In the fourth installment of the hit machinima based on Flyff, we find Pudding and TGE beating the crap out of Wagsaacs outside Saint Mourning as they continue their adventures after changing into their first jobs—Mercenary for Pudding and Assist for TGE. Of course, THEGREATESTEVER is still clueless about how his job class works, mostly due to his blind fanaticism to the mysterious Assist Master Lee, hence getting stuck with using a Vagrant weapon—a flaming wooden sword.

As usual, THEGREATESTEVER exudes raw power—the power to turn people off—in this Flyff machinima episode dubbed Knight of Roika. In the fight against the Wagsaacs, Pudding manages to get herself into trouble and TGE once again saves her, but not without the verbal abuse so commonly associated with THEGREATESTEVER’s virtual mouth.

When the two young adventurers get back to town, they discover that their next quest involves hunting down Mias south of Saint Mourning and getting their dolls. Unknown to Pudding and TGE, their movements are being watched and their conversations are being monitored. Just as they are about to leave for the Mia fields, a stranger approaches them, offering aid.

Of course, THEGREATESTEVER declines the stranger’s offer with every bit of sarcasm his cocky mouth can utter.

Now, let me just shut up and make you watch the first of two video clips of the Fly For Fun machinima Pudding and TGE in the Knight of Roika:

If you liked the fourth episode in the Pudding and TGE series, you might also like:

Flyff Machinima: Pudding and THEGREATESTEVER Episode 2
Flyff Machinima: Pudding and THEGREATESTEVER

Post from: MMOtaku

The video seems genuine, from a gullible person’s perspective, at least until you reach the end. This is the reason why I included a clarification in the article that states, “If you didn’t watch the video till the end, well, I’m sure that when I open my email tomorrow morning, I’ll have the account names and passwords for dozens, if not hundreds, of accounts.”

True enough, I’ve received, to date, almost a hundred emails from unsuspecting Fly For Fun players not only from my side of the pond (that’s the Philippines, for those who don’t know) but also from those playing on gPotato’s servers.

No, this screenshot has nothing to do with penya hacking. It’s just here to show you guys how the game looks like.

Okay, to clarify, again, there’s no such thing as a Fly For Fun penya hack—at least, none that I know of. So why did I post the video? Because I want to demonstrate why a lot of online game players still get scammed. Greed plays a big part, but lack of common sense seals the player’s doom.

Here’s another video of the alleged Fly For Fun penya hack. Watch it, but don’t be fooled by it.

Screenshot by d3l1tl3pwn3r downloaded from gPotato’s site for Fly For Fun, copyright Aeonsoft of Korea.

Post from: MMOtaku

I’ve been receiving a lot of complaints about how the download link for the Fly For Fun client on the Level Up! Games website won’t work or about the patcher not working, and frankly it’s getting on my nerves.

First, as I’ve said countless times, MMOtaku and b5media are in no way connected to Level Up! Games, publisher of Fly For Fun in the Philippines, and the game’s developer Aeonsoft. If you have a beef with the way Flyff’s being run, take it up with Level Up! or Aeonsoft.

Second, I have tried downloading the client, and it works fine. I downloaded it and installed it, and it works. No, it doesn’t mean I have a better connection. My Internet connection, not to mention my service provider, sucks big time. It probably just means that your connection may have gotten cut in the middle of downloading the client and when you tried to resume, it didn’t. I suggest clearing the browser cache first before attempting to download the client again. Better yet, use a diagnostic tool and get rid of all temporary Internet files.

Third, yes, I have the client but, no, I’m not going to send it to you or anyone. I keep getting these “Hi! Can you send the Fly For Fun client installer to my email at ididntknow@youremailsgonnabounce.com” messages in both blog comment and email forms. I’m pretty sure an MMORPG client can’t be sent through email. Want to know why?

Here’s the scenario:

I open my email. I attach the executable client file. The file takes ages to upload to the email server (a safe estimate is anytime between now and the birth of my great granddaughter). The attachment raises the alarm at my Internet service provider (since it’s eating up a lot of bandwidth). If and when the file gets attached, and after filling out the forms, I click send. The email takes an eternity to send out that I will have already probably been buried or cremated. If and when it does finally reach you, Fly For Fun is no more.

