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Atlantica Online gets new class, dungeons, and more
Nexon has added new dungeons, a new merc, and a new class to Atlantica Online. The Empires of Gold update boasts dungeons including the Forgotten City of Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, the Golden City of El Dorado, and the Gold Empire of Defense. Atlantica's new class is the Celestial Hunter, "a fierce archer who can best any challenger with her bow and arrow skills." We've embedded the update trailer for you after the break!
Jukebox Heroes: MMO holiday tunes
Last year I celebrated Christmas with y'all by sharing several holiday music tracks from MMOs, and this year I thought I'd keep the tradition alive. It's not always the easiest thing to find holiday-specific music from these games, as not every game bothers to make new tunes for time-limited events. Still, there are a few that have been sitting in my folders for a while that I'd like to share, including one very special piece of music that pretty much nobody's ever heard before. So as we wind down the year and relax with friends and family, I'm volunteering myself to be the DJ at your abode. Just put these tunes on and mix up a batch of your best egg nog because the two will be a combination that will make your relatives rave about your refined taste.
Atlantica Online goes to West Atlantis
Atlantica Online is in the middle of a three-patches-in-three-months cycle right now, starting with Awakening, moving on to Ascension, and finishing up with Judgment. The Ascension patch has gone live with a host of additional content for the game including the journey to West Atlantis. The new zone of West Atlantis is a former technological haven turned centaur refuge and offers plenty of mysteries and adventures for the daring player. It's there that teams can tackle the Centaur Hero raid dungeon and hire a new merc named Chironia. Other changes that have come with the Ascension patch include an increased level cap to 160, the Transcendent Temple dungeon, and an array of new talents. You can watch the update trailer after the jump!
Jukebox Heroes: Battle music!
It's time once again to take a week off from looking at specific MMO soundtracks and open ourselves up to a theme instead. The topic? Battle music. Yeah, it can be some of the most obnoxious music in the game, especially after hearing it for the 3,000th time, but every once in a while I hear a piece that has some merit to it. These are the ones we want to examine today. What makes for a good battle music track? I think it has to get you excited without being annoying or grating and not so loud or incredibly noticeable that you can't help but get tired of it sooner rather than later. It was actually pretty tricky to pull together six such tracks for this column, but I managed to do with with the help of Colonel Bugle up there. He's got the best MP3 collection around.
Jukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free
Collecting MMO soundtracks is a scattered, scavenger-like experience. Releasing video game soundtracks isn't exactly high up on studio and publisher to-do lists (although we're seeing more love from digital stores), so whether or not a title will get a music release is really a crapshoot. What does get released is never in the same place twice: Some game soundtracks are released as special editions only, some only as CDs, some as full MP3 album releases, some directly from the composer, some are buried on websites, and so on. So I'm constantly looking everywhere trying to beef up my MMO soundtrack library, and as a result I've uncovered several scores that the studios are giving away for free. I'm all over free (legal) music, especially when it's in my area of interest! If you've been looking to start an MMO soundtrack collection or are looking to add to what you have, I've put together a list of 11 MMO scores that you can get today free of charge. Sound good? It does to me!
Valve adds Nexon's Atlantica and Combat Arms to Steam
Nexon wants you to know that it has partnered with Valve to bring a couple of the former's older titles to Steam. The ubiquitous digital download platform now hosts both Atlantica Online and Combat Arms. Atlantica is a turn-based MMORPG set on an alternate-reality earth that features "monsters ripped from history and lore." Combat Arms is a lobby-based first-person shooter known for having the widest selection of weapons in the genre. Both titles are free-to-play and free to download via your Steam client. [Source: Nexon press release]
Atlantica Online update offers new puppeteer mercenary during festival
July is here, and with it comes heat, BBQs, and Atlantica Online's newest in-game challenge: the Bunraku Festival. Why participate in this summer festival? How about for the chance to recruit the new Puppeteer Rin mercenary? When battling the forces of evil, who wouldn't want to have a puppeteer with a power-saw-wielding puppet on his side? From now until July 26th, players can collect festival scripts just by logging in and also by helping bring an end to evil through a series of quests for Dr. Gon. These scripts can then be turned in for various prizes, including the mercenary. [Source: Nexon press release]
Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition
Whether you're an Easter traditionalist or you simply need an excuse to eat a chocolate bunny, it's that time of year again. It's also time for a few of our favorite MMO devs to don their silly hats and introduce all manner of egg hunts and contests into games like RuneScape, Runes of Magic, and World of Warcraft. That's just the tip of the Easter event iceberg; you'll find several more festively inclined titles in our roundup after the cut. Before you hop on over, have a look at the two bunnies above and repeat after us: d'awww.
