gPotato posts

Region-specific changes coming to Allods Online

by Rubi Bayer Aug 26th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-play, Allods Online

Well, the players have spoken. Thankfully, Associate Producer Darren Allarde and the rest of the crew over at Allods Online listened.

Some of the recent game changes to Allods Online went over like the proverbial lead balloon, and in response Allarde spoke with quite a few players. "Over the last several weeks the team has surveyed a large part of our player population to better understand the major concerns with Patch 1.1.0. While this patch may have brought many new features and improvements to Allods Online, there were a lot of core changes that did not resonate well with a large part of the Allods Online community," said Allarde.

As a result, some changes are coming to Allods Online in North America and Europe only. A revamped Astral, more quests and tradeable items, and a longer lifespan on item shop items are the highlights of this patch that (hopefully) will please the NA and EU fanbase.

The update will arrive within two weeks. In the meantime, check out the newest Allods Online blog post for all the details.

Tags: allods, allods-online, allods-online-patch-1.1, allods-patch-1.1.0, f2p, free-to-play, ftp, gpotato, regional-changes

Free for All: Three games to keep an eye on

by Beau Hindman Aug 25th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free for All

There is so much to be excited about in the MMORPG world that I am always perplexed when someone claims lack of innovation in the market. I tend to think that this comes from an inability to play more than one game, or to support more than one idea in gaming, rather than from the actual state of the market. The fact is that there is so much happening in the world of gaming, and specifically free-to-play gaming, a player should feel almost overwhelmed.

I wanted to point out three games now in development (or very close to release) that I believe will do very well. Think of this as a list of predictions -- in fact I am going to have some fun with it and predict just how well these games will do. I have always enjoyed testing my gut. Concerning these three games, my gut is very, very excited. So, let's get right to the list.

Tags: allods, allods-online, beau-hindman, cash-shop, clone-wars, Clone-Wars-Adventures, cwa, f2p, featured, free-for-all, free-realms, free-to-play, free-to-play-is-here-to-stay, ftp, gpotato, min-kim, Minigame, Minigames, Nexon, nexon-america, prediction, Predictions, prius, prius-online, SOE, Sony-Online-Entertainment, Star-Wars, star-wars-the-old-republic, swtor, vindictus

Iris Online opens registration for beta testing

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 17th 2010 at 10:30PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

While free-to-play games aren't everyone's cup of tea, it's hard to deny that some imaginative mechanics come out of them that wouldn't thrive anywhere else. Iris Online is a prime example, utilizing a Tarot-based set of mechanics that tie 22 dungeons of the game to the 22 Major Arcana and allow players to change into monsters via a card system. Gala-Net is opening the game up for beta testing registration, with the game's testing set to commence at an unspecified time in the future.

Described as a gypsy-themed fantasy game, the aesthetics feature a surfeit of bright colors and surreal imagery, such as the accordion-legged horses seen in the title image. (Those are mounts, for the record.) It also sticks to the Tarot theme in its dungeon mechanics -- the Lovers dungeon, for instance, may only be entered by a male character and a female character, both of whom must survive together. While the details on gameplay are yet to be fully revealed, Iris Online certainly has a unique look to it, and those interested can sign up for beta testing now.

Tags: beta, beta-registration, beta-signup, beta-testing, betas, f2p, free-to-play, gala-net, gpotato, iris, iris-online, new-titles, surreal, surrealistic

Gala-Net enters agreement to publish Prius in North America

by Rubi Bayer Aug 17th 2010 at 1:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play

It sounds either the opening line or the punchline for some sort of car-related MMO joke, but it's true. Prius Online is a popular free-to-play game in Korea, and Gala-Net has worked out a deal with CJ Internet, the game's Korean publisher and developer.

Not much is known about the NA version of Prius Online, but Gala-Net describes it as a "3C" or three-character fantasy game. The three characters consist of you and two AI-controlled companions, the Anima and Giga. The Anima is your companion, who grows and advances alongside you. The Giga is a sort of mercenary called forth in battle.

Gala-Net promises more information coming to the gPotato site very soon!

