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Atlantica Online speeds up download with new Lite client
Atlantica Online just celebrated its first year in the US, but the free-to-play game apparently had another trick up its sleeve -- namely, allowing players interested in the game a chance to get in and start playing even faster. After all, it can be obnoxious to download a client and wait for it to patch through updates when you just want to dive in and get to playing. Ndoors Interactive has just launched the game's lite client, a way for a smaller initial download to let you start playing the game as fast as possible. The new client's trick is to only frontload the first twenty levels of play while downloading the rest via background processes. This allows new players to log in and start playing their character faster, but it can cause issues for existing players who might be at a higher level (and the press release specifically suggests avoiding the lite client if that's the case). For everyone who hasn't started the game, it's an interesting way to make the startup more accessible and significantly faster. Consider taking a look over the weekend, and possibly getting in on some of the one year celebration goodies Atlantica Online has to offer.
Ijji.com boasts over 9 million registered accounts
Ijji.com has hit a major milestone recently, revealing that their systems have tallied over 9 million accounts in their database. That's a pretty big number, and while they may not all be active accounts, it's still a very impressive amount of sign ups for anyone to have. This comes as good news to players of Rohan, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, Luminary, HolyBeast Online, and Atlantica Online, as ijji.com funnels players into all of those games. More people means more players, and more players ultimately means more of, well, everything. Ijji.com is still working on the upcoming MMOFPS, Huxley: The Dystopia, so those 9 million members will certainly come in handy in the future, as we'd all like more targets to shoot at for easy experience. Keep on signin' up, newbies! Fresh experience for all!
Atlantica Online adds a new mercenary to the mix along with optimization fixes
Hwarang. No, please, don't ask us how to pronounce it. We tried looking it up and not even Google wanted to tell us exactly how to say it. But, this new unpronounceable mercenary is the latest addition to Atlantica Online.Hwarangs are taken straight from the history books, like most of Atlantica's mercenaries, as they were an elite military unit from 10th century Silla (an ancient Korean kingdom.) In the game they will be represented as potent archers with a high offensive capability but low defense. Hwarang units also have the option of sacrificing themselves in battle to buff the rest of the mercenaries under your command.Hwarangs aren't the only thing coming with this patch, however, as the Atlantica team has made the difficult decision to increase the minimum system requirements in order to cut down on load times and increase client optimization. This move has been made in order to make sure the client can perform in areas with high population counts, as that has been a hang up of the game in the past. Only a small minority of users should be affected by this change, but it will be a wealth of benefits to all other users operating in high population areas.The full patch notes are available on Atlantica's website, if you wish to delve into the many changes and fixes.
Ijji.com users can now access Atlantica Online
Users of ijji.com will be happy to know that as of today their ijji accounts can now be used in tandem with Atlantica Online, letting them jump into the game without any new signups or or registration processes. Any current ijji.com member can simply jump on over to Ndoors and grab the game's client and sign in with their ijji.com account, no strings attached.Well, there are strings attached, actually. Good strings. This opening also marks the start of the "A New Recruit" event, which awards new players with bonus mercenaries in their party when starting out and item bonuses for every new mercenary they get.While we realize that this may not be a story of earth shattering importance, it is interesting to note that the publisher, Ndoors, is letting another website enter the game's servers without actually creating a brand new version of the game. This isn't a group of stand alone servers, meaning ijji.com users will be entering into the already vibrant North American Atlantica community. Not a bad way to add more people to your servers, if you ask us.
Atlantica developer journal explains dungeon options
Kim Tae Gon has written another developer journal for MMORPG.com about his game, Atlantica Online. This bi-weekly journal delves into Atlantica's many dungeon types and how they reach over and affect the social state of gameplay in groups.Where most games have only instances and raids, Atlantica offers many different types of dungeons. Some of their dungeons, the individual dungeons, are targeted towards one player where other dungeons, such as the nation dungeons, are targeted towards 500 players at once (50 players from 10 guilds). This makes Atlantica into a very expansive game that caters to almost all tastes and playstyles, and has the bonus side effect of bolstering the community to formulate plans with one another.Kim's full developer journal can be found at MMORPG.com, where he gets into the specifics of his goals in creating all of these types of dungeons and how to access them.
