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Runes of Magic Apprentice Crafting Guide

Jan 5, 2009 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

Creating items in-game is an exciting thing to accomplish in an MMO. Oftentimes, the finished product yields a hefty amount of experience and sometimes a profit can be made. This is true of Frogster’s new free-to-play MMO, Runes of Magic. In RoM there are three harvesting skills and six production skills. All skills can be taken beginning at level one, but as you progress through these skills you must choose which ones you’d like to improve.

Currently there are 80 levels for harvesting and crafting. During levels 1-20 you are an apprentice, during 21-40 you are a craftsman, during 41-60 you are an adept (also called a specialist) and during 61-80 you become a master of that profession. All professions can be leveled to 20, but only 6 can enter levels 21-40. Beyond that only three professions can progress through levels 41-60 and only one can become a master skill.

You can access your crafting sheet by pressing “Y.” Here you can see all of your current progress through the levels of harvesting and production.

Harvesting

RoM’s harvesting and production system will be familiar to most gamers. When you first log in, you’re only a few yards away from Pioneer’s Colony. All three harvesting trainers are either in or very close to this town. Alice the herbalism trainer and Wood (wait for it) the woodcutting trainer, are in the town proper. Hansen, the mining trainer, is a few yards away directly west of the Colony. After speaking with these three different trainers, you are ready to harvest.

Nodes spawn all across Taborea and are plentiful for the apprentice level. You can track all nodes on the minimap with a toggle function that is on by default. There are six different types of nodes for each harvesting skill for levels 1-20. They are acquired at level one, eight, eleven, fourteen and twenty. Those marked with an asterisk are rarer spawns and are used less frequently in vendor bought recipes. World drop recipes, uncommon recipes that not everyone will have, usually require one of these rare spawns.

Herbalism

• Mountain Poplar
• Rosemary*
• Wild Berry
• Bison Grass
• Bitterleaf
• Moxa

Woodcutting

• Balsa
• Chime*
• Williow
• Stone Rotan
• Maple
• Oak Mining
• Brass
• Flame Dust*
• Tin
• Cyanide
• Iron
• Copper

Since these are harvested resources you must refine them to use them in production recipes. Refinement takes place at different crafting tables. Herb refinement takes place at the alchemy table, woodcutting at the carpentry table and ore smelting at the blacksmithing table. There are usually two steps to refinement, although the rare type of wood has three steps. For example, you begin with two recipes to refine mountain poplar. After you harvest the resource you can take two mountain poplars and turn them into a mountain poplar bundle. If necessary, you can take six mountain poplar bundles and make them into mountain poplar sap. The sap is usually required for recipes with a higher grade (saps are often used to make green items instead of white).

The two refinements for ore are sand and nugget and the two refinements for wood are timber and lumber. However, the rare spawn of wood, chime, does have a third refinement option. Two chime pieces create one timber and six timber can make one lumber. With six lumber, chime can yield one chime plank. That’s a total of 72 harvested chime pieces to make one chime lumber.

Production

Until you arrive in Logar you can’t pick up any of the production skills, however, all skills are available in Logar. It is the second town you’ll come across in your adventures in RoM and you’ll probably be around level five when you arrive. Since you’re an apprentice you can pick up all the production skills. You might as well if you want to try them all out but be warned, each item you create costs gold. This price increases with the level of the recipe in which you are creating. A portion of this gold may be retrieved if you sell your products to a vendor while leveling a certain skill, but you will still be losing gold for each creation.

You cannot craft anywhere; you will need to be near the appropriate crafting table (sometimes called crafting tools). These tables are marked by a green circle above them with a picture of the production icon in the center.

Recipes for production will also feel familiar to most MMO players. Each recipe will take two refined materials from the different types of resources. For instance, a tailoring recipe called Magical Leggings needs three balsa timber and one mountain poplar bundle to be created. Tailoring recipes take from the wood resource and the herb resource. The world drop of Enhanced Magical Trousers, a green quality recipe, requires three balsa lumber, one mountain poplar sap, one chime timber and Magical Leggings. There we see the use of the rare resource and the second step of refinement. All of the production skills have different combinations of the resources they use. No production skill takes from more than two of the harvestable families.

Production Skill -> Harvestable Family

Alchemy -> ore and herbs
Armor crafting -> ore and herbs
Blacksmithing -> ore and wood
Carpentry -> ore and wood
Cooking -> wood and herbs
Tailoring -> wood and herbs

Alchemy and cooking are two exceptions. While they require materials from two of the harvesting families, they also need supplies from a vendor on all of their recipes. Alchemy uses vials and containers. Cooking uses additional types of food including fish and frog legs among other things. All of these are found at an alchemy or cooking vendor. These vendors are usually next to the crafting tables.

Levels 11-20

Things change slightly once you hit level 11 with any of the production skills. Your harvesting skills remain the same, but the six production skills will now require a production rune for all recipes level 11 and higher. You will begin looting these runes from the beginning so it’s a good idea to hold onto them until you hit 11 with your production skills.

Production Skill -> Production Rune

Alchemy -> Combine
Armor Crafting -> Purify
Blacksmithing -> Frost
Carpentry -> Link
Cooking -> Activate
Tailoring -> Disenchant

Once you’ve leveled something to 20 you will need to complete a quest to continue any further. Remember, you can only take six of these skills into the craftsman level so pick your skills carefully. All of the production skills need two types of the harvestable resources so it’s a good idea to choose at least two gathering skills at this point if not keeping them all. Of course, it’s up to you which ones you choose and since there is an auction house resources will surely be available from other players.

Article By: Pamela Blalock

Avatar Combat Revamp Interview Pirates of the Burning Sea

Dec 30, 2008 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

The imminent launch of Pirates of the Burning Sea’s Avatar Combat Revamp seemed to me to be a good excuse to visit Flying Lab Software in their new digs in downtown Seattle. After a quick tour of the new offices with Community Manager Troy Hewitt and exchanging greetings with many familiar faces, I was seated in CEO Russell “Rusty” Williams’ corner office.

“We’ve had wonderful retention numbers with the free trial,” he said. Pirates of the Burning Sea is Russell Williams’ first MMO and as such, some of the performance metrics expected of an MMOs of this scale are not familiar territory for him. “We asked SoE if we were doing alright and although I can’t mention numbers, it’s far better than SoE had expected.” The number of returning players was also far greater than expected.

Pirates of the Burning Sea was launched on January 22nd of 2008. In less than 3 months after launch, they performed a server merge. Now, less than a year after launch, they are about to revamp the entire avatar combat system. A bold move? Certainly, but let us first go into the history of Avatar Combat in Pirates of the Burning Sea.

The public got their first view of PotBS in May at E3 2005 when MMORPG.com and other MMO sites gave it Best Graphics of show. When I first visited them in February of 2006, PotBS was still being conceived as a “vehicular” game much like EVE Online or Car Wars, but had only just decided to provide avatars and customization thereof in response to feedback. Players of MMO games liked to have avatars they could identify with even if it were just a paper doll. It soon became apparent to the Flying Lab team that Avatars had to be more than just “paper dolls” but had to be an integral part of the game. From there, grew the concept of the personal role-play story lines and avatar combat.

“We’ll launch with Ship Combat followed later by Avatar Combat.” Was still the mantra in early 2007 but soon it became apparent that player expectations were such that they had to push Avatar Combat forward in order to launch with it.

“What do you expect when you think of Pirates?” asked Lead Designer Kevin Maginn who led the Avatar Combat Revamp project, “You think Captain Hook, Bluebeard, Jack Sparrow. You’re thinking of swashbuckling and derring-do. Our ship combat is amazing, but… and there’s that BUT… players wanted and expected avatar combat in a Pirate game.”

Avatar combat was added to the game just about 18 months before launch. Kevin has had this project in his lap since a month after launch and has had the largest team working on avatar combat in the last two months than has ever worked on it. This was ramped up even in the last month with almost everyone in the studio working on it. New hires were also placed under his disposal.