Tags: anima, cj-internet, f2p, free-to-play, ftp, gala-net, giga, gpotato, prius, prius-online

Log into Aika, win fantastic prizes

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 2nd 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Aika, Promotions

If you're one of the lucky souls who doesn't need to work over the summer, or just a discerning player with an eye toward conserving your online time, there are a lot of games clamoring for your attention. Aika's newest event is hoping to entice players with a fairly routine but no less efficient approach: the team is offering players prizes. And all you have to do as a player to earn them is to show up for at least an hour a day.

From August 5th until September 8th, players will be automatically granted rewards after logging in for at least one hour. Tears of Aika are the most common reward, with special prizes coming at each five-day interval. Players who manage to log in for an hour a day over the full run of the event will also be entered into a drawing for several powerful in-game rewards. It's not a bad spread for just showing up, so take a look at the full list of rewards, check the FAQ, and start setting aside some time for your Aika characters.

Tags: aika, aika-online, events, f2p, free-to-play, gala-net, gpotato, in-game-promotions, played-time, player-events, playtime, prizes, promotions, rewards, summer-promotion

Allods gears up to give away $50,000 in prizes

by Jef Reahard Jul 16th 2010 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, Giveaways, Allods Online

gPotato has announced a huge summer giveaway in conjunction with its free-to-play fantasy MMORPG known as Allods Online. The event is called the Quest for Chests (no, really) and in addition to featuring a comely lass on the promotional materials, also boasts over $50,000 in potential prizes.

Beginning today, Allods players can win premium in-game gear from the Item Shop as well as big-screen LCD televisions, iPads, and AlienWare computer systems. All players need do is log an hour's worth of game time per day, and they'll receive keys to unlock various chests that feature instant win item shop prizes. Additionally, each opened chest automatically enters the player's name into a drawing for the aforementioned electronic gizmos.

Visit the giveaway site for more details, and don't forget to stop by the official Allods site for more information on the game.

Tags: alienware, allods, allods-online, f2p, giveaway, gpotato, ipad, item-shop, prizes, quest-for-chests, summer-promotion

Allods Online team defends patch 1.1 changes

by Justin Olivetti Jul 15th 2010 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-play, Allods Online

Typically, a new content patch in an MMO is an exciting time, but for the folks over at Allods Online, it's been a bumpy road, to say the least. With changes to the game, including a death penalty that causes items to become cursed with negative stats, players have been crying foul over the focus on cash shop items to overcome penalties. Specifically, Holy Charms, Incense, and Scrolls of Purification are highly desired by the playerbase, who see them as a necessity to level. Unfortunately, all of these items are cash shop only, forcing players to either fork over money or purchase them on the auction house for very high markups.

Due to the widespread complaints, the Allods Online team posted a response to the latest controversy that's hit this free-to-play title. In the article, the team defends the changes and takes the position that cash shop purchases are not required to experience the full game: "We want to assure you that the game has not become Pay-to-Play or Pay-to-Win. At the core of Allods you can still enjoy the game without ever having to worry about spending money. Yes, Holy Charms, Incense, and Scrolls of Purification are only offered through the Item Shop, but they can be purchased from other players and the auction house."

The response concludes by saying that patch 1.1 is the framework for future patches, and the Allods Online team has a long-term view of the MMO's goals and objectives. Read the full response and let us know what you think!

Tags: allods, allods-online, cash-shop, cursed-items, f2p, free-to-play, gpotato, holy-charm, incense, item-shop, patch, patch-1.1, pay-to-play, pay-to-win, scroll-of-purification

Aika's lead nation system kicks in without warning

by Eliot Lefebvre Jul 12th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Aika

With all of the major updates in Aika's first free expansion, Ashes of Betrayal, it might have been easy to miss the inclusion of an underdog system designed to help the lowest-ranked nation in the game's overarching PvP system. What the development team didn't discuss at the time was the other half of the system -- a mechanic to ensure that the lead nation wouldn't have nearly as much dominance over its opponents. That system was rather forcibly demonstrated to players over the weekend, with a post going live explaining exactly what the system is and how it works.

The short version is that when a nation is determined (via automatic processes) to be in the lead, it is no longer capable of forming alliances and is kicked out of any existing alliances. This has met with some resistance from Aika's players both in the news post and in threads on the official forums, as it essentially broke an alliance without warning or any explanation at the time. Some players are viewing the penalties to an arbitrarily determined "lead nation" as crippling a nation while splitting friendly nations apart forcibly. Even if the system itself provides an interesting balance mechanic, it's still leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the game's players, especially in light of earlier incidents when information wasn't immediately available.

