The 9-page PDF offers players an exclusive opportunity to print out and color exclusive Spirit Tales art, and then send it in via mail to KoramGame to receive an in-game prize code and to have their art signed by the Spirit Tales Artist.

You can download the coloring book (PDF) here, and find out more about the coloring book (and a special event, being announced tomorrow) in the Spirit Tales forum.

A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: 2112, League of Legends, Tribes Ascend, Maestia, Rappelz, Grand Chase, Elsword, War of the Immortals, Dragon Nest, Heroes of Newerth and Spirit Tales. The biggest news this week comes from the announcement of a new MMORTS from EmobiGames entitled 2112. Very little is known about the game currently but it is slated to be released this december. You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

As of late, we are seeing a lot more forms of freedom in the way MMORPG’s are played. This is both in the sense of the progression and combat, with other features also being tailored to offer more freedom as well. A lot of MMORPG’s up to this point were rather linear until endgame and for that endgame you had to go through a ridiculous amount of grind first.

More often then not, certain developers would try to find a way to kill this grind by making the quests a bit more random, or give it the appearance that they were random, rather than going for a strictly linear quest progression. In their core, all these quests still come down to the same basic idea of what the earlier games gave you. However, it’s a lot more enjoyable to do random stuff instead of getting those typical quests where you have to kill 10 boars for no apparent reason. Sometimes, that element of grind is still lurking around (very noticeable at reaching mid level), but it’s a lot cleaner and more enjoyable with the current system if the games are doing it correctly. A great example of this is Guild Wars 2, as quests pop up once you reach that area instead of requiring you to go collect each one and then return their to redeem your rewards. You could say that World of Warcraft has some contribution to this as well, due to them revamping the quest system to make it feel less grindy with each expansion, while adding in more straightforward quests. A lot of developers are picking up on this idea now too.

If we talk about combat, it’s safe to say that we are getting rid of the ‘dice-roll’ system. Those critical strikes aren’t just a luck of the draw now, instead we are getting to a point in which there is no persistent damage output. This recent mechanic of MMORPG’s has drawn a lot of attention from both developers and players looking for something different. Most people are probably familiar with this action-mechanic by now. You can manually aim your attacks via the use of mouse-button mashing, meaning that there is no lock system and you can completely disrupt any damage. That can be done by simply dodging or blocking. The blocking is only making its appearance if your class or game has it implemented, but the dodging can be done in each game as the mechanic allows it to happen. This eventually leads into this mechanic requiring a certain degree of skill.

This is not to say that hotkey-combat and the lock-on doesn’t require skill, but most of the time, it comes down to whoever is hitting their keys the fastest. For this, we can easily look at Vindictus, which got mass anticipation at the time of its incarnation. You could say this mechanic comes from games like Savage 2, but those didn’t really go with the entirety that is MMORPG’s, as it is more of a strategic arena-based game. It’s still a recommendation for those hunting for straight on player versus player. An older game that tried this was Hellgate, however, it didn’t get as much attention due to limitations in advertisement, which didn’t really made it stand out.

Nothing is complete without going over every indication to give the game the tag of that certain genre. One of the ways to draw you into an MMORPG, are the classes. We’ve seen hundreds of Archetypes over the course of this decade. You could call them classes as well, but that would only be a correct statement if a game threats them in that way. Archetypes is a bit more explicit for the description of these characters. They come in all sorts of forms, from both ranged to melee damage, while others heal or disrupt enemies. They come in those hundred names while still holding the same premise of what they are ordered to do. You have the ranger that can easily tame creatures as a hunter. You have the warrior who can take on the form of a berserker. There is the rogue who is lurking in the shadows as the thief. You have the shaman who has the same college-degree as the cleric. Finally, there is the mage that can cast destructive spells that take down the soul-capturing nature of the Necromancer. If you aren’t fed up by all these archetypes yet, then I have news for you. We are stepping away from them. Hooray!

The actual pre-set of those archetypes is still there, but Grinding Gear Games, the minds behind the upcoming Diablo style action MMO Path of Exile said; ‘screw this, let’s see what we can do differently’. In Path Of Exile you still have the base sets, while in the meantime, you can go on a completely separate path then what the main archetype actually demands from you. You can easily go with magic damage as a marauder or do melee damage as a ranger. This is only a small example of where the class-combinations or freedom in terms of  progression is going. As of this moment, there are dozen games out there going in this direction. No longer are you locked into a certain play-style and role. Go all out on the weapons you are allowed to carry as their isn’t that boundary anymore. Go crazy and show what you created within this path. No more thinking about what skill you are going for next and then feeling sad for choosing that one because you “had to”. Just roll with it because nothing is wrong. You can still theorycraft if you really want too, but as it stands with the model now, you aren’t truly bound to anything.

