Runes of Magic – Enter the Uber Villain
Today a Frogster announced a new content patch for Runes of Magic which will unleash the “Uber Villain as the Ultimate Boss Opponent”. A new raid dungeon, called the “Demon Stronghold” will be available for high level groups of twelve and allow players to battle the Demon Lord Sirloth. More details about the new Runes of Magic content patch and raid, Demon Stronghold, are posted below with screenshots.
The raid dungeon is available for groups of twelve high level players, and is located in the Naga Acropolis. The path to the Demon Lord leads through dungeons, cells and torture chambers. The first boss opponent is the giant Naoth in the Chamber of Punishment. Only those who can skilfully wield their powers of runecraft will be able to overcome him and penetrate deeper into the stronghold. The way to the throne room leads players past three additional bosses and loyal servants of the demonic ruler, as well as past the birthplaces of new henchmen.
In the final battle with the Demon Lord, players will have to throw all of their abilities into the mix in order to be victorious against the winged demon. Groups have to survive four phases of battle, overcome sworn helpers of the evil lord and fend off flying swords. Only then will the arch villain of the first two chapters of Runes of Magic be vanquished. As a reward, players will be able to carry off the original weaponsof the mighty Demon Lord.
Runes of Magic – Enter the Uber Villain
Today a Frogster announced a new content patch for Runes of Magic which will unleash the “Uber Villain as the Ultimate Boss Opponent”. A new raid dungeon, called the “Demon Stronghold” will be available for high level groups of twelve and allow players to battle the Demon Lord Sirloth. More details about the new Runes of Magic content patch and raid, Demon Stronghold, are posted below with screenshots.
The raid dungeon is available for groups of twelve high level players, and is located in the Naga Acropolis. The path to the Demon Lord leads through dungeons, cells and torture chambers. The first boss opponent is the giant Naoth in the Chamber of Punishment. Only those who can skilfully wield their powers of runecraft will be able to overcome him and penetrate deeper into the stronghold. The way to the throne room leads players past three additional bosses and loyal servants of the demonic ruler, as well as past the birthplaces of new henchmen.
In the final battle with the Demon Lord, players will have to throw all of their abilities into the mix in order to be victorious against the winged demon. Groups have to survive four phases of battle, overcome sworn helpers of the evil lord and fend off flying swords. Only then will the arch villain of the first two chapters of Runes of Magic be vanquished. As a reward, players will be able to carry off the original weaponsof the mighty Demon Lord.
Updated World of Warcraft Armory
Blizzard has recently updated the World of Warcraft Armory, which for those of you who don’t know, is a site where you can search for specific players, arena teams, etc. The updated WoW Armory has a few new features.
The first thing major change they put in is the 3D model viewer. When you search for a character you can now see that character in 3D. You can rotate the character around, zoom in/out, and make the character perform various emotes (dance, flex, chicken, etc). There is also a play/pause, forward, backward button that appears while the character is doing emotes.
Another nice addition that was added to the armory is the Gear List option. With one click you get a complete list of gear that a character has. The list also shows what gems and enchants are on gear and also the level of each piece. You can also mouse over any item to get more info on it.
And finally the next big update to the Armory is the Activity Feed. When looking at a character’s profile you get a short list of what that specific character has done recently. By clicking on Activity Feed you get a list of exactly what that character has done for the past few days. It tells you what raids (and bosses) you’ve done, achievements earned, time of activity and it even shows what gear/loot you’ve won or purchased.
To see a complete list of changes to the Armory please go here.
Updated World of Warcraft Armory
Blizzard has recently updated the World of Warcraft Armory, which for those of you who don’t know, is a site where you can search for specific players, arena teams, etc. The updated WoW Armory has a few new features.
The first thing major change they put in is the 3D model viewer. When you search for a character you can now see that character in 3D. You can rotate the character around, zoom in/out, and make the character perform various emotes (dance, flex, chicken, etc). There is also a play/pause, forward, backward button that appears while the character is doing emotes.
Another nice addition that was added to the armory is the Gear List option. With one click you get a complete list of gear that a character has. The list also shows what gems and enchants are on gear and also the level of each piece. You can also mouse over any item to get more info on it.
And finally the next big update to the Armory is the Activity Feed. When looking at a character’s profile you get a short list of what that specific character has done recently. By clicking on Activity Feed you get a list of exactly what that character has done for the past few days. It tells you what raids (and bosses) you’ve done, achievements earned, time of activity and it even shows what gear/loot you’ve won or purchased.
