Dragon Nest SEA Valentines Patch

Roses, chocolates and endless sweet nothings. Bah! Celebrate love, Dragon Nest SEA style, with a night of excitement and mayhem. Now THAT’s a Valentine’s Day to remember

New content will be available for more fun and excitement in the world of Lagendia. Together with the game patch comes new updates on the Cash Shop and new Fixes on Mission Quests.

Valentine’s Patch Update (v.54)

1) Dark Lair Update

Time to step up the fight against darkness – Enter the 2nd Stage of Dark Lair: Hatred Pirandello!

You can be sure your adrenaline will be pumping as you’ll be hacking and slashing your way through 36 Rounds of mayhem with the style of play switching up every few levels between Elimination, Survival and Time Attack modes.


2) New PVP Map!

We know you love PVP, and variety is the spice of life, so here’s a new PVP Map for you! Face your enemies and rock it out in the West Ruins of Calderock!

3) All New Pet System Released

Fixes

• Missing Quest: “Hello There! The Guild welcomes you” restored
• Missing Quest: “[Title] [Immortal Lv1] Blacksmith Dorin’s Health Tips” restored

 
Events

Make a Date with Irine this V-Day!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, guess who’s been a busy bee buzzing around Lagendia? Yup, it’s none other than Events Planner Irine! We give you the low-down on what to expect during this lovey dovey season, so don’t forget to participate because it will make her so happy!

1) Valentine’s Day Event Mission (Daily)

Roses are red, violets are blue
Pop into town now
Because we have a gift for you!

Simply visit any town in Lagendia daily to receive 2 Super Ultra Love Potions!
(You may collect this reward once per day only.)

2) Valentine’s Day Log-In Event

Lilies are white, carnations are pink
Get rewarded with treasure boxes
When you stay logged in!

Anchor yourself into the game during this event period and get rewarded with treasure boxes! The longer you stay logged in, the more treasure boxes you can receive!

3) Valentine’s Day Event Quest (Repeatable)

Hellebores are green, sunflowers are yellow
Complete this quest for a Title,
And you’ll be a happy fellow!

Seek out Events Planner Irine for a special Valentine’s Day Event Quest where you can earn a special Title for your efforts. Complete the quest as many times as you can to unlock more Titles!

With so many exciting events lined up for you, nobody has to feel lonely anymore. So come on and head over to Lagendia today!

Pose For Love From 13 – 20 Feb 2012!

How To Join:

Purchase a Pet and a Pet Accessory from the Cash Shop

Find a partner with a Pet decked out in Pet Accessory too, and strike a pose with him/her, together with both your pets. Take a screen shot and send your entries to dnevents@cherrycredits.com before 20 Feb 2012, 2359HRS (GMT+8).

And that’s it! Both you and your partner can look forward to receiving this cool fashion accessory within 3 working days!

Event Rules
- Your partner in the screenshot can be anyone.
- Pets and accessories must be purchased by the characters in the screenshot.
- User Interface must not be turned off. (To verify usernames)
- Make sure both character names are clearly visible.
- Screenshot must not contain other players in the background.
- Screenshot must not be edited in any form.
- Submissions will be checked on a daily basis.
- For entries which adhere to our event rules, prize will be awarded to both players in the screenshot within 3 working days.
- Multiple screenshot submissions are allowed but players will only be rewarded once.

Soar high with the Blue Cupid Wings. Join our Pose For Love event now!

New Cash Shop Items

Fall in Love with these new Pets, Costumes, and Hairdos!

February is the month of love, so pop by the Cash Shop to see what we have in store for you!

Who Let The Hounds Out?

Erm, we did. Duh.

These 4 loyal canines are looking for some lovin’ this February so if you have space in your heart, why not adopt a faithful pal to join you in your adventures? All pets have the ability to pick up loot for their masters, boost their owner’s stats with their own, and gain EXP for leveling when they enter a raid. Each time your pet levels up, it means better stats for both of you!

And how about indulging your canine companion a little more with adorable pet accessories that will raise its stats along with throwing the cuteness factor off the charts?

So embrace the warmth of a brand new pooch partnership and be a lone ranger no more. These special creatures are saddled with a duration limit, pretty much like many Cash Shop items, but fret not, because you can always purchase a Pet Extension ticket to extend its stay!

Dress To Impress

Looking for love in Lagendia? Then don’t go around looking like something the cat just dragged in. Up your style quotient with these fashionably stylish level 30 costumes and get a second glance from that special someone!

It’s A Hair Affair

Just because the out-of-bed hairdo is sexy doesn’t mean you can get away with ignoring your tresses after every dungeon run. There is a fine line between sexily mussed up and simply messed up after all!

