Massively

Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition

Jef Reahard — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, MMO industry, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Runes of Magic, Atlantica Online, Vindictus, Dragon Nest, Miscellaneous

Whether you're an Easter traditionalist or you simply need an excuse to eat a chocolate bunny, it's that time of year again. It's also time for a few of our favorite MMO devs to don their silly hats and introduce all manner of egg hunts and contests into games like RuneScape, Runes of Magic, and World of Warcraft.

That's just the tip of the Easter event iceberg; you'll find several more festively inclined titles in our roundup after the cut. Before you hop on over, have a look at the two bunnies above and repeat after us: d'awww.

Continue reading Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition

Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online clocks its millionth player

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

After a big push for players to rope in their friends, Nexon is finally able to announce that Atlantica Online has reached the one million player mark -- and there's no looking back from here.

The millionth player was DevilsRuler of Sikyon, and he or she will receive a million NX (item shop currency) and a title that comes with a substantial attack and XP boost. As if a million people to have picked up Atlantica Online wasn't enough, Nexon is boasting a few other impressive stats. To date, over 2.2 million characters have been created, 1.6 million "friend pairs" created, and 18,866 homes built.

To celebrate this substantial milestone, Nexon is hosting Atlantica Day on Saturday, March 25th. Players who log in between 5:00 and 5:10 p.m. EDT will be granted a "Time's Witness" title that can be triggered for an attack power and defense buff.

[Source: Nexon press release]

Atlantica Online clocks its millionth player originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Join the fight to reclaim Atlantica Online

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online has become a much more dangerous place to visit as of late, ever since a horde of monsters led by the evil Riederan invaded the place. But you won't let a little thing such as XP-filled loot piñatas keep you from fighting back, right? We didn't think so.

Starting tomorrow and continuing through January 8th, Atlantica Online players will rise to meet the challenge of these invaders during a massive in-game event. When Riederan's Invasion is triggered, players have a scant half-hour to slaughter 10,000 monsters per town before the town's defenses fail. The event is programmed to scale so that mobs will match the players' levels.

Participate in the event and precious rewards and buffs will drop into your lap. Bet that's the best news your lap's heard all day! To help players out with the invasion, Atlantica Online has introduced a new hero, the sorceress Mwindo. Mwindo can use her primal monsoon magic and staff to bring the pain to the baddies.

[Source: Nexon press release]

Join the fight to reclaim Atlantica Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online celebrates three years with in-game events

Matt Daniel — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online, Giveaways

Atlantica Online, Nexon's quirky tactical MMORPG, has been running for three whole years now. You know what that means, right? Anniversary celebration time! From now until November 16th, players can celebrate Atlantica's third anniversary by participating in a variety of in-game events.

For starters, there's the Hunt for the Warlord's Poem. Players have to hunt down monsters that have stolen fragments of Khun Phaen's poetry. Completing this task will net players "Khun Phaen's Carrier Pigeon, a Title: People's Champion, Khun Phaen Skill Books, and other essentials."

If you'd rather put your combative skills to the test, you can take part in the third anniversary Grand Championship Battle Royale, which will take place on October 31st at 6:00 a.m. EDT and again at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The top four players will receive a prize of precious NX Credit.

Lastly, Nexon is asking players to take a picture of either themselves or their avatars with a sign reading "Happy Anniversary Atlantica!" Players who submit such a picture will be entered into a drawing for 20,000 NX.

For the full details, head on over to Atlantica Online's official site.celebrates three years with in-game events

Atlantica Online celebrates three years with in-game events originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

If you've never read Romance of the Three Kingdoms or studied a bit of Chinese history, you're missing out on a drama full of intrigue, cleverness, and sweeping battles. Fortunately for players of Atlantica Online, you don't need to know the history to enjoy the upcoming Three Kingdoms update. Slated for release on the 26th of April, the update will contain a variety of new quests and systems along with a new mercenary hero, Guan Yu.