To see a complete list of changes to the Armory please go here.
Warhammer Online Patch 1.3.3 Coming Soon
My Warhammer newsletter came today and it seems more fixes and features are on the way with the Warhammer Online 1.3.3 Patch.
We love the smell of 1.3.3 in the morning. This simmering brew of bug fixes, balance changes and new features is expected to be ready for consumption soon after the Thanksgiving weekend (aka: Very Soon ™). Just imagine, soon we’ll all be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the Underdog System complete with a WAR Report chaser. No more haggling with flight masters upon log in, no more being at the mercy of horse speed; just the sweet, sweet knowledge of where the hottest action is at all times and the ability to get there as quickly as possible (Yes wet naps have been handed out to the entire developer team to combat excessive salivation caused by this addition).
But wait, there’s more: 1.3.3 revs up our environments with the addition of bloom and HDR lighting and heralds the triumphant return of Keg End this December, complete with boasting, toasting and fireworks. Expect more details as the event draws near.
Highlights:
- The WAR Report – The WAR Report window will give players a snapshot of the action taking place throughout the world. The window will give you not only a list of current events, but a means to teleport to the closest warcamp, chapter hub or flight master! This instant action teleport will be available every 8 hours.
- The Underdog System –This system is intended to aid the Underdog faction on a given server. Underdogs will essentially be granted a ramping RvR handicap that makes it easier for an under-populated realm to take objectives and cap zones. This system is tied directly to city captures and does not last forever – It will decay over time if not used. In other words: Underdogs get out on the battlefield and start smacking some skulls together, the time of your revenge is at hand!
- Keg’s End – Fireworks and ale. What more needs to be said?
Bloom & HDR – The game client now allows users to enable Post Processing effects to heighten the visual experience of WAR. This will add bloom and HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting to the game world. Users will experience a visually harmonious and enhanced feel in the game world through these two rendering techniques.
I have been toying with the idea of trying Warhammer again, just to see how it has progressed. With the endless lowbie trial and 10 free days of play if you re-enlist, it might be worth taking a look.
Warhammer Online Patch 1.3.3 Coming Soon
My Warhammer newsletter came today and it seems more fixes and features are on the way with the Warhammer Online 1.3.3 Patch.
We love the smell of 1.3.3 in the morning. This simmering brew of bug fixes, balance changes and new features is expected to be ready for consumption soon after the Thanksgiving weekend (aka: Very Soon ™). Just imagine, soon we’ll all be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the Underdog System complete with a WAR Report chaser. No more haggling with flight masters upon log in, no more being at the mercy of horse speed; just the sweet, sweet knowledge of where the hottest action is at all times and the ability to get there as quickly as possible (Yes wet naps have been handed out to the entire developer team to combat excessive salivation caused by this addition).
But wait, there’s more: 1.3.3 revs up our environments with the addition of bloom and HDR lighting and heralds the triumphant return of Keg End this December, complete with boasting, toasting and fireworks. Expect more details as the event draws near.
Highlights:
- The WAR Report – The WAR Report window will give players a snapshot of the action taking place throughout the world. The window will give you not only a list of current events, but a means to teleport to the closest warcamp, chapter hub or flight master! This instant action teleport will be available every 8 hours.
- The Underdog System –This system is intended to aid the Underdog faction on a given server. Underdogs will essentially be granted a ramping RvR handicap that makes it easier for an under-populated realm to take objectives and cap zones. This system is tied directly to city captures and does not last forever – It will decay over time if not used. In other words: Underdogs get out on the battlefield and start smacking some skulls together, the time of your revenge is at hand!
- Keg’s End – Fireworks and ale. What more needs to be said?
Bloom & HDR – The game client now allows users to enable Post Processing effects to heighten the visual experience of WAR. This will add bloom and HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting to the game world. Users will experience a visually harmonious and enhanced feel in the game world through these two rendering techniques.
I have been toying with the idea of trying Warhammer again, just to see how it has progressed. With the endless lowbie trial and 10 free days of play if you re-enlist, it might be worth taking a look.
Allods Online – First Look
Allods Online is a free to play MMORPG from Gala-New which is set to be released sometime this winter according to their website. Allods is currently in closed beta and we will be giving away some beta keys later this week so make sure to check back later as it will be on a first come first serve basis.
