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City of Steam is merging EU servers on December 22nd
If you've played City of Steam in the EU and thought to yourself, "Man, there are just too many servers for this game right now," the developers agree with you, which is why the server list is being consolidated down to a single server as of December 22nd. Characters will be automatically transferred, with character names getting server tags to make sure naming issues sorted out before they arise. Players on the current EU3 server will be receiving a compensation package that includes a 90-day subscription and a variety of other materials for character advancement. The five-characters-per-server limit will be enforced with prejudice; the staff is simply deleting the oldest or least-played characters on an account if the merge puts someone over five characters on the final server. So take care of that issue before it arises on the 22nd.
City of Steam previews its 2.7 update
City of Steam has another update in the works, and it's going to make you look good. How, you ask? Well, partly by adding a new and expanded wardrobe system that will improve categories and free up storage space for your cosmetic outfits. The interface is still rough, but it's also a step toward giving players more options and power when it comes to character appearance. What else is coming? There's a new Lucky Wheel option in the works, allowing players a chance to spin and win all sorts of great prizes whether they're playing for free or not. The Mercenary system is also being revised, with appearances being improved, new mercenaries being added, and an improved interface for organizing and managing the soldiers of fortune. You can check out the full patch preview, which sadly for players does not yet include a targeted release date more specific than "soon."
City of Steam preparing to overhaul crafting
City of Steam is, well, full steam ahead for its upcoming 2.6.1 patch. Mechanist Games said that the big focus of the patch will be an overhaul to the crafting system to make it easier to understand. The studio will be converting catalysts into a "valuable" substitute and will replace the Spiremarks currency with Bound Electrum when the update lands. Currently, the game has finished its first cross-server PvP bout and is challenging its playerbase to the aptly named Tower of Peril dungeon.
City of Steam teases patch 2.6 improvements
While its initial launch had some definite issues, City of Steam seems to be doing quite well for itself with new servers, new platforms, and a new patch on the way. That new patch shows off some of its new features in a recent development blog, starting with inter-server PvP between the top 20 players on each server. Yes, that means you'll need to muscle your way to the head of the pack in PvP before you get a shot at competing, but getting there means fantastic prizes. Patch 2.6 will also bring with it the Tower of Peril, rewarding players for how far they can climb and generally challenging any high-level high-intensity players. There will also be numerous improvements to in-game text, bugs, and the like. If that sounds like just what you want to see, you can take a look at the blog post for a few more details and then jump in and start playing right from there.
City of Steam opens new US, Euro servers
City of Steam has officially opened two new servers, one for eastern U.S. players and another in Europe. Mechanist Games says that it is "trying to bring in as broad a gaming demographic as possible" by presenting its steampunk MMO on Kongregate, Armor Games, and Steam. "More platforms will come in soon," the firm states. There are in-game events underway to help celebrate the additional shards. Check out all the details on the official City of Steam website.
City of Steam getting new US and EU servers
Mechanist Games has announced that its steampunk browser MMO City of Steam is on the cusp of delivering a long-awaited European server. There's no firm launch date just yet, and Mechanist also notes that EU players who have been biding their time on the existing US servers will not be able to transfer their characters to the new EU shard. Electrum will be transferable, though, so there's that. The devs also said that a new east coast US server is in the works.
City of Steam patch optimizes and improves across the board
It's the big patch day that you've been waiting for! City of Steam: Arkadia has updated to version 2.5, and with it comes a slew of quality-of-life improvements for the game as a whole. In patch 2.5, City of Steam has added tutorial quests, included more offerings in the in-game store, refined elements of the interface, and optimized the quest tracking system. There are also new challenges and heroic dungeons for high-level players as well as a team-up boss raid. Check out all of the changes, additions, and bug fixes in the patch notes.
City of Steam heads to Steam with a fresh new server [Updated]
Steampunk browser MMO City of Steam is landing on, er, Steam today, bringing with it a brand-new server. Says developer Mechanist Games, Coupled with the latest game version 2.4 ([which] will also be available on the established server), the new server will provide improved team-up function, restructured tourney events, new level content (lvl 50-60), and of course exciting new server event. This time, new server events will become goal-based so that they are capable of benefiting as many players as possible. The studio tweeted that the Steam launch might be slightly delayed but that developers are "talking with Valve to make the launch ASAP." Massively alum Matt Daniel dived into City of Steam in December to scope out last year's Arkadia relaunch. [Update: Mechanist has postponed the Steam launch thanks to "critical issues (discovered) when testing (the) live server on the Steam version." The studio promises an update during local business hours.]