The quests will center around the Battle of Red Cliffs, with players getting the chance to rub shoulders with well-known figures such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Players can also enjoy the new Expedition Team feature, which allows mercenaries to be dispatched for side objectives while the player focuses on the more pressing battles of the day. Check out some of the concept art in the gallery below, and if you're fond of Atlantica Online, make sure to check out the new update on the 26th.

Gallery: Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Atlantica Online

Beau Hindman — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Humor, Atlantica Online, Rise and Shiny, Livestream

Is it possible to be simultaneously annoyed and enchanted by an MMORPG? I think it just might be, now that I've spent several days and hours with Atlantica Online, now published by Nexon. It might not make sense to a lot of you, but the overwhelming and possibly overly complicated UI and systems of gathering basic information ("where's the bank?") filled me with a sense of wonder and even awe. There was so much to learn and see -- or was it just that the poorly designed UI gave me way too much information in too many ways?

For example, if I wanted to locate the bank, I would open up an information window, go into a few more selections until I found the city and then the bank, then either try to find my way there or click on auto-walk to get there. Once there, I would have to join the bank then ask why the bank didn't allow me to store items in addition to money. Then I would find out that the only city with item storage is Rome, so then I'd need to open up the information book to find Rome, only to discover that I had no way of getting there until level 20.

So then I would need to find an NPC through the book, auto-path to him or her to sell the goods that were taking up way too much room in my inventory, then double-click on the quest so I could double-click and auto-path my way top the NPC who gave me the quest (since the quest's mobs were not linked in the book), then continue on with my quests that would result in my bags becoming full again. Phew.

Click past the cut and let me tell you all about it.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Atlantica Online

Rise and Shiny recap: Atlantica Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online removes Stamina, allows unlimited play

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Nobody likes to be told how to play. Even if you have a good reason to try to limit player activities, players want to have the freedom to play an MMO however they want and whenever they want. It's a lesson that Atlantica Online has taken to heart with its latest mechanical change overhauling the Stamina system. Specifically, the overhaul consists of removing the system in its entirety as of today, allowing players unfettered access to the game's content.

Previously, the system was in place to prevent players from taking too many actions during a given period of time, which fatigued characters and locked down further progress. The removal allows players to continue playing for as long as they wish. Atlantica Online's players will no doubt be happy to hear that there's no clock in the background any longer, which is undeniably good unless you needed to be reminded to get up from the computer once in a while.

Atlantica Online removes Stamina, allows unlimited play originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online rings in the holidays

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Christmas has come to Atlantica Online, and with it, a host of changes that are certain to excite both new and veteran players. In the most recent updates, players are enjoying sweeping changes in the game's tactical battle system, the opening of Santa's Villa, and a new dungeon to explore. Small groups of three 125th-level-and-higher players can head into the Ancient Lava Valley area and pit their skills against a host of monsters called the Flame Guardians. The overhauled battle system has opened up more control of battles for players, as well as introducing a solo mode for the Trojan War missions. As if that wasn't enough, players also have the option of adding a stable, which allows them to showcase two mounts of their choosing at their homes for other players to ooh and aah over.

In addition to all of the above, Atlantica Online is also holding a 200% bonus experience weekend from December 24th to the 26th, perfect for getting your character caught up over the holidays. Those playing at other times won't be left out, however, as nDoors is running 150% bonus experience weekends in Atlantica Online leading up to the big Christmas event. To top it all off, players who log in Christmas day will be awarded gifts at certain times -- and the next day boasts a huge World PvP competition for those more interested in a festive holiday gankfest.

Pop over to the Atlantica Online site to check out the details of their most recent patch and the various ho-ho-holiday events!

Atlantica Online rings in the holidays originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online unveils new vampire countess mercenary

Jef Reahard — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Ndoors Interactive recently introduced a new mercenary to Atlantica Online and, just in time for Halloween, the latest addition is a sultry vampire countess named Carmilla. Players can make use of Carmilla's tactical advantages as well as spells that can be used in multiple ways. These include Dark Harmony (a healing spell), Dusk Elegy (which deals AoE damage), and Vampiric Thirst (which deals damage and leeches health).

