AIKA Global Updates “Recommended Nation” System

Can’t decide which nation to join? Here’s what every Pinoy Aikan should know! T3entertainment and Hanbitsoft inc. Together with Redbana Philippines open a new upgrading this December with “Recommended Nation” System. Players will reap the benefits if they do join the current recommended nation. The latest November patch also brings additional quests to players wanting to reach the recently opened level cap (level 60).


“Recommended Nation” System Update

To avoid a nation’s population imbalance, Aika Global has been recommending what nations to join when creating a new character. As of the moment, the “recommended nation” for players to join changes every Thursday depending on the population count. However, starting December 2, 2010, the recommended nation will still be
altered every after maintenance but without the population count criteria. To motivate people to follow, the sought after premium items, Hira and Kaize Liquid extracts, will be handed out once players reach level 30 and 40 to make raiding dungeons and completing quests much easier.


Lakia Diamond Quest

Five (5) new daily quests has been added in this week’s update to help level 50 characters gain experience points for them to be eligible to take the promotion quests and become more powerful Elters than they are now. Players can take these quests from NPC Guillaume Dalhausser and NPC Rose Braschi located in Basilan. These two NPCs will give out special daily quests until December 2, 2010 which reward players with much needed experience points to get them closer to level 60 which is the maximum level available to all.








Tcoin Shop Item Update

Elters will be in for a treat due to the recent patch’s Tcoin Shop Item Update. The old premium mounts and surprise box premium items have been removed and replaced with new ones. New Mount Sprites are now available in the shop. These items include one (1) 30-day mount and a surprise box that will give random items.

The new set is posted in the announcement section of T3fun’s AIKA Global webpage for players to get a complete list of new items.


White Regulus - A mutant regulus born in a one-in-a-thousand chance, called the King of Regulus. [Req. Lvl + 10]



Black Areion - Black areion is only granted to Elters with exceptional accomplishments; serves as a symbol of honor. [Req. Lvl + 10]



Aldebalan V2 - A new version of aldebalan that consumes less fuel and is quicker/lighter. Requires advanced control skills. [Req. Lvl + 10]



Porrima V2 - Porrima V2 is a weight-added version from the last one designed for stable，and longer operation. [Req. Lvl + 10]



Black Lacerta - Elters who can control this mutant draco born from powerful black magic should take pride in their magical ability. [Req. Lvl + 10]



Black Litsha - Litsha fed with fruit of magic to make it have a stronger ability to attack. [Req. Lvl + 10]



New mounts are now available for your preference!

These items include one(1) 30-day mount and a surprise box that will give random items.



First set of New Mount Sprites:

Black Regulus - One who rides this Regulus, with darkest energy, is said to become a Dark Knight. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10].

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135



Zebra Areion - Preferred by units specialized in night operations since its Zebra like appearance is suitable for hiding in the dark. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135





Brown Aldebalan V2 - Painted with dark brown, it is used commonly in infiltrations. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135





Pink Porrima V2 - Fashionable pink color is manufactured for leisure purposes. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135





Magma Lacerta - A mage who rides this Lacerta with protect the body with cold spell because of the heat from the magma energy. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135





Snow Litsha - Found in extremely cold environments, it has color of white to camouflage itself in snowy white surroundings. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Increase Physical Defense Piercing by 4%

Increase Magical Defense Piercing by 4%

Skill Attack Increase by Maximum of 135





Second Set of New Mount Sprites:

Sky Regulus - It has high pride compared to other mounts and it is also known for beautiful soft feathers. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10





Flame Areion - It is known to be three time stronger than other mounts and said to run a thousand miles in a day. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10





Silver Aldebalan V2 - A fancy type mount with metallic silver body. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10





Metal Porrima V2 - A fancy type mount with metallic silver body. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10





White Blue Lacerta - Raised in extremely cold environment to contain cold energy. It is useful in travelling in hot envrionment. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10





Wild Litsha - A fierce and quick mount. Also fond of hunting small animals. Surprise Box will generate random items [Req. Lvl + 10]

Stats :

Physical Defense Increased by 240

Magical Defense Increased by 240

Critical Resistance Increase by 10







*Note: These mounts have an expiry date of 30 days. After they expire, you will need to buy the premium mount license to continue using your premium mount!

