According to Netgame, publisher of the game, Cloud Nine garnered a four-out-of-five score from players who participated in the open beta testing that began on November 25th, 2009.

“User reviews show that most players enjoy the unique monster card collection system where they are able to collect cards after defeating certain monsters,” said a press release from Digital Media Exchange, a global provider of online game services based in Southeast Asia.

Cloud Nine characters ham it up for the virtual camera

One cool feature that players are sure to be eager to try out is the unique transportation system in Cloud Nine that involves a cannon. A cannon? Yeah! To move to another location, your character hops into the barrel of a large cannon that catapults them long distances.

“Another feature that is unique from other MMORPGs is the Seven Sign Combo where if a party of seven is able to use seven unique skills, they are able to cast a very strong summoning system,” the statement added.

As to what they can summon, it’s better if you see and experience for yourself in-game.

Another bit of good news is the recent opening of the Cloud Nine cash shop, which adds a new dimension of gaming. All that is left is for the game to go commercial, and this is happening this December.

For more information about the game, hie off to the official Cloud Nine website or check out previous MMOtaku postings on Cloud Nine.

Post from: MMOtaku

So for the past hour, I’ve been scanning the entire patch notes and have found a number of interesting changes. Of course, the most obvious and much-awaited change to Atlantica Online is the introduction of the Druid mercenary, which I featured yesterday. However, I failed to discuss the Druid’s skills and how you can recruit him into your team.

Atlantica Online introduces the latest mercenary: The Druid

Well, as Atlantica Online’s first A-Class mercenary, the Druid is armed with undoubtedly powerful magic, including Forest Prison, which conjures up tress to surround an enemy and prevent them from attacking your formation. Think of it as the Viking’s Freezing Axe or Ice-Ridge Axe but with an extra turn of stun for the main target.

What intrigues me more is the Druid’s two other skills: Beast’s Soul and Enraged Beast’s Soul. The first one is a buff skill that increases the attack power of mercenaries in your formation. The enraged form of the skill, on the other hand, is a combo magic skill that further increases attack power once the Spartan skill War Cry is cast on your team. The effect is you may not hit as much, but when you do hit, you hit hard.

To recruit the Druid into your Atlantica Online team, you need to start the recruitment quest by talking with Raging Wind, an NPC in the new map, Coyote’s Valley. Of course, there are restrictions, among which is the Level 100 requirement.

What makes recruiting and upgrading a Druid much more difficult is the fact that some of the quest items you need to complete the recruitment quest can only be obtained from the Coyote’s Valley dungeon, a new dungeon designed for Squads. Oh, yeah, the Squad System is also new. Under the system, you can form a squad composed of several parties to tackle a dungeon.

In the first squad dungeon, Coyote’s Valley, nine players (5+1 formation, meaning five mercenaries plus one main character each) are allowed to enter. These players must be at least Level 100, although the recommended level to complete the dungeon is 120.

To enter the dungeon, you need a Chief’s Ivory Horn, which can be obtained by exchanging items with the NPC Merchant Mercurius at the Rome Bazaar.

For more information about Squads and Squad Dungeons, check out the complete Atlantica Online patch notes for December 9th, 2009.

Another notable change in the rules of Atlantica Online is the one on formation restrictions. Prior to this patch, you can only have one of each type of C-Class mercenaries in your formation. Thanks to the new patch, you may now retain up to two Beast Trainers, Oracles and Janissaries in the same formation. Talk about power!

There are also changes to the three main characters. Swordsmen will receive less physical damage during competitions, while Spearmen’s attack power in competitions have been increased. The attack power of bow mains, meanwhile, have also been increased (as if bow mains don’t already deal too much damage).

Post from: MMOtaku

The DC Universe Online Animation Contest is version 2.0 of the acclaimed Mass Animation Facebook application and is designed to give DC Comics fans a chance to animate heroes and villains from the DC Universe Online game, which is currently in development by Sony Online Entertainment.