“We finally had the luxury to budget enough time to do it right,” said Kevin. “I’ve even spent additional time on it and moved the launch date back a couple of times.”

Rusty had always been candid with me and he was no less today. “Avatar combat wasn’t where it should be when we launched.” He said.

“It wasn’t fun,” said Misha. “I never knew what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong in the old system.”

“Button spamming was our fault,” added Rusty, “We didn’t get it right and didn’t teach the players right. Those that did get it were true terrors on the high seas but they were far and few between.”

“The old system also made tuning very difficult,” continued Misha, “but we have a new tutorial system and new daily missions to allow players to learn the new system. It’s easier to learn, but not necessarily easier to master.”

“Actually, Misha got good.” Said Kevin. “She never played Avatar combat before in the old system. But she got so good in the new system that she was telling the Mission designers that missions were too simple, where as some of the guys was getting eaten in the play-through.”

So what has changed essentially in the Avatar Combat system?

“We got rid of gimped,” said Rusty with great satisfaction. It was much too easy in the old system, explained Kevin, to create a character that was ineffective. Players had to pick the right combination of skills to make a character that was effective in Avatar Combat. If you missed out on the “verbal tradition” or the spoiler on the forums on the right skills to choose in each school, you could indeed, “spoil” your character.

“My overarching vision for the Avatar Combat can be summed into two words,” said Kevin, “More action.” The original system did not provide a very active combat system and there was no visceral sense of “I hit a button and some bad guy died.” The new system looks impressive. The fight sequences have gotten “cinematic” as the ability to cut through swathes of enemies getting to the big bad guy and then going head to head with him is finally available to the player. Kevin has ramped up the excitement level of Avatar Combat system in PotBS.

In a nutshell, here are the major changes:

Changes to Skills
Skill chains: Skill chains are now much longer and reduced to the three archetypical skills in MMOs – Offense, Defense and Control (healing being a different issue in PotBS)

Kevin has tried to eliminate “fillers’ and has tried to make every skill a powerful, functional skill. Almost all skills are now Area of Effect that may be 90, 180, 270 and even 360 degree cones. Even the first skill you gain is an AE. None of this one-point plinking “basic attack” weak scratch here! Following any skill chain will make an effective character as will mixing and matching the skills. But the final skill can only be gained from one chain. With fewer skills, it was easier to tune each skill and to ensure that any permutation and combination of the skills that a player could choose would make an effective character.

There are also optional skill chains available, apart from the Offense, Defense and Control of each school of fighting, and these are:

Gun skills, which launches at the same time as the revamp. “Point blank” is the first skill available in this chain and is usable in close combat. “Cross shot” is the only AE ranged skill and a grand opening move, I am told, and the final skill of the chain allows you to really “kick butt” with guns as it provides rapid reload and fire.

Brawling is another optional skill chain, and is all about hand to hand combat. This will be available at a later date, and

Supernatural skills is something they are taking a longer look at. No promises at this point in time on how or when this skill chain will be available.

There is an emphasis on skill chain combos with synergies within the skill chain as well as cross synergies within the group. All these will be apparent with the improved UI. Buffs are now more obvious, and every combat school has a few group buffs.

“Buffs aren’t subtle effects anymore. They are more like a punch in the gut,” said Kevin, “The result is that there’s increased interaction between players.”

To ease player acceptance and understanding, Flying Lab has released and will continue releasing articles on their website about the changes to Avatar Combat. It is playable on their test server now, and daily missions in the form of Pit Fights are good training missions. Avatar dueling is also available to players and the cost of respeccing has been reduced drastically, allowing players to try out different builds at low costs.

“We want to make this as painless as possible with the largest possible pay-off,” said Kevin, none of this get back all your skill points with no tips or hints as to what the new skills do.

Other changes in Avatar Combat
Initiative: Initiative is now front loaded. Players start off with full initiative so the fight can be opened with a big flashy move. Some skills require more initiative than others, others boost initiative and initiative will regen during battle.

Balance: Balance has been replaced by Guard. Guard acts like a ship’s armor and is basically your Armor Class in other MMOs. Except that in PoTBS, you don’t have to wear plate to get better AC. Skills and equipment can affect it and it regens over time as well.

“Those are the basic differences in Avatar Combat,” Kevin concluded. “It is different and dramatically so. It is better in every way, and it is the product of a more thoughtful approach, the product of the six to eight months more that the system really needed.”
Software Test Engineer Kate Field ran me through a few missions to show me the new combat system. She was a player before she became an employee at Flying Lab.

“It’s so empowering,” she enthused, “Everything you do, you know what you did.”

“We’ve also revised the entire set of animations,” said Kevin, “The ability to see what you did and what happens provides you instant visceral feedback.”

With the new combat revamp, I was warned that NPCs also do different things now, but with the revised animation set, players will also be able to get quick visual cues of what they are and what they are doing or about to do.

“You’ll be able to see that this guy’s the Brute, that’s the Commander and be able to quickly decide which one you need to address first,” continued Kevin.

The Content Team has also been very pleased with the new Avatar Combat system and have used it extensively for the next story mission, “Black Sails and Dread Saints.” The two story missions currently in game will also receive updates dues to the revamp. This is not just a respeccing of skills for a class or two, but really, a game changing improvement. Every avatar combat mission had to be reworked and retuned, and players will find that boarding and combat on board ship will also be very different.

With this upcoming milestone (M11), Avatar Combat will come into it’s own in PotBS. No longer just a “side-line” item, Avatar Combat will stand proud and equal in importance to Ship Combat and PotBS becomes a dual combat game. By land and by sea, two equally kick-butt combat systems in a single game.

Article By: Carolyn Koh from MMORPG.com

Good Idea, Bad Idea: MMO Games

Dec 28, 2008 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

Welcome to the very first issue of “Good Idea, Bad Idea!” This article series is pretty much self-explanatory. It’s an opinionated discussion of gaming’s good and bad ideas, be it from the past, present or future. There will, of course, be facts presented, just to enlighten the readers about the background of a certain game or system or whatnot.

In this debut issue, we tackle the MMO world’s good and bad ideas for a game. What games should be out there? What games should not be lifted off the drawing board? This article also lists down some “stalemates,” ideas placed in between good and bad, ideas that are neutral because of the balance set by the good and bad reasons.

Please do note that this list is very much limited. Surely, I cannot list all the possible good and bad ideas in one go. You can add your own good and bad ideas related to this topic by posting it as a comment down below.

Before any bashings about this article, the existence of my genitalia, my sexual preference, or the existence of my brain, please read this disclaimer:
Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect that of MMOsite or anyone else’s. This article was written on the viewpoint of the writer alone. The writer is not responsible for any disagreements caused by this article. The article is subject to change without further notice (due to correction in facts or evidence). However, no changes will be made in yielding to another person’s opinion.

In short: This is my article, this is my opinion. Your attempts to change my opinion will be futile. You may concur or disagree with the content, you may voice it out, but it ends there.

Now on with the article!

Good Idea: Pokemon / Digimon Online

This is in relation to Shin Megami Tensei’s online game. Pet raising is quite a challenge and a worthy addition to any MMORPG. So why not have an online game geared for the younger audiences? Pokemon and Digimon do have the qualifications for an ideally successful online game. It has an extensive list of pet/monster species. The setting of the game is vast. The plot is open-ended. It can feature PvP (Pet versus Pet) battles, and tournaments can be aplenty.

Bad Idea: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children Online

To enlighten everyone, Devil Children is the child-friendly demon-raising game of Atlus. It was released in Japan only for the Game Boy Color and was also remade for the Playstation 1. The game features the same (or even more) amount of demons found in MegaTen Online, with the difference of having the game character as a child (about 10 years old perhaps). It can be at par with Pokemon or Digimon, if not better. But what made it bad? Let’s just say educating children about demons, the occult and the complexities of the topic are inappropriate for their age.

