Aika-Online
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Aika Online adds dueling and offers special holiday events
While folks were enjoying the family, friends, and food of Thanksgiving, gPotato was launching a new update in Aika Online. Now, on top of the tower assaults, castle sieges, and general waging war, players can battle each other 1v1 in the fantasy game's new dueling system. Wondering what gear your opponents -- or allies -- are using? Check out the new player inspection tool. Other features added include auto-follow, auto-move, and color-coordinated quest markers. Besides the new features, Aika Online is also hosting a series of special events in-game. From now through November 28th, mobs will drop special boxes full of goodies and PvP kills will grant double the honor. Players can also get a complimentary item each day until December 14th just for logging in. To top all that off, experience is tripled until November 26th. So jump on in, grab your free stuff, and soak up the XP while trying out the new features. And don't forget to check out the Black Friday deals for more special Aika Online bonuses this weekend! [Source: gPotato press release]
Get your Black Friday MMO deals here!
If our gift ideas for MMO gamers wasn't enough to get you started with your holiday shopping, then how about a full-fledged roundup of the many, many great deals floating around on Black Friday? That's right: Without putting on your pants, you'll be able to get in on some incredible promotions for this busy shopping day. Even if you're just buying for the most special person in your life (yourself), we still give you permission to splurge. All of the big deals are past the cut, so what are you waiting for?
Aika's Epic II: Exodus expansion debuts August 11th
Next week is a big one for fans of Aika Online, as the free-to-play fantasy title will be rolling out its first expansion. The patch is called Epic II: Exodus, and judging by the amount of new content in gPotato's latest press blurb, epic is an apt descriptor. Aika players are getting a new zone, a level cap increase (to 75), new mounts, and a few choice pre-launch bonus events. These include triple (yes, triple) XP and play-for-rewards summer events which offer a laundry list of cool prizes just for logging in. As for the new zone, Traband was formerly a temperate and beautiful island but is now a frozen wasteland "where only the most bloodthirsty beasts survive." That's OK, though, because what self-respecting MMO adventurer wants to hang out in a tropical safe zone bereft of killable monsters? The Aika website has more details on Epic II, and you'll also find the client download front and center on the new splash page.
AIKA Global gearing up for nation merge, in-game events
AIKA's plans for global domination are ramping up in the month of May. The free-to-play fantasy title now features four major in-game events, and a new press release hints at "exciting new game and website updates" to be revealed. First up is the month-long Nation Wars II event in which AIKA's nation-states transform into all out war zones. Four players from each nation will represent their homelands on the Lord Marshall Alliance, and national armies will be able to march on enemy territory for fun and profit. Next up is the Legionaires of May event in which participants compete to level new characters from 10 to 50 as swiftly as possible. The first five legions to complete the requirements by May 31st will snag a prize pack. The final two events, A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed and Auction House, span the entire month. Specifics for each will be given in-game during the lead-up to the event. Finally, AIKA Global is introducing an offline mailing system as well as a nation merge that will have a major impact on the game's political landscape. Head to the official AIKA website and read all about the coming changes.
Celebrate Aika's first birthday with a gift from Massively!
Aika has been around for one year, and the developers are celebrating in style by teaming up with Massively to give our readers a birthday present! We've got 1,000 gift packages, each containing 10 Potions of Arcane Defense, 10 Potions of Destruction, and one new premium item: a Stat Potion Box. To pick up a gift package for yourself, simply visit our giveaway page to claim a coupon code. Then log in to your gPotato account (or create one if you haven't). On the billing page, select "gPotato coupon" under Pin Code Redemption and enter your code. Once you've entered the code, you're all set to enjoy your Aika one year anniversary gift package!
