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City of Steam heads to Steam with a fresh new server [Updated]
Steampunk browser MMO City of Steam is landing on, er, Steam today, bringing with it a brand-new server. Says developer Mechanist Games, Coupled with the latest game version 2.4 ([which] will also be available on the established server), the new server will provide improved team-up function, restructured tourney events, new level content (lvl 50-60), and of course exciting new server event. This time, new server events will become goal-based so that they are capable of benefiting as many players as possible. The studio tweeted that the Steam launch might be slightly delayed but that developers are "talking with Valve to make the launch ASAP." Massively alum Matt Daniel dived into City of Steam in December to scope out last year's Arkadia relaunch. [Update: Mechanist has postponed the Steam launch thanks to "critical issues (discovered) when testing (the) live server on the Steam version." The studio promises an update during local business hours.]
Bring out your dead with Black Gold Online's necromantic Conjurer class
Black Gold Online's steampunk faction just got a new mage -- one who mixes dark magic with steam technology. Called the Conjurer, this class provides long-ranged DPS and crowd control using necromancy that brings reanimated cadavers to the battle field. These scepter- or staff-wielding magicians can also summon demons and rip the souls out of their foes. Unlike the controversial Occultist class, Conjurers can be any gender; they are, however, limited to only the Buvont and Lokemean races. And although they wear medium armor, they are the quintessential glass cannons that cannot endure sustained solo battles. For a look at the new class, check out the four new images in the gallery below. [Source: Snail Games USA press release]
Black Gold starts alpha 'test drive' next month
Do you have the golden ticket? No, not the one to a whimsical and deadly chocolate factory, but the ticket to get into Black Gold Online's upcoming alpha test. If you do, then you've got a few weeks to prepare: Snail Games will be starting the alpha "test drive" on March 20th. The steampunk fantasy title has distributed keys from various giveaways over the past year. Starting now, those in the test can go ahead and activate their accounts on the official website. The March 20th test will be using an earlier version of the game and will include eight of Black Gold Online's classes.
Black Gold shows off the Geomancer
Do you like healing people? Do you like drawing strength from the land? Do you hate pants? Then Black Gold's Geomancer might just be for you. (You might have access to pants in the game, though.) The Geomancer is meant purely as a support class, focused on healing and supporting team members. While the class is weak in one-on-one combat, it excels at supporting a group and healing injuries. Many Geomancer abilities pull double-duty as they both harm nearby enemies and heal and buff nearby allies. In lore terms, the class was originally unknown to the Kosh despite their knowledge of magic, as working with Earth was problematic and required a great deal of practice. Only the great mage Damerhyn was successful, leading to the order of Geomancers that will be available to Yutonian and Kosh players in the game. For more details, take a look at the official preview page.
Test drive Black Gold Online's alpha with fan Avril Lavigne
If you want to check out Black Gold Online, you just might get your chance next month. Currently in beta testing in China, the steampunk game will be inviting top players in North America to test drive an earlier alpha version sometime during the end of March. The event is aimed at gathering player feedback and suggestions to help the game to grow and improve. If you get into this test drive, you might even be playing alongside Avril Lavigne; the studio revealed that Lavigne is not only a fan of Black Gold Online, but one of its top players. The songstress shares her support of the game via video. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Snatcher devs reunite for steampunk adventure Blackmore
Watching the Kickstarter pitch video for steampunk-themed adventure game Blackmore is like watching your favorite band get back together - if your favorite song by said band was the cyberpunk adventure game Snatcher, that is. Jeremy Blaustein, localizer for Snatcher, Metal Gear Solid and the Silent Hill series, is heading up a new studio called iQiOi in hopes of developing Blackmore, a game he says has been his "dream" since he started working in the industry. His dream has until March 12 to raise $200,000. Blaustein has tapped several other creators who contributed to Snatcher as well. Satoshi Yoshioka will reprise his role as character designer, while Motoaki Furukawa will handle the game's soundtrack. Blaustein has also recruited David Hayter to voice main character Emma Blackmore's brother, Jonas. There's no footage or screenshots available yet, though the game's Kickstarter page describes gameplay as "classic point and click" in a isometric-view, 2.5D environment. Players will guide Emma through a gadget-laden, steam-powered vision of 1888 London on a quest to catch a murderer. Those more historically-minded may recognize the date as the year Jack The Ripper began his infamous killing spree. Should Blackmore pick up enough steam - and money - Blaustein plans to release the game for PC and Mac in spring of 2015.