(Don’t forget that the minimum level required to purchase premium items is 10.)


P.S. Please be also informed that Recipe: Wand of Spirit Lie is already fixed.



For further details on the guidelines of the new events, visit: The Official Aika Global website


Download the game today at http://aika.t3fun.com/Download/Client.aspx


*AIKA Global's service will be available to countries around the world with the exception of The United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Russia

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Cash Shop: An Obstacle?

"Online games cannot reach cultural values without continuous innovation!"

At KGC (Korea Games Conference) 2010 held not long ago, Kim Ji Won from Nexon started his speech with the above sentence. As he said, online games that once grew rapidly are now at a standstill, and new ideas are absolutely required for the sake of further growth.

According to him, the current business model is the biggest reason for online games' stagnation.






Most online games adopted the monthly subscription model at the beginning. Though simple and aiming for gaming fun only, this business model's threshold is still high for gamers since they have to pay relatively high fees. This just led to the appearance of micro-transaction. With games basically free to play, such business model attracts more gamers and brings the game companies more profits, but makes the game systems too complicated.

At this point, as Mr. Kim pointed out, the micro-transaction model has to take many risks, and is prone to become a stumbling-block for online games.

The current online games, which adopt the micro-transaction business model, basically strive to get more money from gamers. That is, gamers now have to pay more fees for the same gaming experiences only because the game companies are eager for more profits.

There also exists a social risk, which can just be explained by the question – "How many gamers can be recognized by the society?" At present, large numbers of people watch TV and see films, and make TV and films become two recognized forms of entertainment. Then, what about games? While dating, will you say proudly that you won some top-grade gear yesterday? Most of the gamers won't do so! So, this is just the so-called social risk!

The fact that gamers are made to spend more time on games even makes the risk more serious!

With the increase in the number of risks and the decrease in the gaming value, game companies make fewer profits accordingly. Meanwhile, gamers start to ask themselves "why I play games" and leave the games in succession, or leave the games so as not to waste too much time. Though there may be an increasing number of gamers in certain fields, it's inevitable that the whole number of gamers will become smaller and smaller.

To minimize the risk, Mr. Kim said that it's necessary to relieve the pressure brought on gamers, and game companies also had to reduce expenditures and increase production by creating new payoff structures.

New payoff structures refer to the introduction of outside capital by investment attraction, ads, etc. The problem is that, in comparison with other industries, it's more difficult for the game industry to be invested in. For example, films are basically created depending on large amounts of investment and support, but games' development cost is borne by the game development/publishing companies. Though certain game companies get assistance from the government or some venture capital companies, it is still a difficult job from the perspective of the industrial structure.

The in-game ads should be made seeable by gamers during gameplay, and it is also feasible to cooperate with other types of companies for the sake of certain commissions. The amount earned in such way can then be applied in game development, thus making the game companies able to concentrate on the development of gaming fun instead of money-making content and relieving gamers' pressure in money and time.

It's time for online games to grow to a mass culture.

When will online games become a mass culture? Just think about it!

According to Kim Ji Won, to become a mass culture, four factors are necessary for online games, i.e. "Massive" – guarantees large numbers of gamers, "Public" – accepted by the society, "Trendy" – guarantees a powerful community in the real world, and "Women" (that is, female gamers), the most important theme of economic activities in the modern society.

