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MMOre Power: Atlantica Blessing License

Joel Tan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:52:42 +0000

It’s time once again for another installment of MMOre Power, a semi-regular section of MMOtaku that highlights survival essentials in the world of massively multiplayer online games. In this edition of MMOre Power, we check out Atlantica Online and its Blessing License.

While other MMORPGs market in its item malls some trinkets that boost experience points rates, NDOORS and Atlantica Online takes it a step further with the Blessing License, which essentially works the same except for the fact that it also increases attack power or damage by 150 percent and defense by 110 percent.

Atlantica Online Blessing License

These bonuses are pretty handy if you’re exploring shadow dungeons—high-spawn areas where your skills as a player may be put to the test—on your own. Couple the boost to attack and defense with the 150-percent bonus to experience points gained, then you have a formidable tool for leveling in the world of Atlantica Online.

This power, however, comes with a price. The Blessing License costs 1,499 Gcoins, which is roughly USD$15, on the Atlantica Online item mall. Fortunately, the license lasts for 30 days. It is suggested that you purchase a Blessing License only if you have lots of free time in your hands.

I’m saying this based on experience: My Blessing License is about to expire. I was unable to play Atlantica Online for around two weeks because of problems with my computer. So I wasted half of the USD$15 I paid for the license.

Don’t be discouraged. Just be aware that the clock runs on this item even when you’re offline. So is the Blessing License still a good buy? Of course! The license has seen my character through the worst that Atlantica Online can throw at her. I assure you that it’ll drastically change your gameplay experience—for the better.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a Blessing License and start delving into the belly of those shadow dungeons in Atlantica Online.

Atlantica Online player party versus mobs

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Patch Notes for August 18, 2009

Joel Tan — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:40:28 +0000

NDOORS Interactive has once again introduced a new update to its hit strategic turn-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game Atlantica Online. Ah, but this is no ordinary update. It’s the biggest one I’ve encountered in my three odd months of romping in the virtual world.

What is perhaps the most noticeable change in the world of Atlantica Online is the addition of the Hwarang, a grade C mercenary whose skills are pretty much class specific. Let’s take a closer look at his skills:

Seal Instrument. Obviously, this skill targets musicians, decreasing their attack power and stops them from using their own skills.

Hwarang’s Aura. This acts like the Princess’ Orders, Prophet Concentrate, and Exorcist Speed Cast in the sense that it buffs a certain class of mercenary. Hwarang’s Aura, which increases long range mercenaries’ attack power and multiple hit rate, goes hand in hand with Princess’ Orders, which boosts defense.

Hwarang’s Fury. It’s like the Shaman’s Noble Sacrifice. When activated, the skill drains the Hwarang of life but grants all mercenaries increased attack power.

Of course, the books for upgrading these skills have been made available through Goncourt and the Book Crafting skill. To begin the journey to recruit a Hwarang, visit the NPC Hwarang Kim Yoo Shin near the Bulguksa Dungeon upon reaching Level 112.

Overall, I think the latest Atlantica Online patch balances a good number of issues, including the use of Holy Guard by double-monk formations, and the abuse of the “Report” feature to distract players who are in Free League matches or locked in battle with mobs.

There are, however, a few updates that players might rant against. I for one am not excited with the decrease in rewards for auto-battle Free League matches. Before the patch, players who prefer to auto-battle in the Free League competition received two Atlantica Online gold coins for winning in Div 1, one gold coin in Div 2, and nine silver coins in Div 3. Now, players will have to make do with one gold coin in Div 1 and nine silver coins in Div 2, and so on.

Another brewing issue is the removal of certain items from the Jackpot system. Why introduce the Jackpot License in the first place if you can’t obtain a larger number of the Individual Dungeon loots like Water Dragon Scale, Insect Shell, Dust of Death, Torn Page and Poisonous Fang. I understand the logic for removing them; a lot of unscrupulous players are earning a lot from collecting and selling them. But taking them out of the Jackpot loop at this point in time will hurt straight players, too.

For more information about the new patch, check out the Atlantica Online website.

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Online: Get the New Kitty Bag

Joel Tan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:15:55 +0000

Who needs wings in Atlantica Online when you’ve got a cute and cuddly pussy in the bag? It seems NDOORS, publisher of the hit turn-based strategy massively multiplayer online game, is attempting to diversify content for Atlantica Online if the new Kitty Bag is any indication.

What’s strange, at least for me, is whenever NDOORS introduces a new item, it’s always stronger, meant for higher level characters. It’s strange because it seems low level players are being left out. I mean, Atlantica Online is still relatively a new online game, and when you have a new game, it’s natural to want more players to come in. So how can you entice new players to come in when these new gear can only be donned by stronger, higher level characters?