This growth of freedom isn’t limited to these things only. We are seeing new mechanics like this for MMORPG’s each day, all leading up towards this freedom. It is still limited by the amount that the developers are contributing to the idea, but we are still going in the right direction. You can’t make an MMORPG feel too much like a sandbox, else it would lose its touch. That is what the audience isn’t seeing of course. Yes, you can safely go all out with it, but still try to remain true to what MMORPG’s are actually about. Don’t go all Minecraft fashion with these sandbox-styled elements, because if you can get distracted easily (like me), it will only be fun for about a week. Controlled chaos is the name of the game.

Is this progression or growth of freedom your thing? What are your takes on certain elements of this freedom? Do you think we will see more of this as time goes by or do you think the audience will even allow this to happen? Of course! There will always be an audience for these kind of games, but going too much in the direction of sandbox, leads into a game that’s not exactly fit being the basis for an MMORPG as we know them.

Introducing “Knife Touchdown,” a variation of the original Touchdown Mode. Described as “football meets melee attack jacked up on stimulants,” up to sixteen players can scramble for the ball, carry or pass it to the opposite goal, and score points, all while taking knives from their opponents. Each round will only last two and a half minutes, carriers have a movement speed penalty, and respawn is reduced to five seconds with no invincibility, making this one heck of a football game.

Sudden Attack is published by Nexon, which also publishes Combat Arms and Vindictus.

Sudden Attack “Knives Only” Gameplay Screenshot

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New “Sudden Attack” game mode combines football, knives

Mayhem ensues with the Knife Touchdown game mode

 

The Season of Slaughter continues with May-hem in “Sudden Attack.” With the recent introduction of Knife Touchdown mode, fans of Nexon America’s anything-goes first-person shooter will get to experience the most frenetic game mode yet.

 

A modified, faster and crazier version of the Touchdown mode, Knife Touchdown is football meets melee attack jacked up on stimulants. At the beginning of each match between one and eight players on each team will make a mad scramble for the “ball” in the center of the arena. Teams must then carry or pass the ball to get it across the opposing goal. Everyone will be equipped with melee weapons only, making for a fast, furious and bloody ball game.

 

To make the games go blazingly fast, rounds will last only two and a half minutes, and the regular respawn time is cut in half to just five seconds with no invincibility period. To ensure the ball carriers remain vulnerable, they will also be hit with a movement speed penalty.

 

For more information about the “Sudden Attack” Knife Touchdown content update and to jump in to experience the Mayhem yourself, visit: http://suddenattack.nexon.net.

 

Forge of Empires has launched Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese language versions over the past two days, each of which starts with its own server and world to foster a language-focused community.

Forge of Empires has also reached 250,000 registered players for its open beta, a first major milestone.

InnoGames also publishes Tribal Wars and Grepolis.

Forge of Empires Gameplay Screenshot

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250,000 Players join Forge of Empires Beta

Browser title continues success, adds additional languages

Hamburg, May 15, 2012. Forge of Empires, the strategic browser game by company InnoGames has attracted 250,000 registered players to its open beta thus far. The game, already available in five languages, including English, French and German, adds four new markets: Greek and Italian language versions opened yesterday, followed by Spanish and Portuguese today. Each version starts with its own worlds to foster a community in their respective markets. Several more languages are planned for the coming weeks.

In Forge of Empires, players tasked with leading their own city to prosperity can research new technologies, build impressive historical buildings and enlarge their sphere of influence through military campaigns and skillful dealing. Other players’ cities can be visited and, while admiring structures and placement of buildings, be supported by polishing decorations or motivating workers for increased happiness or resource outcome. Additionally, one must foster a healthy culture for citizens and establish trade and production of various resources.

Forge of Empires also contains a long-term single player campaign, as well as an ever-growing number of PvP-features, which offer months of entertainment. A turn-based battle system on a hex-field and other tactical facets to the game will keep strategists’ attention and allow for challenging duels with friends and adversaries. Competitive players can fight for top ranks and medals in weekly tournaments. InnoGames provides additional information in the game’s blog.

With more than 80 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Tribal Wars, The West and Grepolis.

The test will take place between May 17 and May 31, and will also play host to the 2012 Championship Tournament, where the two finalists will head off to Los Angeles to compete at E3. 30 other users will also be invited to participate in the final match, and can have their shot by visiting the official C9 Facebook page.

The last closed beta test will feature the Berserker, a new advanced class of the fighter.