Aika Online invades Europe on February 17th
Big things are happening in the world of Aika Online. Late last year, the title released its second expansion, and today the devs have announced a real-world expansion of sorts.The free-to-play fantasy MMORPG centered around multinational conflict is forging into the European market on February 17th, and gPotato is hosting a smattering of celebratory events to mark the occasion. Chief among them is the "Europe, We're Up" double XP promotion, in addition to a login event that gives players the opportunity to win $10,000 in prizes as well as unique in-game loot. Aika pits five nations against each other in a neverending struggle for control of Arcan. Castle sieges, relic thefts, and customized battlegrounds are a few of the features players can take advantage of while waging large-scale warfare sans a monthly subscription fee.
Aika Online's Last Bastion expansion now live
The world of Aika Online just got a bit bigger, as Gala-Net and gPotato have announced that the game's second expansion is now live. The update, titled The Last Bastion, increases the level cap from 60 to 70 and allows players to explore the creature-covered swamplands of Termiz. The Last Bastion also features over 100 new quests through which players will uncover the story of Termiz and assist in preventing the Dark Legion from further damaging the region. Aika boasts six player classes, five nations fighting for territorial control via castle sieges, relic thefts, and custom battlegrounds, as well as considerable PvE options. You can learn more about the game, and the new expansion, at the official website. Also be sure and have a look through our expansion screenshot gallery below. %Gallery-108758%
Massively.com and GameBreaker.TV: Coming to you live from GDC Online!
GDC Online (formerly GDC Austin) is rapidly approaching, and we here at Massively.com are making sure that we're on the front lines of coverage from the event. We have plenty of interviews lined up with a huge variety of companies, and we're teaming up with our friends at GameBreaker.TV to deliver live coverage of the event via GameBreaker's live show at the Vivox booth! To get you excited for the coming conference, we've provided the list of companies we're meeting with just after the break! The list isn't fully extensive, as we'll be covering a variety of panels as well, but it will give you an idea of whom we're meeting with. Plus, keep an eye out for a link to the live GameBreaker.TV broadcast on our right-hand sidebar! Their coverage of the event will be starting on Wednesday, October 6th at 12:00 p.m. EDT!
Aika's latest dungeon is for the birds
It's been fairly quiet in terms of Aika news following the game's first major expansion, but the free-to-play game has just received a major update in the form of the Kynari Aviary. Concluding the story from the expansion of the Kynari civil war, the Aviary is the lynchpin of several story seeds and quests that lead players to challenge the malefactor of the Kynari people, Darkrane. He awaits within the dungeon, complete with new rewards and items for players of all skill levels. The dungeon features three difficulties -- Normal, Hard, and Elite, with the higher difficulties offering better spoils from the battle. It's also filled with high-end crafting materials, with Normal difficulty dropping a large amount of needed materials and Elite difficulty dropping one-of-a-kind recipes for some of the most powerful items in the game. Aika players can begin heading through the dungeon now, assuming that they've hit the level cap and have five friends willing to brave the Aviary.
Log into Aika, win fantastic prizes
If you're one of the lucky souls who doesn't need to work over the summer, or just a discerning player with an eye toward conserving your online time, there are a lot of games clamoring for your attention. Aika's newest event is hoping to entice players with a fairly routine but no less efficient approach: the team is offering players prizes. And all you have to do as a player to earn them is to show up for at least an hour a day. From August 5th until September 8th, players will be automatically granted rewards after logging in for at least one hour. Tears of Aika are the most common reward, with special prizes coming at each five-day interval. Players who manage to log in for an hour a day over the full run of the event will also be entered into a drawing for several powerful in-game rewards. It's not a bad spread for just showing up, so take a look at the full list of rewards, check the FAQ, and start setting aside some time for your Aika characters.
