MMO News

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• Elsword Invites Players to Roam The Spooky Forest
• Salem
• Mabar Endless Night Festival Returns to Dungeons and Dragons Online
• JollyGrim
• Knight Age Sings Details Of Excalibur
• Trick or Treat Time Starts In Scarlet Legacy
• Digimon Masters Online Begins Halloween
• RaiderZ Now In Open Beta
• World of Warplanes First Look
• Operation Second Wind Blows Into Combat Arms

Elsword Invites Players to Roam The Spooky Forest Posted: 24 Oct 2012 05:22 PM PDT Kill3rCombo has revealed new Halloween-themed content and an updated Halloween dungeon for Elsword. Elsword’s Halloween dungeon returns with a revamp. Jack-o-lanterns have replaced the heads of enemies, and new bosses and encounters have been introduced. The dungeon can be played once a day on weekdays, and twice a day on weekends, for a chance at unique items only available for the event. The grim reaper is also invading random dungeons, and becoming available as a limited-time only pet. A new Evil Tracer costume is also available for players to purchase and show off to their friends. Elsword Gameplay Screenshot

Salem Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:59 PM PDT Salem is a MMORPG oriented almost entirely on crafting. You play the role of a pilgrim in a dark, gothic version of the New World, where you can vie for your own objectives, whether that is settling your own plot of land, participating in the community, or simply exploring. Discover an unforgiving and dangerous world, where life is what you make of it, and the specter of permanent death is right around the corner. Publisher: Paradox Interactive Playerbase: Medium Graphics: Low Type: MMORPG EXP Rate: Low PvP: Yes – Open World Filesize: N/A Pros: +Insanely addictive progression. +Gigantic, unforgiving sandbox world. +Strongly community oriented. +Interesting and unusual setting. Cons: -Steep learning curve. –Some resources can be unusually frustrating to obtain. –The wildlife will chase you to the end of the world, and beyond. Overview Salem Overview Salem is a crafting MMORPG by Paradox Interactive that puts you in what is essentially a giant sandbox world. You travel, learn skills, craft objects and structures with little but what you find in the wild, and perhaps eventually settle a piece of land, whether that is on your own or as part of a village community. The world of Salem depends heavily on what the players make of it; there is little combat, and most of the action is centered on learning skills and gathering resources. This title is also known for the ever-present risk of permanent death. Combined with the time consuming nature of this game, this puts enormous weight behind many of your decisions – if you think Salem won't make you wary of other players, think again. Salem Screenshots Salem Featured Video Full Review Salem Review By: Guillaume Barbeau Salem is this sort of game that comes around very infrequently, by virtue of the risk related to its innovative game play. It's an important title in terms of testing new grounds – crafting MMOs are few and far between, let alone ones situated in colonial America. Not only that, but it's also Paradox Interactive's first foray into the MMO genre. So is it good? Well, you can read on and see, but one thing is sure, it's that this is the the type of game that either catches on to you while refusing to let go, or does not not interest you at all. Scary New World For starters, Salem is a java game, so it's pretty easy and quick to jump into it. The graphic quality is very modest, to say the very least, so don't expect anything surprising on that front. In fact, this is most likely one of the game's most prominent flaws; the graphics are not only modest, they look absolutely horrid. The environments are simple, recycled, and the characters, while cartoonish and amusing, could really use some more diversity. You start the game; pick your name, and bam! You're suddenly in England, entirely naked. From there, you can talk to NPCs to change your features, get yourself a fancy beard, a pointy hat, and then you're off to the new world. This game could really use a formal character creator, as I don't recall the English being especially fond of naked portside walks. That said, once you hit Boston, the only NPC city so far in Salem, you're down to your wits in order to survive. There isn't much of a tutorial at this point, you'll already have been shown the basics, but Salem is relatively complex game that does not point you in any specific direction. And in many ways, that is part of what makes its charm. Smooth Stones & Blackberries The idea of Salem is that you need to spend a sizeable chunk of time wandering, and exploring. In order to build or craft anything in Salem, you first need to go through your skill tree and unlock the right skills. When you start playing, you have literally 0 skills, and you need to get very far down that path to even unlock the capacity to build your first hovel. You have a set of proficiencies, such as Natural Philosophy, Law & lore, etc, that are essentially meters you need to fill in order to learn new skills. To raise these meters, you need to find or craft objects, usually in the wild, called "Inspirationals", each of which will give you a specific amount of points in each of these traits. Once you have enough, you purchase your skill, and your meter goes back to 0. This is actually a very lengthy process, which means you'll be wandering around picking walnuts and smooth stones for a long, long time. Your health and energy is measured in four "humors", and they go down through just about anything you do, from looking at smooth stones, to climbing hillsides. You replenish them through food you either find or cook. You can also raise these humors by eating truckloads of food at once (called "Gluttony mode"). Yes, this is also a very long and boring process. Pilgrim Eat Pilgrim Once you've raised these skills and humors enough, you can start crafting things, starting with tools, and eventually buildings, farms, tanning racks, and so on. When you have the skills you need, possibilities open up. You can pick up fishing, foraging, blacksmithing, hunting; all the things you need to ply a trade in the new world. You can also buy a plot of land, which keeps many players from intruding into your personal space. While I've mentioned how long all of these activities take to accomplish, it's worth noting that it makes the progression incredibly addictive. This is also partly why the community is both close-knit and distrusting all at once. The main reason though, is that not only can everything you own be stolen, but your character can also be permanently killed. You read that right. Permanent death is a significant part of Salem, and in many ways, a very divisive feature. On one hand, it puts weight behind everything you do, while on the other, there is the risk of losing all the hours you poured into your character. Player groups will, for this reason, be very reluctant in recruiting new players for their villages, if not avoidant of them outright. Harvest Moon Meets Lovecraft With that said, this is a huge, no, GIGANTIC world. Other players are few and far between, less so in certain areas. It's also a mean world – if you accidently stumble onto a snake or a bear, you better hope you get lucky, because these things are vicious. Snakes will chase you until you can break line of sight, for one. Yes, this makes no sense. As you reach the edge of the known world, you reach this thing called the "Darkness". In a nutshell, the further you go, the darker the environment get, and when you get far enough, your humors begin being drained, unless you have a light source. These areas also have supernatural critters, Lovecraft-esque creatures about whom, as of the writing of this review, little is known about. And this is one of the upsides of this game; the world is big, mysterious, and documenting is entirely up to the players. Organized player groups can even push back the darkness by building churches, thus making new areas explorable. This is an entirely community and progression oriented game, and lack of either of those will most likely end up boring you. The world of Salem depends on the players within it. The in-game store element is firmly tied to this as well – buying in-game silver gives you access to MUCH needed commodities such as nails, required for any form of advanced building. This can be obtained without the in-game store, but thus becomes extremely time consuming as you need to craft very rare valuables to sell in Boston for silver. Final Verdict: Good Salem is a time-consuming, high risk experience that is definitely not for everyone. It's like playing a deadlier version of Harvest Moon. There is no story, little combat, and no hand-holding, high thrill adventure. This is a game that is almost entirely what the players make of it. It's a game about players, their villages, and their paranoias. But what this game attempts, it does well. The crafting is entertaining, the progression is addictive, and the world is mysterious. Many things could still be improved however, from the graphics, to the nasty habit of the wildlife going into blood frenzies. But apart from that, this is a title with a lot of room to grow, and a lot to like. If you can get past these small flaws, and enjoy crafting, give this one a try. Screenshots Salem Screenshots 123► Videos Salem Videos Salem Official Trailer Links Salem Links Official Game Site System Requirements Salem System Requirements Coming Soon. . .

