castle-siege
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Black Desert readies sieges for January 17th
Ready to lay siege to your enemies and take control of whatever strikes your fancy (as long as it's a castle) in Black Desert? The developers are getting ready to let players do just that. Sieges will be enabled on a single server on January 17th for a live test, and as long as nothing breaks horrendously, all servers will have the mechanics enabled on January 24th. Each guild will be able to build two towers and one command center as part of the lead-in to the warfare; the last guild standing after a siege will take control of the castle and be the defenders during the next assault. Still no word has been offered on an exact date for a North American release, for those of you watching this with hungry eyes. You'll have to find out how the siege tests go from the sidelines.
Black Desert's sieges are purposeful chaos
Believe it or not, Black Desert's appeal doesn't begin and end at darn fine looks; the Korean MMO has a wealth of other features as well. Two of those features are the subject of a new trailer today, half of which shows off the mighty field boss fights and the other half showing the chaos of castle sieges. We've got a five-minute look at both of these features in a gameplay trailer after the break! Our favorite part is the musician who is merrily wandering around the field of combat belting out sweet tunes, oblivious to the carnage all around.
Dragon Sword trailer focuses on action combat
Dragon Sword, a new title by the Chinese company NetEase, has put out a new trailer highlighting its action combat technology. Slated for release some time this year, the game is built around an in-house engine, Next-B, that's being touted as one of the most advanced 3-D engines yet. The game features non-target combat action, open PvP, castle sieges, and large-scale fights against huge boss monsters. Skip below the cut to check out the combat technology video.
DK Online begins closed beta testing
If you were just thinking that it's been too long since you last got your hands on a new Aeria Games title, you're in luck! DK Online enters closed beta today. Players in DK Online take on the role of Dragon Knights to fight off the terror of the ancient dragon Kharvag. When they're not busy duking it out with an ancient menace, players can hone their skills by beating each other senseless in one of the game's PvP modes. With the launch of closed beta, a new PvP mode has been opened up: Castle Siege is a contest between several guilds, with total domination as the ultimate goal. Skip below the cut for a video preview of Castle Siege. Aeria Games is promising an "avalanche of special events" during closed beta. The game can be downloaded from the official site. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Dragon Knights launches website, introduces the Sorceress
Aeria Games' latest contender in the MMO ring now has a few more details to flesh it out. Dragon Knights (also known as DK Online) launched its official website and released a spotlight on the game's first class, the Sorceress. The website is packed full of information about this quirky title, including guides, details on the game's unique morphing system, and descriptions of how Dragon Knight's castle siege system will play out. Players can sign up for the upcoming closed beta on the site as well. The Sorceress is strong in the ways of elemental magic and wields both fire and ice spells to great effect against foes. You can get a glimpse of this class in a new video after the jump! [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Aeria Games announces Dragon Knights
Dragons. Knights. Why hasn't anyone ever thought of putting these two together before? Well, leave it to Aeria Games to create a bold blend of action fantasy and PvP conflict. The publisher has done just this with the announcement of the latest member of its roster, the upcoming Dragon Knights. Dragon Knights is a free-to-play, PvP-centric title that challenges players to save the world by filling out the roster of the titular order. Castle sieges will be one of the centerpieces of the game, with guilds fighting guilds to take and retain these fortresses for their bonuses. Aeria Games says that Dragon Knights will also feature an elaborate political system and the option to transform into combat-ready enemy creatures. The title is currently accepting beta signups, and you can watch the trailer after the jump! [Source: Aeria Games press release]
ArcheAge explores the possibilities of an open world in a new video
Who would have thought that something as mundane as tractors could get us so excited? And yet ArcheAge does exactly that, as a new video from the closed beta shows off the latest model of drivable tractors, useful in both field irrigation and cargo hauling. Players are shown spraying down fields with a forward-facing nozzle, resulting in the quick growth of plants. In addition to the zen and art of tractor pulling, this video briefly highlights several other aspects of this gorgeous game. It illuminates the creation and use of a trebuchet in castle sieges, underwater exploration, housing decorations, and painstakingly animated dragon-lion mounts. While the video may not be in English, it's still a drop of cool water in the mouths of fans thirsty for this upcoming MMO. You can check out all of the lush goodness after the break. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge fan translates interview, analyzes new video to reveal siege details
A fan translation of a Korean dev interview is our latest clue as to what ArcheAge siege PvP will look like. A thread on the ArcheAge Source forums analyzes the new CBT4 teaser video that XLGAMES released last week and concludes that the free-for-all nature of the game's third continent will lead to a lot of PvP action. As of now, there appears to be no real consequence or penalty for either death or inflicting death on other players, though there is an interesting mechanic relating to building or sieging castles. The construction process requires a "core" element called akium, and there's also a limited number of areas where this core may be used to control land (and subsequently build structures). The core element is carried by players and is dropped when they are either killed or log off, which may result in some fairly intense struggles for control of ArcheAge's PvP continent. It's worth noting that two of the game's three continents will still feature housing and PvE, but if you're looking to PvP or contribute to a castle, you'll need to brave the FFA continent and coordinate with your buddies to control the akium long enough to stake your claim.