Aika's lead nation system kicks in without warning
With all of the major updates in Aika's first free expansion, Ashes of Betrayal, it might have been easy to miss the inclusion of an underdog system designed to help the lowest-ranked nation in the game's overarching PvP system. What the development team didn't discuss at the time was the other half of the system -- a mechanic to ensure that the lead nation wouldn't have nearly as much dominance over its opponents. That system was rather forcibly demonstrated to players over the weekend, with a post going live explaining exactly what the system is and how it works. The short version is that when a nation is determined (via automatic processes) to be in the lead, it is no longer capable of forming alliances and is kicked out of any existing alliances. This has met with some resistance from Aika's players both in the news post and in threads on the official forums, as it essentially broke an alliance without warning or any explanation at the time. Some players are viewing the penalties to an arbitrarily determined "lead nation" as crippling a nation while splitting friendly nations apart forcibly. Even if the system itself provides an interesting balance mechanic, it's still leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the game's players, especially in light of earlier incidents when information wasn't immediately available.
Ashes of Betrayal goes live for Aika
After having run previews quite steadily, the first Aika expansion, Ashes of Betrayal, has been released today. As could be expected with a free-to-play game, the expansion itself is free, and it contains a large amount of new content to keep players engaged. Whether you look forward to pushing to level 60, expanding your PvP gameplay, or exploring the story of the Kynari civil war, players will get their hands on all the improvements today. If the simple addition of the expansion isn't enough to get you excited about playing Aika, the community team is running a number of events to get people involved with the expansion, ranging from a race to the new level cap to an actual footrace. Really. A naked level 1 character footrace to one of the new areas. We've also been gifted with a few more screenshots of the expansion in action, so take a look at the gallery and go enjoy the new content. %Gallery-95585%
Tell us what you like about Aika Online, and win a video card courtesy of Massively and Gala-Net!
This video card is an uncivilized beast. Minutes within entering my home, it had the audacity not only to spill packing peanuts everywhere from the box it came in, but also to steal my Aika Online snuggie! It's a good thing we're giving this video card away in celebration of Aika's latest expansion, Ashes of Betrayal! Otherwise, it would be a bitter battle to retrieve my Aika snuggie. Darn video card already bit me twice with its two nasty fans! So, please, help a Sera out and win this video card. I'd like it out of my house before it realizes where my secret stash of cookies is. Details are after the break, so please, come along and enter this contest! No! Bad video card! Stop biting the futon!
Aika previews two more class evolutions
With the June 17th date now firmly set, Aika fans can look forward to the full experience of the game's first expansion in less than a week. But there's still more to preview, and while we heard some of the details in our recent interview with the team, they've still got more up their sleeve. The most recent preview on the official site details the new evolutions for the Arcanist and Saint classes, which are receiving notable upgrades along with their fellow classes under the expanded level cap. The Arcanist will be receiving Calamity, a damage-over-time spell that has a long range and a movement-slowing effect to help snare and finish targets in both PvP and PvE. With a five-minute cooldown, however, the spell needs to be used carefully for maximum effectiveness.. The Saint, on the other hand, will be giving massive benefits to allies via Aika's Grace, restoring a large amount of HP and MP while making the target temporarily invulnerable. Read all about the new evolutions, as well as a recap on the nation balance mechanics discussed in yesterday's interview, on the official site.
