uncharted-waters-online
Latest
Uncharted Waters Online patch revamps naval PvP, adds new area
What's new in the world of Uncharted Waters Online? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Tecmo Koei Games released the Angkor update on March 9th, bringing a large new explorable region, revamped naval battle mechanics, and the World Tour Challenge to UWO. The Southeast Asian region features the ruins of Angkor Wat as well as new quests and various towns and villages to visit. UWO's updated naval battle system now boasts 10v10 PvP skirmishes that can last as long as a week, and players are encouraged to bring their best crew and equipment in order to claim the new rewards. Finally, the update has opened the South Pacific, allowing players to sail around the entire game world via the World Tour Challenge (which also features a number of quirky side quests, according to a press release detailing the patch). Head to the official Uncharted Waters Online website for more details, and check out five new screenshots in our gallery below. %Gallery-94950%
Rise and Shiny recap: Uncharted Waters Online
Uncharted Waters Online by Netmarble is one of those games that I have been meaning to get around to taking a much deeper look at, but I never seemed to find the time. I knew that the game would require more concentration and chin-scratching than I was used to in many games, so I was a little worried. I also knew that a week would be seen as "not nearly enough time" to cover the game, but then I remembered my promise of covering the newbie experience for this column. I don't care which game we are talking about; they all deserve a look at the first few levels or days in game. UWO was surprisingly easy. In fact, the hardest part about the game was figuring out exactly what it was that I needed to do in order to move forward, but honestly even that was probably covered in the 34-year-long tutorial. Every time I broke down and asked the chat denizens about a certain item or quest section, they would give me the answer. When I asked them where they found the information, they would simply say "the tutorial." I believed them -- the tutorial is long and filled with information that I quickly forgot. In fact, if you decide to give the game a go, do yourself a favor and pay close attention to the tutorial. It will more than likely tell you everything you need to know. Besides my issues with listening, I found a lot more inside the world or pirates, exploration, and trade, so click past the cut and let's talk about it.
Uncharted Waters Online releases new Aztec-themed update
The team at Tecmo Koei is wasting no time getting a jump on the new year, as it's already released a brand-new update to Uncharted Waters Online. The new content, titled Aztec Update: The City of Golden Culture Revealed, is centered around Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec empire. The patch adds a new city-building mechanic and allows enterprising architects to experience the new player-driven economy and construct a city from scratch after choosing from five categories (frontier city, city of culture, commerce city, armed city, or central city). The update also features a new level quest, a docking system that allows player ships to be anchored, and new player recipes, all of which look to add quite a bit of depth to the empire-building MMO. Learn more at the official Uncharted Waters Online website.
MV Guide: January 10 - 17, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week the Massively staff will be logging in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We'll have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. Are you worried about missing out due to your schedule? Don't be, because we'll be Livestreaming at various times during the afternoon and evening both weekdays and weekends, so you're sure to find something great up and running at a good time! If you miss a Livestream, we've got you covered there too! Just check out the "latest videos" section of our channel to find past Livestream events to view at your leisure. So if you're looking to check out some new games or see your favorite game from a new perspective, follow along after the cut for this week's installment of MV Guide!
One Shots: Come on in, the water is fine
If you don't have the chance to travel around the world on vacation, one of the fun things you can do is to take virtual tours in different MMOs! If you happen to find yourself in Uncharted Waters Online, you'll even get a chance to see real-world landmarks, since the game is based on world history from the 1500s! This image comes to us courtesy of Valerius, who stopped amidst his travels to capture this screenshot and send in a virtual postcard. He writes: "While I was spending my time learning the basics of the game, I came across this illustration of the Pisa Tower. Uncharted Waters Online is not an eye-popper, graphically speaking, but every time one comes across a new city or a landscape there is always some detail which specializes its surroundings. Apart from the game's different classes and unique gameplay, UWO knows how to surprise here and there -- even with its modest graphics. Being different is a challenge these days within MMO games, and I think UWO accomplishes it." Whether real-world or purely made up, we're always looking for lovely landmarks. If you'd like to show off a smashing (or leaning) bit of scenery, then snap a screenshot and send it 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 in the picture. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
Uncharted Waters Online heads to open beta
Starting on October 1st, eager players will be able to jump into the open beta waters of Uncharted Waters Online. If you are a fan of Pirates of the Burning Sea, then you have an idea of what to expect with UWO. The game has a long history, stemming all the way back to a 1991 Nintendo title. This version is imported from Korea, where the game has enjoyed three years of hosting happy pirates. If you're an options player, then you'll more-than-likely enjoy UWO. While you can always fall back on combat or adventuring for your pirating needs, you can also explore and discover new areas and items, craft goods to sell, or become a trader. Of course, with job names like treasure hunter, master explorer, guerrilla or folklorist, you will have many other options to explore. The game also has a rich PvP system and weather that can actually hinder your adventuring. There will be a pre-load client available on September 29th for those of us who can't wait to get back to the stormy seas!