ArcheAge videos show off PvP
Following ArcheAge here in the West often involves copious use of Google Translate as well as wading through tons of difficult-to-decipher web postings. Fortunately, the player community likes to post gameplay videos from the sandpark title's various Korean closed betas, and today we've stumbled across a couple of noteworthy clips that aren't subject to the whims of online translation. Both clips center around PvP, and though ArcheAge will feature world PvP in certain areas, the game also boasts battlegrounds for those who prefer less randomness. The first video features a Mage/Bard/Archer player in a skirmish against an invading pirate guild. The second clip takes place inside a battleground and features the same class combo again. There's quite a bit more footage on this one, though, and the 13-minute running time gives us a pretty good look at what it's like to siege a castle. You'll find both videos after the cut.
Prius Online launches with a spiffy Alienware giveaway
It's a really good day for fans of Prius Online. First up, gPotato has officially launched the title worldwide with no regional restrictions whatsoever. On top of that, Prius has beefed up with a major day one patch that includes an increased level cap to 60, new skills, a pair of additional zones, five virgin dungeons, and castle siege warfare, where guilds can engage in PvP skirmishes to take over one of three castles that will bestow special benefits for the victors. The last reason why this is such a stellar day is that to celebrate the launch, gPotato got together with Alienware to host an awesome giveaway for the game. Starting today, players can loot special Alienware tokens from mobs, and after two weeks, the person who's accumulated the biggest collection will win a souped up Alienware MX11 laptop! All players will enjoy double XP and drop rates during "peak gaming hours" and other random giveaways, such as the chance to win an HD video camera, during this period. We've also added five new screenshots to our Prius Online gallery, so check 'em out! %Gallery-122493%
Siege in an all-new way with the Heroes of Gaia: Ascension expansion
Snail Games has officially announced the fourth expansion for its strategy game Heroes of Gaia. Ascension allows players to rise to five new levels of fame, access new cooperative instances, hire temporary mercenaries for castle sieges, and adopt three new command styles for castle development. However, HoG is not done expanding. As Snail Games USA Director of Operations Mark Hill explains in a resent press release, "This is only the first of two major expansions we have planned for Heroes of Gaia. We have an extremely dedicated group of players on HoG, and we are proud to offer them these new and exciting ways to experience the game." Let's get real: Who hasn't wanted to own a castle? Now you can, and with the new Ascension expansion, the developers have redesigned the tutorial and an adjusted novice gift pack, which will allow a new player to gain the skills and equipment he needs to compete with more veteran players. Check out all the latest on this and future expansions for Heroes of Gaia on the official website... and have fun storming the castle!