Fourth and last, it’s a safe guess that all foreign IP addresses have been blocked. So if you’re living and/or working in a country other than the Philippines (United Arab Emirates and Qatar figure prominently in my mind), you’re screwed. Uhmm, I mean, you can’t play Fly For Fun or any Level Up! Games title.

So before you comment again, take time to consider the points I’ve raised. As the guys at the Marvel Comics Bullpen say, ‘Nuff said.

Post from: MMOtaku

Yes, as I’ve said countless times in the past, I’m a fan both of tabletop RPGs and massively multiplayer online RPGs. Despite spending hours upon hours of rolling dice, taking down notes, and pumping my mind to produce images and play out scenarios, I find the allure of playing tabletop role-playing games nearly irresistible. It’s too bad I don’t get to play anymore, since most of my AD&D buddies are living about 900 kilometer northwest of my residence.

That’s probably why I shifted much of my thirst for RPGs to MMORPGs, despite the lack of any real role-playing in online games. I managed to lure two of my AD&D friends into MMORPGs. Louie, who now lives in Shanghai, China, hacked his way through Rune Midgard until Ragnarok came in 2003. Relly joined me in exploring the mythical world of Pangu when Perfect World was launched in 2006.

Of course, being tabletop RPG players, we opted to name our avatars after AD&D characters, either pre-generated (or characters that appear in various AD&D novels or adventure modules) or rolled (yeah, as in using a dice). To date, I’ve used quite a number of AD&D character names, including Tika Waylan from the AD&D Dragonlance series for my wife’s blacksmith in Ragnarok Online and Storm Silverhand from the AD&D Forgotten Realms series for my hunter in Ragnarok Online, and for my wife’s ranger in Fly For Fun and her Half-Elf archer in Rohan: Blood Feud.

It’s disappointing that other players always beat me to Drizzt Do’Urden, the name of the famous Drow ranger in the AD&D Forgotten Realms setting. Sigh. Anyway, going back to the topic …

I spotted a familiar name and somewhat familiar, uhmm, face while playing Atlantica Online. Check out this screenshot:

Egad, it’s Tasslehoff! Wait, you say, who’s Tasslehoff? Let me clue you in:

Tasslehoff Burrfoot (often called Tas) is a fictional character of the kender race from the Dragonlance series of novels, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. He was born in Kendermore. His parents are unknown and he has few known relatives. He has a sister, and also claims (like many other kender) to have an Uncle Trapspringer. He has three uncles, by the names of Remo Lockpick, Berties, and Wilfre. He also has a cousin, Latchlifter Furrfoot.

As you may have probably surmised from the brief background on Tasslehoff, the kender is a race of cutpur … uhmm, borrowers, meaning they are fond of borrowing things but tend to forget to return what they borrow.

Can’t relate? Watch this video:

Post from: MMOtaku

Here’s the lowdown from China-based online games portal 17173:

According to The Eighth China Online Game Market Survey, most Chinese players rated MMORPG as their favorite game genre, no matter their ages. For players whose age fall between 19 and 25, the percentage is lower, at about 78.3 percent. They are more for online battle games.

As to the game genre most favored by players, MMORPG tops the list with 84.4 percent of votes. It’s estimated that MMORPGs will continue to dominate the market. It’s noticed that virtual reality games, which debuted on the list for the first time and won seven percent of votes. According to iResearch, this is in close relation to the fast development of webgames and the SNS community. With the combination of the two, virtual reality games will be more popular this year.

Of course, the trend isn’t limited to China. In this part of the continent and the world, MMORPGs like Perfect World, RF Online, Fly For Fun, RAN Online and Cabal also enjoy a strong following. Casual online games such as Dance Battle Audition, O2Jam and Crazy Kart are merely second fiddle, usually to break the monotony of playing MMORPGs for almost the entire day.

Image shows screenshot from Martial Heroes, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by CR-Space Inc.