Rise and Shiny recap: Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online (longest. name. ever.) is perfect for Rise and Shiny: it is unusual, makes some people uncomfortable, free-to-play, and more "indie" than "AAA." I've played it off and on since its release but never found the time or desire to really push into it. After all, the combat in the game takes patience and knowledge, something that requires, well, patience and knowledge. Over the last week I decided to dive right in, changing my normal procedure of blindly downloading, playing, and socializing. I broke my habit of ignoring the wiki and the information from the playerbase, and I have decided to actually immerse myself into a week-long college course on whatever game it is I am playing at the time. The effort paid off big. The combat became more enjoyable, and the game made more sense. I met some very nice community members, and even found myself wanting to go through an epic hour-and-a-half dungeon experience. The game is not without its frustrating moments, of course. Starting out can feel like a pretty overwhelming experience. While there is a great beginning tutorial to help players understand the complicated combat system, many areas of the game require information that is so hidden that you must simply look it up in a wiki.
Uncharted Waters Online ready for closed beta
Last month's announcement of Uncharted Waters Online caught the attention of quite a few fans who were curious to see more of the game. They're going to get their chance to do just that very soon, because the game will enter closed beta in just one week. The Uncharted Waters Online team has a very generous definition of "closed beta" according to the announcement: "CBT is open to everyone, meaning no CBT Keys Needed!" While testing runs from August 25th through September 6th, the client is available for download beginning on the 20th. %Gallery-94950%
Avast ye landlubbers: Uncharted Waters Online ahead!
A month ago we heard that the folks at TECHMO KOEI are bringing Uncharted Waters Online, a three-year-old pirate MMO from Korea, to North America. As we do with all piratey things, we waved our hooks in the air and demanded that they tell us more -- or else face our ire and walk the plank. While they didn't respond to garish pirate threats, KOEI was moved by "Pretty please?" and gave us a glimpse into the high seas and low talk of this popular title. Uncharted Waters Online is actually the latest in a long series of Uncharted Waters games, dating all the way back to a 1991 Nintendo title. Each game has dealt with a romanticized version of the Age of Exploration (14th through 16th century), and this MMO is no different. If you're familiar with games like Sid Meier's Pirates! and Pirates of the Burning Sea, you have a good idea what you're in for: trading, exploration, and a whole lot of ship-on-ship violence. Hit the jump for a deeper look at Uncharted Waters Online!
Uncharted Waters Online free-to-play MMO journeys West
Sorry, this isn't an MMO adaptation of Naughty Dog's Uncharted franchise. Instead, Uncharted Waters Online is Tecmo Koei's long-running online RPG, and it's making its way to America and Europe via CJ Internet. Like Pirates of the Burning Sea, the experience centers around traveling the oceans, trading, exploring and battling on both sea and land. While Uncharted Waters may be an unfamiliar name Stateside, it's been big enough in Asia to warrant three expansion packs and an online-enabled PS3 port. While CJ Internet is only bringing the PC version to English-speaking audiences, the free-to-play model being adopted should make it an easier sell to the MMO masses.
Set sail for Uncharted Waters Online
Look out, Pirates of the Burning Sea -- there's a new challenger on the high seas! Publisher CJ Internet and developer TECHMO KOEI are bringing Uncharted Waters Online to North American and European shores after a three-year run in Japan and Korea. Set during the Age of Exploration (1400s-1600s), players will pilot ships, conquer cities and engage in a complex economy, all in an effort to propel their chosen nation to victory. Because it is three years old, this free-to-play title should offer a greater amount of stability and content than most new MMOs. It looks as if there's a decent amount of character options in Uncharted Waters Online as well. Players can pledge allegiance to one of six nations -- England, Dutch Republic, Ancient Régime in France, Spanish Empire, Kingdom of Portugal, and Republic of Venice -- and live the life of an adventurer, merchant or soldier. The combat and conquest aspect of the game has a tight symbiotic relationship with the economy; for example, if you want lower taxes in port, it's best if your country's flag is flying above it. We'll be seeing more about this title at E3, but in the meantime you can check out the teaser trailer after the jump and our gallery full of screenshots and concept art: %Gallery-94950%
