General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Maingear Titan 17 Review

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 03:43 PM PDT

Someone tell the boss we need an in-house masseur. Maingear's Titan 17 is the third supersize notebook we've reviewed in the past few months, and our backs are paying the price. We're so beaten down by these behemoths that the sight of the enormous power brick alone makes us cringe in terror. The graphics performance of this SLI powerhouse, however, makes all the hardship worth it.

The philosophy behind the Titan 17 is simple. Take a complete high-end desktop PC and cram it into a notebook form factor. Price and weight and size aren't the limiting factors—all that counts, in the end, is speed. In our tests, the Titan lived up to this guiding principle. The two Nvidia GeForce GTX 485M graphics cards with a total of 4GB GDDR5 memory showed the power of an SLI configuration, running so fast on our usual gaming benchmarks we had to go looking for something extra to throw at it. Unigine's Heaven 2.5 benchmark fit the bill, and the system still managed to crank out 52.5fps at 1920x1080 resolution compared to 28.1fps for Origin's overclocked single graphics card. There's no denying that SLI rules for more intensive games.


Maingear's portable workstation knows how to carry its weight, blasting through benchmarks with SLI-powered graphics.

The six-core Intel 3.46GHz Core i7-990X Extreme Edition is what you'd find on a high-end desktop. Combined with 6GB of Kingston DDR3/1333 and a solid-state 120GB SATA 6Gb/s hard drive, the system also performed exceptionally well on our CPU-intensive photo and video editing tests. All that size and weight, though, couldn't beat the Origin Eon17-S's Sandy Bridge CPU overclocked to 4.7GHz. Admittedly, in apps optimized for its 12 threads, the Gulftown would shine, but an overclocked Sandy Bridge CPU makes it a tough battle. For games, on the other hand, it's really all about the GPU, or in the Titan's case, the GPUs.

Maingear touts its no-frills installation, and takes this to a new level of minimalism with the Titan 17. For instance, while the builders install and test the driver for fingerprint reader integration into the touchpad, they remove the driver before shipping the system. You can install it yourself—if you want it. The company also offers lifetime free labor and phone support, a nice feature for a laptop that you're likely to purchase as a long-term investment.

Of course, Maingear's offering suffers from all the drawbacks we've noted in testing similar systems. For one thing, it is extremely heavy, weighing 17 pounds with the power supply. It also has extremely short battery life, lasting only 36 minutes in our DVD playback test. These are the trade-offs you'd expect from cramming what is essentially a desktop system—with all its power and cooling requirements—into a portable platform.

On the other hand, you have all the power of a desktop in a relatively compact form factor. We'll let you judge whether the undeniable performance justifies the limited luggability and high price. But this laptop has proved yet again that no matter how overclocked the competition, it's no match for a laptop with two graphics cards.

$5,385, www.maingear.com

Origin EON17-S Notebook Review

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 03:43 PM PDT

When the large, wooden crate branded "Origin" arrived at our Lab, we got out our crowbar and a shotgun—one to open the dang thing and the other just in case an alien predator was lurking inside. Once we blasted the box apart, we were not just relieved, we were also a bit disappointed to find an average-looking 17-inch notebook inside. After a bit of testing, though, there was no question—the cleanup of shell fragments was worth it.

There's nothing extraordinary about the CPU used in this system. The Intel Core i7-2920XM Extreme Edition isn't different from what you'd find in any high-performance laptop. What's different is that Origin overclocks the Sandy Bridge proc from its stock 2.5GHz to 4.7GHz. That's quite a boost, and it showed in our CPU-intensive benchmarks, like Photoshop and Premiere. In these tests, it beat Maingear's much heavier and more expensive Titan 17, even with its six-core Gulftown processor.


A cranked-up CPU lets the Origin EON17-S blow through computation-intensive tasks.

The graphics card, though, is only overclocked from the standard 575MHz core to 605MHz. That's not enough to make a substantial difference, and the 2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 485M performed pretty much as expected in our graphics-intensive benchmarks. It was no match for Maingear's SLI configuration—when it comes to gaming graphics, one graphics card can't compare to two.

Origin is relatively new to the market. It was founded by refugees from Dell's acquisition of Alienware, and the high price of the system can only be justified by the company's promise of service and support. You're not just buying an overclocked system, you're buying an overclocked system tested by the manufacturer and backed by a warranty. The way semiconductor fabrication works, each individual CPU has a different potential for overclocking, and Origin runs a battery of tests to pick procs with the best overclocking possibilities. This may take some of the Weird Science fun out of overclocking, but should also lower the risk. The company offers some cool customization options, including laser etching of the top of the notebook.

In other regards, the system is a pretty standard high-end gaming laptop. There's a 17.3-inch, LED-backlit screen running at 1920x1080 resolution. In our side-by-side testing, we found this screen to have somewhat richer and more vibrant colors than its archrival from Maingear. The 6x BD-R drive lets you burn your own Blu-ray discs, something that is likely to come in handy. Also included are two storage drives: one 128GB solid-state drive and a 750GB, 7,200rpm hard drive.

If you dream of the performance boost you can only get by overclocking but are afraid of a DIY approach, Origin's laptop provides an excellent solution.

$3,600, www.originpc.com

Computer Cleaning 101: A Complete Guide to a Dust-Free PC

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 03:24 PM PDT

Anyone can buy a PC.  Most of you astute Maximum PC readers can build a PC.  And an elite cadre of you can even build a tricked-out PC with lights, and tubes of fluid flying everywhere, and a beautiful side panel that shows off your system's tricked-out insides.

But the last thing that you'll want to see through your pretty plexiglass is a PC that's covered in dust.  In fact, you don't want to have a dirty PC regardless of your level of desktop sophistication: It can lead to system overheating, it's gross, and it only gets worse the longer you put it off.  We always joke that spring cleaning is the perfect time to bust out the ol' can of compressed air and get to work but, truthfully, cleaning one's system shouldn't just be a yearly affair.

So allow us to shave a few seconds off of your quarterly clean with a quick walkthrough of how to best prepare your assault on dust, dirt, and grime. Leave no survivors!

Step The First: Your Peripherals

We'll start with the easy parts.  Your mouse and keyboard might not be dust magnets, but they sure can attract all sorts of nastiness between their various buttons and surfaces.  Your keyboard is, perhaps, the easiest item to clean in all of your desktop system: Just slap it in the dishwasher.

  

We jest; You can do that, but it requires more preparation than we're prepared to go into with this brief cleaning overview.  Instead, you'll want to hold your keyboard upside-down and use short blasts of compressed air to remove all the fingernail clippings, food particles, hair, and other gunk that's found a home between your keys.  If you're facing a herculean amount of gross, you can also use a small wedged object (like a mechanical pencil or the edge of a nail clipper) to gently pop each key off.  Get in there with a nice damp cloth and wipe the crud out, and then test your geek skills at remembering a keyboard's layout when you go to reattach the keys.

  

As for your mouse, we'll assume that you're rocking a pretty typical design.  If so, you can also gently pop off the left and right mouse buttons without harming the mouse. Now that you have access to the dirt traps underneath, wipe these areas clean.  Once you've reattached your buttons, give the mouse a good overall wiping – and don't forget about the nonstick pads on the bottom of the mouse.  These can be prime targets for accumulated grime.


 

Step The Second: Your Monitor

  

Why invest so much money in a beautiful, huge, possibly LED-backlit monitor if it's covered in dust, dirt, and who-knows-what-else-you've-spilled-on-it? Goodbye, picture quality. But before you bust out the Windex and the rag, hear us: You can clean your LCD monitor with a simple damp cloth. Wet part of the cloth, gently use it to rub your monitor's screen, and use the dry part of the cloth to dry it off. Easy.

  

Resist the urge to use paper towels. And, please, don't just attack your monitor with a bevy of Windex sprays. In fact, don't use Windex or any other cleaner with ammonia in it, and don't spray any kind of cleaning solution directly onto your screen. If water just isn't doing the trick for you, make a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol and gently apply it to a wet rag before you give your screen some elbow grease.

Step the Third: Your Desktop PC

  

Roll up your shirtsleeves: It's time to become the Mike Rowe of computer cleaning. Let's start by talking about the easy method for de-dusting a filthy desktop computer: compressed air.

Tempting as it might be to just buy a few cans and just blast the heck out of your system's insides, you're just going send dust flying all around your desktop or, worse, all over your nice, carpeted floor. You need a battle plan.

  

For the most thorough clean, you really will want to remove every part and piece inside of your PC. You can then use compressed air to target all the nooks and crannies that you might otherwise miss, and you'll be able to wipe down some surfaces (like an optical drive, your tangled mess of power supply cables, or even the outside of a video card) to catch all the dust that even compressed air can't send flying. You'll also be able to give the entirety of your case a thorough wiping to get rid of all the dust and grime that's collected over time: Feel free to once again use the 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol we mentioned earlier for a quick-drying, disinfecting clean.

  

Now, you might be tempted to do that age-old trick where you blast compressed air against one side of the blades on your system's fans (or, worse, your videocard or CPU cooler's fans), get them spinning nice and fast, and then blast air in the other direction to send dust flying every which way. Don't do that. It's a great way to damage your fans. Instead, you'll want to keep the fan blade stuck firmly in place (by way of a pen or some other creative device) before you attack the dust. If you're especially sensitive to grime, use a cotton swab to wipe the dirt off of the blades manually.

  

When you're ready to reassemble your computer, you'll want to give yourself plenty of time for outfitting your system with proper cable management. Here's why: Cables strewn about the middle of your system deliver inefficient airflow and serve as magnets for dust. You might have noticed this fact if you just spent the last hour wiping down all of your dirty power supply cables.

  

The more you can tuck your cords out of sight (between the motherboard and your case's side panel, for example), the prettier and cleaner your PC will look. And even if you can't hide your cables within your case, at least you can use Velcro strips or twist-ties to bundle them together into one giant chunk. It's not the most satisfactory solution, but it'll at least help you keep your desktop's insides a little cleaner than the alternative spiderweb of cables. A little foresight goes a long way toward reducing the time you spend during next quarter's big clean!

Cheat Sheet: 8 Tips And Tricks For Google+

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 01:25 PM PDT

So you've dipped your toes in the Stream, started a news feed wildfire using only a Spark, and, well, hung out in Hangouts. Not bad – you've certainly jumped feet-first into the social world of Google+. But dabbling is not the same thing as mastering, young grasshopper; grab your Google Bar and let us be your sensei in the art of Google+-Fu.

(Pssst... Before we get started, disable those incredibly annoying email notifications using the process in this article. Really – you should go do it right now. And if you want to export your Facebook data to G+, check out this handy-dandy post.)

Hotkeys, Get Your Hotkeys, Here!

 

Hotkeys work in the notification box, too

Let's start your training at the center of the Google+ experience: in the Stream. Scrolling through your friends' jibber-jabber can be a swell way to pass a lazy afternoon, but all the mouse action might drive you crazy if you're a fanatical keyboard user. Spare yourself the frustration and use Google+'s undocumented hotkeys! Simply press J to move downwards through the posts in your Stream, or K to hop up them. Pressing Enter when a post is selected opens the Share dialogue box so that you can type one of your trademark witty responses. Afterwards, Tab your way to either the Share or the Cancel button and hit Enter again to post the comment. Jamming on the space bar quickly jumps you down the stream; holding down Shift and jamming on the space bar does the opposite. Pressing Q deposits you in the Google Chat box. The same hotkeys work wonders in the notification box (which you can close with a press of the Esc key).

Add Some Colors To Those Cheeks

 

Who was that sexy masked man? Oh wait, that's me. And I'm not wearing a mask.

One somewhat hidden feature in Google+ is its photo-editing abilities. The bare-bones functions will never replace Photoshop (or even Irfanview) in your life, but it's a great way to tweak the look of pictures that you've already uploaded to the service. Open your Profile screen, then click on the Photos tab and select the picture you'd like to edit. Click on Actions, then select Edit Photo. Choose one or more of the filters that appear on the right side of the screen to change the colors and textures in the image.

Circles As Bookmarks

 

Bookmark Circles are lonely Circles.

If your Google+ buddies are anything like our Google+ buddies, they share a lot of cool links in their posts. In fact, our buddies share so many nifty links that there's no way we can look at them all (especially because we should be working). One way to get around that problem is to set the most intriguing posts aside for later viewing. Simply create a new Circle and name it "Saved" or "Bookmarks" or something similar. Add yourself, and only yourself, to the Circle. Anytime you see something cool and saveworthy show up in your Stream, share it with the Bookmark Circle. When you have some extra free time, open the Bookmark Circle in the Stream to bring up all the posts you've saved.

Check Your Junk Mail

 

The Incoming Stream: perfect for people who, um, don't quite speak your language.

All right, Google+ doesn't actually have a junk mail folder. But it does have the social media equivalent: the Incoming Stream. When another user adds you to his Circles but you don't add him to yours, he still has the ability to share his posts with you. Those unsolicited posts are added to your Incoming Stream rather than your main Stream. Check it out by clicking on the "Incoming" listing underneath your Circles on the left side of the Stream screen. You never know when you might find some diamonds amongst the coal.

Get Your PMs Noticed

 

Ryan Whitwam; one of a kind (at least on Google+)

Did you know you can send private messages in G+? Just whip up a new post, type the other user's name into the "Add more people" box and click Share like you always do (Make sure you eliminate any other Circles or names that may be lingering in the "Share with" box). Just because you send somebody a PM doesn't mean they'll see it in a flooded Stream, however. To make sure the other person notices your post, tag them in it! Somewhere inside the body of the PM, press "+" and begin typing the recipient's name until you see their G+ profile pop up in the drop-down list. Click on the name, then send the message off. Your buddy will get a notification saying that they've been mentioned in a post.

Keep Your Background To Yourself

 

Don't want the G+ masses knowing about your epic beard? Use the privacy settings!

Let's make use of the natural segue from private messages and talk about privacy settings for a bit. By default, everything you list in your Google+ profile is open for the Internet to see. If you don't want every random Google searcher on the Web knowing your marital status or work number, you can make parts of your profile private. Start editing your profile normally and click on a section you want to keep  private. See the little box that says "Anyone on the web"? Select it and choose a new privacy setting from the list. You can choose between sharing the info with your circles, your extended circles, just yourself, or a customizable list. Remember to click "Save" when you're done, and repeat the process for each profile section you want to keep private. Check your work by clicking the "View profile as" box in your profile's tab bar and selecting "Anyone on the web."

