Monthly Archives: August 2014

Freesky 2

Freesky 2 is an online multiplayer strategy game by I Got Games (IGG). Command the skies in exciting airship combat against computer or live opponents.

Features:

Intense Airship Combat: Take to the skies and launch fleets of Airships into battle! Epic deisngs paired with endless crafting possibilities let you flex your creative muscles!

Manage a City to Survive: Can you haverst precious resources so your Cloud can grow and thrive? Can you assemble defenses strong enough to beat back enemy invaders?

PVP Battle System!: Are you ready to fight for dominance of the skies? Players are building their fleets and preparing for battle! Go forth and conquer!

Unturned Early Access

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), Resident Survivalist

 

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Every gamer just can’t get enough of zombies, the undead that loves to nibble on your fresh meat is probably the most common game monster to appear over the last couple years and undoubtedly will still be for years to come. The last couple of weeks I took my time to delve into the world of Unturned, a new game that recently was published on the steam store and bears many similarities to a couple other zombie titles. The key selling point here is Unturned focuses much more heavily on the roleplaying aspect of the zombie survival story. Currently the game is still in the very early stages of development, but unlike many other games in this stage, Unturned feels finished and well-polished, and at this point it could only get even better with continual tweaks and content updates.

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The game that comes to mind when you look at Unturned’s voxel world is Minecraft. Just like the position Warcraft held in the early days of themepark MMORPGs, Minecraft now stands as the juggernaut most sandbox online games are trying to copy. Every object or detail in Unturned is made out of blocks, but unlike Minecraft, it is done in much higher textures so the graphics overall look a lot better. And where Minecraft specializes in building and crafting, survival is the top priority of Unturned. And at first it can be quite a difficult challenge. Besides the zombies trying to get a bite of you, you will also battle against hunger and thirst since there is no one at the local fast food restaurant serving up burgers.

The first priority you have is finding some tools while salvaging enough food and water to get you by. As you travel, acquiring a larger backpack will be required to gain any level resource management to expand beyond this simple initial gameplay. The backpack is perhaps the hardest and most important item to get while you are just a new and lonely survivor. If you have a backpack, you are able to store a lot more items in your inventory and every inventory slot will make your life notably easier. Food can easily be found in any store, but only a few products are healthy to eat so make sure you do not poison yourself. Fighting off zombies is hard enough when you’re on your A-Game.

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Last but not least is finding yourself a proper weapon; I would advise to run with a melee weapon until you find a backpack, because ammunition is hard to come by and takes up key storage space you’ll need for supplies early on. Once you get used to the control scheme, a melee weapon is often the best way to deal with zombies anyway. I can also recommend you to get the Warrior skill, since it helps you deal more damage to the zombies. When killing zombies you will get experience, which can be used RPG style to unlock skills and character enhancements to improve your survival prowess.

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Unturned is a sandbox game in the apocalypse survival genre and heavily focuses on its core gameplay mechanics to let the player experience a lot of fun whether alone or with others. After a couple hours of gameplay to get my bearings, I set up my own server with some people I met online to customize our fun. There are also a ton of public servers for the people that do not have the tools to host their own, so do not worry about needing to know people to get onto a server. In our own server, we felt stronger than ever before since we weren’t alone fighting hordes of zombies, but we were together and we were able to set bigger goals to have our group survive this horrible apocalypse. With a coordinated team, the potential of the crafting system became more apparent as we plundered whole villages for building resources.

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Unturned isn’t just a game where you fight zombies randomly with whatever weapon you have on hand. Eventually your town’s food and material resources are going to run dry. And since it isn’t safe to live in a village or city anymore, you are better off building your own establishment and perhaps farm some crops. Unturned goes a bit more in depth than most zombie survival games in this regard. You can build your own utopian towns complete with farmlands. As you scavenge you can even find crafting recipes to boost your building potential. You can also level up your crafting, making you able to craft the more important structures or supplies. Finding or making the best crafting tools is also key to ensure the security of your home away from zombieville so that you can chat with your friends in peace from time to time.

