All Posts by Szark

Lockpick Entertainment has announced that they will be compensating premium members for a bit of confusion surrounding trait points.

As you know there has been quite some confusion about premium accounts and unavailable trait points. The confusion has to a large extent been due to vague communication on our part and therefore we will compensate you in the following way:

Anyone who is a Premium member at 2PM (Swedish time) on Monday July 7th 2008 will receive all their unavailable points to their available balance at that time. People going premium between this point and then will get half the points now (as it is currently implemented)

After this, the bonus we had of retroactively receiving half the trait points will be removed. Unavailable points will not even be visible to the player until we have added the feature of paying tribute for unavailable traitpoints.

As this might seem unfair to players who paid for premium earlier (even if they now too get all unavailable points) we will add a number of free days to their account equal to how many days ago (from July 3rd) they went premium.

We also got Click and Buy to make a few changes for us in their automatic fraud detection system which should decrease the verification needs, at least for some people and hopefully enable them to make their purchase. We will continue to work on adding more options as well

I want to thank all of you that has taken time to discuss this in the forums. Your involvement and opinions are important to us.

Read more here.

MMORPG.com would like to wish all of our American members, who make up the largest percentage of visitors to the site by nationality, a happy Independence Day on this 4th day of July, 2008.

As a point of trivia, The United States of America was formed on July 4th, 1776 making it 232 years old today!

In other birthdays, our Managing Editor Jon Wood was also born on the 4th of July and is celebrating his 228th birthday today. Happy Birthday old man!

In this week's Feedback Friday feature on the Tabula Rasa community site, NCsoft announces that Deployment 10, the game's next update, is now on the test server.

It’s Feedback Friday time, and we're here to give you an update on what’s been going on in the world of Tabula Rasa for this week.

Deployment 10 is now on the Public Test Server and we’d love any chance you get to take a crack at it and, to put it bluntly, break it. We had a 2 week bug fixing extension for this deployment, so we know some of you are chomping at the bit to see it. The next patch will also include fixes to some of the current D10 known issues.

As mentioned in the D10 announcement post, the Pegasus character database will populate the Public Test Server until our next build (some time next week). When the next build is added to PTS, so will the Cassiopeia character database.

Read more here.

CCP has posted notification to EVE Online players that piloting larger class ships than the size allowed by the jump gates to Factional Warfare complexes is now considered to be an exploit.

Exploit notification

Flying bigger class ships than allowed by the jump gates to Factional Warfare complexes has been classed as an exploit. If you are found doing this we will be forced to take in-game actions as abusing game mechanics is not allowed.

 

Read more here.

NetDevil has posted a guide to help players sign up their guild for the Jumpgate Evolution beta.

As you may have seen we’ve added a Guild beta-sign up form to the new Jumpgate Evolution website. This form allows guild leaders from across the globe to register their guild for the Jumpgate Evolution beta. This form is to give guilds the opportunity to get their guild into the Jumpgate beta without having to deal with individual applications while hoping you all get in at the same time.

In order to successfully use this form, there are a few things to remember.

• This form is for Guild leaders only.
• The Guild beta sign-up process is limited to a maximum of 50 members at present.
• You only need to fill in the form once.

Read more here.

Blizzard has announced that they have opened the Wrath of the Lich King Beta Opt-In program, giving players the chance to be selected for the beta process.

Today we opened the Wrath of the Lich King Beta Opt-In program, which gives players a chance to win an invitation to the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King beta. For The Burning Crusade beta, we randomly invited players from the entire World of Warcraft community. With the Opt-In, our goal is to strengthen the beta-testing process by inviting only those players who have expressed active interest in participating.

Keep in mind that opting in doesn't guarantee you'll be selected for the beta. And players who've previously been promised beta access through a promotion or contest (such as by purchasing the Dell XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition notebook) don't need to worry -- you'll still be entered into the beta automatically when the time comes.