Ndoors has also updated the in-game store to feature an array of Carmilla-centric items including skill books, a coffin, a summoning rose, and a jewel box. Atlantica's newest mercenary is also noteworthy for being fan-created. Symban from the Macedon server was the winner of the Mercenary Madness Contest that resulted in Carmilla's design and inclusion in the live game.

Atlantica Online unveils new vampire countess mercenary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online unveils Sheriff Christine

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online has given us a rather appealing bit of information -- a new mercenary is moseying into town tomorrow. And true to form, she's promising to bring some interesting new wrinkles to the gameplay for anyone interested in laying down the law. Sheriff Christine is the latest addition to the game, offering players a variety of abilities to help control the flow of battle and interactions with the enemy party, using stuns and control-like abilities to turn the tide.

Among her arsenal of stuns and control abilities is her new Arrest ability, which freezes an enemy unit for two turns. She also brings area damage into play with her Revolver Rush skill, or single-target damage with her self-buffing skill Steady Stance. We've also been given a few exclusive screenshots of Christine in action, so check them out in our small gallery, and keep your eyes open for Christine's full launch in Atlantica Online tomorrow.

Gallery: Atlantica Online's Sherriff Christine

Atlantica Online unveils Sheriff Christine originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively takes its turn with Atlantica Online's new patch

Beau Hindman — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Atlantica Online

As we waited on the conference call for the Atlantica Online developers to start our virtual press tour, a fellow journalist and I chatted about the possibilities of virtual tabletops. I told him about my desire for a real virtual tabletop game, one that would allow players to take turns setting up scenery, adding armies and destroying each other. Little did I know that I was about to see something that would make me feel the same satisfaction as a tabletop does, despite their being different in a few ways.

Atlantica Online's new patch will allow players to participate in the new Tactical Battle System -- essentially a turn-based strategy game of moving pairs of soldiers across a map, avoiding and setting traps, and defeating mighty enemies. During most of the interview, I found myself asking questions that were already covered, since I was just having too much fun playing the game to hear our hosts speak. Frankly, I wasn't embarrassed. After all, isn't becoming immersed in strategy the point of a game like Atlantica Online?

Read on and I'll tell you the details of what I found, including the scoop on the eagerly awaited housing system.

Continue reading Massively takes its turn with Atlantica Online's new patch

Massively takes its turn with Atlantica Online's new patch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica adds Empress Himiko, teleportation

Jef Reahard — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Free-to-play fantasy MMORPG maker Ndoors has just announced a new patch for Atlantica Online. The update brings a wide range of new features including a new Mercenary (Himiko), new Mercenary-only fashion accessories, and the ability to trade in unwanted mounts, decor, and clothing in exchange for AT Points.

Ndoors has also added the Decoration Book, in addition to the pre-existing Mount and Clothing Books, which will allow players to store their decorations as well as earn further Collection Points. Also, players can now earn new magic skill books by trading their elements to the Jules de Goncourt NPC.

Equipment repair has also been streamlined in the new update via changes to the Atlas Ore system. Atlas Ore fragments are now all that is necessary to repair equipment, and they can now be obtained by dismantling full Ores. Finally, the folks at Ndoors have given players a map save location, enabling teleports anywhere on the map.

Check out the patch notes for full details.

Atlantica adds Empress Himiko, teleportation originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online unleashes content update

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Endgame, News items, Free-to-play, Races, Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online has rolled out another content update to the game, giving every player what they've longed for: the chance to beat the stuffing out of an impressive number of crab people. That's really what everyone wants out of a game, so we should all just go home and kill crab people. Of course, there were a couple other elements improved or expanded in the game's update, but who cares about little things like new skills and improved competition ranks when faced with a dynamic new cluster of enemies?