Double-plus good: Luna Online expansion heading to test servers December 24th
And now for a public service announcement from your friends at Massively. Are you suffering from a severe cute deficiency in your MMO diet? Then you may want to consider Luna Online, which has 400% of the recommended daily allowance of big eyes, oversized heads and giggly animals. To make your Luna Online life even better, gPotato has announced that the new expansion for the game, Luna Plus, is hitting the public test servers from December 24th through January 7th. Testers will be able to preview all of the new content and zones, including a 30-level increase (to the new level 150 cap), an additional race, a castle siege and seven previously unexplored areas. If that's not enough, Luna Plus will feature eight-person mounts, such as a giant snail. We just hope you and your party don't want to get anywhere in a pressing hurry. Luna Online players have a lot to look forward to with this first expansion, especially with the ability to get their hands on it even earlier. For more information, ask your local librarian or head over to Luna Online. The more you know -- and knowing is half the battle.
Looking back at six years of Lineage II
Released in South Korea in 2003 and North America a year later, Lineage II came out as an old-school hardcore grind just as MMOs like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft and Guild Wars arrived on the scene and signaled a decisive shift toward more user-friendly, casual-accessible gameplay. Even so, Lineage II charged ahead to capture an impressive amount of players -- a reported 610,000 gamers were playing the title three years after launch -- and the game both endured and grew as time progressed. A six-year anniversary doesn't have quite the gravitas as a five- or ten-year one, yet it's still an accomplishment that many of Lineage II's contemporaries failed to achieve before closing their doors. Travel with us then as we step back in time to an era when MMOs were the equivalent of a dangerous playground, with players leaping about despite rusty swings, harsh death penalties and a never-ending monkey bar grind. Join us as we examine Lineage II's history and seek to understand the secrets of this game's popularity, and what it still has to offer for the contemporary gamer.
Massively's Massive Giveaways - Lineage 2 redux
Lineage II, as mentioned before, has much to recommend it if you're fond of PvP MMO content. One of the things that we thought was pretty cool about Lineage II is the updated version of castle sieges -- and the maneuvering involved in keeping a castle -- brought in from the original Lineage game. Here's a bit more on that from the L2 site: Numerous privileges are given to the clans who occupy the castle. They impose a tax on the shops around the castle, expand the facilities within the castle, manufacture various items, and offer the Castle Lord a Wyvern to conquer the sky. There are various systems in which the castle-owning clans operate and maintain many public facilities used by other players to make a profit. In this structure, the players and the clan who occupy the castle get win-win results through systems like the manor system. Even the clan that is strongest in force cannot maintain political power without support from other players.For our second and final Lineage II giveaway of the day, we're offering up a copy of Lineage II, as well as 2 60 day L2 time cards. This gives both new players and experienced players alike the chance to get involved in some good old-fashioned castle warfare in the lands of L2. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment between now and 8:15 PM Eastern tomorrow (11/15) and be 18+, a U.S. resident, and eligible under the other official rules. For the chance to get some serious PvP on -- or possibly ride a wyvern -- we think a comment is a good trade!
Lineage II free expansion, The Chaotic Throne: The Kamael, and new gender-bending service
A new official website has launched to show off the features of upcoming Lineage II expansion, The Chaotic Throne: The Kamael. It is to be a free major content update, featuring the titular Kamael, a soldier race with a single angel wing. Let's hope they aren't trying to fly anywhere with half a wingspan and heavy armor. They will have a new class tree, with a few of the final class choices being available exclusively to one gender. Males get the melee-centric Berserker class, and females can be the ranged-attacking Abalester. On the subject of gender, the expansion will also see a few new services introduced to Lineage II. Two of them are fairly mundane, but useful, a character transfer service and name change service. However, the third ought to raise a few eyebrows (and has already been commented on at Warcry's Razorwire), as players can organise to change their avatar's sex. Razorwire speculates that this may be to do with a ban in China of cross-gender MMO play, but this was only in one game, King of the World, and they confusingly only prohibited men from playing female characters -- women can still play whatever they want, provided they prove their gender by webcam. Riiiight. Moving on.The Kamael also contains some new areas to explore. Isle of Souls is a low level zone for the Kamaels to start in, and there will be new high level and raid content elsewhere. Additionally, Fortress Battles will be introduced to allow sieging to happen at any time, instead of needing to wait for a castle siege to occur. Follow the link below to check out the preview site for yourself.
