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Dragonica's New Origin expansion launches today
Today's a big day for Dragonica fans, as the two-year-old title is gearing up to launch its New Origin - Rise of the Drakan expansion this afternoon. A new press release from Gala Networks Europe tells us that the patch is the biggest in the game's history and includes a new race, new dungeons, new mounts, a fellowship party system, and a level cap increase. As the title suggests, the new race is the Drakan, and it's unlocked once players reach level 20. There are two new Drakan classes, the Amazonian and the Shaman, and both of them are playable to the new level cap (80). Once you've obtained your spiffy new Drakan warrior and explored the new Drakan town of Kareuza, you'll probably want to partake of the game's new dungeon system. Parties are now able to brave the depths of Dragonica's dungeons with eight players (up from the previous four), and the expansion introduces a couple of new instances in the form of the Akia Cave and Black Claw Nest. More info is available on the game's official website. [Source: Gala Networks Europe press release]
Dragonica New Origin expansion coming September 20th
Dragonica is getting a new expansion, and the latest gPotato press release calls it the game's largest content update yet. September 20th is the big day, and the appropriately titled New Origin patch will feature new classes, new riding pets, a level cap increase (to 80), and new video resolution options. New dungeons are coming too, in the form of level 45 and 75 instances. Some of the old world maps have been redrawn as well, and gPotato says the redesign "[gives] the game a new and improved feel." The new classes take the form of the Shaman and the Amazonian, and there's also a new, as-yet unnamed race in the works. Finally, we've gotten our claws on the New Origin teaser trailer, and if you're in the mood for some CG, cute mounts, and fire-breathing dragons, you'll find all of that and more after the cut. [Source: gPotato press release]
Dragonica expansion bringing new race, class, and mountable pets
There's a new Dragonica expansion in the works, and gPotato and Gala Networks Europe have issued a new press release outlining a few details from the upcoming New Origin patch. The expansion launches this September, and looks to be the largest content update in Dragonica's history. What's the big deal? For starters, the patch will bring about a new playable race and mountable pets. Strangely, today's press release doesn't mention the new race by name, and instead says that it will "arrive with an entirely new player class" that uses summoning magic in some form, and "differ[s] significantly from [the] classes currently available." As for the new mount system, gPotato says that players may use their existing pets and may also deploy the mounts during battle. The expansion will include new pets as well, and we'll bring you more on all the New Origin content in the near future.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dragonica
I was so glad to get back to normal this week, logging into a new (well, newish) game to enjoy and to write about. Dragonica, from what I remember, had been shut down some time ago. Somehow, magically, the announcement of its return slipped past my eyes, but here it is. It seems gPotato EU is going to be publishing it, considering that that's where I found it. I know, I know -- I work at Massively.com, the worlds' coolest and most reliable source for all things MMO, so how did this news get past me? I have no idea. Still, I was glad to see it sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be played. I never gave it much of a chance before, mainly because side-scroller combat games were normally good for just a weekend jaunt or two. I hate repetition, generally, and sometimes the combat in these kinds of games can be boring at best. I was pretty surprised, though, once I gave the game a chance and learned some of my moves. It grew on me really, really fast. Also, it ran like a dream and was adorable to the point of nosebleed, which always helps. Still, there's more. Click past the cut and find out!
MV Guide: February 28th - March 7th
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. This week's edition of MV Guide is a little on the light side thanks to GDC, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality! Beau and Karen are checking out the brand-new expansions in their games of choice, Larry's taking on Aphrodite in DCUO, and Karen will be making an encore Livestream performance to show off the game on everyone's mind this week: RIFT. Follow along after the jump for this week's MV Guide!
MV Guide: February 21 - 28, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. If you missed a live event last week, don't forget that we have video on demand -- just check the list of "latest videos" on our Livestream page! Rubi and Massively's Guild Wars guild began the Nightfall campaign, Larry treated us to some DCUO endgame, and Jeremy joined our lineup for some Runes of Magic livestreaming! All that and more is available on demand, but for now, follow along to see what's on MV TV this week!
