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9 dragons stat guide for melee warriors, healers, and hybrids

May 11, 2009 9Dragons|6,150views

The Stats:
Lets start with the warrior build first, this is a typical warrior build:
Str: max. When I mean max I mean once you add enough points into Dex and Con. This stat is needed for a warriors defense (needs to lower damage taken) and warriors damage (needed to kill faster)

Ess: 10 at Revolving Chakra, 12 at Five Dragons, and 14 at Elemental Crown. This is the warrior’s penalty stat, there are relics and elixirs to buff this stat up rather then wasting chi points. Stats are mainly there for relic usage

Wis: 10 at RC, 12 at FD, 14 at EC. Again, this is for relic usage, usually for the Good Karma. Now for Bad Karma a warrior doesn’t need to use the essence relics so the Wis for a Bad Karma is:
Wis: 8, the base stat. Yes, this stat doesn’t help you at all to grind with, and you don’t need to use the essence relics so this stat setup is perfect for a BK warrior.

Con: 30 minimum, 40 at Rising Light, 50 at FD, 60 at Sun and Moon. Why so high? You will notice that having a low con really hurts, especially when you reach FD and you get ganged by 4 mobs non stop. Also now that new clothing is out you can get 4pkt clothing with added def, so you can use more relics and pump less points into str without sacrificing your build.

Dex: Weapon Requirement. Just go to hefei and hunt down some weapons that are around your level to find out how much dex is the requirement. I see many people waste points into this stat because they want to try and dodge a little more or hit a little more often. Well putting 20 more points into dex then str really hurts rather then helps. The mobs will still hit you quite often.

Here is a sample BK warrior at SM1 (keep in mind these are base stats):
Str: 195 (191 for GK warrior)
Ess: 12
Wis: 8 (12 for GK warrior)
Con: 60
Dex: 75
Now I believe that at SM3 the weapon requirement is 83 which if you pump Dex for 2 levels you can reach that requirement. Then continue to pump Str until its maxed at 250, which would be GB3 for BK users, GB4 for GK users. Once you max str (at 250) start pumping con and keeping an eye on weapon requirement usage for the weapon you might want to use.

Now on to the Healer and hybrid build. Their build is almost exactly the same for GK but just a little different for BK: here is a typical healer/hybrid build:
Str: max, same as warrior this will help output more damage

Ess: 10 for RC, 12 for FD, 14 for EC. As a healer or hybrid essence is important, but there are relics and elixirs that will help boost up this stat, as well as a Vital Energy hat (1/1000 damage converted to VE, and no it doesn’t lower your damage, it just adds 1 point of VE for every 1k damage you do) at the lower levels having a low amount of essence is annoying but you should fly by those lower levels in a day’s worth of grinding

Wis: 10 for RC, 12 for FD, 14 for EC. This is for GK relic usage, BK uses:
Wis: 8, base stat. Again, you don’t need wisdom to grind, and you don’t need to use the BK essence relics as there are other relics to boost up your essence not to mention your buffs should take care of most of that

Con: 10 for RC, 12 for FD, 14 for EC. You might notice that at the lower levels you might struggle with a low con and not a high level of heal to keep your hp from dropping, don’t worry about that, just keep your buffs maxed and by late RC your heal should sustain you until your VE runs out, again don’t waste unnecessary points in this as there are other ways of boosting up con

Dex: Weapon requirement, for now. And what I mean by this is that once you max your strength, healers and hybrids don’t need con or ess to grind at the later levels so this would help with hitting more and critting more.

Here is a sample of a SM1 GK healer/hybrid build:
Str: 239
Ess: 12
Wis: 12
Con: 12
Dex: 75

A little different from the warrior build, but pump dex for two levels then you can max str at SM6 then start pumping dex after that. BK build for a healer/hybrid is a little different where you would drop wis to 8 which would give a healer 4 more points and a hybrid 8 more points (pen stat) so a hybrid would be able to max str a little sooner

For elixirs, by SM1 I would at least focus on having level 1 and 2 maxed, and maybe some uses of level 3 elixirs