Leaving aside the awesomeness of getting to beat up homarids in Atlantica Online, the update is quite substantial, with a lengthy set of patch notes available on the official site. Players can enjoy augmented health points to extend the length of engagements, as well as the aforementioned new skills and competition ranks. The game has also streamlined its system of Mana Stones, combining and simplifying the Repair, Enhance, and Enchant stones to make life easier for players.

If all that's still not appealing enough to you, the fishing system has been improved, which might wind up bringing you back to crab people yet again. Take a look at the full notes to see all the additions and updates with this latest patch.

Atlantica Online unleashes content update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child's Play pulls out of Atlantica Online charity drive because of negative player feedback

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

On the list of all-time classic burns, "we don't want your money" is pretty far up there, especially when it's a charity saying it. Atlantica Online has been burned pretty badly. We reported recently on the company offering an in-game grab bag in the game's item mall that would result in donating an unstated amount to Child's Play. Unfortunately, due to negative feedback, Child's Play has requested that they be withdrawn from this charity drive.

Why would players complain about donating to charity? Some facts have surfaced, chief among them the official statement that the donations would be 5% of gross revenue. For a $40 purchase, only two dollars actually wind up going to charity, which feels a bit duplicitous when one of the main selling points is a charitable donation.

Atlantica Online's official announcement is almost petulant -- it boils down to the company stating that they wanted to just do something nice before complaining players ruined it for everyone. Although the announcement goes on to state that they will look for an alternative recipient of the donation, for the time being none is listed. It's sad news all around, even in light of the popular charity's record donations this year.

Child's Play pulls out of Atlantica Online charity drive because of negative player feedback originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online speeds up download with new Lite client

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online just celebrated its first year in the US, but the free-to-play game apparently had another trick up its sleeve -- namely, allowing players interested in the game a chance to get in and start playing even faster. After all, it can be obnoxious to download a client and wait for it to patch through updates when you just want to dive in and get to playing. Ndoors Interactive has just launched the game's lite client, a way for a smaller initial download to let you start playing the game as fast as possible.

The new client's trick is to only frontload the first twenty levels of play while downloading the rest via background processes. This allows new players to log in and start playing their character faster, but it can cause issues for existing players who might be at a higher level (and the press release specifically suggests avoiding the lite client if that's the case). For everyone who hasn't started the game, it's an interesting way to make the startup more accessible and significantly faster. Consider taking a look over the weekend, and possibly getting in on some of the one year celebration goodies Atlantica Online has to offer.

Atlantica Online speeds up download with new Lite client originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ijji.com boasts over 9 million registered accounts

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Soul of the Ultimate Nation

Ijji.com has hit a major milestone recently, revealing that their systems have tallied over 9 million accounts in their database. That's a pretty big number, and while they may not all be active accounts, it's still a very impressive amount of sign ups for anyone to have.

This comes as good news to players of Rohan, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, Luminary, HolyBeast Online, and Atlantica Online, as ijji.com funnels players into all of those games. More people means more players, and more players ultimately means more of, well, everything.

Ijji.com is still working on the upcoming MMOFPS, Huxley: The Dystopia, so those 9 million members will certainly come in handy in the future, as we'd all like more targets to shoot at for easy experience. Keep on signin' up, newbies! Fresh experience for all!

Ijji.com boasts over 9 million registered accounts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online adds a new mercenary to the mix along with optimization fixes

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Patches, PvE, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Hwarang. No, please, don't ask us how to pronounce it. We tried looking it up and not even Google wanted to tell us exactly how to say it. But, this new unpronounceable mercenary is the latest addition to Atlantica Online.

Hwarangs are taken straight from the history books, like most of Atlantica's mercenaries, as they were an elite military unit from 10th century Silla (an ancient Korean kingdom.) In the game they will be represented as potent archers with a high offensive capability but low defense. Hwarang units also have the option of sacrificing themselves in battle to buff the rest of the mercenaries under your command.

