Monthly Archives: May 2014

Dragon’s Wrath – UI Preview

Dragon's Wrath

Scheduled to launch this June on the Game321.com games portal, Dragon’s Wrath is a horizontal, combat-based MMORPG that casts players as daring heroes during a time of great magic and mysterious creatures in the West. With so much to do and track in-game, optimizing the menu interface and screen layouts is a core focus for NGames as they ready Dragon’s Wrath for release.

From character customisation screens, to accessing vital information and equipment during quests and battles, here’s some new in-game screenshots that offer a glimpse of Dragon Wrath’s intuitive interface layouts in action.

World Map

The Dragon’s Wrath world map has been optimized with simplicity in mind, allowing players to navigate the main cities and their branching towns with ease.

Each individual city and town has its own unique interface and characteristics, and players can choose whether to explore them freely or automatically. From lush green vistas to luxurious metropolises, there’s plenty of variety on offer as heroes travel the world to complete their quests.

Exploration

Exploration in Dragon’s Wrath can be a dangerous game, so it’s important to have all key information available at a glance.

This interface positions all key pieces of info cleanly around the screen; HP, energy and avatar stats are on the top left; the world map, settings, friend features and more can be easily accessed at the top right; and the bottom of the screen lets players manage characters, heroes, inventory and more with just a few clicks.

The optimised layout and intuitive icons mean all information can be easily accessed while still allowing maximum screen real estate for Dragon’s Wrath’s gorgeous visuals and action-packed gameplay to unfold.

Battles and Instances

When it comes to instances and battles, Dragon’s Wrath players can find key stats about their characters, handy shortcut buttons, and quick-access chat features carefully placed at the edge of the screen.

It’s all about efficiency here. Every other piece of the unnecessary information is tucked away. Out of sight, so heroes can keep an eye on what really matters – the battle against the Dragons!

For more info, visit http://go.game321.com/pr_dw.htm

Magicka Wizard Wars Enters Open Beta

Magicka

Paradox Interactive and Paradox North today began the Open Beta phase for Magicka: Wizard Wars, the spellcasting action player-vs-player (PvP) game where misspelling is deadly. As of today, anybody can download and play Magicka: Wizard Wars and try their hand at the elementary arcane arts in 4-on-4 combat and 1-on1 duels. The entire world is now invited to sample the game where skill-based spellcasting wins the day and friendly fire is always on, begin your journey into Magicka: Wizard Wars and experience the possibilities of robe-based fashion by clicking here: http://access.wizardwars.com/

The advance to Beta introduces a cauldron’s worth of new content to Magicka: Wizard Wars, including a new Wizard Warfare map set in the dark caves of Galdrhöll Halls – where the spectacular effects of players’ spells can really shine, along with the slick red bits of Wizards who probably should have practiced a bit more. A new ‘Raise Dead’ Magick has also been added, which conjures forth undead zombie imps who hunger for enemy brains. New robes, staffs, and unique skins also appear in this version, making it the most robust depiction of frantic spellcasting in gaming today.

In Magicka: Wizard Wars, teams of Wizards go head-to-head in intense player-versus-player (PvP) action, utilizing the celebrated spellcasting system of Magicka, combining elements to generate on-the-fly spells. Players can also hone their skills against one another in the one-on-one duel mode, utilizing all of their tricks in order to be the last robe standing. With short battles, skill-based spellcasting, and plenty of humor, Magicka: Wizard Wars presents a new way to experience the chaos of Magicka with friends and foes alike.

For more information, visit www.wizardwars.com

DDO Update 22 – Pirates of the Thunder Sea Dev Preview

By W.B. Wemyss (Tagspeech)

 

We’re back for DDO Update 22: Pirates of the Thunder Sea.  Dungeons and Dragons Online, taking place largely in the Eberron universe (the one with all the steampunk and magitech business), is expanding their already sprawling world of content and doodads with enhanced versions of old features, and plenty of new features entirely.  Like all updates, this one includes new dungeons and raids to explore, in addition to new guild ships and refurbished old models.

Airship

Guild airships are massive ships that fly.  They float through the air, using elemental engines, and have huge interiors with modular rooms that guild leadership can swap in and out as they please, to provide their members with a variety of buffs, crafting services, and conveniences.  They also look pretty, and can even serve as memorials to defeated raid bosses or other challenging content.  And of course, they can just be there to provide atmosphere and ambiance.  The biggest model of airship in the game is now available for guilds to purchase, and the older models are receiving a big art update to bring them up to DDO’s new standards.