Mabar Endless Night Festival Returns to Dungeons and Dragons Online Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:54 PM PDT Turbine has announced that Dungeon and Dragons Online (DDO) has re-opened its yearly Mabar Endless Night Festival. Available this year for players to enjoy are: The Giant (un) Deadly Graveyard An increase of Mabar magic has seeped through the depths of Delera’s Graveyard. Mix the enhanced magic with the Mabar Plane and the result is GIANT! The undead are now bigger than ever! Put them to rest (again) and you earn the chance to receive coveted ritual items such as a Chipped Skull, Burn-out-Black Opal and more. Turn in ritual items for ghastly prizes from the Night-Trader, as you move one step closer to unlocking the second half of this ghoulish event – The Summoning Chamber!   Summoning Chamber (now available for levels 20-25) An increase of Mabar magic has seeped through the depths of Delera’s Graveyard. Mix the enhanced magic with the Mabar Plane and the result is GIANT! The undead are now bigger than ever! Put them to rest (again) and you earn the chance to receive coveted ritual items such as a Chipped Skull, Burn-out-Black Opal and more. Turn in ritual items for ghastly prizes from the Night-Trader, as you move one step closer to unlocking the second half of this ghoulish event – The Summoning Chamber!   Festival Store Items - Endless Night Festival Ethereal Key – Grants immediate access to the Summoning Chamber is unlocked - Night-Black Coffee – Use in Delera’s Graveyard to receive better than normal hit point and spell point regeneration, and to restore uses of bard songs and cleric turn undead attempts - Pumpkin Grenade – Target friends and strangers and force them to wear big pumpkins on their heads for several minutes - Skull Grenade – Target friends and strangers and force them to wear big skulls on their heads for several minutes - Potion of the Party Pooper – Remove and ward against pumpkin and skull grenades - Draught of Midnight – Earn Motes of Night to trade in for Festival rewards! Cause undead anywhere in the game to drop motes   Dungeons and Dragons Online – Mabar Endless Night Festival Screenshots:

JollyGrim Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:19 PM PDT JollyGrim is a fairy tale themed TCG that features a unique mix of role-playing and real time strategy. Players are transported into a mysterious story book world with some of their beloved fable characters like Pied Piper or Little Red Riding Hood. Complete single player campaigns battling AI opponents or face off in a multiplayer PvP match. Build an impressive deck of fairy tale legends and finish the story as a hero in this wacky card based MMO. Publisher: GameSamba Playerbase: Low Graphics: Medium Type: MMO TCCG EXP Rate: Low PvP: Yes Filesize: 298 mb Pros: +Challenging gameplay. +Nice infusion of RTS and RPG aspects. +Comical storyline. +Multiple game modes. +Large variety of fantasy cards to choose from. Cons: – Fairy tale setting may not be for everyone. – No character creation. – Slow paced gameplay. –Small playerbase. – Graphics could be better. Overview JollyGrim Overview JollyGrim is a 2D collectible card game that combines real-time strategy tactics with RPG elements. In this rare hybrid MMO from GameSamba, players step into the role of a young student living in a mysterious fairy-tale world like no other. Although the characters are familiar their adventures are wacky with various twists and turns. Users can choose from single player story campaigns and AI battles or wage war against others in a multiplayer mode with 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches. Use strategy to outwit opponents during grid-based card showdowns. Build powerful decks with popular favorites like Red Riding Hood to Anime inspired characters such as Kyuubi no Kitsune. Collect over 200 different cards featuring cherished fairy-tale characters or mythical monsters to battle against other players' decks. Explore and rank high in the Leaderboards in this unusual CCG. JollyGrim Screenshots JollyGrim Featured Video Full Review JollyGrim Review By Ange Perdu   JollyGrim is a hybrid MMO that adds elements of RTS with fantasy role-playing for a unique collectible card gaming experience. Players enter a magical world that goes beyond the pages of our favorite fairytale storybooks and into the realm of the unknown. Since the human population consists of primarily of children, a small group of adults built an academy to educate the youth on surviving in the wacky and sometimes dangerous land. Each player starts out as Will, a young boy attending the JollyGrim Academy. Guide him along in the single player campaigns through various adventures or take a chance venturing out on your own with intense card-based PvP battles in multiplayer mode. There's over 200 different fable inspired collectible cards that users can acquire to build up their playing decks. Unlock special skills, boosts, and items for an advantage. Rise from the ranks of obscurity to fairytale legend on the leader boards and participate in special tournaments with your friends.   JollyGrim 101, the Gameplay There are two separate game modes in JollyGrim. Beginners are encouraged to start out in single player mode to build up their decks and later progress into multiplayer PvP matches. The single player campaign modes are divided into chapters which takes Will on various adventures. Users will start out in the halls of JollyGrim Academy learning the basics. There's an odd sense of humor embedded into the fairytale theme of the game that makes the dialogue and cut scenes rather comical. It's almost as if it's a screwball or parody of the beloved classics many of us grew up reading. The first few chapters in the campaign has Will chasing a hamster with a stolen ring through the halls and desperately trying to get past a group of hostile girls in a locker room. In between the dialog players are given tasks to execute. Most of these quests require a card based battle to complete. Cutting class for example to go to the local Taco joint where Red Riding Hood happens to be working part-time turns disastrous when the Big Bad Wolf comes in complaining about how one of their burritos gave him the runs. After some more comical banter and the refusal of a refund, the wolf demands a battle to the death. Players are joined with Red Riding Hood to face off against the irate wolf. All battles take place on a 10×7 grid similar to the game Carte. Users must left-click on their chosen card and then the highlighted grid space they wish to move. Once in position a player can right-click on their card to initiate an attack and then left-click on the enemy to strike. There's a few animated effects like bloody claw slashes or ice sickles that appear on inflicted cards but that's about it. The graphics are very cartoonish and appear only in standard 2D. Each character can execute several moves or spells. Successfully completing quests in the campaign mode will unlock the next chapter and occasionally reward players with new cards or skills. Campaign mode can be repeated at several varied levels of difficulty ranging from an easy Lullaby to arduous Legend setting. Depending on the amount of challenge a player prefers. Although entertaining the non-stop card battles can feel repetitive at times.   