The Chronicles of Spellborn is a dark fantasy MMORPG. Now I know what you are thinking, and the answer is no. There are no elves, and there are no orcs. This is not that kind of fantasy. This is a unique type of fantasy, one that is based on a post-apocolyptic “shard”. I say shards because this game does not inhabit a world, this game inhabits a series of shards that are populated and unpopulated. A stirring of frontier/urban areas alike. There is no world in the traditional sense.

There are two races to choose from, humans and daevi. No, they aren’t enemies either. They live and work harmoniously. Between the races there are also 3 different archtypes to choose from and 9 different classes. They are:

Warrior:

• Blood Warrior
• Furyhammer
• Wrathguard

Spellcaster:

• Rune Mage
• Void Seer
• Oracle Disciple

Rogue:

• Trickster
• Skinshifter
• Deathhand

The game is level based with a skill system added in to further add character customization. This means that your character, lets say a Deathhand, can GREATLY vary from that of other Deathhands within the game despite being the same level and class. Such is why a skill system can be so important.

In addition to the classes, and races there will be 5 High Houses which a which are all vying for a majority control over the populace of the land. You get to choose to be in one of these houses. From there you will be able to do quests and slowly rise through the ranks of your house in order to gain more control over the land in the name of your house. No word yet on how this will be effectively implemented, but it’s still a neat idea that I am intrigued by.

The game is currently in the beta-phase and is promising a release early next year, although with these small indy MMOs who actually knows when they will get released, right? In anycase, the game looks very unique and is promising a very different setting from the usual Scifi/Fantasy MMOs we are so very accustomed to. Here’s hoping that the game plays as well as it looks.

Check out the game here.

CCP, makers of Eve Online, have announce the date for the Eve Online expansion Trinity as Dec 5th 2007.  The expansion will be free to download and not only include new features and areas, but also a huge graphics update to the game.  I just finished watching the Eve Trailer and it looks awesome, I really wish the game wasn’t so confusing cause I would loved to have continued to play it.

This winter we will be releasing the Trinity expansion. This constitutes a massive change in the world of EVE: Not only is the expansion packed with new features, but it also includes a graphics update of gargantuan proportions. Every ship, station and stargate has been completely overhauled from start to finish, resulting in an amazing splendor of spacefaring sights. It really has to be seen to be believed, and once Trinity arrives and you log on to EVE, we’re convinced that you will never look back.

In order to achieve its visual goals, CCP developed a new graphics engine, architected for Shader Model 3.0 and above. In this first showcase for the new engine, all ships, stations and stargates have been reconstructed. EVE Online: Trinity employs advanced lighting techniques and complex surface materials to make these highly detailed models even more realistic. 

Its been about 2 months since I quit Lord of the Rings Online so I’ve decided to take a look at what has changed since I quit and my thoughts on the game now that I’ve had some time to reflect. While I was playing, I was probably averaging 12 hrs/week with LOTRO, so that has freed up some time for me. Since I’ve quit I’ve had more time to explore other MMOs such as Tabula Rasa, which didn’t work out, and Exteel Beta which I’m still enjoying. I’m also currently playing Crysis, I know its not a MMORPG, but to hell with it, the game if f#$&’n awesome. Aside from the ridiculously beautiful graphics the game is just a breath of fresh air for FPS.

But enough on the awesomeness that is Crysis, this post is about LOTRO. When I think of why I quit, I’m not sorry and infact I wish I had left earlier. My favorite part of the game was prelevel 30, it was just fun exploring Middle Earth, seeing characters from the books and exploring my character’s skills. I’m a huge LOTR fan, so many of the locations and lore I was already familiar with and enjoyed this the most. Seeing a Ringwraith for the first time in game definitely sent a shiver up my spine. However as the game went on and the charm of being in Middle Earth faded I became bored, this is especially true once I hit the level limit.

At the point that I quit, I had visited nearly everything in the game, even though I hadn’t beaten all the bosses there was just not enough to do when I logged on. I’d search for groups to complete the last few areas that I hadn’t beaten, but 90% of the time I wouldn’t be able to find anyone. The guild I was in was pretty small, we only had about 6-7 ppl that had maxed out characters, so to get everyone online at the same time was difficult.