Check out our range of new hairstyle options available to add that dash of sass before you head out for your romantic raid. You can almost be sure that someone special would ask you out for a second date!


Credits: Dragon Nest SEA website, PinoyTechnologies

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MERGED! Level Up! Buys E-Games

This has got to be the most surprising news in the local MMO industry to date! Happy valentine's day, Level Up! Let's show them some love as they have finally bought out the competition!





The two gaming companies have apparently merged today, February 14, 2012. All E-Games titles will be transferred to LevelUp! Games after the merge.


In a statement released in Philippine Stock Exchange, details of the circular indicated:

IP E-Game Ventures Inc. (E-Games), the listed online gaming subsidiary
(PSE:EG) of IP Ventures, Inc., and Level Up! Inc. (LUI), have reached an
agreement to merge their Philippine online game publishing businesses. On
February 14, the parties signed an agreement stating that most of E-Game’s titles
and assets relating to its game publishing business will be transferred to LUI and
the publishing operations of said titles will be merged into LUI’s associated online
game publishing company, Playweb Games Inc.

In exchange, E-Games will receive equity in LUI, a commercial interest in Playweb
Games Inc. (game publisher and operator of all game titles and services under the
Level Up! brand in the Philippines), and a cash consideration. The parties shall
work in good faith to complete the deal. The appropriate disclosures and
comprehensive statements shall be made at the appropriate time.

E-Games and LUI, as a merged entity, is expected to strategically benefit both
companies as a result of future operational synergies and savings.

Not only does this mean a merger of two companies, but a merge of the two communities who have been long-time rivals in different games. How LevelUp! will handle the two communities is still purely speculation today. But for sure, it’s going to be a rough ride for PlayWeb Games Inc. Nonetheless, congratulations on the merge!

My Thoughts On This:

It is not exactly a big surprise on my part. Having watched the company since I left it last year, I witnessed how their manpower shrunk and the number of their games said hello and goodbye in a matter of months. It was a blessing waiting to happen - that the company be salvaged so that the employees can keep their jobs.

There really won't be any problem with regards to the LU and EG communities merging. The Philippine gaming community is a small one, with players and guilds transferring from one game to another, playing at least one MMO per company.

Perhaps the only sad part here is that with LU being the MMO colossus in the country, would an online gaming monopoly once again surface?

Credits: http://www.otakultura.com

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Maybe Someday

If I happen to become outrageously rich, I'd definitely have rooms like this.





Credits: 9gag

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Rusty Hearts: Definitely Worth Playing

Rusty Hearts is a new free-to-play title from Perfect World Entertainment, which cannot be so simply summed up by the traditional MMORPG acronym. For starters, though plenty of gamers can be found loitering about the game's servers, Rusty Hearts relies entirely on four-player sessions, the 'massive' moniker is barely applicable. There are also no open-world areas to explore beyond the starting town, and no true character creation system either, forcing players to choose from one of the three storyline characters (a fourth is on the way), slowly picking up costumes pieces and new hair colors to differentiate themselves from their thousands of clones.


For many these aspects might seem like deal-breakers. For me, they're proof that Rusty Hearts is focused on the elements that actually matter, delivering a game which combines the best of hardcore brawling gameplay with the fleshed-out RPG elements the genre has been crying out for. If you want a lush and magical world to explore, then hey, go play World of Warcraft. But if you're like me, the prospect of waiting around 30 minutes for rest of the guild to show up sounds like a lot less fun than launching straight into some ridiculous ass-kicking action with three of my buddies. Especially when that action is as satisfyingly ridiculous as the combo-centric gameplay of Rusty Hearts.

Rusty Hearts continues differentiating itself from its inspirers by incorporating a sleek, cell-shaded anime inspired look. A style that works well for the games Gothic toned hack-and-slash gameplay. From the four main characters to some of the most creepy and clever enemy designs to grace the genre, players of all powered computers can enjoy what Rusty Hearts has to offer thanks to games relatively low entry specs to play. Further proving just how much more important great art design is over having the latest, processor pounding graphics engine behind a game. As charming as the games esthetics is, perhaps the most entrancing aspect of Rusty Heart’s world is its music. Reminiscent of the rock infused remixes of classic Castlevania music – where can a download the OST? – many of the games tracks had me banging my head as a laid my best combos into the hoards of mutated creatures Rusty Hearts has to offer.

The combat system in Rusty Hearts will be familiar to just about any arcade fan: pile on the attacks as fast and furiously as you can, and don't ever let up. In addition to your standard "hit things" button, each character also has your a suite of regular brawling moves: jump; dodge; guard; and grab. These available actions, combined with the wide range of special attacks and skills each character can earn, results in some truly frantic combat, especially when you've got a full party of four players rampaging their way through the sprawling 3D dungeon levels on a gleeful spree of destruction.

