Bugbear Entertainment
Yearly Archives: 2013
RidgeRacer: Driftopia Beta Impressions
By Michael Sagoe (mikedot)
Namco Bandai, a legendary game developer and publisher, known for such titles including Tekken, Ace Combat and Pacman, are now breaking into the F2P scene. With their recent outing of turning the Tekken series into a F2P-viable game, they’re now looking to give their Ridge Racer series the same treatment with Ridge Racer: Driftopia, a F2P version of last year’s previous title: Ridge Racer: Unbounded. While the idea sounds good on paper, after several hours of play, I have come to the awful conclusion that this game, in its current state, is quite possibly the worst example of how to structure a F2P game ever.
For starters, the game begins with a simple tutorial that explains the features through a few menu screens. Understanding how the game works through this tutorial is easy enough, but an interactive tutorial should have been offered on how to properly handle the game’s racing mechanics, especially for those that have never played a Ridge Racer game, or any kind of racing game before. Because of this, it generates a chain reaction of flaws for new players.
Ridge Racer: Driftopia currently has very limited content, which is to be expected for a beta test, but it lacks a certain game mode that really should have been included from the get-go: ACTUAL online multiplayer. Currently, the game features no live competition among players. Instead, the game offers “Spirit races” where you race against other player’s ghosts, which doesn’t make for a proper substitute since you’ll almost always be paired up against racers with cars that are more powerful than yours.
Speaking of powerful cars: The game allows you to upgrade and improve your cars through a simple EXP system: Earn enough EXP from completing races and you’ll earn levels and car points which can be spent on improving your car’s top speed, acceleration, boost power and strength. There’s also skill cards you can apply to your car that give it a temporary passive ability including increased boost meter for drifts or increased scored for collateral damage, but these can only be used once per completed race.
Now as for the actual gameplay in Driftopia: It plays very much like the previous Ridge Racer: Unbounded title, which is a huge understatement for the series, because the previous Ridge Racer game didn’t play very much like a Ridge Racer game at all.
Rather, it plays very similar to high octane, arcade-style racing games such as Burnout or Flat-out, where players are encouraged to smash into obstacles and into other racers. Just like any other racing game, players compete against each other to see who can complete their run in first place.
The Ridge Racer series has been known mostly for its drifting mechanics, although being fairly unrealistic, and that feature is still present in Driftopia, but it has been altered to feel more like a powerslide rather than a drift. The drift mechanic is simple to perform, being initiated by pressing spacebar, but the resulting chaos is difficult to handle and nigh impossible if riding in a low ranking car.
Players will also have to drift, chase, go airborne and cause a ton of collateral damage in order fill up their boost meter and power their way throughout the race. While it seems like a recipe for fun, it’s actually not quite as exciting as it sounds, mainly because the mechanics feel plain and do not bring anything new compared to other arcade racers. While the core gameplay of Driftopia isn’t particularly bad, it simply doesn’t feel like a Ridge Racer game.
I can understand why Namco Bandai would want to pull the series into a bold new direction due to its stagnating formula, but at the cost of losing what made the series recognizable in the past will certainly not hold up well for long time fans.
There are so many other problems that the game suffers from. The biggest problem here lies with the game’s “Repair Kits”. Now you see, every time a player crashes during a race, the race will automatically end. After that, players can chose to repair their vehicle with a set number of kits. However, if a player chooses not to repair their vehicle, it means that they’ll lose that vehicle permanently, along with all the progress they made on it. Players are going to have to stock up on a ton of repair kits if they wish to keep playing. The way that players go about getting repair kits is by either completing races or earning them as a random card prize, or by simply purchasing them from the in-game store. Earning free repair kits is a slow and daunting task, so obviously the in-game shop will be the best way to get these kits, with the DIY repair kit pack costing .99 cents for 50 of them.