Keep Your Posts Private, Too

 

Restricted sharing options show up as blue boxes; publicly shared Circles appear green.

Still on a privacy kick? We can help. While your initial urge may be to make the majority of your Stream posts public, public shares show up for everyone to see on your profile page (and we've seen some show up in normal Google searches, too). So if you're describing your alcohol-fueled felonious escapades to your G+ friends, make sure you remove the green Public box from the "Share with" box and brag to a more limited audience. Future You will appreciate it when he tries to land a new job. If you're thinking back to an incriminating post from last week and crapping your pants, fear not; you can delete the evidence by selecting "Delete this post" in the post's options. Access a post's options by clicking on the arrow in its upper-right corner.

Extensions

 

Check out the -1 button under the post. No, we didn't use it; we were scared of Gordon's wrath.

Got Chrome? Developers have been hard at work ever since Google+ hit the Web, whipping up extensions for the service that range from stupid to stupendous. Here's a few of our favorites:

Extended Share: For you social media mavens. Extended Share adds Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook share buttons to every G+ post.

+Photo Zoom: Sick of the tiny thumbnails G+ uses in the Stream? Hovering over a pic with +Photo Zoom installed displays a larger version.

Facebook+: If you love Google's social network, but aren't quite ready to rip off the Facebook band-aid, Facebook+ helps you kill two birds with one stone; it plops your Facebook news feed into a "Facebook" Stream in Google+.

Plus One (+1) Button: Web developers haven't embraced G+ with the same enthusiasm of the service's 20 million-plus users. This extension adds a +1 button to Chrome's browser bar so that you can easily +1 a page even if its owner hasn't included the option.

-1 Button: Guess what this does? Only people who have the extension installed can see the Nay votes casted on G+ posts and comments, but it's still a lot of fun. If only it didn't add an annoying button to the black Google bar...

The Journey Is Just Beginning

As long as this article was, we've still only just scratched the surface of Google's new social network. What did we miss? What extensions do you use? Let us know in the comments!

Google's Real Names Policy Is Evil

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 11:37 AM PDT

Google's horrible new policy on using real names in Google+ effectively means that the service is now a danger to real people. You have to ask yourself why a company that pledged to not be evil would do this.

Google has said that if you don't "use your full first and last name in a single language" you're in violation of it's terms of service. If it flags you, you'll have four days to change it or it'll boot your ass. You can't use initials (even that's what you go by). You can't use a pseudonym (even if that's what you go by). And you can't use numbers or symbols (even if they are part of your name).

Æ, e.e. cummings, Malcolm X, and T.S. Eliot would all be in violation of Google's policy. So, too (by my reading) would be Mark Twain, George Eliot and doubly so, R.U. Sirius. I'm pretty sure nobody whose name you actually know in the band U2 can use Google+ or, by extension, Gmail.

It's hard to understand why Google would embark on such a wrong-headed policy. The most likely answer is that this is a pure identity play. Forget social networking, the big goldmine of the future is online identity verification. This could be Google prioritizing getting ahead in that race over its users' preferences and safety.

In other words, it's Google putting money and greed over humanity. It's Google being evil.

Last week, Danah Boyd very eloquently laid out the case against a real names requirement. In short, if you don't let people use pseudonyms online, you're putting people in danger. Real, physical, danger.

Let's say you are a gay teen considering suicide who wants to reach out online without fear of your family finding out. Or maybe you are a whistleblower who fears retribution. Or a person of faith who could be subject to religious persecution. Or a dissident who fears imprisonment. A battered wife seeking shelter.

Or maybe you're somebody whose actual real name violates Google's policy. For example, it doesn't allow any numbers or symbols. So, sorry, Jennifer 8. Lee. I know you're a highly-respected and well-known journalist, but your name has a number in it so you've got four days to change that or you can fuck off back to Facebook.

And I don't know what the heck Prince is going to do about this.

The easy answer, of course, is simply to not use Google+. And I'm quite sure some people will posit that as a solution. But there are two reasons that's not the answer.

First, Google is too big and too important. As goes Google so goes the Web. It is one of a handful of companies that has real power and influence, capable of changing the status quo all on its own. If this becomes Google's universal policy, soon it will be that of the Internet itself.

Second, and this is related to the first, is that Google+ is a community. And we as a society we have a duty to work to make our communities free and open. We have a duty to change what is wrong, rather than to simply say "move along." Imagine, for example, if instead of working to change civil rights laws in the American South, the freedom riders had just offered one-way bus tickets to Massachusetts. If you don't like it in Birmingham, you should just move to Boston.

Google is one of the largest companies in the world, it touches billions of people. Governments regularly subpoena data from it. The things it knows about you matter. A lot.

Of course, Google does make it easy to quit Plus. It does offer a data liberation service that lets you take everything you've done on Google+ and put it on your hard drive.

Yet while it's admirable that Google is offering ways to liberate data, it also ought to be offering to liberate its users from fear of persecution. Sadly, right now, it's doing just the opposite.

Gizmodo is the world's most fun technology website, focused on gadgets and how they make our lives better, worse, and more absurd.

Copyright Lawsuit Group Uses Asinine Argument To Try To Wiggle Out Of Legal Fees

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 11:02 AM PDT

Think the whole RIAA/MPAA lawsuit factory is ridiculous? You should see what what Righthaven's pulling in the newspaper world. The company's entire purpose is to sue the pants off of small-time bloggers, websites and forum members who post newspaper clips and articles online. They target itty-bitty operations who probably can't afford litigation and strong arm them into ponying up $2,000 to $5,000 settlements instead. Well, that M.O. backfired recently; a Righthaven case was tossed out of court and they were ordered to pay $34,000 in legal fees to the defendant – but you should hear the shenanigans they tried to pull to get out of paying.

Righthaven sued Wayne Hoehn, a forum poster on the Madjack Sports website. Ars Technica reports that Hoehn had posted two op-ed pieces on the forum, with one coming from the Las Vegas Review-Journal – who's publisher helped form Righthaven. The Las Vegas Review-Journal signed a contract with Righthaven that gave the lawsuit-happy group the right to sue Hoehn, which they promptly did.

The problem is, only copyright holders can sue for infringement, and Righthaven's contract awarded the company the right to sue, but didn't transfer copyright. Apparently, Righthaven's lawyers, despite their frequent impulse to drag forum posters into court, didn't understand the simple concept that, um, you can't give somebody else the right to sue in your stead. Because of that, they didn't even have a legal basis for bringing the lawsuit to court. Righthaven was simply wasting everybody's time.

The pissed-off judge called Hoehn's posting fair use – neatly plucking Hoehn out of legal hot water and establishing a precedent that could derail Righthaven's entire business model. Hoehn then requested $34,045.50 to cover the legal fees of his lawyers. Righthaven resisted. Its argument? Since the judge ruled the case frivolous, that took away his right to jurisdiction – including the awarding of legal fees.

The defense lawyer strongly disagreed and called the proposal "bizarre," although he admired Righthaven's "chutzpah" in making such a stupid claim. After hearing Righthaven's asinine plea, the judge quickly agreed with Hoehn's attorney. Righthaven has until September 14th to pay Hoehn's legal fees. 

Yahoo, Facebook Put "Six Degrees Of Separation" Theory To The Test

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 10:24 AM PDT

Hey, Tremors fans; we still don't know if you're actually only six connections away from having a BBQ with Kevin Bacon in your backyard. If you're looking to advance the technology that could one day put that question to rest, though, you should check out the Small World Experiment. No, it doesn't have anything to do with Disney rides; it's a joint venture between Yahoo! and Facebook to put the whole "six degrees of separation" thing to the test by tapping into the social network's 750 million member-strong user base.

The project's already recruited a bunch of targets. Now, it's looking for senders, or people who are willing to tap into their social networks to help track down the targets. The Small World Experiment will keep count of exactly how many degrees of separation exist between the initial sender and the target to figure out how many degrees of separation exist between them.

You'll be asked to identify which of your Facebook friends is most likely to know the target. That person will be sent a message from the project, and they will be asked to select one of their friends who is likely to know the target. The daisy chain continues until the target is eventually reached – at least in theory.

Sound interesting? Check out Yahoo!'s Small World Experiment page to join in on the fun.

Microsoft: Pre-Release Windows 8 Launching in "Coming Months"

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Itching to get your hands on a copy of Windows 8? You won't have to wait much longer, or at least that's the case if you're willing to roll the dice on beta software being stable. Microsoft announced in a blog post yesterday that a pre-release version of Windows 8 is slated to ship real soon, which likely means a beta build is just around the corner.

"We've been hard at work designing and building Windows 8, and today we want to begin an open dialog with those of you who will be trying out the pre-release version over the coming months," Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky stated in a blog post. "We intend to post regularly throughout the development of Windows 8, and to focus on the engineering of the product."

Microsoft's calling the open-communication initiative "Building Windows 8," or "B8" for short. The ultimate goal is "to have a two-way dialog with you about design choices, real-world data and usage, and new opportunities that are part of Windows 8," Sinofsky says.

Sinofsky goes on to state that "Windows 8 reimagines Windows," but promises Microsoft is fully committed to making sure that Windows 8 supports all Windows 7 hardware and software.

U.S. Businesses Steaming Over Triple X Domain Fees

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 09:07 AM PDT

American businesses are scrambling to protect their brand names before .xxx Internet domains launch in December, and the $200ish fee has a few them feeling a bit peeved. What's rubbing them the wrong way is the potential for cybersquatters to cherry pick high profile brand names and turn them into sultry websites. A person could, for example, scoop up Nike.xxx and get creative with the company's "Just Do It" slogan, or Reebok.xxx with its "Life is short, play hard" tagline.

According to Reuters, ICM Registry has already received more than 900,000 "expressions of interest" from companies looking to pre-register .xxx websites, either to claim their trademarks or prevent others from abusing their brand, like in the examples above. Companies like MTV Networks and even the Red Cross have sent in pre-registration requests as a preventative measure against having to sic their lawyers on cybersquatters. The problem is these companies don't want to use the domains, they're just trying to make sure their brand name isn't sullied, and they aren't real keen on the fees involved.

"Many feel they're being blackmailed to protect their brands," said Kristina Rosette, a trademark lawyer.

ICM Registry founder Stuart Lawley denies the charges, claiming this is nothing like a virtual shakedown and that his company isn't making any money from the registration fees.

"We're doing it on a cost-recovery basis. We don't make a dime out of it," Lawley claims. According to Lawley, the money is used to verify that an applicant is really who he says he is, and that he owns the trademark in question.

So far it appears that most of the application fees are coming from businesses outside of the porn industry. According to U.K. registrar Easyspace, 8 out of 10 pre-registry applications are from brands that have no affiliation with pron.

Study: Microsoft's IE 9 Browser Tops at Blocking Socially Engineered Malware

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:31 AM PDT

Apparently Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser leads the pack in more ways than just market share. With regards to IE9, socially engineered malware (SEM) barely has a chance of wreaking havoc, according to a study put together by NSS Labs. The study's data has IE9 way out in front of all other browsers tested with a better than 99 percent protection rate.

According to NSS Labs, SEM is more prevalent than any other Internet-borne threat, and as many as 33 percent of all Internet users fall prey to these attacks. The study's data shows that your choice of browser could play a big role in how susceptible you are to SEM attacks.

IE9's SmartScreen URL and new Application Reputation feature combination proved highly effective in NSS Labs' tests, so much so that no other browser tested came close to offering the same protection. Chrome 12 came in at a distant second by blocking 13.2 percent of live threats, followed by Safari 5 (7.6 percent), Firefox 4 (7.6 percent), and Opera 11 (6.1 percent).

It should be noted that some of those browsers are out of data, which is largely the result of rapid release schedules. Nevertheless, it doesn't diminish IE9's near flawless performance, more of which you can read about in the full report (PDF).

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Eden Eternal

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 06:31 PM PDT

Eden Eternal is a 3D anime inspired fantasy MMORPG where players become mysterious heroes with an extraordinary ability to wield magic. Start your adventure as a brave Warrior or Magician on a mission to save the world. Fight ferocious beasts, kill assassins, and battle other players in duels. Switch freely between 15 different playable classes. Tackle challenging quests while discovering the hidden secrets of the past. Help restore peace to the shattered utopia known as Eden.

launcher-2011-06-19-12-58-25-02

Publisher: Aeria Games
Playerbase: High
Graphics: High
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Arena / Duels / Guild Battles
Filesize: 1.74GB

Pros: +Unique Class System. +Great graphics. +Excellent interface. +Fast-paced combat. +Pet option. +Soulmate dating feature. +Guild towns.

Cons: -Shop items limited. –Lots of grinding. –Each class only has a handful of skills. –Generic storyline. –Gameplay can be repetitive at times.

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Overview

Eden Eternal Overview

Eden Eternal is a fantasy themed MMORPG that transports players into a world in desperate need of harmony. After several races migrated to a newly discovered continent for a fresh start they quickly found out from firsthand experience that old habits are hard to break. A disagreement about the direction their future should take erupted into firestorm ignited previous racial hatred and tension. A devastating war has left Eden in turmoil. Players step into the shoes of a mysterious hero with magical powers. Although their origin is still unknown they must take on the role of an Eternal Guardian fighting the evil plaguing the lands. Destroy an assortment of monsters and local beasts. Kill fierce boss creatures and other players. Complete challenging quests. Find a Soulmate or adopt a pet to assist in your journey. Similar to other X-Legend and Aeria Games' titles like Grand Fantasia and Kitsu Saga Eden Eternal has cool anime style graphics. Players are not limited to one class per character. As they progress new classes are unlocked which can be switched at random. All players start out as a human Warrior or Magician. There are 15 unlockable classes depending on a player's level.

Heroic Traits – Leadership, Guardian, Apostle, Commando, Sanctum, Maverick, Adventurer, and Crack Shot.

Classes:

Warrior (no level requirement) – They are skilled soldiers equipped with heavy armor in the form of swords and axes. Their ability to easily take out opponents and yield high level of damage make them worthy adversaries.

Warlock (level 55) – Warlocks borrow their power from the darkness. Their arsenal of magical tricks is overwhelming often leaving enemies quivering for mercy.