At first look Allods Online looks to be just another fantasy MMORPG, but looks can be deceiving. Allods is fantasy sci-fi mix reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII. There are 6 races in the game which are split into two warring factions. On one side you have The Leauge (good guys) and the other, The Empire (bad guys). Each side has three races you can select from, most being the common races that you would find in any fantasy MMORPG. The 6 races are split into 8 archetypes and 28 classes.
Starting off with The League, you have Kanians (Humans), Elves and Gibberlings. If you ever played any MMORPG, then you already have a good idea of what the human and elven races can do. The Gibberlings however are these small cute, furry animals that remind me of Snaft from Thundercats. Gibberlings are stealthy, tricky and quick creatures which sounds like they would be fun to play.
On the other side, The Empire, you have Xadaganians (humans), Orcs and Arisen. Again, I’m sure you are already familiar with the human and orc races so I’ll just skip them and go straight to the Arisen. The Arisen are undead beings that have dedicated themselves to science and technology. Because of this the Arisen are sorta like the Borg in Star Trek having combined their bodies with technology.
Allods Online takes place on the planet Sarnaut, which is split into continents and islands. In order to travel throughout the continents gamers have a variety of ways to get around, one being in a massive ship which players will be able to get later on in the game.
From what I’ve seen of Allods Online so far, it looks great and it seems others agree as well. Allods Online won Best Game 2009 & Audience Choice awards from the Russian Game Developers Conference. Check out some of the screenshots below.
Allods Online – First Look
Allods Online is a free to play MMORPG from Gala-New which is set to be released sometime this winter according to their website. Allods is currently in closed beta and we will be giving away some beta keys later this week so make sure to check back later as it will be on a first come first serve basis.
At first look Allods Online looks to be just another fantasy MMORPG, but looks can be deceiving. Allods is fantasy sci-fi mix reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII. There are 6 races in the game which are split into two warring factions. On one side you have The Leauge (good guys) and the other, The Empire (bad guys). Each side has three races you can select from, most being the common races that you would find in any fantasy MMORPG. The 6 races are split into 8 archetypes and 28 classes.
Starting off with The League, you have Kanians (Humans), Elves and Gibberlings. If you ever played any MMORPG, then you already have a good idea of what the human and elven races can do. The Gibberlings however are these small cute, furry animals that remind me of Snaft from Thundercats. Gibberlings are stealthy, tricky and quick creatures which sounds like they would be fun to play.
On the other side, The Empire, you have Xadaganians (humans), Orcs and Arisen. Again, I’m sure you are already familiar with the human and orc races so I’ll just skip them and go straight to the Arisen. The Arisen are undead beings that have dedicated themselves to science and technology. Because of this the Arisen are sorta like the Borg in Star Trek having combined their bodies with technology.
Allods Online takes place on the planet Sarnaut, which is split into continents and islands. In order to travel throughout the continents gamers have a variety of ways to get around, one being in a massive ship which players will be able to get later on in the game.
From what I’ve seen of Allods Online so far, it looks great and it seems others agree as well. Allods Online won Best Game 2009 & Audience Choice awards from the Russian Game Developers Conference. Check out some of the screenshots below.
Interview: Alganon
We recently had a chance to interview David Allen (President and Co-founder of Quest Online) and Hue Henry (Alganon Lead Designer) about the upcoming MMORPG Alganon which set to release on Oct 31st. Check out the Alganon interview below.
1. Your website mentions “custom dynamic quests”. Could you elaborate on these custom quests and will they be in the game at launch?
Our quest system allows us to check for multiple different character attributes (or even account or world-wide attributes) and change a player’s available quests based on these criteria. This allows for us to design quests that, based on player choices and the state of the world, are different for each player. This system allows us to not only setup simple quest chains, but also to create a system where custom quests are available based on player choice.
While the system for these quests will be in at launch, they will not be used to their full capacity right away. We know that if we create content where a player’s actions choose a personal nemesis, we are actually denying them access to the content where that character is not their nemesis. We know that if there is a choice where all rewards are identical, the choice doesn’t have much meaning. If the rewards are different, players may feel regret about their choice because they missed out on the reward they wanted.
For these reasons, we are greatly limiting this content in our release content. The content available at release is a foundation and introduction to the game that is meant to be available to all players. In the future, when we add additional content, we plan to use this system to adapt the player’s experience to their own personal choices.
2. You seem to have an aggressive patch/expansion schedule planned post-release. I know that the first expansion will include new races and classes. Can you give us any more insight into what is planned for the early expansions of Alganon?
