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Massively's Valentine's Day roundup
When a mob hits your eye with a big sharpened spike... that's not really amore! In fact, it's downright painful. But it's February -- a time when love is in the air, hearts are aflutter everywhere, and pink and red festoon your favorite MMOs. So in the spirit of the season, go ahead and give that mob an extra-hard love tap, right from... er, to the heart! And don't forget to collect whatever treasures it had for you because we all know Valentine's Day isn't all about the love; no, it's about the loot! Want to know where to get your hands on something special for this holiday? There are plenty of celebrations throughout the MMOverse offering a plethora of events and goodies. Check out some of the various Valentine's events and specials going on now.
Rise and Shiny: Anno Online
At first, Anno Online reminded me of The Settlers Online, a similar title that was brought to us by Ubisoft, the same publisher. Both games look good and mostly avoid hardcore combat, and both move slowly and concentrate on proper building placement and trade. I have to admit that I grew tired of The Settlers Online because it was hard to keep up with influence from local bandits and the constant destruction of the environment. In Anno Online I don't have to worry about trees or mines or running out of goods, and there are no enemies. The pace of play is slow for sure, but I enjoy it. I can keep the game running all day in my browser with no performance hit and I can even play it on my Samsung Chromebook. It's a game of slow growth and trade, and it's more of a pseudo-MMO that allows players to connect with friends loosely. Still, it's wonderful to look at and it's a quality game. But let's get to the details.
Rise and Shiny: DragonRealms
As a part of MUD May, I just had to play at least one MUD for Rise and Shiny. I have a handful of favorite MUDs, like GemStone IV, BatMUD, and Achaea, but I have never really given DragonRealms a chance. Until now. I've poked into it here and there, but every time I found myself on the Simutronics website, I always logged into GemStone IV. I heard that DragonRealms was a lot different, more hardcore, and filled with PvP, and after spending an initial week with the game and the killer community, I can say that it is different, but mainly in a few outstanding ways. Of course I might find much more that sets the game apart if I played it for several years like some of the people I met in game, but for now I'll settle with telling you what I've learned so far. The usual embedded video in this article serves two purposes. First, it's an interview piece I did with Eric Latham, Producer at Simutronics. Next, it's a glance at DragonRealms, from character creation to a bit of gameplay. It's not as in-depth as my other videos, but it keeps in the greater theme of MUD May.
Anno Online sails into open beta
Ubisoft's Anno Online has opened the city gates for an open beta, granting all access to the free-to-play city building strategy game. Interested lords and ladies should set course to anno-online.com for access. New players logging in during the first week of the open beta will receive a "premium ship." Players who participated in the closed beta will receive several rewards. The greatest gift? Their data won't be wiped per the standard beta transition, so they can continue on. Based on Anno 1404 (previously known as Dawn of Discovery in the States), Anno Online has players build and develop a medieval city, support the population and develop trade routes. Anno Online will also add a guild system sometime this month for players to cooperate with friends.
Anno Online goes into closed beta
City-builders rejoice, for Anno Online has gone into closed beta for its English version. The title is an MMO sequel to the Anno 1404 single-player strategy game and will be playable entirely within your browser. The goal is to build up medieval cities over time, establish trade routes, and expand one's empire over multiple islands. As the beta testing progresses, Ubisoft has plans to implement a guild system next month. Each guild can hold up to 25 people and construct guild halls for gatherings. You can check out the trailer for Anno Online after the jump! [Source: Ubisoft press release]
The Daily Grind: Is Ubisoft cashing in with Silent Hunter and Anno Online?
Last week's Gamescom saw publishing giant Ubisoft dip its toe into the free-to-play browser game market. It did so with a pair of titles based on ancient, beloved franchises. First up was Silent Hunter Online, a riff on the submarine sim that's been playable on your PC since 1996. Ubisoft followed that up with Anno Online, a simplified version of the long-running Anno real-time strategy series that debuted in 1998 (if you've never heard of Anno, you might be an American who played it under the Dawn of Discovery moniker). A cynic might say that Ubisoft is looking to milk the nostalgia factor by taking a couple of complex titles and turning them into accessible MMO-lite affairs. An optimist might say that this is the logical next step if franchises are to remain relevant in the age of casual gaming. What do you think? Is Ubisoft cashing in, or will Silent Hunter Online and Anno Online be worthy of their names? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