Standard Versus & Calling Reinforcements One of the most impressive features about the game is the massive card collection that players can accumulate. There are over 200 different cards available. Each one features a recognizable fairytale character or legendary beast. The wide variety makes the collection process more interesting. Players can acquire the Pied Piper, the Gingerbread Man, Kyuubi no Kitsune, Princess Ozma, Lizardman, Cat Sidhe, Pegasus, Rupunzel, The Caterpillar, Red Riding Hood, Ebenezer Scrooge, Werewolf, Gelatinous Blob, Pirate, Ninja, Siren, Skeleton, Dragon, Witch, Mage, Priest, Warrior, Thief, Troll, Pixie, Duelist, Ondine, Valkyrie, Monster Book, and more. All cards are categorized into a specific type with a control set, rarity value, and HP level. Players must build their decks with up to 10 control point cards and only a total of 7 control points worth of cards can be played at a time. Extra cards can be set aside in the reinforcement area and used later in a match. Similar to BattleForge powerful cards and strategy are essential for victory. Users must carefully select their deck by clicking and dragging the preferred cards into the two panel hand list before a battle begins. Each card has its own signature moves that they can execute during combat depending on the type. The Dragon card can ignite the terror in the skies maneuver which calls all dragon kind cards on the grid to aid in an attack. The Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland series collection delivers Bad to Great Advice which heals all ally cards with various HP amounts. The Lizardman has a tail whip move that punishes enemies with a devastating critical hit. Additional skills can be unlocked through leveling up and completing campaign chapters. Players can enroll in different classes at the academy to boost their card decks also.   Leaderboard Domination in PvP In Multiplayer mode players use their decks to battle other players in to the death showdowns. Users are automatically matched up for combat from the lobby area. Battles consist of 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 mode. Identical to the combat in single player mode individuals or teams must destroy all of their enemy's cards on the grid to win. Much like Eredan iTCG matches are somewhat difficult to find due to the small playerbase and community. The game is still in its early stages so more frequent matches may become available soon. There's a convenient chat interface that allows players to communicate with each other and messaging features. As players level up they can form alliances and compete in special club battles with cool prizes. Tournaments are set to be held regularly also. The auction option allows players to trade rare cards and items with each other. Although the game features a shop with specialty items, boosts, and avatar costumes it's somewhat unnecessary. Players will primarily use auctions and in-game rewards from battles to acquire most of their cards and accessories. The set gender character of Will and player avatar limits users. In terms of character customization there is none. The attempt to combine fantasy role-playing in the game integrates nicely within the gameplay but falls short when it comes to customization options.   Final Verdict: Good JollyGrim is a very entertaining hybrid TCG MMO by GameSamba that takes players beyond the pages of their favorite fairytales and into a more comical mysterious world of possibilities. Go on various adventures with Red Riding Hood, Pied Piper, and a long list of characters. Build massive decks with Gelatinous Blobs, Dragons, Witches, and over 200 other fable creatures. Tackle single player campaigns trekking through the land of JollyGrim and wage war in card battles or go toe to toe with others in multiplayer PvP matches. Boost cards with a variety of skills that unlock through leveling and winning battles. There's clubs, tournaments, and chat options for users to socialize. Hold auctions to sell and trade unwanted cards and create a powerful deck worthy of ranking high in the Leaderboards. Similar to other games like Carte, Pokémon TCG, and Eredan iTCG player use strategy and a winning hand to take out their opponents. Any fans of trading card games or fantasy MMOs should definitely check out what this strange fairytale realm has to offer.  Screenshots JollyGrim Screenshots 12345► Videos JollyGrim Videos JollyGrim Official Trailer Links JollyGrim Links Official Game Site JollyGrim Closed Beta Key Giveaway System Requirements JollyGrim System Requirements Coming Soon. . .