Good Idea: Dune Online

The bestselling Dune book series written by Frank Herbert in 1965 has spun-off in to a movie trilogy of the same name and a series of PC games. Although most of the PC games garnered generally scathing reviews due to its gameplay, it still gained cult status amongst fans and newbies alike. The Dune lore has an extensive story, even bigger than Lord of the Rings. It has numerous political plot twists, and the setting spans different planets, run by characters of different races. This title can be one solid MMO game, of an RPG or RTS genre, and could make it as a sleeper hit or one of the top contenders.

Really Bad Idea: Twilight… Online?!

Mass media has been virally advertising the Twilight series around for quite some time now. The teeny-bopper movie (with vampires thrown in for the heck of it), based on the first book, has also garnered immense success. The book may be fit for the big screen, but having a virtual world filled with sparkly vampires, narcissistic necrophiliac women, stalker-type werewolves, and a marred story due to gaping plotholes? It doesn’t seem like a good idea. We’ve had enough of “Edward” and “Bella” wannabes. They’re already walking around in other MMO games.

Good Idea: Wizard 101

Wizard 101 is another game geared for the kids (and kids-at-heart too). The game is very casual, the story is easy to digest, and the general ambience is both relaxing and exciting. Wizard 101 used the wizardry and magic fame from Harry Potter and related books as their stepping stone, thus garnering interest from families and the younger audience. Their only flaw is the subscription option…
 
Stalemate: Harry Potter Online

Just the same as the Twilight fame, Harry Potter has earned a place in the bad idea limelight. The movies, books, console games and other merchandise are enough. The gaping plotholes and Harry/Ron/Hermione/Luna/Snape-wannabes would only add more insult to injury. But, balanced by these, the Harry Potter world has features that can be possible in an MMO, like the Quidditch games, wizard sparring sessions (in the form of PvP), and possibly a long list of wizard skills.

Another Stalemate: Wizardry game series, online version

The Wizardry series has been a popular dungeon-crawling RPG since the 1980’s. It has 9 games in the series, numerous spin-offs, and has inspired other developers to create games with the similar look and feel of the series. Balancing out this idea are the aspects of a heavy grind, stereotypical races and jobs, and plot similar to Lord of the Rings or related fantasy titles.

Bad Idea: Wizards of Waverly Place… Online

I admit Selena Gomez and Jennifer Stone are cute. But those are the only reasons for a guy to watch this series with the children. An online version won’t help at all.

Good Idea: Halo / Half-Life/Doom Online

I think we’re having a lack of futuristic action FPS games that don’t heavily rely on PvP or deathmatches. Half-life and Doom’s high-tech-facility-crawling escapades and Halo’s planet-side journeys are appropriate settings for an MMOFPS, with the deathmatch feature just an optional part of the game.

Bad Idea: Duck Hunt

Hunting ducks… online? ‘Nuff said.

Good Idea: Final Fantasy VIII

The SeeDs could possibly return for an online spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy game. This game’s online version can feature Garden-versus-Garden battles and tournaments, vast dungeons, different classes from the Final Fantasy fame, and huge maps from different timelines.

Stalemate: Final Fantasy VII

There’s no stopping Cloud and Sephiroth’s celebrity status, especially when Square Enix continues to bank on the success of the Final Fantasy VII story, having spin-offs, prequels and sequels under the game. An online version can offer the same complex materia system, faction-versus-faction battles between SOLDIER, Turks, DeepGround, and Wutai rebels, and epic event-only boss battles of the Weapons (Emerald and Ruby to name a few). Stalemating this idea is the thought of Square Enix using this game title as their cash cow. Square’s pushing the idea too much.

Bad Idea: Kingdom Hearts Online

The Kingdom Hearts franchise might have been a huge success in the past years, but considering the idea of an online version is still too farfetched. The persistent world of Kingdom Hearts is still too small for millions of players to explore. Job classes are still pretty much limited and imbalanced in favor of the melee-type Keyblade wielder (which becomes a magic caster and summoner too, on different occasions).

Good Idea: Suikoden Online

The idea of gathering 108 heroes opens new doors to online gameplay. Numerous combos, hundreds of different possible teams to choose from, and hours of play can make this Konami game into an online possibility.

Bad Idea: Silent Hill’s Online Version

Here’s another game that simply cannot transition to the online world. Konami’s Silent Hill focuses more on the stories of the character’s psyche. The story and the setting are aspects too “small” for use in an online game.  

Another Bad Idea: Resident Evil Online

Since we’ve tackled the area of survival horror genre, another successful franchise is Capcom’s Resident Evil. Puzzle-solving and zombie-killing is Resident Evil’s forte, but a shift to an online version can turn this game into a boring romp. An online game of tirelessly fighting endless numbers of zombies surely tests your patience. Survival horror genres are stories with closure, something that online games do not usually have.
 

Good Idea: Super Smash Bros. Online

We’re looking at a Grand Chase/ Rumble Fighter contender. The Smash Bros. series is still one of the most exciting console fighting games around, and an online version is no different. This game can be played casually as a stress-reliever, or seriously if you’re one of the gamers looking to open a can o’ whoopass.

Bad Idea: Guilty Gear’s online version

The limited number of characters (lesser than the Street Fighter series), severely imbalanced characters, and the presence of “Destroyer” moves (1-hit KO moves) are reasons to shelf this game as an online venture. It’s better off as a console game instead.

Another Bad Idea: WWE, TNA or any professional wrestling entertainment titles

The wrestling shows and the console games have attracted both young and old. The create-a-wrestler feature showcases very limited options, and pay-per-view events are scheduled on a limited “monthly” basis. An online version may still present this limitation, along with limited move choices and the slim chance of making it big in the main events. Let’s keep fake wrestling in the confines of our television instead.
 

And that ends our long list of good and bad ideas. This list goes to show that not all games or books or other related media can be transitioned into online games. There are other ideas out there related to this topic. You may post your ideas in the comments section.

Have fun gaming and Happy Holidays!

Discovery Online Interview

Dec 24, 2008 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

Date: 12-15-2008

KeyWord: Discovery Online,interview,Jango Game

Summary: More than a simple pirate game, Discovery Online is a sea-voyaging and trading game that encourages the player to be his most creative. The game’s potential for narration motivates the player to create his legend and to tell his epic story. More than a simple pirate game, Discovery Online is a sea-voyaging and trading game that encourages the player to be his most creative. The game’s potential for narration motivates the player to create his legend and to tell his epic story.

Zac: Hello, I am Zac, Community Manager, For Jango Game. I have been working for Jango Game since October 2008 and I’ve been a gamer since I picked up my first ZX (I still have it too!) when I was nine. Cedric, our CEO, created this company with an Idea in mind, which has become our mantra: “the hart of any Jango Game equation is the player.” He also decided to operate games using the “Free to Play” model with a twist: Free to play is no excuse for poor quality games!

OK, let’s talk something about Discovery Online. First, as an introductory overview, how do you describe Discovery Online to those who are unfamiliar with this game? And some core concept of the game?

Zac: Discovery Online is a seafaring Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game; it takes place in the world of the 15-18th centuries, a time of pirates and privateers, when trade and naval battle are reigning. But this game is not about History, it is about all of us rewriting it in a mediaeval fantasy environment!

Discovery Online is also based on city management, commerce, exploration and naval battles. A commercial guild can gain control of a city and manage it, discover a world of trade, or fight with pirates in a dynamic combat system.

Compared with other seafaring games, what kinds of innovations and unique features do you have in Discovery Online?

Zac: Discovery Online has a unique combat system which requires maneuverability, timing, precision and competence skills. Strategy is key.

For a free to play game, Discovery Online has the graphical quality of today’s most popular online games. The seas are amazing. The cities’ atmosphere stays true to this era.

A unique system of city takeover combines naval battles and financial and commodities investments.

