Monthly Archives: October 2015

Ankama Announces Online and Physical Board Game Krosmaga

Ankama Announces Online and Physical Board Game Krosmaga news header

Developer and publisher Ankama is proud to announce Krosmaga, a new game set in its flagship universe (DOFUS, WAKFU). Krosmaga will be both an online game and a physical board game, mixing elements from collectible card games and tower defenses. The game will be available in 2016 for PC, as well as iOS and Android devices.

In Krosmaga, players will take the role of one of the gods from the Krosmoz universe, confronting each other with cards in gorgeous, colorful settings. They will use the deck of the god they choose or build their own deck of cards. These cards will feature famous characters and monsters from the DOFUS and WAKFU series, comic books and games, as well as divine spells. While the experience will focus on player versus player fights, the game will also offer solo features.

No need to be an expert in collectible card games or the Krosmoz universe to enjoy the experience of Krosmaga: easy to learn, the game is designed to be fun and accessible to anyone.

Both the online and the physical games will be playable on Pegasus’ booth (M110, Hall 3) during the SPIEL convention in Essen, from October 8th to 11th, 2015.

Ankama will be launching soon a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. More information will be released soon on www.krosmaga.com.

Rift Update 3.4 – Journey into the Wilds!

By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)

 

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

Recently I was invited to take a look at Rift‘s upcoming 3.4 update, Into the Wilds. I was given a tour by Simon Ffinch, who introduced me to the Planetouched Wilds and the new Primalist calling. Along the way I was shown some of the new mobs, got to experience the wonders of the Wilds, and was able to glimpse the new stories to be told in this update. Honestly, this ‘update’ could be called an expansion. The amount of new content added into the game is superb and the quality is top-notch.

 

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

What’s New

There are two major additions in this update. First is the introduction of the Planetouched Wilds. This is a new zone where the rules of reality seem to be iffy at best. Floating landmasses, giant rhino prints, and running into a six-eyed T-Rex are the norm. Of course, this new zone comes with all-new questlines, puzzles, and more. Also introduced is the Primalist calling, which calls on the primal aspects of the world to cover a wide variety of roles.

 

That’s not all, though. You’ll find a new dungeon to conquer with your friends. There’s also a new 25-man raid to participate in. And if you’re the type that prefers PVP over PVE, you’ll be happy to know that a new 15v15 Assault Warfront is available, too. There’s something for everyone in this game – those who love PVE progression, those who enjoy the challenge of PVP, artifact hunters and puzzle completers… You’ll not run out of things to do anytime soon in 3.4.

 

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

Planetouched Wilds

The Planetouched Wilds are an incredible new zone added to Rift in 3.4. This is the place where the Cosmic Rhinoceros has trampled the lands through the various planes, tearing the fabric of reality and sewing it back together in a patch-work manner. This is a zone that I imagine a great many people will instantly fall in love with. Rift is a game with no shortage of magical vistas and unique locations, but the Planetouched Wilds stands a bit higher than the average. From the ruins, to the fields, to the floating landmasses… It all comes together in a fantastic way that gives off a certain charm.

 

Of course, beautiful scenery is not the only thing you’ll find in the Wilds. You’ll also find all the things that come with a new zone: New mobs, new story-lines to follow, new puzzles to complete, and new artifacts to find. Lots of “new” to be found here. I’m usually not the type who enjoys completing puzzles in MMOs, but some of what can be found in the Wilds has me intrigued. For example, I was a shown a small floating village that you can only gain access to by completing a puzzle located below (among other tasks).

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

I don’t want to spoil the new quests for anyone, so I won’t go into much detail. There’s a few new personalities that you’ll run into. Such as Khar, Titan of the Wilds. The writing for these new characters is fantastic and you’ll find yourself loving or hating them (or maybe somewhere in-between). Part of this is because voice-acting has been included on a much larger scale than is usual for Rift.

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

For those who are dedicated ‘Collection Hunters’ you’ll be glad to know that there are around eighty new collections to be completed. Of course, each of these collections will give you a reward for completion. This comes along with over six-thousand hand-placed artifacts. Some of these will be easy to find, but I imagine a decent number will give you a challenge. Rift seems to bring out the ‘achievement hunter’ in all of us, so this is a much welcomed addition to the game.

 

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

Primalist

Primalist is the latest Calling to be found in Rift and it makes use of some interesting mechanics. Probably the most intriguing is the balance between Cunning and Fury. This takes shape within the game as a bar just above your hotbar that will, depending on what abilities you make use of, go back and forth between the Cunning side and the Fury side. Having your bar all the way towards Cunning may produce a different effect from an ability than if it had been more towards Fury. Or maybe you’ve been focusing on using one ability too often and it’s pushed your bar to the Fury side and now you want to make use of an ability that benefits from Cunning. This is a fun bit of juggling that needs to be done to get the most out of your Primalist, and I had a lot of fun with it.

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

The other big thing about the Primalist is your Spirit. You’ve got six choices, ranging from “Titan” which will lean you more towards the tanking style of play and the “Preserver” which will help you be a Healer. In general, these Spirits cover the various archetypes to be found, making the Primalist a very versatile calling. Which is important when you’re dealing with a place like the Planetouched Wilds. The Primalist was born out of necessity so that it could deal with the varying degrees of reality found in the Wilds.

 

RIFT 3.4 Update Preview

Conclusion

Rift Update 3.4 “Into the Wilds” is a huge addition to the game. The Planetouched Wilds are a beautiful and mystical place, filled with wonder and adventure. Plus a heaping dose of artifacts and puzzles. Primalist is the perfect Calling to deal with this new land, able to fill a wide variety of roles. Whether you’re into PVE progression, PVP, collecting, puzzles, or just want to enjoy some interesting stories unfolding with some top-notch voice acting, 3.4 has it all. If you aren’t already playing Rift, you should be. Now is the perfect time to delve back into the game. If you’re already playing, well, this Journey Into the Wilds will help rekindle your fire for the game.

Keep it eye out as there’s some rumblings that we may even see a giveaway for the update later this week!

Dragon’s Prophet (NA) Shutting Down

Dragon's Prophet (NA) Shutting Down news header

Daybreak has announced that it will be shutting down the service for Dragon’s Prophet in North America. Servers will close on November 16, 2015.

As said in the announcement:

We are posting today to inform you that, after careful consideration and review, Runewaker Entertainment and Daybreak Game Company have decided to discontinue operation of Dragon’s Prophet in North America. This shutdown was a very difficult decision for us, but both companies have agreed that this November is the appropriate time to close the North American servers.

We are extremely grateful to all the Dragon’s Prophet community members and appreciate the support we’ve received from each and every one of you. We plan to make additional seasonal content and items available during the final weeks of the game and hope you enjoy them.

The North American servers will be closed on Monday, November 16, 2015, however the game will continue to operate in Europe and Asia under different publishers.

Again, we want to thank each and every one of you for making Dragon’s Prophet’s Auratia both a vibrant and exciting world.

Prices in the cash shop will be lowered during the remaining days of the Dragon’s Prophet servers. It’s also worth noting that there is no support for transferring characters or accounts to other publishers – which means that players in North America will have to start over if they choose to play in another region.