Atlantica Online's lead producer sits down with GameSource.it
Our friends across the pond at GameSource.it recently had the chance to sit down and chat with Kim Tae Gon, the lead producer on Atlantica Online, and ask him some questions about what made Atlantica so special in the MMO market.Kim gladly laid out his enthusiasm for the game's main selling point, the turn-based strategic combat system. Atlantica uses a turn-based system, rather than the standard real-time systems found in almost all MMOs, to let combat progress with the player making decisions with his character and other units, rather than simply their own character. The system's history is complex, being originally derived from Luminary: The Rise of the GoonZu, Tae Gon's previous title, and ideas presented in the Korean game Gersang. Out of both of these titles, and with a renewed emphasis on combat rather than strategic control of territories, came Atlantica's combat system.For the full interview, check out GameSource's website as they ask Tae Gon on his favorite mercenary in Atlantica, how the economic crisis has hit their company, and how Tae Gon and his team work to overcome the western market's stigma of free-to-play titles.
Atlantica Online: Now you can take Pocahontas to The Rock
No, our headline is not a typo. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have Pocahontas in your adventuring party or what it would be like to turn Alcatraz Prison into a dungeon, wonder no more! Atlantica Online's latest update has added both! Now you too can show the "Colors of the Wind" (aka elemental spells shot at your face) to the backwards prisoners of Alcatraz!Pocahontas and Alcatraz aren't the only significant additions in their latest update either. Atlantica also has two new player classes to try out -- the musician and the maniac. The musician is a guitar wielding spellcaster available to all players, able to hit two enemies in a row with a blast of their music. The second class, the Maniac, is more of a crazed, power saw wielding class that's only available to players who already have on class at level 100 or above. Creating a maniac will set you back down at level 1, but his power saw can attack all enemies in a single row on the battlefield, making this guy pretty powerful.This is just a small taste of the patch notes for this release. For all of the crazy details, head on over to Atlantica's site to check them out.[via IGN]
Consider the turn-based MMO with Atlantica Online
There are turn-based games, and then there are MMOs. The idea of mixing the two doesn't seem like the greatest of ideas, does it? Turn-based combat would take away from the high-action immersive fighting that we've become accustomed to through our favorite online games. This is most evident in the recent popularity of FPS-style MMOs. Yet, despite this, the RPG side of MMOs began with turn-based strategy.Over at MMORPG.com, Atlantica Online's Producer, Kim Tae Gon, explains the reasoning behind the decision to make this highly-popular game turn-based. Going back to the fundamentals of games like chess, Kim Tae Gon believes that this type of game mechanic is more approachable for a larger audience, especially considering the popularity of games like chess across the world. "With casual games and FPS games well established, it's time for something new, like turn-based games. I honestly hope Atlantica will be the starting point."
New Atlantica screenshots display more diverse units
Atlantica Online is currently in closed beta, but don't let that stop you from dreaming about the turn-based strategic action to be found in this great-looking title. NDOORS Interactive has sent us new screenshots that show more characters involved in combat, including the awesome Chinese monk type you see in the shot above.Check out all the new shots in our Gallery, and expect the First Impressions very soon!%Gallery-25535%[Thanks, Katrina!]
Silkroad Online gets their own international championship
If you're a player of Silkroad Online and have been attempting to dominate the old historic trade route in Asia, then you're going to be excited about the news that your domineering ways might finally pay off in the form of a championship and a trip to Korea. Silkroad Online has been chosen as an official game for this year's Game and Game World Championship.Silkroad Online will be joining Shot Online, Navy Field, and Atlantica this year as the best of the best in each game meet up and test their mettle. Players in the United States can first sign up for the online preliminary rounds, and if you pass you'll be invited to San Jose, California to compete in the regional qualifiers. Top two players will be invited to Seoul, Korea (hotel and airfare included) to compete against the other qualifiers from Germany, Singapore, South America, Japan, and Korea for a first prize of $5,000 in cash.All that is required for entry is simply an active account with Silkroad Online or any other game in the championship. If you're interested in garnering more information about the tournament, head on over to the main tournament website for all the juicy details.