The Gear:
Now starting out you might not know what items to buy, here is a list of good items to consider on your buy list:
For the shirt and pants, now that there is new 4pkt clothing that is easy for low level players to achieve, I recommend going after them (use two characters on the same account so you can get both the pants and shirt) the level 1 clothing should be good enough to start out, until SM in which case you might want to upgrade to 2 or 3. If I remember correctly the 4pkt Wan Dyne clothing has 25 hp/ve (hp for shirt, ve for pants) and 50 or 60 def each. The hat use the FD2 hat you recieved from the quest (it gives 80 AR/ 80 CK AR). Boots use the RC12 quest boots (the ones that give 10% speed and 1% dodge) WristBands you can stay with the 15 damage ones and wait til SM3 (or 6 or 8, not sure what level gives the quest) and get the 80 damage/80 chi kung damage WB from the quest.
Now the relics, we will start with GK:

can only be used at RC+
Holy stone of the earth (+4 str, +4 ess)
Holy stone of iron (+4 str, +4 dex)
Holy stone of the tree of life (+4 wis, +4 con)
Holy stone of fire (+4 ess, +4 con)
[good]Holy stone of the earth (+6 str, 20hp)
[good]Holy stone of iron (+6 dex, 20hp)
[good]Holy stone of the tree of life (+6 con, 20hp)
only can be used at FD+
Phoenix bead of the earth (+5 str, +5 ess)
Phoenix bead of iron (+5 str, +5 dex)
Phoenix bead of the tree of life (+5 wis, +5 con)
Phoenix bead of fire (+5 ess, +5 con)
[good]Phoenix bead of the earth (+8 str, 40hp)
[good]Phoenix bead of iron (+8 dex, 40hp)
[good]Phoenix bead of the tree of life (+8 con, 40hp)
only can be used at EC+
Twin Dragon Bracelet of the earth (+6 str, +6 ess)
Twin Dragon Bracelet of iron (+6 str, +6 dex)
Twin Dragon Bracelet of the tree of life (+6 wis, +6 con)
Twin Dragon Bracelet of fire (+6 ess, +6 con)
[good]Twin Dragon Bracelet of the earth (+10 str, 60hp)
[good]Twin Dragon Bracelet of iron (+10 dex, 60hp)
[good]Twin Dragon Bracelet of the tree of life (+10 con, 60hp)
BK relics:

can only be used at RC+
Reversed holy stone of the earth (+9 str, -1 con)
Reversed holy stone of iron (+9 dex, -1 ess)
Reversed holy stone of the tree of life ( +9 con, -1 dex)
[bad]Reversed holy stone of the earth (+6 str, 20ve)
[bad]Reversed holy stone of iron (+6 dex, 20ve)
[bad]Reversed holy stone of the tree of life (+6 con, 20ve)
can only be used at FD+
Reversed phoenix bead of the earth (+12 str, -2 con)
Reversed phoenix bead of iron (+12 dex, -2 ess)
Reversed phoenix bead of the tree of life (+12 con, - 2 dex)
[bad]Reversed phoenix bead of the earth (+8 str, 40ve)
[bad]Reversed phoenix bead of iron (+8 dex, 40ve)
[bad]Reversed phoenix bead of the tree of life (+8 con, 40ve)
can only be used at EC+
Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of the earth (+15 str, -3 con)
Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of iron( +15 dex, -3 ess)
Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of the tree of life (+15 con, -3 dex)
[bad]Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of the earth (+10 str, 60ve)
[bad]Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of iron (+10 dex, 60ve)
[bad]Reversed Twin Dragon Bracelet of the tree of life (+10 con, 60ve)
Now the rest of the random relics:
Jade plate of cleansing (+2 to all stats)
Wan Daye’s Blue Jade Seal (+5 to all stats)
Clan relic (if you can’t find a better one)
different Karma plates, depending on your need.
Now that we have the gear lets try adding the sample warrior with the Wan Dyne 4pkt def clothes with relics:
GK SM1 warrior:
Str: 191 +5 (214)
Ess: 12 +5 (27)
Wis: 12 +5 (17)
Con: 60 +5 (84)
Dex: 75 +5 (93)
The +5 after every stat represents the elixirs (level 1 and 2 maxed) as they do so like this in the game. I used the base stats added in from above, I used the Wan Dyne 4pkt def clothing with (relic stat change in parentheisis):
+5 Wan Dyne seal, +8 [good]str relic, +8 [good]con relic, +8 [good] dex relic, +5 str/ess bead, +5 str/dex bead, +5 con/ess bead, and +6 [good]con relic. With this setup, you will have 1434 def (more if you have a higher pair of WD 4pkt clothes) and 3645hp without any buffs or premium.

BK SM1 warrior:
Str: 195 +5 (229)
Ess: 12 +5 (15)
Wis: 8 +5 (13)
Con: 60 +5 (91)
Dex: 75 +5 (89)
The +5 after every stat represents the elixirs (level 1 and 2 maxed) as they do so like this in the game. I used the base stats added in from above, I used the Wan Dyne 4pkt def clothing with (relic stat change in parentheisis):
+5 Wan Dyne seal, +12 str -2 con FD str relic, +12 con -2 dex FD con relic, +8[bad]Str relic, +8[bad]con relic, +9 str -1 con RC str relic, +9 con -1 dex RC con relic, +12 dex -2 ess FD dex relic. with this setup, you will have 1524 def and 3865 hp with no buffs and no premium.

