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Lost Pages of Taborea: Trouble with PvP
Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and fun break. For my first article of 2011, I want to talk more about PvP. I've spoken about PvP before, but I want to look specifically at player-killer protection and the ability to instantly change PK status. There was also the slight change to a short-term criminal or hero status since Runes of Magic started. A lot of time has passed since Runewaker made the changes, but I still remember them. Long gone are the days of a forced 10-minute cooldown on PK status and no protection bubble. I'm not a huge PvPer myself, but I wanted to explain a little more about the changes and the way I felt about the system then vs. now. I think it would also be relevant to bring up how the overall system works -- or claims to work. If you're interested in what PvP was like in the early days of RoM and would like to voice your opinion on it, click past the break.
One Shots: The road ahead
I can't speak for you, but one of my favorite things to do in MMOs is to explore all the interesting things that lie on the road ahead. There have been many occasions when I've seen something interesting in the distance, and will challenge myself to reach that distant location if just to see what's there. Today, we have a screenshot from a fellow explorer, Terenth, who loves to stop and look around while spending time exploring in Runes of Magic. He writes in to tell us more about what's going on in this image: "Runes of Magic is absolutely chock-full of amazing vistas if you just stop and look around. This was taken in Dust Devil Canyon near the bridge." One Shots relies on interesting images sent in by readers like you! If you'd like to share what you've been up to in your favorite MMO of late, then snag a screenshot and send it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Please include your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing, so we can credit you properly! Your screenshot could be the next one chosen for One Shots. %Gallery-85937%
Lost Pages of Taborea: A peek behind the fountain rune
Runes of Magic's fountain rune is one of many slottable runes that fall outside the standard attribute boosters. Its job is simple: It increases the rate at which you regenerate mana points. It doesn't fill up one of the six statistic slots that are burned onto an item. It gets plugged into one of up to four slots that are found randomly or drilled on accessories. It's also a great eater of time and resources to tier it in the arcane transmutor. I've been testing a tier 4 fountain rune on two of my characters that are different levels in order to see the difference in output. If you look on the Runes of Magic Database, you'll see it says a fountain 4 adds +22 MP recovery rate. Those who use the addon StatRating will see the same figure. Now I know that the numbers that equipment and runes show are not indicative of what you actually get. I also know that StatRating is there to tell you the actual numbers you get for any stat, but 22 for a tier 4 rune sounded like a lot. It doesn't really tell you how that number is applied, but I think of mana regen in terms of ticks. If a tier 4 fountain gave +22 mana per tick, and we can upgrade it to tier 10, and we can stack different tiers on five different accessories... there's just no way that number can mean that, can it? This week I found my own answers to what the fountain rune gives you. I also share some thoughts on using -- or not using -- the fountain rune.
One Shots: Bad Santa
While Santa is a familiar and welcome sight to many, not every Santa you meet is out to spread joy and give out presents to good boys and girls. Take, for example, this evil Santa who shows up in Runes of Magic -- he's more bent on beatdowns than merrymaking. So, hey -- if you've had about enough of ho-ho-holiday stuff, then you can head for this MMO and hunt down some bad Santas for yourself! Darkorchid writes in to explain: "The best part about the Snowflake Festival in Runes of Magic is that you get to kill Santa! He's pretty easy, too. Must be due to all of those cookies and glasses of milk." There are only a handful of days left to send in your holiday shots. So if you'd like to share a festive image, send it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
Mythos starts closed beta just in time for the new year
It's almost time to grab those Gadgeteers, prep the Pyromancers, and brace the Bloodletters as the carnage in Mythos' closed beta will soon begin! The word from Frogster is that the game is entering an early stress test and that gamers who sign up for the beta between now and December 26th will get a chance to land in the first round of testing. That said, that first intrepid group will face many bugs, hardships, and yes, probably even the server crashing. As such, if you're more interested in getting a taste of the game before launch, we'd suggest you hold off until open beta. However, for those who really want to get their Mythos beta bug-reporting test on and think that getting the server to scream like a little girl is fun, then this stage of beta (affectionately titled "hack-n-crash" by Frogster) is for you! Those who get in will start up on December 28th at 10:00 a.m. GMT until things fall over and crash enough times for useful data collection or Frogster shuts the servers down: whichever comes first!
Lost Pages of Taborea: Reminiscing on holiday events
There's been a lot of event play-time in Runes of Magic lately. The pumpkin festival carried on for a lot longer than was originally anticipated and transitioned into a short -- and smaller -- autumn banquet. Now, Christmas is right around the corner. I've been drooling over the Christmas trees that are already for sale in the cash shop. RoM has seen a full year's cycle of events come and go twice now, and we are approaching the third Christmas. Now that long-term players have seen all the offerings, I wanted to peer into the place these holidays have in the world of Taborea and see how they add to our virtual lives. In this article, I want to share how I look forward to events and explore some of the great reasons to have them. 'Tis the season, and all that jazz. Let's take some time to look back and reminisce on RoM's holiday events and why we take part in them.
Mythos inches closer to closed beta
It's been a few months since we've heard a peep about Mythos, and even longer since we've heard any type of news about a potential beta or release date. Many of us who played it during Flagship's original beta have been patiently waiting for some kind of sign as to when we could get back to all the dungeon-running goodness we'd enjoyed. Well, word is out that beta signups are now live for the EU version of the game, and players can expect things to get rolling soon. For those who have never seen the game before, or perhaps would like a refresher, we've tucked a short teaser trailer behind the break for you to check out. With the ability to switch between ground-level and isometric views, Mythos was a game with great potential that was gone too soon. So if you ever liked Diablo or other isometric fantasy hack-and-slashers, be sure to head over to the Mythos site and get signed up for closed beta!
Lost Pages of Taborea: Seeking out the roleplay
Runes of Magic is funny with its seemingly high emphasis on chasing carrots, but it also contains some horizontal gameplay features. Gear is so highly customizable and the higher-level dungeons require you to invest a lot of time upgrading. Running dungeons is easily a full-time gig that I'm finding out firsthand. I've been leveling a new character strictly for dungeons, but it takes up all of my game time. I've cut out crafting completely and I outright ignore my house, yet I'm still falling behind my guildmates. But for those who actively seek it out, there are plenty of features to aid the other pursuit known as roleplaying. The horizontal aspects of RoM have a lot to do with why I love the game so much. Of course, they are ripe for the roleplaying crowd, but roleplayers aren't limited to only those areas. I think there are both areas good for roleplaying and areas that aren't so clear but lend themselves well to roleplaying. It's about how you roleplay with RoM's features, not which features are best for roleplaying. This week, I want to take a look at a few ways you can seek out roleplaying, with an emphasis on the uninitiated. I finish with a sappy message about roleplaying and instant gratification. Pros can very well find some ideas past the break as well.
Frogster acquires unnamed Shanda Games MMORPG
Frogster's online gaming portfolio just got a bit bigger, though details are scarce as to the name and the nature of the company's newest acquisition. The German publishing giant, most famous for bringing Runes of Magic to the masses, announced that it has secured the rights to a new fantasy MMORPG from Shanda Games, a Chinese developer. The unnamed title will reportedly distinguish itself by featuring a setting developed expressly for Western audiences, and Frogster plans to launch the game using a free-to-play business model some time in 2012. "This deal with Shanda Games adds yet another prominent MMORPG to our portfolio. By licensing the game for North America and Europe, we have taken another step in establishing Frogster as one of the leading MMO game publishers in the world," said Andreas Weidenhaupt, a Frogster executive board member.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Level 62 growing pains
Halloween has stubbornly refused to leave the land of Candara and is relentlessly holding monster parades around the clock. While it may be boring some, other persistent folk are probably stock-piling enough candy to make it all the way to next Halloween. So while we conveniently ignore the Pumpkin Prince, I want look ahead to the coming new zone. I've been steadily finding great content on the Runes of Magic forum, and the new level-cap increase is a hot subject right now. When chapter 3 rolled out, we knew we'd be seeing the maximum level raised to 60, but this new one wasn't expected, especially not so soon. This new level cap will take us into Limo Desert and to level 62. That means at least one new dungeon, new quests and most likely new armor. There's more than a few in the Runes of Magic community, including CM Swag, who have voiced their opinions both for and against another raise in levels so soon. Let's take a look at the situation that this presents, and I'll give my opinion on the new level cap.%Gallery-108554%
Runes of Magic shows off new Limo Desert trailer
Frogster Interactive and Runewaker Entertainment are certainly doing a good job keeping the new content flowing into Runes of Magic. As we heard recently, patch 3.0.6., titled The Treasures of the Desert, will open up the Limo Desert and offer a variety of new things for players to check out, including new areas, a new instance, and new monsters to battle -- and of course, new loot, we're sure. That sounds pretty cool to us. For those who may have wanted to see some of the new areas, mobs, and even the new bosses in action, you're in luck. Frogster and Runewaker have sent over a video that shows off some of the areas in the Limo Desert -- an area which features a heavy dose of Egyptian influence. We're also treated to a peek at the dungeon, where players will face off against Angerfang and his minions. The shiny new trailer lies just behind the break for those who want to take a peek before the patch hits Runes of Magic on the 30th of November.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Save those pennies
Seeing players farm high-level dungeons can be a constant reminder that your gear sucks. If you really want to get into running instances and being the baddest of the bad, it's easy to feel pressured into spending money. Spending money isn't inherently bad. It's what makes the world go round. But it may behoove you to spend your hard earned dollars judiciously. I want instant gratification as much as the next bloke, but it isn't going to happen for me. I have bills and a limited income stream. I have to budget time and money. Everyone will have to do it someday, no matter what his or her income potential is. Runes of Magic offers periodic sales that the savvy gamer can take advantage of. This guide offers advice, reminders and tips for getting the most out of your money. Players play differently and want different things from RoM. I'm looking at these money-saving ideas with the basics in mind, but you should be able to easily adjust how and what you want to spend money on -- based on your personal income and game preferences.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Sandbox or themepark
Lately I've had some great conversations over on the Runes of Magic forum that have me thinking about what type of MMO Runewaker has created. Every MMO eventually gets stamped as either sandbox or themepark, depending on whether it has an open-ended environment or is filled with directed activities. RoM is packed with minigames, quests, dungeons, housing, pets and guild content. RoM's minigame, Malatina's Course of Terror, can be taken at any level and yields the same possible rewards to all players. Yet the devs are constantly adding quests, dungeons, and other high-level content, all of which requires a player to level in order to take part. What kind of MMO is RoM? Do these terms shape your opinions of what you want to see added in the game? And does any of this matter?
Lost Pages of Taborea: Spam heal is the enemy of strategy
Last week, I spoke a bit about whether Runes of Magic was too easy or not. In that article I harken back to the mana strike that players held to remove part of a patch that added a percentage-to-cost modifier on all spells for all classes. This week I wanted to flit around the same subjects, but from the viewpoint of healing and strategy. I want my readers to be well-versed in RoM 101. Just like I set out to do with my community guide for new and old players, I want to educate players today on the fine art of button-mashing. Let's start by covering what spam healing -- or spamming any skill -- is, and why it's not always fun. I'll put this into the context of dungeon-running, cover some fun strategy that results from not being able to spam heal, and give my opinion on how well (or not-so-well) all this works in RoM.
Runes of Magic 3.0.6 update will feature new desert zone
Frogster's latest press release talks up the forthcoming content patch for free-to-play MMORPG Runes of Magic. The update, version 3.0.6, will introduce the new Limo Desert zone, which boasts nine sub-regions, a new instance, and seven oasis settlements that double as player supply points. The desert is inhabited by dog-like bipedal creatures, appropriately called the Canine, who have split into two sects (the Iron Teeth and Rotteneyes clans). The Kingdom of Limon -- one of the aforementioned desert sub-regions -- features a pyramid burial chamber that houses a decorated Canine war hero as well as plenty of new tactical challenges for players. Check out more information on Runes of Magic at the game's official website.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Is Runes of Magic too easy?