Knight Age Sings Details Of Excalibur Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:31 PM PDT Joymax, game developer and publisher known for Silkroad Online and Digimon Masters Online,  revealed a detailed guide of the battle, power, and glory behind the legendary “Excalibur” in the recently released MMORPG, Knight Age.   “Excalibur” — the legendary sword filled with mystical power — is a well known fable and beloved story, and within Knight Age it exists to bring both power and glory to the most deserving knight. But players shouldn’t expect this legendary weapon to sit idly for passerby’s to test its worthiness; in Knight Age, to wield the legendary Excalibur players must fight for it!   Excalibur represents three key components in Knight Age: the battle for the weapon, the power it imbues to its wielder, and ultimately its glory. The battle for Excalibur is a PVP battle against 100 knights that begins once per day when the elusive sword appears in the middle of a mysterious lake. All participating players, regardless of their level, will be transported to a special battlefield in which the goal is to run to the center of the lake and successfully pull out the Excalibur sword. However, this task is neither easy nor possible on its first try. A mixture of talent and choice will help as players continue attempting to free Excalibur. Additionally, the player must also defend it from other on-coming players. Whether by luck or skill, the end reward for pulling free the legendary Excalibur will be worth the battle scars!     The one to hold Excalibur is given with a special buff known as “Blessed by the Sword.” This buff will allow the wielder to land a critical hit for every swing the wielder makes and also naturally heals the wielders’ health and mana points even during battle! This power is envied by many and can prove too much to handle by a single knight; thus it will return to its place in the center of the lake for the next day. Not all is lost when the sword leaves the master’s side, because the knight will be bestowed with glory through a title for once possessing the legendary weapon.   Though many titles exist within Knight Age for everything, from leveling up to making friends, only those who have brandished the Excalibur are given the honor to hold the title “Blessed by the Sword”! Titles are not simply names but they also hold power within. Owning the rare title “Blessed by the Sword” earns players special buffs to their stats which are permanent to their character, not to mention pretty awesome to show off your achievement to others!