The game’s trading system allows players to level up and gain experience. Trading plays an important role in the city’s evolution.

The player can choose to be a trader, a warrior, an explorer or all three.

As a navigation-themed online game, sea battle is essential in Discovery Online. What kind of combat system will be available? And how will the PvP system look like?

Zac: As we said, the combat system is unique: you must aim for the target and anticipate its next move while you are adjusting your cannons and steering your ship to avoid the enemy strikes. This combat system can appear very complex at first glance, however it is actually easy to learn and use. It is dynamic and varied enough to keep the more demanding gamer occupied. With a good strategy you can win the combat even if you are weaker than the enemy. About the PVP system, The GVG wars during city sieges are staged outside the city in question. Also, you can partake in some PVP during exploration: you can then decide to switch between passive mode or PVP mode. Then, you can kill other players who are in PVP mode only.

How players get their ships? So far, how many different kinds of ships to choose from?

Zac: The players begin with a small boat. They can buy a better ship from a NPC, or they can upgrade parts of their ships. There are 3 sizes of vessels: a boat, a small ship or a large ship. But the vessel’s features change: for example, a boat is faster than a ship but ships can have more cannons. The vessels can be upgraded by changing parts such as sail, hull, boat deck, rudder and bow. The choice of vessel is important depending on your character’s path.

Trade system plays an important role in most seafaring MMOs. So what kind of player economy can we expect to see in Discovery Online? And how will it work?

Zac: Trade system in Discovery is simple and complex, I’ll explain: it will be simple for most players because they can buy commodities in cities and then go to other cities to sell them. “You buy, you sell”. The value of commodities varies from one place to another and the system shows the player if he can make a profit or endure a loss. Thus, the players can seek the best value for their commodities. As some commodities are produced in various parts of the world, it is necessary for the players to seek the best opportunities and sometimes sail far to make the best sale.

Zac: Indeed it’s big feature. At the beginning of the game, you have to invest money into city development. When the city has received enough investments, the three guilds which have provided the most investments can manage the city. At this time, if other guilds want to invade the city, they have to declare war, and then siege the city in a naval battle in front of it. It is important to say that this is a battle between two guilds, one attacking and one defending. If the assailant wins, it takes the place of the defeated guild.

The benefit of managing a city consists of deciding tax and commodity prices. The three guilds receive a percentage of the taxes that are collected. Moreover, the players of these guilds have access to special equipment specific to that city. City management is an essential feature in Discovery Online.

Zac: At the beginning, you can choose all skill specifications. During your evolution, you can switch your way of playing and choose your preference: trader or warrior. It is a cocktail of features that makes the true difference between Discovery Online and other games. You can fight, trade, explore, you can play with others and manage a city, you can play solo and become a great trader, you can become a master of war strategies, or keep your trading secrets to amass your own fortune; all of this in a unique and amazing graphic environment.

Discovery Online is only at the dawn of its time; we have planned a lot of content extensions with the developers, and are very enthusiastic to begin this experience with the players.

Can you give us a rough schedule for its closed beta, open beta and official launch? Zac: Closed Beta Test = Late December 2008 Open Beta Test = January 2009 Official launch = Late January 2009 The game will be available free for all the players. Why do you believe it’s the best choice for Discovery Online? Zac: We selected this game for its innovative and valuable gaming features and it’s amazing environment and wish to make it accessible to the greatest number of players. We think the “free to play” model has lots to bring to the gaming world, under the condition that games do not become just “another advertising or marketing alibi”. To conclude, is there anything else about Discovery Online you want to note for our readers? Zac: Come and play, join the fun, try it out and see for yourself.

Top 10 Overused Game Story Lines

Dec 24, 2008 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

The IGN PlayStation Team has some thoughts up over at IGN on game design. A considerable amount of games’ background and story line are likely to be similar. Which story is most overused? Read it. The article is a very insightful article about game story lines and really interesting.

If you stop to consider just how many games have been released over the years, you can imagine that some plot devices have been used more often than others, while some have become staples for the medium. Then, of course, there are others that are used so much you know them by heart. We’ve assembled a list of the most overused plot devices that developers might want to start steering away from, if they truly want to innovate the industry. As much as we love saving the world, there are only so many apocalypses a gamer can take.

Top 10: Secret Organizations Plotting Conspiracies, Possibly Relating to World Domination
Bearded Man in Dark Coat: They had it planned all along, David. They were playing you from the very beginning and now you’ve stepped right into their snare.

We’ve all seen it before: everything seems to be normal at first glance, but pretty soon dad’s software company starts acting fishy, or the city’s pharmaceutical conglomerate makes strange moves in the stock market. There’s always a subtle indication that something isn’t right, and the quiet foreshadowing always explodes into world-wide conspiracy. We’ve played way too many games where you’re fighting against not just one enemy, but a whole skyscraper of enemies. Who would’ve thought that a bunch of senile, graying businessmen could so effectively plot for world domination?

Top 9: Uncovering Long Lost Remnant of Something
Excitable Girl Carrying Cuddly Creature: Look, Aria, look! There’s something glowing in the ground… This must be what Father Darathor was talking about! This is our key to saving the village from the Shadow Spawn.

How many times have you been out walking with your childhood friend when you stumble upon something jutting out of the ground? How lucky are you that such a trivial piece of metal is actually the last surviving piece of technology that a long-lost race used a thousand years ago to battle a demon army? We love ancient civilizations just as much as the next gamer, but sometimes hunting down a nameless artifact can be a real drag. It’s also a breeding ground for fetch quests.

Top 8: Fulfilling a Prophecy
Wrinkled Elder with Elaborate Walking Stick: It was long foretold, by the stars and winds, that a hero would come. In a time most desperate, He would fulfill the words set in stone by the Seventh King and vanquish the plight of the land in a cacophony of light.

If we had a quarter for every videogame prophecy we fulfilled, we totally wouldn’t need a job anymore. It seems like almost every orphan in an RPG is destined to become the game’s hero, which is certainly a positive view of orphaned children. But we’d be more interested in seeing a game were the main character must fulfill a prophecy in order to accomplish something terribly mundane. That would be pretty sweet.

Top 7: Killing the Aliens
Absurdly Ripped Military Officer with Torn Shirt: Those green bastards may have wiped out our homes, but they can never wipe out our hearts!

We can only hope that, if intelligent life is out there, it isn’t coming to kick our collective ass. In the world of videogames, aliens are always coming to destroy the Earth and it can be a little exhausting after a while. Their superior technology and intellect usually puts us at a disadvantage, but the indomitable power of the human will seems to come through more often than not. But why can’t we be the invading (or even just exploring) force once in a while?

To 6: Unlocking One’s Hidden True Powers, A.K.A. the Chosen One
Lanky Youth with Bright Eyes, Wearing Family Heirloom: I can feel it! The power’s echoing out inside me… My entire life has just been a prelude to this one defining moment.

The Chosen One device corresponds closely with prophecy fulfillment, but we think it needs its own category due to the sheer number of times a seemingly ordinary boy or girl has become a creature of mind-bending power. This device, while overused, is certainly effective. It plays into our desires for wanting to be special and to have a real purpose in life, but it’s becoming so common that the special feeling you’re supposed to have is just turning into d?j? vu. Perhaps developers could put a twist on the setup by making you well-aware of your powers from the start? Then again, that’s just what a super hero is…

Top 5: Accidentally Unleashing a Terrible Evil
Unrealistcally Busty Teenage Girl: What are you, crazy!? We’re all dead! This is your problem now and — damn it — you’re gonna’ fix it!

When playing a videogame, there’s quite a few things you need to worry about. There’s scheming villains, dangerous gangsters and even a monster or two — given the right context. But then, there’s always the chance you’ll accidentally open up a portal to the Netherworld and completely ruin what could have been a particularly pleasant day. Even though such a tragedy would sour anyone’s mood, at least you’re usually in the company of an attractive group of young people who are trying their hardest to fix it.