As the most popular mass culture, films and TV are easy to reach with colorful contents and few risks, and greatly differ from online games. The difference mainly lies in the business model. Based on different business models, films persist in the principle of "pay according to your demands". Though the common, IMAX and digital versions are priced differently, the audience make no complaints as they are served with satisfaction

We can also compare the game with the amusement park, which also belongs to the entertainment industry. The amusement park's business model resembles that of online games very much. People spend much money enjoying themselves in the amusement park, and don't feel unsatisfied. Why? Because they're satisfied with what they've been given. Many relevant services are offered in the amusement park in addition to a large quantity of operating methods, which does satisfy consumers' demands. And thanks to the diversified entertainment items there, people can have different feels every time they have fun in the park, thus making people more prone to come back to the park. The greatest difference between the game and the amusement park is that the amusement park's goal is not to create a complete virtual world. When playing in the park, people feel like they're in a new virtual world, but after leaving it, they return to reality right away. That is to say, the amusement park is not the reality's extension. So, what about online games? The virtual world is totally separated from the reality, or connects with it?

To become a mass culture, online games have to better integrate the mass culture's advantages. Though based on the Internet, online games still need to connect with the reality. And it's also necessary to further make the online games' threshold lower, so as to attract more gamers.

Surely, there's still a long way to go. Films and TV were also criticized widely at the very beginning, and considerable efforts must have been devoted to make something formerly criticized a mass culture. From this, we can say that it's also possible for online games to become a mass culture and be widely accepted.


Credits:

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10 Kinds of People You Meet in XBox Live

A couple of decades ago, video games were much more solitary pursuits than they are today. Home console units meant you played by yourself or with a few friends as you passed a controller around or joined forces for a two-player game. Even with the original incarnation of the Xbox, the only way to link a large group of players was with a LAN party in someone's dorm. But thanks to Xbox Live and other online services, you can play with people anywhere in the world. This does, though, have some downsides: some of these people are among the most obnoxious humans you could hope to meet, and their anonymity only makes them bolder. Consider this list a guide to the various players you'll meet online. Forewarned is forearmed.




1. Kids who can kick your ass: How long have you been doing this? These kids have been doing it longer. Guaranteed. If you're a casual or even mildly devoted gamer, you can't hope to stand up to the kids on Xbox Live who spend hours each day honing their frag skills in eager anticipation of the day a shmuck like you wanders into the server. They're fast, ruthless, and totally unwilling to show you any mercy if it gets in the way of boosting their own player rank. On one hand, they really need to lighten up; these are, after all, just games. On the other, they're like 14, so what else have they got going on?

2. Guys who spend way too much time doing this: Ah, the borderline shut-in. Some people play games with passion and intensity, and some people make them their entire lives. You will often run into someone on Xbox Live who does this. For these players, games are more important than anything else, and certainly take precedence over any social gathering happening in a real physical location. These players mix the ruthlessness of the devilish kids mentioned above with a kind of smug dismissiveness when dealing with lesser players. (And heaven help the noob that crosses them.) Gaming isn't a hobby for them, but a defining character trait.

3. Weirdly mean gamers: Some people are just jerks. Period. It doesn't matter how good they are at the game, how long they've been playing, how old they are, where they live, or what type of game they're playing: some people exist just to be abrasive. This means that getting involved in team-based or free-for-all shooting matches on Xbox Live will sooner or later expose you to some bratty, petty players who thrive on taunting total strangers. Whether this behavior is mildly psychotic or just irritating is a matter of debate, but the bottom line is that you cannot win (emotionally, that is) when dealing with these people. You just have to walk away.

4. Deluded leaders: Playing online means teaming up with random folks to form teams, and that means -- you guessed it -- the emergence of people who think they deserve to be in charge. They hatch elaborate plans, give orders, and run the game with a cold glee that sucks all the fun out of, you know, running around and pretending to shoot people. Theories abound as to what makes these people think they've got what it takes to command: maybe they're athletes used to calling the shots, or maybe they're also-rans who dream of getting people to look up to them but don't know how to make it happen. Whatever the reason, these people are usually fun for a while but get old once they start acting like Patton.

