What’s an blog anniversary posting without some sort of reminiscing? Here’s a look back at several MMOtaku posts that have piqued the interest of most of its readers:

Perfect World Tideborn

Perfect World Tideborn Debuts On Nov. 25th
In the first week of November 2009, MMOtaku announced the coming of the Tideborn race in the free-to-play MMORPG Perfect World from Beijing-based Perfect World Co. Ltd.. I consider this game one of the most visible non-subscription MMOG, thanks to the establishment of Perfect World Entertainment in North America and the licensing of the game in different parts of the world, like in the Philippines under Level Up! Games.

Top Ten Thursdays: Best MMORPGs In The Philippines
First off, I’d like to point out that this piece was written on January 3rd, 2008, and reflected the crop of MMORPGs that were hot back then. Now that we have that out of the way, let me tell you that I intend to restart Top Ten Thursdays by updating the previous postings under that category. Coincidentally, this particular Top Ten Thursdays posting has one of the most number of comments, and I have MMOtaku readers based in the Philippines to thank for that.

In This Part Of The World, MMORPGs And Cosplay Go Hand In Hand
And I mean Asia, not just my little tropical paradise. It’s a fact that cosplay plays a crucial role in the success of MMORPGs and the industry that spawned them in Asia. This can be gleaned from attending the various video gaming conventions across the continent. In the Philippines, we have several events, usually hosted by online games publishers and video gaming magazines, that highlight cosplay as a form of love for favorite MMOs.

Third Job Classes Coming To Ragnarok Online
One more proof that you can’t let a good game down. I’m talking about Ragnarok Online and the updates that keep it alive. Early last year, news came out of Gravity that third job classes were coming out. To date, however, we haven’t seen any of the new jobs, at least in my corner of the world. I’m sure it’s already out in Korea, if it was really Gravity’s intention to come out with the new classes.

Well, that’s it for our short reminiscing session. Stay tuned for another MMOtaku anniversary posting!

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

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

It’s actually a blogging contest, and those who know Robert can attest to his love for both blogging and massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The contest is an event aimed at boosting awareness about Perfect World Philippines‘ latest update, Lost Empire.

Perfect World Philippines teaser for the Lost Empire blogging contest

Among the features introduced by the Lost Empire patch are new equipment to craft (there are four new furnaces at Ancient Heaven-Tear City on top of the ones in Dragon City and Dusk Palace), new maps to explore and the continuation of the Hero Quest (courtesy of time travel from present-day Perfect World to Ancient Perfect world, a new esteem levels, Demon and Immortal (that give your Level 100+ characters a shiny new fairy or imp), and a whole lot more.

Robert’s winning of the top prize comes as a total surprise for the fellow who has just gone through the harrowing experience of seeing his house get flooded when Typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana) unleashed its fury on Metro Manila, the national capital region of the Philippines.

In a recent post on his blog Geek Papa, Alcarcalimo wrote, “I’m sorry if I haven’t posted in a while as a typhoon hit my country last Saturday and flooded my house. Unfortunately, it partially submerged my CPU as well when the flood suddenly surged inside.”

He added: “Me and my family are currently staying in another house until the old one is repaired. I hope my CPU still works…”

Well, seeing as how you’re getting a limited edition iPod Nano in these dark times, it’s a clear signal that things can only get better.

If you want to see what blog post bagged the iPod Nano for Robert, check out Geek Papa’s Perfect World Philippines: Lost Empire Update.

Congratulations, Robert!

Post from: MMOtaku

When I managed to enter the World of Kung Fu and started creating my character, a spear wielder named Jadzia, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like something in the game. Nothing was amiss. The graphics looked great. There wasn’t any lag. The controls were easy to master. There were some characters roaming the starter town—a good thing for an MMO! And best of all, the concept wasn’t difficult to grasp.

I discovered a bit later, after completing my first quest, what the heck was bugging me about World of Kung Fu from the onset. I hated—and still hate—its user interface. Sorry to say this, Vestgame, but the interface … the console of your baby sucks, bigtime. To be totally honest, it made me feel I was playing an MMO straight from the early 2000s. Talk about retro.

