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Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins
The lore in Runes of Magic can sometimes be frustrating. There's an incomplete -- and vague -- history that sparks questions of who did what and when. Sometimes, there are references to reoccurring incidents without anyone knowing anything of who was involved or when it happened. As new chapters are released, some of those questions are answered and story-holes are filled, but new questions get added as well. We are veering off the beaten track in this week's Lost Pages of Taborea to dive into some lore. There's a growing amount of story for lore-hungry players to discuss and I wanted to revisit some Chapter 3 lore that helps us to understand a little more about the history and present-day in the world of Taborea. The following article is written for those players who may already know about the game's lore, but want to know even more. Given the overall amount of story and the way it's spread out through levels, zones and time-frames, I almost didn't feel the need to put any spoiler warnings on this post. Instead, I left out details learned from going inside the various dungeons.
Runes of Magic celebrates its second birthday
Happy birthday, Runes of Magic! Two years have gone by, and you're growing up so fast. Anniversary celebrations are already underway in RoM. If your account has been lying dormant, you may want to wake it up, join the festivities, and get some free goodies while you're at it. For me, these two years flew by. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I wrote a look back at the first year of RoM. In two years, RoM has seen three major updates, and a fourth is just around the corner. The first two chapters made it into the first year, and although Chapter 4 didn't quite make it into this article, chapter 3 brought a whopping amount of content and features. If your extra ginger beer isn't cutting it anymore and you're feeling brave, move on up by grabbing a bottle of Blenhiem's old #5 and join me for a look back at the last year of RoM.
Runes of Magic Chapter III adds marriage, raises level cap
Frogster and Runewaker Entertainment have announced that Runes of Magic is adding even more content to its recent Chapter III publish, in the form of tomorrow's 3.0.3 update. The patch boasts an entirely new zone, the Northern Janost Forest, which also adds over 100 new quests to the free-to-play fantasy title. In addition to the new high-level content, the player level cap is being raised to 60. The patch is also introducing a new relationship system whereby players can bind themselves as lovers, friends, or as a master and an apprentice. Each pairing grants buffs to players when grouped with their significant others, and marriage is also possible via a wedding ring and a special chapel in the city of Varanas. Finally, Frogster is implementing a new beginner pet to ease the newbie transition into the world of Taborea. The pet manifests itself in the form of a pixie and grants buffs and heals in addition to providing gameplay hints.
Frogster releases more information on Runes of Magic Chapter III
Frogster has been giving fans previews of the Runes of Magic Chapter III since GDC way back in March. Our latest view of the expansion comes to us courtesy of IncGamers, who looked at details and images from the Southern Janost Forest. The landscape itself is marshy and damp, making travel and any sort of farming difficult. You'll find more hunters and fishermen here than farmers, although a marsh-friendly plant called Malanga grows wild and forms the foundation of the citizens' diets. The architecture of the area is very attractive, all soaring spires and graceful design, but don't be entirely fooled by this book's pretty cover -- one of those buildings is Warnorken Castle, inhabited by Baron Reuen von Jura, the main villain in the zone. The strife doesn't begin and end with the Baron and his persecution of those living in the forest. The principality of Shador is home to some of the most skilled archers in the land. The citizens of Shador are ready and willing to defend their city from attackers, and there are even rumors of a mysterious alliance with those in the neighboring Milasso Forest -- they're not a people you want to make an enemy of. Take a look at the entire preview at IncGamers.
Runes of Magic invites adventurers to delve into the Dungeon of Dalanis
Runes of Magic players are in for a rich treat with a nugaty center this May, as Frogster is about to deliver its second expansion to the game: Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms. Part of this exciting expansion is the fabled Dungeon of Dalanis, the first new six-person dungeon added since the game's release. The Dungeon of Dalanis is a place angels fear to tread. Not only is it a hidden jail for upper-class criminals, but a mad prince experiments on animals and creatures alike within its depths. Still, if players have the nerves of steel and -- more importantly -- 57 or more levels under their belt, they're welcome to try their hand at a little prison reform. Four bosses must be vanquished, including the enigmatic Experiment No. 203, before they can take a crack at Prince Maxim Erekat III. Oh Eerekat, what WON'T you do next? This dungeon is also offering a first in Runes of Magic history: the option of two difficulty levels. This is a good option for those who aren't quite on the cutting edge of leetdom, but still want to have a fun time. Head on over to the official site for the complete announcement.