Case in point: the new Kitty Bag. It’s a decoration item, the same as those wonderful, majestic wings that you see on more affluent player characters. The Kitty Bag gives a bonus of 400-500 in attack power, 70 to vitality and 500 to defense. The decoration closest to it in terms of power is Lucifer’s Wings, which gives its wearer 350-450 in attack power, +60 in vitality, and 500 in defense. Yeah, real close, but they differ in level requirement, the former for characters level 60 and above, and the latter for characters level 50 above.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, why not make it available at the same level as the other decorative items? By doing this, players will have a variety to choose from without having to wait for their characters to reach a higher level. This also equates to more item mall sales. Go figure.

Anyway, those interested in owning the new “super-stylish, hyper-charged, and ultra-cute” Kitty Bag are urged to purchase a Wild Cat’s Pocket Watch from the item mall. Like other box-type items in the mall, what you get from it is purely random. Don’t fret, though, as you still get your money’s worth because it also gives other items.

What’s inside a Wild Cat’s Pocket Watch? Here’s a list:

1 Armed Mount Box (from which you can get an armed version of either a Byzantine Elephant, a Raptor, or a Snow Tiger).
1 Antiquity Box of Force (which contains 80 pieces of either Scrolls of Life’s Blessing, Resurrection, Bewtiching, or Freezing).
1 Antiquity Box of Force (which gives you either 5 Ancient Skill Books, 150 Waters of Life, 40 Secret Vials of Potential, 60 Skill Decrease Books, or 60 Growth Vials[Pre]).
1 Antiquity Box of Fate (your choice of 1 Secret Vial of Amnesia or 5 Ancient Skill Books).
3 Multi-Hued Jewelry Boxes (your choice of 10 pieces of either Ashen, Dragon, Giant, Redemption or Phoenix Jewels).
1 or 3 or 10 Wild Cat’s Pocket Watches.

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Online: Mars Rider Rolls Out

Joel Tan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:27:27 +0000

Move over Mercury Rider, the Mars Rider is rolling out! For the clueless few, both the Mercury and Mars Riders are mounts in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Atlantica Online. Actually, they’re not mounts in the real sense of the word but more of vehicles. The Mercury Rider looks like a giant space suit while the Mars Rider is a futuristic hover bike. Why the two are classified under “mounts” is beyond me.

Anyway, going back to the announcement … yes, the Mars Rider is out and a lot of them are already rolling (rather, hovering) on the streets of Atlantica Online’s six servers—Sikyon, Mycenae, Thebes, Macedon, Argos and Delphi.

Compared to the awkward-looking Mercury Rider, the Mars Rider is sleek and sexy, and doesn’t leave you feeling left out when in the company of other player characters that ride other mounts like the Unicorn (Pegasus *cough, cough*), which was launched a few weeks ago, and Helios’ Griffin.

Take a gander at the Mars Rider and drool:

Check out the Mars Rider’s other features after the jump.

On top of being a cool ride, the Mars Rider has the power to boot, giving your character a decent boost, 330-430, to attack power or damage, and bonuses to strength and dexterity (+130 each) and vitality (+190). The 3900-point increase in defense and 20 percent movement speed bonus aren’t things to balk at either.

The Mars Rider’s stats are by far the highest in Atlantica Online. The closest to it in terms of attributes is the Unicorn, which gives the following bonuses: Attack Power: 320-420, Strength: +120, Dexterity: +120, Vitality: +180, Defense: 3600, Movement Speed Increase: 20 percent.

So what do you need to own a Mars Rider in Atlantica Online? First, you need to purchase Ares’ War Kit from the item mall for 999 Gcoins, roughly USD 10, and then, just like any box you get from the item mall in this game and other online games, it’s hit and miss from there.

Don’t worry, though, as you won’t come up empty handed with every Ares’ War Kit you open. Here’s a short list of the items you can get from Atlantica Online’s Ares’ War Kit:

1 Armed Mount Box (from which you can get one of three armed mounts—Byzantine Elephane, Volcanic Raptor and Snow Tiger).
1 Ancient Skill Book Box II (your choice of 10 Ancient Skill Books that give 1,000,000 experience points to one mercenary or 50 pieces of one jewel type—Dragon, Giant, Redemption or Phoenix).
1 Water of Life Box (your choice of 200 Waters of Life, which revive all fallen mercenaries and their hitpoints, or 50 jewels of the types mentioned above).
1 or 3 or 10 Ares’ War Kit!

Actually, the list is a bit long, and repetitive, I might add. So for those interested in poring over the text, hie off to Atlantica Online’s announcement on the Mars Rider’s roll out.

Many thanks to Pacquiao (not the real Manny Pacquiao, although sometimes we think he’s a real deal with the amount he’s spending on his character) of Atlantica Online Delphi server’s ADIK guild for posing with his Mars Rider.