Tags: aika, aika-online, balance, controversy, gpotato, hanbitsoft, hidden-system, nation-vs.-nation, nation-war, player-controversy, pvp, pvp-balance, unknown-system

Exclusive Allods Online IRC Q&A: Darren Allarde and Shelby Goad take on your questions

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 12th 2010 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Interviews, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Community Q&A

Last week we were able to get Darren "CHOMP" Allarde, associate producer of Allods Online, and Shelby "Miss_Sadie" Goad, the Allods Online community manager, from gPotato into our chat room and into the hotseat. The topic: Allods Online and their latest patch, Revelations of Gipat!

Our editors fielded questions from the chat room audience, and you put the Allods associate producer and community manager to the test! But, for those of you who didn't make it, never fear! We've got the entire interview right here for your viewing pleasure, with witty banter and all!

So if you're an Allods fan or just want to find out what they've been doing with their game, hit the continue reading button and get ready for our Allods Online live community Q&A transcript! And don't forget to join us tomorrow to play with Darren, Shelby and more of the gPotato team in Allods itself!

Tags: allods, allods-online, astrum-nival, chomp, community-q-and-a, darren-allarde, gala-net, gpotato, interview, irc-chat, irc-dev-chat, live-q-and-a, miss_sadie, shelby-goad

Join us in the Massively.com IRC chat room for our live Q&A session with gPotato!

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 9th 2010 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Interviews, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Community Q&A

Interested in asking gPotato some questions on Allods Online? Want to ask the team questions on the latest patch, the Revelations of Gipat? Want to chat with your fellow Allods players? Well then, look no further than the Massively.com chat tonight!

Join us by pointing your chat client to irc.quakenet.org, #massively, or use the web client located at http://webchat.quakenet.org, and put in #massively as your chat room. The Q&A session will start sharply at 7 PM ET (4 PM PT) and will last for approximately an hour and 30 minutes.

The chat room will be moderated for the duration of the chat, so you won't be able to talk, but you will be able to send the questions you want to ask the dev team to the chat room moderator, Sephare. Just type /msg Sephare once you're in the chat room, and follow up the command with your question. If your question is chosen, it will be sent to the gPotato team to answer live!

Can't make the event? No worries, as we'll have a transcript available on Monday! If you wish to ask the team a question, leave it here in the comments, and our moderators will choose the best ones to send to the team!

Tags: allods-online, dev-chat, developer-chat, event, gpotato, irc-chat, irc-chat-room, live-event, live-interview, q-and-a

Revelations of Gipat goes live for Allods Online

by Eliot Lefebvre Jul 7th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Allods Online

It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." While it would be more than three-quarters of a century after that when Allods Online was released, he certainly could have been referring to the Fear of Death penalty that caused quite a bit of fear and rage among players. But that tortured analogy no longer applies, as today sees the release of the newest patch for the game, Revelations of Gipat, which removes Fear of Death for good and puts a new death penalty into place.

For many of the game's players, removing the unnecessarily cash-shop-based penalty would be enough to make the patch laudable. But as was revealed when the team released the patch notes last week, the update also sees the addition of a new zone, a raise in level cap, and new content for everyone to enjoy. After the marathon maintenance session, Allods Online is live again and ready for play -- it's worth checking out, even if the size of the patch might scare you off. You can also check out our gallery, showing off some of the new content players can expect as well as mounts.

Gallery: Allods Revelations of Gipat gallery

Tags: allods, allods-online, allods-patch-1.1.0, allods-revelations-of-gipat, announcements, astrum-nival, death-penalties, death-penalty, gala-net, galleries, gipat, gpotato, level-cap, mounts, new-patch, new-zones, patch, patch-day, revelations-of-gipat

Rappelz offers player prizes for logging in

by Eliot Lefebvre Jul 2nd 2010 at 11:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Rappelz, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions

There aren't as many new MMOs coming out this year, but there are still plenty of games to compete for your attention over the summer months. The team at Rappelz wants their game to be your choice for the summer, and they've devised a straightforward way to encourage it: an event you enter via logging in. No random prizes, no ornate entries, nothing but the simple procedure of logging into the game's servers for prizes. And it makes sense that it would be called "Login to Win" as a result.