Alganon at launch will be a complete game, with more features and content than many other MMOGs on the market, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop there. Alganon was built to grow with our players. We have more than two years of expansions and new features already planned, and our goal is to release an expansion every 6 months. Upcoming expansions will include new races, classes, instances, domains, and more.
We also have some unique plans between expansions, such as the upcoming ”Dawning” event that begins at launch. We feel that our players are as important to the lore of Alganon as any NPC or fictional character we create, and so we want them to be a part of the story of the world’s evolution. Content will be added prior to these expansions that allows players to take part in opening the expansion, and the effects our players have on the world will be added to the permanent history of the game, so that future players can forever remember the heroes that came before them.
3. Alganon has to compete in the very crowded fantasy MMO space. What is the ”killer-feature” that Alganon brings to the table to make it stand out?
If there is one core feature that sets Alganon aside from the other MMOGs it’s the study system, the ability to set character progress that takes place regardless of whether or not you’re online. This is very cool because it rewards players for being a part of the game, not just for playing. If players have real-world commitments, such as work, school, or family, they can take care of those commitments and when they return, they will find that their studies have opened new content, alternate forms of play, and increased the power of their characters. As long as they remain subscribed and keep their studies queued, they will continue to advance and be rewarded.
4. There has been a bit of noise on various forums and even in your beta test channels about Alganon being “another WoW clone.” You guys seem to have taken those comments well, but does it bother you at all to have your work dismissed in such a way?
It only bothers us because it may keep players who would love Alganon from playing the game. I hate to think that someone would miss out on a game they’d love to play because someone jumped to the wrong conclusion and posted it on every game forum they could find. That bothers me, but the fact that people think our game is similar to the most popular MMOG of all time, does not. I see it like forming a band and having everyone compare you to The Beatles, or building your own car and being told it’s very similar to a Ferrari, or being told that the novel you wrote is like Lord of the Rings, except with different characters, a different plot, and it doesn’t take place in Middle Earth.
There is a reason WoW is successful. It is full of fun gameplay encounters, has a deep and well-written lore, and has beautiful scenery and world-design. Alganon is full of fun gameplay encounters, has a deep and well-written lore, and has beautiful scenery and world-design - but our gameplay encounters, our lore, and our world-design are very different. Alganon is all original content, and as long as people play and enjoy the game, that’s what counts.
5. On your website, you indicate that you will proceed with a controlled release, allowing a limited number of subscribers into the game each month. How many keys will you be creating each month? Are you concerned that you will discourage would-be subscribers who cannot get in at release?
We’re currently re-working some of our BETA policies to bring more players to Alganon. This will become apparent over the next few weeks as we work with IGN to distribute more keys.
Although our numbers are “limited,” it does not mean they are “small.” Every MMO release has the same issues, and many of these releases are due to extreme numbers of players hitting the servers simultaneously. We just want to let players know that we may be handling those issues by limiting our release, rather than simply letting these numbers ruin the experience for everyone. We would rather have a smaller subscriber base that truly loves the game, than a larger subscriber base that does not.
6. Who drew the wonderful in-game world maps?
Doug Shuler, or lead concept artist. He is also responsible for the wonderful concept art seen on our website!
7. In your explanation of the Deity and Crusade system, you indicate that you will have gods controlled by paid, in-house staff directing their followers into wars of conquest. This feature sounds awesome on paper, but difficult and costly in reality. Will role-played deities and crusades be in at launch, or is this a long-term goal? How will you deal with the possibility for favoritism?
Technically, it’s not very difficult, it’s simply entity control. We already have a tool called GOD that allows the CSGM to do a whole myriad of things. Allowing certain CSGMs to embody a deity and enter the world is more about policy - what they can and can’t do, and that’s something we’re still finalizing.
Interview: Alganon
We recently had a chance to interview David Allen (President and Co-founder of Quest Online) and Hue Henry (Alganon Lead Designer) about the upcoming MMORPG Alganon which set to release on Oct 31st. Check out the Alganon interview below.
1. Your website mentions “custom dynamic quests”. Could you elaborate on these custom quests and will they be in the game at launch?
Our quest system allows us to check for multiple different character attributes (or even account or world-wide attributes) and change a player’s available quests based on these criteria. This allows for us to design quests that, based on player choices and the state of the world, are different for each player. This system allows us to not only setup simple quest chains, but also to create a system where custom quests are available based on player choice.