Post from: MMOtaku

THEGREATESTEVER (grrr, hate all-caps names, even in-game ones) is the main character in a machinima series based on the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game Fly For Fun, or Flyff. The guy starts out fine, just like any new player out for a little adventure. His problems (or rather the viewers’ problem with him) starts when he begins idolizing Lee, a narcissist hell-bent to prove himself the Roikan gods’ gift to newbie players.

At the end of the first episode, we see THEGREATESTEVER hooking up with a fellow Vagrant—the novice class of Fly For Fun—named Pudding. Well, sort of. With her high-pitched voice and Clueless-like appeal, Pudding turns off the ambitious THEGREATESTEVER.

In this episode, we find the fledgling heroes finishing off a couple of Lawolf. Of course, THEGREATESTEVER continues his mean streak against Pudding, with the latter oblivious to the verbal and psychological abuse. In the midst of grinding, an assist (or maybe a Ringmaster … a character class that buffs and heals like crazy) drops in and bestows what is apparently an invincibility buff.

Needless to say, this buff makes THEGREATESTEVER, and consequently Pudding, a wee bit cocky, thinking they can beat any monster they come across. After felling a high-level jester-type monster, they travel to Saint Morning’s Pumpkin Town, where they meet a disastrous end.

Oooh. Let me just shut up and let you watch the video:

If you, like me, are starting to love this machinima series, do show MysticalLynx and his band of misfits some support by visiting their site.

Post from: MMOtaku

So I turned my attention to the Internet, poring over dozens of machinima videos that would fit the bill, for MMOtaku, that is. And I’ve found one of the best Fly For Fun-based machinima, Pudding and THEGREATESTEVER.

Here’s Episode 1. Take a gander if you haven’t already seen it:

Now, how many of you are guilty of being like Lee? And how many of us are like THEGREATESTEVER, guilty of following in the footsteps of a false idol like Lee? I really feel sorry for Pudding in this first episode. I hope her plight becomes better in the second episode. Stay tuned!

Kudos to the person/people behind YouTube user theping781 and this Flyff machinima series.

Post from: MMOtaku

Anyway, overall, it’s been an amazing event, what with all the powerpacked competitions that occurred. Let’s count ‘em: Ragnarok World Championships, RF Online Novus Elite Squad, Perfect World Phoenix Council Wars, Fly For Fun Heroes of the Dragon Emblem, and Freestyle All Stars ‘08.

That’s five online games and five competitions, with the Ragnarok World Champions topping the list because it’s on a global scale, with a dozen teams from 20 different countries. Whew!

Sigh. To wrap up, I’m here to announce the winners in some of the competitions I’ve managed to catch on Level Up! Games’ live streaming of LU! Live 2008:

In the Ragnarok World Championships, Team Thailand took home the crown—again—after beating South Korea in an epic battle of heart, determination and strategy. Team Indonesia, on the other hand, bagged third place after defeating last year’s third placer, Team Philippines (known locally as The Bozanian Beast Fighters).

Here’s a better overview from Ragnarok Online Philippines overlord Carlo “Wauks” Ople:

Thailand pulled off a historic win over South Korea, making them back-to-back world champions for two years in a row. The defending champions literally bulldozed all of their opponents and showcased how good they were by constantly changing their tactics depending on their opponent. The finals between Thailand and Korea really proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were strong contenders deserving of slots in the finals. I don’t know if I’m calling this right but I think the main difference for the fight was when Thailand used the Gypsy. Apparently, Korea had low VIT characters and they almost often found key players stunned, which disrupted the overall flow of their teamwork.

Other Ragnarok World Championships participants include the United States, Russia, Japan, Brazil, France and Germany … at least, that’s all I can remember. For more information about Ragnarok Online, click here.

Ragnarok World Championships match: The Philippines versus Thailand

More Level Up! Live 2008 news and views after the jump.

In the Fly For Fun Heroes of the Dragon Emblem competition, on the other hand, Fly For Fun Philippines Shade server’s The Pink Paradise trounced Rekta from oldest server Bubble. Honestly, I was rooting for Rekta, since I’m a Bubble habitue and because I have an acquaintance in the team. Unfortunately, experience wasn’t enough to save Rekta from a downward spiral as The Pink Paradise (what a name for a clan/guild!) zoomed ahead to snatch the coveted crown.