World of Kung Fu: Graphics may be topnotch, but the user interface can use a serious facelift.

Fortunately, the great graphics and so-so music and sound effects saved the day, and convinced me enough to play World of Kung Fu for at least another hour.

I can’t find any good description of the game. Mine is a bit tainted, so I’ve decided to borrow one from the World of Kung Fu Wiki:

As in the real world, World of Kung Fu is a complex network of various interconnecting systems. Unlike other games in which the point of the experience is to defeat monsters and enemies, this game invites the martial artists to become deeply involved in the development and establishment of a society which interweaves economic and social systems. The game also enables the players to enjoy the emotions of a private life filled with romance and drama. Furthermore, as they increase their skills, the players can establish their own school and master their own style of Kung Fu which they will then be able to pass on to others.

World of Kung Fu graphics: Love the detail and texture, especially the shadows.

Here’s a list of the things I learned about life in the World of Kung Fu:

Auto-Move. Having an auto-move system in an MMORPG is great. First, it saves you the trouble of memorizing NPC names and looking for these names on the small minimap. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack! Thanks to auto-move, searching for the right NPC for hours on end is a thing of the past.

Non-Linear Quests. Some quests appear to be non-linear in nature. In my first hour of playing World of Kung Fu, I think I bypassed three or four quests. Apparently, just like in other MMOs, quests in this game depends on your level. So when you rise in level in quick succession, you may miss a few quests.

So Many NPCs. There are so many NPCs in the starter town of Taoyuan that it makes you wonder about their function. Are they there purely as decoration? Apparently not, since talking to some of them reveals their nature as either vendor, crafting or teleport NPCs. But what about the others? Oh, they’re just there to wait till you reach a certain level. When you do reach that “certain level,” the NPC will seek you out.

PK Anywhere, Anytime. Knowing you can get PK’d (player-killed) anywhere and anytime in the World of Kung Fu makes you paranoid. Actually, to save you the trouble of continuously panning the camera view to check for backstabbers, you can only PK and get PK’d outside safe zones, like towns, and only if you are above Level 20. So stop checking the bushes every five minutes.

Well, that’s it for now. Let me practice some Kung Fu katas and get back to you in a few days. Oh, if you want to join me in the World of Kung Fu, head over to the official website, register for an account and download the client.

Post from: MMOtaku

Awww, but The Green Arrow isn’t exactly super by some standards, so what is he doing in DC Universe Online. Well, for starters, that’s probably why he’s a well-liked chap. Ollie’s lack of any super powers endears him to a lot of DC Comics readers. And this is what the folks at Sony Online Entertainment is banking on.

To be totally honest, I never liked The Green Arrow—that is until I saw him in action in an episode of Justice League Unlimited entitled Fearful Symmetry. In this particular episode, Supergirl has some bad dreams and The Green Arrow—with the very confusing The Question—helps her with what turns out to be a big conspiracy.

Where most superheroes would have punched their way through to get to some answers, Ollie used wit and cunning to help Supergirl. And I love his attitude, the angst, a product of his losing a multimillion-dollar fortune courtesy of a storyline revamp by writer Dennis O’Neal from the original concept of Mort Weisinger that made it appear that The Green Arrow was a copycat of Batman.

Oh, and it isn’t every day that you encounter a superhero who is a former mayor of a major fictional city. Ollie Queen is the former political head honcho of Star City—yeah, the same city that gave birth to The Flash.

The Green Arrow and Green Lantern join forces against Lex Luthor in DC Universe Online

Bah, enough of my prattle. Here’s how Sony Online Entertainment introduced The Green Arrow to the multitude of DC Online Universe fans:

Sony Online Entertainment Reveals The Green Arrow in DC Universe Online

With his excellent aim, The Green Arrow (Oliver “Ollie” Queen) is an expert archer who never misses a shot at cleaning up the streets of Star City. His marksmanship is constantly giving him the opportunity to invent new kinds of arrows, including a boomerang arrow and dozens of other tricks that explode on impact. The by-products of his years of study and spiritual training are his enhanced strength and stamina, which are matched only by his political convictions.