While the system for these quests will be in at launch, they will not be used to their full capacity right away. We know that if we create content where a player’s actions choose a personal nemesis, we are actually denying them access to the content where that character is not their nemesis. We know that if there is a choice where all rewards are identical, the choice doesn’t have much meaning. If the rewards are different, players may feel regret about their choice because they missed out on the reward they wanted.
For these reasons, we are greatly limiting this content in our release content. The content available at release is a foundation and introduction to the game that is meant to be available to all players. In the future, when we add additional content, we plan to use this system to adapt the player’s experience to their own personal choices.
2. You seem to have an aggressive patch/expansion schedule planned post-release. I know that the first expansion will include new races and classes. Can you give us any more insight into what is planned for the early expansions of Alganon?
Alganon at launch will be a complete game, with more features and content than many other MMOGs on the market, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop there. Alganon was built to grow with our players. We have more than two years of expansions and new features already planned, and our goal is to release an expansion every 6 months. Upcoming expansions will include new races, classes, instances, domains, and more.
We also have some unique plans between expansions, such as the upcoming ”Dawning” event that begins at launch. We feel that our players are as important to the lore of Alganon as any NPC or fictional character we create, and so we want them to be a part of the story of the world’s evolution. Content will be added prior to these expansions that allows players to take part in opening the expansion, and the effects our players have on the world will be added to the permanent history of the game, so that future players can forever remember the heroes that came before them.
3. Alganon has to compete in the very crowded fantasy MMO space. What is the ”killer-feature” that Alganon brings to the table to make it stand out?
If there is one core feature that sets Alganon aside from the other MMOGs it’s the study system, the ability to set character progress that takes place regardless of whether or not you’re online. This is very cool because it rewards players for being a part of the game, not just for playing. If players have real-world commitments, such as work, school, or family, they can take care of those commitments and when they return, they will find that their studies have opened new content, alternate forms of play, and increased the power of their characters. As long as they remain subscribed and keep their studies queued, they will continue to advance and be rewarded.
4. There has been a bit of noise on various forums and even in your beta test channels about Alganon being “another WoW clone.” You guys seem to have taken those comments well, but does it bother you at all to have your work dismissed in such a way?
It only bothers us because it may keep players who would love Alganon from playing the game. I hate to think that someone would miss out on a game they’d love to play because someone jumped to the wrong conclusion and posted it on every game forum they could find. That bothers me, but the fact that people think our game is similar to the most popular MMOG of all time, does not. I see it like forming a band and having everyone compare you to The Beatles, or building your own car and being told it’s very similar to a Ferrari, or being told that the novel you wrote is like Lord of the Rings, except with different characters, a different plot, and it doesn’t take place in Middle Earth.
There is a reason WoW is successful. It is full of fun gameplay encounters, has a deep and well-written lore, and has beautiful scenery and world-design. Alganon is full of fun gameplay encounters, has a deep and well-written lore, and has beautiful scenery and world-design - but our gameplay encounters, our lore, and our world-design are very different. Alganon is all original content, and as long as people play and enjoy the game, that’s what counts.
5. On your website, you indicate that you will proceed with a controlled release, allowing a limited number of subscribers into the game each month. How many keys will you be creating each month? Are you concerned that you will discourage would-be subscribers who cannot get in at release?
We’re currently re-working some of our BETA policies to bring more players to Alganon. This will become apparent over the next few weeks as we work with IGN to distribute more keys.
Although our numbers are “limited,” it does not mean they are “small.” Every MMO release has the same issues, and many of these releases are due to extreme numbers of players hitting the servers simultaneously. We just want to let players know that we may be handling those issues by limiting our release, rather than simply letting these numbers ruin the experience for everyone. We would rather have a smaller subscriber base that truly loves the game, than a larger subscriber base that does not.
6. Who drew the wonderful in-game world maps?
Doug Shuler, or lead concept artist. He is also responsible for the wonderful concept art seen on our website!
7. In your explanation of the Deity and Crusade system, you indicate that you will have gods controlled by paid, in-house staff directing their followers into wars of conquest. This feature sounds awesome on paper, but difficult and costly in reality. Will role-played deities and crusades be in at launch, or is this a long-term goal? How will you deal with the possibility for favoritism?
Technically, it’s not very difficult, it’s simply entity control. We already have a tool called GOD that allows the CSGM to do a whole myriad of things. Allowing certain CSGMs to embody a deity and enter the world is more about policy - what they can and can’t do, and that’s something we’re still finalizing.