Templar (level 60) – Deeply rooted in their religious beliefs these spiritual warriors call of the power of God to punish the evil terrorizing the lands.

Ranger (level 65) – Rangers are very meticulous in their actions. They analyze opponents' weaknesses and execute blows that will do the most amount of damage. This class has mastered delivering devastating attacks from afar.

Eden Eternal Screenshots

Eden Eternal Featured Video

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Full Review

Eden Eternal Review

By Ange Perdu

Eden Eternal is a 3D anime style fantasy MMORPG set on a war torn continent where players become mysterious beings with incredible magical powers. Heroes serve as Eternal Guardians fighting the evil consuming the once peaceful world. Complete challenging quests and explore while slowly discovering the true origin of the race that emerged from the blue crystals. Kill beasts lurking around local villages or battle other players in fierce duels. Conquer dungeons with friends. Slay hundreds of monsters and bosses. Players can use any weapon, spell, or combative move of their choice by unlocking all 15 distinct classes and swapping freely. Find a sweetheart or summon pets to assist in combat.

Becoming an Eternal Guardian, the Gameplay

Heroes or Eternal Guardians begin their adventure in a local village near Limestone Mountain. Most of the gameplay involves completing quests and fighting monsters. Similar to other MMOs like Grand Fantasia the storyline is somewhat generic. Quests are given by NPCs scattered throughout the towns. The tasks vary from battling troublesome Mushroids to relying messages back and forth to commanding officers. Many of the missions consist of some form of combat. Collecting raw gemstones might require destroying intimidating Limestone Golems in the process. To accomplish a specific task a particular item may be required. A hammer must be used while fighting certain beasts to gather materials. Blowing a whistle will summon dangerous boss creatures to wage war with. The duties of an Eternal Guardian are endless. Kill hordes of Forest Imps, defeat Rainbow Angelly swarms, eliminate Eagle Gang Assassins, or sneak into a bandits' secret camp to destroy their supplies. Some quests are repeatable and aid in leveling. XP, coins, rare items, and occasionally fame or an achievement title is earned by completing quests. Players maneuver through the zones of Eden using their mouse, WASD keys, or the convenient auto-run feature by clicking on go from the quest log. Combat is fast-paced and surprisingly fun. Once initiated heroes use a mixture of physical and magical moves to conquer their opponent. Perform the Lightning Web, Fire Bomb, Perforation, Tornado, or Combat Cyclone. Depending on character's class and skill set there's a variety of mesmerizing spells that can be executed.

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Warriors to Warlocks

Eden Eternal features a very unique class system. All players start out as warrior or mage with one heroic trait of their choice. There are 15 different unlockable classes with their own set of cool animated skills. The two meters at the bottom of the screen monitor experience. The first one gauges character XP while the second records class experience which is primarily gained through combat. Since class experience accumulates much faster players usually benefit by changing their hero from warrior to thief and so on. As a hero levels up new classes are unlocked. At any time except during combat Eternal Guardians can switch their current class. The requirements vary depending on a character's level and their previous or related class level reached. Although there are just a handful of skills per class players have the ability to alternate freely between them. In most games users are limited to the battle skills in their specific class. It only takes a quick click on the transform button to change a class. The process of leveling up each class's skills individually is relatively easy but involves a lot of grinding. Killing monsters, repeating quests, and clearing dungeons are necessary for a diverse hero. Players will have to devote a significant amount of time into building up their character. This option makes the game rather addicting. Class talents allow gamers who prefer one particular class over another to master it. Knowledge points are rewarded each time a character gain's a level in their class. These points are used towards specialized talents in the skill window. Continually improve talents to become the most powerful Bard or Shaman around.

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Battle Dogs & Sweethearts

Eternal Guardians do not have to face evil alone. There is a pet companion option that permits heroes to add a Battle Dog in the form of an adorable Pug or massive Tiger. Pets can be trained to heal, attack, or perform tricks once a character reaches level 25. The Soulmate feature allows players to form a relationship and become sweethearts. Unlike other MMOs in this virtual world same-sex soul mates is legal. Players can be sweethearts with guys or girls regardless of their character's gender. It's also free to initiate dating status another cool aspect rarely seen. Couples receive lovers skills for the duration they're together. These skills vary like the Soulmate Instant Heal and give players an advantage during battles or difficult dungeon quests. Lovers can send each other special gifts, messages, and accumulate achievement points. The guild customization feature is also very impressive. Guild members can join their resources to construct their own town in Eden Eternal. Each town can have up to five established crafting structures. Set up farms, mines, altars, alchemy labs, foundries, and a magic pool. Build a monument in the town square. The polished anime-style graphics is similar to Kitsu Saga. There are breathtakingly beautiful backdrops and waterfalls. Guilds are able to create their own hangout spot within the game. Players can set up shops in their Guild Town to sell items to non-members as well.

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Travelling Merchants

Items and accessories can be purchased at Merchant Shops or in the Item Mall. The weapons selection is decent. Purchase the Special Broadsword, Equilibrium Staff, Red Copper Bow, Scout Light Shield, Shell-Splitter Axe, Silver Scout Dagger, Versatile Mace, Highland Bow, Knight's Shield, and the coveted Spell Wand. Weapons sold at shops are usable by all classes. Buy Tiger Fighter Tunics, Water Spirit Robes, Thorn Flower Hats, Gleam Vestments, Defender Helmets, and Sprinter Brigandine. Most of the armor is dull giving Eternal Guardians the same appearance. There are no outfits or costumes that stand out. Players do have the option of using dyes to add color to their apparel. Dyes are available in sage, orange, dark grey, yellow, eggplant, coral, pale blue, and lavender. Mixing color palettes can be amusing for a second or two but it doesn't make up for the lack of garbs in the Merchant Shops. In the Item Mall gamers willing to spend real money can purchase rare pets and hard to acquire trinkets. The Razorback, little Labrador, and Shorthair Cat are available as companions. Adventure threads, Kimono, Eden Spectacles, the Legacy Bow, boosts, and more powerful health tonics are on sale. There's also a cool Holy Seraph's Wings that gives heroes an angelic appearance in the mall.

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Final Verdict: Great

Comparable to other X-Legend titles like Grand Fantasia and Kitsu Saga there's a nice variety innovative features that adds to its appeal. Eden Eternal is a fun and addicting game. Instantly transform into another class. Become a Ranger, Illusionist, Knight, Martial Artist, and more. Wage war with an assortment of monsters, clear out dungeons, and duel other heroes. Complete challenging quests in a party, with pet companion, or your sweetheart. If you're one of those players that have a hard time choosing a class than Eden Eternal is definitely worth checking out. From its unique class system to the impressive Guild Town feature this game has a lot to offer MMO fans.

Videos

Eden Eternal Videos

Eden Eternal First Impressions

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Links

Eden Eternal Links

Eden Eternal Official Site

System Requirements

Eden Eternal Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3000 MHz / AMD Athlon 64 3000+
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 4 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon Х1600

Recommended Specification:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3000 MHz / Intel Core Quad 2400 MHz / AMD Athlon 64 6400+ or better
RAM: 2 GB or more
HDD: 4 GB or more
Graphics Card: GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 4700 or better

League Of Legends

Posted: 10 Aug 2009 12:44 AM PDT

League of Legends (LoL for short), is a 3D fantasy MMO by Riot Games where players choose from one of many champions and fight it out against their enemies. Although each individual ‘game’ or ‘match’ doesn’t take place in a persistent world, players earn experience points for winning matches, which can be used to permanently improve attributes in all future games. League of Legends is actually very similar to a popular Warcraft 3 mod called DotA (Defense of the Ancients).

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Publisher: Riot Games
Playerbase: High
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: N/A
Filesize: ~1300 MB

Pros: +Many playable heroes (60+). +Varied gameplay. +Unique mix of strategy and RPG elements. +Each match feels genuinely different. +Great interface. +Good tutorial.

Cons: -Poor lobby interface. -Too ‘team oriented’ (One bad player or leaver can ruin a match). -Very difficult to ‘master’. -Game won’t appeal to everyone.

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Overview

League Of Legends Overview

League of Legends is the first stand alone commercial ‘Aeon of Strife’ type MMO to be released. The game was designed as a successor to the popular Warcraft 3 map “Defense of the Ancients” (DotA) and involves two teams fighting against each other with each player controlling one of the game’s many champions. Each game, or round, is an individual session, but players are rewarded with special experience points for winning a round which can be used outside of individual matches. League of Legends is largely a team-oriented game, so try to get along with teammates, as the game is much more enjoyable when a team mates have good synergy.

League Of Legends Screenshots

League Of Legends Featured Video

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Full Review

League Of Legends Review

League of Legends, LoL for short, is a 3D fantasy MMO ‘AOS’ (Aeon of Strife) game published by Riot Games. Those familiar with other ‘Aeon of Strife’ games like Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Heroes of Newerth (HoN) or even Heroes of Avalon should be able to quickly familiarize themselves with League of Legends, as these Aeon of Strife games are all very similar – at least in terms of core gameplay. Those unfamiliar with the genre should certainly check out the game’s tutorial after first logging in, as League of Legends is a difficult game to master and the tutorial is a MUST for new comers to the genre. One thing worth mentioning right away is that League of Legends is a TEAM-oriented game, meaning it’s extremely difficult to win without coordinating with team mates – make sure to communicate with your team!

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Starting Out

After creating an account and logging into League of Legends for the first time, players will be prompted whether they want to complete the game’s tutorial. I STRONGLY recommend that anyone who hasn’t played an Aeon of Strife game before should complete the tutorial. After completing the tutorial players can jump right into a game by hitting the ‘Play’ button on the top left of the screen and then select ‘Solo’. Those looking to play with their friends should select ‘Arranged Team’. Finding a game can take upwards of  a minute – during peak times players will usually be able to find a game within a few seconds – so there’s never too much waiting around.

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Pre-Game

After finding a game, players will have approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds to select a champion, two summoner spells, and some runes. League of Legends currently has well over 60 playable heroes, each of which are distinctly different. Each hero has 4 skills (3 abilities and an ultimate) as well as a unique passive ability. I strongly recommend newbies choose from one of the eight ‘recommended’ champions, as they’re the easiest to play. Out of those eight Ashe and Tristana are definitely the easiest champions to play, so first-timers should pick from one of those two. Another thing worth mentioning is that all of the heroes are actually incredibly balanced, so even though Ashe and Tristana are fairly ‘easy’ to play, they’re aren’t at all ‘under powered’ or anything like that. After playing a few matches with the recommended characters, players should try out other champions as well, because the best way to really master League of Legends is to learn every champion’s skills. Having to memorize every champion’s skills may seem a bit nerve wracking at first, but it’s not too bad, as just by playing the game regularly players will learn on their own what each hero is capable of. Of the game’s many playable heroes, most of them won’t be available to newbies, as they have to purchased in the game’s store with the ‘influence points’ earned from playing and winning matches.

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Summoner spells and Runes are also important components of League of Legends. Summoner spells are basically two additional skills a player has access to (ontop of their champion’s four skills). These spells can’t be leveled up, and usually have long cool downs. Players can choose from a variety of unique summoner skills before the game begins. Keep in mind though these can’t be changed once a game starts – but players choose new summoner spells before a new game begins. These summoner spells basically add another layer of customization to the game. Runes also add another layer of customization to the game. Before a game begins, players can choose to equip certain runes which, like mastery points, enhance a player’s champion. New players don’t start with any runes, though, and must play through many games to find new runes.  It’s a nifty little feature that allows players to customize their champions in nearly infinite different ways.

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The Field of Justice

League of Legends is a 5v5 game, so after selecting a champion, summoner spells and runes, the game will actually begin. The first thing I noticed after the game started is that the game has remarkably fluid gameplay, which gives the game a nice ‘high quality’ feel to it. Everyone starts off at level 1 and the maximum level is 18. The goal of each individual game is simple: destroy the opposing team’s base before they destroy yours (Sort of like Savage 2). Each individual ‘match or ‘game’ doesn’t take place in a persistent world; each time a new game begins, everyone selects a new hero and starts back at level 1. Earn experience points by killing enemy minions and champions. Each new level rewards the player with increased attributes, as well a single skill point which can be spent on learning/improving one of four skills. Each champion has four distinctly different skills, so make sure to read and understand each one before spending a skill point on it.  An average game takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes; so try not to start a new game unless you have the time to finish it, as leaving in the middle of a game can imbalance the teams and ruin the game for everyone else.

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Awesome Item Shop.

The item shop in League of Legends, which is located near the starting area, is infinitely better designed than the shop in DotA, as the menus are easy to navigate and items are categorized nicely into five categories – Defense, Attack, Magic, Movement and Consumables. Players can purchase items which enhance their champion with the gold they earn in the game. Players can earn gold through numerous means, but the most common way of earning gold is getting the ‘last hit’ on enemy minions and killing enemy champions. There are a LOT of different items in the item shop, which means there’s an enormous amount of unique item builds that players can experiment with. Every champion is distinctly different (some items may be more effective on one champion over another), so try to purchase items that work well your champion. It wouldn’t make much sense to purchase a sword that grants +50 attack when playing a spell caster hero or an item that boosts spell damage on a melee-oriented champion. Luckily, it’s pretty hard to buy the wrong items, as the game displays a list of recommended items for each hero in the item shop.

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Leveling Up – Outside of the Game

The more matches a player wins in League of Legends – the more experience their ‘summoner’ gains. Every level yields a single ‘Mastery’ point, which can be spent in the ‘masteries’ tab. Masteries are basically passive enhancements which will enhance a champion’s attributes in every single game. The masteries work a lot like the ‘talent’ points in World of Warcraft and Runes of Magic, but they are ‘account wide’, so it doesn’t matter which champion you select; you’ll always receive these boinuses. The three skill trees in the masteries tab are Offense, Defense and Utility. One example of a ‘mastery’ in the offense skill tree is ‘Deadliness’. Every point allocated to the ‘Deadliness’ skill yields an additional 0.66% ‘critical strike’ rating to your champion. As mentioned earlier, this isn’t a onetime deal; you’ll receive this bonus in every single match you play, no matter which champion you choose to play as.

