trouble finding a game and will sometimes have to wait over 5 minutes for a match. This will get better as more people get higher in level, but for now it is kind of annoying. Other than that, the community is pretty good and there is a healthy forum that you can participate in.
Gameplay
If you haven’t noticed yet, I really have enjoyed this game a lot. I like it so much because it’s beautiful and just plain fun to play. A lot of games of this type fail in some key areas which just ruins the experience completely. Panzar: Forged By Chaos is able to keep things simple to a point where things don’t become a tedious mess, yet is complex enough to keep things interesting. With team work and strategy you can turn a lost game into a win, even when it seems the odds are against you. It is because of those moments, where your heart it pumping in overdrive and the game hinges on your ability to work with your teammates, that make this game as great as it is.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this is the greatest game of all time. It’s far from that. There are definitely a lot of places where the game could use some polish, and a bit more content and variety wouldn’t hurt either. But what it has done so far, it has done very well. What the developers have accomplished so far is an inspiration for the future of games.
Getting a good screenshot of myself blocking is surprisingly hard…
Enough praise, though. Let’s talk about exactly why I think Panzar is a good game. At its core it’s a great arena-based game that you can have a great load of fun. The combat is smooth and there are a lot of neat tricks and techniques you can learn for each class to give yourself an edge. When you get deeper into the game, there is a lot of planning and strategy involved in not only developing your character’s talents, but with individual battles as well.
Speaking of characters, rather than what a lot of games of this type do, you will be leveling up and developing individual characters that are stuck as whatever class you made them at creation. In other arena-action games, you can switch your character type on the fly if you find you’re not doing well with it. In Panzar, you can have multiple characters, but to be any good you will need to put a lot of effort into one class before you go off and start as another. I like this because it makes it feel like your pre-match decisions are actually impactful. MOBA players might find this restricting, but those more familiar with an MMORPG will find each match to be a lot more meaningful.
There are four races – human, dwarves, orcs, and elves. Each of those races has two classes. For example, dwarves can either be a Sapper or a Gunner (my personal favorite class). Generally, these classes provide two different sides of the same role. Both the Sapper and the Gunner can be considered a Tinkerer or Engineer, but the Gunner focuses more on DPS, while the Sapper is much more focused as a support character. The same for the orcs – You can either be the Tank and protect your team or you can be the Berserker and do your best to smash your foes. Both are melee-based classes, but they are about as different as they can get without becoming an entirely different archetype.
Current class archetypes can be summed up as: Priest, Assassin, Tinkerer, Support Tinkerer, Fire Mage, Ice Mage, Warrior, and Tank. The in-game name of each archetype are: Paladin, Inquisitor, Gunner, Sapper, Sister of Fire, Ice Witch, Berserker, and Tank. Perhaps in the future more will be added, but this is currently all that is available to you. All your corner-stones are covered, from killers to supports. And, from what I’ve tried, most classes seem to be pretty solid and fun to play.
Matches are your typical match types that you are probably used to from every other arena-based game. There’s capture the point, death match, advance the point, stuff like that. The game does have its own unique twist on things. For example, in the “advance the point” game mode I played, the enemy team had to build stuff like ramps or cannons to get past our gate. They also had catapults that they could use to launch themselves. So, even though you may be familiar with the concept of the match, you need to keep an open mind as there are a lot of new and interesting things thrown in to give it a twist.
They said a Dwarf could never fly! I showed them!
Crafting is done as nicely as you can do it in a game like this. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of crafting when it’s really just a time waster and/or filler. In a game like Wurm Online – which is a hardcore sandbox MMO – you see immediately why crafting is important to the gameplay. In Panzar, I was left scratching my head wondering why it was even there. But then again, I know a lot of people love this type of crafting in a game.
Basically, at the end of each match you are rewarded with gold and resources. You can use the gold to buy recipes for items such as health and mana potions or some of the advanced armor. The resources are, obviously, used to craft these recipes. The system is actually quite fair, I think, as a lot of the stuff you can craft you can also just buy (often using Crystals, but also sometimes using gold). It’s a method for people to accomplish stuff in the game, a system for the devs to make a bit of extra money on crystal sales, and a system for completely free-to-play characters to get their hands on some of the good stuff without having to pay real money – all wrapped into one.