League of Angels goes live today
Youzu Interactive's hybrid turn-based fantasy MMO League of Angels will officially launch today, and co-publisher R2Games is celebrating with events rewarding in-game items and LoA merchandise. In addition, fans will get a peek at special event cosplay from "established names in the community" by signing up for the game's newsletter. League of Angels features a training system for your team of angels, massive PvP arenas, crafting, and character customization with mounts, cosmetics, and other accessories. Interested players can sign up and play straight from the game's official portal via GTArcade. [Source: R2 Games/Youzu Interactive press release]
Mechanist Games working to restore faith with City of Steam's community
Mechanist Games will be taking actions to "restore faith" by those affected from City of Steam's impending shutdown and rebirth as City of Steam: Arkadia. The studio announced three initiatives to draw back players. First, it will be recharging alpha and beta supporters' Electrum, although it doesn't look like refunds are in the cards. Second, it will be compensating returning players who will need to start fresh on a new server. And third, Mechanist is opening up a new English-speaking forums on the website for the community to use. The exact nature of the compensation for affected players was not revealed, as the studio said it has yet to finalize details in that regard. Mechanist paid to reclaim the English publishing rights for City of Steam and will be self-publishing the title going forward. Other language editions of the game will continue to be operated as is. [Source: Mechanist Games' press release]
City of Steam powering down, switching to new name and ownership [Updated]
It's the end of the line for the free-to-play steampunk game City of Steam -- at least on R2Games servers. The publisher has announced that doors will be closing at 2:59 a.m. EDT on November 22nd. Even with what are probably the most impressive graphics in a browser-based game, CoS apparently couldn't keep enough players to remain viable. With the closure, the in-game currency Electrum can no longer be acquired, but all previously bought Electrum can be spent on store items throughout the month. Does this mean that CoS is powering down for good? Not according to developer Mechanist Games, which has announced that it plans on releasing a new version of the game the same month: Circumstances have contributed to a significant loss of players and we've decided to cease the current game operations for the Global English version and take City of Steam back. This is a decision we have taken months to reach, and are confident that it's best for the health of the players, the community and the game itself. City of Steam is not shutting it down. We at Mechanist Games will improve and self-publish the game, and endeavor to make it available to as many of the original fans as possible by cooperating with popular English language browser-gaming platforms (to be announced). City of Steam will be upgraded during the time it is offline to better suit the player demographics of the new browser-gaming platforms publishing the game; new content, new features, new systems, massive change to the economy and statistics, new equipment and cosmetics, new quests and an overhaul of most of the level art and main quests. Some features will be removed. There will also be a massive flying fortress for characters of any level to congregate in. Because of these numerous and sizeable changes, the game will be re-launched in November under the title City of Steam: Arkadia. [Updated with the statement from the press release from Mechanist!]
GDC 2013: City of Steam demo showcases crafting and other streamlined features
It may seem like a while has passed since we last experienced City of Steam, the fantasy steampunk MMORPG that fits in your browser. That's because it has! The game's last closed beta testing round was back in December, and fans have been eagerly waiting to get back into the city-state of Nexus. Of course there has been some news to tide us over in the meantime while developers have been turning all of that beta feedback into fixes and updates, but that's not the same; people want to play. Luckily, it's GDC to the rescue! While the rest of the world won't actually get to access City of Steam until it launches open beta (which is anticipated to be within the next two months!), I was able to dive in and explore the fruits of the devs' winter labors. And let me tell you, they've put their time to good use! I met with Communications Manager Gabriel Laforge and Operations Director Andrew Woodruff from Mechanist Games who showed off all the work that has gone into the game since the beta closed, from graphics to crafting to airships. They also highlighted the game's cash shop and revealed numerous rewards players can earn simply by playing the game.
City of Steam partners with publisher R2 Games
Although limited in duration, City of Steam's alpha and closed beta sessions last year have helped build a following for Mechanist Games' upcoming steampunk-flavored browser-based MMO. And now, thanks to a publishing partnership with Reality Squared Games, the industrial age fantasy game will have access to a wider audience. R2 Games already has other free-to-play titles in its portfolio, but City of Steam will be the first using the Unity 3D engine. R2 Games CEO Jared Psigoda stated, "I see a lot of potential in City of Steam. Mechanist Games' approach to making a game is something we're thrilled to be a part of. We want to make sure City of Steam gets the recognition it deserves for being the innovative game that it is." [Source: Reality Squared Games press release]
Broken Realm enters open beta
Congratulations to Broken Realm for going into beta! The first official beta server, Frost Highland, opened for business yesterday. Forget keys, this beta is open to all comers -- you can just sign up and start playing. There are oodles of beta activities going on, including welcome packs, XP happy hours, the ability to try out the VIP service for free, and a competition to become one of the top-ranking players on each server in order to unlock special rewards and titles.
