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Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins
The lore in Runes of Magic can sometimes be frustrating. There's an incomplete -- and vague -- history that sparks questions of who did what and when. Sometimes, there are references to reoccurring incidents without anyone knowing anything of who was involved or when it happened. As new chapters are released, some of those questions are answered and story-holes are filled, but new questions get added as well. We are veering off the beaten track in this week's Lost Pages of Taborea to dive into some lore. There's a growing amount of story for lore-hungry players to discuss and I wanted to revisit some Chapter 3 lore that helps us to understand a little more about the history and present-day in the world of Taborea. The following article is written for those players who may already know about the game's lore, but want to know even more. Given the overall amount of story and the way it's spread out through levels, zones and time-frames, I almost didn't feel the need to put any spoiler warnings on this post. Instead, I left out details learned from going inside the various dungeons.
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.
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 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.
Runes of Magic Chapter III expansion now live
Yesterday brought a welcome addition to Runes of Magic for fans of the game: Chapter III is live. The Elder Kingdoms launched after some server downtime, bringing Runes of Magic fans hurrying to log and and get a look at all the new additions. And there's plenty to see: the expansion brings a new level cap of 58, new zones, new dungeons with selectable difficulty levels, and quite a bit more. Chapter III also brings the promise of even more down the road. The marriage system will be added to the game along with yet another level cap raise -- this time to 60 -- and there will be even more new zones, dungeons, and mounts added to Runes of Magic. The expansion is live now, so check out all the details on the Runes of Magic site and get a first look at the newest screenshots in the gallery below. %Gallery-93244%
New video shines a light on Runes of Magic Chapter III
Set to launch this upcoming Tuesday, May 18th, the newest addition to Runes of Magic -- Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms -- will offer players even more new content in an already rich free-to-play world. And of course, no pre-launch would be complete without a shiny new trailer to show off some of the things players can expect to see when the new areas roll out. That's why we were glad to see that the Runes of Magic team posted a shiny new video on their Facebook feed this morning. While the video touches on Chapter I and II, it's the look at Chapter III that we're most interested in. Between the preview of Janost Forest, the new 6-man Dungeon of Dalanis, and even more ahead for the denizens of Taborea, there's quite a bit to draw in players even more than before. Mind you, if you get in this weekend, you can also take advantage of today's free surprise orb giveaway, and some other treats that Frogster Interactive has going for the end of Chapter II. Be sure to check out the full Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms trailer behind the break!
Runes of Magic Chapter III launches May 18
Frogster has finally announced the official release date of their Chapter III - The Elder Kingdoms content update for Runes of Magic. The free-to-play fantasy MMORPG will be expanding on May 18th, adding everything from a huge new region, to multiple dungeons, to a multitude of new quests. The new area is the continent of Zandorya, presided over by the monarchy of Dalanis which is in turn ruled by the child-king Callaway. Adventurers will be tasked with restoring the glory of the old Dalanis dynasty and subduing the forces of chaos at work in the kingdom. Players at level 55 and above can already access the first territory from the new kingdom, an area known as Thunderhoof Hills. On May 18th, players will able to access a new collectible card system, new instance difficulty levels and reward systems, new guild castle features and minigames, as well as an expanded level cap.
Runes of Magic invites adventurers to delve into the Dungeon of Dalanis
Runes of Magic players are in for a rich treat with a nugaty center this May, as Frogster is about to deliver its second expansion to the game: Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms. Part of this exciting expansion is the fabled Dungeon of Dalanis, the first new six-person dungeon added since the game's release. The Dungeon of Dalanis is a place angels fear to tread. Not only is it a hidden jail for upper-class criminals, but a mad prince experiments on animals and creatures alike within its depths. Still, if players have the nerves of steel and -- more importantly -- 57 or more levels under their belt, they're welcome to try their hand at a little prison reform. Four bosses must be vanquished, including the enigmatic Experiment No. 203, before they can take a crack at Prince Maxim Erekat III. Oh Eerekat, what WON'T you do next? This dungeon is also offering a first in Runes of Magic history: the option of two difficulty levels. This is a good option for those who aren't quite on the cutting edge of leetdom, but still want to have a fun time. Head on over to the official site for the complete announcement.
