If the mobs at Northern Underworld aren’t cutting it for you anymore, then it may be time to head down to the Southern Underworld, reportedly the home of some of the toughest foes in the world of Neo Steam. If you’re curious as to what you may encounter in the new dungeon but don’t want to get your feet wet, so to speak, hie off to Sade of Neo Steam’s blog and check out her screenshots.

There’s also good news for players who have had their fill of duking it out in the Colosseum. The Magnasseum is now open and the reward for competing and successfully completing each round is a chest that may contain Chromide, an item that boosts experience points.

Of course, you have to survive all six rounds against different opponents. Losing one round means forfeiting the remaining rounds. We can’t have that now, can we?

On a lighter note, Crazy Pomba is back, and he has a truckload of items to give away, including a new mount—the Spotted Riding Pu-Moo. Here’s a partial list of some new items in Neo Steam and their bonuses:

Neo Steam Spotted Riding Pu-Moo

Cow Set:

Bovine Bonnet: Max STA +168, Max MP +170, MP Regen +9%, STA Regen +9%
Muumuu: Max HP +550, Atk +18, M-Atk +17, HP Regen +23%

Brave Set:

Hunting Bow (Back): Atk +12, M-Atk +8, Con +2, HP Regen +10%
Headdress (Face): Def +10, Max HP +80, HP Regen +10%
Feather Decoration (Head): Def +5, Max MP +20, Max STA +30, MP Regen +10%, STA Regen +10%

Berserker Set:

War Banner (Back): Def +5, Max HP +120, HP Regen +15%
Viking Helmet (Face): Def +10, Atk +18, M-Atk +14, HP Regen +12%
Viking Horns (Head): Def +5, HP Regen +15%, MP Regen +15%, STA Regen +15%

Swimsuit:

Summer Swimsuit (Robe): Max HP +102, Def +3, Max STA +29, Max MP +16
Summer Bracelet (Gloves): HP Regen +113%
Summer Sandals (Shoes): Max HP +18, Run Speed +20%

Check out the screenshots of the new item sets on the official Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent website.

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Online Dark Mercury Rider

So sad, especially for players who haven’t had the chance to own any of the items offered by these boxes. I for one have been craving to own a Cute Bunny Hat and Costume, and a Mercury Rider, but the chance of getting these at moderate in-game gold prices seem slim. Yes, inflation is taking a hold on the economy of several servers of Atlantica Online.

Why remove items from the Atlantica Online cash shop? NDOORS has given this explanation:

In an effort to wrap up the year, we will be discontinuing items in our Item Mall in order to make space for our new items.

This month, we will be taking down an item each week on Monday at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Also on Mondays we will be announcing which item will then be discontinued for the week.

I don’t get the logic of removing items that players still enjoy. I mean, a few weeks ago, NDOORS introduced via a patch the Costume Book, which allows players to store costume items and gain points from them that can, in turn, be used to trade for equipment boxes. Atlantica Online also has a mount book that works in a similar fashion. So by removing boxes that contain costumes and mounts, NDOORS is effectively limiting the number of costumes and mounts in circulation.

What gives?

Okay, I’m sure NDOORS has a plan. They are promising to put new items in the Item Mall that hopefully contain costumes and mounts. At the rate prices of these items are rising, only those players who can afford to purchase Gcoins, Atlantica Online’s Item Mall currency, will be able to afford filling up the Costume and Mount Books.

Post from: MMOtaku

Getting a closed beta key to join the test is simple. Just check out the Mercenary Wars website (yes, it’s running despite the game only being in closed beta) for the details.

Hey, Dum-dum! You give me gum-gum!

Going back to the topic at hand, the new round of beta test features all-new content, including two new maps (Museum and Watercourse) and a new gun, the fan-favorite Desert Eagle. The Black Market, the cash shop or item mall of Mercenary Wars, is also open to serve players. As a bonus for this closed beta, all items in the Black Market will be free.

“The second closed beta for Mercenary Wars provided us with valuable feedback on how players interact with the game and areas where we need improvement,” said Chris Keswani, marketing manager of Uforia. “Hosting this third closed beta allows us to gain even more feedback and give our players better content.”