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Easy to Learn – Very Difficult To Master

One of my biggest complaints with League of Legends is that the game is incredibly difficult to master. Anyone can get a good ‘feel’ for the game after an hour or so; but to truly master the game can take years. It’s extremely frustrating for newbies to match off against more skilled players, as unlike MMOFPS games where even unskilled players can pull off lucky headshots, newbies in League of Legends will get absolutely crushed by better players. The game does try to ‘match’ players with opponents of equal skill level though, so this isn’t always an issue. The biggest ‘issue’ for most players will be memorizing every champion’s skills, as knowing what skills your enemy has can help avoid getting killed. Overall, though, League of Legends is an immensely in-depth game that can take many many hours to fully understand.

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Final Verdict – Excellent

League of Legends is a top-notch, free-to-play Aeon of Strife game that seems to never get old. With gorgeous cel-shaded graphics, over 40 playable champions and nearly limitless customization options, League of Legends is one of the best free-to-play games out there. It’s one of those games that will keep you coming back for more years down the road. Keep in mind that League of Legends won’t appeal to everyone, but anyone who plays DotA or enjoys a good Aeon of Strife game will almost certainly love League of Legends. The only real downside is its steep learning curve.

Screenshots

League Of Legends Screenshots

Videos

League Of Legends Videos

League of Legends Gameplay Video 1

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League of Legends Gameplay Video 2

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League of Legends Video

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System Requirements

League Of Legends System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
CPU: Pentium 4 2 GHz / AMD XP 2500+ or better
RAM: 512 MB or more
HDD: 1 GB Free
Graphics Card: Any DirectX 9.0 capable VGA Card

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
CPU: Pentium 4 3 GHz
RAM: 1024 MB (1GB)
HDD: 1 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForge 8800 or equivalent

Fiesta Online

Posted: 03 Mar 2009 04:42 PM PST

Fiesta Online (or just Fiesta for short) is a 3D fantasy MMORPG.  The game has cute, cell-shaded, anime inspired graphics and lively music.  The game’s entire world is vibrant and has an upbeat atmosphere.

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Publisher: Outspark
Playerbase: High
Graphics: Medium Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Low
PvP: PvP Zones
Filesize: ~1120 MB

Pros: +Beautiful cel-shaded graphics. +Great interface. +Good skill progression system. +Solid Item crafting / resource gathering systems. +Easy to learn.

Cons: -Only one stat point per level. -Repetitive combat. -Five starting classes.

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Overview

Fiesta Online Overview

Fiesta Online is another interesting MMORPG published by Outspark.  The game has three starting classes, each one of which has two job advancements; one at level 20 and the other at level 60.  The game’s most notable aspects are its attractive cel-shaded graphics and its solid item crafting system.  The game isn’t nearly as in-depth as some of the newer free MMORPGs, but Fiesta is still an all-around fun game well worth checking out.  The game’s four playable classes are:

Fighter- Fighters are the generic ‘warrior’ archetype in Fiesta.  They are extremely capable in melee combat and have the most hit points and armor in the game.  They are proficient with both one-handed and two-handed weapons.

Mage – Mages are the traditional offensive spell casting class in Fiesta. They can do a great deal of damage from a distance with their magic, but are extremely vulnerable in melee range.  They have low hit points and minimal defensive capabilities.

Cleric - Clerics are experts at supporting party members in combat. They have a variety of healing and buff skills which make them incredibly valuable to a party.  They are the weakest class in the game but when they with a group they’re extremely useful.

Archer – Archers are deadly with the bow.  They are fast and agile which allows them to deal damage rather quickly from a distance, but are vulnerable in melee combat.

Trickster – A dual-wielding class that is capable of dealing large amounts of damage in short bursts. They are melee oriented and have decent HP.

Fiesta Online Screenshots

Fiesta Online Featured Video

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Full Review

Fiesta Online Review

By Jaime Skelton

Launched in 2007 in the United States by Outspark, Fiesta is a classic and well-known free-to-play anime-style MMORPG. Similar in ways to Fly For Fun, Asda Story, Dream of Mirror Online, and Mabinogi, Fiesta’s cel-shaded graphics and simple gameplay introduced many players to free-to-play MMOs. After a few years in the MMO market, Fiesta Online is still going strong, and there’s a few good reasons why.

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Choosing your Path

Like any game, getting started in Fiesta Online requires going through character creation process. At the start of the game, you may choose only one of four classic classes – fighter, cleric, mage, or archer – and your gender. Character customization is extremely limited, offering only the chance to change your face, hair style, and hair color, each with only about three options each. For those concerned about the lack of classes, be reassured – each class becomes stronger with advanced classes at level 20, 60, and 100, the last of which offers a choice between two final specializations. Customization also comes in the ability to choose what extra stats are assigned each level in the "free stat" system.

A Helping Bird

Fiesta’s tutorial system is very limited and hands-on. For new players, a helpful NPC will offer a simple tip on picking up the first quests before sending them on their way. Tutorial tips come along instead with a bird-head alert in the upper right of the screen, offering explanations of each crucial game element, from combat and leveling to upgrading items and the mentor system. The alert also serves a dual purpose to let you know when new quests are available, and from whom. While the bird serves as a helper for those new to MMORPGs, many experienced players may find it aggravating, especially as it appears for each new character.

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The Classic Grind …

Like many MMORPGs, Fiesta features a quest system to help players level as well as earn useful rewards. However, leveling takes the style of older MMOs, in which grinding is more crucial to gaining experience than questing. In fact, new players will discover this element before level 5; quests are given at a level before they can be reasonably completed by a new player with no assistance. For this reason, many players choose to grind out their early levels and skip quests entirely, as early level rewards are purchasable from vendors.

and the Value of Friendship

The other option in starting off to the right foot, of course, is to have the help of friends, or at least, the kindness of passing strangers. A mentor-apprentice system exists for high level players to help out lowbies with bonuses for both, which can be one of the most efficient ways for a low level player to earn their experience. High level players may also choose to pass through and offer buffs or free potions and buff scrolls to low level players. Either of these ways can offer a powerful boost to players to make them strong enough to handle higher level mobs without being weak and risking death, or long rests after each enemy’s death. The final point to be made of this is that Fiesta is a game geared primarily for group efforts; solo players will struggle often without outside help or long grinds.

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Battling for Glory & Profit

Like many classic MMOs, Fiesta utilizes a skill-on-use system, in which players may both auto-attack enemies and input skills used on an action bar, as they choose and are available. Special HP and SP stones are available to use to restore health and spell points, respectively. In between fights, players can also use "Home" to rest in their mini-house (a mushroom on default), and regenerate their stats.

To earn money – used for buying gear and other useful items – players must sell what they find on the enemies they kill. While some "junk" is dropped, most of the items found are useful for the game’s crafting system, called Alchemy. Players can learn professions in this system as soon as they are created, and may choose two total professions from five – allowing them to produce enhancement stones, potions, scrolls, or change items into a higher or lower quality.

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Kingdom Quests & PvP

There’s more to do than grind, quest, and craft in Fiesta, of course. For players who prefer PvE, Kingdom Quests become available every two hours. Designed for players anywhere from level 5 up and separated into level spans, they can be joined individually or with a party. Each quest has its own victory conditions that can be achieved by the players inside within a set time limit. Each player inside will earn a present box if they are successful, and may earn anything from materials, scrolls, and potions to enhanced and rare equipment.

For PvP fans, once reaching level 20, several different zones become available for player versus player battling. Each city has its own battle zone, and several battlefields also become available. Guild wars are also available for those who are socially inclined to join a guild and participate in group PvP. The player versus player experience is only designed for showing off skill, and sometimes earning items and other perks like titles; experience is not rewarded.

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Final Verdict: Good

Fiesta is easy to get into, with plenty for players to do in both PvE and PvP. It makes a particularly good introduction to free-to-play MMORPGs, with an active and helpful player base and plenty of regular maintenance from its publisher. What holds Fiesta back mostly is its grinding nature: any player who hates grinding is going to find Fiesta boring or frustrating. If you don’t mind a balance between grinding and quests, and enjoy a game that rewards cooperative gameplay, Fiesta has a lot to offer.

Screenshots

Fiesta Online Screenshots

Videos

Fiesta Online Videos

Fiesta Online Character Creation

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Fiesta Online High Level Video

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Fiesta Online Official Trailer

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Fiesta Online Boss Battle

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Fiesta Online Gameplay Footage

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System Requirements

Fiesta Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 2000
CPU: 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD processor
RAM: 512MB Free
HDD: 3.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce MX or equivalent

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 2000
CPU: 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD processor
RAM: 1GB Free
HDD: 3.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce TI or Radeon 9200

Runes of Magic

Posted: 10 Jan 2009 09:36 AM PST

Drawing much of its inspiration from the mammoth MMORPG World of Warcraft, Runes of Magic brings to life the fantasy world of Taborea with beautiful 3D graphics, and with over 600 quests to complete offers players much in the way of content and features. With fully-realized dungeon encounters, unmatched character customization, a unique multi-class system, in-game player housing, and a growing community of over 2,000,000 – Runes of Magic guarantees something for everyone.

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Publisher: Frogster Interactive
Playerbase: High
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Open / Duels
Filesize: 6.7 GB

Pros: +Fantastic character customization. +Unique multi-class system.  +Player housing. +Heaps of different PvP options. +Huge game world. +Fun end-game raiding.

Cons: -Cash shop can imbalance the game.  -Sensitive language filter. -Similarities to WoW may deter some players.

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Overview

Runes of Magic Overview

Runes of magic is a feature rich MMORPG that uses a graphic style very similar to WoW’s. The familiar interface and animations help new players and MMO veterans adjust to the world of Taborea. The game supports both individual player housing and guild controlled castles located in separate instances. But what really sets Runes of Magic apart is the dual-classing system whereby characters can pick a second class at level 10. With a total of eight classes and two races (Human, Elf) to chose from, players can create truly unique characters.

Classes:

Warrior – Masters of armed combat. Warriors can use any close combat weapon and any type of armor besides plate. They deliver special strikes and blows which have various effects on their targets.

Scout - Adapt at long-ranged combat, Scouts use their bows or crossbows to deal heavy damage. They are vulnerable at close range and rely on a series of evasive and delaying skills to keep enemies from closing in.

Rogue - Specialized at inflicting deadly blows at a fast rate, rogues use daggers which can cause heavy bleeding or be coated in poison. They are very capable at doding blows, but their speed comes at the expense of armor and health. Rogues can also lay traps, scout, and increase a group’s income generation.

Mage - Commanding the elements of fire and lightning, Mages deal heavy damage from afar. They possess direct damage, and area of effect spells. Mages can also cast barrier spells and strength buffs, adding to their utility.

Priest (Human Only) - While priests can cast water based spells to deal damage, they primarily play a supportive role. Priests can cast healing spells, boost their allies stats, and even bring fallen comrades back from the dead. They can equip shields which aid their defense, but are still frail.

Knight (Human Only) - Heavily armored fighters, Knights are the only class that can wear plate armor. Knights go into battle head-first equipped with shields and light-based attacks. They are the tanks of RoM and have the ability to draw their foes attacks towards themselves.

Druid (Elf Only) - Attuned to nature, Druids are a versatile class capable of healing allies, casting damage over time spells, and even mind controlling opponents. Druids possess a special ability that allows them to gather Nature’s Power and unleash it at anytime to cast powerful spells.

Warden (Elf Only) - Close combat specialists. Wardens can use a diverse set of weapons and can wear chain armor. Wardens can summon powerful pets to fight alongside them, and have access to magical spells which strengthen themselves and weaken their opponents.

Runes of Magic Screenshots

Runes of Magic Feature Video

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Full Review

Runes of Magic Review

By Cody 'Neramaar' Hargreaves

To get it out of the way nice and early, and to give those that disagree with me a chance to respond without having to read the entire review, Runes of Magic is a WoW Clone. There, I said it. Have at me with your silver tongues and sharpened wits, exact your revenge upon my flesh, for I have gone where many have before, and branded a game a clone of World of Warcraft. The thing is, and this is where I might lose you, so pay close attention – I think that it's a good thing.

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I KNEW THIS LOOKED FAMILIAR…
You see, throughout these past short years, years that have been particularly kind to the MMO industry, games have been cloning one another on an almost daily basis. Hell, if you wanna get real technical – any game portraying an open 3D world with a third-person perspective is a clone of the original Everquest – and although I can't think of it off the top of my head – Everquest is probably a clone of another, albeit less popular, MMO game. Cloning is simply part of the industry, and as much as I don't particularly like the idea – it's here to stay, and it's something we have to get used to.

With Runes of Magic (henceforth referred to as RoM), it's different. They haven't simply cloned the gameplay style, or the character textures – they've pretty much cloned the entire damn game, right down the names of a large portion of the skills and spells. The biggest key difference between the two of them lies solely in the fact the RoM is free to play, and WoW is not. There is however a great many additions that have been added to the WoW formula in RoM, and therein lies salvation.

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FILLING IN THE BLANKS
For the three of you reading this that have absolutely no idea what the WoW formula is, or any other standard MMORPG formula for that matter, it is simply the standard way that MMORPG games are played. You create a character, and spend a large quantity of your life making that character great, through killing monsters and gaining experience and equipment, thereby making your character stronger. Thanks to the countless content updates and additions to these games, this cycle is damn near never ending – and is the main contributor to the new 'MMO Addiction' craze that's taking the world by storm.

This is the process that almost every MMORPG game takes – and is the same process that was perfected by Blizzard with WoW – hence the 11.5 Million active players. The reason I have never labeled any other game a WoW clone is because cloning this simple process of playing isn't really cloning WoW. Cloning the skills, environments, quests, and a plethora of other features however, is. There – only took me five paragraphs to explain why RoM is a WoW Clone, now on to why this is such a good thing.

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GO ON, FLAUNT IT
The key here, and the thing that gives RoM so much of its undeniable charm, is in the improvements and additions that have been made to the formula – many of which are incredible additions that truly make the game. One such addition, also the one that I like the most, is in the character creation whereby players are able to choose the size of each of their individual body parts – giving each player their own individual look and style. Add to this over 30 different face and hair options, and you have a recipe for total character customization – a simple, yet highly appreciated addition to the game.