 

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Current State of the Beta: Great

Unturned has once again proven that a beautiful set of graphics is not needed to have a successful game. And even though the graphics right now are all in a good place for voxels, it may be judged as just another Minecraft clone by zombie survival enthusiasts. Don’t judge this book by its cover as the gameplay within is as solid as it gets. Unturned is a game that you will enjoy playing either alone or together with your friends. The game still has much left to be developed, but the features here are addicting enough on their own to keep you hooked for weeks. With the addition of making your own structures and crafting, there are a ton of roleplaying possibilities, and players are more likely to build their own player story together. If you are a fan of zombie survival games, you should definitely check out Unturned as its one of the few free options on the market.

ArcheAge – Closed Beta 2 “Setting Sail”

By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)

 

 

In an attempt at keeping in line with the “sail” theme of this latest Closed Beta, I figured I could put together a bit of a guide on the various ships in ArcheAge. Personally, the sea-side of things is what I love most about ArcheAge. There’s only one other MMO that I’ve played that has anything that comes close to ArcheAge, and that was Darkfall. There’s just something fantastic about being able to see a massive galleon on the shore and knowing you can hop on it and sail around and possibly do some pirating. This is what online gaming freedom looks like.

ArcheAge Boats Rowboat

The first ship you’ll come across will, more than likely, be a rowboat. This is because, early on, you’ll be getting one for a quest. The neat thing is, you get to keep the boat so you’ll get your own ship early. The downside, though, is that the rowboat is incredibly slow and can be too annoying to use once you’ve been spoiled by a speedboat. It’s not useful for much, and you’ll probably only use it on rare occasions.

 

 

ArcheAge Boats Clipper Harpoon

Chances are, you’ll run into one of these being pulled along the land at some point.

 

Next is the Clipper, sometimes referred to as the speedboat as it’s pretty much the fastest ship in the game. It’s small and comes in two variants. One with a harpoon and one with a canon. Generally speaking, the harpoon variant is much better – though both are useable and fun. Chances are you’ve seen a Harpoon Clipper pulling itself along the land at some point.

 

It’ll cost you fifty Gilda Star for the blueprints to build. The resource requirement is fairly low, the lowest out of all the built ships, I believe. Generally, everyone will get one of these within the first month or so of their playing so don’t be surprised when you find this is the most common ship in the game within a week of release. The deck space, which allows for a decently sized number of players to be aboard, combined with its speed and versatility make it a favorite for trade-runs and pirating.

ArcheAge Boats  Galleon West

Referred to as the Cutter for the West and Lutesong Junk for the East, but also known collectively as “Galleons,” this ship is the backbone of any player navy. They’re kind of difficult to make, so a lot of Galleons are the result of collaboration between guilds and families. With a dedicated family, you can probably get your hands on the Gilda Star required to purchase the blueprints in a relatively short amount of time. The resources required, while a lot more than a Clipper, aren’t too difficult to gather.

 

ArcheAge Boats  Galleon East

Personally, I like the look of this ship more. But I do miss the crow’s nest in the Cutter.

 

Similar to the Clipper, the Galleon comes in two variants, commonly referred to as the “West” and “East” variants. They both have similar stats – large size, eight cannons (four on each side), some extra cargo space. However, the West variant has a more Western design, while the East variant has a more Eastern look to it. Other differences include the buffs and abilities available to the ship. Also, the Eastern ship has a drum that can be used, while the Western has a set of bells. Oh yes, and the Western variant has a crow’s nest and the ability to climb the main mast, while the Eastern variant does not have either.

 

And let’s not forget the pirate variant that is about the same as the other two. It can be a lot more difficult to get it, though, as you don’t use Gilda Star to get the blueprint.

 

 

ArcheAge Boats Tradeship

Each box can hold one trade-pack, for a total of twenty.

 

The Merchant ship, sometimes referred to as the Trade ship, is probably the most important ship in terms of doing trade-runs. Any group of players is going to want to get one eventually. It has a plethora of space for trade-packs, which means very few players can transport a large number of packs. It also has a bit of protection in the form of one cannon on either side of the ship, as well as a radar similar to the one that can be found on the Galleon, that helps with evading potentially hostile ships long before a confrontation begins.

ArcheAge Boats  Radar copy

Honestly, though, if a couple of harpoon Clippers were to go at a merchant ship they wouldn’t have a hard time catching up to it. This is why you often see them being escorted, usually by Clippers of their own or even by Galleons when it comes to the larger guilds. The resource requirement is kind of similar to the Cutter, but it requires four-hundred Gilda Star’s. A hefty investment for a ship that can give you a much larger reward.