5. Guys who forget they're on a microphone: A rookie mistake that's all too common: someone forgets that the headset they're using is equipped with a microphone, and that said microphone is capable of transmitting their words across space and time to people elsewhere on the planet. Watch what you say, or you could find yourself mercilessly mocked for your troubles. The problem cuts both ways, too: some players simply never speak into the mic, which can lead to drastic misunderstandings of action and intent in group-based games where every member of the team is required to participate. Never forget.

6. Vitriolic homophobes: This is a subset of the aforementioned jerks that deserves its own special douchey category. Xbox Live is a way to use the Internet to play games, and the Internet is made of cats, pornography, and the violently hateful. That means that playing games online means inevitably dealing with small-minded, hateful tools who take a decidedly limited view of tolerance and human sexuality. Slurs, bad jokes, insults: it's pretty much all fair game for these players. Again, it's the Internet, and arguing will get you nowhere, so just kill the mic and walk away.

7. Dads who are trying to multi-task: It's understandable: you're well into adulthood and even have a kid of your own, but you don't want to miss out on a few rounds of Call of Duty online. That's fine. But the rest of us don't really want to listen to one side of a conversation about changing diapers and minor housework. Besides, you're trying to multi-task with a living being, often an infant, who depends on you for everything. It's okay to put the controller down and tend to the needs of your offspring, buddy. No one expects you to power through and keep playing while also trying to help maintain a household. In fact, they want you to do the opposite.

8. Excitable teens: Teenagers have an almost insane amount of energy, and a lot of them funnel it into video games. They're excitable and hyperactive, constantly bouncing from one game to another and one task to another with little or no ability to just. hold. still. You were once one of them, so don't hold their actions against them. However, just because they're relatable doesn't mean they're not annoying. They're often overly chatty, which can lead to some pretty chaotic gaming experiences, so if you can't handle massive amounts of pointless talk while running and gunning, it's best to log out and find another game.

9. The gleeful traitor: Some people just want to shoot their friends. Period. There's not much to add, and no real depth to their actions. They just like to shoot anyone and everyone that comes near, regardless of team affiliation or purpose. Like the Joker, they can't be bought or reasoned with. They're just wacky. For them, the point of playing isn't to win, or even to enjoy the game, but to just screw with everyone else. Their alignment is chaotic evil, and they're everywhere. Just so you know.

10. Genuinely happy people: They're out there, trust me. Some people use Xbox Live to reconnect with friends in other cities and countries, to enhance their gameplay by pitting themselves against the best, and to have a good time helping random strangers form a tightly functioning team. They are non-partisan, even-tempered, and generally well-balanced. The good news: these people are in the majority (it's true!). The bad news: they're not nearly as loud or noticeable as the previous nine personality types, who tend to be domineering. But if you keep your head on straight, you're bound to find others like you. And if not, well, you might as well play dirty.


Credits: OnlineDegree.Net

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Blade and Soul On Trial

Ncsoft exhibited highly-anticipated Blade & Soul at G-star 2010 on November 16th. The following trial report is brought by 4gamer editors.


After a character is created, the game begins with a gorgeous cut scene where my character is faint, sinking into the sea slowly, which foreshadows the future storyline. Will different characters go through different stories in the cut scene? The answer will be unveiled by yourselves. Next are the tutorials. Players will get to an oriental site as newbies and start to train themselves with others.
















Blade & Soul is easy to master, employing similar settings with typical MMOs. Use the W/A/S/D keys to move around, the space key to jump and the mouse to set UI, etc. There is a featured F key which will have different functions according to characters’ situations. For instance, players can talk to NPCs when they are facing them, or equip costumes, pick up items in corresponding circumstances.











With the increase of level, characters can do Dash Jump or High-altitude Jump. Later, they can even leap onto roofs and vault over walls or walk on the water. These actions look elegant with an oriental martial-arts style.







In the aspect of battle system, each character has 3 bars, the red one stands for HP, the blue for MP and the green for SP which is required for jumping or doing other actions. The R key represents common attack, but the numeric keys 1-4 are used to cast skills at the cost of MP. The F and Tab keys will have different functions in the light of actual conditions.







Additionally, the game has a prominent feature. Every key will generate different actions based on different battle situations, such as when Blocking phase (Below has the explanation), when the skill is being cast, when the enemy is being pinned down to the ground, or when characters are falling to the earth from sky. What’s more, skill slots will change quickly in combat. In this way, various combo attacks will be released, giving rise to a strong sense of fighting.







Let me talk about the controls of producing combos, taking kung-fu masters for example. Press number 1 to release a skill and then enter into the Blocking phase, waiting for the opponent’s attack in 2 seconds. You will fight back automatically if you are attacked at that moment. When the opponent pauses for a while, you should continue casting other skills instantly, only in this way can you knock down your opponent with one blow. Combos can be generated continuously. Approach your enemy quickly then and press Tab key to bring it to the ground. Press number 1 again to complete a set of deadly skills.

In general, Blade & Soul is like a 3D combat game in terms of battles. Kung-fu masters always remind players of the hero Akira in Virtua Fighter.


It is said the Z/X/C/V key will be assigned different functions. According to plan, numeric keys 1-9 and skill slots will act in coordination and more skill types will be added. In comparison with mainstream MMOs, Blade & Soul adopts fewer keys in combat system and integrates the essence of combat games. In addition, there is another feature related to combat. Characters can lock on a frontal target automatically. Different from the Action Key F, characters are able to adjust their position slightly after auto-fixing the target and then launch onslaught, which is not the same with the targeting mode or the newest non-targeting mode.





















Credits: MMOsite

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Blade and Soul: No Grind, Different Storyline for Each Server

Aion's always complained by players about its repetitive quests and heavy grind. What about Blade & Soul? In the G-Star 2010 premiere Q&A with the game's Producer Bae Jae-Hyun and Lead Designer Hwang Sung-Jin, Korean media put forward this concern to the developers. Bae Jae Hyun promises that Blade & Soul isn't that kind of game that asks you to kill 10 monsters and then 15 another kind of monsters, instead, there will be lots of stories from the very beginning. Besides, he mentions that different servers and continents will enjoy different scenarios. Well, that's a nice idea.





As an action MMO, no class restriction seems to be a must for Blade & Soul. Although in a party there will be players play as "tanks" and others play as "healers", the developer wants to minimize the distinction. A so-call DPS can also learn healing skills when reaching certain level. And players can resurrect by themselves with the Chi Mediation system.





Many Korean MMOs have City Siege system, including NCsoft's Aion and Lineage. But it won't appear in Blade & Soul because according to the developers, the game focuses on story, and they have enough stories for players that makes those events like City Siege become unnecessary.

Another interesting topic about the game is the cloth. The game has a sexy appearance and the developers really don't want the characters to wear heavy armors. Thus, the developers hope clothes in Blade & Soul aren't stuffs that can increase your health or defense or other attributions but the symbols of honor and reputation.

Credits: MMOsite

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Cabal 2 Showcased in G-Star 2010

Last month ESTsoft teased their new project Cabal 2 which will be powered by CryEngine 3. Today the Korea-based company showcased the game to public in G-Star 2010. The developer only shows two Cabal 2 videos, a promotional trailer and a terrain video. That's to say, the game is still in early stage.



Cabal 2 Promo Trailer


Unlike NCsoft and NHN who provide playable demo and try to catch every attendees' eyes, ESTsoft keeps in low profile, they hasn't released an official trailer for Cabal 2, so the two videos are captured by camera. In the video below, you can see an area called Lethe Island: the terrain, the shadow, the change of weather, and day/night shift. Well, the graphic is amazing enough, but what the gameplay? According to ESTsoft, each class in Cabal 2 has distinctive scenario. Players will have more freedom on developing their characters and using skills. The game's development is based on 4 principles: popularity, richness, high quality and unique.



