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Dawn of Fantasy shows off the Online Kingdoms mode
If you've followed stories on Dawn of Fantasy, you know that the game offers an MMORTS mode in addition to its offline modes. What you may not know is exactly how the MMO side of gameplay works out in practice, and that's the sort of thing that's really important to know before you dive into a game. The team at Reverie World Studios has helpfully put together a video diary detailing the Online Kingdoms mode, showing off how players can experience the game in a persistent online world. The focus of the game, naturally, is on creating and running one's own city; it takes some time to turn your plot of land into a functional city, and in the midst of all that you still have troops to recruit, train, and improve. It's a mixture of quest-based gameplay and more traditional RTS mechanics, but you don't need to take our word for it. Jump past the break to watch the full video and see if it looks like the right mix of both tastes for you. [Source: Reverie World Studios press release]
Joyfort releases sci-fi MMORTS Light of Nova
A new MMORTS bursts onto the scene as Joyfort releases its latest title, Light of Nova. The title takes place in a sci-fi universe "thousands of years in the future after humans have colonized outer space." Players are tasked with building the ultimate spacefaring armada, destroying their enemies, and uncovering the mysteries of the universe through the game's storyline. For the full details on this new F2P title and to get in on the action for yourself, just click below to go to Light of Nova's official site.
Winners chosen in Star Supremacy ship design contest
Designing your own spaceship is probably pretty high up on the list of things to do for most sci-fi geeks. If you're a sci-fi geek and a free-to-play browser-based MMORTS fan, Star Supremacy is a title that might be of interest. The devs recently held a design-your-own-starship contest, and according to a post on the game's official boards, the results are in. Barbily Games is also open to player suggestions for similar events in the future, and the company is actively soliciting related feedback on the forums. Star Supremacy is set in the far future and it features three human factions locked in a struggle for expansion and conquest in the wake of a resource shortage on the planet Earth.
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Alliances MMORTS announced
"I gotta present for ya!" What RTS fan doesn't remember the classic Command & Conquer franchise with extreme fondness? If you're one of the legions of supporters, then this is a good time to be alive. It seems as though C&C is slated for a revival soon, with BioWare working on Command & Conquers Generals 2 and EA prepping Command & Conquer: Tiberian Alliances. The recently announced Tiberian Alliances is being shaped as a free-to-play MMORTS in which players can choose one of three factions (The Forgotten, GDI, and NOD) and duke it out over a war-torn battlefield. Developed by German studio Phenomic, Tiberian Alliances will be playable in a browser and is currently accepting applications for its beta testing program. Will this be the MMORTS for you or will you call in an orbital strike on its prospects? Hit the jump to see the announcement trailer for your first taste of the latest chapter in C&C history.
Dawn of Fantasy tosses Dwarves and discounts at players
Tired of just controlling one measly avatar in MMOs? Does your ego go unfulfilled by such restrictions? Then this might be the time to try something a little more... large-scale with Dawn of Fantasy. This interesting MMORTS allows players to create entire armies, build up castles, and attempt to conquer the world -- and it's currently available for the masses. To promote the title, Reverie World Studios is offering the title at 33% off the normal price of $30, bringing it down to $20. Dawn of Fantasy has no subscription cost, so once you have a copy you can play indefinitely. Reverie also extended its Dwarven Invasion promotion, in which players will receive free Dwarf mercenaries and a special quest for no additional charge. These promotions are only available for the next week, so if you're interested, you might want to get a move on. We've included the launch trailer for the game after the jump if you're looking to get a feel for what's going on in this game world.
End of Nations unveils warfare screenshots
The End of Nations is upon us! Well, not really, but Trion Worlds has revealed a new batch of screenshots focusing on -- what else -- mass warfare. The screens give players a glimpse of the maps of which they'll be vying for control. Also on display are many of the units available to the game's three factions, including tanks, artillery, scouting vehicles, and more. For all of the freshly pressed screenshots, just click on through the gallery below. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] %Gallery-96732%
The RPG/RTS that Irrational never made: 'Dungeon Duel'
Back in 2002, the folks leading up development of next year's highly anticipated, high-flying FPS, BioShock Infinite, were hard at work on a game that never made it off the ground. It was a role-playing game crossed with a real-time strategy title, and it was aimed at consoles. As revealed on the Irrational Games blog, the game was known as "Dungeon Duel" never got past the concept stage. The gameplay seems to be a mix of dungeon crawl and card-based strategy, with cards representing actual monsters and spells rather than operating on a numbers level. Combat was described as both "fast-paced" and "real-time," though the design doc fails to go into too much detail -- it's an early pitch, after all. A handful of concept art shots and in-game artwork were also made available, which you can see over on the Irrational blog.