Top 4: Must Seek Revenge

Agnsty Delinquent: It’s not just my mother. He killed my sister. And baby brother. He killed them all. And I won’t rest until this bullet is lodged comfortably in his right temple.

If you’re playing a serious game, you’re bound to see someone you love get killed — in the game, of course. Maybe your closest friend betrayed you and kidnapped your beloved puppy, or a dark clan of ninjas assassinated your parents. Either way, the entire game is spent playing a main character hell bent on revenge and that scene can get a little old. Don’t misunderstand: we’re terribly sorry you walked into a room filled to the brim with dismembered relatives, but let’s throw some creative twists into the mix.

 Top 3:World War II

Grizzled Captain Sporting Partially Bloody, Dirt-Stained Face: Johnson! Get yer ass back on the line! I swear if you don’t load up and hull out, I’ll have yer head! You hear me?!

Ah yes. World War II. This terrible mark on human history has been the host of countless first-person shooters, all of which have started to blend together over time. No matter how incredible the sound effects or intense the explosions, retelling the same war a hundred times can start to wear on you. Then again, a hefty number of people still love WWII games, so there’s undoubtedly plenty more around the bend. You know what developers should do? Combine World War II with vampires! And werewolves! Oh wait, that’s been done.

Top 2:Main Character with Amnesia

Androgynous, Spiky Haired Beauty: Shut up, don’t talk to me like you know me. You don’t understand me — no one can. Because I don’t understand myself.

There is almost no plot device used more than amnesia. As much as we love Japanese RPGs, the grand majority of them feature at least one character (usually a main character) with a troubled or forgotten past. In fact, “amnesia” is usually found as a featured item on the back of the box! Well, that’s not true. But we wonder just how many games out there promote such rampant forgetfulness? We can almost assuredly count every Final Fantasy game, but that’s just the tip of this hazy iceberg.

Top 1:World Ending

Narrator: Game over. You lose.

The world has some serious issues. After our incredibly accurate scientific tests, we’ve concluded that 99.987 percent of games made for all platforms involve — in some way or another — the end of the world. This plot device often encompasses all the above devices, but it clearly stands out as the most overused in the business. Why can’t the world take better care of itself? The world may never know.

And there you have it. The ten most overused plot devices. As much as we’d love to see some original storylines thrown into the mix, we’ll be the first to admit that these devices often make for very cool plots and exciting situations. We wouldn’t wish away these trademarks of the industry, but we encourage developers to try new things. After all, how many worlds have to explode just to satisfy the 18-34 year-old male demographic? Let’s all just go out and watch a movie, instead. Movies never use plot devices.

News Original From: IGN

Review: Runescape

Dec 23, 2008 runescape Leave a comment

After more than 7 years, Jagex still gets things right.

Runescape

One of the highly-populated, highly-immersive MMORPG games to date, Runescape, still never ceases to amaze even after so many years. The game is expansive, stimulating, and addicting. It’s seriously one of the best games I have ever played.

Forsooth, brilliance is thine!
Runescape does what every amazing game should do: iron out bugs and glitches, smoothen the gameplay and graphics, while continually offering new content to improve the already incredible game. And to think this masterpiece is actually browser-based.

For players of Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, Runescape would feel very familiar – point-and-click gameplay, the default isometric view, numerous different locales, and dozens of hours of gameplay. Then, you’ll reconsider the thought… Runescape isn’t as similar as these games! Runescape is an entirely different gaming universe! Within the first few minutes (or hours), you’ll find that this game stands tall on it own as a fun MMO with an amazing story and unique gameplay. 

Runescape partly has the looks of a typical MMORPG. Aside from the usual MMO standards like item and party system, the story also starts out as your usual “makings-of-a-hero” fate. You set off as a lowly peasant, a new hero-in-the-works, swamped by mundane quests from the local townspeople. It isn’t until you’ve achieved higher levels and explored much of the world that you are forced into that epic medieval war of good versus evil. The lore is actually the common fantasy-medieval plot device that spans a number of historic annals, much like Tolkien’s work. But like every great MMO, Runescape displays an amazing sense of timing, slowly building you up for greater battles.

Swimming in Runes
Runescape’s real forte is in its character development. Your character is, for the most part of your medieval life, unique in terms of build and skill usage. You can be anything you want to be – a spellcaster, a swashbuckler, a cook… or a spellcasting swashbuckling mining blacksmith chef! Kidding aside, you gain experience for every action you do. The game gives you all the skills you need to survive, such as cooking, mining, smithing, melee attacking, and spellcasting to name a few. The harder you train for a certain skill, the higher level you will gain. Higher skill levels mean having stronger attacks, or creating the most profitable items. Best of all, the players are allowed to maximize each skill to its highest level potential. Not only will you eventually be a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of everything. These skills give you a sense of realism on surviving in the medieval world. It allows you to interact with the environment, making the world a dynamic area to explore and take advantage of. Of course, these skills are not without tutors to teach you. Every new player starts in “Tutorial Island” to teach the most basic skills. Other tutors can be found around the Runescape world.
 

And what better way to utilize these skills than in quests? Runescape has hundreds of quests to choose from. All of these quests reap the best rewards and a great deal of experience points for the skills you used. Although these quests have the same formula of killing monsters, gathering items, and talking to NPCs, they actually encourage you to think and use many of your skills, not just opt for brute force. If your thinking cap isn’t working as it should, Runescape’s site has a quest helper that will gradually give you hints and solutions. It doesn’t air out the answers in one go; it still leaves you to find the answers with their hints.

In some instances, minigames and random events also break up the monotony of gameplay. These recurring events add variety to your usual questing and grinding. The random events are… well… random. They just pop out of nowhere during your travels, give you a laughable or a daunting task, and perhaps, won’t let you go until you’re done. This feature thankfully weeds out those nasty bots and cheaters out there. For some people, complying isn’t really their cup of tea, especially since the random event feels a bit “forced.” Then perhaps, the minigames would prove diverting to you? Many of the minigames are actually entertaining, and you’ll find yourself deep into the heart of it. You might be equally divided when deciding to take a quest or a minigame next. This makes it an impressive combination that manages to accommodate both the serious and casual gamers alike.
 

Another flagon for the heroes!
The Grand Exchange showcases a surprising aspect of Runescape. It provides the world with an actually-working stable economy, under a strictly-monitored market. It’s not your typical auction house. The items you buy or sell in the Grand Exchange are justifiably priced depending on the market’s supply and demand. The Grand Exchange, and other personal marketing efforts, has limitations that prevent suspected real-money traders from exploiting goods. A good example of this is the waiting time to resell an item after it has been bought from the exchange. There have been mixed thoughts about the Grand Exchange and the ways of the trade in Runescape, but this great effort in continually shaping the market makes the game having possibly one of the most stable virtual economies.

Naturally, a good market comes from the many sellers and buyers running around it. One of the ideal ways to gather your goods is through combat. Like every MMORPGs, combat is certainly a large part of the game. You would be fighting as much as any other hack-and-slash games. Though the frequency of combat is similar, the strategy style is different. You have a variety of attacks to choose from. Melee combat has its different lunges and hacks, ranged combat shows various ways to let fly your arrows, and different spells are within immediate reach. Each type of attack gains you experience, allowing you to master your own fighting style and technique. Impatient players may get more frustrated, though. Much like the past console RPGs (and maybe like the present MMORPGs too), there’s a lot of romp and ritual during combat. Click here, click there, switch menu windows from melee to magic, and wait for the inevitable casting animation to finish – these are just a few of what to expect during grinding. Combat takes patience, since the game really plays at a slow pace.

During combat and throughout your medieval life, death is always looming over your shadow. Runescape treats dying as more than a mere inconvenience. If you die, your character drops all, but the three most expensive, items in your inventory and equip window. You can reclaim your items from the spot where you died, if you’re fast enough. Or you can have your friends grab it for you if you’re in a party. If left untouched, the dropped items despawn.