The whole concept of charging players to play per crash is just absolutely ridiculous. As a new player, you’re going to be crashing CONSTANTLY, no matter what. (Hell, even as an expert player, you’re going to be crashing more often than not.) Sure, the game gives players free cars and repair kits every 24 hours of logging in, and anyone can afford .99 cents worth of repair kits from digging around in their couches, but this is such a huge turn off for anyone that’s new to the game AND wishes to play the game without paying a dime because they’re simply not going to be playing a session for very long.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the other things that can be purchased from the shop, including score boosters that increase your score by a set amount. Since the game in its current state is simply about going for the highest score to earn bragging rights, this can easily be seen as a method of paying to win. Other than the game’s monetization issues and ungraceful gameplay, the game doesn’t have much to experience at the moment, as there are only eight race tracks available. (the Steam account lists there are now 10 tracks but we have not confirmed)
If I were to judge Ridge Racer Driftopia as a legitimate addition to the series: It’s quite a disappointing experience for fans of the series.
If I were to judge Ridge Racer Driftopia based on its own merits: It’s barely up to par of being okay.
Verdict: Fair
Other than the game’s monetization issues and ungraceful gameplay, the game doesn’t have much to experience at the moment, as there are only eight race tracks available. As it stands, I’m giving Namco Bandai the benefit of the doubt, as they’re still new to the F2P market and obviously have more content in mind for the game before it launches soon for PC and PS3. While everything in the beta test is currently free to try out, including items from the cash shop, if they don’t figure out a more sensible way to monetize the game, I cannot see this game surviving for very long in the F2P market.
C9 Releases Bardiel and Second Raid for The Extreme Dungeon
Webzen launches the long-awated second raid for The Extreme Dungeon: Bardiel Seal in the 3D Fantasy-Action MMORPG, Continent of the Ninth Seal (C9).
A few months ago, C9 players were tasked with defeating three raid bosses in the Extreme Dungeon – Creios, Molleck and the Rebecca Twins. Starting today after regular scheduled maintenance, players will face their most challenging conquest to date – battling Bardiel, the God of Fire, and returning him to his fiery prison.
Ancient myth tells of a powerful being of pure destruction. Worshipped as a god by some and feared as a demon by others, all knew him as Bardiel, the God of Fire. Wielding immeasurable power, he brought chaos and flame wherever he went. Arguably the most powerful being any adventurer as ever encountered, Bardiel can easily turn his challengers to cinders and withstands brutal attacks with ease. Since he is a god, he cannot be destroyed, leaving Sarad’s reinforcements no choice but to seal him through mystical means if they wish to save Glenheim.
The Extreme Dungeon: Bardiel Seal is located on Sarad, the Fifth Continent of Glenheim. A full party of 4 players is recommended to challenge the God of Fire. The Extreme Dungeon can only be accessed by characters that are Level 62 and above. Those who are strong enough to defeat Bardiel will have a chance to acquire mythical accessories that unlock additional powers when the entire set is completed. Players who collect the Sealed Book of Flames can obtain the most powerful armor in C9 – the Jin Armor.
EVE Online’s Winter Expansion Reveal Livestreamed on Thursday, 26 Sep
This Thursday (26 Sep) at 20:00 UTC (1pm PDT), CCP Games will be announcing their plans for the winter expansion for EVE Online–the 20th free expansion for all subscribers–live on their Twitch.tv channel (www.twitch.tv/ccp).
Programming will include Senior Producer Andie Nordgren recapping the very successful recent past in EVE Online before exploring the future vision for the legendary MMO that’s grown subscribers year over year for 10 years straight. Then an in depth winter expansion reveal with game designers going over the majority of its features including some concept art for upcoming ships.
Come see what the most successful “sandbox” game has in store for its players and hang out in the Twitch chat with other CCP devs—all live.
Aeria Games Reveals New Details and Information Hub for Aura Kingdom
It’s easier than ever to stay in the loop as development progresses on Aura Kingdom! Aeria Games has launched the website for the upcoming anime massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The site will serve as a regularly updated information hub for fans looking to learn all they can about Aura Kingdom’s features and lore.
Readers can get a primer on the world of Azuria and the game’s core features. In keeping with the beautiful anime art of the game, the website also features extensive fankit materials and a fan art section where the best submissions from the enthusiastic community will be selected for all to see.
Prospective players will want to check in often with the Insider’s Blog, where posts will discuss a wide variety of topics giving insight into the game, the world, and the development process itself. For those that can’t get enough lore, look no further than the Chronicles of Azuria, where more tales from all across the land will be collected and revealed.