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MY HOME IS MY CASTLE
Not enough customization you say? Then take a look at RoM's unique multi-class system that allows players to combine their main class (out of a possible Warrior, Knight, Rogue, Priest, Mage or Scout) with a second class – adopting all of their secondary skills and abilities. This allows for over 30 different class combinations in total and should be more than enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Hell – if you're really keen on appealing to your personal preferences, RoM even includes your very own house that you can use to store your loot and goodies, and decorate to your liking with furniture purchased through the in-game shop. Of course, to use the in-game shop, you'll need to get your credit card handy, and fork over some dough for a few diamonds.

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DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

Diamonds are the in-game currency used in RoM, and can only be obtained by spending real hard-earned dollars – well – future real hard-earned dollars, as you'll need to use a credit card to make a purchase. Diamonds can be used to purchase a number of different things in RoM, from furniture for your house or upgrades for your weapons, to additional bag space and mounts to travel faster across the world, and although you don't need to purchase diamonds – you'll definitely want to, as they make the playing experience a lot more fun when you do. One downside to the game’s cash shop is that the most powerful enchantment items are only available through the cash shop.

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CAUSE AND EFFECT
Also thrown into the mix in RoM is an older style PvP system in which you have full access to attack any player you choose provided that you are both above level 15. Of course, doing so will net you some negative karma – causing you to turn red and drop your equipment if you're killed. I've been a massive fan of this style of PvP back since the days when Lineage 2 was a top game, because you really have to think about who you kill as the repercussions can be deadly. There's nothing more fun then losing your cool with a party member, ganking them out of pure frustration, then running for your life from a horde of greedy gamers drooling over the weapons they might get if they can kill you.

Of course, for every good part of a game, there is surely a bad part to follow, and at present, RoM could still use a lot of work. There's nothing especially game breaking to mention, just a few little kinks that need ironing out here and there. Things like bad translations, and in some areas, no translation at all. Missing sounds, such as the hooves of your horse as it gallops across the countryside, or the always expected 'chink' your mining pick should make as it hit's the rock – missing sounds like this really draw from the immersion, and show a severe lack of polish.

Runes of Magic is the gold standard of the free-to-play MMO experience. Since its release back in early 2009, Runes of Magic has enjoyed numerous major content updates, called “chapters”, which added enormous amounts of new content to the game. As is, Runes of Magic is one of the most content rich free to play MMORPGs out there.

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Final Verdict: Excellent
Runes of Magic didn’t just raise the bar, it continues to push it higher. It is a stalwart example of the glorious free-to-play gaming era that we have only recently begun to experience, and although it currently still has a number of flaws, it's already one hell of a gaming experience, and a must play for any MMO gamer. Since the game’s original release back in 2009, the game has enjoyed numerous major expansions called “Chapters” which introduced a lot of new content to the game. Frogster has done and continues to do a stellar job with Runes of Magic – making it one of the best free to play MMORPGs ever.

Screenshots

Runes of Magic Screenshots

Videos

Runes of Magic Videos

Runes of Magic Featured Video

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Runes of Magic Gameplay Video

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Runes of Magic Official Trailer Video

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Runes of Magic Combat  Video

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Runes of Magic Housing Video

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System Requirements

Runes of Magic System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz or equivalent
RAM: 512MB or more
HDD: 7 GB
DirectX 9.0c compatible with 128MB RAM Video Card


Recommended Specification:
Intel Pentium 4 Core Duo 2.0 GHz or equivalent
RAM: 1GB or more
HDD: 7GB or more
DirectX 9.0c compatible with 256MB RAM Video Card

Golfstar

Posted: 03 Oct 2010 01:01 AM PDT

Golfstar is a 3D golfing MMO. Create a custom avatar using a variety of clothing and accessories and play a few holes alone or with up to 30 other players. Golftstar has anime inspired character designs and allows simultaneous play, making multiplayer games much faster paced.

golfstar-preview

Publisher: Gamigo
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: Medium Quality
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: N/A
Filesize: 975 MB

Pros: +All players can play simultaneously in multiplayer. +Variety of clothes and accessories available. +Up to 30 players per match. +Great interface

Cons: -Very Similar to other Golfing games. -Few playable characters. -Limited golf-course variety.


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Overview

Golfstar Overview

Golfstar is a Korean developed golfing MMO being published in North America and Europe by Gamigo. The game was developed by Com2uS and has anime styled characters. The golf courses and surrounding environments are well rendered. Golfstar supports multiplayer matches of up to 30 players, and allows them to all play at once. This speeds up gameplay tremendously and is an improvement over several older golfing games. Like other golfing MMOs, players can customize their avatars and explore persistent shopping areas. As players progress, they’ll be able to learn passive skills that improve their stamina and strength. Golfstar competes with games like Pangya, Shot Online, and Tiger Woods Online. Graphically speaking, Golfstar looks fantastic and is well worth checking out for those interesting in golfing games.

Golfstar Screenshots

Golfstar Featured Video

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Full Review

Golfstar Review

Golfstar Review

There are few sports that have as much international appeal as golf: the polite atmosphere, the calculated shots, and the athleticism required have inspired even video game players. In recent years, golf games have made their way into the online arena, hoping to capitalize on the multiplayer aspect of online gaming. One of these games, Golfstar, is published by gamigo. While similar to Shot Online, as well as other golf games like Pangya and Tiger Woods Online, Golfstar still has plenty to offer the online golf fanatic.

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Take Your Pick

Golfstar’s character creation is very limited: there are two male and two female stock characters, complete with a name, age, and biography, to choose from. These characters can be customized a little: each has two hair styles and a few hair colors, plus two faces, to choose from. Still, you’ll have the look of looking like one out of every four players, with the only distinguishing feature being the clothing you equip in-game. Fashion items also offer bonuses, however, so you still may end up looking pretty similar to the player you’re putting against.

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Teeing Off

While Golfstar aims for fair realism, the controls during play are relatively simple. Swings take place in two phases; the first has you hold down the space bar to fill your power meter and letting go when the power is to your liking, while the second phase has you tap the space bar within a small aiming reticule on the ball itself (the closer to the center of the ball, the better the shot). This mechanic works the same for both regular shots and putts, with putts showing their power meter on the green itself instead of as a swing bar.

There are a few additional controls as well. Using the mouse will let you aim left or right. Camera controls are also managed by the mouse, and three views, allowing you to focus on either the hole, the projected landing area, or the golfer, can be switched between with the keyboard. Golfers can also learn skills, which can be added to an action bar and used with standard 1-0 hotkeys for easy access. While these controls are easy to master for a beginner, the mouse controls are on a reverse axis, which may slip up a player from time to time.

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How’s the Weather?

While the graphics and controls of Golfstar are softly realistic, the challenges facing golfers on the holes are not. Like Shot Online, Golfstar impressively takes into consideration all the factors affecting a golf game, from wind and slope, to weather and humidity. Every condition you come across on the course can and will affect your shot, making it important to take a full scan of your situation on each shot – an impressive feat sometimes, as each shot is limited by a time of 30 to 90 seconds.

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Get a Grip

Golfstar is not just a free-for-all golf game; equipment and player statistics play a major part. The game features a full set of fashion items for players to equip (purchased with both the game’s in-game currency and in the cash shop), many of which affect a player’s stats. Clubs are also a major necessity in game, as are various items that can help improve a player’s accuracy, power, stamina, or control.

As you play on courses, you gain experience and money. Experience will help you gain levels, which in turn grants you a few points that you can allocate between the four stats mentioned above. This is where players can really customize their experience, putting points in the stats that they are weakest at, as well as those they feel will give them an edge on the courses. Players also get to learn skills, special abilities that can be activated while on the course to help give their shots an edge.

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Get on the Course Already

There are only four courses available in Golfstar right now, and they all look generally similar to each other with the exception of White Cliff, which offers some beach-like obstacles and background noise. Thankfully, there are several game modes to make things more interesting. These modes are stroke (a standard golf match with the lowest score winning), match (head-to-head per hole, with one or two people per team), skins (where players bet per hole to win in-game currency), and both competition and team competition, which can feature up to 30 players golfing at the same time.

Not only does Golfstar allow a large number of players on the course at once, it also makes sure that golf play goes quickly by making all players play simultaneously. While this does give a little illusion that you’re playing alone, it also significantly speeds up the golf game – a usual problem for most golf MMOs. The game also supports guilds, and hosts a regular guild day every Friday in which guilds get boosted experience and rewards as they play on the greens.

Final Verdict: Good

Golfstar is one of the better golf games available online; it’s realistic, it’s fast, and it supports its community through in-game lobbies and guilds, helping make it feel like a little less of a lobby and more like a golfing community. However, the game also has a very limited amount of content, and follows the same style of equipment rules that many FPS games do – permanent equipment is almost nowhere to be found (even your starter set has a thirty day limit.) While you can earn money in game to pay for clubs, you’ll have to keep a close eye on your inventory to make sure you don’t go broke and lose out on valuable stats. If you’re looking for a more realistic golf game, this might be your best bet – just watch your pocketbook.

Videos

Golfstar Videos

Golfstar Gameplay Teaser Trailer

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Links

Golfstar Links

Golfstar Official Site

System Requirements

Golfstar Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 2000
CPU: 1.0 GhZ Pentium 3 or Equivalent AMD processor
RAM: 512 MB Memory
HDD: 3 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce 5200 / Radeon 9200 or better

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows Vista / 7 / XP / 2000
CPU: 2 GHz Pentium 4 processor
RAM: 1 GB Memory
HDD: 5 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce 6600/ Radeon 9600

Iris Online

Posted: 17 Aug 2010 11:21 PM PDT

Iris Online is 3D fantasy MMORPG with a gypsy theme. Players can chose between three races and can explore the anime-inspired world of Arcana. Experience a unique environment centered on 22 tarot cards, including The Fool, The Chariot, and Wheel of Fortune.

iris-online-overview

Publisher: gPotato
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Duels / Colosseum Matches
Filesize: ~ 2400 mb

Pros: +3 playable races, 6 starting classes. +Unique tarot card feature. +Transform into monsters using cards. +Themed instanced dungeons.

Cons: -Limited inventory space. -Familiar gameplay and character progression. -Visual style may not appeal to some players.

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Overview

Iris Online Overview

Iris Online is a free-to-play MMORPZG developed by Eyasoft, the same studio behind Luna Online. Like Luna, Iris boasts a cute, anime-inspired visual style. But don’t let the graphics fool you, Iris Online is a full-feature MMORPG with a unique gypsy theme. Tarot cards effect much of the world, including the twenty-two instanced dungeons, each of which have a different theme based off one of the cards. Players can collect monster cards off almost any enemy in the game and use them to transform into those monsters. PvP battle zones pit up to fifteen players near the same level against each other. Players progress by gaining experience and skill points. The game has a variety of races and classes to choose from.

Human - Easily adaptable race that possess great strength and excels at technology.

Fighter - Fighters rely on brute strength and large weapons to deal heavy damage at melee range.

Mage - Arcane spellcasters who fight from a distance. They can buff allies, but are fragile in combat.

Hybrid - Half-human, half-animal. Hybrids have high strength and stamina, though their knowledge of magic is limited.

Warrior - Equipped with heavy armor, warriors are always at the forefront of battle where they can defend their allies.

Rogue - Shrewd combatants that rely on speed and cunning. Rogues exploit vulnerabilities in their opponents.

Elf - Elves are the oldest race in Arcana. They have unmatched knowledge and an affinity for nature

Ranger - Trackers and outdoorsmen. Rangers are masters of stealthy movement and the gun. They can also use daggers.

Shaman - Masters of fire, air, earth, and water magic. Shamans can summon elementals to aid them.

Iris Online Screenshots

Iris Online Featured Video

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Full Review

Iris Online Review

By Erhan Altay

Most anime-themed fantasy MMORPGs tend to be very similar, but once in a while a game like Iris Online comes along and adds a new twist to the genre. Iris Online is developed by the Korean studio Eyasoft and published in North America on Gala-Net's gPotato portal. Eyasoft is behind a number of anime styled games including Luna Online and the recent Legend of Edda, but Iris Online is different from those titles. It has a 'Gypsy' theme, which means the world is filled with tarot cards, carnivals, and circus themed areas and instances. Behind the brightly colored visual style is an in-depth MMORPG with varied races, classes, PvP options, and other features.

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Races of Arcana

Iris Online entered beta testing in the middle of October in 2010, and with a 2.4 gb client size, its a fairly large game. Each account has five character slots per server, which is almost enough to cover the six starting classes. There are three playable races to chose from: Human, Hybrid, and Elf. Each of these has two distinct classes available, for a grand total of six. There are a few face, hair, and hair color options, but appearance customization is very limited overall. The character models themselves look great. After character creation, the game prompts players with an option to take part in the tutorial. It's short, and explains some of the original features found later in the game. There's also a reward for completing it, so new players should run through it at least once.

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Sign Up for the Circus

The tutorial in Iris Online takes place in a circus-themed zone where players are introduced to a new aspect of gameplay in each room. The game supports both keyboard (W,A,S,D) and point-and-click controls which will please many gamers. Better still, the keyboard controls actually feel fluid. This is one of the few Asian developed free-to-play MMORPGs where I felt more comfortable using W,A,S,D over the mouse. Players can even jump by hitting the space bar, but this propels them far into the air and is rarely practical. After learning to move, the next quest explains a bit about the game's lore. Most gamers will skip past this, but just remember that the world is called Arcana, and the races had to work together to defeat some evil force long ago. Next, players can choose between three cat mounts. Mounts come in all shapes and sizes in Iris Online including giant cats, crabs, and so on. Newbies won't be able to keep their tutorial mount, it only serves to show them how to use one. The interface in Iris Online is simple, the map is opened by hitting 'M', the quest log opens with the 'L' key, and inventory with the 'I' key. The only major complaints with the interface are the limited inventory space of twenty-five slots that new players start with, and the inability to view maps beside the one a character is currently in.