“Ye

“Ye Olde Tavern”
It’s a shame that the graphics aren’t commensurate with the rest of the game. The character models and the environments look boxy, similar to the games dating back to the first generation Playstation era. There are limits to being a browser-based game, and this is one example. For Runescape, graphics do not a game make. The music and sound effects are definitely much better. The music changes in different parts of the map, matching the mood and culture of the location you’re currently in. Sound effects and ambient noises happen in logical places, like splashing sounds created by a nearby water source or rustling leaves in a forest.

Bag of gold coins
Despite the dragging gameplay and dated graphics, Runescape is clearly an excellent game. It has a typical yet interesting story line, excellent character development and numerous quests. This is definitely one substantial MMORPG that tells us why we were gamers in the first place. And all of these are in the confines of your own web browser.

I hope the taverns are still open…

Ragnarok Online 2: The Gate of the World

Dec 23, 2008 RF online Leave a comment

“Will the younger brother can make a big success like its big bro?”

Well well, after a big success in Ragnarok (iRo - now has come to episode 11.3), Ragnarok 2 – Gate of the World has been release. Even though there’s still have many error and bug (especially for Vista), a lot of fans still join and support iRo’s younger brother. Base on Norse Mythology, better music and especially, 2D graphic has changed to 3D, hopefully these big improvement will bring a better result than its Big brother iRO.

General features:

Ragnarok Online 2 improves on many of the original’s features as well as adding quite a few of its own. Below are notable new features or changes that will be seen in Rok2. Larger features are described in detail. Not all game features have been announced yet.

• Full 3D graphics, while retaining the “original manhwa style” of Ragnarok Online.
• Real Emotion Expression, allowing player avatars to show and express realistic emotions. This will replace the “bubble emotes” from the original.
• Anti-Theft Mob System, which gives benefits to a victim of kill-stealing instead of penalizing the offender.
• Safe Trade System, which enables two ways of trade. The first option requires an item from both parties (or Zeny) and the second option allows the trade of an item or amount of Zeny without having to receive something in return.
• Killing one strong creature has been redesigned to be far more effective than killing multiple weaker enemies. Grouping has also been made far more beneficial to those in the group.
• Loot collection has been changed to a “loot the body” system. Instead of making dropped items fall onto the ground, the player must select the fallen enemy’s corpse and retrieve the items.
• Jumping and swimming have been implemented.
• There will be a day and night cycle.
• Besides day and night cycle, weather effects such as rain is available. It is possible that in the future there will be snow effects for Christmas festival.

Races and Classes:

Another improvement for the class system, beside human (Norman race), there will be another races in game for the sake of players. More races mean for class, even though at this time, only the classes for the Norman race have been announced. The information about the other class still is a secret. As the announced has been given, the classes in Rok2 if based from iRO as a basis for determining the main purpose of the new classes. That mean those class below are not the maximum amount for Norman, there’s maybe more, maybe secrets are waiting to be revealed.

“Will this be a new class in Rok2?”   

Novice:

Same as iRO, this is the starting class for all Norman players. Give them a change to get used to the game, and then advance to a higher class. Basically, don’t expect too much in this class, this is the first step for you to discover a bigger World later on, therefore it’s pretty weak. After level 10, you can improve to a higher class.

Swordsman:

Frontlines soldier, a real tanker on the battlefield. With a high melee combat skill as well as defence skill, the Swordsman easily deals with higher level monster thanks to his amount of HP. Beside focus the main attack skill on one target, Aoe skill as well as range skill help swordsman can solo anywhere without a party. About the advance jobs for Swordsman, it’s still an unknown. Hopefully, as iRO, there will be another two class, one for damage dealer and another for a tanker’s path.

Recruit:

Long range attack master, the replacement of Archer in iRO. Unlike Archer using Bow, with a Damp Rifle (that makes it more like a Gunslinger), a Recruit can show their ability in both melee or range skill. The advance jobs of Recruit hasn’t been release either, in iRO, Hunter and Bard/Dancer are advanced from Archer, there’s still no information about Hunter class yet, but Bard/Dancer ability has been transfer to a new class in Rok2: Clown.

Clown:

Buff/Debuff expert. Standing alongside with Archer, that makes a huge line support for a team. Increasing stat, healing as well as using poison, a Clown can lead their team to success in PvE and even in PvP.

Thief:

As you can say, this is the most famous class used to be in iRO. In Rok2, the ability of a Thief has been increased, faster, soundless step as well as the ability to confuse enemy, Thief class can easily causing a big mayhem to disorder for a change to attack or escape. Weak as long rang attack, lacking defence ability like Swordsman, but thanks to their high Agility, that makes them become a hard target. The advance jobs for Thief, let’s hope and pray that they will bring back Assassin and Rouge :D

Enchanter: 

Another support type and this time is a real Healer. With a high healing skill and resurrect ability to bring back life. The other class can rush to the enemy without any worrying about themselves. Even though Enchanter has some holy spell to attack, this is not a damage deal class, they was born to be a Buffer. Therefore a party is the first requirement for this job. Player also wanted to bring back Priest and Monk. Priest will decrease a gap in support line when Monk can help frontlines with their magnificent melee combat skills.

Stat:

The statistics in RO2 vary significantly from the original system. When a player levels up their base level, they are given several points to increase stats of their choosing.

• STR, or Strength: Increase Melee Physical Max Damage and Melee Physical Defense.
• DEX, or Dexterity: Increase Melee Physical CRIT Chance and Melee Physical Dodge.
• CON, or Concentration: Increase Melee Physical HIT Chance, Increase Magic HIT Chance, Ranged Max Damage, and Ranged Physical CRIT Chance.
• INT, or Intelligence: Increase Ranged Physical HIT Chance, Magic Max Damage, and Magic Defense.

There is a 5th stat that can only be increased by equipment or skills.

• LUK, or Luck: Increase Melee Physical Dodge, Ranged Physical Dodge, and Magic Dodge.

System requirements

Signature: ZhaiChen - I wrote this (80%)

Top Ten Best and Worst MMO Games of 2008

Dec 23, 2008 Articles Recommend Leave a comment

9Dragons Review

Dec 23, 2008 9Dragons Leave a comment

NOTE: I would like to have spent more time on this review, but I didn’t have much time for it. I might make changes to it later, but most likely not. I would like to make another review before the end of the year as I have been rather inactive as of late. Several key features are left out unmentioned such as the tutorial system or the hero arena.

9Dragons is an MMORPG designed by Indy21 and published by Acclaim for western audiences in the US and EU. It is infamous for being very grindy and having numerous issues including slow updates because of Indy21 and lack of update information. It has enough to make it stand out from the other eastern style MMOs and have spawned some copies such as Twelve Sky.

Story:

The history and prologue to the game is posted on the website. The story in game follows your character’s rise in the world of kung fu by joining a clan and becoming a prominent member of your clan while trying to discover the whereabouts of your clan’s dragon and their fate at the duel of the nine dragons. Most of these involve you running circles and running errands.

Graphics:

The graphics is probably the most impressive part of 9Dragons. There are limited choices in hair styles, faces, and clothing. Your hair style and color changes according to what equipment you have. Most people will be wearing similar clothes but some people will choose various decorative outfits to try to make them look a bit different. You will see clones. There are many mobs that recycle models. The character models are fairly detailed and the bloom and skill effects match up nicely. The item mall also provides a few different looks but you rent them for 30 days at a time.

Gameplay:

There is no keyboard move function. Get over it. WASD is only good in FPS games and are usually poorly done in non real time action games which is pretty much almost every MMO.

Character creation has a few limited choices. You can choose between about 20 hair styles. In reality, its actually about 7 hair styles with 3 different hair colors. You get to distribute stat points amount the 5 different stats. All of it must be distributed to create your character. Only males can join Shaolin and only females can join Sacred Flower. Your starting location does not really matter since you can just walk over to another clan base and join their clan instead. The clan you join will determine which weapons you can use. Each clan has 4 roles. Warriors, healers, nukers, and hybrids. They all have different names but pretty much play the same.