For guaranteed early beta access and to stay up-to-date on the latest news, fans are encouraged to follow the official Facebook page. Frequent contests and events during the lead-up to the game’s release will award valuable prizes and even offer fans the chance to have their designs featured as in-game items. The Facebook page will also be the first community resource to receive news regarding beta dates and details.
Alteil Horizons Kickstarter Interview
Questions by: Darren Henderson (DizzyPW)
Answers by: Sean (COO) and Jeff (CEO) of Apocoplay
Alteil Horizons is an ambitious project. Not just for what the designers at Apocoplay are trying to achieve technically, but for the story of what they have gone through to reach this point of the Kickstarter, now 19 days in. I was unfortunately too fast to draw judgment when I saw the initial media blasts of “Trading Card Game Crowdfunding” and moved on, thinking the odds of another iTCG hitting $100k wasn’t worth the time covering. Luckily their contact was persistent and finally convinced me to take a look, and now I’m sold on the idea. Alteil Horizons seeks to merge tactics style gameplay with a no luck-based directive and reduced instances of early game steam rolling utilizing elements of trading card games that have been present all along, but never quite tweaked in this direction.
But rather than hearing it from me, I sought out the designers at Apocoplay to hear in their own words why this game is offering the innovation to online gaming that only seems to come from indie groups these days.
DizzyPW: Hello there! You guys are a small and pretty public team but for those that haven’t been following the Kickstarter, please introduce yourself and your position at Apocoplay!
I’m Sean, Project Lead of Alteil Horizons and COO also at Apocoplay. We’re a pretty small shop so we all take on several roles.
I’m Jeff, the Technical Architect for Alteil and CEO at Apocoplay. As Sean pointed out, we are working founders, so everyone on the executive staff needs to pull his or her own weight in terms of production.
DizzyPW: Now I’m not one to care much about graphics. Gameplay always comes primary. But the initial buzz raised for your game came from the announcement of some masterful artists on staff. Can you give us a run-down of the talent you’re bringing?
Sean: Katsuya Terada is a legend not only in the video game industry — thanks to his design and world-building in the first few Legend of Zelda games – but also in animation, as character designer for Blood: The Last Vampire and in live action films as a character/monster designer and supplementary illustrator for Devilman, Godzilla: Final Wars, Hellboy (the American movie), and most recently Pacific Rim.
Yuji Kaida is an artist who has worked extensively on some of the largest properties ever to come out of Japan, including Godzilla (no pun intended), Mobile Suit Gundam, Transformers and Macross (called Robotech here in the States). He’s produced such a quantity of work, that his style has really become the face of these internationally celebrated properties.
Shunya Yamashita has taken lead design roles on a number of games: Final Fantasy X, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Valkyrie Profile 2, and Disgaea 4 are some of my favorites. In addition, he’s had a supporting role in most Square Enix games of the past 13 years, a position that puts his name on a lot of projects well known in America. He’s also famous for his re-imagining of the entire Marvel and DC lines of female characters in his Marvel Bishoujo and DC Bishoujo series.
Hitoshi Yoneda is another video game industry veteran whose design and illustration credits span most of the Phantasy Star series (starting at the beginning), Secret of Mana and Wizardry Online to name a few.
DizzyPW: Both on the art side and the engineering side, you’re bringing plenty of quality. I suppose it helps that you’re building off the skeleton of the already functioning Alteil iTCG but how did your team build enough confidence to get so many big shots to sign on with an indie status group like Apocoplay?
Sean: That’s where our partnership with the Japanese team comes into play – they’re a small video game company based out of Tokyo called Coreedge. They have been around the Japanese video game industry a long time, and were even part of a huge company called Gamepot at one point, so they know how to swim with the big boys. We’re taking the lead in this project, in terms of design, programming and implementation, but they are handling the art, getting us top talent using their contacts in the Japanese video game industry.
DizzyPW: Ah Gamepot explains how Wizardry was brought into the equation. While your artists are certainly well known, their stylings from Wizardry Online to Guilty Gear to Legend of Zelda to Secret of Mana (four of my favorite games of all time!) couldn’t be further apart. What type of theme are you imagining for your world and how will you use this to immerse your players in roleplaying out a story?