Black Gold Online introduces female-only Occultist class
If you prefer to play female avatars in game, Black Gold Online has a new class just for you. Snail Games unveiled the new Occultist class, a female-only support healer and ranged DPS that sports leather armor. With a low resistance to damage, Occultists rely on sapping and stunning their enemies while replenishing the stamina of her group and providing heals. The Occultist joins Black Gold's line up alongside the recently revealed Spellsword class, the Pyromancer, the Assassin, and more. For a chance to check out this class when beta starts, sign up on the official site. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Black Gold Online reveals new Spellsword class
Black Gold Online is about to become a little more magical as Snail Games has announced the new Spellsword class. As one might guess, the Spellsword uses both sorcery and swordplay to dominate its opponents on the battlefield. The Melee DPS/Agility Tank role is a versatile addition to the Kosh and Yutonian Humans. You can read more about the Spellsword class, including background lore and strategies, in the game's newest announcement.
It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer
Snail Games has just unveiled a brand-new trailer for Black Gold Online, teasing a fight between an enormous goliath and equally large behemoth and showing off behind-the-scenes clips of how the goliath was designed. According to the video description, the goliath is a creation of the engineers of Steam, built specifically to counter the Erlandir-summoned behemoth. And by "counter" we mean "punch." Check out the teaser after the break. Snail describes Black Gold's universe as a "world where innovative Victorian steampunk clashes with traditional high fantasy." The game is set for launch sometime in 2014 with a closed alpha aimed at February.
Second Wind: City of Steam: Arkadia
I've been rooting for City of Steam ever since it was first announced, mostly due to my sheer love of the steampunk genre. We've got high fantasy and gritty sci-fi games galore, but steampunk has been largely neglected in the realm of gaming. That's why it was so disheartening to hear that City of Steam's first incarnation (of which I spoke rather highly when I saw it at PAX East in early 2013) would be shutting down after only about five months of opening its doors to players. It was a bold move for Mechanist Games to make the jump to self-publishing, and when I saw the game featured on Kongregate, I decided I'd check and see how the troubled title was holding up in its new form. The question is, does City of Steam: Arkadia manage to stoke the fires or is it just a bunch of hot air?
Black Gold Online video shows off action combat system
Whether you prefer the steampunk or the fantasy faction, if you are a fan of dodging and constant movement to try and out-maneuver your opponents, combat in Black Gold Online should be right up your alley. In the latest feature unveiling, developers delve into the ins and outs of combat in the upcoming game, eschewing the traditional stand-still-and-button-mash version of combat in favor of some action. Most skills in the upcoming game are collision, or hit-box-based, and melee fighters will move in the direction they are facing with every swing. Ranged works a bit differently: Although most ranged skills will remain locked on their target, some will require players to anticipate enemy movements and target accordingly. And don't forget these battles also involve vehicles! While mounted, players will be in FPS mode. Get a preview of Black Gold Online's combat in action in the trailer below. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Black Gold Online unveils The Chambers of Greed instances
A new feature is coming to Black Gold Online in addition to the main quest-line and normal dungeons that players already enjoy: The Chambers of Greed. These instances chambers, or greed pockets, bring variety to the game by offering challenging side activities that blend PvE and PvP and give another avenue for acquiring new gear by slaying higher level monsters and completing assorted other tasks. Unlike the openness of the over-world, The Greed Chambers have a darker, mysterious ambiance aimed at making players watch their every step. These chambers, which are more challenging that quests of the same level, will have hidden entrances to get inside. Players will need to discover these entrances themselves by getting in close, slaying a gatekeeper, or tripping some other trigger. Peek inside these new instances in the video below. [Source: Snail Games press release]
City of Steam: Arkadia launching December 4th
The death and subsequent rebirth of City of Steam has been an odd thing to watch, but you'll soon be able to actively participate instead of just watching. City of Steam: Arkadia is launching on December 4th, just a little more than a week from today, enough time that you might not even get to feel any sorrow at the original version's untimely and unexpected demise. Of course, you may not have mourned the original version. Rest assured that the relaunch is not meant to simply be the same game with a new subtitle. According to the official announcement, the new version contains a variety of new systems as well as a revamp of both dungeons and game mechanics. Mechanist Games states that the developers have paid attention to player feedback from the Chinese version and will be releasing a game that should have a much wider appeal. You'll be able to gauge that for yourself very shortly one way or the other.
Scope out Black Gold Online's vehicular combat in new trailer
By air or by land, Black Gold Online offers players a variety of transportation options that do more than just get you to the battle, but also take part in it! Muscled mounts face off against mechanized ones as The Erlandir Union (the fantasy faction) and The Kingdom of Isenhorst (steampunk faction) duke it out to get control of a mysterious energy substance. An essential part of Black Gold Online's PvP system, these mechanical mechs, war hounds, flying machines, and dragons can all be summoned in battlegrounds for PvP objectives as well as the open world. Players obtain these Raid, Aerial, Anti-Air, Penetration, and Assault vehicles through both questing and battleground achievements, and each mount has its own achievement path and customization options. Get a look at the vehicles in tactical battle formations in the trailer below. [Source: Snail Games press release]
City of Steam: Arkadia offers first screenshots and update
Since it bought back the rights to publish City of Steam in English, Mechanist Games has been toiling away at getting the re-christened Arkadia ready for its re-launch. To give players a peek at how things are changing in more than name only, the devs have released a few screenshots showing off the burning house in the Delton intro. Also included in this week's update was news that forum avatars and titles will be restored on the new forums and that CoS: Arkadia would be available as an all-browser gaming experience or via a easy-to-download micro-client that's "just megabytes."