The third closed beta test will run from November 16th to November 19th, 2009.

Those who manage to get in to this closed beta can look forward to a major event, the Night at the Museum. During the event period, each kill made in the new Museum map will be counted as a raffle ticket. Kills made in the gameplay mode “Plant the Bomb” will be counted as two raffle tickets and detonating and defusing a bomb will count as four raffle tickets. At the end of the event, Uforia will tally up the tickets and randomly pick three players to win a Razer eXactMat Gaming Mouse Pad.

Post from: MMOtaku

Too bad. I really want to try Karos Online, despite some negative reviews I’ve read about it. Complaints range from the game being a massive grindfest, where you as player need to grind your character for the experience points to level up, and being a clone of more popular pay-to-play or subscription games, particularly Lineage II.

Karos Online, an MMORPG published by NHN Corporation

Well, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. That’s why it has undergone, and will still undergo, beta testing. I’m really curious as to how Karos Online will hold up against today’s generation of free-to-play MMORPGs that don’t have the grindfest associated with most games coming out of South Korea.

Karos Online does have several elements that can fire up the loins even of the staunchest subscription-model MMORPG fanatic. The Fletta System is one such feature that promises to add some spice to an otherwise common game.

The Fletta System is divided into two subsystems, the Fletta Gem Item and the Fletta Point System.

In the first subsystem, players can craft special armors and weapons called, well, Fletta Gem Items. These items are available to all classes and levels, have six grades (from D, the starter grade, up to SS) that can be upgraded, provide stat bonuses comparable to items that can be purchased at the player’s level, change appearance automatically to suit the character’s class and level, and can be traded between players.

The materials you need to create Fletta Gem Items can be retrieved from NPCs as quest rewards, looted from monsters or through mining and fishing.

Fletta Points, on the other hand, automatically accumulate in the course of hunting down and killing mobs. Players can choose to use Fletta Points to either enhance their character’s attributes, save them to receive a blessing that boosts experience points, or execute high-level skills.

Oh, before I close, I should let you know that the third and final closed beta test for Karos Online is slated for November 27th to November 28th, 2009. If you want a closed beta key, hie off to the Karos Online forums and find out how.

See you in Asmara! That is, if I can find a way to join the CBT.

Post from: MMOtaku

The expansion, dubbed “Battlegrounds,” is the studio’s first project. The Beijing studio is the second studio that True Games has opened this year, the first one being the one in Austin, Texas, which is handling the company’s next game.

Warrior Epic: Battlegrounds expansion

“We are thrilled that the new studio has done such great work on the new expansion, and when players get a chance to check out the new content we think they will agree,” said Peter Cesario, director of new business and product development at True Games. “Now, for the first time, our community can experience cooperative player-versus-player gameplay and the all-new HUB City of Providence where they can meet up, socialize and show off all the cool gear they have earned.”

The beta test for Warrior Epic: Battlegrounds started on November 11th, 2009 and would be officially launched in December.

So what can we expect from this Warrior Epic expansion? Here’s a list:

All-New PVP Gameplay. Warrior Epic now offers four all-new objective-based PVP-enabled maps for players to do battle on—Welkin Warrens (a mountainous underground), Ruins of Aberas (a fierce jungle), Faustus Estate (the mysterious mansion) and the newest addition, Trogken Swamps.

New HUB City. Warrior Epic now offers a true central HUB for players to meet and form groups and guilds, while also showing off their dance skills and cool gear earned from quests.

All-New Swamp Region. The grand region known as the Trogken Swamps is an all-new environment, and like the other regions in the game, it will offer full PVP gameplay. With over 50 new quests, monsters and items you can acquire, players can spend a great deal of time adventuring through the deadly marshes.

Dozens of New PVP Items. During PVP matches, players can earn currency for purchasing all-new items and upgrades to help reinforce their castle and towers, summon boss monsters and spirits against the opposing team, and many more!

Boy, they sure are fond of “all new”!