I hated the crafting system, so I didn’t do any.  Sorry but watching my character carve wood for 30 mins != fun.

The PvP was useless, it was entertaining for a little while, but with really no point to it I grew tired.  Basically I found myself running the same 4-5 quests over and over again trying to get my epic items, but after doing the same quest 10+ times, I ended up hating them and felt like I was wasting my time.

As a single player game, it would have been fantastic, however as a MMO, not so much.

So, today I will be writing something that is a little bit of a departure from MMORPGs, but applies to gamers in a more generalized fashion. As it stands, right now, this may very well just be speculation and an outright lie by somebody who was posting their frustration onto a message board, or it could be real. In anycase, just chalk this up as one more reason to never break any NDA you sign.

So, while perusing a few forums I frequent, I came across an interesting post. Apparently, a user was found to have broken the NDA for a game in beta (which for legal reasons I’ll avoid posting here). This game was not an MMORPG, per say, but as many of us do participate in betas for many MMORPGs it serves as a good story, none-the-less. As it turns out the game’s beta was being run through IGN and as such IGN had control over who got their beta-key revoked and who got to keep playing. So it was not surprising to find out that IGN was not happy with the user who broke the NDA and not only revoked his beta key but also warned that should he continue what he is doing (assumably giving away info on the game) then IGN will terminate his account and disallow any access to it at all. Harsh. Check out the exact email:

“Greetings,

This email is to serve as notice that you are in violation of our User Agreement and the law.  We were notified by [CENSORED GAME COMPANY] to terminate your [CENSORED GAME] beta key for violating the NDA. 

This is a warning that any more such actions on your part to violate the User Agreement of IGN or any of our partners, or the law under which we are bound to sell games on the internet will result in the immediate termination of your account and void all access to it without refund.”

So, should this person reveal any more information they’ll automatically take away any games he has purchased through IGN’s own Direct2Drive service (of which he has 20). That doesn’t sound very fair, or legal. If you pay for something, shouldn’t it be yours to keep. Is Best Buy allowed to come to my house and take back their movies and CDs if I do something they don’t like? No. So why is it O.K. for IGN to do so? Who knows? It was probably written somewhere in the NDA. It’s still a very questionable business tactic, and one that makes me shy away from their download service all the more. So remember, the next time you plan on breaking the NDA, don’t. You never know what they have the power to do.

P.S. As a final note, his games were NOT taken away. Only if he continues to do reveal valued information about the beta he was currently apart of.

ZeniMax Online, the recently established online wing of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, announced today it has licensed Simutronics’ HeroEngine for use in its upcoming MMO. The HeroEngine is a 3D engine and server technology platform originally developed for use in Simutronics’ MMORPG Hero’s Journey. BioWare licensed the engine in 2006 for use in its own MMO collaboration with LucasArts.

No details of the game have been released yet, although an Elder Scrolls MMORPG is the front runner, and why not it’s arguably the best RPG series of all time. ZeniMax secured $300 million in development funding earlier this month.

Our second comic, enjoy.

Not to say that I am a valid currency to be used in the world of Hellgate: London, but rather an expression meant to convey my leaving of the game. That is correct, I am done with Hellgate: London, just a few days before having played it inconsistently for a month. What started out as months of glorious anticipation eventually lead to the boring monotony of random hack and slash gameplay.

It’s actually kind of odd. The first few days that I was playing Hellgate: London, I absolutely loved it. I’d sworn that I found a 3D Diablo 2, and that I would be able to finally sink months of time into an [M]MORPG again, but, alas, such was not the case. At about the one week mark I could feel the game beginning to wear thin on me. I subscribed to the non-existant bonus’ and got my Evoker up to a respectable level 34. Then, last night after logging in for the first time in a week, I decided that the game was just too boring to continue to play. I subsequently canceled my subscription.