Again, rather than focus on a gigantic game world, the action is broken up into various dungeons. What's worth noting is that these 3D areas offer a variety of alternate routes and paths, players able to decide whether they want to streamline their way towards the boss, or search every dungeon corner for rare treasure and items. Even more interesting is how many of the dungeons offer some small interactive elements. In one dungeon, players can search out and trigger a switch in order to lower the water level in the final room, making it easier to take on the sewer boss there. In another boss battle, me and my mates were unable to damage the giant lobster facing us without first using one of the room's ice cannons to freeze the crustacean, which was an interesting change of pace from our standard button-mashing tactics.

As a single-player experience, something that is usually unspoken of for an online-focused multiplayer experience, Rusty Hearts holds its own. While the game basically boils down to accepting quests from the various townsfolk, entering a dungeon, and completing thus quest by either finding an item or defeating something, the plethora of pillage gathered serves as the perfect fix for the loot amassing addict. Each area in the game offers up to four difficulties for all levels of players and more lucrative loot for their success. What I really liked about the stage structure is the ease in which they can be completed. Only have five to ten minutes, well that’s all it takes to run a quick dungeon, but for those who like the longer treks, staying around and replaying areas consecutively presents some extra opportunities for rare items.

The most important thing to note about Rusty Hearts is of course its monetization model. Rusty Hearts is 100% free-to-play, letting anyone jump online and start hacking away with friends. This model is one which seems to becoming the standard genre-wide, and it's easy to see why, filling up game servers with new players, getting them hooked, and then dangling shiny premium items in their face. The Perfect World crew was kind enough to hook me up with a bit of spending money, and I spent perhaps an hour or so in the cash shop trying to find the perfect assortment of costume items.

Pros
A decent anime tale
Benevolent cash shop
Fast & addictive combat

Cons
Extremely repetitive
Grindy at times
Unwieldy controls

The bottom line is that Rusty Hearts is fun as hell, free to play, and has a gigantic content update coming in about a week. Again, it's better with friends, so if you've got even a faint memory of smashing your way through Final Fight with a chum, it's time to call his ass up and get him on a Rusty Hearts server. After all, friends don't let friends brawl alone.

Credits: GameZone, Gamexplain, mmorpg.com

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Urban Rivals Now Available on Android

The freemium MMO slash card game slash strategy Urban Rivals has finally received what many were waiting for: an Android version that now basically completes the platforms this game is available on (you can play it on Facebook, iOS or in your browser).

Urban Rivals is a strategy turn-based virtual street brawling game where you collect and strengthen your skills using player cards. There are an unfathomable number of levels, battles and missions you can compete in, plus the network is massive with millions of players online across Android, iOS and the Web.

And it's all for free.

Urban Rivals spawned to mobile from the hugely popular web version of the game so you can take the brawl from computer to tablet to smartphone. It takes collectible character cards of various skills, strengths and weaknesses and puts you in a 4-on4 battle against other players in real-time around the world. You first start out in a simulated tutorial of battles to get you acquainted to the game and learn how to fight. It’s all strategy in how you match foes against each other based on their values.

Fortunately and unfortunately some battles are won due to your opponent not responding in the time frame. Also a negative side effect of playing people in the real world is waiting on them.

The mobile app features about half of the full online features so we do encourage you to flip back and forth with each. For example, when you go online you can shop for characters, join or create guilds, use the message boards, and see global leaders.

How to Play Urban Rivals

At random you and your opponent are given four of your characters from your legion collection. You alternate turns, so you are given two minutes to pick a rival and their bonus power such as “Pillz” or “Fury“. You start with twelve Pillz and given each one round as a performance booster for your character. Fury unleashes pure rage with your fighter and will cost you three Pillz. Use these enhancements wisely as you may not have enough in the later rounds to win the battle.

Pay careful attention to your fighter’s skill set denoted as Power, Damage, Ability Unlock level, and Cancel Leader. Note: Pillz are multiplied by the fighter’s power to produce the total Pillz number. Damages are taken from your foe’s health represented by the heart icon. To win the battle you must either end four rounds with the most health or completely annihilate your opponent of all theirs.

After each battle you are given experience known as “XP” that you can use to bump up a weaker character’s experience level, vital in the early rounds. Get enough experience and you can propel them to the max level. You will also want to go into your ‘Collections’ and manage your available player cards.

Other areas to help you advance in the game’s ecosystem are Clintz, Credits and Theme Decks. “Clintz” are the in-game currency you earn by either fighting, gambling with tickets and win, or trading with other players. This currency is used to buy characters from the market. “Credits” can be earned or brought with real cash and used to buy “Theme Decks“, which are a pack of characters you can buy at once to drastically expand and diversify your character collection.