Second Role Stat Guide

Now, as some of you know, the second role happens at EC6 so I will start my guide at there and work my way up.

at EC6 you get 434 chi points to use and the stat cap raised to 300: for warriors they wont really be able to max str, for healers/hybrids they will be able to max str and still have enough dex for the EC6 weapon (old).

Warriors at EC6:
Str: 225
Ess: 14
Wis: 14 (8 for BK users)
Con: 100
Dex: 115

Warriors need hp, and with the 1k hp mastery and the 500 def mastery you can sacrifice some str for better con. Its hard to use the new weapons right now as they have a high dex requirement (which might change in the future). You only lose 75 points in str (450 points in def and ~375 - 450 damage) which isn’t enough to cause concern over. Level to EC8 and use the second role clothes for added hp and def. BK users get 6 more chi points to add, they can add more to str, con, or dex. Now the next concern is to find what to raise when leveling, keep dex to the minimum for weapon requirement and start raising up con and a little str. the difference between 2k and 3k def right now is not noticable so get your con to about 8k-10k until you start maxing str, you could also choose not to max str and go for more dex and con. 450 damage isn’t alot to lose compaired to being able to have 6-7k more hp then your opponent. Plus with high con you wouldn’t have to med as much.

9 dragons Very practical stat guide for Warriors, Hybrid, and Healers

May 11, 2009 9Dragons|1,724views

About the STR vs. DEX build efficiency…
It was found thru many many restat & test while back (And the current implementation in the US server is in line with the setup that was tested by many). At the time unlimited number of restat was allowed as long as you pay 10K(first time), 100K(second time), and 1M(3+ time) for restat.
At the very first, all on DEX was found to be the most efficient build so many followed that route. Later Indy changed that due to user rants on class balance. Indy went with stat effects increase/decrese to address the class balance issues.

Many argue on the absence of RPG aspect of the game due to lack of distinct characteristics on different classes.
IMO, this game make perfect sense as the game is positioning itself as the true martial art MMORPG (This is probably the case for many asian players who have enough understanding on MA bacground).
In many (if not all) martial art stories, roles on classes are different than what you normally see on other MMORPGs.
For an example, unlike knights in fantasy MMORPG games, warrior classes in martial art stories are not the strongest most of the time. Healer/Hybrid type of classes are often found at the top with skills overpowering on all aspect including fighting skills (but it must be harder to be at that level than warriors) over warriors.

We are playing a game that is not yet fully implemented (This game has lvl cap at around level 120 with the shared fourth map). I think that the current balnace and role playing is quite good. But since there will be many new systems (skills, maps, mobs, quests, dungeons, and etc…) added later to fully implement the game, things can be changed very differently. I’m just hoping that the implementation doesn’t change too much of what they have planned initially. We have tons of fantasy MMORPGs already out there. I don’t want to see this game as another one of those.

Also I hope I can see more stories and backgrounds explained on the new website. 

By no means, I’m trying to open up another DEX better STR better argument.
I just happened to be a heavy DEX user once (Yes. I had 250 DEX at the time with OK STR) and tried heavy STR after that. I found really big difference at the time so I did my homework to find explanations why.

DEX vs. STR
Both are equally important stat for close combat style classes.
It is just that there aren’t any mobs in 9D require high DEX at early lvls building STR first makes more sense at least to me.
So I’ll explain you why STR works a little better on low lvls (something like upto middle of SM).
But more importantly, you need to find the right balance for your character.

MP consumption.
If you have high DEX, you have better chance with smashing skills as they have much higher damages than the basic (active) skills and you don’t miss smashing skills like high STR users. High DEX users’ smashing skill damage often about the same or just a little less than STR focused using basic skills.
Chances are kill speed often about the same or slower but STR builds last longer as MP consumption is a lot less.

Critical hit is great.
But can you handle mobs jumping on you because of that? If you have heavy STR build at low lvls, you won’t see many crit hits as DEX heavy users are seeing. But even with those crit hits, DEX users don’t really kill any faster than STR users and often DEX users need to run away from mobs. If you kill a mob with a final crit hit, all mobs near you will jump on you even the ones normally don’t attack you first. STR users can sustain in such a condition due to high defense but DEX users can’t.

Dodge.
What is this dodge capability? It is your ability to escape from critical hits (Yes. Critical hits not all hits). With high dodge, you won’t get serious damage or external wound due to crit hits. That’s it. Even with extremely high dodge, small cuts can adds up and quickly kill you. This is the case when you are in the center of 8 mobs.
Whereas defense works on both normal hits and crit hits. When a STR heavy user took a crit hit, the damage is slightly more than a normal hit on a DEX heavy user. You do the math.