Running from July 7th to August 14th, the event will automatically award prizes to each character after you log in for at least an hour a week. If you log in for at least an hour for a certain number of days, you also get additional prizes, and characters who log in for a grand total of 35 hours during the promotion are eligible for a drawing from several nifty presents. It's a great way for Rappelz players to get a little added incentive -- after all, if you were planning on logging in anyway, logging in to win seems straightforward.

Tags: bonus-items, bonuses, f2p, free-to-play, gala-net, gpotato, in-game-events, login-to-win, prizes, promotions, rappelz, rewards

Allods Online previews the next big patch

by Eliot Lefebvre Jul 2nd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Allods Online

The next big patch for Allods Online is due to hit the live servers on July 7th, and it's bringing a slew of changes along with it. We've heard rumbles about several of them, including the removal of the Fear of Death effect (along with the associated cash shop awkwardness) and a few player-presented suggestions. Still, it's good to know the full extent of what's coming around the bend, which is why the team behind the game has published both a full list of the patch changes as well as an FAQ regarding some of the larger switches.

A few of the changes are a bit baffling -- the game now supports addons, but the documentation being released is still in untranslated Russian. Several additions are also subtle but welcomed, such as changes to the patronage system to remove the option for accelerating the process via the cash shop. There seems to be a general path toward taking the absolute necessity out of the cash shop, so if you were still feeling burned by the original cash shop woes, it might be worth the time to take a look at the new patch notes for Allods Online and see if there's something to spark your interest. (Or you could just take a dip with the Massively team to get into the action again.)

Tags: addons, allods, allods-online, allods-patch-1.1.0, astrum-nival, cash-shop, documentation, f2p, fear-of-death, free-to-play, gpotato, patch, patch-notes, patches, russian, updates

Meet the Allods Online team on their own turf: Play Allods with gPotato and Massively

by Seraphina Brennan Jun 29th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Allods Online

What's better than playing your favorite game? Obviously, it's playing your favorite game with the people who work on it!

Once again, we here at Massively are hosting another Mob Scene event in cooperation with the developers behind the game! This time we have our sights set on Allods Online and the beautiful realm of Sarnaut. So come sail the astral with us and the gPotato team as we descend on the starting zone for the Empire.

Interested in learning more about this "play with the developers" opportunity and an accompanying IRC chat developer Q&A session? Then continue reading and we'll hit you with all of the juicy details!

Tags: allods, allods-online, darren-allarde, featured, gala-net, gpotato, irc-dev-chat, live-event, massively-mob-event, massively-mob-scene, q-and-a

Ashes of Betrayal goes live for Aika

by Eliot Lefebvre Jun 17th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Launches, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Aika

After having run previews quite steadily, the first Aika expansion, Ashes of Betrayal, has been released today. As could be expected with a free-to-play game, the expansion itself is free, and it contains a large amount of new content to keep players engaged. Whether you look forward to pushing to level 60, expanding your PvP gameplay, or exploring the story of the Kynari civil war, players will get their hands on all the improvements today.

If the simple addition of the expansion isn't enough to get you excited about playing Aika, the community team is running a number of events to get people involved with the expansion, ranging from a race to the new level cap to an actual footrace. Really. A naked level 1 character footrace to one of the new areas. We've also been gifted with a few more screenshots of the expansion in action, so take a look at the gallery and go enjoy the new content.

Gallery: Aika Expansion Gallery - Launch Day

Tags: aika, aika-online, ashes-of-betrayal, expanded-level-cap, expansion, f2p, free-expansion, free-to-play, gpotato, level-cap, level-cap-raise, new-areas, new-content

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Dragon*Con	Sep 3-6, 2010
PAX Prime	Sep 3-5, 2010
Clone Wars Adventures Launch	Sep 15, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
GDC Online	Oct 5-8, 2010
LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
DCUO Launch	Nov 2, 2010

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Seraphina Brennan	Senior Editor
Brianna Royce	West Coast Editor
Dan O'Halloran	Features Coordinator
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Rubi Bayer	Contributing Editor
Tateru Nino	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Larry Everett	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist