Cryptozoic announces an upcoming plan to merge their experience with the WoW Trading Card Game into a new IP merging the worlds of MMO and TCG together, Hex: Shards of Fate.
Yearly Archives: 2013
Champions of Regnum Trailer
The backstory behind Champions of Regnum and the RvRvR combat is revealed.
NGD Studios
NGD Studios
Champions of Regnum
Champions of Regnum developed by NGD Studios is a free to play MMORPG that concentrates on Realm versus Realm and PvP combat with some PvE. Fight for either the Alsius Empire, Syrtis, or the Brotherhood of Ignis in this world.
Features
Control Keeps: Enter the War Zone and fight for your chosen realm as you control keeps and reap the benefits!
Define your Character: Customize yourself from various slider bars, multiple races, three classes, and different build and weapon options.
PvPvE: Practice your tactics on mobs and quests. Then take your skills into the Arena to test your metal against your fellow realm members in relaxed battles without penalties.
Champions of Regnum – Bringing Sexy RvR Back
By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist
As a fanatic for Player versus Player focused games, I made a happy jump into the air when I found out about Champions of Regnum. Especially when I realized it goes beyond simple arena combat and actually follows a realm versus realm model. Desperate for a good RvR game, I didn’t give any other features a look over before jumping straight into the game. But for the less enthusiastic that need to know, Champions of Regnum is a free-to-play fantasy themed game that lets you choose one of three realms to side with. And once that choice is made, there is no going back unless you are willing to abandon all progress on your precious characters.
Now before I scare off PvE players entirely, I will mention there are some elements of it present in Champions. But ultimately its presence exists only to make the PvP feel more meaningful. See the map is split up in different zones; you start in the beginners’ area where you can explore safely and become adjusted to the ins and outs of your character in relative safety. The Inner Realm comes next to push harsher challenges at players including tougher quests and hostile creatures. Still not too intense but by the time you fight through it, you’ll have a strong enough understanding of your character to take it to the enemy. Once you’re ready to don your big boy pants, it’s time to meet the other realms head-on in the War Zone. Here you can join up with other players, or with your clan, to defend and take over forts and castles. These strategic points are a key for your realms survival, and thus teamwork is required in your realm to defend and attain these positions.
Champions of Regnum’s mechanics favor realm-wide organized strikes as it doesn’t take long at all for an enemy realm to be pushing on the front door of your last castle if all your best fighters are off being heroes in uncoordinated attacks. For players who feel they still aren’t contributing their full value to their realm, arenas are available to practice amongst your fellow realm members. Found within each realm’s safe zone, these arenas allow players from the same realm to have a friendly duel without any punishment for losing.
When you have chosen between the three available realms Alsius, Ignis and Syrtis you are ready to make your first character. There aren’t many classes in the game currently, and in fact there are only three at the time of writing this article, which is a tad bit low for a MMORPG in my opinion. But Champions compensates for this by offering two different ways to build each class. Yet I was again disappointed to see the usual MMORPG tropes of warrior, archer, and mage as the class options. If you’re going to only offer three characters, you might as well make them feel new and somewhat unique.
But let’s get back on topic with the options available for making your first character. What the game lacks in original classes it makes up for with some pretty interesting oddball races that set your appearance apart from some of your peers. You can also assign the character bonus stats. I don’t really understand the meaning of these stats since you are only given a few, and once you level up your character the game automatically adjusts your stats for you. I doubt the few extra stats given at the start will influence your character much but I shouldn’t complain as it doesn’t hinder or help gameplay much.
Classes are differentiated by their equipment, from warriors wearing the heavy armor and mages wrapping themselves in what might as well be enchanted paper. But the weapons are well done and offer one of the best vehicles in the game for players to specialize and differentiate themselves. Each class has a different set of weapons available that when combined with the different builds offers diversification through specialization that has a serious impact on realm vs realm combat.