So what is balanced?
Balanced stat doesn’t necessarily mean that you have 20% allocation on all 5 or 25% allocation on 4 stats you need.
Here’s my definition of balanced stat that you may or may not agree with.

Stats that allows you to be efficient in normal grinding and PvP (I intentionally ignored PvP portion in my stat for fast leveling).

What does that mean?
If you’re playing a warrior, your MP and HP should run out about the same time.
If you’re a hybrid/healer, under whatever situation (attacked by many red mobs or facing a CoF boss) your heal skill should be able to fill your HP (this requires both stat and heal skill).
And also be able to kill fast.

If you constantly run out HP when MP is plenty or having trouble sustaining on HP level, you’re not balanced.
You can fix this by giving more cons to have higher HP or more STR for better defense.
If you can’t kill fast enough because you are missing target often, you definitely need more DEX.

This guide here should be used as a reference to find your balanced build. That’s all.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a simple stat guide to help you lvl up fast.
BTW, this stat is not for PvP but for PvE only until it is completed to a certain lvl.
PvP will come at a later time. Personally I think you should wait until EC lvl to do PvP.
If you stat your character for PvP too early in the game, you can’t really lvl up fast enough.
Later on PvP you won’t have any chance against users who have spent their time on lvling.

Here you go…
Warrior, Hybrid, and Healer classes are the same for a while.
20 ~ 40 on cons (healer should use items to cover HP instead of giving stat points) that makes you feel comportable.
Minimum dex required by the wep you’re using.
Give all other points to STR.
At RL12 100%, go back to your clan base and restat once. Reassign the 20 on cons to STR. (You can leave 20~40 stat points unassigned to be safe).
Once the max STR 250 is made (around SM1), give all available stat points to dex until it becoms 130.
Once STR is 250 and dex is 130, you can start creating your own unique stats.

Starting from RL, you won’t be able to do 1:1 on grinding.
Dodge only works on 1:1 or at the most 1:3.
Main goal should be making your defense 2400 (with STR 250, you can expect around 2000 with OK buff)
Some may argue that the defense is not working.
All I can say is that you have not built enough defense to see the difference.

I played this game in this server for about a week.
I was at the top of the White Clans and was the first one to clear the CoF in White side (and I did it alone).
I didn’t play 24/7 but my lvling was way faster than anyone else.
Yes, I played the HwangRyoung character (In case you’re wondeiring who I am).

Since my vacation is over now and I have to go back to my real life, I won’t play the game for a while.
I’ll post a few more tips on PvP and grinding when I have some free time.

9 dragons A stat and training guide for Nukers

May 11, 2009 9Dragons|227views

WEAPON Most important thing, all the nukers/ mages use a common weapon across all clans. They are called Bracers Here are examples of bracers.
These are some cool bracers and they are a bit difficult to obtain(which you will learn eventually).  However I am posting them so you would
want to acquire them someway or the other.

Here are all the mages/casters/nukers available till date in Nine Dragons:

Shaolin :: Exorcist monks - Exorcist Monks accentuate their internal power. Some are so skilled that they can use vocal skills combined
with their internal Chi to strike enemies at a long distance. Their Chi enables them to absorb damage that would have hurt any normal,
untrained person.

The League of Beggars :: Dragon Beggars - Dragon Beggars use Chi or inner spiritual power to enhance their fighting abilities.
Although physically weak, they use mind skills to increase their defense or absorb a physical attack.

Wu Tang :: Black Turtles - They embody the tough spirit of Wu-Tang. They have learned how to handle Chi flawlessly and they
protect themselves using Chi protective skills.

Heavenly Demon :: Storm Demons they are masters of inner spirit skills. They use ‘Iron demon’ protective skills and ‘Gold demon’
long-range chi attacks. They are relatively weak in close combat, but never plan to get in that close anyway!

Sacred Flower :: Mistress of Spirit - Watch out for these ladies because they’re great at mind control skills. They can use their
chi powers to deal long-range attacks. But in contrast to their high inner strength, they are physically relatively weak. Not that that
stops them from dominating all around them!

The Brotherhood of Thieves :: Armored Bandits - Armored Bandits do not like to get too close to their enemies. They prefer to
strike from a distance, particularly using the height of the mountains to their advantage. They are good at avoiding or absorbing enemy
attacks and then striking back with long-range counter-attacks.

So here are all the basic classes. I will next go to stats and all the skills to lvl up in detail. Later on I will focus on all common nuker skills.
Here is some information in advance to help you choose a clan.

Choice of Clan

I think I should write about this here. Many people have asked the question of which clan to join.
When the game started most people made either Heavenly Demon or Wu Tang characters. However
after a year it turned out that BoT was among the strongest physical damage dealers and better defense.