New temple and class evolutions previewed for Aika's expansion
The countdown to Aika's first expansion is growing shorter and shorter, so it's only fitting that we're getting more information coming about the upcoming changes to the game. We've heard about Darkrane Forest, but not about the adjacent region, Ashwood. That forest contains something very special in the game's PvP-centric equation: a fourth temple to be fought over for control, guarded by the vicious Kynari under Darkrane's command. Considering that struggles over the three current temples form the basis for the nation wars, the addition of a fourth should be quite a change in the strategic face of the game. We've also gotten a preview of the next evolution of the Dual Gunner and Rifleman classes, dubbed the Pistoleer and the Sniper respectively. Snipers will gain the new Predator ability, allowing them to return to stealth after attacking to help them plan new ambushes and avoid counterattacks. Pistoleers, on the other hand, will gain the new Bloody Rose skill that allows them to turn all of their pistol attacks into splash-damage area abilities -- just the thing for being surrounded by enemies. Check out the new armor and some images of the new temple area in our gallery below, and get ready for Aika's first expansion on June 17th! %Gallery-94238%
Aika previews Ashes of Betrayal and announces launch date
The turnaround on Aika's upcoming expansion has been more than acceptable. The announcement of Ashes of Betrayal came very recently, and already we have a target date of June 17th for release. But if that weren't enough, the development team has been hard at work with the new region of Darkrane Forest, creating both new lore and new art for the region. Home to the half-bird, half-human Kynari, the forest was peaceful until the recent coup performed by the Kynari Darkrane, killing High Castor Isaiah and throwing the region into turmoil. Players will take on the sizable task of restoring order with the help of Isaiah's son Hakks, as well as uncovering the dark forces behind Darkrane's rise to power, including a new instanced dungeon. There will also be new equipment and skill improvements, starting at level 51. We have screenshots of the new armor available to the Conqueror and Templar, the highest tier of growth for the Warrior and Paladin classes, as well as some of the enemies you'll face in the forest and a map of the region. Take a look at our gallery, and get ready for Aika's expansion due in less than a month. %Gallery-93694%
Aika teases their upcoming expansion
If you're a fan of Aika, times have been kind. The unfortunate business with the cash shop has been resolved equitably, and there's a new large-scale arena in town to help strengthen the game's focus on epic PvP. All that would be enough to keep players content for some time, but rather than resting on their laurels, the development team is planning a brand-new expansion. And it promises to be large... if the screenshot above is to be believed, it may even be dinosauric. Titled Ashes of Betrayal, the expansion promises to include a large amount of new content as well as an increase in the level cap. While there aren't many details available at this point on the specifics, the team is shooting for a mid-June release. Like Aika itself, the expansion promises to be free, so keep your eyes peeled for more news on what's coming down the pipe. Considering how quickly the expansion is coming and how recently the game was released, the future looks bright.
Aika allows players into the gates of the arena
In a game focused on PvP, arenas can be a tricky things. If everything is set up nicely then they show off the strengths of the game at their finest; if there are flaws, it's a bit like highlighting them with a magnifying glass. Aika has decided to take the plunge, but not on a small scale -- the Aitan Arena doesn't go halfway. The battles are geared to 100 players on each side, with each team duking it out until only one remains standing. Divided into four level brackets, the Aitan Arena pits two teams against one another with a maximum capacity of 200 players on a first-come first-served basis. While that might sound a bit limiting -- especially with only two windows open per day -- the wide brackets and rotating schedule should allow everyone a shot at the match. The real limitations will come once the match starts; with the competition heightened by the fact that there are no respawns within the arena. Once you drop, you're out of the match. Take a look at the full announcement on the official site, and get your blades sharpened for the newest PvP venue in Aika.
Aika service restricted with some unintended consequences
When Aika opened its item shop, a comparison or two to Allods Online was inevitable. After all, with gPotato managing both games, there were a few people that wondered if the same pricing issues might show up. Turns out that the cash shop has still caused problems... but it's not the prices, it's the fact that the game is only supposed to be operating in North America at the moment. A statement was posted earlier today that the game would be blocking IPs from outside of North America, as gPotato only had the rights to operate the game for that region. The problem is the number of international players who had been playing the game and had purchased items from the cash shop. As a result of the block, these players are obviously left out in the cold with no way to access Aika... and no real recourse for the items that they had already purchased from the item shop.
Aika item shop opens
Aika has been generating some buzz here on Massively as a new PvP-focused free-to-play game with some interesting gameplay mechanics. It's been in open beta for a little while now, and the game has taken the first cautious steps toward their business model: the item shop for the game has gone live. Considering what happened when the last gPotato free-to-play game launched its item shop, it's hard not to be a little... leery of what might ensue when the fans look at the pricing. Sure enough, there have been threads popping up in reaction, but the overall response has been fairly low-key. It would seem that the impact of what happened to Allods Online and its price model were taken to heart. The shop still isn't quite live on the official site, but it promises to make life at least mildly easier and offer several convenience features to players. So if you've been waiting to try Aika until you see how the cash shop plays out, you might want to go over and check the open beta out now.