Dragonica: Awakening of the Ice Dragon releases tomorrow
Fire and ice may cancel each other out in the grand wheel of elements, but sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief when frosty dragons come to visit. As of tomorrow, Dragonica will play host to such flights of fancy when Gala Networks Europe releases its next expansion, Awakening of the Ice Dragon. First up on the expansion menu is a completely new continent to explore. The frozen vista of Pagosia is geared to high-level adventurers, with plenty of hero and daily quests to keep the populace busy. Speaking of high levels, the level cap's been bumped up to 75, giving players a loftier goal to attain. Plenty of mid-level options are available for snacking as well. A trio of new dungeons -- the Citadel of Torment, Wolves Den and Underground Graveyard -- will span levels 15-40 and offer up a host of unique challenges with yummy rewards. Awakening of the Ice Dragon will grow the game in a number of other ways, such as allowing players to operate their own market stall, guild vendors selling exclusive consumables, and a permanent discount on warp tower costs. For a free-to-play title, Dragonica's latest expansion sounds like a great value for one's money and fun. %Gallery-64948%
THQ*ICE closes doors, suspends operation of Dragonica Online
Players of Dragonica Online have been left high and dry since August 31st, when publisher THQ*ICE closed its doors. This state of affairs might change soon, as the game is being transferred to another publisher. WarpPortal is taking over the game, and in an effort to make it an easy transition for players, all account information is being transferred to the new publisher. Dragonica, the EU version of the game, is unaffected. If you missed out on this transfer, the new publisher has a Q&A on the forums, and a date for relaunch should come soon. We'll keep an eye out for Dragonica Online's reintroduction!
MMOs campaign for a Golden Joystick
After a busy month of shortlist voting, the 2010 People's Gaming Awards -- otherwise known as the Golden Joystick Awards -- has finalized the ballot and opened the polls to the gaming public. These awards are trumpeted as "by the players, for the players," with hundreds of titles whittled down into a shortlist of finalists. While many single-player console and PC titles are represented across the 16 categories, several MMOs have waded into the fray looking for your vote (ironically, few of them can be played with a joystick). Star Wars: The Old Republic is nominated for the "One to Watch" award, Jagex and Codemasters have a shot at "UK Developer of the Year," and 2029 Online, Aion, Allods, Champions Online, Dragonica, Fallen Earth, Global Agenda, Star Trek Online and Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood are some of the MMOs vying for "Online Game of the Year." As for the "Ultimate Game of the Year" award, only one MMO made the cut: Aion. You can cast your votes in the 28th Golden Joystick Awards from now through October 25, and watch the results on October 29. With over 1.2 million votes cast last year and current voting in the six digits, this year's Golden Joystick Awards look to be one of the most popular award ceremonies for 2010.
Paris Strikes Back: Dragonica's biggest patch yet?
"French walkers spotted on the ridge!" Okay, maybe it's not exactly like that other "strikes back" feature, but EU's Dragonica is certainly setting the stage for the biggest patch invasion ever with "Paris Strikes Back." The oddly-named patch has a little something for everyone in Dragonica. Let's start with a whopping eight new classes (AKA "jobs") that will offer 10 additional levels of content: Dragoon, Berserker, Sentinel, Bombardier, Joker, Shadow Walker, Cleric and Chaosmage. These classes were named by the community, and can be selected once a player hits level 60 and completes a quest chain. Dungeon runners will be pleased to know that the Van Cliff and Drakos dungeons are getting a nice tune-up, including the choice of three levels of difficulty: normal, rare and hero. Boss mobs are going to be added to the map, to make navigating the instance easier. Finally, all players stand to benefit from an improved leveling experience with streamlined quests, more XP per kill and a new rest system. Paris Strikes Back is set to stomp into Dragonica sometime during June 2010. Note that this is the European version of the game, not the NA client.
Time running out on Dragonica Online promotion
Last month, we announced that Dragonica Online was so confident that they had a quality free-to-play product that they decided to put the myth to the test. It takes a certain amount of guts to say that not only is your game the best, but that you'll give customers cash towards their game of choice if they don't think so. Fortunately for players of free-to-play side-scrolling MMOs, publisher THQ*ICE did just that. Since February 23rd, the promotion has resulted in thousands of eager new players taking up the challenge. Over 95% of the players involved in the challenge have named Dragonica Online the winner in the showdown, giving THQ*ICE more than a little bragging rights. Still, all good things must come to an end, and the chance to earn a share of the $50,000 prize runs out on March 31st. All you need to do to get in on the action is to head over to the official Dragonica site, register a new account, and tear up some mobs with some friends. Once you've hit level 19 and banked a few friend points, if you think that whatever side-scrolling MMO you played before Dragonica was more fun, THQ*ICE will hook you up with a $5 Ultimate Game Card that you can use for numerous free-to-play titles. If you liked what you saw during your time playing Dragonica, they will give you $5 towards Dragonica's online store plus a free in-game gift pack. If you've never had the chance to experience Dragonica Online but were always interested, now is the time to check it out. With only 6 days left, time is running out fast to get in on the deal. %Gallery-63222%
The Drakos Tower returns to Dragonica with all new challenges
Dragonica -- the EU version of the game -- is gearing up to add the darkly sinister Drakos Tower back in to the game. Word is that the entire area has been completely redesigned from the previous incarnation, when only the first three floors were available. Now, players will have access to 20 floors of horrible, adorable monsters, great for Level 53-70 players. Of course, if you haven't made it that far in the game, don't worry! The team at gPotato (EU) have also started a "massive EXP event" until the update launches on the 4th, just perfect for players looking to level up. Those brave inhabitants of Dragotaka who decide to take on the challenge will find themselves facing off against a half-robot, half-human creature; a spider crab; and a winged demon; all hell-bent on your destruction. Players will also learn more about the sinister secret lore of Dragonica as they quest through the revamped area. With that said, if you're not quite to that level yet, the update will additionally introduce the brand new crafting system -- ensuring a little something for everyone. So, be sure to get those Dragonica patchers ready, and jump in to enjoy some bonus experience while you wait for the update on Thursday. Spooky surprises await!
Dragonica launches new low-level dungeon
European Dragonica fans will soon find a little more to do in the early stages of the game. On February 4th, Dragonica will launch the Temple of Water. The dungeon will be open and accessible to all players, but geared specifically toward those in the level 26-30 range. The Temple of Water is a name well known to the residents of Port of the Winds, but disturbing changes are being made recently. The once friendly water spirit Endairon has cut off communication, and strange water creatures have been seen near the Temple. Lord Steven is concerned, and asks that you look into the matter. If you're a higher level player looking for a challenge, sit tight. A few weeks after the Temple of Water opens, Dragonica will be reopening the Drakos Dungeon, an area designed for players level 58-65. Either way, you'll want to make sure you explore both areas -- you may find some surprising connections between the two. Good luck!
Dragonica announces details of new expansion
Fans of the free-to-play MMO Dragonica are anticipating Tales of the Damned, the expansion due to be released later this month. Dragonica offered up a sneak peek yesterday in the form of screenshots and plenty of information on the expansion.Tales of the Damned offers a new area, the Van Cliff dungeon, to bring new challenges to level 60+ players. It builds on familiar content, continuing a story told in the August update, and features three elite bosses that lead up to an even more formidable end boss, the giant Bone Dragon. Dragonica isn't stopping at one new area with this expansion either. They'll also add a new tournament system for guilds, a level cap increase, new mission scoring, and an eagerly awaited pet system. More new content will be released a few weeks after Tales of the Damned, in the form of Drakos' Tower. This new area will also build on a familiar story, one from the game's introduction. Drakos' Tower brings mazes and puzzles for players to solve, as well as three new bosses and new armor sets.As with the original game, the new content is free, and will be introduced via a patch this month.
Pets coming to Dragonica as part of Tales of the Damned
If you're a fan of cute, action-packed free-to-play side-scrolling MMOs, then Dragonica is a solid choice. Of course, you then smack headlong into the question of which particular variant you're going to play. The United States has Dragonica Online operated by THQ*ICE, and Europe has Dragonica which is operated by Gala Networks. There's also several other variants maintained by other companies running under that exact same title to further confuse matters. Just to clarify: we're talking today about Gala Networks gPotato European variant of Dragonica. The interesting news (now that all that localization stuff is out of the way) is that pets are coming as part of the upcoming Tales of the Damned expansion. Starting as wee eggs that players will get, each of the three new pets will hatch out and develop over time. At first they'll simply be "fashionable companions" that will add some stat bonuses to players' characteristics. Later, pets will have the ability to have passive skills (no word on what skills yet), fighting against monsters, and eventually being able to be used as mounts! The current three pets that will be offered initially will be Husky the dog, Felix the cat and Griffon the bird, all pictured above. In addition to these pets, players will also be getting controller support, a new Emporia Tournament system for guilds, new maps, dungeons, bosses, and the level cap will be raised to 65. Sounds like it's a good time to be a gPotato Dragonica player to us.
gPotato to unveil new project at GamesCom
The gPotato games portal, hosted by Gala Networks Europe in Dublin, Ireland, will be on hand in force for the upcoming GamesCom convention in Cologne where they will announce and unveil a new MMO project for the portal.The new project, which will be demoed at the convention, comes with a tentative release date of early 2010. The genre or nature of the new project has not been released either, so it's anybody's guess as to what the new title will be.gPotato currently hosts some of the more popular free-to-play MMOs, including Dragonica, Rappelz, Flyff, and Allods Online. Those four games will be on hand at the convention as well for demonstration, so it's sure to be a game filled good time over at the gPotato booth!
Dragonica enters open beta in Europe
The free-to-play game Dragonica has entered open beta in Europe as of June 10th. Dragonica is a 3D side-scrolling MMO developed by Barunson Interactive and operated by gPotato (Gala Networks Europe Ltd.). The title is currently offered in English, French, and German languages and has very low system requirements, so it should run well on older hardware or even on netbooks from what Gala Networks Europe states.Just for additional clarification, this open beta is for the EU's Dragonica operated by gPotato, not to be confused with the North American version of the game titled Dragonica Online, which we previewed at E3 2009.
E3 2009: Dragonica Online impressions
Continuing the somewhat recurring theme at E3 2009 of "what was old is new again," Dragonica Online has taken the traditional 2D side-scroller format and transitioned it to 3D. The resulting environment will be friendly to any of the Night Elves you see endlessly bouncing around World of Warcraft and fans of nostalgic action RPGs like Secret of Mana.The game sports fast and furious real-time combat, crafting, guilds, dungeon raids, PvP, and a light-hearted atmosphere. It didn't take us long to realize that Dragonica doesn't take itself too seriously. For example, in the demo, we saw an archer battling shark pirates who were wielding swordfish. We're obviously not in Middle Earth here.
Dragonica's closed beta test isn't closed anymore
Europe's cute side-scrolling MMO isn't hiding behind a closed beta test anymore! Now the entire Dragonica fanbase can jump into the game with no beta key required as the game moves into stress testing until May 22nd, the original scheduled end of the beta test.To go along with the influx of community members, the game's GMs have announced that they will be hosting PvP rooms on the 19th and the 20th so they can "meet" more members of the community. Why shake hands when a lightning bolt would do instead, right?All that's now required for the Dragonica beta test is simply an account with gPotato, the overseeing game portal that is hosting Dragonica. Once you've acquired one of those, you can hop in to download the game without any difficult barriers blocking your way.Dragonica's official release is still planned for June 2009, and it looks like they're certainly going to meet their deadline with this quick shift into the next phase of beta.