 

The maximum level for guilds has been raised from 100 to 200, with 150 to 200 being levels that provide no serious mechanical benefit – only bragging rights.  Bragging rights are apparently important to the dedicated MMORPG player.  The developers also felt it was relevant to mention that the kitchens in these airships are stocked with plenty of bacon – when the internet will get tired of talking about bacon, I have no idea.  I suspect it will be when everyone who was twenty at the time of WoW’s release gets old enough to start worrying about heart conditions.

Guild Rewards

The new dungeon is especially interesting for those that have a preoccupation with pirate themes, especially pirate themes that occur several thousand feet in the air.  The entire goal of the dungeon is to finish up a long arc, which would have you tracking down the treasure hoard of a deceased pirate.  The gold is yours to keep (it’s a lot of gold), and the draconic artifact hidden inside is one that you’ve been contracted to recover by a dragon.  So, the gold is loaded onto your ship, and you set sail into the skies to bring it back home.  But it isn’t that easy, obviously.  Pirates are out to take it for themselves, and within minutes, their ships will be showing up behind yours and trying to board.

A Lot of Gold

But you can repel them, obviously.  Moreover, you can assign your various crewmates to different tasks on the ship, such as guarding the engine room, manning ballistae, or accompanying you in general swashbuckling hijinks.  Once you’ve repelled the boarders from your ship, you can even board theirs in turn, disable their engines, and be on your way.  This will happen multiple times, before the big bads show up – the Bloodtide pirates.  Their ship is three times the size of yours, and fending them off will be quite a challenge.

 

There are also going to be fleshed out wilderness and world map areas in the game’s existing air pirate zone, with expansions made, and now with airships floating around the landscape, bombarding hapless players.  Of course, if you want, you can board these airships (if you can figure out how to get to them or bring them down) and sack them for rewards.  So it’s nice to see that not all of the content is entirely structured around instances and dungeons.  The new content will be available for free to VIP players, and is purchasable by anyone in the premium store – but those that have purchased the pirate areas previously don’t have to purchase them again.  This update will be a free upgrade.

Floating Airship

Of course, this update also has something for everyone.  An entirely new tree is being added to the bard class – the swashbuckler!  This is a class that’s meant to flesh out the bard’s anemic damage potential and general combat worthiness.  It’s based around the single-weapon fencing style of combat, rewarding players with bonuses and benefits for fighting with a single light weapon in hand.  This style was always a favorite of mine, and I never really understood why so few RPGs include it as a viable option.  You can also use a light shield, like a buckler, if you desire.  This class is available to all players, VIP or not, and promises to provide a whole new dimension for bard players to explore.

On Deck

Update 22 is going to drop in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for it.  If you’re a long-time player, your preferred game is going to become even better soon.  Congratulations!  If you’re a player that’s left because bards didn’t have enough finesse and stabbing, you may want to give the swashbucker a shot.  And if you just like pirates, steampunk, and D&D rulesets in general, you should most certainly check out DDO.  It is nothing if not a unique experience in an otherwise dreary field of unimaginative MMORPGs.

 

For more screenshots on DDO Update 22, be sure to check out our sister site’s gallery at MMOHuts.

 

Tagspeech is the alias of author W.B. Wemyss, who was responsible for the bizarre cyberpunk fever dream called Children of Athena.

Weekly MMOHuts Stream (5/23) – Brawler Day with DFO and Grand Chase!

DFO-GC-Live-Stream

Joins JamesBl0nde and the crew today for another marathon livestream focusing on the return of Dungeon Fighter Online, ChronoBlade, as well as the Season 5 launch of Grand Chase! We’ll be teaming up with GMs from the actual Kill3rCombo team to challenge the playerbase so don’t miss out!

 

Watch live video from JamesBl0nde on www.twitch.tv

Grand Chase Launches Biggest Update Ever: Season 5

Grand Chase Season 5 Logo

Leading game developer and publisher of popular free-to-play MMORPGs, KOG Games, launches the biggest content update in the history of online action-brawler MMO, Grand Chase starting today.  The MMO brawler gets a major UI update, a dungeon experience like never before seen, faster-smarter AI, the all new Dodge Skill and Damage Ranking System, and a new boss-rush style dungeon experience, Dimension’s Door! View the new Season 5 video here.