My Personal Strategy Hints

This is my personal strategy that seems to win about 70% of my battles. It still requires you to size up your opponent to see if the overall battle will be competitive. I always choose to fight which will make the other player go first. I also always sacrifice the first round to get the player to bite and use a high amount of Pillz, whereas, I would not add any sticking to the mandatory one. It’s vital that I win the second round, so I choose a character with either the highest power, preferably high power and damage to place 6-7 Pillz. I don’t even bother with Fury as it’s too taxing with not enough benefit. By round three I can judge whether to go all in with Pillz and win the match or if it will go to the forth and I win because I have the most health.

Pros

• Totally addictive strategy game across mobile and web!
• Almost unlimited number of levels, missions and foes to battle!
• Grand online user base so it is always someone to fight!
• Mini game and other incentives to gain bonus currency to buy more characters!
• High replay and longevity value which can offer minutes to hours of fun!

Cons

• Audio keeps playing after you stop the game, forcing a restart just to stop it.
• Although there is a lot of graphic detail, it’s spoiled by improper sizing and screen pixelation. Text is tiny and sometimes difficult to read.
• One of the negative side effects of playing people in real time is waiting on them.

Credits: http://www.androidtapp.com

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SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online Lands in SEA, Closed Beta Starts February 14

Shanda Games International is kicking off Gundam Capsule Fighter Online SEA’s closed beta this Valentine’s day, according to the game’s official website. The closed beta test will run from February 14 – 20, and 10,000 lucky players will be invited to the test.

You can get a beta key by either signing up at the official website and hope you get lucky, or by participating in the game’s Facebook contest and invite 20 friends to “like” the official SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online SEA page.

Originally launched in 2007 in South Korea, SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online is an MMOTPS developed by Softmax based on the Gundam anime series. The game also launched in North America last December via OGPlanet.

Publishing SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online in South-East Asia is Shanda Games International, which also handles the publishing duties for Dragon Nest in the same region.

Check out the game’s official website for more information.

Credits: http://www.mmofront.com

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Can En Masse really Make TERA a Clean Game by Blocking Half of the World's IP?

"En Masse will block IPs based on region. Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East are included on the block list. While we appreciate that there are players in these regions who would enjoy playing on En Masse servers, it's unfortunate that the vast majority of Internet traffic we see from these regions are from cyber-criminals relating to account theft, gold-farming and other hacking behavior."





Above was the statement En Masse made in response to the ip block that will be implemented in TERA North American servers. It's good to see that En Masse is seeking every means to protect the TERA community, but blocking half of the world's players from playing TERA might not be the best choice and it might not be able to keep TERA clean.


It's true that most gold farmers, botters, and spammers are from Asian countries such as China, but it's inappropriate and prejudiced to say that "the vast majority" of players from Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East are "cyber-criminals". The reason why so many Chinese gold farmers in US and EU servers is that there's larger profit. Hiring some cheap labours in China to farm golds and selling them in the west for US dollars and Euros are something many people will do. On the other hand, there are a lot of legit gamers in Asia, Africa and Russia.





IP ban doesn't kill gold farming and bots. Nexon, known for blocking oversea IP, is still struggling for clean gaming environment. Because there are always ways to bypass the block by using vpn and proxy, and gold farmers and bot makers will find the way as long as there's profit, just see the bots in Dragon Nest and Vindictus NA. Besides, players from NA, EU, South America, and Oceania (these areas are not on En Masse's block list) aren't 100% legit ones.

Chronoscroll (tradable gaming time) is another thing that En Masse uses to counter illegal RMT and third party gold selling websites, but can it really keep the community health? Players who need golds can buy Chronoscrolls with real money and sell them in game for virtual money, but we'll see how it will affect the game's economy. A foreseeable thing is that rich fanboys can be very rich in game and those who want to earn their money from playing may suffer.

Are you for or against TERA NA's IP block? Will it make TERA a clean game?

Frankly, let's consider this a test phase with regards to the battle against any form of illegalities in-game. Although I admit that it is quite unfortunate that we Filipinos will not be able to play TERA, this actually is a double-edged weapon against us and the rest of Asia.

If TERA's regional IP block does result in a clean game, what does that say about us? It would imply that it is our fault that online games close, lesser and lesser people play, and customer service is as bad as your breath. It would lead to us getting crappy games in the future because of the way we play - relying heavily on hacking and other types of third party programs. What's worse, the current games we have could consider pulling out or completely shutting down their servers and just opt for the "clean" regions.

I'm not saying that that's what's going to happen. But of course, it is always a possibility, a worst-case scenario that we should all think about.


Credits: MMOsite

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