New Atlantica trailer shows off turn-based battles
Between Concerto Gate and Atlantica, we may just have to start using a new acronym: MMOTBS or massively multiplayer turn-based strategy game. Don't get us wrong though, the thought of more turn-based MMOs makes us all tingly inside. In fact, we're very happy to see MMOs that dabble in the world of turn-based battles and it really is underutilized mechanic these days. Obviously because of our love for them you can count on us to report on anything related to these types of games, like this brand new trailer for Atlantica!We get to see lots of turns being taken in this trailer, which truly warms our heart. However, we also see plenty of epic battles being waged. It all looks so grandiose and dramatic. In fact, we're not really sure if we've seen a game trailer with that many quick-cuts in it before. It may not be as good cinematically as say, an Oxhorn Brand Melody, but it certainly could be a lot worse: It could be set to some overused movie theme.
MMORTS Saga registration keys on offer
Gamershell has been given 25,000 registration keys for the upcoming MMORTS Saga, continuing the trend started by FileFront earlier this year. If you're not quite ready to take on another beta, familiarize yourself with Saga by checking out the trailer and repeat to yourself "Giant war tortoise" until the launch hits.With currently two MMORTS titles on the horizon, which has you more interested, Saga or Atlantica? Can two such games exist in the possibly overcrowded MMO market, or is there room for only so much innovation in the realm of gameplay? All these questions and more soon to be answered in the approaching months!
Atlantica begins closed beta
Avast, mateys! Atlantica Online, the turn-based strategy MMO, has announced that its closed beta test begins on Friday the 18th, with registered FilePlanet users getting the goods three days earlier, on the 15th. Additionally, MMO sites MMOABC, MMOSITE, MMORPG and onRPG are giving away a limited number of account keys on a first-come, first-served basis.More information about this title and its beta program can be found at its home site. We have new screenshots to show in the Gallery below, and expect some exclusive content in the weeks to come!%Gallery-25535%
Atlantica continues to bring beauty
Turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica continues to bring us beautiful images, keeping us looking forward to its eventual beta sometime this month. While it's difficult these days to produce truly original aesthetics, there's no problem with the visuals coming out of NDOORS.Is the world ready for turn-based fantasy? Do you anticipate immersive gameplay despite the nature of segmented mechanics? One thing's for sure: when you're feeling the grind in Age of Conan or World of Warcraft, this title will provide a welcome respite. %Gallery-25535%[Thanks, Katrina!]
Atlantica updates with new gameplay video
While we've talked about the upcoming turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica before, we haven't been able to see what actual gameplay looks like until now. The good folks at NDOORS have provided a 30-second gameplay trailer, and it looks right in line with what you'd hope for in a title like this.We'll bring you as much coverage as possible as the game nears its closed beta in July, and we'll be on the front lines at launch. Just pray that we'll have enough mana to cast that final First Impressions spell, or the human race is doomed! Check out the Gallery for screens of the game, and the gameplay video after the jump.%Gallery-25535%Thanks, Katrina!
Turn-based strategy MMO Atlantica to enter closed beta in July
A new MMORPG by the name of Atlantica Online is set to enter its closed beta phase this July. The game will reportedly employ a turn-based strategy combat system, and developer Ndoors Interactive hopes that this will help it to stand out from other MMOs. Players are able to form groups of up to 3 people and wage war across ancient lands. There will be a heavy focus on long term planning and strategy, with players having to manage both cities and countries, keeping factors like industry, commerce, and culture in mind.Visiting Atlantica's official website, we found a handful of screenshots, a teaser video (with no gameplay unfortunately) and a simple form to enter just an email address to register for the closed beta. Turn-based strategy games tend to divide gamers, but fans of the genre could really get into such a title taken to the level of complexity that MMOs can offer -- if done well. We'll report back when we find out more.[Via Worlds in Motion]
Atlantica to offer interesting turn-based play
From the makers of Luminary: Rise of the Goonzu comes a new MMO with some distinctly interesting features. Atlantica is a turn-based game that lets you command a large roster of mercenaries, up to a total of 27 in all. These mercenaries can be gotten as infants (legally, we hope), and actually age as the game progresses. When they get older, their stats decrease, so you'll need to keep bringing in new blood to keep your team strong. You can even marry mercenaries and raise their children to fight for you.PvP gets an interesting take as well -- guilds can control cities, which provide them with a power base with which to attack other guilds, but these cities need to be managed well. Doing so provides rare items and more mercenaries. The game will go into closed beta in July, but until then, check out the trailer above and the screenshots below!%Gallery-25535%[Thanks, Katrina!]