Cabal 2 Map: Lethe Island














Credits: MMOsite

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Blade and Soul Gameplay Trailer

At the press conference held on Nov. 16, Korea-based game tycoon NCsoft released a G-Star-2010-orietned promotional video for its next-gen blockbuster Blade & Soul, and demonstrated the gameplay on the spot as well. Only two videos related to Blade & Soul have been released since the game was made public two and a half years ago, but this still couldn't stop players from showing great enthusiasm in it. In this respect, the development team expressed their sincere apologies for those waiting for the game eagerly and faithfully, and wished to show their thanks for players' permanent support through the promotional video and gameplay demonstration.









Action System

Blade & Soul's development team showed the audience detailed in-game actions through the gameplay demonstration. Characters at lvl 30 were employed in the demonstration at the press conference, but players will be made to experience the game from lvl 1 at G-Star 2010, which will be held on Nov. 18, that is, the gameplay content designed for those at lvl 30 won't be made open when the time comes.

To fully display the action and strategy elements, Blade & Soul introduces an Auto Targeting System, i.e. once players see the foes, the foes are locked. All actions of the in-game characters can be done as players like. As Seung-Shin Huang expressed, there'll be repeated attacking, blocking and counter-attacking actions during combat, and players can also perform certain air skills by means of one or two keys. Players can experience marvelous combats through simple controls, and only with the help of mouse and keyboard, players can adventure around the Blade & Soul gaming world freely.


Small-scale Raid

At last, the development team showed the audience how those at lvl 30 teamed up to fight in the lvl 30 instance.





Fighting Arts

Extreme movements, fighting arts and cut scenes, all of which used to be deemed as unrealizable in online games by the public, are realized in Blade & Soul, though. The fighting skills in real life like mixed martial arts, Thai Boxing (Thailand), Baji Boxing (China) and Iaijutsu (Japan) are all perfectly rendered in this game. In Blade & Soul, players are allowed to throw the foes down or up, and all actions are almost the same as those in real life physically.

Meanwhile, the in-game characters can do many actions like "scoot", "jump", "glide" and "wall-climbing" by means of the flying skills, and all these will bring players unprecedented gaming experiences.


High-quality Graphics, a Perfect Replay of Concept Arts

The South Korean top art designer Kim Hyung Tae and top game producer Jae Hyun Pae have worked together to present brand-new martial-arts-styled graphics. The fighting actions, scenes and characters' looks in the game are so high-quality that they can be regarded as a perfect replay of the concept arts. Lighting effects in the game will vary with time and space, and each character is endowed with unique fighting actions.





Immersing Storyline

Blade & Soul requires players to experience the quests personally instead of through texts. The gaming story evolves like a TV series, and is prone to make players immersed. The unique quest interface, abundant cut scenes, and logically clear plots will definitely bring players a wholly new feel, and the 5.1 channel surround sound and high-quality dubbing will also deeply impress players and make the gaming story sound vivider. Blade & Soul will enable players to write the history and change the gaming environment together with different races and forces in an oriental fantasy world.


Credits: MMOsite

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Blade and Soul Adds Assassin Class

Prior to G-Star 2010, NCsoft released the exciting game info for its fourth MMO blockbuster Blade & Soul at 'NCsoft G-Star Premiere', with the basic gaming controls and the new class "Assassin" unveiled.



The Assassin, a new class unveiled in the latest trailer, mainly uses something like bayonet as her weapons, and can counter the foes' attack (very quickly) in a very short time. It is an agile class common in the martial arts MMORPGs. From the video, we can see that the Assassin uses her unique skill "Invisibility" to attack the foe from behind.


Besides the five classes, there is also 1 or 2 new classes under test and to be released in the near future, according to the development team.







Credits: MMOsite

Blade and Soul: Featured Systems

With the 3 eye-catching videos unveiled, NCsoft's next-gen MMO Blade & Soul has started its G-Star 2010 journey officially. It is easy to see many new achievement of Blade & Soul from the videos.






Featured System - Fleeing System

The fleeing system is rather interesting involving classical martial-art concepts. When players' HP reduces to 0, they won't die instantly, but enter into a fleeing state when they will move at a very slow pace. They can drag themselves slowly to a safe place to recover their HP by using Qi or go back to the village to revive again. Please note that players won't be attacked by monsters in the fleeing state unless they are discovered in the course of using Qi.

In the future, players are more likely to cure teammates with the use of Qi to quicken their recovery speed, which adds more martial-art flavor to the game.





Featured System - Auto-arranged Action Keys

Skills will be arranged in the action bar automatically rather than manually after characters have leveled up and learnt skills and appropriate skills will be switched according to different situations. For example, different stances, continuous skills and escape skills will be selected based on a target's distance. Different attack instructions will be produced when kung-fu masters are suppressed and different martial-art attributes will be given to force masters depending on the battle situation.

Therefore, battles in Blade & Soul look precise and compact, but easy and humanized indeed.





Featured System- Auto-aiming

Essentially different from the non-targeting mode, auto-aiming is a function specially designed for realizing more active battles. Auto-aiming helps players automatically take aim at the nearest frontal target when they are approaching their quarries. Certainly, different targets will be aimed when characters face different directions. In this way, players can engage in instant battles conveniently.





Low System Requirements

Generally, games produced by NCsoft have high system requirements, but Blade & Soul is an exception. It emphasizes that only basic system requirements are needed instead of high ones. 8600GT or 9600GT video cards can even run the game smoothly. Without question, better computers will render better graphics.





Marketing Plan and Target Group

When talking of how to market Blade & Soul after the successful release of AION, Jae Hyun Pae indicated that the two games are completely different. AION offers fantastic battles with easy gaming process, but Blade & Soul is much fiercer with a stirring battle system. In the meantime, Blade & Soul may attract comparatively younger players.



Credits: MMOsite

Cardmon Hero CBT Review

CardMon Hero is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG with TCG (trading card game) elements. Players command their primary character in battle but are aided by magical cards. CardMon Hero is still an action packed game, the card system just adds an original twist to traditional MMORPG combat.

Pet systems have been popular in MMOs, particularly free-to-play MMORPGs, for a long time. They let players fight alongside a faithful companion that they can control, and that will never ditch them in the middle of a battle or fight over loot. CardMon Hero – a game initially to be published by Uforia as Camon Hero, and now being published globally by Redbana/T3Fun as CardMon Hero – appeals to that sense of having constant companions with a unique summoning system, utilizing cards for both summoning a friend to join you in combat and in managing skills. This unique take on a classic MMORPG combat system has its quirks, making it stand out from similar MMOs like Soul Master.






The Summoner

There are three essential elements to CardMon Hero’s combat system: the summoner (your actual character), skill cards, and summoned mercenaries. To start with, every player must first create their summoner. Character creation is moderate in selection, offering about four hair styles, six clothing styles, and a few faces that can be mixed and matched together.

Since there are no classes at all, players can instead select the weapon they’d like to start with. Summoners can use anything from magical weapons like staves and orbs, to physical weapons from swords to bows. If your initial selection doesn’t fit you, you can change your mind, but be aware that each weapon and skill type (physical or magic) requires certain stats, allocated when the player levels up. Some flexibility can be used to switch between physical weapons or magical weapons as the situation dictates, which means that if you’re the kind of person who prefers fighting up close and personal, but sometimes like to take a back seat at range, you can adjust your stats and skills to do just that.





The Skills

Once you begin playing, you’ll start to acquire skill cards. Skill cards can be found as quest rewards, as loot dropped from enemies, or from vendors, and can range from restoration skills and buffs to attacks and defensive skills. Like weapons, some skills require stat requirements, so that there’s limits to how much a player can cross into the realms of physical and magic skills at once. Some skills also require a specific weapon to be equipped, which adds a further dimension to battle – the ability to switch between weapons means entire skill sets can be swapped for the situation as well. Skills can also be upgraded and combined, just like regular summoning cards, and dozens can be equipped at once – meaning that the player should never be without the right tool for the job. Some skills can be used freely, but others require the use of items or money.





The Mercenaries

CardMon Hero is nothing without the summoned mercenaries, the backbone of the combat system. Mercenaries can be summoned from either permanent or one-time use cards, and can range in power and abilities, from tanks and physical attackers, to ranged and casters, and even mercenaries who will only stay by your side and buff you. Unlike many pet systems, mercenaries do not remain out permanently at your side; they only last for a few minutes, and have a cool down on use. Most mercenaries also require the use of arc stones, special loot that can be obtained both as loot from enemies and from disassembling weapons.

Mercenaries level with the summoner, but can also be upgraded through a card upgrade system. The card upgrade system itself is quite similar to the game’s equipment upgrade system, which lets items and cards be upgraded by the use of arc stones and catalysts to stabilize the upgrade and prevent it from failing. By using recipes and the right formulas, however, cards can also be combined to make newer, and more powerful mercenaries. Like skill cards, dozens of mercenaries can be slotted for quick use at one time.





Battle on, heroes…

Progression in CardMon Hero utilizes a combination of questing, battling, and instances to gain experience, loot, and cards. The map of the game – formed in a large U shape – offers zone-to-zone progression that helps players keep on track with the enemies and quests they need to complete their job. While this lends to a bit of linear gameplay, especially for fans of questing, the end result is a fairly smooth gameplay that doesn’t leave gaps for grinding or “where do I go now?” moments. It also reduces the sense of grinding, even if there are options available for players to do so, particularly the Bulletin Board system.





… and battle heroes, too

For those looking for PvP, there’s plenty of options. PvP begins at level 20, and offers various modes, from survival and team battles (1 versus 1 to 16 versus 16), to water balloon fights and personal-skills only battles. These modes are found in the Battle Board system, which is limited to a certain amount of actions per day per player (like many browser game action point systems). While the game isn’t centered around PvP, there are plenty of options to test your skills against other players, for fun and for climbing in the rankings.

Final Verdict: Good

CardMon’s twist on classic MMORPG combat and pet system is surprisingly fun. There’s depth to the combat system that requires both pre-planning and reactive skills, and enough to do to keep both casual and hardcore players entertained. Although the game takes the route of anime-style graphics, the animations, art, and voice-acting are also great. What’s holding this game back is a smooth explanation of the game systems through tutorials or other in-game hints (some things are reasonably explained, and some are merely assumed) and an awkward control system that ends up with poor camera and movement controls, as well as difficult managing mercenaries at times. If you can get used to the controls, however, this game is definitely worth putting some time into.



Credits: MMOhut

Cardmon Hero Ends CBT as T3Fun Opens New Forums

CardMon Hero ends its 7-day CBT phase on November 16, 2010 while a new forum format
is opened in T3fun.com



T3 Entertainment and Hanbistoft Inc. together with Redbana Philippines are now putting to a close the Closed Beta Test of their latest MMORPG, “CardMon Hero.” CBT Phase took place for seven days from November 10, 2010 to November 16, 2010. T3fun is grateful for those who participated during the testing phase especially those who managed to join the in-game events provided by the game’s GMs. Despite the limited time available for playing during each of the seven days, the player turnout was a complete success.

Servers are scheduled to close at exactly 3am EST or 8am GMT (-5) of November 16, 2010. Schedule for the much awaited OBT for CardMon Hero is still to be announced so players must stay tuned to the official website or the soon-to-open forums to get the latest news.


New T3Fun Beta Forums

The new forum system will be implemented in T3fun on November 16, 2010. The Beta forums will provide users with a much more improved gaming forum experience. The new forums will serve all of T3fun’s games including CardMon Hero. From the official forums, the latest news and announcements and other game related information will be easy to obtain. Integrated into the T3fun portal, players can log on into their account and go to the specific game they’re interested in or game forums without being asked for log in details again and again.


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