The BoT clan got a basic skills common to all roles at max it gave +50 defense. Naturally BoT clan got favored
for nukers later on. So its top choice. Disadvantage is slow casting of buffs/shields and crude stone throwing nuke
animations.

Nukers also have low HP so begger clan is good too. The basic skill for beggers gave +200 HP which is
pretty good even at level 100. So begger nukers are better for PvP against other clan nukers if you max
the basic HP buff. Again slow casting in shields.

Shaolin though the least preferred clan all around is still a good choice for nukers. Their basic skill is +50 CK
attack rating which is rare as there are very few items in game that increase the CK attack rating. Casting time for
shields is faster than above two.

Sacred flower is not really a popular choice among nukers. The skill is avoid attack rating by 55 at max level
and it is a question mark on its utility.

Heavenly Demon and Wu-Tang are sort of ok. These two clan have no basic clan skills. HDs cast the shields faster.
They have the uber most looking animation for nukes.

Fast casting shields is helpful in PvP as you need to use the VE shield lot more often. Refer the keys skills in list below.

How to build your stats
Wisdom: this is the main attibut that you will be increasing. Wisdom increases you chi-kung damage, dodge and accuracy.
Essence: You will see all your major attacks will require a lot of vital energy or mana points. Ess also increases your base CK
damage, so you should add more than 50.
Constitution: Just enough to survive if you get hit, which is bound to happen. However don’t put too much CON.
Strength: Minimum points required to wear the relics. for RC ones you need 10, FD 12. However you can/should have STR
elixirs to increase your defense.
Dexterity: Same as STR.
Here is an example of the stats of a low level nuker:

(Here we have a bit too much CON(around 15 more than needed) coz my bro put some extra points here…while he trained my nuker.)

Tips:
1. You can/should have STR elixirs to increase your defense and the DEX elixirs to increase your dodge.
2. Ess should stay on like 40-50 till u max Wis, then pump Ess again.
3. Con 25-30 is all, nuker will ever need, coz they dont get in close combat.
4. Try to max wis and def buf asap.
5. Save your gold for that adv-medi. You need it more than anything for quickly gaining you VE. The higher meditation regains VE really slow.
6. Mainly the epithet good for you are Secret Solver/ Lightning Fist/ Killer of Shen mo as they add movement speed to you.
You can get secret solver at early levels.
7. You will need help from your band or friends to get shuan mian/syl/shen mo.
8. My advice is to seek bracers with high crit rate above all 
9. Low level bleed spell is useless. Use the one you learn at FD 1.
10. I emphasize again to skip refining, because we do so high a dmg, that refinement dmg doesn’t really make a difference. at SM you
will do 7k-8k. And +9 refinement will add max 700-800 damage.
11. Save that BE for Wan Daye’s and money for slotted speed clothes.
12. It is life saving to have both basic and adv. light foot ready on quick bar for escape situations.
13. By RL 1-4 your slow movement nuke spell must be level 9-10.
14. You must level to max the FD1 bleed spell as soon as you learn it.

Boss Hunting
We will really be weak at boss hunting, especially the dungeons. This is because of our attack style, which is hit and run.

Player vs Player
You will dominate the PvP in one to one. With some practice you will see you can kill players at higher lvl
than you easily. Paralyze, run, bleed, slow, hit.

Items: Nukers also need different kind of equips, best thing is they don’t need a lot of blood essence to refine the bracers. Your refine
will add less additional damage to your weapon and the bonus will be significantly low. Unless you refine a lower level weapon to +9.
You still need BE for getting those Wan Daye Bracers. 5 for RL, 10 for FD and 20 for SM wan daye. Which wont be really difficult to
procure. Why I insist on wan daye’s bracers is coz of the movement speed bonus you get from them.

Clothes: You need clothes which add your movement speed, Jade Face’s set is a good speed bonus one. Try to get the slotted ones
if possible, they are really rare. Or you can get the HP slotted clothes and add the speed ornament to them. Depends on availability
and your budget.

Try to get clothes with two slots, wrist bands hats. Add speed ornaments to them. Here are screenies of the speed clothes

At RC12 you will get the +10% speed bonus shoes as quest reward, which are very good.

SPELLS
1. You should only use the slow spell and start using the bleed one since fd1.
2. Must max out your wisdom and defense buff asap.
3. Maxing other nukes is good only for pvp or insignificant, because the usefull secondary functions don’t improve over chengs
and damage is .. inferior to main nukes even when maxed
4. If you have less then 10% hp, your nukes will gain x2 skill xp, it stacks with manuals.

Warning: Serious boredom will occur when maxing primary nukes(which pays of and cannot be done a.f.k.)

Mobs you can hunt:

Mid/High OC: You can hunt foxes and bears. Avoid blind madmen, they are too fast and have bleeds.