Star Supremacy enters the closed beta event horizon
If you have been looking for a space-themed online real-time strategy title, Star Supremacy may be the thing to quench your intergalactic thirst. In the game, three human factions find themselves at odds in the depths of space, and only by engaging in all-out warfare can a victor be declared. It's free, it's browser-based, and it's at a closed beta near you. Star Supremacy announced that its closed beta program starts today and can be joined by any space pilot who happens to possess... the key. Where do you get... the key? It's actually not too hard, as the official site lists a slew of participating partners that will gladly give you one of their... keys. The game is also giving away in-game currency and items to players who participate in one of four beta events. These rewards are designed to be incentives for good beta testing behavior, as they lure players into submitting bug reports, providing feedback, and promoting Star Supremacy.
End of Nations' Executive Producer discusses F2P model, buying power
With each game that announces a free-to-play business model, the same concerns immediately arise in the minds of the game's fans. Will the game allow players to pay for convenience, or will it allow them to pay to win? David Luehmann, Executive Producer of upcoming MMORTS End of Nations, addressed that very concern in a recent interview. What did he have to say? He was quick to put players' anxiety to rest, claiming that the game "will not be selling pay-to-win items that give one player a significant gameplay advantage over another" and adding that most cash-shop items will also be purchasable using in-game currency. But why go the free-to-play route to begin with? According to Luehmann, the team realized that in a game such as End of Nations, which is focused on large-scale multiplayer warfare, the game's fun factor will be directly tied to the number of players battling it out at any given time. As such, the team wants to "minimize the barrier to entry and maximize the fun." Of course, the game also features an optional subscription option. Luehmann is quick to note, however, that just like the item shop, subscriptions will not provide players with a gameplay advantage. It will instead yield "significant value and convenience extras." The full interview also includes a few details on the game itself, so if you're interested in Petroglyph's upcoming MMORTS, head on over to Gamefront for the full interview.
A Game of Thrones - Genesis fights dirty on September 29
If you've been left unsatisfied by all the honorable, upstanding strategy games that have come out over the past year, you should brace yourself for a healthy dose of deception later this month. Focus Home Interactive has announced that Cyanide Studios' first adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones - Genesis, will arrive on store shelves of the tangible and digital varieties on September 29. If you haven't already consumed every single page of the aforementioned series of novels, you don't really have enough time to do so before the game comes out. Maybe you could watch the TV series! It's like a novel that bunch of famous people read for you.
Achron manipulates real-time strategies in new launch trailer
Some of the best science fiction and fantasy stories contain elements of time manipulation -- Doctor Who, Braid, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Harry Potter, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure -- and Hazardous Software's new time-travel RTS, Achron, is poised to join this prestigious group. Achron releases tomorrow on Steam and at the game's official site, and this most recent launch trailer breaks down the intricacies of using time to defend your base. Hint: Use it; don't abuse it.
4X MMORTS Starjack Online goes live
Way back in February, we covered the open beta of Limbo Game Studios' Starjack Online. For the uninitiated, Starjack Online is an MMORTS of a variety known as 4X. RTS players will find themselves familiar with the 4X term, which stands for explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. In a press release today, the studio announced that the free-to-play title has now gone live, and players are able to 4X the hell out of each other to their hearts' content. The entire game takes place in real-time (as opposed to being turn-based), ensuring that players will be kept on their toes. Almost everything in the game is player-created, as well, so if you'd rather make a killing as a war profiteer, you can outfit other players with their ships and troops. If this sounds like your cup of tea, the game can be downloaded and played for free at the official site.
New End of Nations trailer goes meta
You can't fight here, this is the war room! Wait, you can? Nevermind, carry on. Today we have a new trailer from Gamescom highlighting Trion Worlds' End of Nation's metagame. The developers are careful to note that anyone can contribute to their nation's war effort, whether you're a green novice or a hardened veteran. The trailer also takes some time to highlight the different types of battle maps available to players, from the standard PvP map to the monumental mega maps, which feature up to 50 players on the map, each will a full army. The battles raging on each of these maps will determine which faction controls the territory, and each territory grants its controlling faction a different advantage. It's up to the players to decide which territory would most benefit their faction's current needs, and then to bring the firepower and capture the territory. For the full trailer, blast your way past the cut.
