pet-system
Latest
Massively exclusive: Pirate101 announces new advanced pet system
Pirate101's pet system is getting an update, and KingsIsle tells us that a new test realm will soon open its doors to showcase the changes. Pet owners will be able to send their minions on various world-based training missions which will raise their level, unlock talents and powers, and more. The devs are also adding the ability to PvP in a pet battle arena as well as a new quest that details the new advanced pet system. KingsIsle has penned a lengthy dev diary explaining how everything works. You can read it after the cut.
ArcheAge trailer shows off new houses and more
ArcheAge is a little more than a week away from its fifth closed beta test, and the new features up for testing are being highlighted one by one. The newest trailer introduces the Mirage Island, a location where players will be able to window shop and preview different sorts of items. The video shows players testing out mounts, looking at fancy clothes, and inspecting houses. The island allows players to try out items and see what suits their fancy, with everything from adorable pets (which can grow up to be big, strong mounts!) to miniaturized towers lined up side-by-side for comparison. Jump below the cut to see for yourself.
Joymax announces Knight Age, opens beta for one week
The studio that brought us Silkroad Online has announced its newest venture in the MMORPG market: Knight Age. Based on a vast world of knights battling against a malicious god, the game will feature pets that will fight alongside players, guild sieges, and giant PvP battles of 50v50 and even 1v100 in the ultimate fight for Excalibur. And what's a knight without his or her horse? Knight Age will feature mounted combat in which players will be able to perform elaborate attack skills while mounted and on the move. The first English closed beta is open to everyone on July 10th and will last one full week until the 17th. Players can participate in this beta via the official site. [Source: Joymax press release]
Snipers and biters: War of the Immortals opens up on Rangers and pets
Who doesn't like playing a Ranger, really? Deadly at a distance, this fantasy version of military snipers gives players the immense satisfaction of dealing pain in large quantities before one's enemy can even close the gap to fight back. War of the Immortals, which is currently in closed beta, has a deep, abiding love for Rangers and their long-distance love. Did you know that Rangers get to ride sonic tigers to work every day? Makes your Prius look like a brick now, doesn't it? Rangers do sound sweet, and if you want a better look at them, you can watch the class spotlight trailer after the jump. Perfect World Entertainment is not only dishing out the love for Rangers but also the game's pet system. This system is perhaps a step beyond the typical attack dogs we see in other MMOs. For instance, you can not only teach your pets skills, but with the right souls ripped out of monsters, you can upgrade them and even combine them to create a completely new animal. If your pet's stats are really terrific, you can "fuse" yourself to that pet to gain a stat bonus at the expense of losing that particular beast for combat use (don't worry, you can have an additional pet to serve in that role).
Tell me a fairy tale: ClapAlong launches Warriors Saga
Keeping your eye out for a neat Asian-themed MMO? ClapAlong has a new prospect for you: Warriors Saga. Inspired by Eastern fairy tales, Warriors Saga immerses the player in Asian folklore by placing an emphasis on interactive storytelling. The free-to-play browser MMO boasts a wide variety of gameplay features, including pet training, "polymorphic transformation," real-time combat, and an automatic quest navigation system. GPS for MMOs? Maybe! Warriors Saga launched its first server, Asgard, yesterday and is hosting several events to celebrate the release. Players participating in the first week will enjoy a double XP bonus, gift vouchers if they purchase gold, and free gold if they share word of the game to their friends on Facebook.
Elsword adopts cute, cuddly, ferocious pets
Pet lovers, rejoice: Elsword Online is adding a brand-new pet system to the game. Pet haters, rejoice: Elsword is allowing you to torment furry balls of cuteness in order to turn them into killing machines. Once players hit level 10, they can select a pet to help them in their journeys. Right now there are only two types of pets in the game -- Pocket Phoru and Ancient Phoru -- although Kill3rCombo promises that more are coming soon. A pet can be trained as it grows through multiple stages of life, changing based on how the player treats it. Pets aid their masters with different types of attacks and buffs. Kill3rCombo's Ben Colayco sees the pet system as keeping in line with the overall tone of the game: "Introducing pets to Elsword adds another dimension to the game and allows players to become fully immersed in the comic book style world. By echoing character evolution and growth within the pet system, we wanted to reinforce that Elsword offers a unique and dynamic environment to players, while at the same time maintaining the key differentiators that set us apart, such as maturation of characters." [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]
Firefall adds pets for you to cuddle... and kill
Just in case you thought Firefall was going to be nothing but guns, ammo, and models toting guns and ammo, Red 5 wants us to know that there's a softer side to the game for those who love fluff. Talking with Shacknews, Mark Kern revealed that the shooter MMO will include a pet system for grizzled combat veterans who can't bear to leave the base without the security of Rygel and Princess Pebbles. Of course, this being a red-blooded shooter, Firefall's pet system can't stop with extended grooming and cuddles. "We had had to do little things to actually make it interesting," Kern explained. "Not only can you get a pet, but we're thinking that there's actually an item you can buy in the store to load your gun with special ammunition so you actually shoot the other guy's pet." Red 5 will be hosting an upcoming promotion starting on Wednesday called Crystite Challenge that will give fans a chance to get into the beta and unlock a Penny Arcade "The Merch" pet. "The Merch is awesome because he's all about merchandising and he fits with our item-based theme," Kern said. Firefall is currently in beta and gearing up for a December launch. Curious onlookers would do well to check out Massively's hands-on impressions of the title from PAX.