Lost Pages of Taborea: A look into Chapter Three
It's been a fun week of questing and exploration for me in Runes of Magic. I've been digging deeper into the heart of the Savage Lands and learning more lore while discovering new visual treasures. When I first entered the level 53 and up zone, I thought it was some kind of tropical dinosaur utopia. Most of the areas I ventured into have that visual style, but there's also a mix of Elven villages, mountains guarded by apemen and tiki style huts to give the zone unique variety. Of course, I gave all that a break when the first part of Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms came out. I was anxious to see the new content with its new systems and pretty graphics. After impatiently waiting for my client to update, I was able to journey to the new lands and see some pretty cool stuff. Now, I think it's about time I gave some of my impressions before all of Chapter 3 is released and I'm too busy playing to write about it.
Runes of Magic rocks with Ruzio (and two other new mounts)
Three new mounts are always a good reason for gamers to celebrate, especially when the mounts themselves are part of a greater celebration. In the spirit of Walpurgis Night, Runes of Magic is treating players to a trio of special mounts for the holiday. Flyers may choose between a zippy broom or a rune disk to jam up the local airspace, but for our money, Ruzio the Expedition Donkey -- while lacking wings -- is a promising candidate for transportation. Everyone wants a sassy yet trusty donkey who has an affinity for waffles, right? These three mounts will only be available for a limited time, from April 26-30, and only through Runes of Magic's item shop. New mounts or no, players are currently enjoying the benefits of "Expedition 60," a special event geared toward getting players leveled up in preparation for an increase in the level cap (as well as other spiffy content). Head over to Runes of Magic's website for the full announcement.
Runes of Magic details Chapter III Phase One
Frogster has announced Phase One of the Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms update for their free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Runes of Magic. The patch, scheduled for next week, looks to be chock full of new content, and the phased approach is designed to get players to high level and primed for all of the fun coming down the pipe. Phase One will include a new zone, Thunderhoof Hills, as well as a new Collectible Card System. Slain monsters will drop cards that give character attribute bonuses, offering you another way to build your avatar. Additionally, Phase One is introducing instance difficulty levels which will affect loot drops as well as improved grouping and public encounter interface elements. If all that isn't enough for you, Frogster has more on the way. Guild castle upgrades are coming with Phase One, as are guild quests and guild castle minigames including Spirit Warrior, Needle Drill, and Call of the Horns. Last but certainly not least, Phase One brings the Spring Festival event as well and the Expedition 60 bonus XP events. Whew. Check out the official site for all of the details.
Guilds to face new challenges in Runes of Magic Chapter III
When it comes to learning how to work together as a guild, many MMOs have the same general method: read a strategy site, jump into a dungeon, and beat yourself against it until you figure it out. That's why we're intrigued to hear about the new guild additions coming to Runes of Magic in their upcoming Chapter III expansion. While hailed as mini-games, these new areas will challenge guilds to work together in new and interesting ways. Players who join these three new guild drilling grounds will be asked to choose one of three stances: a sword for melee players; a shield for those who will need defensive boosts and resists; or a staff for those pew-pew crazy casters. From there, you'll be taken through one of the three new drilling ground scenarios. %Gallery-88042%
Runes of Magic upgrades trading card system
While Runes of Magic is often dismissed as a straight-up World of Warcraft clone, that does a disservice to game features that march to the beat of a different Frogster. One such system is their monster trading cards, where defeated mobs have a chance to drop a special card that show statistics and details about each monster. While these cards were mostly cosmetic up to this point, Runes of Magic is planning to both upgrade and expand the system with the Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms update this month. 48 new monster cards will be added to the game, which will increase the monster compendium to 800 foul beasts and critters. In addition, each monster card will now bestow attributes to the player, such as a boost to dexterity or strength. As such, demand for these cards will rise, which Frogster hopes will fire up player interaction as gamers trade for their most desired attributes. The Chapter III update won't just focus on monster cards, of course. A huge number of additions to Runes of Magic will come packaged with it, including a level cap increase to 60, new areas, a PvP ranking system, new mini-games and the opportunity to get married in the game. Well, "officially" married, at least. Look for the update later this month!