The Green Arrow is a key member of the Justice League of America and a very close friend to Green Lantern. Friends of Green Arrow consider him a bit outspoken for his own good, but his cutting wit and devilish smile infuriates his rivals, including Captain Boomerang, who yearns for the day to defeat The Green Arrow.

Post from: MMOtaku

J. Mark Hood, co-founder of F2P games company Reality Gap, publisher of Monato Esprit in North America, made this assessment of the market in a recent interview with Gamasutra. “I think it is saturated here … how do you compete with (the massive budgets) that Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts are doing right now?” Hood said.

Monato Esprit from Reality Gap

He goes on to say that porting online games from Asia “doesn’t work anymore,” and that companies that publish free-to-play MMOs in North America need to work doubly hard to get better titles.

I agree with Hood there, that getting better titles that cater to the tastes of North American gamers as a solution to the dead end that he foresees for the market. But there are other ways to skin the proverbial cat.

On my side of the pond, in this tropical paradise we call the Philippines, we face a similar dilemma. Free-to-play MMOs are flooding the market, but only a handful can be considered “playable” by discerning and serious players. The attention of players are divided, and the focus of online games operators and publishers is scattered.

Because I’ve had my fill of some good free-to-play MMOs and encounters with mediocre ones, I’m now looking for new online games to try, and hopefully play for a long time. But the country’s current roster of online games just doesn’t appeal to me, so I turn my sights outward.

This is an option that players in North America lack, unless they know how to tap into free-to-play MMOs in Korea and China by finding ways around IP blocks and language barriers. It is this disadvantage that North America-based F2P games companies can turn into an advantage.

Let’s face facts: Not all players of free-to-play online games in North America are from North America. Here’s an example: Atlantica Online is a Korean-made MMO published in North America by NDOORS Interactive. But the game can be accessed and played by virtually anyone from anywhere in the world.

To maximize this advantage, NDOORS Interactive has established payment gateways to enable Atlantica Online players from different parts of the world a way to purchase Gcoins, its item mall currency. By doing this, the company has opened the doors to a wider but already existing market.

Atlantica Online wallpaper featuring the Spartan mercenary

Post from: MMOtaku

Ntreev USA, publisher of casual online golf game Pangya in North America, has just launched the Gacha System in the game. But that’s as far as the information goes, just an announcement that the system has been implemented. Being an on-again-off-again player, I’m really not familiar with the workings of Gacha.

From observation and a little research (which, I might add, produced scant results), it seems the Gacha is an in-game lottery system where players purchase virtual coins with real money for a chance—and I do mean a chance—to get a rare item in Pangya. For its initial release, Gacha offers Rainbow Fairy Wings.

The Gach, errr, catch here is that you may or may not get the rare item on the first few tries. A few players who have ranted about the system on the Pangya forums claim they spend anywhere between USD$20 and USD$100 before they get “something useful.” To add insult to injury, the wings they’ve been getting don’t even match their characters.

Crazy stuff, that. But you’ve got to remember that it’s a lottery after all and works under the same mechanics as any game of chance. It’s like joining a raffle for a car by purchasing dozens upon dozens of grocery items but winning only a few knick knacks or nothing at all. So it’s a double-edged blade and cuts both ways.

Well, enough of my ranting. Let me show you Ntreev USA’s announcement on the release of the Pangya Gacha System:

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, has announced the release of new screenshots for its online casual golf game, Pangya. The new screenshots feature the game’s nine playable characters, including Lucia, the popular and cute pink-haired pop star who was introduced to players in Pangya Season 4. Additionally, the company recently introduced the first set of Gacha items in Pangya.