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Fortune Telling

One major feature that distinguishes Iris Online from other free-to-play games is its Gypsy theme. Tarots cards, which are still used by fortune tellers today, have perhaps the most well known aspect of Gypsy culture. These cards, and especially the twenty-two major ones, play an important role in Iris Online. Each of the original twenty-two instanced dungeons in the game are based off one of the twenty-two major Tarot cards. Veteran gamers may have come across these cards before in other games like the Persona or Ultima series. They include cards like 'The Fool', 'Judgment', and 'The Emperor.' The order that a person draws these cards is supposed to reveal something about their fortune, but in Iris they play a role in weapon customization, crafting, and monster summoning. The tutorial explains most of these features, but its important to note that besides the twenty-two major tarot cards, there are fifty-six minor ones. On top of that, nearly every monster in the game (including raid bosses) have a chance of dropping cards. The cards monsters drop come in two forms: one type can be attached to equipment Ragnarok Online style, while the other kind is used to temporarily transform into the particular monster that dropped it. Each monster has a unique set of skills, and buffs. Cards are also used in crafting and can be combined with other items to create completely new items.

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Character Growth

Progression in Iris Online is fairly linear. Players gain experience by hunting and completing quests, but they also gain SXP (skill experience) independently of their base experience. When the SXP bar fills, players are rewarded with a skill point which can be distributed among the multple skill trees each class has. Each starting class has access to two or more weapon/spell types, and each is represented by its own skill tree. Rogues, for example, can use rifles or dual daggers. Shamans can specialize in divine or offensive magic. Fighters can specialize in two-handed swords, dual swords, or sword & shield skills. All classes have a passive skill tree which contains permanent boosts to health, damage output, or particular stats. It is possible to spread skill points across multiple specializations, but this is not recommended. Players can a free skill reset at level 30, when they can make their first job change, but must use a cash shop item if they mess up before or after that time. Base experience is a lot simpler. Players don't receive stat points as they level, they increase automatically and can be raised further with magic equipment and buffs. Besides skills, there is one extra layer of customization in the form of an elemental 'Force.' There are four forces to chose from: Helen (fire), Nero (water), Annes (wind), Dera (ground.) Why does Nero represent water? I'm not quite sure, but there are several translation quirks throughout the game and this may just be one of them.

iris-online-tarot-divination

Point A to Point B

Gameplay in Iris Online is heavily quest-based, and players are usually lead from one zone to the next in a linear path. New players start in the town of Terminus, which is in perpetual night and progress to hunting grounds that are at different times of the day. The assortment of quests should be familiar to MMORPG fans; kill quests, item gathering quests, and talk to NPC X quests. To auto-move to a location, players must bring up the map and click on a certain area. There's no quest objective to quest objective auto-navigation, which is actually a good thing since too much automation can make a game boring. Combat relies on actively using a variety of skills, as they usually have cool downs of a few seconds. Luckily, every class is equipped with an assortment of skills and mana regeneration is pretty high. Interestingly, spells and skills cost a percent of total mana, not just a set amount. This makes the MP recovery rate a very important stat for every class. The constant use of skills keeps combat exciting, and monsters in Iris Online start aggroing at an early level, which makes things more challenging. Early quests reward players with dozens of HP/MP potions, but these will run out eventually. There's no death penalty until level 10, and players are free to spawn right where they died. After level 10, death carries a small exp penalty, and resurrecting where you fell causes a debuff for several minutes.

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Carnival Games

Iris Online has many small features that help round it out as a full-feature MMORPG. These include an auction house, the ability to open personal shop stalls, and a title system. Titles are earned in a variety of ways, the most common being consuming tokens dropped by monsters. Titles effect the stats of a character when equipped, and can have both positive and negative effects. A title geared towards casters may increase magic damage and intelligence, but may decrease strength. Iris Online also has several PvP modes on top of the standard duel. Every so often, players are prompted on whether they want to participate in a capture the flag or team deathmatch event. If enough players within a certain level range agree, everyone who chose to participate is teleported to an instanced Colosseum field where two sides (each with up to eighteen players) duke it out. The game keeps track of PvP stats, including total kills, deaths, and also rewards points towards the player's currently chosen 'Force.' Besides large-scale PvP events, players can also group up to clear instanced dungeons scattered across the world.

iris-online-skill-tree

You've Come a Long Way

The visuals in Iris Online are very reminiscent of earlier anime-styled games, particularly Fiesta Online, Seal Online, and perhaps a bit of Rose Online thrown in. Being a newer game, it’s not much of a surprise that the graphics in Iris are better than those previous games. It’s a high quality title, and a slightly more mature alternative to Eyasoft's more chibi-oriented titles.

Final Verdict: Great

Iris Online may feel familiar at first glance, but it has a lot of depth and a unique theme. With three races and a large assortment of classes, Iris Online offers varied gameplay options but with a simple to understand progression system. Instanced dungeons, instanced PvP battlegrounds, and the multi-purpose card system all add up to make Iris Online a top-notch MMORPG. It doesn't breakthe mold enough to earn the top score, but it’s still a game well worth checking out.

Videos

Iris Online Videos

Iris Online Cinematic Trailer

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Iris Online Gameplay Trailer

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Iris Online Gameplay – First Look

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Links

Iris Online Links

Iris Online Official Site

System Requirements

Iris Online Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows  XP / Vista / Windows 7
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz
RAM:  1 GB
HDD: 3 GB Free
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 9500 / nVidia 5200 (128mb memory)

Recommended Specification:
OS: Windows Vista / 7
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or better
RAM: 2 GB or more
HDD: 4 GB Free
Graphics Card: Geforce 6600 GT / 256 mb video memory or better

Loong: The Power of the Dragon

Posted: 17 Mar 2010 06:00 PM PDT

Loong: The Power of the Dragon is a 3D fantasy MMORPG set in ancient China. The game has an original art style, a classless progression system, and boasts over 1000 quests. Take part in epic PvP battles that support up to 500 players!

loong-overview

Publisher: Gamigo
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: High
PvP: Castle Siege / Duels
Filesize: ~ 2270 mb

Pros: +Quest driven progression. +Varied weapon types. +PvP combat supports up to 500 players. +High quality animations. -Fluid gameplay & interface.

Cons: -Familiar setting. -Mobs offer little challenge. -Poor English translations. -Quests & combat feel repetitive.

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Overview

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Overview

Loong: The Power of the Dragon is set in ancient China, but sets it self apart from other oriental themed MMORPGs with its unique art style and classless progression system. Chose from several weapon types, and learn skills from eight unique talent trees. Progression is heavily quest driven in Loong, and an auto-navigation feature makes traveling between objectives simple. Players unlock several skills during the first few levels, and also earn their first mount and pet early on. The game has fluid gameplay and controls that allow for keyboard and point & click movement.

Weapon Types - Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Totem, Glove, Zither

Talent Trees - Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Battle, Yang, Yin, Healing, Zither, Magic

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Screenshots

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Featured Video

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Full Review

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Review

By, Erhan Altay

Loong: The Power of the Dragon is an Asian developed MMORPG set in ancient China. The German publisher Gamigo is bringing the game to both the European and North American region. Despite the familiar setting, Loong is a high quality title with an original art style, innovative class system, and other interesting features.

loong-create-character-female

Not a Loong Wait

Despite being released in China earlier this year, Loong is already ready for beta testing in the West. The game is a big budget project that is estimated to have cost over $10 million dollars to develop. Traditionally, MMORPGs took several years to move from Asia to the West, but the pace is definitely starting to pick up. Unlike most games out of China, Loong is a high quality MMORPG with great 3D graphics, cool attack animations, and high production value all around. At around 2.7 gb, the client size is pretty large, but the download shouldn't take long. Loong isn't Gamigo's first Chinese MMORPG. Martial Empires is an earlier high quality title, but that game is only open to European gamers. Luckily, Loong more than makes up for what we've been missing.

loong-weapons

Pick a Weapon, but not a Class

The login screen in Loong is highly stylized and sets a good mood for the rest of the game. The loading screens are a bit odd, they include animated backgrounds and real images of ladies in sexy outfits. The character creation process is very streamlined. There are five hair styles, six hair colors, five face styles, and three outfits per gender. Several 'detail' options are also available which represent things like tattoos and scars. There's also an option to preview several high level armor designs on your character before creating it. Overall, appearance customization is rather slim, especially compared to some older MMORPGs like Martial Empires or Perfect World. Like Heroes of Three Kingdoms, players don't select a class in Loong. Instead, they chose from seven weapons: Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Totem, Glove, or Zither. The initial weapon selection has no effect on character progression, players are free to switch between them freely. Eventually, players will have to select which weapons to specialize in by distributing talent points among specific skill trees.

loong-world-map

Dragon Village

New players start in Dragon Village where a number of NPCs offer simple talk quests and describe some of the game's basics. Movement can be done with either W,A,S,D or point-and-click. While most Asian MMORPGs fail at pulling off fluid keyboard controls, Loong does it excellently. I found myself using keyboard controls throughout my whole experience. There's a very simple auto-navigation system that helps players get to and from quest objectives. This means travel very simple, and also ensures players won't have to read any of the quest flavor text. The rest of the interface is well organized, 'b' opens the inventory, 'q' opens the quest log, 'k' brings up the talent trees, and so on. It's not until around level 6 that players start earning talent points, but they will receive 2 stat points every level starting at level 2. Those who follow the beginner quest lines will find themselves leveling rapidly, even without having to kill more than a few monsters. At level 5, newbies quality to leave Dragon Village and enter the zone of Dragon Castle. This zone serves as the capital city, but the surrounding areas are also the primary hunting grounds for the first few dozen levels.

loong-character-info

One, Two, Three

The early level quests do a great job giving players equipment and consumable items, but players must eventually decide which weapons to specialize in. There are a total of ten talent trees in Loong, and it is recommended to focus on one during the early levels. It is possible to reset talent point distribution quite easily, especially while under level 30. Each weapon has a primary and secondary stat, so be sure to distribute talent and stat points favorably. The six stats are: Physique, Strength, Qi, Spirit, Agility, and Skill. Simply hover the cursor over any of them to find out what they do. Before long, player will unlock several skills in their chosen talent tree and be off using them in combat. Even without skills, the monsters in Loong barely put up a fight. Difficulty seems to be something Chinese developers in particular seem to ignore. Simply spamming 2-3 skills is enough to fell any monster near your level range. You'll barely receive any damage in return. This means there's no need to rest between battles, and the fact that no mobs under level 20 seems to be aggressive add up to a low sense of challenge. Player will simply move from one hunting ground to the next, stopping long enough to kill a few defenseless critters before moving on.

loong-battle

Ride a Pony

Loong introduces players to the game's pet system early on. Pets are called 'spirit beasts' and come in a variety of rarities and skills. Some can be ridden, others can pick up loot for their master. Players can transfer, or 'pour', some of their experience towards their pets to help them level up, and pets can even be equipped with special items. Several stats track the potency of a pet including 'potential' which measures the amount of skills the pet can eventually learn and its growth rate. A pet may look cute and small, but when mounted it grows into a full size steed. This is but one of many interesting animations. If a player clicks on the ground to move there, a splat of ink appears and vanishes. The game's animations are realistic, but with an artistic touch. Jumping (space bar) also functions a bit differently. After jumping, players appear to glide down slowly. Like so many recent MMORPGs, Loong also has a title system where players can equip titles that they've unlocked by completing quests or performing other tasks. There are a ton of other small features which, added up, make Loong a much more in-depth game. Crafting skills are separate from the talent tree, and include both resource gathering skills (like mining) and production skills.

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Cramped Quarters

The experience in Loong is well paced, handing it quests gives a burst of experience and there are always plenty of quests available. The quest log even lists available quests which players can auto-navigate towards. Some quests are repeatable, but the sense of grind doesn't kick in until mid level. The game encourages some player cooperation in the form of a mentor/apprentice system. Players have to be at least level 50 to be a mentor, but there's no real reason to even talk to another person during the early game since the PvE offers so little challenge. Before long, players will find themselves having to throw away items since their inventory fills up so fast. New characters start with 20 inventory slots, but can increase this by using 'auxiliary bags' obtained in the item mall. There are plenty of convenience items like this for sale in the cash shop, but nothing that dramatically effects balance. Like Soul Order Online and Forsaken World, there's an odd feature that rewards players with some freebie items every few minutes. It's called 'Dragon Blessing' and the small interface menu for it is located near the middle of the screen. Users playing Loong on a small resolution will want to turn all these extra menus off since it can cramp the gameplay area. Another box appears on the left of the screen every time a player earns new attribute or talent points. Speaking of resolutions, the graphic options in Loong can be a little confusing. I couldn't figure out how to play in windowed mode, but I did discover a new mode where the game is nearly full-screen but the taskbar is still visible and you can launch other programs with Loong remaining in the background.

Final Verdict: Good

Loong: The Power of the Dragon is a high quality MMORPG with a familiar oriental setting. The classless, talent tree driven progression helps set it apart from its competitors. There are also a lot of small features that, combined, give Loong a high production value. The only problem is that due to the lack of difficulty, much of the early level combat feels repetitive. Its definitely a game worth checking, just be ready for some grind.

Screenshots

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Screenshots

Videos

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Videos

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Cinematic Trailer

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Loong: The Power of the Dragon Gameplay Footage

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Loong: The Power of the Dragon Gameplay Trailer

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Links

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Links

Loong: The Power of the Dragon Official Site

System Requirements

Loong: The Power of the Dragon System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4 or equivalent
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 4 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce 5200 / Radeon 9550

Recommended Specification:
OS: Windows Vista / 7
CPU: Pentium Dual Core E2140 or better
RAM: 2 GB RAM or more
HDD: 5 GB Free
Graphics Card: NVidia 7600 GT / ATI X1600 XT

King of Kings 3

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 11:51 PM PST

King of Kings 3 is a 3D, fantasy MMORPG with a strong emphasis on large-scale PvP battles. One of the most prominent features in King of Kings 3 is the unique city building system offered to guilds as they fight for control over regions in the game.

king-of-kings-3-overview

Publisher: Gamigo
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: Medium Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: High
PvP: Open / Guild Battles / RvR
Filesize: ~ 1570 mb

Pros: +Unique housing and city building system. +Very high level cap. +Flying mounts. +Varied PvP options. +Massive RvR battles.

Cons: -Interface feels old. -Generic fantasy theme. -Limited PvE content.

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Overview

King of Kings 3 Overview

King of Kings is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG published by Gamigo with a strong emphasis on PvP battles. Players can create their own guilds and fight for control over land in the game world. Guilds that control territory are free to build their own cities. Graphically speaking, the game looks a bit dated, but it has a very strong emphasis on PvP. PvE fans aren’t completely ignored though, as the game boasts thousands of quests and a high level cap. Auto navigation features make progression simple, but players will have to wait until level 50 to make their first job change.