Runes of Magic touts Chapter 3 training program, bonus XP
Frogster, North American publishers for the hit free-to-play MMORPG Runes of Magic, has just announced a ten week training program designed to prepare players for the game's upcoming third chapter. The program, titled 'Expedition 60,' aims to assist denizens of Taborea to level up and gain access to high-level areas prior to The Elder Kingdoms expansion. "Recently Runes of Magic reached a significant milestone with the announcement of three million registered players in North America and Europe," said Andreas Weidenhaupt, Frogster CEO. "As the game community grows on a daily basis, Frogster is celebrating by creating a very special training program leading up to the launch of Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms."
Lost Pages of Taborea: A year of Runes of Magic
You may be hard pressed to find anyone saying Runes of Magic had a rough year. The Western-style MMORPG with its free-to-play business model garnered a lot of attention from all over the web while it was just in beta. Frogster had a smooth launch that saw a rapid increase in RoM's player base. Servers were popping up all over the world at breakneck speed. And just when some might think that was going to be it, a steady stream of updates grew the game over the year into a more content-rich experience than ever. Grab your Extra Ginger Beer, or whatever your fuel of choice is, and follow along after the break to see how RoM has progressed into the great game it is now.
Runes of Magic upgrades trading card system
While Runes of Magic is often dismissed as a straight-up World of Warcraft clone, that does a disservice to game features that march to the beat of a different Frogster. One such system is their monster trading cards, where defeated mobs have a chance to drop a special card that show statistics and details about each monster. While these cards were mostly cosmetic up to this point, Runes of Magic is planning to both upgrade and expand the system with the Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms update this month. 48 new monster cards will be added to the game, which will increase the monster compendium to 800 foul beasts and critters. In addition, each monster card will now bestow attributes to the player, such as a boost to dexterity or strength. As such, demand for these cards will rise, which Frogster hopes will fire up player interaction as gamers trade for their most desired attributes. The Chapter III update won't just focus on monster cards, of course. A huge number of additions to Runes of Magic will come packaged with it, including a level cap increase to 60, new areas, a PvP ranking system, new mini-games and the opportunity to get married in the game. Well, "officially" married, at least. Look for the update later this month!
Runes of Magic releases Chapter 3 zone preview
Frogster, publisher of the free-to-play giant Runes of Magic, has posted some new information on their upcoming Chapter 3 release, The Elder Kingdoms, planned for May. This information was spotted on RoM's international website, but is sure to make its way to the US one soon. "Beginning in April our players will be able to set foot on the previously forgotten continent of Zandorya and explore its first zone. And today we will be showing the first detailed glimpses into the 'Thunderhoof Hills' area and the kingdom of 'Dalanis'!" This zone preview has some nice flavor text on the new area, some information on one of their soon to be released dungeons, and new screen shots to boot. This is just a small part of the list of features going in to Chapter 3 that players can look forward to. The Elder Kingdoms will be giving us even more new zones, difficulty settings on dungeons, new pets, a marriage system, and more. This zone preview is just a small taste of many things to come. Runes of Magic has been steadily churning out content, since their official release last March. After a big birthday bash, the announcement at GDC has kept us all waiting for more news. Recent news of RoM adding Vivox integrated chat has kept us excited, but we are really glad to see this sneak peek of actual new content.%Gallery-88042%
Runes of Magic Chapter III to arrive in May
Runes of Magic fans will be happy to hear that Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms will be launching in May to whisk them away to a brand new continent with a shiny new level cap. The kingdom of Dalanis is in an uproar, with a young king on the throne and a horde of schemers behind it. As players arrive to try and sort things out, they'll find a wealth of new content and features, beginning with a new level cap of 60. Players level 55 and over will learn the history of the ancient kingdom as they explore hundreds of new quests, beginning with the area of Thunderhoof Hills. Quite a few old familiar features will be expanded and improved, and May suddenly seems pretty far off for level 55 players anxious for new challenges. An extensive sneak peek is available now, so pass some time exploring what Frogster has released so far. If you are still impatient, we're sure the Demon Lord will be happy to occupy your time until then.