Read more here.

In the wake of the recent Jumpgate Evolution site revamp, NetDevil has announced that players will have to re-sign up for the JGE Beta, and they have posted a guide to make the process go smoothly for players.

You will have noticed by now that we have launched a fresh new website and forums through our publisher Codemasters Online’s existing web space. We’ve done this for numerous reasons, but the most exciting of course is that we’re getting ready for the testing process. We know that this may create some confusion for our existing fanbase, so we wanted to send out a letter to help you through the new registration process and address any concerns that you may have.

In order to prepare for this testing process we need everyone to re-sign up to Beta. We know that this is inconvenient for a lot of you, but we feel that by using the CodeM system, we’ll be able to better select from our pool of applicants. We all want Jumpgate Evolution to be an incredible game and believe that by using this system, the process will go more smoothly.

Read more here.

Cryptic Studios has published a team profile of content designer Brian Gilmore, who talks about what he does in the run of a day and his experiences with the original Champions RPG.

Q: What is your typical workday like?
A: I get into the office in the morning and get all the latest updates to the game. Then I check my schedule and tasks to see what I need to do that day. I'll start the game and then open the editor. And then, I make the greatest MMO content in the world with the best MMO team in the world.

Q: What aspect of Champions Online are you most excited about working on?
A: I'm an old-time Champions player, so I'm excited about everything. In fact, I owe my job at Cryptic, at least in part, to my knowledge of Champions. Seriously – I put it on my resume when I first applied in 2003, and when Jack had me in for an interview he started asking me Champions questions. Midway through the interview, he turns to Craig (Zinkievich, our executive producer) and says "you're not going to understand a word of this for like 10 minutes," and then launches into hardcore Champions talk with me. It was definitely the most unusual interview I've ever had.

Read more here.

Gala-Net has announced that they will be publishin their MMORPG Lunia through their game portal at www.gpotato.com.

Sunnyvale, California – July 2nd, 2008 – Gala-Net has announced that it will publish its latest title, Luna Online, a Massive Mulitplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) developed by Eya Interactive, for release in North America, through GaIa-Net’s game portal, www.gpotato.com.

Luna Online is a free to play MMORPG that takes place in a radiant fantasy world where the Human Race has united with the forces of the elves to defend their land against the evil that has spread throughout. Every enemy defeated brings the world closer to peace. Luna Online’s exciting blend of superior graphics, cute character design, and fast paced action, is sure to appeal to all fans of the MMORPG genre. “Eya Interactive is one of the foremost gaming companies currently out there in the industry. Mr. Jungyeon Han, Eya Interactive’s CEO, is among the first generation of online game developers in Korea. We are delighted to work with such a great company and people,” said Jikhan Jung, CEO of Gala-Net. “With extensively unparalleled collaboration between Eya Interactive and Gala-Net, I am sure that this game will be the most successful within the North American Market.”

Read more here.

IGG has announced the launch of a new server for Tales of Pirates, and they will be holding several contests and competitions to mark the occasion.

Tales of Pirates has released a new server called Mist Isle at 4:00am on July 3rd to cope with the ever-increasing numbers. ToP welcome you to join the fun on this new server, and to kick things off, there have three exciting activities to celebrate the launch:

1. Leveling Contest

From the release of the new server Mist Isle until July 9th , the 25 players who reach the highest levels within this week will be recognized as Mist Isle Leveling Heroes, and will be rewarded with the following prizes:

Prizes:

• First Prize(3): Level 20 normal pet fairy (players can choose their favorite pet fairy) +Chest of Enigma
• Second Prize(5): Level 10 normal pet fairy (players can choose their favorite pet fairy) +Chest of Enigma
• Third Prize(12): Chest of Enigma
• Lucky prize(20): Chest of Demonic World

2.Double Experience

Double Experience will start from 12:00 a.m. July 3rd to 12:00 a.m. July 14th

3. Who will be the next Newbie King?

At 1:00 pm July 5th, many monsters with high defense and low attack will be roaming around the new server – defeating a monster will bring players considerable experience.