Asda 2's first content update goes live
GamesCampus.com announced today that its free-to-play MMORPG Asda 2 has received its first content update. The Flammio Update (where do they get these names?) brings "three new maps, the introduction of the coveted pet system, a new player versus player tier to challenge and new items and equipment for both PVE and PVP competitors." Also, for high level players, the update is adding the Infernos continent, which brings with it three new maps for players to explore, a wealth of new quests, and myriad new items. And those hundreds of new quests are going to come in handy, considering that the level cap has been raised from level 50 to level 55. Players can also get their hands on an adorable new pet which grows as it levels. Lastly, a new PvP Faction War tier has been added to coincide with the raised level cap, and players can now use their honor point at the Honor Shop in order to spruce themselves up with spiffy new equipment with which to better faceroll their enemies.
Lost Pages of Taborea: What could have been
We always face changes in our favorite MMOs. A new patch comes along and changes multi-click gathering to single-click, a cool pet system gets added or our main class gets nerfed. Sometimes changes happen before the game ever sees them, though. Runes of Magic had some different features planned that were never implemented. Tile-dungeons, a streaming client and party-spells are a few of these features left on the cutting-room floor. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I want to insert a titular line and look at what could have been.
Ether Saga Odyssey relaunching on April 27th
Big changes are coming to the world of Ether Saga Online -- so big, in fact, that Perfect World Entertainment is relaunching the title as Ether Saga Odyssey. The free-to-play MMO will re-open its doors on April 27th sporting a new graphics engine, a new UI, additional races and starting locales, and new pets. Ether Saga's pet system is one of the more complex in the massive genre, and the revamp looks to add to the fun with hundreds of tamable creatures that may be combined to create stronger breeds with new abilities. ESO provides "an atmosphere to enjoy free-form wrestle and play; players get to create different looking pets that even transform into the monster that they defeat," says Perfect World's Aaron Potter. Head to the game's official website for more, and be sure to have a look at the new trailer after the cut.
GodsWar Online talks pet system in new dev blog
Pets are on their way to GodsWar Online, and the IGG team has a new dev blog designed to give players a preview of the upcoming content. Unlike the pet systems in most MMOs, every creature in GodsWar will be tamable -- yes, even those terrifying medusa and hydra bosses (that said, due to the size of some of the game's critters, player pet versions will be necessarily scaled down). IGG also plans to add new pets to the game to compliment existing monsters, including the cerberus, griffin, tyrannosaurus, and more. GodsWar will also boast new pet talents and skills, and you can read the full dev diary after the cut. While you're at it, don't forget to peruse our GodsWar gallery for the latest screenshots. %Gallery-80994%
Runes of Magic celebrates its second birthday
Happy birthday, Runes of Magic! Two years have gone by, and you're growing up so fast. Anniversary celebrations are already underway in RoM. If your account has been lying dormant, you may want to wake it up, join the festivities, and get some free goodies while you're at it. For me, these two years flew by. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I wrote a look back at the first year of RoM. In two years, RoM has seen three major updates, and a fourth is just around the corner. The first two chapters made it into the first year, and although Chapter 4 didn't quite make it into this article, chapter 3 brought a whopping amount of content and features. If your extra ginger beer isn't cutting it anymore and you're feeling brave, move on up by grabbing a bottle of Blenhiem's old #5 and join me for a look back at the last year of RoM.
Demonflame now available for Champions Online
It was promised for this month, and Champions Online players can rejoice that the promise was true. Demonflame, the second adventure pack for the game, has just moved from the test servers to live. Following in the footsteps of the previous adventure pack, Serpent Lantern, the adventure can be undertaken by any size group from level 11 onward, scaling in both difficulty and complexity according to the number and level of participants. Not to mention that it includes new rewards for players of all levels, including new costume parts of an equally violet hue. In addition to the new adventure, the newest patch also included the pet revision, which might be even more interesting for you depending on your level and power build in the game. While there's no official list of patch notes, our resident columnist did a good job summarizing both the pet changes and the new adventure pack in the weeks leading up to their release. So if you've been holding off on logging in to Champions Online in anticipation of the new patch, now is the time.
Behind the Mask: I'm not bored of pets yet
I'm sort of surprised that I'm not talking about Demonflame this week, but unfortunately, DF hit the Test Server after this article went to print. However, Champions Online's pet update has made it back with a vengeance (on PTS), threatening to change the world as we know it! Pets have been a recurring problem with CO; they were pretty horrible at launch, aside from a select few. Many of the decent pets were still underused due to the trouble with ritual circles. But pets have come back, and now they're coming to get you! I've refrained from talking too much about the current pet update, waiting for the update to reach a more or less solidified state. This time, the update was pretty solid from day one, but a lot of tweaks have gone into it, and I'm pretty excited about the results overall.
Behind the Mask: Ritual pets don't suck
Way back in Champions Online's beta, I looked on at the Sorcery pets with a little bit of disdain. They didn't do as much DPS as a pair of Munitions Bots, and many of them were tied up in annoying ritual circles that you had to constantly stand in. Being required to stand still isn't a huge problem in many MMOs, but Champions has a very fast-paced, mobility-intensive combat system. Melee heroes need to move quickly from enemy to enemy and often have to chase down runners. Ranged characters are best served by kiting during battle to elude melee foes. In this kind of fast-paced world, who has time for a pet that forces you to stick around? Naturally, I ate my own words a month or two ago when I discovered the Primal ritual. Originally I chose the Primal ritual because his huge AoE Snow Storm was pretty darn good at thinning mobs and gathering aggro. I also really liked that he had a travel-disabling lunge. After my crazy PvP antics at the anniversary event, I also noticed a lot of other goofy things about him. I asked myself the question: Are the other rituals this good? The answer is no, but for the most part, all of them are worth taking. Unlike most pets in CO, rituals are pretty strong. I'll be pretty sad if the devs change them too much.
Aion's Assault on Balaurea expansion live on PTS
Ready to get a preview of Aion's forthcoming Assault on Balaurea expansion? You're in luck, as today finds the new content live on the Public Test Server, a couple weeks ahead of its September 7th release date. Pre-existing PTS players will find that their characters have been wiped, which is a small price to pay for the chance to test the new content with accelerated XP and loot drop rates. Assault on Balaurea features a new pet system as well as new zones, instances, quests, and a level cap increase. Check out the official press release for more information, including how to install and run the PTS client.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Gotta catch 'em all
What an incredible expansion Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms is turning out to be! In addition to the awesomeness of the new two-seated mounts and the new instance, Runes of Magic also received surprisingly large new gameplay features. Yes, I'm talking about the new pet system that seemed to be overshadowed during the advertising of The Warnorken Castle, but is no less exciting than Warnorken Arena, for which the patch was named. The pet system is so large in scope that it renewed the initial wonder and excitement I had when I first logged in to RoM and saw all the uniquely deep elements it began with. Finding, naming, and caring for pets is an entire game unto itself that bleeds into -- and feeds -- other aspects of RoM as well. It's Pokemon meets Digimon meets MMO, and it's delivered to you by the Easter Bunny. Hop past the jump to reveal all the inner workings of this awesome new system.
Runes of Magic adds tutorial videos and in-game partnerships
When you jump into a new MMO, there's always a lot to learn. That is even more true of a game that's been around for a bit. It feels like everyone's miles ahead of you and there isn't anyone left to walk you through the basics. Runes of Magic is addressing that issue with the addition of tutorial videos with the goal of making a more enjoyable game for new players. The first tutorial video covers a feature that is new to everyone: the pet system. Frogster's Stephen Peak narrated this almost-seven-minute video and walked players through the process from beginning to end. The RoM crew didn't stop there, though. They've also added in-game partnerships of various types: romantic, family, and friendships. Entering into one of these partnerships will qualify you for special in-game bonuses. Follow after the jump to see the video for yourself, and keep an eye on the Runes of Magic site for more details on partnerships.
Runes of Magic announces new pet system
As part of the ongoing updates to its Chapter III -- The Elder Kingdoms expansion, Frogster has announced a new pet system coming to Runes of Magic later this month. The impressive patch will add over 100 virtual pets to the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG, each with a range of new gameplay abilities designed to augment player characters. Pet eggs will become available upon completion of a specific quest, and once hatched, the pets can be cared for, managed, and combined using a new interface. Pets will also directly affect their masters depending on how players choose to allocate their experience, loyalty, and talent attributes. Frogster hints that well trained pets will more ably support characters in combat and crafting, as well as provide superior buffs. Players will be able to own a maximum of six pets, with one active at a given time. Stay with Massively as we'll bring you more on this exciting new system as it develops.
Pets *ding* in Wizard101
A wizened sage once asked, "How much is that doggie in the window?" Perhaps he was contemplating the tangible cost of loyalty and companionship. Perhaps he was attempting to ascribe value to an animal's existence. What he missed was just how awesome pig ninjas can be when unleashed in a wizardly world. Wizard101 just released their May 2010 patch, which revolves around an incredibly beefy and interactive advanced pet system. While pets have been in the game since launch, it's with this patch that they've been given a life outside of pure vanity. Pets can now roam around player housing, engage in mini-games, be bred to perfection, and even cast a handful of spells in a fight. It is possibly one of the deeper pet systems in MMORPGs to date, and worthy of any young (at heart) wizard's or witch's attention. This Wizard101 patch also includes a host of other updates, ranging from badges to characters, housing, spells and more. If you're into this colorful title, make sure to take a few minutes to digest the whole list of notes, which can be found here.