The only issue I had with the game, as I’ve already mentioned, is the physics. While they are great for fighting, and can be a great source of laughs, they can also be a headache. It is very easy to slide off a hill with their current iteration. Usually with a bit of effort you can get past it and even get into some pretty interesting places. But, overall, I hope they refine and polish it a lot more as I really hate not being able to walk up a two-foot high hill because it’s incredibly slippery for no apparent reason.
Conclusion
Panzar: Forged By Chaos is a breath of fresh air this year. While it certainly isn’t the only good game to come out, it is one of the few that have made an appearance so far in 2013. I know it still needs work, but I see a massive amount of promise for it in the future – it’s rapidly growing popularity is evidence of this. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in the game so far and will continue to play it whenever I have a bit of spare time. If you want a fantastic arena experience, be sure to check out this free-to-play title.
Features: 4/5 – There are a lot of neat features, more than you would expect from this genre.
Customization: 3/5 – Nothing to spectacular, but what was available was done well. Hoping that this is expanded upon in the future.
Graphics: 4/5 – Simply beautiful.
Controls: 3.5/5 – Would be a four, but with the current state of the physics, they can be difficult to work with.
Community: 3.5/5 – Growing rapidly, and is filled with some good people. There are some bad apples, though.
Overall: 4/5 – An all-around great experience.
Soldier Front 2 Early Access Key Giveaway
OnRPG is partnered with Aeria Games to get a limited lucky group into Early Access for Soldier Front 2!
Soldier Front 2 seeks to build on its predecessor, Soldier Front, offering amazing graphics, a diversity of combat modes, realism, and an improved learning curve. Suit up and head out to war in competitive and cooperative scenarios, customize weapons, and earn achievements to prove your stuff on the battlefield.
To get your key you have to follow these instructions:
- If you are not yet a member of OnRPG please sign up here.
- 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 closing your browser!
To Redeem your Key:
- Log in or create an Aeria account
- Visit the Early Access redemption page.
- Enter your code when prompted and download the client from the page
Dota TV: Tune Into eSports Without Logging Out
By Mohammad Abubakr, OnRPG Journalist
Almost all of my gaming time is currently being spent playing Dota 2. If you are unfamiliar with the game, please check out my first impressions. The game has changed quite a bit since my first impressions article was published, for the better, but the game is still in closed beta. A full review will be published upon full release.
Dota 2 is the successor to, you guessed it, Dota. As a Warcraft III map, the developers were unable to implement many features due to limitations in the Warcraft III engine. After moving over to Valve’s source engine, many new features such as the ability to reconnect to matches were added. Valve went further to implement a major feature to Dota 2, Dota TV.
Dota TV is the evolved form of the traditional spectator system seen in other games. Just like the Dota Store was first tested using Team Fortress, a similar viewing experience can be found in Team Fortress 2 with its Source TV. Valve really loves using Team Fortress 2 as its guinea pig.
Besides the features you would expect in all spectator views such as the ability to watch your friends and control the camera, Valve has added many more features allowing Dota TV to serve as a replacement to TwitchTV streams. Now you can watch competitive Dota 2 games for all major tournaments within the game client with no loss in video quality.
This is achieved by allowing broadcasters to share their microphone audio, screen location and even pointer location through the Dota client. When a tournament is live, the Watch tab will allow viewers to tune into ongoing tournament matches just like a live stream. After the game loads, viewers are presented with an option to choose between their favourite casters and even switch mid game without having to reload. It is just like watching a live stream!
Dota TV is a great method to tune into live games without using a lot of bandwidth. Due to the client only requiring information on hero, pointer and screen locations along with broadcaster audio, a lot of bandwidth can be saved. This is great for those unfortunate individuals facing bandwidth limits. However, audio quality does seem to be on a lower level than that offered by streaming services such as TwitchTV. Initially during its early stages, Dota TV’s audio quality was a huge turnoff but as of now it is by no means bad.
Tuning into live games can be troublesome due to our busy lifestyles and tournaments taking place in other time zones. Dota TV offers replays for all tournament matches with the same quality offered during live games. Currently the replays include audio for all broadcasters present during each tournament game and are fully downloaded before allowing them to be viewed.
Valve allows viewers to easily tune into active tournaments.
For those familiar with live streams, a problem with Dota TV may have come to mind. The majority of gaming tournaments are free to watch and rely on advertisements played during the stream for revenue. If there are no advertisements played during the tournament, how will the organizers be able to continue hosting tournaments? Instead of allowing viewers to tune in for free and face advertisements, Valve has allowed organizers to sell virtual tickets for their tournaments.
These tickets can cost as little as $0.99 and go up to $11.99. With these tickets purchased from the Dota 2 store, you are given access to the entire tournament for as long as Dota TV is available. You can even purchase tickets for tournaments that have already come to a conclusion.
The ticket costs do not only vary due to the size of the tournament. More and more major tournaments are beginning to include virtual items alongside their tickets. I personally tune into tournaments using TwitchTV but I have still purchased tournament tickets simply because they give out a limited edition courier.
Initially I believed that this ticket system would not be very profitable for organizers and would simply act as another way to make a little extra cash on the side. I was proven wrong when the GD Studio announced that they made thousands from ticket sales. While I was unable to locate the exact amount, it was able to compete with ad revenue from TwitchTV.
Ticket sales can also allow income to continue to flow even after the tournament has come to a conclusion.
Premier League offers an evolving QoP set with their ticket.
All of this sounds great but it still feels like something is missing. I still find myself preferring to tune into live streams when a major tournament is in progress. One of the main reasons is due to Dota TV lacking content during down time. Dota 2 matches often take time to setup and you are forced to wait before the games popup in Dota TV. Tournament organizers have fixed this issue by offering content in between matches such as game analysis and even simple banter between the crew.
In the Dota client, when the game has finished, you can either find something else to do while waiting for the game to start or tune into the live stream. The first option causes you to become less immersed in the Dota 2 tournament and can even cause you to miss parts of the game due to a lack of alerts from the Dota 2 client. Tuning into the live stream defeats the purpose of using Dota TV. You also have to manually load the next game unlike the automated experience found in live streams.
Riki has purchased Sange & Yasha.
Valve does seem to be improving Dota TV to allow for viewers to get more features offered in live streams such as overlays. I would hate to miss the Bruno stats during tournament games by tuning into Dota TV. With the latest patch to Dota TV, pop ups indicating big item pickups will help to improve viewing experience, as seen at Beyond the Summit. Broadcasters can now even add their own pop ups within Dota TV. You won’t be missing any Bruno stats by choosing Dota TV over TwitchTV.
In conclusion, Dota TV is showing other games how spectating should be done. It is a great alternative to live streams but still has a lot of room for improvement. As of now it does not serve as a replacement for live streams but maybe that will change in the future. The International is near, maybe we will see more updates to provide Dota TV users with the same experience as stream viewers.
Neverwinter Gauntlgrym PvPvE End-Game Dungeon
Neverwinter reveals their launch date of June 20th along with a new PvPvE end-game dungeon that’s going to test players coordination in 20v20 battle!
Kingdom Conquest II Rare Card Giveaway
In celebration of Kingdom Conquest II reaching 5 million downloads, Sega has agreed to partner with OnRPG and MMOHuts to give out a pack of White Winged Colossus rare cards! Just visit our official forum thread and tell us what draws you to trading card games and we’ll randomly select a group of winners Friday evening (June 7th) when we PM out the access codes.
Also be sure to check out Kingdom Conquest II’s Facebook page for more info on other ways you can enter to win this rare card.
Dragon’s Prophet Puretia Trailer
Infernum takes us on a tour of Dragon Prophet‘s peaceful lands of Puretia, where dark Necromancers are plotting to turn the citizenry inside out!
Arcane Saga Launches on Netmarble and Steam
Netmarble.com, a leading worldwide online game portal, is sending out a call to all adventure-seeking heroes as the free-to-play fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Arcane Saga, launches today on Netmarble.com and Steam. The planet of Prius awaits a hero who will plunge into a land filled with exploration, epic quests and the challenge of slaying fearsome foes to save the world from Rashard’s curse. Interested players can sign up to play for free on the game’s official site and Steam.
Arcane Saga players who access the game through Steam can also purchase exclusive item packages, including the Level Up, Beginner’s and Ultimate Xenor packs. The Ultimate Xenor pack includes highly coveted items, such as recovery potions capable of restoring a total of 1 million health and magic points, making the package the perfect tool for any player who wishes to stay ahead of the curve.
“After gathering extensive fan feedback from the beta test, we made additional improvements and balancing adjustments to optimize Arcane Saga Online for today’s launch,” said Joe Kim, head project manager, Netmarble.com. “We’re proud of the polished world we’ve created, and we hope players enjoy playing Arcane Saga Online as much as we have enjoyed developing the game.”
Arcane Saga is set on Prius, a planet cursed by Rashard, the king of all gods, for its creator’s defiance. Prius now awaits a foretold hero, the Xenor, to rise up and free the world from the foreboding Rashard’s grip. To become the Xenor, players will have to prove themselves worthy. Arcane Saga offers an unrivaled, fast and fun MMO experience where players can:
- Level to 25 in Hours – Thanks to a short leveling period, players can quickly advance to the most compelling areas of Arcane Saga while learning the basics. Making the game easy to learn – and keeping the leveling process fast and fun – creating an environment where players can “skip the grind” and focus on the best parts of Arcane Saga!
- Create Ruthless Combos – The game’s combo system creates a fun combat style in which players choose the rewards. Players plan combos using any skills learned from jobs, then select corresponding bonuses. Timing is crucial in executing combos, but the perks are worth it!
- Experience Bloody, Challenging PvP – Only one hero can free Prius from Rashard’s curse. The competitiveness means bloodshed in the PvP arena as well as Siege events. Players will need to be on their toes and watch their backs for incoming attacks.
Shotgun News 6/6: Arcane Saga, Wartune, Dragon’s Prophet, and more!
By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG News Mistress
Arcane Saga Launches on Netmarble and Steam
Adventure seeking heroes, get in line as the f2p fantasy MMORPG Arcane Saga launches today on Netmarble and Steam! Players can sign up to play on the official site or directly on Steam. Players who access it through Steam will be able to purchase exclusive item packages with a variety of handy tools. It is billed as fast paced without the grind and you can get to level 25 in just hours.
Wartune 1.6 Announced
The strategy/RPG MMO Wartune will be getting an update to 1.6 mid June. The major focus will be on The Class Wars. These are events which allow players to take part in cross server PvP battles where they can win a variety of prizes. The strongest players could earn special mounts and other unique items. 1.6 will also introduce tanks to Wartune! Tank battles will take place every day which will give players rewards for destroying as many enemy tanks as possible.
Dragon’s Prophet Turns into the Land of the Living Dead
Players fight back a zombie invasion and much more next to a smouldering volcano in the new starting area of Dragon’s Prophet. The area is also home to some dragons though which can be captured and tamed. The new area, Puretia joins the two already existing starter zones giving players more choice than ever.
NGames Releases Gameplay Details for Pockie Saints
Pockie Saints is a new MMO coming to us thanks to Game321.com and NGames. Players are thrust into the middle of a struggle between Order and Chaos. When the blade of Chaos comes crashing down to Earth it is left up to the players to go on an epic journey to master the Zodiac horoscopes and find a Holy Blade capable of putting the world right again. Pockie Saints will be granted three unique buffs a day, which you get depends on your Zodiac sign.
Streaming Partner Artzi showcases Soldier Front 2, Gives out Early Access
Check out our partner Artzilol on Twitch.TV streaming every day this week at 9am PST (noon EST) for your chance to win Early Access to Aeria Games’ shooter, Soldier Front 2!




