Hwarangs aren't the only thing coming with this patch, however, as the Atlantica team has made the difficult decision to increase the minimum system requirements in order to cut down on load times and increase client optimization. This move has been made in order to make sure the client can perform in areas with high population counts, as that has been a hang up of the game in the past. Only a small minority of users should be affected by this change, but it will be a wealth of benefits to all other users operating in high population areas.

The full patch notes are available on Atlantica's website, if you wish to delve into the many changes and fixes.

Atlantica Online adds a new mercenary to the mix along with optimization fixes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ijji.com users can now access Atlantica Online

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Business models, Launches, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Users of ijji.com will be happy to know that as of today their ijji accounts can now be used in tandem with Atlantica Online, letting them jump into the game without any new signups or or registration processes. Any current ijji.com member can simply jump on over to Ndoors and grab the game's client and sign in with their ijji.com account, no strings attached.

Well, there are strings attached, actually. Good strings. This opening also marks the start of the "A New Recruit" event, which awards new players with bonus mercenaries in their party when starting out and item bonuses for every new mercenary they get.

While we realize that this may not be a story of earth shattering importance, it is interesting to note that the publisher, Ndoors, is letting another website enter the game's servers without actually creating a brand new version of the game. This isn't a group of stand alone servers, meaning ijji.com users will be entering into the already vibrant North American Atlantica community. Not a bad way to add more people to your servers, if you ask us.

Ijji.com users can now access Atlantica Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica developer journal explains dungeon options

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Kim Tae Gon has written another developer journal for MMORPG.com about his game, Atlantica Online. This bi-weekly journal delves into Atlantica's many dungeon types and how they reach over and affect the social state of gameplay in groups.

Where most games have only instances and raids, Atlantica offers many different types of dungeons. Some of their dungeons, the individual dungeons, are targeted towards one player where other dungeons, such as the nation dungeons, are targeted towards 500 players at once (50 players from 10 guilds). This makes Atlantica into a very expansive game that caters to almost all tastes and playstyles, and has the bonus side effect of bolstering the community to formulate plans with one another.

Kim's full developer journal can be found at MMORPG.com, where he gets into the specifics of his goals in creating all of these types of dungeons and how to access them.

Atlantica developer journal explains dungeon options originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online's lead producer sits down with GameSource.it

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Culture, Interviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Our friends across the pond at GameSource.it recently had the chance to sit down and chat with Kim Tae Gon, the lead producer on Atlantica Online, and ask him some questions about what made Atlantica so special in the MMO market.

Kim gladly laid out his enthusiasm for the game's main selling point, the turn-based strategic combat system. Atlantica uses a turn-based system, rather than the standard real-time systems found in almost all MMOs, to let combat progress with the player making decisions with his character and other units, rather than simply their own character. The system's history is complex, being originally derived from Luminary: The Rise of the GoonZu, Tae Gon's previous title, and ideas presented in the Korean game Gersang. Out of both of these titles, and with a renewed emphasis on combat rather than strategic control of territories, came Atlantica's combat system.

For the full interview, check out GameSource's website as they ask Tae Gon on his favorite mercenary in Atlantica, how the economic crisis has hit their company, and how Tae Gon and his team work to overcome the western market's stigma of free-to-play titles.

Atlantica Online's lead producer sits down with GameSource.it originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online: Now you can take Pocahontas to The Rock

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Classes, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Patches, Atlantica Online

No, our headline is not a typo. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have Pocahontas in your adventuring party or what it would be like to turn Alcatraz Prison into a dungeon, wonder no more! Atlantica Online's latest update has added both! Now you too can show the "Colors of the Wind" (aka elemental spells shot at your face) to the backwards prisoners of Alcatraz!

Pocahontas and Alcatraz aren't the only significant additions in their latest update either. Atlantica also has two new player classes to try out -- the musician and the maniac. The musician is a guitar wielding spellcaster available to all players, able to hit two enemies in a row with a blast of their music. The second class, the Maniac, is more of a crazed, power saw wielding class that's only available to players who already have on class at level 100 or above. Creating a maniac will set you back down at level 1, but his power saw can attack all enemies in a single row on the battlefield, making this guy pretty powerful.