RC 1 -4 : Hunt twin brutes, coz the move very slowly you can also kill earthworm demons.
RC4 to RC8, you should be partying and killing monks and superior giants. However u should be careful as they have good movement speed and monks are known to gang.

RC9-RL1, you should be killing Drunken Swordsmen

Avoid: All Lightning shadows. They have ranged attacks, you can’t kite them well.

RL1-RL5/6, you should be killing Raiders or those horse riders in Jinan/Datong.You don’t want to level at Blood Thieves
(wolves riders), since there will be too many warriors in that area. You can solo well these horse riders anyway.

RL5-RL8/9, you should be killings Brown Bears. You should aim mainly for regular brown bears, since the warriors
will let them alone, due to a damage bug.

RL8-RL12, you should be killing Shadow Disciples. By this time, you should be able to lure and kill the female ones well.

Avoid Monks.: as they are too hard to kill, compared to any other mobs near your level and mob very easily.

FD1-FD4/5, you should be killing Green Toad Demons,

FD5-FD8, you should be aiming for Axehead Demons and Stoned-skin demon.

FD 8- FD 12 grind on the red wolves in Nanchang / Hangzhou.

Sm1- onwards. You don’t need this guide anymore. No more spoon feeding. 

The toad demons are good for leveling up your skills, if you have leveled your skills well you can kill them even before your level.
For the exp-ing hunt mobs which will be at most 2 levels above orange for you. You will land hits mostly. Any mob above them you will
miss mostly and should be only for leveling skills.

Nuker only party: It COULD be VERY VERY effective, but its kinda hard to get 3+ nukers of same level and coordinated enough.

Note: A friend of mine has done VERY extensive testing when he started grinding evil zombies since like sm2 (they are 1st orange at sm7…)
While drop of red mob is potentially cool, remember, that you’ll be killing fewer of them, so less chances to actually get that drop.

Disadvantages
1. Nukers are weak at boss hunting. This really bites.
2. In PvP they get killed if opponent is able to come near them.
3. You do not get any area damage. I really really wish nukers get some area damage.
4. No skill to teleport, a mage should be able to teleport itself.

PvP
1. A good epithet is to get the Lightning Fist. Its a nice epithet for nukers. +7% speed bonus.
+50 Defense(we neeed it so much)
However I see many many nukers use the Killer of Shen Mo. Its good when dueling other nukers
or WIS built hybrids.
2. Before that you must use Secret Solver of Clan of Four Gods. It gives +10% speed bonus.
3. All speed clothes, without doubt, slotted hats, slotted wristbands, soon you can get wild tower and
masnsion shoes with 20% bonus as of now they sell for a premium price. Wild tower and mansion items can be worn after FD 12 only.
4. I suggest wait till FD 1 for the bleed skill for real PvP action. Though I started as
soon as I was RC 1.
5. VE shield is very, very important in PvP. It takes long to level, it is worth it because it allows damage you receive to be absorbed
into your VE.(ty falcon)
6 The RL 10 0.5 seconds nuke is very good for PvP, however its very slow to level .)
SKILLS to level their damages

Low lvl slow nuke
Cheng 1 - 170-212 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 2 - 298-356 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 3 - 490-559 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 4 - 718-812 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 5 - 1006-1113 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 6 - 1174-1296 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 7 - 1357-1479 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 8 - 1525-1662 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 9 - 1708-1845 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds
Cheng 10 - 1875-2028 damage and slow by 50% for 6 seconds

Wis buff
Cheng 1 - Add 3 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 2 - Add 5 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 3 - Add 7 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 4 - Add 9 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 5 - Add 11 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 6 - Add 13 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 7 - Add 16 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 8 - Add 19 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 9 - Add 22 wisdom for 30 min
Cheng 10 - Add 25 wisdom for 30 min

Def buff
Cheng 1 - Add 13 defense for 30 min
Cheng 2 - Add 24 defense for 30 min
Cheng 3 - Add 39 defense for 30 min
Cheng 4 - Add 57 defense for 30 min
Cheng 5 - Add 77 defense for 30 min
Cheng 6 - Add 99 defense for 30 min
Cheng 7 - Add 122 defense for 30 min
Cheng 8 - Add 141 defense for 30 min
Cheng 9 - Add 174 defense for 30 min
Cheng 10 - Add 240 defense for 30 min

First shield
Cheng 1 - Absorb 200 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 2 - Absorb 226 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 3 - Absorb 255 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 4 - Absorb 288 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 5 - Absorb 325 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 6 - Absorb 367 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 7 - Absorb 415 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 8 - Absorb 469 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 9 - Absorb 530 Kung Fu damage for 1 min
Cheng 10 - Absorb 599 Kung Fu damage for 1 min