It seems things are never quiet in regard to Runes of Magic these days. If it isn't holiday events or new world bosses, it's large-scale balancing issues. Players may still be plugging away at title achievements this Halloween, but the event has been going long enough for people to settle into a daily routine and get back to everyday affairs. In other words: it's something to do, but the shiny is starting to wear off. I took advantage of this lull and decided to do a Q&A on the overall difficulty of RoM. It's not a huge issue; it's more like a constant issue that creeps into other discussions on class balance or the memento system. And after the attempted change to a percentage-based mana cost, it's definitely worth consideration. Is RoM too easy? The question seems like it'd be a quick one-line answer, but there are many ways to view it that would yield different outcomes. What are players' goals? How can a change to one system affect the whole game? How will future updates affect any changes made today? Is there an answer to whether RoM is too easy or not? Well. Let's find out.
Have a Perfect Experience in Runes of Magic with a free gift package!
Runes of Magic is celebrating the launch of the newest content patch in the best way possible: by giving you free in-game goodies! Frogster has given us some Perfect Experience Packages to share with you guys, and they're full of everything you need to enjoy The Guardian's Awakening to the fullest. Each package contains potions for a 30-day boost to both experience and talent points, tickets for a 30-day increase to bank and backpack space, and a Warhorse of Destruction -- also available for 30 days. Want more? We hope so, because each package also contains ten Perfect Moon Jewels, five Perfect Star Jewels, and 20 Megaphones for communicating in the World Channel. We've got 1,500 of these Perfect Experience Packages to give away, so follow along after the break to claim one for your very own!
Lost Pages of Taborea: Guide to Pumpkin Festival
Runes of Magic has been around long enough now that holiday events are making a second round. In the wake of the Juice Festival's first appearance, the Pumpkin Festival is one of the events getting a second go. Legend tells us that before humans rediscovered the continent of Candara, the land of Kolydia was ruled by tyranny. On a cold winter's night, unknown assassins wearing masks succeeded in eliminating the unsavory rulers and the hoi polloi rejoiced. The people started celebrating that day by wearing masks which became rumored to bring good luck. Unknown years and another continent later, humans made do the best they could on the underdeveloped land. The tale is said that a farmer carved out a pumpkin and put a candle in it. After seeing this, the Eye of Wisdom thought it would be a great idea to mark the day for rest and celebration before Winter. The mask wearing was added to this, kids added costumes and trick-or-treating, thus the Pumpkin Festival was born. I don't have a photographic memory nor did I painstakingly write down all event-minutea from last year, but this year's festivities look to offer more activities. On top of that, there are plenty of costumes, holiday furniture and even holiday mounts to obtain or buy. The only problem is the absence of any source to help you traverse the ins and outs of what you can do and what you can win. Until now. Click past the break for help making your way through this year's Pumpkin Festival.
New content update adds epic battle to Runes of Magic
Looking for a challenge to tear up in Runes of Magic? Well, if you think you have what it takes, Runewaker Entertainment and Frogster Interactive have a brand new epic battle for you -- the world boss Amboriar! The new patch, 3.0.5, The Guardian's Awakening, throws open the doors on this new fight for Runes of Magic players, as well as offering new difficulty modes to Raksha Temple for level 58+ players that will scale all the way up to 125% at the diamond level. (We're going to bet there are some equally epic loots to match!) Along with the new boss battle and more difficult dungeon, this patch also kicks off the Pumpkin Festival, Runes of Magic's Halloween event. Players can pick up quests to protect a pair of pumpkins, smite stinky vegetables, and generally have all manner of silly holiday-themed fun. If you're curious about what this update has to offer, check out the five new screenshots and video of Amboriar below, then pop over to the Runes of Magic site for the full patch notes. %Gallery-88042%
Lost Pages of Taborea: Siege war top 50
One of the fascinating aspects of an MMO is its ability to spark creativity. With so much to do in these large virtual worlds, it's almost inevitable that players will create wikis, fan sites, addons and anything else they can dream up. Runes of Magic is no different, and its siege war has given way to the creation of Siege War Top 50. The fan-made website aggregates siege war scores from all guilds on North American servers and spits it out in various lists. It has been consistently popular on the RoM forums for many weeks now and is a testament to how popular siege war is. Let's take a look at this site and see what makes it tick. Along the way, I share commentary about the site and siege war in general, and you'll get to see which guilds are in the top bracket out of all the North American servers.