“The DCUO/Mass Animation contest takes a part of the game out of the development studio and puts it in the hands of fans, an empowering opportunity for our community,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Players will have a chance through qualified contest submissions to be involved with the game’s development at a deeper level than ever before by animation actions for in-game heroes and villains.”

DC Universe Online Animation Contest on Facebook

The DCUO/Mass Animation contest, launched on December 7th, 2009, comes at the heels of Mass Animation’s first project, Live Music, which attracted over 58,000 participants from 101 countries, from Kazakhstan to Colombia. If you take the time to visit the DC Universe Online Animation Contest Facebook page, you’ll see that it already has over 2,000 fans. Not bad for the second day.

All the tools that animators need to collaborate on the project, including the special edition of Autodesk Maya 3D Animation sofware, storyboards, designs and fully rigged 3D models will be provided to contest entrants and accessed through the Mass Animation application on the DCUO Facebook fan page. Participating animators will upload their contest submissions back to the application for viewing, voting and sharing with their friends. New to the contest this year will be the Mass Animation iPhone app, which gives people a new way to view and vote on submissions. Qualified contest winners will receive cash or other prizes.

“This new project really gives us the opportunity to expand Mass Animation into the online game sector, where gamers have already been creating in-game customized assets for some time,” said Yair Landau, founder of Mass Animation. “In 2.0, we are opening the animation process to traditional animators as well as gamers and inviting artists to animate some of the coolest, most classic characters on the planet such as Superman, Batman, The Joker and Wonder Woman. By opening up the contest to gamers and involving them in asset creation, there will be a real sense of connection to the game before it launches.”

To join the contest, you must be at least 18 years old at the time of entry (20 years old if you’re a resident of Japan) and are registered users of Facebook. The contest is open only to the first 10,000 persons who meet the requirements in accordance with the official rules. Those living in Cuba, Burma/Myanmar, Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, the Netherlands, and Quebec (in Canada) are prohibited from joining the competition.

Check out the full set of rules for the DC Universe Online Animation Contest.

Post from: MMOtaku

What makes the Druid’s entry to Atlantica Online exciting is the fact that he’s the only A-class mercenary, the highest classification for recruitable mercenaries in the game. To date, the best mercenaries a player can recruit in Atlantica Online are the B-class mercs: Spartan, Sailor and Elementalist.

Of course, Korea Atlantica Online got first dibs on the new Druid mercenary. Here’s a video of the Druid in action in the Free League:

Oh, and that lumbering hunk of virtual muscle and flesh isn’t the Druid. It’s actually his battle bear.

Atlantica Online Druid

At present, we’ve only seen one skill that the Atlantica Online Druid can use, Forest Prison, which ensnares a row of enemies with vines that drain AP. According to the teaser released by NDOORS on the official Atlantica Online site, the Druid can also buff a row to increase critical and multiple hit rates.

Hmmm, this makes me wonder how the Druid will work in conjunction with bonuses afforded by other Atlantica Online mercenaries like the Hwarang (increase ranged mercs’ attack power and combo rate), the Princess (auto heals ranged mercs and gives them bonuses to defense and accuracy) and the Prophet (auto heals melee mercs and gives them bonuses to attack power and accuracy).

The Druid will be introduced in the next patch for Atlantica Online. I’ll post the patch notes once they come out.

Post from: MMOtaku

“As we grow, we are continuing to expand the availability of Fallen Earth through online channels,” said Fallen Earth marketing manager Jessica Orr. “Digital distributors have become major players in the video game space and this is an area where we are constantly seeking to expand Fallen Earth’s presence.

Grab a copy of Fallen Earth before the zombies do

Of course, all good promotions come with some goodies, and Fallen Earth’s debut on Impulse is no exception. What do you get from purchasing the game through Impulse?

Fancy White Boots: One of the most dashing types of footwear in the wastelands of Fallen Earth, these boots aren’t just for looks. With 31 primary armor against slashing, piercing, crushing and ballistic, 20 secondary aror versus fire and cold, and 10 tertiary armor against acid, radiation, poison, sonic, electric, psionic and disease, these boots will help any player walk through difficult situations. With an additional three percent increase to all saving throws (body, mind and reflex), this footwear is a functional yet stylish necessity.