Graphics
Now I am not one to complain about the graphics of a game so dedicated to PvP. Smoothness of gameplay after all matters more than how shiny I look when standing around AFK. Now Champions of Regnum still gets the pretty AFK aesthetics right; character models are unique and well made. It’s just the lack of beauty in the surrounding environment and overall atmosphere that’s lacking to the point that I couldn’t feel truly connected to the world. It’s not easy to describe properly in words but that moment where you stand atop a newly captured keep with your allies, look out over your newly captured region, and say to yourself ‘wow, that was a lot of work to own such a dull and barren landscape.’
Sure you will see a tree here and there, and occasionally some rocks, but overall the game doesn’t cut it here. The textures are also low quality and hopefully will an area of focused improvement going forward. Multiple occasions where my character would just bug through the map into a region of empty space combined with a few staircases that I simply couldn’t climb further hit my ability to become immersed in the gameplay.
Conclusion
When I play a MMORPG, I need to feel like I am part of the story and the environment plays a huge part in making the setting believable. Champions of Regnum failed to accomplish this for me and despite the core mechanics and classes being solid, many areas of the game felt incomplete. The concept of the game is great and it’s disappointing how few new titles there are on the market going in this direction. As such I feel the game should do well enough on this aspect to be successful enough to roll out plenty of future polishing updates to iron out the rough edges. I might come off harsher in this article than most others I’ve written, but it’s just because I see the potential Champions of Regnum offers and don’t want the developers to settle and let it all go to waste.
Be sure to catch Bakerman Brad’s First Look to get a visual overview of Champions of Regnum!
Spirit Tales Prepares to Celebrate 1 Year Anniversary with Updates
As one wonderful year of Spirit Tales approaches, KoramGame has some surprises ready and are excitedly awaiting the celebrations!
Spirit Tales: Rebirth of the Glorious Shield
As well as distinct improvements in graphics, the latest version of Spirit Tales offers an entirely brand new selection of quests, content and NPC engagement. Brand new tier 1 skills for all classes have also been added, allowing players much more flexibility in the growth and evolution of their character’s power.
The scenery has been improved, adding a new level of detail and creating a stunning environment for an intense and rich gaming experience.
Spirit Tales Circus Grand Opening Event
A tradition that goes back to the times of old, the Spirit Tales Circus is a wonderful celebration, and will be filled with joy and good cheer! An array of colourful characters and prizes will ensure that this awesome event is remembered; from helping the circus’ clowns perform their mesmerizing show, to dealing with creepy nightmare monsters who pray on children’s dreams, there’s non-stop adventure and fun to be had in this not-to-be-missed event.
Unfamiliar with the most adorable MMORPG ever? Check out Mikedot’s legendary write-up on the game to discover what Spirit Tales is really all about.
Infinite Crisis CB Testing Begins with Joker’s Reveal
Today, Infinite Crisis is beginning its closed beta phase. Select players from the current pool of registered players will get their first chance to plunge into the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) PC game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Turbine. To celebrate the occasion, a new Champion Profile highlighting The Joker has been released!
A homicidal maniac who terrifies even Gotham’s worst criminals, The Joker cavorts into fights blasting opponents with explosive dolls and boxing glove-adorned RPGs. A few cards short of a full deck, this madman cavorts around Gotham sewing chaos with his arsenal of explosives. Enemies caught at the receiving end of Joker’s brutal Power Damage will quickly realize this clown is no laughing matter.
Haven’t signed up for Infinite Crisis’ beta yet? Make sure you swing by the official website and sign up today!
Infinite Crisis Joker Champion Profile
Infinite Crisis launches into CB testing today coinciding the reveal of the incredibly dodgy kit of the Joker.
Netmarble’s Arcane Saga Enters Beta Test Phase
The wait is over! Netmarble.com, a leading worldwide online game portal, kicks off the beta test today for the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Arcane Saga in North America, South America and Europe. The game revives Prius Online with all-new content and features designed to appeal to today’s MMORPG fan. Interested players can sign up to test the game on its official site. The game is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2013.