For more information about the game, visit the official Warrior Epic website or any of its social networking pages on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

Post from: MMOtaku

“We are honored to partner with Children’s Miracle Network on this exciting tournament,” says David Chang, executive vice president for marketing and business development of GamesCampus.com. “It is wonderful to work with such a fantastic charity that helps so many children and families. Shot-Online players have been very supportive when we have held tournaments in the past for other great causes, but the Shot-Online For Miracles tournament will be our community’s biggest charitable effort yet.”

The Shot-Online For Miracles tournament kicked off on November 10th, 2009, and would culminate on November 16th, 2009. If you want to get more information about the contest for a cause, hie off to the Shot-Online website.

The grand prize winner of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic Charity Tournament, a.k.a. Shot-Online For Miracles, will get a signed pin flag from real-life 2009 tournament winner, a Children’s Miracle Network Ogio Golf Bag, and four passes to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Shot-Online For Miracles tournament prize

Not bad, considering you need only five dollars to participate … five dollars that will go to charity whether you win or lose.

Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals. Together with countless individuals and organizations, Children’s Miracle Network helps sick and injured kids in local communities and uses donations to fund medical care, research and education, saving and improving the lives of 17 million children each year.

“We are grateful that GamesCampus and its Shot-Online community want to make a difference in the lives of so many sick and injured children,” said George Mathis, director of new business and package goods at Children’s Miracle Network. “The Shot-Online players’ involvement in the tournament will surely result in a good time playing in a fun and competitive tournament with a chance to win great prizes, but most importantly they will know that they are contributing to a fantastic cause.”

Whew! For a moment there, I thought I’d lose consciousness from reading Mr. Mathis’ quote out loud. I’m just kidding, of course.

Now, the only thing missing is a telecast or a webcast of the tournament. Wouldn’t that be great?

Post from: MMOtaku

Fallen Earth LLC and Icarus Studios Inc., developers of the self-titled MMO, Fallen Earth, has recently announced the development of a cross-platform iPhone application that allows players to connect into the live game server and interact with the game remotely.

“Fallen Earth fans will have the ability to interact with the game when away from their PCs in a way never before seen in an MMO,” said Dave Haydsch, project manager of Fallen Earth. “With the Fallen Earth iPhone app, players will be able to play many aspects of the game in real-time while on the go.”

Shoot out in Fallen Earth

I guess by now you realize that the app is still in the pipeline, although developers promise its release in the first quarter of 2010.

Obviously, the iPhone-Fallen Earth interaction will be limited. But don’t let that get you down. A real, die-hard MMO fanatic will do everything for a fix, anytime and anywhere. Here’s some of the things you can do with the Fallen Earth iPhone app:

Players can view in-game character stats, mutations and trade skills. Inventory and storage may also be accessed. Since you can manipulate items in your inventory and storage, this means you can also manage crafting queue, view recipes, craft items, and buy and sell at the auction house. Of course, players will also be able to chat with friends and other players.

Not bad … not bad at all. Now put your backs into it, boys, as fans of Fallen Earth are counting on you!

Oh, and in case you’ve forgotten what an iPhone looks like, you might be able to find an image on EveryJoe’s The Gadget Blog.

Post from: MMOtaku

“We communicate a great deal with our Trickster community and these new features are some of the things they have told us they would like to see,” said Chris Lee, chief executive officer of Ntreev USA. “With this new update, players will get all kinds of new opportunities to unlock mysteries, increase skills.”

Trickster Online gets a new update from Ntreev USA

Here’s the lowdown on the new features courtesy of an announcement story sent to MMOtaku by Ntreev USA:

Surprise Spot. The new surprise spot system is a fun and useful daily quest that will give players access to special vendors and non-player characters as well as drilling bonuses. Every day players will have an opportunity to find map pieces that can be combined and used to find buried treasure. The spot where the buried treasure is hidden will either give players large amounts of items when excavated or teleport the Trickster to a hidden map.

Card Identification. Cards an integral part of the Trickster lore and game system. The new card identification system will add another use for cards that pushes them beyond fun flavor and into a game-defining tool. This system lets Tricksters use cards to create new items by playing a matching game. More importantly, it gives Tricksters access to the Secret Cards of Caballa Island. When Tricksters find all 16 secret cards they will be granted access to the new and exciting Enlightenment.