Sean: The story revolves around an epic war between the Solar Kingdom of Folrart, and the Duchy of Crest – which fights under the banner of the crescent moon. The Solar Kingdom soldiers are bright and gleaming, with all kinds of fancy armors, who march into battle supported by white-robed priests. The Duchy of Crest soldiers dress in dark purples and black and use forbidden augmentations that give them strange powers, train monster dogs and other creatures to help them, and are supported by assassins. Story wise, it’s interesting to note there are just as many good characters from Crest as from Folrart, and just as many evil characters from Folrart as there are from Crest. There are other factions as well, each with a different style.
One of our big goals is to really let our artists go all out and produce the art they love. We use the above and a variety of other tricks to allow them as much freedom as possible. For example, one artist might create all the monsters in a particular set. We also have small mini-sets called EX Packs that we can devote to a particular artist, so they can produce something that really emphasizes their style and stays consistent within the set. Both Katsuya Terada and Shinya Yamashita have their own EX Packs.
DizzyPW: As I actually passed out on my keyboard researching your game the night before in preparation for this interview, I have to ask, where does your team get the energy to produce so much in addition to their day jobs and family? And for over a year no less!
Sean: I suppose “coffee” is the stereotypical answer, and I must admit a number of us on the staff are real aficionados. But really it’s all about working together. You see he’s been coding all night, and she made all these buttons and menus after the baby went to bed… well, it makes you want to do more, too. Not only us, but the Japanese team as well. They have their own games to support – they manage a ton of games, including the Japanese version of the first Alteil – and still find time to take care of all of our art needs. We aren’t so naïve that we think it’s going to let up any time soon, but we are looking to the kickstarter as a way to hire more help and get more control over how we allocate our time.
DizzyPW: On that note, I’d like to raise awareness to our readers about a little bit of backstory behind the passion Project Lead Sean is bringing. Plenty of free PC games have shut down over the past four years without so much as a fight. What drove Sean to risk so much time and effort to take a stand and fight to revive Alteil?
Sean: Alteil isn’t just something that popped up recently. I was first introduced to the Japanese game in 2006, and led the team localizing it for the US market. After it launched in 2008, I took on various game management and game development roles as the game changed hands a few times. So when it looked like it was going to be turned off mid 2012, I’d already been working on it for 6 years. I married my wife during a lunch break while working on the game. I made a lot of friends on the Japanese team over the years, many of whom had been working since the early development (2003). And of course, there was the Alteil 1 fan-base, who I had been in contact with all this time. It seemed like the right thing to do, to take up the reins and move forward with a sequel rather than let the switch get thrown.
DizzyPW: You’ve already covered the tactical combat, resource system, and day/night cycle pretty well in your video series. Any hints on other major reveals players should watch for in the coming days of the Kickstarter?
Jeff: Sure. We are getting a lot of support from talent that we met during past projects. Sean already mentioned the relationship Coreedge has with established Japanese artists and I touched upon my relationship with the web comic community through ConnectiCon. One thing we haven’t talked about yet is Sean’s past as a TV producer and script writer. You can’t have a history like Sean’s without making a few friends along the way, so expect to see some big announcements in terms of voice talent for the single player game.
As for the videos themselves, Sean isn’t done making them. We have more unique features to explain, such as the Soul Cards and tactical play. Once the basics are covered, we can cover common strategies, deck construction, and a high level overview of the game itself from start to finish.
DizzyPW: Alteil Horizons is making a major push towards being multi-lingual. How will this play out in terms of communicating with others in-game? Will you be able to chat with your opponents during matches or only during certain times?
Jeff: Good Question.
This is as much of a cultural question as it is a technical one.
In the original American version, the ability to chat was huge. Because of this, we are using a single integrated chat system that can be accessed anywhere in the game. In a nutshell, this means that you can invite your buddies from a guild chat channel to join another channel tied to a game in progress very easily.
Conversely, every user has the option to disable chat or lock down permissions, including prohibiting spectators from watching a game.