Warriors specialize in close combat, but they do have a few ranged skills. Healers are primarily support types but they have very useful stat buffs that can add many points to a player’s stats. Nukers are long ranged fighters and have some defensive abilities as well but are very poor in close combat but not completely defenseless. Hybrids are a mix of the existing classes with a few skills from each class slapped together but lack the potential of the other classes.

At the beginning you have the option of playing a fairly well done tutorial with a voiced NPC guiding you. The only problem is that part of the tutorial is bugged so you have to skip that part of the starting quest. It teaches you most of the game’s features and allows you to choose your destination after.

You will spend most of your time in the game grinding to the next level. This game is very grind intensive. Quests are present but rarely provide more than a 10% boost towards your next level. In many cases, it provides much less than that. If you don’t have friends to play with or meet new people in game, it can get boring fast. In order for a player to reach level 120, which is pretty much the halfway point of the game, a player who plays for a fair amount of time each day would spend about half a year to reach that level.

The game uses a rather weird leveling system. Every 12 levels you have to play a short mouse minigame called chi breathing to advance to the next set of 12 levels. For normal levels you get 4 stat points and 1 mastery point. For every chi breathing level you get 6 stat points and 3 mastery points. It takes a very long time to get somewhere in the game. For example, the first instance dungeon you cannot do until you have a party of 3 at around level 70. It takes around 2 weeks of serious playing for someone to reach that level.

Each character has 5 stats. These stats are strength, essence, wisdom, constitution, and dexterity. Strength increases damage and defense. Essence increases chi kung (magic) damage and maximum vital energy (mp). Wisdom increases chi kung damage based on the level of the skill and chi kung accuracy and dodge rates as well. Constitution increases max hp (defense in some versions too). Dexterity increases hit rate, dodge rate, and critical rates. Stats cap at 250 before your clan’s 2^nd role change and the 2^nd role change increases max stats to 300.

Mastery points become more prominent after the 2^nd role change. Mastery points give you some bonuses. Each character will master at least 1 weapon with an added effect such as critical or hit rates. Elemental attributes called yin, yang, body, and soul are also more important with masteries. Each clan also gets a unique clan skill that they can use at timed intervals. Once a player completes their 2^nd role change, they get some choices between boosts between various skills for their class and passive abilities based on their clan. They provide very good boosts to stats and become important at higher levels. By completing the 2^nd role change, players can also use tomes that boost the max level of their skills up to level 12.

There are 4 instance dungeons in the game right now. These are the Choice of Fate (for players around lvl 70), the Judgement of Hell (for players around lvl 90), the Vault of Death (for players around lvl 115), the Vault of Double Dragons (for players around lvl 140), and one that is not in the US/EU version yet (for players around lvl 180). The first two are very similar just one has higher level enemies and provides lvl 3 elixirs in place of lvl 2 elixirs. The Vault of Death is divided into white clan (Silver Coin Mansion) and black clan (Wild Tower) dungeons. Each provides some decent equipment for players who are lvl 60+. The Vault of Double Dragons is also divided into Golden Coin Mansion and Beast Tower. The higher level dungeons provide lvl 5 and lvl 6 elixirs which are very rare and costly and contain many more treasures than the lower level dungeons. However, many of these bosses resort to using paralyze, bleed, and full debuff rather than using different tactics to pressure the players. Players are more likely to be killed from bleed damage combined with debuffs that cancel heals than to actually be killed by bosses.

The targetting system has some major issues. If players are standing in certain area, die in certain spots, or die on an uneven field, the game will determine that the target is in an area where an object is blocking the players. This results in the inability to help certain players who may have died and needed to be ressurected.

Two major PvP competitions are Black vs White and Storm vs Storm. Black vs White occurs once a week and the black clans fight the white clans for the opportunity to fight True General Wei at the bottom of the Cave of Conquerors for great rewards. The problem with this is that there are many players who wait for the high level players to kill True General Wei then break the jars in the room and loot them while contributing relatively nothing to the fight. True General Wei drops some very nice items though. Storm vs Storm is a competition that occurs about every 2 weeks. Players sign up to compete for a castle. The castle is protected by NPCs and the defending alliance of guilds if there is one. There is an exploit issue where players sign up with their alliance and never show up to the fight in order to prevent invaders from signing up since there is a limit.

Guilds (Hero Bands/Leagues):

Guilds (Hero Bands) are relatively unimportant in 9Dragons. They are very limited. You can only recruit up to 40 players who are in the same clan as you. The leaders of Hero Bands from the same side (either all white or all black clans) can unite and form a Hero League which is similar to an alliance. Outside of Storm vs Storm, they serve relatively little purpose. It provides an easier means of communication and organization. Members of the same hero league cannot fight each other in open PvP.

Balancing Issues:

PvP has serious balancing issues. In the old versions, high level mage types had a huge advantage. Warriors have high damage and physical defense but most stat builds are weak against chi kung. It can be avoided by boosting some other stats and using relics but in exchange lose lots of their grinding ability. Healers are at a disadvantage in PvP. They are at a disadvantage in nearly every situation. If they use chi kung they can fight a bit, but defense and hp are very low. If they use physical, their skills are weak and at a disadvantage. If they use chi kung, nukers and most hybrids are still stronger than them because healer skills are quite weak in comparison. Nukers are considered to be the most powerful because they use chi kung and have a mana shield. They have a 2 second delay on many skills but it pales in comparison to what they are capable of. At higher levels, they can also achieve a high defense using some very expensive equipment. Hybrid classes have a paralyze skill that allows them to stop characters from moving. It is very strong because it causes paralyze and bleeding damage which is fatal when in combination eventually causing them to die before getting off a few attacks. This was recently adjusted by lowering the length of paralyze though. Even with all this, the chi kung users still have a huge advantage.

If you are playing a version with the updated stats, the situation is reversed. Warrior types have a huge advantage over the other types. The main reason comes from the adjusted constitution stat which adds defense and chi kung defense. A warrior with a fair amount of constitution can achieve 600 chi kung defense with little to no effort. A consequence to this is healers who have constitution as a penalty stat, suffer for this. Nukers are forced to build up another stat (basically ever stat but str now) in order to fight. Hybrids basically lose all party support abilities. The new system makes PvE very easy as it is easy to achieve a high defense level and buffs provide a greater boost. However, this fails to adjust with the new items provided. A warrior can easily achieve 10000 damage on their status with a good +10 weapon with only their active and not factoring in the damage generated by other skills which can easily bring the damage to over 16000. This is greatly reduced in PvP, but the reduction is not anywhere close to what is needed to balance this out.

Poor Management:

This is where the greatest flaws of 9Dragons appears. Nothing creates a great of an effect as the poorly managed game. Outside of the original Korean version, updates are very slow and infrequent. Bugs tend to be common, and it takes a while to fix them. Vital bugs are fixed quickly, but many are not. Contrary to popular belief, this does not only happen to the US/EU version run by Acclaim. It happened to the Taiwanese version and the Japanese version as well. Very little information is provided by the developers to any of the companies providing service for the game. Some receive more than others, but it is almost never provided until after its release and even then not all the changes are listed in the patch notes provided.

Overall:

9Dragons is a poorly managed game, but is overall worth playing. The help system is useful, but leaves out some important information and so does the tutorial. There are issues such as exp rates which can be adjusted by the publishers. Much of the game’s content is for higher level players and there is little for low level players to do other than to level up. The game has a fairly useful help system. The PvP system is where the problems are at. The game has yet to develop a balanced PvP system. The game engine has a few noticeable flaws, mainly the targetting system. All in all, it is a decent game with enough to make it stand out amongst the others.