Enlightenment. The path to becoming a true Trickster has been long and, thus far, unending. Now players will be given a chance to become a true Trickster and unlock the Guardian that will protect them. Once Tricksters find all 16 cards, tehy will be granted access to a special series of quests that will plant the Soul Seed within them. The Soul Seed will carefully watch the actions of the Trickster and form a guardian inside it. When the Soul Seed is ready, it will unlock the Trickster Guardian.

Guardians. There are four guardians: Magic, Charm, Sense and Power. The nature of the Trickster will determine the guardian a Trickster receives. When the guardian is active, it will follow the Trickster and protect him or her with its life. Guardians are essentially combat pets that will attack and help the Trickster.

For more information about the new patch and download the game client, hie off to the official Trickster Online: A New Discovery website.

Post from: MMOtaku

I’m calling it Tideborn because that’s how the new race is being called by Level Up! Games, Perfect World’s publisher in the Philippines. It’s actually much better than simply calling the race “Mermen” because they are more than that. But that’s how the Chinese are calling them, Ren Yu Chuan Shuo.

Along with the new playable race, Perfect World is also introducing two new character classes in the Rising Tide patch, the Assassin and the Psychic. Of course, these new classes are exclusive to the Tideborn race. It is yet unknown if the classes are exclusive to gender, like the Yao Shou (Werebeast or Barbarian) and Yao Jing (Werefox or Venomancer) of the Beast race.

Dual-weapon fanatics may be delighted to know that the assassin class uses dual daggers as weapons with which they deal extreme damage in a short period of time. The downside is that assassins can only wear light armor (for obvious reasons). Oh, and their damage is based on dexterity, not strength, much like the Yumang (or Archer).

Perfect World Tideborn Assassin

Psychics, on the other hand, use magical orbs and use their skills to aid comrades in battle. Let’s take a look at some of the skills of this character class: Life Bubble (recovers 500 HP and increases MP recovery by 30 over 30 seconds), Freeze (deals water elemental damage and has a 50-percent chance to slow target for five seconds), Amplify Damage (adds 150 physical damage to attacks) … and a whole lot more.

Perfect World Tideborn Psychic

I’ll discuss the other skills in a later post as most of them are still subject to change. Let’s just hope the arrival of the Tideborn will usher in a renewed love for playing Perfect World. I’ll be sure to rejoin old friends in Perfect World Philippines if this patch is implemented.

Images downloaded from Perfect World International forums.

Post from: MMOtaku

For one, it’s one of the best holidays to launch events. I just wish that online game developers and publishers would come up with better gimmicks than simple bash-this-monster-and-get-this-item or open-this-box-and-get-a-random-item-that-is-totally-useless events. I mean, come on, guys! Fire up those neurons and produce something fun!

Like what, you ask? Okay, here’s an example. I’m currently playing Atlantica Online, and as part of the game’s Halloween events, publisher NDOORS Interactive asks players to purchase 13 candies from NPCs (which takes forever in game terms, by the way), craft them into a candy bag, and submit it to another NPC in exchange for a flying broom.

Here’s what the broom looks like on my Atlantica Online character:

Atlantica Online character on Halloween event flying broom

Cool, eh? Indeed, it’s a visual spectacle. But that’s as far as its use goes. It gives only minimal bonuses to stats, something like +5 to all attributes and a 10-percent boost to movement. So why not use it for some other event, like a race.

Guilds can be asked to field a representative to participate in a race around the virtual world of Atlantica Online on the clutter-free Titan Server, from Sapporo to Vancouver, with a game moderator at different check points. I know it’s a difficult undertaking, but it’s the kind of event that gets loins fired up and the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition alive.

Heck, even the cities featured in Atlantica Online can be egged on to participate by providing trivia about them for players to answer before moving on with the race, or something like that.

See what a little imagination coupled with real-world smarts can come up with?

View from the front of an Atlantica Online character on a Halloween event flying broom

Post from: MMOtaku