Read more here.

IGG has posted a guide to help Zu Online players get the most out of the game on their PC.

Zu online team has released a guide to help players with lower specification PCs get the most out of the game.

Players can choose the most suitable level of image rendering for their computer and also toggle effects such as Cartoon Lightshadows and Fog Effects to improve gameplay and memory usage.

Read more here.

Lockpick Entertainment and Areia Games has announced that they have signed an agreement that makes Aeria Games the sole North American distributor for Dreamlords, Lockpick Entertainment's MMORTS.

Swedish online game developer Lockpick Entertainment has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the North American market with well-known gaming community Aeria Games.

The agreement sees Aeria Games as the sole distributor in North America for renowned MMORTS game Dreamlords – The Reawakening, its first RTS game ever. As in other territories, the game will be available for free and there will be the option to purchase in-game items and equipment (in North America through the use of Aeria Points — the universal currency on the Aeria Games portal).

“For a long time, gamers have been looking for a fun MMORTS game to play, and Dreamlords answers that demand,” said Spencer Chi, producer at Aeria Games.

“As part of our long-time strategy we’re always looking for partners to help us bring Dreamlords to new audiences. Aeria Games is a serious player on the online games market and we’re impressed with what (Aeria Games) has done with other games in their portfolio and how they work with their community and feel they are an excellent partner for bringing Dreamlords - The Reawakening to the people” said David Rosén, CEO of Lockpick Entertainment.

Read more here.

BigWorld Ltd has announced the latest upgrade for their Big World Technology Suite, their tool set for creating massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds.

This new release contains an advanced terrain engine that enables support for unlimited texture layers, higher level of detail and configurable height/shadow/normal/texture map resolution.

“BigWorld customers and developers currently evaluating the technology are very excited by this release as it enables them to implement some pretty amazing scenery in their games that would otherwise be difficult to achieve” said Simon Hayes, BigWorld’s Chief Technology Officer.

“We have incorporated a number of optimizations to the development suite including revisions to patrol paths, enhanced web integration and support for Perforce, SVN and CVS. Additionally, there are significant improvements to the skybox and weather systems and there is improved support for partner technologies such as SpeedTree and Umbra. Both Mandarin and English language are supported in the development tools user interface and art pipeline”.

Read more here.

SOE has announced the Player of the Year Contest for EverQuest II, which calls on players to nominate outstanding community members for the chance to head to SOE Fan Faire on SOE's dime.

The time when SOE players from near and far gather in one place to celebrate their favorite MMOs by engaging in fun, food and fraternization! But there will be some that walk among the crowd... a couple of players so respected by their gaming peers that they will have the distinct honor of being crowned SOE's second annual Players of the Year!

 

Will you be one of them?

To celebrate the 2008 Las Vegas Fan Faire (Aug. 14-17), Sony Online Entertainment will select and bring two lucky players to the Hilton Hotel to join in the festivities. So, here's your chance to nominate a friend (or even yourself) for this coveted title! We want to know who YOU think is the most deserving and why.

From Wednesday, July 2, 2008, (12:01 am, US Pacific Time) through Friday, July 11, 2008 at (11:59 pm, US Pacific Time), Sony Online Entertainment will be hosting the Official Fan Faire "Players of the Year" contest. Participating games include EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EverQuest Online Adventures, The Matrix Online and PlanetSide.

Read more here.

NCsoft has announced a number of promotions and reassignments within the Tabula Rasa team, with Sr. QA Tester Neal Johnson taking on the position of QA Lead from Dane Caruthers, who has been promoted to Assistant Producer, and TR Community Manager April Burba will be moving to an Associate Production role on Dungeon Runners.