Grand Chase features an impressive roster of 19 characters which previously had to be unlocked via a very difficult quest or purchased outright in the shop, but no longer!  With Season 5, all new players get four open character slots and any character can be selected for free.  If you haven’t collected them all already, Veteran players may purchase a new character slot and select any one of the 19 characters.

Pan(Silver Land)

Grand Chase vets will notice a streamlined, polished World Map display and fluid quest progression.  Experience new NPCs, linear map direction and quest presentation. Whether playing PvE solo, with a buddy or filling a four player Co-Op party, players will be dungeon crawling in levels that have been neatly redesigned. Level and platform layouts have been reworked and mob types and numbers will be randomized. Mobs and Bosses will be faster, stronger and smarter too! To even the playing field for all players, all playable characters have had their damage output re-balanced.

“The latest update brings a fresh, vibrant attitude to Grand Chase,” said Eugene Kim, CEO of KOG Games “The game will deliver a streamlined experience that both veteran and new players alike will truly enjoy.”

Night Master(Serdin)

The innovative Dodge Skill can be acquired via quest by any playable character. This new, active combat skill allows all characters to utilize an evasive maneuver while in dungeons. The new Damage Rank feature shows players just how much DPS they dish out in dungeons. This new system generates a record too. Play dungeons again and again to refine your skills and beat your own scores!

This is just the beginning!  The Grand Chase Season 5 update is so big, that it has to be released in waves. Coming up next:  New Dungeons, re-balancing for all playable characters in PvP, and an all-New PvP Mode! This crazy new “Sudden Death” mode will pit players against one another while in “Fatal” status or 0 life against a countdown timer to see how many times they can destroy each other within the time allowed. The player with the most kills at the end of time wins.

Ironclad Tactics Review – Playing Cards in a Civil Steam War

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor)

 

IroncladTacticsReview1

Lately I have been living in a different world, one where a civil war is causing chaos to the beautiful lands of the United States and its citizens. In this steampunk world you will take control of different steam powered robots and infantry to defeat and destroy any harm that was brought upon these lands. With your deck of military robots and military forces you will have to overcome difficult challenges and obstacles that will confront you, all the while unlocking more cards by just playing the game. There are no micro transactions or any similar gimmicks in Ironclad Tactics, and that appeals a lot to me.

Ironclad Tactics follows the story of two friends who have built ironclad robots. Although the robots are quite basic models and yet to be tested, with the impending civil war, who knows when they might come in handy. When you begin the story mode you will be introduced with the very basics of the game. And as a long time CCG gamer, I must say that the basic gameplay elements are quite easy to pick up, but that’s not to say the gameplay itself is a walk in the park.

IroncladTacticsReview2

On the first few stages, your starter ironclad won’t be doing much. It can walk around the map but not much else. You will slowly learn how to maneuver these robots and then eventually the card element comes into play, allowing you to equip your bot with additional weapons and utility skills. When you follow the story mode, you will unlock all sorts of robots and infantry men that all have their own uses. Since robots are sturdy machines known to for taking a beating, you’ll find it key to unlock proper defensive boosting cards so they can clear the way for your infantry to survive long enough to complete objectives.

IroncladTacticsReview3

Winning a game is purely decided by the objectives. If you manage to bring a robot to the other side of the board, you will gain two points. Every round begins with action points filling your action pool; these action points can be used to put more cards on the map and obviously each type of card has a different action point value depending on its usefulness. The usual CCG strategizing takes place of choosing instant gratification and quantity now, or playing possum until the big guns are ready to roll. Besides the various summon and upgrade cards, you will also find a lot of bunker type of objectives scattered on the map itself. These bunkers, recognizable by the numerous sandbags surrounding them, serve as something more than just a defensive structure. Some contain bonus action points inside, while others offer a large cannon that can score a victory point, though only infantry cards can capture them. Eight victory points insures a win, so don’t give up bunkers without a fight. And when you get eight victory points, you will win the game.