As for the language barrier itself, players have a variety of options. To start, players can chose to only be matched with people who speak one of the highly represented languages of his or her choice.
That said, the important thing is that our chat system is adaptable. Theory only goes so far, so the real test is to see what works in reality. By having a chat system that can be modified quickly by our developers, we’ll be able to evolve to any consumer needs quickly.
DizzyPW: Tell me a bit about the business model you are currently considering to keep Alteil development and content pumping out post-Kickstarter.
Jeff: The experience of free players is very important to us. Not only on a personal level as gamers, but from a business perspective as well. Users can get more cards simply by playing. Essentially, word of mouth from our free player base is a critical part of getting the word out there.
As for making money, opening a fresh pack of cards is just fun. You can spend money to get a pack immediately. In the original game, when a new set was released, sales tended to spike.
In terms of selling packs of cards, you can’t beat a draft tournament. It’s fun for the players and it’s good for business. It guarantees variety and keeps the game fresh, which is important. Walking away with a prize in addition to your new cards doesn’t hurt either.
We’re careful to make pauper decks and cheap prebuilts viable, but rares will allow some variety.
DizzyPW: You’ve mentioned Google has been plenty helpful in getting this project off the ground. Any plans for Apple support in the future?
Jeff: The support we have received from the folks at our local Google and Microsoft offices have been wonderful. We can’t thank them enough.
As for Apple support, that’s pretty much a must have. Apple’s mobile gaming market is massive. Thanks to how iOS 7 handles CSS, an Apple release is likely to happen much sooner than originally anticipated. Right now we just need to add some trivial UI improvements before we announce officially.
I’d like to point out that users aren’t restricted to playing against others on their own platform. A mobile user may play in the same game with a friend who has a PC using the web, for example.
DizzyPW: E-sports has been a hard hitting factor on business planning for plenty of online PC titles in the making. With Alteil offering both beautiful animations and a spectator mode, is it in the stars to offer large scale spectating of major community tournament matches within Alteil Horizons?
Jeff: Without a doubt. One thing about Alteil is that it is a game of skill. Whenever you have a skill based game like that in a competitive environment, you have spectators. The original game already has its share of celebrities among its own player base, like Worthing. Worthing is a man who won the world championships of the original game with what is essentially a modified starter deck. He’s just that good, and people love to watch him play.
Spectator matches were huge in the first game and we expect it to be just as big in the sequel, especially with the popularity of social media.
DizzyPW: I don’t want to take up all your time (you’ve got a $100k Kickstarter to get funded in the next 11 days after all!) but my last curiosity is your hints on Batora. It seems you’re living the dream of bringing story-driven content with an actual evil figure at least quasi-controlled by the GMs. Beyond the server-wide penalties are you considering story-impacting outcomes to these battles?
Sean: Absolutely. We want to be able to do regular small Batora events, because we want every player to be able to participate, and it’s great fun never knowing when the arenas will be ambushed by agents of Batora. But expanding the Alteil 1 model with big yearly events that affect the story and what new cards show up is part of the plan for leveraging the excitement of Batora.
DizzyPW: Thanks again for your time and here’s to seeing your goal reached so you can sleep easier at night! For our readers if you want to back their project or keep an eye out on new updates, check out their Kickstarter Page HERE! Indie developers like these guys are fighting the fight while major publishers continue to ignore the requests and suggestions of gamers. Show your support and get some real innovation into the F2P PC sphere today.
Lost Realm
Lost Realm is a browser-based 3D MMORPG. The only survivor after a bloody combat, you have lost all your powers. You must regain these powers, enchant your gear, and conquer the lost realm. Make use of minions, mounts, and other tools to enhance your power in solo and group instances, guild wars, PvP, and more.
Starforce Delta 100 Crystal Giveaway
OnRPG is partnering with Pro3Games to give out 100 free cash shop crystals in the action space flight simulator, Starforce Delta.
Starforce Delta is a sci-fi MMO that puts you in control of a ship to defeat the Shar’dal. Three different ships await players, each with different playstyles and upgrades. You can also choose to become a mercenary and raid other players for their hard earned loot. Explore the worlds, discovering new technology, and revealing the wide plot that expands throughout the universe.