Webzen also publishes Archlord and Mu Online.

Global C9 Berserker Trailer

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2012 ‘C9’ Championship Tournament Begins with the Final CBT

 

WEBZEN Inc. (WWW.WEBZEN.COM), the Next Generation of Free-to-Play Online Games, announced the final closed beta test for the Action RPG ‘C9 (Continent of the Ninth Seal)’ where the online tournament of the ‘2012 C9 Championship Tournament’ will begin.

 

From May 17th to the 31st, WEBZEN will open the final closed beta test for ‘C9’ where the online tournament for the ‘2012 Championship Tournament’ will take place. The top 2 qualifying teams will be determined to head off to the finals in Los Angeles, U.S.A.

 

The online tournament will finish up to the semi-finals, and on June 6th the final top 2 teams will compete at Los Angeles, U.S.A. for the $10,000 (USD) grand prize. WEBZEN will provide the final’s live footage through live stream on the official C9 website (c9.webzen.com).

 

The registration for the tournament had finished last May 10th through the official homepage and 32 teams have been selected for the seeding. Among the participants, there are experienced e-sports and online game clans that will add more competition to the tournament.

 

Also, WEBZEN is inviting 30 users to participate in the final match held in Los Angeles. The registration for this invitation can be entered through the official C9 Facebook page (www.facebook.com/C9Webzen).

 

Meanwhile, during the final closed beta test, a new character ‘Berserker’ will be revealed. As an advanced class of the fighter, the ‘Berserker’ has the most powerful physical attack power using its two handed sword. Users who participated in the Tournament Registration Test last April will be able to continuously play where they left off without creating a new character or enjoy the newly revealed ‘Berserker’.

 

Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said, “During the finals of the championship tournament, C9’s Producer and developers will join us to add to the excitement.” Also he said, “Users or clans who have not qualified for the tournament, please keep interested throughout the final CBT to find out who the final qualifiers for the 2012 C9 Championship Tournament will be.”

 

More information about the Action RPG ‘C9’ can be found at the official Facebook community (www.facebook.com/C9Webzen) and website (c9.webzen.com).

 

The May Madness Beta will take place from Wednesday, May 16 (10am Pacific) until May 20 (midnight Pacific), lasting five days. The beta test will feature open world PvP for the first time, offering a host of events for players to test their PvP prowess.

You can grab your own closed beta key here at MMOHut!

Beta events will include a Last Man Standing championship on the last day of beta, Last Guild Standing (5v5 PvP battles) tournament, and a guild versus guild dungeon scramble, where guilds must race to be the first to complete the same instance.

Players who filled out a survey after participating in the Challenge 72 Beta will gain an Elite Costume for their highest level character to use during the Beta, and players who reach level 15 in the beta will get an exclusive Haruhime mini-pet for Open Beta.

Gamania also publishes Bright Shadow and Lucent Heart.

Divina Gameplay Screenshot

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GAMANIA ANNOUNCES DIVINA’S CLOSED BETA LAUNCH

Beta Key Giveaways and Invites Begin

IRVINE, Calif. – May 15, 2012 – Gamania Digital Entertainment today revealed the official Closed Beta launch date for its free-to-play, 3D MMORPG, Divina. Starting Wednesday, May 16, at 10:00AM PDT, players will be able to participate in Divina’s  May Madness Beta testing, which will feature open world Player versus Player (PvP) combat for the first time, as well as new competitive events. The May Madness Beta will end on Sunday, May 20, at 11:59PM PDT, giving testers five full days to explore Divina and help get it ready for its commercial launch this year.

“After the success of our recent sneak peek event for Divina, we’re very excited to get our beta testing underway,” said David Wong, COO of Gamania. “The staff and GMs will have more time to get to know players during this test, and we’re anxious to see what everyone thinks about the open world PvP system that will be unlocked. If all goes well, we should be seeing Divina launch sooner than expected this year.”

To further stress Divina’s server infrastructure, Gamania will be issuing a large number of Closed Beta invites. Players can grab a beta key at: http://mmohuts.com/giveaways/divina-closed-beta-key-giveaway

The May Madness Beta will feature exciting competitive events, pitting players against each other in a mad race to become Divina’s Champion:

-      Last Man Standing – Players fight each other in qualifying rounds leading up to the PvP Championships on the last day of beta.

-      Last Guild Standing – Guilds can compete in 5 vs. 5 PvP battles up to the Last Guild Standing Championship, deciding the strongest guild in Divina.

-      Guild vs Guild Dungeon Scramble – Divina’s dungeons are known for their difficulty. Guilds can race each other to be the first to complete the same instance!