For the release of the new Gacha item, Ntreev has made the Rainbow Fairy Wings available for everyone. These wings are useful to all players, as they will increase the size of the Pangya Bar. Players must hurry to retrieve these, though, as the wings will only be available for the next month. To access Gacha, players should navigate to the main pull-up menu, or click on the “buy” button on the Pangya Gacha Coins located under Item > Gacha. Additionally, Gacha Coin packages have also been added to the shop.

For more information about the game and the new Gacha System, visit Pangya’s official website.

Post from: MMOtaku

I’m looking forward to playing Shaiya from Aeria Games.

In the end, however, all five factors must be met for a player to stay and continue playing an MMO. Let’s take a closer look at these considerations:

Sound Effects and Background Music. The thought that a player can be turned on—or off—by video game sounds and music may seem ludicrous to some, but it’s the truth. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this question: “Would you play Counter-Strike even if the virtual guns sound like the tapping of a typewriter?” Or maybe, “Would you play Call of Duty 4 if its sound effects were taken from Space Invaders?”

Video and Graphics. Definitely a big come-on for any video games addict, graphics is the first—and maybe the only—reason why people upgrade a computer. While text-based and 2D MMOs have a certain allure, you just can’t discount the fact that 3D virtual worlds where art imitates life draw the biggest crowds.

Character Customization. In recent years, we’ve witnessed the dawn of MMOs that offer good character customization options ranging from hair and skin color to massive wardrobe changes. Some even go as far as allowing you to alter every feature of a character’s face and body, from wrinkles to facial hair to moles. An MMO is more exciting if your character doesn’t look like the characters of other players.

Unique Systems and Gameplay Modes. Nothing says play me more than a game’s unique features. Unfortunately, most developers stick a label claiming original content leaving players to discover that there’s nothing really special about it. This is especially true for massively multiplayer online first-person shooters whose developers deny copying some features from well-known FPS like Counter-Strike and Quake.

Community. This is perhaps the single most important feature that an MMO should have in order to be successful. Some really old MMORPGs are still operating because of the strength of its community. Ragnarok Online comes to mind. It is very unfortunate that not all communities have the power to keep MMOs going. Despite having a hardworking and loving community, the Philippine server of Khan Online still went offline last year.

Well, there you have it—the five most important factors that affect a player’s choice of MMOs to play. I subscribe to all five. How about you?

Post from: MMOtaku

The problem with Luna Online Philippines starts as soon as you launch the client. If you haven’t installed any language packs, particularly Chinese, you may want to do it before you start up the game. Apparently, the guys up at Run Up Philippines haven’t gotten around to translating the launcher’s programming from the one provided by the Run Up headquarters in Hong Kong.

The transition from the launcher to the game doesn’t present any hitches, but when you start to get down and dirty by performing the quests or simply going out of the town to slay some cute little slime creatures, that’s when it gets a bit hairy.

From my limited experience in playing Luna Online Philippines, either of two things will happen once you’ve settled into complacency. First, you might get disconnected from the game. Yeah, nothing odd about that. It happens even in other MMOs. What will probably tick you off is the fact that when you get disconnected from Luna, the client shuts down and leaves you with the tedious task of restarting it just to log into the game again.

Second, the client may not shut down right away, but you get more frustrated as you discover that you can’t kill mobs or perform any skill. Obviously, when this happens, either have to wait till the Luna Online client shuts down by itself or this Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the task manager and do the deed of killing the client from there.

I suppose it’s understandable why Luna Online is still, for the lack of a better term, sucky. The game is still in open beta and Run Up Philippines has yet to work out the kinks. I’ll give Luna a few weeks to shape up and then see if it deserves a second look.

Here’s a short description of Luna Online for those who are clueless as to what it is:

Luna Online is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG developed by EYA Interactive of South Korea that emphasizes user communities. Among the game’s myriad social features are the Match-Making System, which aids players find what it thinks is their perfect match to play with, and the Family System, which lets players team up to operate a farm.

For more information, visit the Luna Online Philippines community blog.

Post from: MMOtaku