City of Steam: Arkadia outlines compensation package
Last week, Mechanist Games assured that returning City of Steam players would be compensated as the company worked to restore fans' faith in the title. Today, the studio released the details of that compensation. For early supporters, the in-game currency will be refunded using the scheme that was utilized in alpha and beta: money's worth plus extra percent bonus. And for all players -- paid or not -- who reached at least level 30, the company is offering two tiers of welcome back packs, one for levels 30 through 37 and one for players who made it to level 38. Both packs include a large supply of vehicle parts, revamp kits, transmuter orbs, key bundles, cardiotonic, transmuter coolant, spiremarks, and more. Both packs also offer a Santa cap, and the level 38 pack includes an "awesome mega super dooper mystery item." Each account can claim one pack by contacting support. Full instructions and the contact information are available in the announcement.
Mechanist Games working to restore faith with City of Steam's community
Mechanist Games will be taking actions to "restore faith" by those affected from City of Steam's impending shutdown and rebirth as City of Steam: Arkadia. The studio announced three initiatives to draw back players. First, it will be recharging alpha and beta supporters' Electrum, although it doesn't look like refunds are in the cards. Second, it will be compensating returning players who will need to start fresh on a new server. And third, Mechanist is opening up a new English-speaking forums on the website for the community to use. The exact nature of the compensation for affected players was not revealed, as the studio said it has yet to finalize details in that regard. Mechanist paid to reclaim the English publishing rights for City of Steam and will be self-publishing the title going forward. Other language editions of the game will continue to be operated as is. [Source: Mechanist Games' press release]
City of Steam powering down, switching to new name and ownership [Updated]
It's the end of the line for the free-to-play steampunk game City of Steam -- at least on R2Games servers. The publisher has announced that doors will be closing at 2:59 a.m. EDT on November 22nd. Even with what are probably the most impressive graphics in a browser-based game, CoS apparently couldn't keep enough players to remain viable. With the closure, the in-game currency Electrum can no longer be acquired, but all previously bought Electrum can be spent on store items throughout the month. Does this mean that CoS is powering down for good? Not according to developer Mechanist Games, which has announced that it plans on releasing a new version of the game the same month: Circumstances have contributed to a significant loss of players and we've decided to cease the current game operations for the Global English version and take City of Steam back. This is a decision we have taken months to reach, and are confident that it's best for the health of the players, the community and the game itself. City of Steam is not shutting it down. We at Mechanist Games will improve and self-publish the game, and endeavor to make it available to as many of the original fans as possible by cooperating with popular English language browser-gaming platforms (to be announced). City of Steam will be upgraded during the time it is offline to better suit the player demographics of the new browser-gaming platforms publishing the game; new content, new features, new systems, massive change to the economy and statistics, new equipment and cosmetics, new quests and an overhaul of most of the level art and main quests. Some features will be removed. There will also be a massive flying fortress for characters of any level to congregate in. Because of these numerous and sizeable changes, the game will be re-launched in November under the title City of Steam: Arkadia. [Updated with the statement from the press release from Mechanist!]
Black Gold could possibly start beta in early 2014
Dying to get your hands on the scrumptious-looking Black Gold? If you've already registered for a beta key and need a little hope, here it is: Snail Games said the game could possibly start its closed beta in the first quarter of 2014. "The first closed beta is planned to launch at the earliest Q1 2014," the studio posted in a recent Ask the Devs segment. "We are ensuring quality when it's ready to meet the public eye. All players who have registered prior will have a high chance of receiving first round of beta codes via their email." Black Gold's beta and release is initially aimed at North America, although Snail Games said it is "not ruling out" the possibility of future releases elsewhere. There will also be no region block for the title. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Black Gold unveils the Kosh race
The races of Black Gold are getting plenty of attention from Snail Games recently, with three of the races already unveiled. Today marks the fourth race reveal with a video and an article dedicated to the felinoid Kosh, direct descendents of the Sun God (according to their own propaganda, anyway). These former conquerors have joined the Erlandir Union to help defend the eponymous Black Gold, which they consider holy and unsuitable for use in technology. Kosh characters can be Demon Hunters, Elementalists, or Alchemists, all aligned with the race's rather mystical and contemplative nature. As a whole they're known to be serious and aloof, filling the game's need for something of an elven race without ever actually hitting the "elf" stereotype. But you don't have to take our word for it; you can take a look at the reveal trailer past the break, or read the full lore article for a bit more history.