“With the start of the beta phase today, players will finally get to experience for themselves all of the improvements we’ve made to the world of Prius over the past year,” said Joe Kim, head project manager, Netmarble.com. “We can’t wait for players to dive in and begin providing us with new feedback, which we’ll use to help polish the game even further in time for launch later this year.”
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 and free the world from Rashard’s grip. To become the Xenor, players will have to jump into the game and prove themselves worthy. Arcane Saga offers an unrivaled, fast and fun MMO experience, in which players can:
- Create Ruthless Combos – The 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!
- Acquire Numerous Jobs – Players can obtain multiple jobs and lea
rn numerous unique skills; the possibilities are truly endless. The job system provides players the freedom to become whomever they choose to be. Each job focuses on a specific role, such as damage, healing, tanking or player-versus-player (PvP) combat. - Experience Savage and 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.
WoW Wednesday – A New Battleground and Scenario
By Meredith Watson, OnRPG Azeroth Reporter
Another week has passed and we are still waiting on 5.3 so today I am bringing you a quick look at the new scenario and battleground on the public test realm. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
Battle on the High Seas is the new scenario coming in 5.3. It has a normal and heroic mode. Battle on the High Seas, as the name suggests, is a naval battle. This scenario does rely quite heavily on gimmicks such as swinging on ropes, and being shot out of cannons. It is important to note that swimming between ships is not advised. There is a shark in the water that can easily one shot a player. In addition to the transport methods, there are several interactive items on the ships such as barrels of Vitamin C which can be used to regain health.
The first stage of the scenario consists of defending the ship against the faction enemy. There is an end of phase mini-boss and when he is dealt with you can move on to phase two. As with most Blizzard fights, you will want to be aware of what is on the ground (in this case heavy cannon fire). Stage two requires the finding of explosives from the three mini bosses in the next ship. For the third phase, you will plant and ignite the explosives from phase two. Here is where you really need to hustle. You must get off the ship by clicking on the rope before the explosives detonate. You will blow up with the ship if you fail to do this. Trust me. I know.
In the final phase of Battle on the High Seas, you will need to defeat either Admiral Hagman or Admiral Hodgson depending on your faction. To start the fight you will want to click on the sword rack which holds a rapier near the Admiral. You will gain a buff from picking up the rapier called Rapier Parry which lets you parry the next attack within a certain amount of time. If you can parry the Admirals Vertical Slash ability you will gain a buff for 100% damage which is significant as the Admiral has a lot of health. There are three achievements to be had, two of which are for completing the scenario on normal and heroic and the other, Keep Those Bombs Away, requires no member of the party to be hit by cannon fire. All in all this is a quick scenario which is rather gimmicky but still enjoyable.
After a very long queue time I was finally able to get into the new battleground Deepwind Gorge which is for level 90, 15 v 15 and set in the Valley of Four Winds. Essentially this battleground is about capturing the three mines and building up to 1600 in resources. It feels very much like Arathi Basin but there is a twist. At each factions base there are mine carts that can be captured much like a flag. Instead of carrying the cart, which would be rather awkward, the player tows the cart to their own base. There isn’t too much to say. It is yet another battleground with similar mechanics to all the others. This particular battleground is a mix of resource gathering and capture the flag. Truth be told, I was a bit bored by it. As with all the WoW battlegrounds, the best part about them is the killing of other players.
I would love to see a battleground that is nothing more than a big free for all except when you die you stay dead until the end. The last person standing wins the battleground for their team. No fancy mechanics or additional things to do. Or bring back the heady days of Tarren Mill/Southshore when PvP was about killing for the sake of killing. There wasn’t any reward and yet the battles were beyond epic.
Overall, Deepwind Gorge isn’t reinventing the wheel and is much the same as what we currently have in the game for battleground options.