Golden Age goes for a walk on the town
Forget the silver age or the iron age -- the Golden Age is totally where it's at. Where what's at, you ask? Apparently where MMOs meets real-time strategy and crosses paths with castles and tall ships. Aeria Games is ramping up publicity for this upcoming title by releasing five new screens showing off the common town where players will bump into each other while they check out the sights. Golden Age is a free-to-play browser RTS where you can assume the role of the lord of a castle in the golden lands of yore. When you're not building up your fortress, you can go on hundreds of quests in the surrounding areas and unleash hell with your elite armies. You can take a tour of the town in the gallery below. Right now the title is in beta for both North and Latin America, so if you're ready to move out of your parents' basement and into a roomy 200-room keep, head on over to the official site to sign up! %Gallery-131092%
Planet War's open beta features contests, in-game prizes
Planet War's beta phases are moving right along, and today marks the start of the sci-fi browser title's official open beta. Getting in on the action is as easy as navigating to the game's official website and signing up for a free account. There's no download (and no cost, as Planet War is free-to-play), so there's really nothing stopping you from checking it out. What sets the game apart from the legions of other browser games clamoring for your hard-earned free time? Contests, basically, and YooGames is running a lot of them during the buildup to the title's official release. According to the company's latest press release, "events include building the largest army of commanders, racing towards the best technology, and so much more." Head to the official Planet War website and get your free account to see exactly how much more.
Age of Empires Online introduces Season Pass, details pricing
Microsoft has released more information on the pricing plans that will soon be available to players of Age of Empires Online, the newest installment in the RTS series that launched just today. On top of the previously established Premium Civilization packs (weighing in at $20 each), the Defense of Crete booster ($9.99), and Empire Extras ($4.99), players will also be able to purchase a Season Pass. The Season Pass grants players a 30% discount on all cash shop items for six months. The Season Pass itself is reported to set players back a hefty $99.99, so it will likely only be useful for the most hardcore of Age of Empires Online players. But if you're planning on buying up every bit of content the company drops, it may save you a few bucks. In addition to the Season Pass, Microsoft also announced that players who buy the Greek and Egyptian civilizations will receive the Defense of Crete booster for free. For more information on the just-launched online RTS, check out Joystiq's hands-on impressions of the game.
Age of Empires Online review: Casual conquest
In reading online discussions surrounding Age of Empires Online, you'd think that the developers had taken to traveling the country with the express intent of running over kittens. Clearly, players have taken issue with this latest in the Ensemble-created historical strategy franchise, which layers the series' core formula beneath a highly stylized coat of paint and free-to-play business model. However, much of the mechanics that made Age of Empires a household name remain, though now alongside new features designed explicitly to both ease new players into the experience as well as capture the attention of the coveted MMO crowd. %Gallery-124916%
Planet War closed beta launches today
Last week we told you about a new sci-fi browser MMO called Planet War. YooGames' space-based opus looks to add a couple of new wrinkles to web-based strategy titles including alien foreign policy and large-scale conquest. Don't take our word for it, though. The closed beta is currently underway, and YooGames is accepting new testers via their website registration form. Planet War also boasts a special gift event for closed beta players who are present for the unveiling of the Bellona server. Each individual will receive a VIP code that grants resources, coins, a point voucher, and five in-game construction robots. Head to the official Planet War website to learn more about the game, and don't forget to view the trailer after the cut!
Indie time travel RTS Achron enters our timeline August 29
We still don't understand how the time-shifting RTS game Achron works -- the concepts of rewinding, summoning reinforcements for things that haven't happened yet, and whatever other kind of chrono-frippery Hazardous Software has put into the game are well, well over our heads. The best way to understand Achron, we suspect, is to play it, which you'll be able to do starting August 29. Hazardous sent Joystiq a note letting us know the new date -- a note we suspect arrived from a future in which the game is already out, hence the certainty of the date. If you'd like to travel into the future yourself, you can pre-order the game for $29.95 and hop into the beta.
Planet War browser game to feature galactic conquest and alien foreign policy
Here at Massively we get dozens of game-related press releases on an hourly basis. Rarely, though, does a blurb say something like "players build aircraft carriers to navigate the stars and Milky Way to explore and learn of ancient civilizations." The release for YooGames' new browser-based MMO Planet War said just that, and as a result we're keen on taking a look at the title's closed beta when it kicks off on August 9th. YooGames also says that Planet War is inspired by famous sci-fi novels and heroes, and aims to provide a unique strategy experience that features both conquest and alien foreign policy. We're not sure what that means as of yet, but it definitely piqued our interest. You can learn more about the game at its official web site as well as the Planet War Facebook portal.