Paralyse attack
Cheng 1 - 153 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 2 - 207 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 3 - 261 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 4 - 315 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 5 - 369 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 6 - 423 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 7 - 477 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 8 - 531 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 9 - 585 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds
Cheng 10 - 639 damage and paralyse for 9 seconds

Mana Shield
Cheng 1 - Absorb 300 damage while spending 600 VE
Cheng 2 - Absorb 450 damage while spending 900 VE
Cheng 3 - Absorb 600 damage while spending 1200 VE
Cheng 4 - Absorb 750 damage while spending 1500 VE
Cheng 5 - Absorb 900 damage while spending 1800 VE
Cheng 6 - Absorb 1050 damage while spending 2100 VE
Cheng 7 - Absorb 1200 damage while spending 2400 VE
Cheng 8 - Absorb 1350 damage while spending 2700 VE
Cheng 9 - Absorb 1500 damage while spending 3000 VE
Cheng 10 -Absorb 1650 damage while spending 3300 VE

PVP spell
Cheng 1 - 382 to 433 damage
Cheng 2 - 476 to 535 damage
Cheng 3 - 578 to 637 damage
Cheng 4 - 671 to 739 damage
Cheng 5 - 773 to 841 damage
Cheng 6 - 875 to 943 damage
Cheng 7 - 969 to 1045 damage
Cheng 8 - 1071 - 1147 damage
Cheng 9 - 1164 - 1249 damage
Cheng 10 - 1266 - 1351 damage

High lvl bleed
Cheng 1 - 399-450 bleed 225 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 2 - 567-625 bleed 312 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 3 - 799- 879 bleed 439 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 4 - 1091-1184 bleed 592 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 5 - 1418-1540 bleed 770 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 6 - 1601-1723 bleed 861 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 7 - 1769-1921 bleed 960 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 8 - 1952-2104 bleed 1052 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 9 - 2135-2287 bleed 1143 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
Cheng 10 - 2302-2470 bleed 1235 every 3 seconds for 12 seconds

High lvl slow nuke
Cheng 1 - 197-222 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 2 - 247-273 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 3 - 294-323 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 4 - 344-373 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 5 - 390-424 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 6 - 441-474 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 7 - 487-529 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 8 - 537-579 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 9 - 588-630 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds
Cheng 10 - 634-680 damage and slow by 50% for 9 seconds

Invincible/ God Mode
Cheng 1 - Become invincible for 12 seconds, both cannot move, change camera angle or do anything
Cheng 2 - Become invincible for 12 seconds, both cannot move, change camera angle or do anything
Cheng 3 - Become invincible for 12 seconds, both cannot move, change camera angle or do anything
Cheng 4 - Become invincible for 15 seconds, both cannot move, change camera angle or do anything
Cheng 5 - Become invincible for 15 seconds, both cannot move, change camera angle or do anything

A Recipe for Not Sucking of MMOs

May 11, 2009 Articles Recommend|137views

Lately, Online games, both F2P and P2P, can be translated into any language with the meaning of a slow and painful death. While there are many facts and opinions related to praising or dissing these games, it’s all matter of listing the perks and quirks of the Gaming Recipe:

Ingredient 1:  FREE TO PLAY… but we have cash shops for ‘optional items’.

Yes, Free to play. If you decide to make a free to play game, basing your income on advertisements that liter your website and the cash shop, let’s try to keep things honest. Glitchy, expensive, and necessary items SHOULD NOT be in the game. If you happen to notice, most F2P games never go to final, due to a legal loophole which states that as long as games are in a form of ‘testing’, the players are not exactly entitled to refunds for any money spent or items that go missing or broken. Way to get over, right? Also making items in the cash shop which you basically need to get passed the starter levels make the appeal drop drastically, having to spend money to get past the opening sequence, without a guarantee it’ll be worth it or you can get your money back.

Ingredient 2: Adding Content

Large games often open and stay open due to the steady release of new content, updating, fixing, tweaking, and actually listening to the complaints of players. Be it free or paid accounts, no one likes to play a game that is on the edge of being great, but it currently sucks.

 
Ingredient 3: Finish what you start

Plenty times in MMO’s, yes, Fresh Content is added. In pieces. Here and there, over time, eventually coming together to make sense. One Day. Maybe. Listen, if you’re going to add content to a story line, please finish it. Talking about a great epic tale then adding content about poo-flinging monkeys might be very fine and funny, but sooner or later, the 4-Chan joke of the week will lose its charm and we’re all wondering still why this big epic building graphic is place in the middle of this map that we can’t get into.

Ingredient 4: Treat all of your release areas the same.