This is just a small taste of the patch notes for this release. For all of the crazy details, head on over to Atlantica's site to check them out.

[via IGN]

Atlantica Online: Now you can take Pocahontas to The Rock originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consider the turn-based MMO with Atlantica Online

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry

There are turn-based games, and then there are MMOs. The idea of mixing the two doesn't seem like the greatest of ideas, does it? Turn-based combat would take away from the high-action immersive fighting that we've become accustomed to through our favorite online games. This is most evident in the recent popularity of FPS-style MMOs. Yet, despite this, the RPG side of MMOs began with turn-based strategy.

Over at MMORPG.com, Atlantica Online's Producer, Kim Tae Gon, explains the reasoning behind the decision to make this highly-popular game turn-based. Going back to the fundamentals of games like chess, Kim Tae Gon believes that this type of game mechanic is more approachable for a larger audience, especially considering the popularity of games like chess across the world. "With casual games and FPS games well established, it's time for something new, like turn-based games. I honestly hope Atlantica will be the starting point."

Consider the turn-based MMO with Atlantica Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Atlantica screenshots display more diverse units

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, New titles

Atlantica Online is currently in closed beta, but don't let that stop you from dreaming about the turn-based strategic action to be found in this great-looking title. NDOORS Interactive has sent us new screenshots that show more characters involved in combat, including the awesome Chinese monk type you see in the shot above.

Check out all the new shots in our Gallery, and expect the First Impressions very soon!

Gallery: Atlantica Online

[Thanks, Katrina!]

New Atlantica screenshots display more diverse units originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silkroad Online gets their own international championship

Seraphina Brennan — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items, Silkroad Online, Free-to-play

If you're a player of Silkroad Online and have been attempting to dominate the old historic trade route in Asia, then you're going to be excited about the news that your domineering ways might finally pay off in the form of a championship and a trip to Korea. Silkroad Online has been chosen as an official game for this year's Game and Game World Championship.

Silkroad Online will be joining Shot Online, Navy Field, and Atlantica this year as the best of the best in each game meet up and test their mettle. Players in the United States can first sign up for the online preliminary rounds, and if you pass you'll be invited to San Jose, California to compete in the regional qualifiers. Top two players will be invited to Seoul, Korea (hotel and airfare included) to compete against the other qualifiers from Germany, Singapore, South America, Japan, and Korea for a first prize of $5,000 in cash.

All that is required for entry is simply an active account with Silkroad Online or any other game in the championship. If you're interested in garnering more information about the tournament, head on over to the main tournament website for all the juicy details.

Silkroad Online gets their own international championship originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Atlantica trailer shows off turn-based battles

Kyle Horner — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, New titles, News items

Between Concerto Gate and Atlantica, we may just have to start using a new acronym: MMOTBS or massively multiplayer turn-based strategy game. Don't get us wrong though, the thought of more turn-based MMOs makes us all tingly inside. In fact, we're very happy to see MMOs that dabble in the world of turn-based battles and it really is underutilized mechanic these days. Obviously because of our love for them you can count on us to report on anything related to these types of games, like this brand new trailer for Atlantica!

We get to see lots of turns being taken in this trailer, which truly warms our heart. However, we also see plenty of epic battles being waged. It all looks so grandiose and dramatic. In fact, we're not really sure if we've seen a game trailer with that many quick-cuts in it before. It may not be as good cinematically as say, an Oxhorn Brand Melody, but it certainly could be a lot worse: It could be set to some overused movie theme.

New Atlantica trailer shows off turn-based battles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMORTS Saga registration keys on offer

Akela Talamasca — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Saga, MMORTS

Gamershell has been given 25,000 registration keys for the upcoming MMORTS Saga, continuing the trend started by FileFront earlier this year. If you're not quite ready to take on another beta, familiarize yourself with Saga by checking out the trailer and repeat to yourself "Giant war tortoise" until the launch hits.