It is my distinct honor to announce the promotion of Dane Caruthers from QA Lead to Assistant Producer. Dane has had a distinguished career in the industry and at NCsoft and has been fighting Bane and Bugs since before ship. We expect great things from him. You will be seeing more of Dane on the Forums as call sign Entropic. Congratulations Dane!

It is also my honor to announce the promotion of Neal Johnson from Sr. QA Tester to QA Lead. Neal too has had a distinguished career at NCsoft and has been so knowledgeable about TR that he has been mistaken for Lead Designer at conventions. Congratulations Neal!

Finally, it is with deep sadness that I announce that I have been reassigned to another game within the NCsoft family and will be assuming the Associate Production role on Dungeon Runners. The bling gnomes have run amok and believe they can turn my ban-hammer skills into gnome-hammer skills. All joking aside, it has been an honor serving in the AFS with each of you. Your knowledge and passion for the game are unparalleled and I look forward to watching how the community and the development team work together to make TR great.

Read more here.

The folks at NetDevil recently updated the official site for Jumpgate Evolution with a completely new look.

Today marks the launch of the brand new Jumpgate Evolution community website. The slick new design offers you all the latest news and information about Jumpgate including feature updates, screenshots, movies, competitions, beta sign-up and much, much more.

Read more here.

EA Mythic has announced that Russia has been added to the list of countries for which Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will be fully localized.

EA Mythic, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) will be released in Russia for the PC and will be fully localized. Along with MMORPG fans all over the world Russian gamers will have a chance to enjoy the rich world and extensive possibilities of one of the most anticipated MMORPG's of the year - Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

"Over the past 25 years, Warhammer has become a beloved hobby experience around the world, and it is a honor to bring Age of Reckoning to the Russian fans," said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager of EA Mythic. "Russia's MMO industry is growing rapidly, and we consider it an important territory for Warhammer Online."

"We are very excited to bring Warhammer Online to Russian consumers, fully supported in the Russian language," said Tony Watkins, EA Russia Country Manager. "EA Russia has put together a highly experienced team for launch and consumers can expect an enormous level of support."

Read more here.

Following the announcement of Age of Conan's recent 700,000 player milestone, Funcom has noted that Age of Conan occupies the #1 position on many PC game sales charts across Europe and North America.

Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan continues to dominate the PC sales charts in all markets where the game is available.

Over the last few weeks it has remained the overall #1 PC game in most European markets, while also performing tremendously well on several all-format charts. In the US, Age of Conan impressively conquered the #1 PC spot for the first two weeks of available NPD data. Due to the amazing interest surrounding the game, more than 700.000 gamers have now signed up for an Age of Conan account. In the second month after release it is also clear that Age of Conan has taken the position as the undisputed #2 subscription MMO in the western world. 

Read more here.

SOE has announced the "Fight with Legends" recruitment campaign, where current players are rewarded with free game time for each friend they bring in that becomes an active subscriber.

The Living Legacy "Fight with Legends" recruitment campaign scheduled to begin July 3rd is a unique promotion rewarding current EverQuest®II players with free game play rewards (to be added to the end of your current subscription) for each new player you bring into the game who becomes an active subscriber of EverQuest II. Take advantage of the opportunity to play with your friends and earn free time for your friends' loyalty and your dedication. Keep the Legacy alive by joining the Guides program or utilize the Mentoring System and teach new Legends the ways of Norrath.

Read more here.

The Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook has been updated with a look at Cachúnir,  a gatherer of Elven lore who dwells in the house of Elrond.

Cachúnir is a High Elf who dwells in the House of Elrond in Rivendell. With the coming of the Shadow, he has felt the desire to leave the darkness behind and sail into the West but hesitates to do so. He fears that once his kindred have passed out of Middle-earth, much of the history and lore of that world will be lost with them. Thus Cachúnir has initiated efforts to gather as much lore as possible at Rivendell so that the days of old will not be forgotten, even when the Elves have all left the shores of Middle-earth.

Read more here.