Final Score:

6/10 – An eastern style MMO with a different feel than the other games. It has issues, many of which are ignorable or only present in specific versions of the game. Worth a try.

Player Review: Lord of the Rings Online.

Dec 23, 2008 Lord of the Rings Online Leave a comment

**Author Note**
The following game review was done on a Dell Inspiron-1720, wide-screen, system with the following basic system information:

Dual Intel 1.60 gHz
4GB RAM
Windows Vista 32-Bit
GeForce 8600M GT at 256 Dedicated
DirectX 10.

Screenshots are actual gameplay captures.  Screen shots are property of the author.  Contents within are property of Turbine.Inc.
This review was done over 30 days of gameplay with a Level 25 Hunter and a Level 29 Captain.

The review reflects only the authors experience and may not reflect the opinions of others.

The Lord of the Rings Online:
Shadows of Angmar & The Mines of Moria

J. R. R. Tolkien and his realm of Middle-Earth has been the staple of our concept for the Fantasy Genre for decades now.  From varient books, to todays online gaming, The Lord of the Rings has its firm grip in what we imagine as a make belief word of adventure, magic, mystery, danger, and living the life of a hero.  It was only recently that Tolkien’s world became an online reality though, well after the success of such games as World of Warcraft, Lineage, Ultima, and Guild Wars.

Much like the amount of time it took from Tolkiens original books to Peter Jackson’s films, The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), creating Tolkien’s world is not an easy thing to do.  With such an epic scale of landscape, characters, story lines, and attention to detail, it takes more than just castles, villages, a rider dressed in black, and a hobbit named Frodo to bring life to the vision.  In 2001, that changed for film when, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”, arrived on the big screen and gave the world its first taste into a living Middle-Earth.  In 2007, our online gaming world changed as, “Lord of The Rings: Shadows of Angmar”, came to stores shelves, allowing players across the world to experience Middle-Earth first hand.  Turbine.Inc, the holder of the license, did not disappoint Tolkien’s fans.

LotRO (Lord of the Rings Online) has remained under the radar, for the most part, in the online gaming world.  In a dominant market controlled by World of Warcraft and longer known competition, LotRO has gained a loyal base of fans, new and old, confident in their creation, the license, and the lore.  A belief so strong that Turbine, Inc released its first expansion to the series, “Mines of Moria”, against Blizzard’s Litch King.  Often scoffed as a poor choice in release dates on behalf of Turbine, Inc, the reality seems to be that the timing couldn’t have been better.  You don’t have to look far in searching for new game releases to see Mines of Moria being reviewed beside World of Warcraft.  The timing has worked.  At least for this player.

Like a majority of gamers I find myself requiring a change of scenes after a prolonged adventure in a previous title.  So when my adventures came to a close in Guild Wars due to reaching all achievements I desired (and a ton of issues from nVidia drivers which made the game nearly unplayable on this system) the search began for a new game to fill in my spare time after work.  Admittedly my first attempt was World of Warcraft.  However, after purchasing the product at my local Best-Buy store, Blizzard rejected not one, not two, but three of my Credit Cards when signing up for my account.  Yes, it was Blizzard who did the rejections due to my inquiries to my Credit Card companies support and being informed that neither American Express, Visa, or MC, reject my attempted purchase of the subscription plans.  Back to the store I went to exchange the game.  LotRO became that exchange.  And so, for the past 33 days, I’ve been sucked back into the world of Middle-Earth. 

This review shall give a general overview of my experiences only; Up to my current levelled characters of 25 and 29 (60 cap).  It is designed to give potential new players an idea of what to expect if they’re in the market for a new game, much like I was a little over one month ago.  I will do my best to give all the Pro’s I’m aware of and all the Con’s as well.  So sit back, relax, and I hope the reader enjoys this article.

 Purchase, installing, and patching

The Lord of the Rings Online has numerous purchase choices to consider.  What one you decide upon is up to you.  It’s not my duty to lean anyone towards one side, or the other.  It’s only my duty to break it down (or so it feels).  The game client itself is part of the original release, “The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar”, while the latest release, “Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria” is an expansion to the original game.  Mines of Moria is not a stand-alone product, and while for most this may be obvious when we’ve had years of experience in MMO gaming, a casual buyer can be confused.  Each segment can be purchased seperately and because Mines of Moria is designed for high level content, the new player can hold off on the expansion until a later date, unless you’re keen on having immediate access to the two new classes; The Warden and The Rune-Keeper.

If you’re someone who has difficulties finding a store with available copies, or a person who can’t access a store in person due to such factors as location, or transportation, Turbine, Inc has the deluxe package available for digital purchase/upgrade, which includes The Shadows of Angmar and the expansion, Mines of Moria.

Aside from the actual purchase of the game, a subscription fee is required to play Lord of the Rings Online.  Turbine, Inc has made it clear that they wish to make the game equally affordable and equally worth the money as its competition.  Therefore, there are 5 levels of subscription an account holder can choose from.

• Monthly at a cost of $14.99
• 3 Months at a cost of $41.85 (Equates to $13.95 per month)
• 6 Months at a cost of $77.70 (Equates to $12.95 per month)
• 12 months at a cost of $143.40 (Equates to $11.95 per month)
• Lifetime (Not YOUR lifetime, but the games lifetime), one time payment of $299.00

Whatever your choice in plans, all plans includes your first 30 days of play absolutely free.  I, for one, chose the Monthly plan in the event I’d ever need to cancel my subscrption to fit my household budgets.  Game Cards are also available at select store outlets.  Check your local electronic and game stores to find out if they have them available.  Game cards are a great way to enjoy the game without having to provide a Credit Card, or submitting yourself to a subscription contract tied to the Credit Card.

If you decide to purchase your copy of the game digitally, there are some notes that need to be made.  First, your access game keys will be automatically added to your account.  No punching in numbers everywhere, which saves some time.  Also, there’s no need to worry about not having those game keys.  You will be sent copies of your game keys to your registered email.  On a personal recommendation and should be common sense: KEEP YOUR KEYS.  Save the emails, save copies of the email, write them down in a record book.  They are your accounts identification in the event something happens and they are the only piece of information that verifies you are the rightful owner of the account. 

The second thing to consider when purchasing the game digitally is obtaining the client itself.  Turbine provided no links in the emails that lead to the client download.  It’s also not apparent on the games homepage as to where the client can be found.  However, after searching Turbine’s FAQ page, I found the tiny link to the client.  It’s my hope Turbine corrects the obscure position of downloading the client in the future.  For now, if you do purchase the game online, check their support pages for the client download page.  Once you have located it, take note: Even on high speed connections, the client is near five and a half GB and will take some time to download if Turbine servers are under high traffic hours.  Purchasing a hard copy will save you the download time and move you right into installation.

The third issue is the initial patch.  You will have a rather large significant patch process after installation.  While this is the norm for MMO’s, LotRO initial patch seemed much larger, and took much longer, than what seemed normal.  While this can be annoying for those who have patience issues, it does provide a good time to pick up that game book and begin reading.  It should also be noted that my patching process took place the day after the initial release of Mines of Moria.  without much doubt a high number of users were also patching clients which added to the sluggish process at that time.

While time was an issue for me then, it wasn’t exactly unexpected either and therefore I can’t say it’s an issue that hurts the game, or Turbine.  It is however something you should be aware of when it comes to installing your copy of the game.  Once you’ve installed your copy, patched it, and you’ve done all your registering, it’s time to get started on your journey through Middle-Earth.

Your Introduction to Lord of the Rings Online and Creating your Hero

As you begin your game you’re treated with an opening cut scene introducing you to the story of Shadows of Angmar.  It’s a visual treat to say the least and if you’re lucky enough to have a 5.1 sound system, the intensity makes the scene even more enjoyable.  For those players expecting an experience directly related to the movies, you may be let down, but don’t let that be a deal maker.  LotRO has a more overall feel and style of Tolkien’s books, rather than Jackson’s trilogy of films.  However, Tur