I can’t seem to find a video of the match, so we’ll go on right ahead to the last competition I watched, Perfect World’s Phoenix Council Wars. This was just one competition I couldn’t afford to miss since I helped found one of the clans that duked it out.

It’s unfortunate the Guardians of Perfect World Philippines Tiger server failed to make a dent in their opponent, The Holy Order of Light from the Dragon server. Still, it’s nothing to be ashamed of since, after all, they beat all other clans that participated in the eliminations and came out on top.

In my honest and humble opinion, the members of the Holy Order of Light are just too damned powerful. Needless to say, the competition wasn’t really founded on equal footing. If they—the honchos at Level Up! Games and the players—really wanted a more or less equal match, they should have given the contestants pre-generated characters to that experience plays a bigger part than brute force.

Regardless of the outcome, however, let’s congratulate both Holy Order and Guardians for giving us a spectacular slug fest.

Post from: MMOtaku

Anyway, I’m here to talk about the kind of sounds gamers go for while playing, or better yet, music that pushes you to level up.

A good friend, both online and offline, digs fast-paced, metal and rock and roll music while traipsing across the world of Roika. His reason? The background music, or BGM, of Fly For Fun is too toony, sometimes “girly.”

What’s ironic is, he plays a female character.

“I don’t really have anything against Fly For Fun’s BGM. I liked it the first few days I listened to the tunes. But it tends to grind on one’s nerves the longers the soundtrack is played, and doesn’t really motivate me to rake in the needed experience points to level up my character,” said Eli, a call center agent.

“Metal and Rock, now that’ll get me all fired up for a long day of grinding.”

Another friend, Relly, prefers a mish-mash of tunes stored in his iPod. His playlist includes sticky sweet love songs of the 80s, rock revolution beats of the early 90s, and catchy R&B tunes of the late 90s to early 2000s.

“They help me get through the day, from working in the morning, to taking quiet breaks in the afternoon, to trashing the opposition in the evening on my favorite MMORPG, Perfect World,” he said.

Me? I’m okay with whatever tune catches my fancy the moment I start my virtual world rampage.

It’s really no surprise then that Level Up! Games, local operator of hit online games such as Ragnarok Online, Rising Force Online, Perfect World, and Crazy Kart, has launched its own music site dubbed (what else?), Level Up! Music.

At present, the selection’s a bit limited, but with tunes like Chiksilog by Kamikazee and Amp by Kevin Roy, it’s enough to get things going.

Post from: MMOtaku

As you may have noticed, my wife also plays MMORPGs, and it’s been quite a while since she has taken a liking to any of the new games I’ve been laying my hands on these past four or five months.

First, we rekindled our passion for our first MMORPG, Ragnarok Online. It was shortlived. My wife decided to keep playing Perfect World, leaving me saddled with the responsibility of leveling our twin Tika Waylans on Ragnarok Online Philippines’ free-to-play server, Valkyrie.

Then I dipped my grubby hands in Rising Force Online. She hated it. Oh, yeah, my wife used to play the game with me back in 2006, but she didn’t like the gameplay this second time ’round. Fortunately, when RF Online came out with a patch, Crimson Dawn, the update bogged down, prompting me to seek an installer. I haven’t found a working installer. Sigh.

Next, I went for the internationally hosted MMORPG Requiem Bloodymare. She found it too bloody and gory. Scratch three for Joel and his MMORPGs. I still play Requiem, though. Leveling is tough.

Fly For Fun? Nah. The wife didn’t even lift a finger when I showed her old characters in all their glory. Dekaron and Granado Espada? Mere distractions, not enough to spark her interest.

When she saw me playing Florensia, however, her attitude changed … dramatically. Now, she couldn’t let go of the computer on which Florensia is installed. Double sigh.

Three days into the game, she’s still at it, while my character, Ginebra, named after a popular brand of gin in this little tropical paradise, is stuck at Level 10. Her character, Cesky, is now Level 14. Gawd!

Lost and confused

Screenshots taken by Joel from the online game Florensia, developed by NetTimeSoft and published by Burda:ic GmbH.

Post from: MMOtaku