Follow the Button Below to Claim your prize, no key required!
To Redeem your Key:
- Click through the button above and register an account.
- Keep the page open while Starforce Delta prepares to launch.
- Make your character and visit the cash shop by clicking the plus button in the upper right corner.
- Claim your free 100 crystals (in addition to the 100 you begin with!) and enjoy!
Gamewave Interactive Technology
Gamewave Interactive Technology
WTFast Test Review
By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW)
Living in the heart of Santa Monica, a central gaming hub across the street from Riot Games and still on the right side of the US coastline for most MMORPG developers, I’ve seldom suffered ping issues in gaming. Running on an Alienware 17x labtop, graphic lag is non-existent in the F2P realm and, barring the occasional (read: often) drops in service from Time Warner, I’m typically top of the class when it comes to the more reaction based MMO and MOBA games I’ve gotten serious with like Perfect World International, Guild Wars, and League of Legends.
Little did I know that it might be my superior connection all along that might have been giving me the unfair advantage until I joined OnRPG and become more in-tune with the European gaming community. Plenty of gamers in the EU suffer from the fate of having to jump the Atlantic to get access to some of the higher quality PC titles on the market. Just looking at how long it took games like Vindictus to make the jump gives you an idea of why so many are fine with suffering the high ping and terrible responsiveness of some of these long range server connections.
Recently though I’ve heard buzz of new proxy server network programs promising an end to this for most gamers. The most common name that crossed my inbox was WTFast. And while with a little bit of research, it’s easy to find public proxy systems that can get a similar result as this program, it’s time consuming finding them and you often have to renew them with new proxies as they tend to be unreliable and short-term. Plus the fact that they are public means it’s not unlikely that you’re going to be sharing them on top of it. Bleh.
So I decided I would give WTFast a shot with Final Fantasy XIV. Anyone following this game knows the launch has been a nightmare in the west with servers full round the clock and character creation not even being open on many of them. Meanwhile if you’re playing at any decent hour, the Japanese servers were wide open, not IP blocked, and had enough of an English speaking population if you picked the right ones to still enjoy the community of the game.
The issue? Well the further into the game I went, the less forgiving the monsters became and the more important the reaction speed of the player was. Yet even though I was dodging out of the tell radius of my foes, I was still taking near fatal damage on a regular basis due to the client-side servers not registering my movements fast enough. Add to this the stress of playing a Conjurer and having my entire team reliant on my reaction speed to stay alive? Yea I was getting frustrated.
So I installed WTFast and tried to rush straight into game. Save yourself the immediate frustration and look at the options first. You can control which server you are pinging to. Unfortunately I found only minor improvements in my gameplay in this attempt. I would still suffer the same attack hit registration but one noticeable improvement was the steadiness of the gameplay. Rarely while running WTFast would I freeze up or have instances of no service that would block key moments when I needed to jump rocks or gaps to take shortcuts through various areas. Unfortunately getting accurate metrics in FFXIV is pretty tough overall so I decided to give the program another shot.
After doing some research it became clear that WTFast seems to focus on key titles in the industry and improve their service to them over time. As such I figured I’d give them a second chance with SMITE, a MOBA that’s been stealing my entire League time in recent months but is unfortunately based in Atlanta. Being almost fully skill-shot based, any ping can hurt a heaping helping here.
Sure enough after tweaking a couple server choices, I found the sweet spot and dropped by ping from 130 down to the 75 range. And while that might not be too noticeable to the naked eye, a competitive gamer like myself appreciates any minuscule advantage I can snag. The program itself was hardly a drain on my PCs resources and, other than the subscription fee, doesn’t come with much of a downside.
In closing would I recommend WTFast to anyone? No. But if you’re seeing around 150 ping or higher, care about your performance, and are willing to experiment a bit to find the ideal settings for your connection, it delivers on its promises. Their forum offers pretty active responses to any technical support you might need, a refreshing change of pace in this industry. And while it sounds cliché at this point, they do offer a 30-day free trial so I’d certainly give it a shot, rather than resigning myself to a horrible connection and awful response times on my favorite game.



























