Tag: MMORPG

Elder Scrolls Online: Grab The Black Cat Pet Until Monday


Whoever said black cats were a source of bad luck was probably some sort of cat racist. For Elder Scrolls Online players, it’s another reason to reach into their crown coffers. For a limited time, you can get your hands on a black cat pet.

The cat costs 700 crowns, or roughly $7 USD, or less than half of your monthly stipend if you’re a plus member. The cat is only available until 10am EST on Monday, February 20th. After that you’ll be stuck walking under ladders to try and summon one.

(Source: Elder Scrolls Online email)

The Exiled Hits Steam February 23rd


The Exiled is an upcoming game that promises to merge survival strategy with skill-based PVP combat, and the last time we covered the title was to point out how the developers plan on handling low server population during alpha. The good news is, we’ll be able to see just how well that works as the team at Fairytale Distillery has announced a launch date of February 23 for early access launch on Steam. Early access packages will be available starting at $19.99 and going up to $79.99, containing cosmetic goodies based on which option you choose.

Even better, all players will have access to a 7-day free trial in case you’d actually like to play the game before you throw down real money on it. For more information, check out the FAQ here and the game on Steam.

(Source: The Exiled)

Daybreak Continues Shrinking: Cutting Cash Cards


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The continued shrinking of Daybreak Game Company, formerly Sony Online Entertainment, continues today with the announcement that the company’s cash cards will no longer be sold in stores this year. According to the post, there are no plans to bring back said cash cards in the foreseeable future.

The details of the plan are a little confusing. The notice was posted today (10/4) noting that retailers should have begun removing them as of September 26th. After November 8th, the cards will no longer activate and thus cannot be purchased even if a retailer leaves them on the shelf (because they need to be activated), but the website also says that as long as a card was purchased “before October 7,” it will still be redeemable.

The option to convert Daybreak Cash into H1Z1 currency will be available until December 31st.

Daybreak’s takeover of Sony Online Entertainment in February 2015 led to deep cuts, including major layoffs and the cancellation of Everquest Next. While not a guarantee, the fact that Daybreak is cutting its physical stock could mean the company is still facing financial woes.

(Source: Daybreak)

Neverwinter’s Next Expansion Announced For August


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Perfect World Entertainment has formally announced the release of Neverwinter’s next expansion: Storm King’s Thunder. Set for launch next month, Storm King’s Thunder introduces a new end-game campaign as well as a new dungeon tier and new stories based on the upcoming adventure from Wizards of the Coast.

Similar to the Storm King’s Thunder adventure coming to Dungeons & Dragons later this year, Neverwinter’s new expansion sees giants invade Neverwinter. Adventurers will travel north to Bryn Shander – the heart of the Ten Towns – to investigate the sudden presence of Frost Giants in the region. In order to fight off these colossal invaders, players must team up with popular characters from Dungeons & Dragons lore, including Catti-brie, Wulfgar and Harshnag.

In addition to the new Frost Giants story content, Storm King’s Thunder also introduces a brand new end-game campaign and new adventure zones for high-level players, including Bryn Shander, Cold Run and The Lonelywood. The expansion also marks the debut of a new dungeon tier with the addition of the new Tier 3 dungeon, Fangbreaker Island. With the release of Storm King’s Thunder,adventurers will also be able to score new high-level equipment to equip their characters with the latest gear.

Storm King’s Thunder hits PC on August 16 with console release coming at a later date.

(Source: Press release)

Neverwinter Launches On Playstation 4


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Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios announced that Neverwinter – the Dungeons & Dragons-based, free-to-play MMORPG – is now available for PlayStation®4. Along the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms, Neverwinter players will experience a fully realized roleplaying-game based on Wizards of the Coast’s storied franchise with a living world and immersive fantasy storylines.

Neverwinter turns players into adventurers. Create a character with its own rich backstory from eight playable classes and several races. Begin questing through enchanting settings to save the city of Neverwinter and surrounding lands, engaging in fast-paced, action-packed against evil threats including dragons, cultists, demons, and more.

Adventurers will have access to the base game and nine expansions of content including the latest, The Maze Engine, allowing players to experience the latest Dungeons & Dragons adventures with their friends. PlayStation®4 adventurers can download all of this content for free starting today without a PlayStation®Plus subscription. More details and features can be found below.

  • D&D Experience – From tabletop to novels, Neverwinter is a fantastic digital recreation of the Dungeons & Dragons experience. Select from eight classes, fight alongside iconic heroes against classic monsters throughout the Forgotten Realms.
  • PlayStation®4 Features – Neverwinter will be free-to-play for all on PlayStation®4 owners (PlayStation®Plus not required) and feature controls optimized to incorporate the DualShock 4’s touchpad and Party Chat integration.
  • Solo & Co-op Content – Adventurers can experience a majority ofNeverwinter’s content solo or join up with their friends and large groups to conquer challenges from dungeons, the Demogorgon battle, Tiamat and more.
  • Endgame Content – Complete the main story content and reach the level cap of 70 to unlock campaigns centered on expansions, earning the best weapons and armor Neverwinter has to offer.

“Delivering the Neverwinter experience to the PlayStation 4 has been a major goal of ours for the last year, and we’re happy to be able to do so,” said Rob Overmeyer, Neverwinter’s executive producer. “Bringing full-fledged MMOs likeNeverwinter or Star Trek Online to consoles was a big challenge with many unknowns, but what we’ve found is simply: gamers like games. We can’t wait to see how the PlayStation Nation takes to the game and look forward to supporting it for years to come.”

Our Thoughts: You can check out MMO Fallout’s preview of Neverwinter here.

Snapshots: Riders of Icarus


Riders of Icarus hits open beta July 6th, but for now Nexon has sent along a few new screenshots showcasing the mounts you can find in-game. Players with founders packs can get in early, while the rest of us will be able to log in next week.

(Source: Nexon)

Elite Lord of Alliance Releases Latest Update


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WEBZEN, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play games, today announced the release of “EPIC 2: Outlaw’s Emperor“, the latest content update for its triple-action hack ‘n’ slash MMORPG ELOA: Elite Lord of Alliance.

ELOA: Elite Lord of Alliance is an anime-inspired triple-action hack ‘n’ slash MMORPG, with classic action RPG elements and unique dynamic 3-combat-stance gameplay.

EPIC 2: Outlaw’s Emperor today raised the level cap to 50. This increased level cap is accompanied by new content, including the Veren Arena, Ruins of Forgotten King, and Paliore’s Garden dungeons. In the new dungeons, characters at the new maximum level will have a chance to obtain level 50 rare weapons/armor/accessories in Normal mode, and Engraving Stones in Hero mode.

Spanning from today through to July 12th, 2016 (UTC), the ELOA team is organizing many in-game events to celebrate the latest content update. The Epic 2 Commemorative Coin Event allows players to collect “EPIC 2 Commemorative Coins” via the in-game attendance event, and exchange them through NPCs to get their rewards. Rewards will be allocated based on the number of coins, and include the Awakened Poron Egg, Nightmare’s Avatar Surprise Box, VIP Service (7 days), Low Reinforcement Safety Scroll, Elite Potential Scroll (500), Eva’s Knowledge and Eva’s Fortune.

Returning players who have level 40 unique weapons & armor (over +8 reinforcement) from Hero raids can take part in theReinforcement Preservation Event. They can acquire the “Elite Reinforcement Scroll (100%)” by disassembling the eligible items.

The Newcomer Event also welcomes new players. After finishing the tutorial, new players will arrive at the Baratan Fortress and get level 40 weapons for their classes.

The update also introduces many improvements to the game, such as a shop renewal, a revamped transcendence level system and the addition of more items that can be obtained using Honor Points.

Additionally, level 50 wings, a dolphin pet (Joey), swimsuit costumes, and a limited all-in-one package are now available for purchase in the shop.

Full details about the latest update can be found on the official ELOA website at: http://eloa.webzen.com/en/events/epic2 , and players can check out the trailer on the official ELOA YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ttXKFt8G_Vs

ASTA Marks End of Open Beta


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Webzen has marked the end of open beta for ASTA and official commercial release of the MMO. ASTA is built on CRYENGINE 3 and boasts a broad crafting system, dungeons that change their difficulty based on player skill, a player-driven economy, and more.

Set to launch on May 31st is ASTA’s first expansion, Myth I: Wrath of the Berserkers. The expansion introduces a new race, the Raksa, as well as their race-specific class the Berserker. The berserker is a DPS class that uses dual-wielded weapons and is capable of buffing its own stats to make for a formidable foe.

Berserkers inflict damage by swinging their double weapons, such as swords or axes, with great power and speed. They exploit any gap left by a defeated enemy to mount their next attack. Using continuous attacks such as “Bloodstain”, rather than powerful single blows, Berserkers are well capable of turning a situation in their favour. Berserkers can also use Combat Art Skills to enhance their own strength, and Soul Skills to improve the strength of the summoned creature “Cursed Doll”.

Wrath of the Berserkers also introduces new quests, new rewards, a new dungeon, and raises the level cap to 55.

More details can be found at the official website.

Snapshots: Unsurprising Racism Edition


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If you caught our coverage of RuneScape’s latest ban controversy, you probably made a mental note of Jagex’s statement that a player was permanently banned for dressing up as a KKK member. Some of you may have wondered how it is possible to dress up like a klan member on RuneScape. Well, here’s your answer.

The outfit is apparently a combination of desert robes, a gnome hat, and a noose wand. Why does RuneScape have an equippable noose? For catching Kebbits, a part of the game’s hunter skill. Jagex, for their part, are generally quick to ban players for wearing such attire.

Less surprising is that players actively seek out these outfits, look in any corner of the internet and you’ll find a legion of desperate attention-seekers acting out and being as edgy as possible to get their fifteen minutes, with the genuinely racist members sprinkled somewhere in the crowd. Even less so the people who brazenly, and unconvincingly, attempt to play the ignorant card like they don’t understand why such conduct is looked down on.

(Credit for the image: NPC_2006 on Reddit)

Fantasy Tales Online Available On Steam


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Indie MMO Fantasy Tales Online is available in Early Access on Steam, if you missed its release last week. Developed by Cold Tea Studio, FTO is a retro-inspired MMO with accessible controls and a small community. I managed to take a look at the game and found it to be an immensely enjoyable experience, albeit one that is clearly early on in development.

Also available at launch is the Frontier Pack. For $20, the Frontier pack provides 1 month of subscription, bags, crate keys, costume tokens, respec tokens, and cash shop gems. The server on Steam is separate from the one on the official website.

Otherwise Fantasy Tales Online is free to play. Check it out on Steam at the link below.

(Source: Steam)