In addition, Gamania will be rewarding loyal players returning to Divina. Those that filled out a survey at the end of the Challenge 72 Beta will receive an exclusive Elite Costume for their highest level character to use during the May Madness Beta. And, all players that get past level 15 in the May Madness Beta will receive an exclusive Haruhime mini-pet when they return for Open Beta!

Players can view the full Closed Beta event schedule and learn more about the game by visiting the official website (http://us.beanfun.com/divina/), or join Divina’s community at the official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/divinaenglish).

The game has already reached one million registered users, Mail.Ru has reported, along with reaching a concurrent peak user record of 28,000 players. Russia is the debut market for Warface, with other markets to soon follow. Mail.Ru also hopes that Warface will become an e-sport title.

Mail.Ru also publishes Legend: Legacy of the Dragons and Juggernaut.

Warface Gameplay Screenshot

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Warface receives a warm welcome in Russia

Mail.Ru Games sets new record in Russian game market history

Frankfurt (Germany) / Moscow (Russia), May 11th, 2012 – Mail.Ru Group’s top-tier MMOFPS Warface – developed by Crytek – has recorded preliminary operating results that set a new record in Russian game market history. Within the first four weeks of operation the title’s CCU is already on par with Russia’s most successful games, shooters and MMORPGs alike: 28,000 players have been simultaneously fighting for the future in the AAA-shooter from one of the best FPS creators in the world. According to Mail.Ru Group’s market analysis, it is an unprecedented result and it took from several months to a few years for competing titles to reach a similar level of performance. As of 10th May 2012, the number of registered users in Warface exceeds 1 million.

With Warface cementing its status as a rising star on the market, Mail.Ru Group has further strengthened its leading position among Russian MOFPS publishers – a position the company has held since the launch of Cross Fire.

“We are extremely satisfied with the Warface results and we are happy that the hard work done by our team over the title has been so fruitful,” says Vladimir Nikolsky, the Vice President of Mail.Ru Group Game Division. “We intend to keep up the good work and make Warface not merely a successful game, but also a huge brand and a cybersport discipline, like we did with Cross Fire.”

Avni Yerli, Managing Director of Crytek GmbH, adds: “We chose Russia to be the debut market for our title, since we have always had a great reception with Russian gamers and had great confidence in Mail.Ru Group’s ability to achieve success. We are extremely happy with the launch, the great work from Mail.Ru Group and the massive effort from our development team and can’t wait to let people around the world play Warface.”

The anniversary (officially on June 1) will include many fan-made videos in an official anniversary trailer. In addition to in-game gifts and rewards, TQ Digital is also offering a chance to win special real-world collectibles: special Eudemon books and pins available through special anniversary events.

TQ Digital also publishes Conquer Online and Crazy Tao.

Eudemons Online Collectibles

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What’s Special About EO’s 6th Anniversary?

 

It’s the 6th year of Eudemons Online, and this exciting, free-to-play MMORPG is far from over! Eudemons Online has grown up and changed a lot through these years, so what can we expect from the anniversary on June 1st?

 

Gamer Video Support

Games and gamers are inseparable. None of the games of today could have come so far without the help and support from their players. This anniversary, many EO fans have sent their videos to add to the official trailer. We’ll see players from all around the world in EO’s upcoming anniversary trailer. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones to have their video included!

 

 

 

Real-World Gifts Giveaway

The in-game gifts are as great as ever, but there’s a special surprise for this anniversary! This time, TQ is offering special anniversary souvenir from the real world! Check out these awesome Eudemon books & pins! There are altogether 10 unique pins per book. You can put them on your clothes, your bag, your hat, or any other place you like! Just join the Eudemons 6th Anniversary celebration events, and you’ll get your chance to grab these incredible gifts!

 

Publisher: Rampid Interactive, LLC
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: Low
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Yes
Filesize: N/A

Pros: +Simple game mechanics. +Self-driven character development. +Easy to play in quick sessions.

Cons: -Game feels horribly dated. -Might be too simplistic for some. -Repetitive.

Overview

Outwar Overview

Outwar is a simple to play browser MMO, where you control a character in a wasteland area. You choose between a monster, a gangster, or a popstar, and can develop their skills however you see fit. Monsters are more focused on attack, while gangsters are “tank” oriented. Popstars are balanced between the two of them. Characters can equip various weapons and armor in the game as well. Joining with a crew allows multiple players to tackle hard, raid level monsters, or go after bounties on others.

Outwar Screenshots

Outwar Featured Video

Click here to view the embedded video.