ArcheAge Boats  Fish Ship

Next up is the Fish-Find Longlinger. This is a ship dedicated to fishing. It’s similar in size to the Cutter’s, and costs about the same in both resources and Gilda Star. I honestly don’t know much about this ship, as my only interactions with it are in mirage. I’ve heard a lot of good things about ArcheAge’s fishing system, so I’m guessing this will provide a nice ship for those who wish to partake in that profession.

 

I do know that it comes equipped with harpoons, a “fish finder,” and a few trade-pack slots. As far as I’ve been able to find, it’s the only fishing boat currently available.

 

 

ArcheAge Boats  Lapis Steamfish Submarine

Looks pretty neat, in my opinion!

 

The next (and last that is currently available to players) vessel I wish to bring up is the Lapis Steamfish Submarine. I know even less about this than what I know about the Longliner. It stands to reason that it’s meant to be used for deep-sea adventuring. There’s a lot of stuff hidden under the sea in ArcheAge, including treasures, ancient ruins filled with sea-mobs, and even some unique mining opportunities. They may also come in handy while tending to your Aquafarm, if you have one. They look to be a two-seater, so there’s that. It can be equipped with special equipment, such as an air cannon, to give it different abilities.

ArcheAge Boats Yacht

There’s also a Luxury Yacht commonly referred to as a “party boat.” This is basically a large ship meant for nothing but having fun and showing off your wealth in the world. At this point, however, I’m unsure as to whether or not it will be available to players. I did not find a place to purchase the design for one, but there is one in mirage you can go and play on (but not drive). It looks pretty awesome, though. Other ships I did not find, though I know exist in other versions of ArcheAge, are the Swan Love Boat and the Smugglers’ Rowboat.

 

ArcheAge Boats Swan

Q&A/FAQs

 

Q: How can I get the Gilda Star used to purchase ship blueprints?

You can get Gilda Star by doing quest, but also from doing things like Trade Runs.

 

Q: Where do I buy the blueprints?

You can find them all in Mirage – look for the blue portals.

 

Q: Can I try before I buy?

Yes, you can find all of these ships in Mirage. You’re able to test drive and make use of almost all of the ship, as well. Unfortunately, there’s only one of each so it can be difficult to find one at times.

 

Q: Can my ship be destroyed?

Yes, but it can be repaired. Of course, depending on the ship, this may be inexpensive or quite expensive.

 

Q: Can someone steal my ship?

Yes and no. Yes in that they could jump on your ship and then drive away with it if certain criteria are met. No in that it’ll eventually despawn (or, if your ship isn’t in combat, you can manually despawn it). So it’ll only be a temporary problem as long as the person taking your ship doesn’t destroy the ship before it despawns.

 

Q: How do cannons work?

They use a targeting system similar to targeted player moves. You will also need Steel Ammo (cannon balls).

 

ArcheAge Boats Cannon

Q: Should I get a Cannon or Harpoon Clipper?

Personally, I would say Harpoon. The cannon on the clipper is basically useless after the first week or two of the server. While the harpoon can continue to be useful and fun for quite a long time. That’s just my personal opinion, though.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

There are a lot of sea-faring vessels in ArcheAge. There’s one to fill almost every role you could dream of. From the small and fast Clippers, to the large and bulky Cutter and Lutesong Junk. It’s this large versatility that makes the sea-side of ArcheAge so much fun to participate in. It almost seems like a game on its own with all the content available. Hopefully this has been a good insight on the various ships found within ArcheAge.

Hazard OPS: Release date announced

Polish your weapon, buckle your belt and place a finger on the trigger: Infernum’s Hazard Ops will be officially released on August 26th. Also, released today is the Welcome to the Jungle update with new dangers to face.

Besides new maps, weapons and costumes, players will also take on dinosaurs for the very first time. If taking on prehistoric animals carrying rocket launchers on their backs gets too hazardous then mercenaries can try out the new Head Hunter mode: Putting notches on your gun has never been so dangerous. After every kill, the head of the shooter will grow, making it a much easier target. Headaches are guaranteed.

For more info, visit http://www.hazardops.com/