Trick or Treat Time Starts In Scarlet Legacy Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:01 PM PDT Halloween events have launched in GamesCampus’ Scarlet Legacy. A “Trick or Treat” quest has players fetching treats to spell out “Happy Halloween” for big prizes, and themed items including Spirit Scrolls, a Black Magician Costume, and a Pumpkin Head accessory. “Halloween is a terrific time to offer our community some fun activities and some fabulous prizes,” said Hubert Yee, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “We’re also giving away an exclusive Mummy pet only for our Facebook followers!” Starting today, players can hunt the world of Scarlet Legacy for the spookiest, creepiest, or scariest sights they can find. Once they post a screen shot to the Scarlet Legacy page at http://www.facebook.com/ScarletLegacy and a fellow player “Likes” their screen, players will receive the exclusive Mummy pet companion. Scarlet Legacy is published by GamesCampus, which also publishes 9Dragons and RF Online. Scarlet Legacy Halloween Gameplay Screenshot

Digimon Masters Online Begins Halloween Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:06 PM PDT Joymax has announced the start of eerie events in the world of Digimon Masters Online, carrying from today until November 20. Players can collect Jack-o-Lantern treats from various monsters in the wild. The player with the most of these treats will earn some special grand prizes. Players can also earn special prizes for logging in for certain times, or enjoy 30% movement speed, double EXP on weekdays, and triple EXP on weekends. The new Digimon of the month, Myotismon, has also been introduced with the festivities. Playres who purchase him will get a Halloween Gift Box with helpful items, and the highest levelled Myotismon at the end of the month will get a free DigiEgg. Joymax also publishes Silkroad Online and  Knight Age. Digimon Masters Gameplay Screenshot

RaiderZ Now In Open Beta Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:14 PM PDT Perfect World Entertainment announced today the launch of its open beta phase for RaiderZ, its new monster-hunting MMORPG.   “The positive response from both players and critics alike to RaiderZ has been incredible,” said Mark Hill, RaiderZ Senior Producer. “Today, we’d like to thank fans who’ve followed the development of the game and welcome everyone to join the RaiderZ Open Beta and explore the Kingdom of Rendel. This is just the first part of our commitment to provide a great experience for years to come.”   Excited about open beta? MMOHut has an exclusive giveaway for you that includes transformation crystals!   Exclusive RaiderZ Screenshots:

World of Warplanes First Look Posted: 24 Oct 2012 10:41 AM PDT World of Warplanes First Look After talking with the Wargamming.net developers at PAX Prime about World of Warplanes and getting a little bit of hands on time at GDC Online I picked up a mediocre joystick off of amazon and hopped into the cockpit of my Tier II modified YP-23A with a 7.62 mm M1919-A4 and 12.7 mm BMG1921 machine guns ready to take down some enemy aircraft in my first look. From what I saw in the game Wargamming.net made it their goal to appeal to both the simulator-liking audience as well as the less serious audience that want to pick up the game for fun. The amount of detail the developers put into making the game realistic is unbelievable.

Operation Second Wind Blows Into Combat Arms Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:30 PM PDT Combat Arms has released its latest update, Operation Second Wind, for Nexon America players. The new update’s star is the Bloodbath Bazaar, a market-themed battle map based in Turkey. An epicenter for chemical weapons smuggling, players can use differing tactics including all-assault and sniping to vie for control of the two courtyards. The update also enables One Man Army, Spy Hunt, Quarantine Regen, and Last Man Standing modes to the Death Row map; improves the user interface; and introduces the G18 Carbon Black pistol and Tristar Cobra Force pump-action shotgun. Nexon also publishes Vindictus and Sudden Attack.   Combat Arms – Operation Second Wind Screenshots:

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