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Dawn of Fantasy reveals Online Kingdom mode

Jef Reahard — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMORTS

"You must pursue an epic storyline of betrayal, blood, and resource-management in the aftermath of a mighty war," proclaims the latest press release for Dawn of Fantasy. If that sounds right up your alley, you'll want to check out the MMORTS title from 505 Games as it picks up a head of steam in its ongoing summer beta.

505 is highlighting the game's Online Kingdom mode in its latest media blast, and the gameplay features three campaigns, nine starting regions, and persistent PvP, all rolled together in a rather tasty MMO/RTS/RPG sandwich. Even better is the fact that Online Kingdom is just one of the game's modes, and you can read up on a couple of others -- including Stronghold Defense and Kingdom Wars -- via our earlier coverage. When you're finished, head to the official Dawn of Fantasy website to sign up for the beta.

Dawn of Fantasy reveals Online Kingdom mode originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: Easy button

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

You young whippersnappers don't know how easy ya got it! When I was your level, we had to delve deep into the heart of KHQ to do our campaigns, uphill, both ways! And it wasn't no namby-pamby walk in the park, either -- you wiped multiple times just to get where yer going! Why, back in my day, we could go days, sometimes weeks without skills, trying to scrimp and save enough for the books.

There is no question about it: The Aion of today is much different than than the Aion of yesteryear. Heck, it's not the same game as last week! Yup folks, with each successive patch and update that NCsoft rolls out, the game we love (or love to hate, as the case may be) gets progressively easier. Patch 1.9 saw the addition of repeatable quests to ease the leveling curve; 2.0 brought more quests and higher kinah rewards from them; and Wednesday's 2.1 increased drop rates to astronomical levels. All good news, right?

Personally, I am leery of this seeming accelerated trend towards installing an easy button in the game, and I think that there are some serious repercussions to over-simplifying. Now, don't get me wrong -- I am all for lightening the load and eradicating flawed designs that have a fun factor of zero (hot heart of magic, anyone?), but at what point does making the game a bit easier go too far? While the game certainly shouldn't be a job in itself, do we really need to cater to the instant-gratification crowd by dumbing it down completely? I firmly believe in the old adage "you appreciate what you have to work for," and I think that spoon-feeding players is a bad idea that is going to come back and nip NCsoft in the... ankle.

Glide past the cut to explore for yourself the new easy buttons within Atreia.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Easy button

Wings Over Atreia: Easy button originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it...

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Do you feel fine?

In the final days of the countdown to server merges in Aion this Wednesday, a mixture of emotions are on display on both sides of the battle. While some are feeling excitement, others are cautious, yet bridled with apprehension, and others still are simmering with discontent about the upcoming changes in Atreia. Some apathy has even reared up, as participation in fortress battles wane and the Balaur slowly re-establish their grip of power. Many simply feel a mixture of different emotions at different times (depending which side of the most recent ganking they came out on).

Although the physical make-up of the land is not going to change like it will when patch 2.0 goes live and the Balaur homeland is introduced, the landscape will still be changed. The player base -- the very atmosphere -- of each new server will be markedly different. The population explosion, the economy, abyss rankings, and even tracking reputations will all be affected by the merges. No question about it, life in Aion is going to be altered for every player -- though for better or for worse may be more at the discretion of each individual player, their own attitudes, and preparation.

Take a moment of silence then wander past the cut to see what the last days look like, and prepare yourself for a smoother transition into the morning after.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it...

Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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