Atlantica Online clocks its millionth player
After a big push for players to rope in their friends, Nexon is finally able to announce that Atlantica Online has reached the one million player mark -- and there's no looking back from here. The millionth player was DevilsRuler of Sikyon, and he or she will receive a million NX (item shop currency) and a title that comes with a substantial attack and XP boost. As if a million people to have picked up Atlantica Online wasn't enough, Nexon is boasting a few other impressive stats. To date, over 2.2 million characters have been created, 1.6 million "friend pairs" created, and 18,866 homes built. To celebrate this substantial milestone, Nexon is hosting Atlantica Day on Saturday, March 25th. Players who log in between 5:00 and 5:10 p.m. EDT will be granted a "Time's Witness" title that can be triggered for an attack power and defense buff. [Source: Nexon press release]
Join the fight to reclaim Atlantica Online
Atlantica Online has become a much more dangerous place to visit as of late, ever since a horde of monsters led by the evil Riederan invaded the place. But you won't let a little thing such as XP-filled loot piñatas keep you from fighting back, right? We didn't think so. Starting tomorrow and continuing through January 8th, Atlantica Online players will rise to meet the challenge of these invaders during a massive in-game event. When Riederan's Invasion is triggered, players have a scant half-hour to slaughter 10,000 monsters per town before the town's defenses fail. The event is programmed to scale so that mobs will match the players' levels. Participate in the event and precious rewards and buffs will drop into your lap. Bet that's the best news your lap's heard all day! To help players out with the invasion, Atlantica Online has introduced a new hero, the sorceress Mwindo. Mwindo can use her primal monsoon magic and staff to bring the pain to the baddies. [Source: Nexon press release]
Atlantica Online celebrates three years with in-game events
Atlantica Online, Nexon's quirky tactical MMORPG, has been running for three whole years now. You know what that means, right? Anniversary celebration time! From now until November 16th, players can celebrate Atlantica's third anniversary by participating in a variety of in-game events. For starters, there's the Hunt for the Warlord's Poem. Players have to hunt down monsters that have stolen fragments of Khun Phaen's poetry. Completing this task will net players "Khun Phaen's Carrier Pigeon, a Title: People's Champion, Khun Phaen Skill Books, and other essentials." If you'd rather put your combative skills to the test, you can take part in the third anniversary Grand Championship Battle Royale, which will take place on October 31st at 6:00 a.m. EDT and again at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The top four players will receive a prize of precious NX Credit. Lastly, Nexon is asking players to take a picture of either themselves or their avatars with a sign reading "Happy Anniversary Atlantica!" Players who submit such a picture will be entered into a drawing for 20,000 NX. For the full details, head on over to Atlantica Online's official site.celebrates three years with in-game events
Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms
If you've never read Romance of the Three Kingdoms or studied a bit of Chinese history, you're missing out on a drama full of intrigue, cleverness, and sweeping battles. Fortunately for players of Atlantica Online, you don't need to know the history to enjoy the upcoming Three Kingdoms update. Slated for release on the 26th of April, the update will contain a variety of new quests and systems along with a new mercenary hero, Guan Yu. The quests will center around the Battle of Red Cliffs, with players getting the chance to rub shoulders with well-known figures such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Players can also enjoy the new Expedition Team feature, which allows mercenaries to be dispatched for side objectives while the player focuses on the more pressing battles of the day. Check out some of the concept art in the gallery below, and if you're fond of Atlantica Online, make sure to check out the new update on the 26th. %Gallery-25535%
Rise and Shiny recap: Atlantica Online
Is it possible to be simultaneously annoyed and enchanted by an MMORPG? I think it just might be, now that I've spent several days and hours with Atlantica Online, now published by Nexon. It might not make sense to a lot of you, but the overwhelming and possibly overly complicated UI and systems of gathering basic information ("where's the bank?") filled me with a sense of wonder and even awe. There was so much to learn and see -- or was it just that the poorly designed UI gave me way too much information in too many ways? For example, if I wanted to locate the bank, I would open up an information window, go into a few more selections until I found the city and then the bank, then either try to find my way there or click on auto-walk to get there. Once there, I would have to join the bank then ask why the bank didn't allow me to store items in addition to money. Then I would find out that the only city with item storage is Rome, so then I'd need to open up the information book to find Rome, only to discover that I had no way of getting there until level 20. So then I would need to find an NPC through the book, auto-path to him or her to sell the goods that were taking up way too much room in my inventory, then double-click on the quest so I could double-click and auto-path my way top the NPC who gave me the quest (since the quest's mobs were not linked in the book), then continue on with my quests that would result in my bags becoming full again. Phew. Click past the cut and let me tell you all about it.
MV Guide: April 4 - 11, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. Ready to see what's on the schedule for the week? Follow along to see!