Snazzy White Hat: Wandering out into the wasteland without the latest in fashionable head gear? Perish the thought! With 15 primary armor, 10 secondary armor, and 5 tertiary armor, this hat is for more than just show. It gets the job done with a +3 to scavenging, nature and geology. Pair it with the Fancy White Boots and you’re set to dominate Fallen Earth. Just don’t forget to keep them clean.

Go check out the Fallen Earth website or previous MMOtaku postings on Fallen Earth to know what the game is all about.

Post from: MMOtaku

Developed by BOB Studio, this action-packed WWII shooter promises a lot of features that at first glance seem perfect for aficionados of both massively multiplayer online first-person shooters and massively multiplayer online real-time strategy games.

“With more than 10 years of experience in creating tank shooting games, we have been impressed with BOB Studios’ work on this fantastic new WWII shooter,” Jonathan Stypula of GamesCampus. “Tank Ace is packed with some astounding features and offers an engaging battle experience that is like nothing else available online today.”

Tank Ace: Destroy the opposition!

Here’s a short list of Tank Ace features:

Realistic Tanks with Historically Accurate Stats: Customize tanks by adding armor, different styles of camouflage, body art, kill marks, and clan insignias.

World War II Factions: Players can choose to join one of three different sides from World War II: Russia, Germany, and the United States. Each faction gains access to a unique stable of historic tanks, uniforms and other in-game items.

Ease of Control: Using WASD controls, players will immediately be able to control their tanks. The mouse is used to rotate the turret, aim, and fire. Users can also select various views on the fly, such as the Commander View, Gunner View, Driver View, and Scout View. Each view has its own benefits and drawbacks. Choose the best one for the situation you find yourself in.

It’s Pure Tactics: Gather up your friends and create your best strategy. Call in air support to scout out an enemy stronghold and take them out. Use field artillery to soften up the opposition. Tired of that barn hiding the enemy approach? Blast it away!

Area-Specific Damage System: Tanks in Tank Ace have 10 hit areas, each with a different defense rating. Focus on attacking areas with lower defense ratings, or conceal those areas for defensive stances. Just as in real life, the front of the tank is the most highly armored area and the rear is vulnerable. If you really want to stick it to the enemy, send a shell right up their tailpipe!

Damn, I’m already excited, and the closed beta test for Tank Ace, which starts December 17th, 2009, seems so far away.

Go check out Tank Ace official website for North America.

Post from: MMOtaku

Hakkyu Kim

Well, if this is true, we may be looking at the start of something big. Hakkyu Kim is, after all, undoubtedly one of the best online game designer out there, with Ragnarok Online and Granado Espada, or Sword of the New World, tucked in his wide belt.

Proof of the popularity and potency of Kim-designed games can be seen in the continuing adoration for Ragnarok Online. In my corner of the world, the game still retains a certain charm that pulls in gamers both old and new. I’ve quit playing the game several times, but I keep coming back for more.

Granado Espada is a different story. Although the game has depth, it’s three-character system doesn’t appeal to some MMORPG players. I for one am an off-again-on-again player. Hey, I haven’t uninstalled the game from my gaming rig yet. So there must be some merit to keeping it there.

So what else can Hakkyu Kim say about these upcoming titles? Let’s turn to Gamasutra for the answer:

“It will be more action-oriented, but still an MMORPG,” he said.

Post from: MMOtaku

According to Game Industry News, Vestgame is launching a new server for World of Kung Fu this December. This bodes well for the game since it can only mean one thing—it’s getting bigger … and hopefully better.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

In order to satisfy the demands of World of Kung Fu fans and enhance the game stability for players in different regions, Vestgame Entertainment has decided to open a new server in Seattle at the beginning of December.

The new server is named Snow Reindeer for the forthcoming Christmas. To celebrate the opening of the new server, World of Kung Fu will hold variously interesting and amusing events in-game. Online GMs will also send out random gifts to people on that day. If you are lucky and strong enough, maybe you will be one who can win the final prize! Why not come with your friends and have a try!