The game isn’t terrible, but it is monotonous. You’ll grow tired of seeing the same scenery over and over again. Likewise, you will also begin to notice that the quests start blurring and blending with eachother. I understand that there needs to be “fetch and kill” quests, but does there need to be this many? Perhaps when more content is released I’ll head back to check it out, but as of now I can’t recommend this game anymore. The subscription bonus’ are not there and the content is thin and paltry. Overall, I’d say the game could have used a few more months in the oven.

P.S. Happy, belated, Thanksgiving. I have been gone for the past few days without any internet.

With all the new MMORPGs on the horizon I decided to put a small list the games that are in open beta or have signups. I went through a lot of games and picked the ones that looked as though they had the most potential.

	Age of Conan - Beta signup Whats so special? Player created cities, Massive PvP and Siege Battle
	The Chronicles of Spellborn – Beta Signup Whats so special? Uses Unreal engine, PvP, Targeting combat (No auto-attacking)
	Darkfall – Beta Signup Whats so special? Engage in grand activities such as kingdom building, politics, strategy, diplomacy, combat, warfare, conquest, and racial wars.
	Exteel – Open Beta Whats so special? Mech combat with MMORPG leveling
	Mythos – Beta Signup Whats so special? Diablo style combat with ungraded grahics
	Perfect World – Open Beta Whats so special? Massive character customization
	Savage 2 – Open Beta Whats so special? Fast paced strategy shooter that takes team based game play to another level
	Warhammer Online – Beta Signup Whats so special? Next generation Realm vs. Realm system integrating both PvP combat and PvE quests on the same map in support of the greater war.

I just terminated my account with Tabula Rasa after 2 weeks and about 20 hrs of gaming.  I wasn’t planning on it, it was sort of a spur of the moment cancellation.   I  logged in tonight after getting home from Thanksgiving at my parents house and it just hit me, I’m not having any fun.  As I was completing a few quests I got that same feeling I get at work when I finish one thing and realize I have about 100 other things I still need to get done.  Dread.  Right there I logged off and canceled my account.  Why should I play another 100 hrs before I get to the good stuff, if there is any.  I’ve said it many times here and I’ll say it once more, quest grinding isn’t fun.

Anyway, I’m still playing Exteel’s open beta and loving it, I’ll probably be spending most of my gaming time there until Age of Conan comes out.   I just signed up for their beta, so hopefully I’ll get accepted.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t MMORPGs supposed to be huge dynamic worlds where anything and everything could happen. Yet instead it seems that they are becoming just like single player RPGs, except you can play along with friends. Think about it. In a single player RPG, you create a character out of a half dozen or so choices and then build them to become the type of warrior, mage or whatever else you want. When you start the game there is a beginning and end, with a few hundred quests in between, some part of the main storyline some optional. Now stop me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that sound like nearly all the MMORPGs that have come out over the last few years? There are obviously a few exceptions to this, but for the most part they are.

You start your character and complete quests to get XP and since quests give you the most XP players tend to do all the quests possible to level up quickly. Now by doing all these quests you are following a straight line, go here and do this. Go here and bring this back, go deliver this. Nothing dynamic about this at all. Yes you can choose if you want to skip a quest and in what order you do the quests, but the main point is that everyone is doing basically all the same quests. Everyone is basically playing a single player RPG online with a few hundred other people at the same time.

Now once you complete all the quests and reach the level limit at least now the game should become more dynamic, and it does for many games. However it only does if your playing a MMORPG with PvP. If your playing a game that does not offer this than you are stuck in a lifeless linear game, nothing to do except what the developers tell you to do. Yes you can chat and explore where ever you want, but you are confined to what the developers allow you to do. Once you have completed the game and maxed your character out, theres really nothing to do except start a new character or play a different game until an expansion or patch with new content is released. Sorry, just not my thing.

However most RPGs do have some PvP which offers some dynamic interaction. Fighting against other real people offers a much greater challenge to gamers which enhances the game play. However even todays PvP are watered down. You can’t loot, no penalty for PK and no penalty for dying. Basically it has become bragging rights. “Haha I pwn u”. Again there are games out there that are exceptions to this, but most of them are many years old at this point. There really hasn’t been a new MMORPG that has taken PvP to the next level and we desperately need one.