Rise and Shiny recap: 2029 Online
You can't win them all, as they say. I suppose that has to be true in any field or occupation. I try to find the coolest indie, free-to-play and odd little games to show you guys in this column, but of course I don't always play them ahead of time (I haven't played every single game in existence yet), so I might wind up with a dud occasionally. I try to give them a fair chance, though, and will play them as long as they let me. Unless, of course, a game fights me almost every step of the way. If there is one person who is understanding and who will give a fair chance to pretty much any game on Earth, I'm the one. I will forgive glitches and mistakes in smaller or lesser-known games because I have to. If I had some of the standards of some of our readers and writers, I would only be talking to you about RIFT and Lord of the Rings Online. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think it's safe to say that even broken games like 2029 Online deserve a chance. So I gave it one. Heck, I gave it several. Click past the cut and I'll tell you all about it.
Nexon takes Atlantica Online under its wing
Like a kid moving back into his parents' house, Atlantica Online is coming back home to Nexon. Nexon-owned NDoors both developed and operated the turn-based MMO, but Nexon has decided to take over the publishing and servicing duties directly as of March 22nd. While Atlantica Online will continue to run as normal, this move does signify a few changes for the game. Nexon has promised that it will improve gameplay, make the servers run more efficiently, and ensure new content for the playerbase. Atlantica Online will also start using Nexon's NX Cash for in-game currency and will convert current Gcoins into NX Cash at the rate of 100:1,000. Atlantica Online has already removed the stamina system from the game, allowing gamers to play as long as they like without restrictions. The transition between NDoors and Nexon will take the better part of a month to make sure that everything moves over smoothly. Until April 19th, players will be able to use their NDoors accounts to log into the game, after which it will be necessary to make the switch to a Nexon account. By moving early, players will get a grab bag of goodies for their diligence. Atlantica Online has posted a rather extensive FAQ about this transition for all interested parties.
Atlantica Online removes Stamina, allows unlimited play
Nobody likes to be told how to play. Even if you have a good reason to try to limit player activities, players want to have the freedom to play an MMO however they want and whenever they want. It's a lesson that Atlantica Online has taken to heart with its latest mechanical change overhauling the Stamina system. Specifically, the overhaul consists of removing the system in its entirety as of today, allowing players unfettered access to the game's content. Previously, the system was in place to prevent players from taking too many actions during a given period of time, which fatigued characters and locked down further progress. The removal allows players to continue playing for as long as they wish. Atlantica Online's players will no doubt be happy to hear that there's no clock in the background any longer, which is undeniably good unless you needed to be reminded to get up from the computer once in a while.
Atlantica Online prepping big December patch
Ndoors Interactive is getting ready to unleash a substantial December update for its turn-based Atlantica Online MMO. In a press release Friday, Ndoors let us know that we can expect a brand-new dungeon, new journeys and storylines, and a significant makeover for the game's Tactical Battle System before the end of the year. The facelift includes a larger UI and tweaks to camera angles, message alerts, and indicators, all of which should enable players to more efficiently manage their gameplay. After you've gotten acclimated to the UI changes, the new Ancient Lava Valley dungeon will allow you to join with two buddies in order to take on the fearsome Flame Guardians. The dungeon is timed, so make sure you clear all the monsters quickly to claim your share of the new loot items. Finally, Atlantica will be adding a solo mode to the Trojan War missions as well as new mount stable functionality to its player mansions. Check out all the details at the official website.
Atlantica Online unveils new vampire countess mercenary
Ndoors Interactive recently introduced a new mercenary to Atlantica Online and, just in time for Halloween, the latest addition is a sultry vampire countess named Carmilla. Players can make use of Carmilla's tactical advantages as well as spells that can be used in multiple ways. These include Dark Harmony (a healing spell), Dusk Elegy (which deals AoE damage), and Vampiric Thirst (which deals damage and leeches health). Ndoors has also updated the in-game store to feature an array of Carmilla-centric items including skill books, a coffin, a summoning rose, and a jewel box. Atlantica's newest mercenary is also noteworthy for being fan-created. Symban from the Macedon server was the winner of the Mercenary Madness Contest that resulted in Carmilla's design and inclusion in the live game.
Atlantica Online unveils Sheriff Christine
Atlantica Online has given us a rather appealing bit of information -- a new mercenary is moseying into town tomorrow. And true to form, she's promising to bring some interesting new wrinkles to the gameplay for anyone interested in laying down the law. Sheriff Christine is the latest addition to the game, offering players a variety of abilities to help control the flow of battle and interactions with the enemy party, using stuns and control-like abilities to turn the tide. Among her arsenal of stuns and control abilities is her new Arrest ability, which freezes an enemy unit for two turns. She also brings area damage into play with her Revolver Rush skill, or single-target damage with her self-buffing skill Steady Stance. We've also been given a few exclusive screenshots of Christine in action, so check them out in our small gallery, and keep your eyes open for Christine's full launch in Atlantica Online tomorrow. %Gallery-102377%
