Tales-of-Fantasy
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The Road to Mordor: Ride to ruin and the world's ending!
Mounted combat's been on my mind a lot lately, particularly when I was galloping around Dunland and various clansmen knocked me off my horse. It was then that I wished I had a skill called "Trample to a Bloody Pulp -- For Rohan!" and that Turbine would finally earn that AO rating it's always craved. Barring that skill, I would just love a massive war horse that would send enemies fleeing from me instead of making a beeline for my knees (which are a prime target for arrows). I'm both excited and nervous about the mounted combat system coming in Riders of Rohan. I'm excited that it will open up a new style of gameplay in this five-year-old game and nervous that it'll drag Lord of the Rings Online down if it's not done right. Whatever type of horseback combat we might envision will surely be different than the final product, and that uncertainty leaves me feeling in limbo. More than anything else, Riders of Rohan is about mounted combat. Turbine's centering the expansion around it, dedicating an entire zone to it, and developing loads of assets and skills for it, and the company will undoubtedly be hyping it strongly over the course of the summer. It's a bold step to take but a necessary one as well, as the IP and nation of Rohan are steeped in mounted combat, and it's been a little weird that we've had to dismount to swing a sword ever since leaving the shire. So will mounted combat prevail, fail, or muddle in the middle?
MV Guide: October 10-16, 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 titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!
Tales of Fantasy expansion brings new PvP and dungeon content
Tales of Fantasy has a new expansion on the way, and Veil of Darkness is all about the PvP. A new IGG press release has given us a bit of a heads-up on the new content which centers around an area known as Coiling Hollow. The hollow is basically a PvP-enabled zone where players can engage in wanton slaughter without fear of a death penalty (and rack up a bunch of honor points for disposing of members of the opposing faction). That's not all, as Coiling Hollow also features something of a mother lode when it comes to loot. IGG tells us that the Serpent Shrine adventure area is "filled with the discarded treasure of a thousand warriors who dropped everything and ran for the exit," presumably due to the unimaginable horrors contained within. While there's no definitive release date for the Veil of Darkness content as of yet, you can keep an eye on the official Tales of Fantasy website, and Massively, for all the latest details.
Tales of Fantasy announces Call of Destiny patch
The world of Tales of Fantasy is about to get a lot more interesting. IGG has announced the upcoming Call of Destiny patch, something that will bring welcome new content to the game. Those players who have been hanging around at level 40 will find the door opened for plenty of new gameplay -- Call of Destiny will bring the eight final class advancements as well as a level cap increase to 50. Players of all levels looking for new adventures will enjoy the many content additions. New monsters and bosses, new maps, and new storyline progression will offer plenty to see in the days after the patch. If you love your gear, you'll want to check out the new customization options and new weapons, equipment, and more. IGG has not given a specific release date for this patch beyond "this June," so we'll keep an eye out for any upcoming date. In the meantime, visit the Tales of Fantasy site for all the details.
Tales of Fantasy reveals final class advancements
The eight Titans of Tales of Fantasy are here, and one of them is you. Well, it will be once you hit level 40. IGG has revealed the final class advancements of the game for those players level 40 and over. Most of these are familiar titles -- Sentinel, Gladiator, Assassin, Marksman, Druid, Summoner, Archmage and Priest -- and the path to the chosen final class begins when you are a trainee. Choose the Apprentice (ranged/casters) path or Pugilist (melee) path to begin your journey toward the final class advancement. While the roles are well-known, the abilities of each class make for some interesting possibilities. For example, the Druid is defined as a master of shapeshifting able to take on the natural abilities of wild animals, the Marksman has a range that is 50% greater than spellcasters -- something that makes for quite an advantage in combat. Check out the Tales of Fantasy site for all the details on the final eight classes.
Tales of Fantasy officially introduces PvP system
Tales of Fantasy has been in closed beta for two weeks now, and players have gotten a little taste of PvP in the form of The Arena. Players who enjoyed the PvP aspect of the game will love what's in store as Tales of Fantasy introduces their full PvP system. The Arena is here to stay, but PKing is no longer limited to that instance. "PK anytime, anywhere" is the motto used in ToF now, so watch your back as you travel through Elterra. One-on-one battle is great, but if your tastes run to something on a larger scale, try Inter-Faction Wars. This massive free-for-all PvP area is open for two hours daily, with every enemy kill earning you Honor Points that you can trade to NPCs for better gear. The new PvP system is live now, so check out the Tales of Fantasy site for all the details, and good luck!
Newest Tales of Fantasy developer diary explains wings
The Tales of Fantasy closed beta test is moving right along, and players are becoming familiar with the basics of the game. As they do, they're beginning to turn their attention toward more detailed aspects. One such aspect is the presence of wings in the game. While winged characters aren't a cutting edge new feature these days, they're still pretty popular, and they've proven to be a hit in Tales of Fantasy. The developers of the game offered up some hints on acquiring and using the wings in their latest developer diary. While the wings themselves have a few different functions depending on type, getting them in the first place is the focus of this diary entry. Just handing them out to starter characters right off the bat would make them less special in the opinion of the developers, so they opted to make them a little harder to get. Check out all the details on this fun feature over at the Tales of Fantasy blog.
Tales of Fantasy celebrates closed beta with guild event
Tales of Fantasy has entered closed beta, and IGG is ready to celebrate the milestone. They're sharing the party with the community in the form of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", a massive guild event. The event is designed to encourage fans to play together as part of an active guild. The description might be a bit confusing, so here's how it works: between now and May 14th, guilds will be ranked according to member levels. Your guild must have at least 40 members, and overall member levels need to total at least 1,000 to qualify. The event includes a screenshot contest for special in-game titles as well. IGG has set up a ranking board, and every Friday it will be refreshed to reflect the current top guilds according to each guild's total member level. Check out the ranking board page for all the details, and then rally your guild and get to playing! Good luck to all!