Warrior - The most physically powerful class, able to carry the heaviest armor and most powerful weapons.

Berserker - All out offensive fighters that can deal heavy damage at close range. Berserkers can dual-wield.
Ranger - Versatile fighters that are masters of the bow and blade.
Knight - Mounted fighters equipped with a lance and bow.

Mage - Fragile in body, but powerful in mind. Mages can cast devastating spells from a distance.

Sword Mage - Armed with crystal infused blades, Sword Mages can deal heavy damage but are still fragile.
Conjurer - Conjurers can harness the power of nature to deal heavy damage to their opponents.
Wizard - Masters of elemental magic, Wizards have high damage potential but rely on allies to project them.

Cleric - A supportive class that can heal and buff allies during battle. Clerics are devout and benevolent soldiers.

Scholar - True believers who are granted enormous healing abilities and the power of resurrection.
Bishop - Bishops have learned from Mages and are capable of offensive and defensive abilities.
Priest - The devotion of the Priest allows them to discharge pure holy light and call on angels for aid during battle.

King of Kings 3 Screenshots

King of Kings 3 Featured Video

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Full Review

King of Kings 3 Review

By Erhan Altay

Tired of Grindfests? Looking for an MMORPG with an oldschool feel? King of Kings 3 may be what you've been waiting for. While it has a typical fantasy theme, the gameplay is geared towards PvP, and more precisely RvR (realm vs. realm) combat. Join one of seven warring realms and conquer the world of Tangramia.

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A Shattered Realm

After centuries of warfare, the once united world of Tangramia split into seven rival realms: Germania, Lutetia, Britannia, Mediterrania, Anatolia, Polonia, and the New World. That last one aside, its obvious that the Roman Empire was the inspiration for Tangramia. Players can chose between any of the seven realms during character creation, but first they'll have to get through Gamigo's clunky account creation process. The German publisher Gamigo holds both the European and American licenses for Kings of Kings 3. Each account has three character slots per server, which is enough to create one of each of the three base classes: Warrior, Mage, and Cleric. There are a number of appearance customization options including around eleven hair colors and styles per gender. There are also several face styles and 'features' to chose from. Features covers things like tattoos, makeup, scars, and so forth. Players are asked to set a character password before finishing character creation as an added security precaution. The password must be at least eight characters, which makes it more bothersome than the four digit pin some games ask for these days. The character designs themselves aren't very detailed, but that's because the graphics quality in Kings of Kings 3 is dated.

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Familiar Beginnings

After logging in for the first time, players are met with several screens of text that explain the backstory of Kings of Kings 3. It scrolls pretty fast, and I'm no speed reader so I missed about a quarter of it. It didn't seem to exciting, but it helps that there is some lore to the game. Each realm has its own starting area, but the newbie experience is pretty similar regardless of region. Being the good Turk that I am, I chose Anatolia as my realm. For those of you who slept during class, Anatolia is the geographic region where most of modern day Turkey lies. Like many other recent Asian MMORPGs, King of Kings has an auto-navigation feature that makes traveling and questing a breeze. Players start next to a quest NPC, and gain their first level simply by talking to him. A series of quests that involve talking to various NPCs around town, and eventually fighting nearby creatures come next. Players are rewarded with ample HP/MP potions along the way, along with a new weapon and pieces of equipment. It is highly recommend that players complete this beginner chain of quests, as it will take them to level eight or so in no time. It's much, much faster than grinding.

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Retro Look & Feel

As I went about my newbie chores, I noticed that the interface and art style looked somewhat familiar to those in the now defunct Turf Battles. The visuals are much sharper than Turf Battle's, and the resolution options go all the way up to 1920×1980. But, the health and mana meters next to the avatar portrait on the top left, and the character and backpack screens all look like something from a classic action RPG. There are some nice visual touches such as swaying trees, and light waves breaking on the shore. Overall, the best that can be said of the graphics in KoK3 when compared to other recent, free-to-play MMORPG releases is that they are functional. Everything is brightly colored, easy to see, and thankfully there's none of that trendy bloom effect that makes everything unbearably bright. King of Kings 3 supports both keyboard (W,A,S,D) and mouse (point and click) controls. There are two hotkey bars, one activated by the function keys (F1-F12), and a smaller one activated by the number keys (1-0.) Besides skills, players can assign items such as health and mana potions to these slots.

king-of-kings-3-interface

The Path to Glory

The experience rate in King of Kings 3 is pretty high, but only if players stick to questing. Each level, players are rewarded with 2 stat point which they can distribute among six stats: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Willpower, Stamina, and Luck. Players can hover their cursor over each stat to see what it does. Besides stat points, players receive a single skill point every level. Each class has its own skill tree consisting of 10 skills. Players must purchase skill books before they can place points in a given skill, along with meeting its other prerequisite. As with other MMORPGs, I find the need to go back to town to pick up a skill book totally pointless, but it is what it is. At level 50, each class can make its first class advancement to one of three available first classes. Warriors can become Berserkers, Rangers, or Knights. Mages can become Sword Mages, Conjurers, or Wizards. Clerics can become Scholars, Bishops, or Priests. Players are accompanied on their adventures by an Imamu, which is basically a fairy. These can perform a number of helpful tasks. They accumulate experience which they can transfer over to the player, and when they are summoned they can repair the player's equipment. Imamu can also automatically sell items in your backpack when your inventory is full. Players can set which items they want sold ahead of time so as not to lose rare drops. Besides Imamu pets, players can also collect a variety of mounts. Some quests reward players with temporary mounts, but more permanent ones can be purchased at higher levels.

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Lone Wolf

King of Kings 3 has very linear progression, monsters are found in clumps and defeating these monsters boils down to spamming a single skill over and over again. There's no cool down to consuming HP or MP potions, and after the first dozen levels players will have to chug them during every fight. Those who can put up with the repetitive nature of early level gameplay can look forward to some pretty interesting PvP features. First and foremost, players can freely attack members of rival realms that intrude on their territory. It is also possible to disable the default peace mode which will allow a player to attack anyone they like, including members of their realm. The game discourages same-realm PKing (player killing) by increasing the chances of dropping items upon death for those who indiscriminately attack others. The game also keeps track of PvP victories and losses, and uses them to publish various ranking lists which are updated daily. Players can access these rankings via a button near their mini map on the top right of the interface.

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Founding a Kingdom

Solo PvP is just the bottom layer in King of Kings 3. Players can go on to found guilds and participate in guild activities, including guild quests which pit guilds against each other. Players must be level 20 or higher to join or found a guild, and there are five guild ranks which determine how many members a guild can have (maximum of 28.) Once a guild reaches rank 3, its guild master can found a Legion. Legions are also ranked from 1-5, but are made up of entire guilds, not individual players. A rank 5 Legion can have up to seven guilds in it. Legions can also construct buildings on their own plots of land which provide benefits to all of its members. The leader of a Legion can embark of a series of quests to found his or her own Kingdom. Any would-be monarch will require a vast amount of resources, including gold and rare materials to found their Kingdom. Legion members can donate these resources to their leader who, if successful, will be rewarded with a unique royal mount, a monthly in-game salary, and the ability to fortify towns. Leaders of Kingdoms will also be able to populate their towns with NPC defensive workers, temples, workshops, and much more. Even players who don't have the time or stamina to work their way up this ladder can own a personal home that can be upgraded and decorated with an assortment of furniture.

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Find Your Niche

The simple, but functional graphics make King of Kings 3 an approachable MMORPG for gamers whose computers might not be on the cutting edge. There are plenty of bonus features like a crafting system, and the ability to equip mounts with gear like saddles and armor, but the core PvE gameplay still involves taking turns swinging at stupid AI monsters. Players looking for an organized PvP experience will appreciate the detailed guild system in King of Kings 3, but the large number of factions worries me a little. Each server will need a lot of players to make it seem active, and whether or not King of Kings 3 can attract those numbers remains to be seen.

Final Verdict: Good

Despite a dated interface and graphic style, Kings of Kings 3 is a very functional MMORPG. The PvE content is not spectacular, but the PvP features make it worth the effort. The ability to organize large masses of players and participate in massive battles is appealing. Added extras like customizable player housing, and the ability to build entire cities are added bonuses.

Screenshots

King of Kings 3 Screenshots

Videos

King of Kings 3 Videos

King of Kings 3 Cinematic Trailer

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King of Kings 3 Gameplay Footage

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King of Kings 3 Official Gameplay Trailer

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King of Kings 3 Gameplay – First Look

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Links

King of Kings 3 Links

King of Kings 3 Official Site

System Requirements

King of Kings 3 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP/ 2000 / 98 / Vista
CPU: 1.0 GHz Intel P3 or equivalent
RAM: 512 MB RAM
HDD: 2 GB Free
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce 5500 or better

Recommended Specification:
OS: Windows XP/ Vista
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4 or equivalent
RAM: 1024 MB (1GB)  RAM
HDD: 2 GB Free
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce 6600 or better

World of Tanks

Posted: 25 Feb 2010 06:44 PM PST

World of Tanks is a 3D, team-based MMO shooter where players take control of World War 2 era tanks.  Gameplay in World of Tanks requires teamwork and strategy.  With over a hundred tanks to choose from and up to sixty players per battle, WoT offers conflicts of epic proportions!

world-of-tanks-battle

Publisher: Wargaming.net
Playerbase: High
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: High
PvP: Team Based / Clan Wars
Filesize: 1100 mb

Pros: +Over 150 armored vehicles to command. +Historically accurate tanks of American, German, and Soviet design. +Up to 60 players per battle. +Unique gameplay.

Cons: -No single player or PvE modes. -Steep learning curve.

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Overview

World of Tanks Overview

World of Tanks puts players in command of their very own World War 2 era battle tank.  WoT is a team-based game where two sides of up to thirty players each compete to destroy all opposing vehicles.  With 150 combat vehicles of American, German, and Soviet design, World of Tanks offers an in-depth gaming experience.  The publishers promise a historically accurate setting and action-oriented gameplay.  RPG elements also make an appearance, as players will be able to upgrade their tanks with new parts and crew members.  New recruits start with a light German or Soviet tank, but after accumulating experience and credits, they will be able to upgrade to heavier models.  Additionally, it will be possible to upgrade individual parts such as turrets, chassis, engines, guns, radios, and ammunition types.

World of Tanks Screenshots

World of Tanks Featured Video

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Full Review

World of Tanks Review

By Erhan Altay

World of Tanks was first commissioned in 2009 and put into service in the second half of 2010.  The tank-based shooter is developed by Wargaming.net, a Russian studio behind several other historically themed video games.  World of Tanks is their first free-to-play title, and they've come in swinging strong.  World of Tanks boasts great graphics, ease of play, and plenty of customization features.

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New Recruit

World of Tanks is set during the World War 2 era but also encompasses the years preceding and following that infamous conflict.  All of the vehicles, equipment, and environments are historically accurate and are drawn from the 1930s-1950s period.  The client size comes in at a bit over 1 GB, but won't take long to download since multiple direct download links are provided.  Players sign in using their email address and don't have to worry about character creation.  All new players start with a Soviet MS-1 and a German Leichttraktor.  These are light tanks and won't put up much of a fight, but they are versatile and enough to learn the ropes.  There's no tutorial or trial round to worry about, either.  Players can simply click the large red 'Battle!' button towards the top of the screen and get started.

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The Armory

While World of Tanks is proud of its historic accuracy, it doesn't let history get in the way of gameplay. The game is easy to pick up and play, but difficulty to master. All matches involve two opposing teams of up to 30 players, for a total of 60 players per round. The most common game mode is team deathmatch, where players are randomly assigned to a team before the round begins.  Other modes include capture the flag and clan deathmatch, but new players will generally find themselves in the standard random team deathmatch mode.  World of Tanks supports a range of resolutions and gives players four graphic settings.  There's also an option to play in either full screen or windowed mode.  This is very helpful, since new players will spend a lot of their time dead, waiting for the round to end.  Having World of Tanks open in a window will allow players to cruise the web during down time.  Like NavyField, another war-themed MMO, newbies will find themselves dying in one hit, often unexpectedly.  This can be frustrating, but remember that World of Tanks is striving for realism.  This means driving full speed ahead at the enemy base by yourself is not a viable strategy.  Instead, the game requires teamwork, making use of terrain, and ambushing opponents.

world-of-tanks-fire

Test Drive

The gameplay in World of Tanks was inspired by the tank-based combat in World War 2 Online, a subscription-based MMORPG several years old.  Fans of the Battlefield series will see similarities.  Tanks played a large role in Battlefield 1942, and are present in the more recent Battlefield Heroes.  In the Battlefield games, tank mechanics were almost arcade-like, and WW2 Online was a bit too complicated.  World of Tanks strikes the middle ground between those extremes.  Tanks are easy to control, but there's a lot of depth to their customization and stats.  Players move their tanks with WASD and control the camera and their turret with the mouse.  The default view is third-person, but can easily be changed by using the mouse wheel.  The game utilizes an interesting aiming system where the crosshairs shrink or expand depending on the action of the player.  While moving, the crosshairs expand making it difficult to hit a target.  After entering a stationary positions, the crosshairs start to shrink making it much more practical to fire.  The beginner tanks tend to move slowly, so it may take a while to make your way around the map.  Maps themselves are large enough to allow depth of movement and ambush, but not so large that it becomes impractical to get from one end to another.  A match ends either when one side is wiped out or if one team manages to capture the other side's base.  There are no respawns in World of Tanks.  If a player's tank is destroyed, they must spectate until the round ends.

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Customize and Accessorize

At the end of each round players are rewarded with experience and credits whether they win or lose.  Credits are the main in-game currency and can be used to purchase new tanks, NPC crew members, or new parts for your current tanks.  There are five types of vehicles including light, medium, heavy, tank destroyers, and SPGs (artillery).  Additionally, each individual vehicle has multiple slots including turret, chassis, engine, and gun ports.  There are 2-6 versions of each part for each vehicle.  Just purchasing these parts or vehicles isn't enough, as players must first use their accumulated experience points to research the appropriate technology.  Each faction has its own tech tree.  This means its best to focus on either the American, German, or Soviet tank lines.  Distributing points across the three trees will just make it take longer to access powerful tanks and parts.  Even after their first round, players will have enough to start upgrading their starter tank.  The best place to start is probably with engine and track upgrades since these effect movement speed.