Post from: MMOtaku

MMOtaku Featured on Atlantica Online Site

Joel Tan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:10:36 +0000

I’ve got to get this out before the link completely vanishes from the face of Atlantica Online’s official site. Yes, MMOtaku has been featured on the aforementioned website. Actually, it’s not a feature but an announcement pointing to a feature on EveryJoe’s MMOtaku.

If you’re an MMOtaku regular, you’d probably recall the article featuring the title buffs of Atlantica Online and how they affect gameplay and gaming experience in that virtual world. There’s an almost complete guide on Title Buffs on the My Atlantica Online forums.

Here’s a screenshot, for posterity, of MMOtaku’s brief stay in the limelight:

Post from: MMOtaku

Do You Want Free Atlantica Online Gcoins?

Joel Tan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:47:05 +0000

I do! I want free Atlantica Online Gcoins! Gimme! What? You mean all I have to do is participate in an online survey and I can get all the free Gcoins I can point my finger at? Cool! Where do I sign up?

The paragraph above demonstrates my initial reaction to this new promotion that NDOORS, operator of Atlantica Online, has cooked up with its new partner Peanut Labs, a company providing services to the market research industry.

Under the new promotion, Atlantica Online players are encouraged to take Peanut Labs surveys in exchange for Gcoins, the game’s item mall currency. It’s pretty enticing—at least until you reach the web page that asks you to register on this-and-that website and deposit an amount using your almighty plastic.

I’ve got nothing against NDOORS from practicing good business. But I’ve got to say that this latest promotion sucks, and sucks big time. If you do manage to land on Atlantica Online’s “Earn free Gcoins through paid surveys” page, you’ll notice that most options ask you to register an account for online casinos and other gambling websites, and then deposit cash to play games like poker, bingo and dominoes.

Sheesh! NDOORS might as well transform itself into a company that manages online casinos and other gambling joints. Seriously, do you want your players to play at online casinos than on Atlantica Online?

Like I said, bad promotion, so bad that it sucks eggs. Want a good promotion for Atlantica Online? Let’s take NDOORS’s recent distribution of Scroll of the Hero Pack, which activates five licenses, including teleportation and auto-battle, that’s effective for seven days.

My scroll has just expired and I now find myself wanting more of it, enough for me to hie off to the item mall and purchase a Warrior’s Package, which gives the same effects as the Scroll of the Hero but for a longer period, 30 days.

Now that’s a good promotion: Getting players hooked on a new experience so much that they can’t enjoy their online existence any more without it.

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Welcomes ijji.com Members

Joel Tan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:37:37 +0000

All I can say is, “It’s about bloody time!” Seriously now. I think NDOORS, developer and operator of Atlantica Online is on the right track, opening the doors to new players starting with members of online games publisher ijji.com.

Here’s the official announcement from NDOORS:

Today, we would like to extend a warm welcome to users of ijji.com. NDOORS has entered into a partnership with ijji.com that will allow its members access to Atlantica Online, opening up the world of Atlantis and Oriharukon to even more enthusiastic players. As of now, this door is open, and ijji players can begin playing.

As this new group enters the community, we’ll be sure to be as hospitable as always—to new friends, new allies, and of course, new rivals in Free League.

NDOORS forgot to include “fresh meat” somewhere in that announcement. Kidding!

Anyway, as a pioneer on Atlantica Online’s Delphi server, I’d like to extend an invitation to ijji members to make their home there. Delphi is, after all, the newest server, and competition isn’t as tight as on other more established servers. This means there’s more room to grow for you and your characters.

Your journey in Atlantica Online begins here. Oh, and make sure you choose Delphi as your server. *wink, wink*

Here’s a short video to whet your appetite for Atlantica Online:

Post from: MMOtaku

MMOre Power: Atlantica Online Titles

Joel Tan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:51:14 +0000

Welcome to another installment of MMOre Power, a semi-regular section of MMOtaku that highlights survival essentials in the world of massively multiplayer online games. In this edition of MMOre Power, we check out Atlantica Online and its Title Buffs System.

What are Title Buffs? To put it in simple terms, Title Buffs are, well, titles that appear in front of your character’s name and give you buffs. Duh, that didn’t sound quite right. But that’s exactly what they are—titles that give buffs.

Why are Atlantica Online’s Title Buffs great? First, having titles in front of your character’s name is way cooler than strutting across the virtual world with just a name.

Second, the buffs these titles give is way stronger and more useful than the run-of-the-mill buffs found in other MMORPGs.

The Motivated Title Buff in Atlantica Online gives a decent boost to attack, defense and experience points.

Take the title buff Energizer, for example. Atlantica Online’s Energizer title buff gives a 20-percent boost to your character’s attack, a 15-percent increase in defense and an extra five percent experience points for every mob eliminated.

The downside to Title Buffs is they expire, and pretty quickly, too. Our example above, the Energizer title buff, only lasts for 40 minutes. So make every minute count.

For a complete list of Atlantica Online Title Buffs, check out Kiena’s guide on the My Atlantica Online Forums.

Post from: MMOtaku

A Great Reason to Play Atlantica Online

Joel Tan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:19:01 +0000

What’s this great reason for massively multiplayer online role-playing game fanatics to drop their current gaming flames for Atlantica Online? Why, it’s simply a chance to win a brand new car.

Well, yeah, it’s a good come-on but not enough to whet your appetites. Please don’t bash my head in with a mace for trying.

Anyway, blessed are we who play Atlantica Online. I’ve already won a brand new, uhmm, vehicle. Not the one you see in modern times, though, but an in-game mount, all thanks to this new promo Atlantica Online operator NDOORS Interactive is calling, “Unlock Your Way To Atlantica.”

Here’s an excerpt from the promo mechanics:

The vast treasures of Atlantis await those who have the key—and the key is within your grasp! Gain fabulous in-game items just for playing the game, and play enough and you can win an incredible prize, such as an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, or even a brand new 2010 Scion TC Sports Coupe!

From June 23 to August 18, players are encouraged to work with others to unlock better prizes, work with your server to get the best rewards, and work for yourself to drive away in your own 2010 Scion TC Sports Coupe!

All players can receive at least one Event Entry Key per day by staying logged into the game for an hour during the event period. The player will receive a notification in-game once the hour has been reached, and the key will automatically be sent to your mailbox. The player must be level 20 and above to be able to use the keys on the website. Once the key has been used, the player can log in to his or her account on the website to manage the keys.

Using the key on the Atlantica Online website will randomly unlock an item which will then be sent to the player’s ITem Mall Pickup in-game. Some items are exclusive to this event, such as the Swimsuit and the Bathing Cap.

The announcement continues by saying that players on each server should collectively use more keys to reach what NDOORS calls “milestones” and gain better rewards. When the total amount of keys is reached for the first milestone, for example, three things will happen:

First, players who have used at least one key in that milestone will be entered into a raffle for real prizes. Second, the server that used the most keys within the milestone period will receive 200 percent bonus experience. And last, new items will be unlocked and added to the key-use item lottery.

To be totally frank, the item lottery can get frustrating in the initial stages of this promo. But once you rack up keys and open lottery boxes one after another, then things will get better. I got a Byzantine Elephant mount!

But nothing can compare to the feeling of winning this bronco:

The 2010 Scion TC Sports Coupe.

Post from: MMOtaku

Atlantica Online: Delphi Free League Top 3

Joel Tan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:12:17 +0000

The title of this posting should read, “Atlantica Online: Life After Getting Into Delphi’s Free League Top 3,” but (no) thanks to space constraints, it turned into that unappealing title you see up there.

Actually, the title should be posed as a question: “Atlantica Online: Is There Life After Reaching the Top?” This is a question I’ve been asking myself this past week, or more accurately, after my toon or broke into Atlantica Online’s Delphi server’s Free League Top 3.

Before proceeding, I should first tell you more about the Free League and why breaking into the top spots is important. Here’s a description of the Free League from Atlantica Online operator NDOORS:

The Free Leagues allow players to hone their combat skills through continuous competition with other players at similar levels.

There are eight competitions per day—once every three hours—that lasts 90 minutes each, and players can start registering 10 minutes before each competition begins, and still register up to 15 minutes before each competition ends. Each battle lasts nine minutes.

When a Free League starts at the designated hour, the system will automatically generate a match between players at the same skill level. And new matches will be generated automatically as players compete a match. Matches stop generating 10 minutes before the league is scheduled to end.

Each Free League will last for 90 minutes, and if a player withdraws from the competition, that player will not be able to compete for the next 15 minutes.

That is Atlantica Online’s Free League in a nutshell. As to its importance, there are some areas in the game and some quests that require players to reach a certain Free League division. Other quests even require players to win Free League matches, most of the time at a disadvantage, including disabling two or more members of a player’s team.

Going back to the original topic, I feel that my interest in Atlantica Online has dwindled after my character Cooky breached the Top 3. Yes, even after Cooky fell out of the Top 3.

At present, I’m trying out other characters, a staff and a bow, to be more precise. Cooky is a musician. I’m also planning to create different mercenary builds for the two new characters and I’ll post my reviews here on MMOtaku.

In the meantime, let me further contemplate my character’s life after Atlantica Online’s Delphi server’s Free League Top 3.

Post from: MMOtaku