World of Kung Fu: Enter Battle!

Maybe I will, maybe not. But since I’m looking for a new game that can fire up my loins the way some games I have played in the past have, I’ll probably give World of Kung Fu another try.

For those who don’t have an inkling of what World of Kung Fu is, it’s a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on traditional Chinese culture.

The graphics look great and the sound effects are okay for an MMORPG. The only thing that I hate about World of Kung Fu, with the limited time I have been playing it, is the console or interface. It is totally dated, straight out of an early 2000s MMO. If Vestgame finds the time to overhaul it, I’m sure more players will come in.

World of Kung Fu does have other merits aside from good graphics and sounds. Go check out the review I posted a while back, or better yet, hie off the the official World of Kung Fu website for more details.

Post from: MMOtaku

According to China-based online games portal 17173, quoting news website Sina and statistics released by the China Internet Network Information Center, China has 69.31 million players of online games, a figure that is 24.8 percent higher than last year.

The report said large-scale casual game and massively multiplayer online role-playing game users account for 67.9 percent and 61 percent, respectively, of the total.

What may come as a surprise is the large number of female gamers at about 26 million, or 38.9 percent of the total number of online gamers.

The site added that students comprise 37.2 percent of China’s online gamers, with 46.1 percent falling between the ages of 10 and 19.

A screenshot from the online game Perfect World from Perfect World Co. Ltd. of China

Post from: MMOtaku

This time around NDOORS has unleashed the Hydra’s Wings through the box Iolaus’ Pride on the virtual world of Atlantica Online. Let’s go check out the bonuses afforded players who don these mighty decoration items:

Hydra’s Wings - Mininum Level: 70, Attack Power: 550-650, Vitality: + 100, Defense: 500

Three generations of Atlantica Online wings or decoration items: the Kitty Bag, the Hydra's Wings and the Infernal Lucifer's Wings

Last month, NDOORS released the equally powerful Argos Wings in Atlantica Online through the Relic of Pasiphae. I totally missed out on that one! The Argos Wings is almost as strong as the new set of wings, giving its bearer, who should be at least Level 70, 500-600 additional attack power, a 90-point boost to Vitality, and a 500-point increase in Defense.

The Hydra’s Wings may have only been released two days ago, but you can already see dozens of player characters who have them. In my guild, the Guardians of Atlantica Online’s Delphi server, there are two players, Demonic and Kentinguy, who are fortunate enough to get the wings from the random box that is Iolaus’ Pride. Actually, I consider Demonic luckier because he got the unique Invincible Hydra’s Wings instead of the run-of-the-mill Hydra’s Wings.

For those who don’t get these pair of wings on their first try, don’t fret, as Ioalus’ Pride drops not only Hydra’s Wings but also mounts, scrolls and jewels.

Here’s a rundown of the stuff you can get from opening Ioalus’ Pride:

• 1 Invincible Hydra’s Wings
• 1 Hydra’s Wings
• 1 Armed Mount Box containing armed versions of either the Byzantine Elephant, the Volcanic Raptor or the Snow Tiger
• 1 Ancient Skill Book Box containing either 10 Ancient Skill Books or 50 Jewels of your choice (whether Dragon, Giant, Redemption or Phoenix)
• 1 Ancient Skill Book (Merc. Only) Box containing either 10 Ancient Skill Books (Merc. Only) or 50 Jewels of your choice
• 1 Secret Vial of Amnesia Box containing either 1 Secret Vial of Amnesia or 50 Jewels of your choice
• 1 Scret Vial of Potential Box containing either 60 Secret Vial of Potential or 50 Jewels of your choice
• 1 Growth Vial Box with your choice of 100 Growth Vials or 50 of any of the various jewels

Actually there’s a lot more, but it’s soooo difficult to list them all down. If you must have the entire list, hie off to the official Atlantica Online website.

Post from: MMOtaku