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In The Army

Besides purchasing tanks and parts, players must recruit crew members to populate their vehicles. Crew members come in four types, Commander, Loader, Radio Operator and Driver. They gain experience with use and become more effective at their roles.  The loader helps lower the cool down time between shots, the driver speeds up movement, radio operators increase the range at which the minimap displays enemy units, and the commander improves aiming.  Players start with a full crew for their starter tanks, but must hire new recruits to populate additional tanks.  Crew members are free to recruit at the lower tier, but premium ones cost either credits or gold, the game's premium currency.  There are also multiple types of ammunition such as armor piercing and high explosive.  Each type of ammo has multiple variants, some of which cost gold.  Ammo is not infinite in World of Tanks!  Players will have to replenish their stock after each round or risk running low during combat.

world-of-tanks-ww2

Casualties of War

Like in Battlefield Heroes, it can be difficult for friends to jump into the same game in World of Tanks.  Sure, players can add each other as friends and try to join the same game, but the trouble with this is how fast matches fill up in World of Tanks.  That's a testament to the game's popularity, but it can prove frustrating.  The lack of a traditional lobby system definitely streamlines the process of finding a game, but comes at its own cost.  Another small complaint concerns shooting.  It’s difficult to tell where a shot lands, and this may be realistic, but it makes aiming that much more difficult.  If I knew where my last hit landed, I could better calibrate for my next shot.  New players should expect to die a lot, and to die a lot without scoring very many kills.  Enemy artillery can prove especially frustrating since their range allows them to kill while remaining unseen by most other tanks.  It's great to see the three major nations represented in WoT, but it would have been nice to see some tanks from the side of the British, Italians, or others.  It remains to be seen how the Russian World of Tanks does against the similarly themed Korean Tank Ace.  The two games will see final release at around the same time.  What ever the outcome, 2010 will be a great year for free-to-play gamers who also happen to be WW2 buffs.

Final Verdict: Good

World of Tanks is an easy to approach, tank-based shooter that has layers of depth to unravel.  Quickly jump into massive 30v30 battles, or take the time to customize one of the hundreds of tanks available in World of Tanks.  The game can be enjoyed in short bursts, or more competitively as part of a clan.

Screenshots

World of Tanks Screenshots

Videos

World of Tanks Videos

World of Tanks Light Tank Gameplay Trailer

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World of Tanks Gameplay Trailer

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System Requirements

World of Tanks System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows 2000 / XP /Vista / 7
CPU: Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz
RAM: 1 GB RAM
HDD: 3 GB Free
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce 6800 series

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows 2000 / XP /Vista / 7
CPU: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or faster processor
RAM: 2 GB RAM
HDD: 3 GB Free
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT series / ATI Radeon X1600 series or better

Dungeons & Dragons Online

Posted: 12 Sep 2009 03:34 AM PDT

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG based on the classic D&D tabletop role playing game. Originally released as a subscription based game, Dungeons & Dragons Online is now free-to-play! Chose your class, race, skills, and feats then head off into the legendary city of Stormreach where adventure awaits!

dungeons-and-dragons-online-gameplay

Publisher: Turbine
Playerbase: High
Graphics: High Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Slow
PvP: Duels / Arenas
Filesize: 2.8 GB standard, 3.8 GB high res.

Pros: +Detailed character creation process. +More or less faithful to the D&D 3.5 ruleset. +Fast paced gameplay. +Dungeons can be run solo or with parties.

Cons: -Some races, classes, & areas require payments to access. -Difficult character progression, especially for those unfamiliar with D&D.

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Overview

Dungeons & Dragons Online Overview

Dungeons & Dragons Online is the latest formerly pay-to-play MMORPG switching over to the free-to-play model. The game is set in the fictional world of Eberron and remains faithful to the D&D franchise. Everything from geography to gameplay mechanics has been successfully ported from the tabletop game to the online virtual world. Unlike other PC games that use the D&D 3.5 ruleset (such as Neverwinter Nights) combat in  Dungeons & Dragons Online is fast-paced and feels more like the style found in action-RPGs; players must left-click to swing their weapon each time. The game world functions similarly to the system used in Guild Wars, where players interact freely in towns but all other areas are instanced. Dungeons are filled with puzzles and traps, which help give the game the same ‘feel’ as the tabletop role playing game.

Races:

Human - The most versatile of races. Humans are fast learners capable of playing as any class. +1 feat during character creation.
Elf - The most ancient race in Eberron. Elves start with higher dexterity (+2) but lower constitution (-2.)
Halfling - Tiny humanoids with high dexterity (+2) but low strength (-2.) Halflings are cunning and use their small size to their advantage in battle.
Dwarf - A sturdy race of cave dwellers. Dwarves have high constitution (+2) but low charisma (-2). They are resistant to poison and many other spells. Dwarves also excel as craftsmen.
Warforged* - A race of automatons originally built for battle. They have high  constitution (+2) but suffer from reduced wisdom (-2) and charisma (-2.) Warforged are immune to many effects such as poison, disease, and paralysis.
Drow Elf* - The Drow are the dark cousins of the Elves. They start with high dexterity (+2), intelligence (+2), and charisma (+2) but reduced constitution (-2.)

Classes:

Melee Classes - Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Monk*

Spellcaster Classes - Sorcerer, Cleric, Wizard, Favored Soul*

Specialist Classes - Ranger, Rogue, Bard

* These races/classes must be purchased before they can be selected.

Dungeons & Dragons Online Screenshots

Dungeons & Dragons Online Featured Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

Full Review

Dungeons & Dragons Online Review

By, Erhan Altay

I first ran across Dungeons and Dragons (D&D for short) in a comic book shop when I was in grade school. Since then, I’ve played the venerable tabletop role playing game off and on again in my basement with bags full of dice, pencils, notebooks and plenty of hardcover instruction manuals. I always imagined D&D would make a great video game since almost all fantasy-themed video games already borrowed so much from it. Dozens of high quality games were eventually released based on the D&D franchise, including the Baulder’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Icewind Dale series.  Unfortunately, all of these titles lacked something that made D&D special – the social experience. You just can’t play D&D alone. Finally, in February of 2008, Turbine partnered with Wizards of the Coast to remedy this situation by releasing the MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach.

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Death & Rebirth

Dungeons & Dragons Online was originally released as a subscription based game where players had to pay $15 a month to access the game. During the time of release this was the standard model in the industry but with World of Warcraft as a direct competitor, things looked grim. Eventually the decision was made to re-launch the game as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited which would be free-to-play with optional micropayments as the primary means of revenue. Fortunately, all the content updates that went into the game during its pay-to-play life are included in the newly re-launched version. Major updates to the game are known as modules, and there have been a total of eight thus far. Each module has added new dungeons, quests, items, gameplay fixes and so on. Several new races and classes have been introduced through modules, such as the Monk in module 7. New players do not need to know the history of the game in order to enjoy it, but should be aware that they are experiencing a game that has had years of refinement.

dungeons-and-dragons-online-character-sheet

Bring Out the Character Sheets!

One of the most enjoyable activities in tabletop D&D is the process of creating a new character. Players choose their race, class, distribute stat points, skills points, and select their starting feats. The level of customization all these steps left open was mind boggling, and it was possible to spend hours researching the best build. Dungeons & Dragons Online manages to preserve that deep character creation process, but also to streamline it for players who just want to get on with it. There are three types of classes available: Melee, Spell, and Specialist. Ten of the eleven archetypes should be familiar to gamers, with the exception being the “Favored Soul” class. That class (along with the Monk) must be purchased before they can be selected, so new players don’t even have to worry about the cleric/sorcerer hybrid. As for races, there are a total of six, though two of them, the Warforged and Drow Elf, must be purchased before use. Each race has unique racial bonuses and flaws which are explained during character creation. The game offers players three predesigned ‘paths’ for each class, but also allows players to customize their skills and feats on their own. Paths can best be described as specializations. So for example a Ranger can chose to pursue skills and feats that allow him to proficiently duel-wield weapons or to perfect his long ranged bow and arrow use. Even after character creation, players can always switch paths or decide on their own what abilities to learn. The ability to multiclass adds yet another layer of complexity to the game, but new players should just stick to the pre made templates for their first character. Appearance customization is similarly in-depth with plenty of hair, nose, lip, eye, and ear options.

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Marooned on Korthos Island

After the intricate character creation process players find themselves shipwrecked on Korthos Island which acts as a newbie area for the first two or three levels. An NPC guides players along a path towards a grotto where they run through a dungeon with an AI party, which includes a cleric, sorcerer, and rogue. A special buff prevents players from dying during this introductory dungeon, but it does serve as a good example of what gameplay is like in Dungeons & Dragons Online. A narrator acts as the ‘dungeon master’ and provides players with flavor text and instructions as they progress through an adventure. Dungeons generally contain plenty of secret treasures, traps, and optional areas which helps them feel like an authentic D&D adventure. I even had to use my ‘search’ skill to detect a hidden door during one of the early dungeons. Dungeons & Dragons Online loosely follows the 3.5 D&D rules which, among other things, means players have a limited amount of spells per day. Health points do not regenerate automatically while on an adventure, but players can rest at special rest shrines to restore their hp and daily spell limits.

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Real Time Combat

Combat in Dungeons & Dragons Online resembles the gameplay in action-RPGs where players have to click or hold down the left mouse button to swing their weapons. For every swing, ability or spell the game automatically rolls the appropriate dice on the left hand side of the screen to determine whether players hit their target and how much damage they deal. All equipment is labeled in the same fashion as the tabletop game.  For example, a long sword might have a damage stat of ’1d8′ which means it deals 1-8 damage (plus any stat or ability modifiers) on each successful attack. For melee attacks, the twenty sided dice reigns supreme and players must roll a number that beats the defender’s AC (armor class.) Gameplay in D&D Online much more closely resembles Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance for home consoles than it does PCRPGs based on the D&D franchise, such as Neverwinter Nights. Overall, this is a good thing since it makes the game accessible to a broader audience who are more interested in hack & slash than strategy. The fact that dungeons are riddled with puzzles to solve, levers to switch on, and so on also help make the game more attractive to gamers who grew up playing Zelda and other console action-adventure titles.

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Instancing & Storytelling

Dungeons & Dragons Online is set in the world of Eberron, which was originally a campaign setting for D&D. What sets Eberron apart from the traditional D&D fantasy landscape is the inclusion of non-medieval technologies such as trains, skyships and mechanical beings. The Warforged race is a good example of this since they were originally automatons constructed by the other races. Throughout their adventures players will encounter factories and other signs of industry, though all of this technology is powered by magic rather than fossil fuels in Eberron. The world itself is structured in a fashion similar to the way Guild Wars structures things. All areas outside towns are instanced for each individual player or party leaving only the towns as true persistent areas where players can interact freely. There are costs and benefits to this system but for D&D Online I feel it makes a good fit. Thick flavor text and lore are key components of any D&D experience and instancing is the only way to accommodate the experience of being the first person to venture into a forgotten cavern. If there were dozens of players already camping the elder gazer spawn, it just wouldn’t make much sense. Like with most MMORPGs, players are free to skip the quest dialogue but I would advise against it. There are far fewer ‘filler’ quests in D&D Online than there are in other MMORPGs. Almost every quest is tied to the ‘big picture’ of the area you’re currently exploring. For example, Kathos Island is beset by several troubles which players slowly learn are interlinked. Dungeons themselves are repeatable and come in four difficulty settings. The easiest method of clearing adventures is the solo mode which is only available to those playing by themselves. From my experience solo dungeons are a bit too easy. I plowed through every monster and boss I encountered and barely ever needed a rest. The rewards available in dungeons increase with the difficulty but the first few dungeons aren’t worth repeating since the entire first area serves as more of an introduction to the game than anything else.

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Stormreach & Beyond

After clearing things up in Korthos Island, players are free to set sail towards Stormreach where more adventures await. Free players can experience the bulk of content available in Stormreach and its vicinity but additional adventure supplements must be purchased from the D&D Store with Turbine points. There are several in-game methods of earning Turbine points (such as hitting certain levels), so with persistence players can slowly unlock additional content. Players start with 50 points and can purchase additional points in amounts of 400, 900, 1500, and 5000. Discounts are given for volume with $6.25 buying 400 points and $49.99 yielding 5000. New classes & races cost around 590 points while adventure packs cost anywhere from 800-1000 points. New players won’t need to worry about purchasing new content for a long time since there are plenty of adventures to be had in Stormreach. The maximum level in Dungeons & Dragons Online is 20 which sounds low but the game has done a good job of breaking each level into various ‘ranks’ to keep the pacing tolerable. Additionally, the game throws plenty of equipment rewards your way with the completion of quests, so your character’s growth is always noticeable. Besides raiding dungeons, players can participate in PvP which was added in module 3. Besides challenging one another to duels, players can participate in all-out brawls in local taverns, which have free-for-all rings similar to the arenas found in the original EverQuest in towns like Qeynos. Even with these features, Dungeons & Dragons Online is not a PvP game, but having some competitive options never hurts.

Final Verdict: Excellent

Dungeons & Dragons Online is a high quality MMORPG with plenty of content to explore. The game has done a wonderful job converting the classic tabletop role playing adventure into a virtual world. Narrated storytelling, hundreds of instanced dungeons, and a comprehensive character progression process make D&D Online a must try MMORPG.

Screenshots

Dungeons & Dragons Online Screenshots

Videos

Dungeons & Dragons Online Videos

Dungeons & Dragons Online Opening Cinematic

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Dungeons & Dragons Online Character Creation

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Dungeons & Dragons Online Tutorial Part 1

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Dungeons & Dragons Online Tutorial Part 2

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Dungeons & Dragons Online Gameplay Trailer

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System Requirements

Dungeons & Dragons Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
CPU: P4 1.6GHz or AMD equivalent
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 3 GB for standard, 5GB for High-Def
Graphics Card: GeForce FX 5200 or Radeon 7600 64 MB

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows Vista / XP
CPU: Pentium 4 3.0GHz or AMD equivalentor or better
RAM: 1024 MB (1GB) or more
HDD: 8.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce FX 5600 / Radeon 9550 128MB or better

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