First Impressions: Tales of Fantasy
Tales of Fantasy is a game created by IGG that is set in a world of great mounts, strange creatures and small children that carry swords. Well, maybe not small children, but child-like characters that you can take control of. Most players seemed like they enjoyed the larger, more "adult" characters to play, but when I saw the option to play a 6 year old boy that carried a sword I had to have it. Graphically the game is reminiscent of Everquest 2, with all its glowy-edged oddness and its harsh environments. It's one of those games that can be amazing looking in one area only to be followed up by an area that looks semi-unfinished. That could very well be the case, being that the game is actually in closed beta and this is a "First Impression." Still, overall it takes free-to-play game graphics up one more notch.
Tales of Fantasy expands closed beta with new instances
If you're in the closed beta of Tales of Fantasy, you've got even more to look forward to when testing begins Wednesday. IGG has added four new instances, and there truly is something for everyone in these. The four instances are extremely diverse, catering to four of the main goals of many MMO players. If you're a crafter at heart, you'll enjoy the Shen'Nong Forest, also known as the "Gathering Instance." PvP fans will want to head straight for the Arena, or the PK Instance, while those who prefer PvE can probably be found teaming up with other players in the Dimensional Gate and fighting off hordes of monsters. Players that reach the high levels can head for the Lone Knight instance, a five-level area for players level 40 and above. All four new instances in Tales of Fantasy are for levels 30+, so it's not something charge into straight from character creation. However, no matter what your play style, there's something you're sure to love waiting once you advance a bit!
Tales of Fantasy announces closed beta
Less than two months ago, IGG announced their newest free-to-play title, Tales of Fantasy. The game promised some fun new features such as the fusion system, mounted combat, and a slight twist on the familiar class systems. If all of this has piqued your interest over the past weeks, you'll be glad to know that the game is just about ready for its first round of closed beta testing. IGG announced today that Tales of Fantasy will enter closed beta on April 13th. Existing alpha test participants will need to download the closed beta patch. If you weren't an alpha participant, just download the current client and you're all set. There are no worries about losing your beta progress either, as IGG has confirmed that they will not be deleting characters at the end of closed beta. Full beta information as well as client downloads can be found on the Tales of Fantasy site.
Tales of Fantasy introduces the Fusion system
Equipment has been a central part of the MMO experience for years now, so it's no surprise that Tales of Fantasy has a system built around the idea of saving equipment on your character. It's called the Fusion system and works in a fairly straightforward manner that almost sounds like a combination of crafting and character advancement. Basically, if you've got a piece of equipment it can be fused onto your character, permanently adding its stats to your character and opening up that equip slot for a new equipment item. It's a simple idea, but one that effectively doubles the amount of gear you can wear. Higher level fusions require more Soul Containers, which are the sole item used for a fusion and can be acquired through story quests or instances. We're curious to hear what other design ideas are floating around in Tales of Fantasy, because if they're all this interesting it's going to be a game we spend some time with.
Tales of Fantasy set to begin alpha
Things are liable to get busy in the Tales of Fantasy community, because starting on March 10th the upcoming free-to-play MMO will be entering its alpha phase. IGG has already invited established guilds to jump into the Alpha and have at it, but will be sweetening the deal with copious rewards, too. The actual reward is 2,000 Platinum given to the winning guild as well as special gift packages for each individual guild member. What's interesting is that these rewards are for the eventual closed beta, making them all slightly less permanent. Of course, we're pretty certain that most people will be pleased enough with getting into the alpha test to begin with. And really, that's a lot of in-game money to throw around. What do you want to bet guild leaders are already considering keeping it all to themselves?
Tales of Fantasy offers class preview
Tales of Fantasy is the upcoming fantasy MMO from IGG, just announced earlier this month. We received some interesting information on the game then, and today IGG released another round of information in the form of class previews. Classes fall under two familiar main categories: fighters and spellcasters, then branch out into basic and final classes, as illustrated in the "tree" diagram in the gallery below. Players can choose the path of Warrior, Rogue, Mage, or Healer, specializing further into eight "final classes" as well, as they advance through the game. Once players reach level 20, they will be able to choose their "path in life", deciding on a specialty. There are relevant NPCs for each path in the main city for you to talk with once you've chosen. The class system, while not unfamiliar, is interesting and should serve to help players become familiar with their chosen class over time. Take a look at the gallery including the class tree, and be sure to check out the Tales of Fantasy site for more information. %Gallery-86399%
IGG introduces mounted combat and more with Tales of Fantasy
The folks over at IGG.com are hard at work lately with so many new titles, and have just announced another one this morning: Tales of Fantasy. Alpha testing for the game is scheduled to begin soon, but plenty of information is already available. Tales of Fantasy, the story of warring civilizations Ashland and Bohren, promises advanced graphics and several new features to entice players. Mounted combat will give players the ability to attack without dismounting, and a "myriad" of creatures are available to tame and mount. A story of "lost wings" hints at the ability to earn in-game flight, and players will be able to create and enhance their own gear as well. The game will even offer real-time horse racing, in which you can compete against other players on a racecourse, earning an in-game title that will add to your character attributes. While the game is still in early stages, it definitely has potential. Check out the current information on the official site, and we'll keep an eye out for more information.