With currently two MMORTS titles on the horizon, which has you more interested, Saga or Atlantica? Can two such games exist in the possibly overcrowded MMO market, or is there room for only so much innovation in the realm of gameplay? All these questions and more soon to be answered in the approaching months!

MMORTS Saga registration keys on offer originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica begins closed beta

Akela Talamasca — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, MMORTS

Avast, mateys! Atlantica Online, the turn-based strategy MMO, has announced that its closed beta test begins on Friday the 18th, with registered FilePlanet users getting the goods three days earlier, on the 15th. Additionally, MMO sites MMOABC, MMOSITE, MMORPG and onRPG are giving away a limited number of account keys on a first-come, first-served basis.

More information about this title and its beta program can be found at its home site. We have new screenshots to show in the Gallery below, and expect some exclusive content in the weeks to come!

Gallery: Atlantica Online

Atlantica begins closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica continues to bring beauty

Akela Talamasca — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, New titles

Turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica continues to bring us beautiful images, keeping us looking forward to its eventual beta sometime this month. While it's difficult these days to produce truly original aesthetics, there's no problem with the visuals coming out of NDOORS.

Is the world ready for turn-based fantasy? Do you anticipate immersive gameplay despite the nature of segmented mechanics? One thing's for sure: when you're feeling the grind in Age of Conan or World of Warcraft, this title will provide a welcome respite.

Gallery: Atlantica Online

[Thanks, Katrina!]

Atlantica continues to bring beauty originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica updates with new gameplay video

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, News items

While we've talked about the upcoming turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica before, we haven't been able to see what actual gameplay looks like until now. The good folks at NDOORS have provided a 30-second gameplay trailer, and it looks right in line with what you'd hope for in a title like this.

We'll bring you as much coverage as possible as the game nears its closed beta in July, and we'll be on the front lines at launch. Just pray that we'll have enough mana to cast that final First Impressions spell, or the human race is doomed! Check out the Gallery for screens of the game, and the gameplay video after the jump.

Gallery: Atlantica Online

Thanks, Katrina!

Continue reading Atlantica updates with new gameplay video

Atlantica updates with new gameplay video originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica to enter closed beta in July

William Dobson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Game mechanics, New titles, News items

A new MMORPG by the name of Atlantica Online is set to enter its closed beta phase this July. The game will reportedly employ a turn-based strategy combat system, and developer Ndoors Interactive hopes that this will help it to stand out from other MMOs. Players are able to form groups of up to 3 people and wage war across ancient lands. There will be a heavy focus on long term planning and strategy, with players having to manage both cities and countries, keeping factors like industry, commerce, and culture in mind.

Visiting Atlantica's official website, we found a handful of screenshots, a teaser video (with no gameplay unfortunately) and a simple form to enter just an email address to register for the closed beta. Turn-based strategy games tend to divide gamers, but fans of the genre could really get into such a title taken to the level of complexity that MMOs can offer -- if done well. We'll report back when we find out more.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

Turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica to enter closed beta in July originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica to offer interesting turn-based play

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Guilds, New titles, News items

From the makers of Luminary: Rise of the Goonzu comes a new MMO with some distinctly interesting features. Atlantica is a turn-based game that lets you command a large roster of mercenaries, up to a total of 27 in all. These mercenaries can be gotten as infants (legally, we hope), and actually age as the game progresses. When they get older, their stats decrease, so you'll need to keep bringing in new blood to keep your team strong. You can even marry mercenaries and raise their children to fight for you.

PvP gets an interesting take as well -- guilds can control cities, which provide them with a power base with which to attack other guilds, but these cities need to be managed well. Doing so provides rare items and more mercenaries. The game will go into closed beta in July, but until then, check out the trailer above and the screenshots below!

Gallery: Atlantica Online

[Thanks, Katrina!]

Atlantica to offer interesting turn-based play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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