While the card elements of Ironclad Tactics are pretty straight forward, some elements like bunkers aren’t as clear right off the bat. Unfortunately you will have to take a beating sometimes to learn the full potential of your deck in the school of hard knocks. Card unlocks come fast and furious in this game, and after completing a few challenges successfully, you’ll already have a plethora of options to decide between while prepping for your next match. It’s impossible to skimp on deck optimization as the story  mode’s challenges amp up continuously, and there’s just no way to win with your starter deck. Finding the right balance of hardy infantry cards, route clearing ironclads, and upgrade cards is no simple task, and will take plenty of trial and error both in story mode as well as PvP.

IroncladTacticsReview4

Unfortunately the cards are mostly found when doing the story mode, and even though we have to walk before we can run, I am not a big fan of this type of system. When you face other players, you will be matched up with players from your own skill range. But if you haven’t unlocked all the cards yet you will eventually hit a wall, a steel wall, that will not let you advance further because people will have insurmountable advantages in their deck. And even though you can win special cards in these skirmishes, I still think it is fair when everyone has the same cards. But I suppose you will just have to complete all the chapters if you want to be on the same level as the better players. Luckily the chapters aren’t that long so you will just have to invest a few hours of your time before you are ready to test your skills against other players.

 

IroncladTacticsReview5

Conclusion: Great

Ironclad Tactics takes a different approach and style than most card games we’ve reviewed. Even though the game is still built on a foundation of cards, it feels different. It’s much faster paced and the gameplay feels and looks more satisfying than its competitors. The addition of a story draws you in with further motivation to continue playing. There are no micro transactions to nickel and dime you into paying to stand on competitive ground with your rivals. You buy the game, you get the full game, and that’s it. There are however more and more chapters being added, and these cost a bit of money, akin to an expansion pack system. You do not have to buy them, but the extra content definitely makes it worth the small price. If you are a big fan of card games, I can definitely recommend you to check out Ironclad Tactics.

Knight’s Fable Open Beta Announcement

Knight's Fable

GTArcade is excited to announce we’re all set to release the Open Beta of our highly anticipated MMORPG title, Knight’s Fable, on May 29th! Knight’s Fable will feature all the great features that fans of MMORPG’s love, such as an expansive loot system, tons of rare gear, gems, heroes, trainable beasts, and a PvP arena!

“We’re confident that Knight’s Fable will be a success.” Said Frances Sun, Product Manager for Knight’s Fable. “Players can train heroes and beasts, and then use them together in battle alongside their main character. Many MMORPG’s only offer the opportunity to level up a single character. ”

Heroes looking for a new challenge and wanting to get their hands on the game as soon as possible are invited to sign up at http://knight.gtarcade.com

Duty of Sentinel: Now called “Sentinel Heroes”; OBT Today

Duty of Sentinel

Sentinel Heroes Studios announced that Duty of Sentinel officially changes name to Sentinel Heroes and enters OBT today. If you haven’t joined in the epic adventure yet, now is your chance! Take a breath and prepare to start recruiting legendary heroes, building your teams, and dueling players from all over the world in a strategic RPG for everyone (http://www.sentinelheroes.com/ld.html?ref=mmohuts ).

During 2 months of Closed Beta, Sentinel Heroes Studios has been closely monitoring many aspects of the game and releasing numerous modifications, fixes, and tweaks to bring a better gaming experience for everyone. If you join the game now, you can not only access all the contents of the CBT, but also enjoy all the new features introduced in during the CBT, such as Talent System, Strengthen System, Wisps, and Eclosion, which have largely expanded the gameplay and increased the playability of the game.

Still, another competition way “Knockout” makes its official debut in the Open Beta. There are 3 different thrones up for grab. Every player is allowed to knockout the king to claim the throne. Once you take the throne, Hulk will start timing for you – the longer you can defend your throne, the better the rewards will be and the higher the reputation you’ll get. Hulk believes that players will take their length of reign into consideration when they compare their strength and understanding of tactics from now on – numbers speak louder than words.

Players are also welcome to claim all the 8 giftpacks and join the 2 forum events during the OBT:

1. Starter Giftpack (Mysterious)
2. Legend Creator Giftpack (Worth 2000 dollars)
2. Level Cap Giftpack (Worth 1000 dollars)
3. King of Dungeons Giftpack (Worth 800 dollars)

There are also generous rewards for players, who can dominate Ranking Challenge, who can get the highest reputation points, who can excel at compounding or strengthening, and etc. In a word, all the efforts of players are cherished and rewarded in Sentinel Heroes.

All the details of the giftpacks and events for the OBT can be found here:
http://www.sentinelheroes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=285