With the wonderful world of imported Asia games, US/North America/English servers often get shafted when it comes to release of content. It does not take over 6 months to translate patches. It just doesn’t. Nor, when it IS translated, have to be put into English by someone who has mastered it only to a 3rd grade level. There should never be a point where translators don’t know this word, and inserts a random noun.  My brain should not hurt because I can’t figure out that ‘Kill the espresso 62 yellow’ means ‘go to the valley and kill 5 rabbits’. 

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Review

May 11, 2009 Articles Recommend|1,036views

News of a new Street Fighter-based movie got the audiences and fans wondering how moviemakers will pull this off. Despite being a box office bomb, the very first Street Fighter movie (starred by Van Damme and Raul Julia) gained cult status. The plethora of well-known Street Fighter characters had their share of the spotlight, staying as close to the game’s description as possible. And who could forget Raul Julia’s Oscar-worthy portrayal of M.Bison? The Street Fighter genre returns to the silverscreen in the form of “The Legend of Chun-Li.” Will it live up to the hype?

Street Rep

Chun-Li’s supposed legend is the typical story filled with emotion and usury. As a child, Chun-Li wanted to be a piano player, but also loved learning tai chi from her dad. In a twist of events, she witnessed his father taken away by M.Bison. Strangely enough, no one from the family was smart enough to report the incident and, instead, let it fly until a few years later. Chun-Li, now an accomplished pianist, has seen her mother pass away out of old age and depression. Having left alone, Chun-Li sets out on a journey to find M.Bison and her father. She sidetracks to find Gen, a master of the martial arts. She trains and hones her skills in fighting with Gen, and along the way, eventually acquire more information about M.Bison’s whereabouts. In the end, she finds her father (and dies in the hands of Bison), kills M.Bison and saves a whole country from the evil man’s greed. (By the way, Nash was there too)

Fighting Chances

First impressions of the movie had this feeling of being a low-budget flick. Advertising had the lackluster feel. The trailers felt like it was showing a second-rate movie. Fans of the Street Fighter lore were divided, one being cautiously ecstatic, and the other critiquing the lackluster feel of it.

The setting took place in different locations, but for the most part, located in Bangkok. The scenes in the movie were unexpectedly unique. The environment was located in the slum area, which was filmed in an artistic point of view. It portrayed both the bustling and dark side of the slum area with visual flair.
The plot, however, was too simplistic. It felt like an old Steven Seagal direct-to-DVD B-rated movie. The protagonist goes commando on the perpetrators of her father’s abduction, but it took her so many years to take action. It makes you think why the family ignored the one thing they could have done: report the matter to the authorities. Surely, we can go for the “powerful underground organization” plot device, which can explain the authorities unable to take action. But somehow, in the story, the Shadaloo (organization that M.Bison was in) wasn’t convincing enough to be “powerful” and “influential.” What about Interpol’s chase for M.Bison? Although they were on the case, Nash (part of Interpol’s team) could barely do squat to uncover everything about Bison. All Nash and his partner did was talk about the common dialogue: “We have to catch this guy.” The movie gave Interpol a bad name, relying on one outsider to expose M.Bison for who he is and taking him down. Surely, the authorities can do better than that.

What is Street Fighter without fight scenes? The movie has an adequate number of fight scenes to show, but nothing as flamboyant as the game or Van Damme’s flick. The fight scenes, for the most part, looked more choreographed than realistic. Rarely will you find Street Fighter’s popular moves, or be impressed by the “action-packed” scenes.

2029 Online: Stunning Futuristic Technology

May 11, 2009 Articles Recommend|222views

The 2029 Online story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world filled with Alien creatures causing all sorts of mayhem, fire and death. The rise of the Rebel Army has sparked a fierce competition for the best science and technology. Gamers have been placed right in the middle of this action. They will experience RTS gameplay in expansive battlefields as well as the skirmish area. This game has broken new ground with its graphics as well. With so many futuristic buildings all over the game, 2029 Online has brought the stunning and bizarre vision of its creators to life. The special effects featured in combat are like a blockbuster Hollywood action movie. Players role-play a particular class or profession to build a military base, drive Corsairs, punch holes through their enemies’ defensive line, and defend their homeland while resisting attacks from evil alien mobs.

Races on this planet have created advanced cultures that each have specific features to them. However, despite all they have built and created, their hatred and mistrust of each other threatens to tear it all apart. The struggle for total control will continue…

City of the Future

The City of the Future lies in ruins. It used to be the landing site for visitors piloting their aerospace vehicles from trips around Helen Continent. Go back just a short time ago and it’s the complete opposite. Instead of misery and suffering as far as the eyes can see, you instead stand in a prosperous city surrounded by noisy crowds and tall buildings. There is no more broken steel frames poking from the shells of buildings, no more piles of rubble pushed to the side so that military vehicles can pass, no more refugees clinging to whatever shelter and protection the rubble can provide. To start your adventures, you must rally the support for the citizens here, who have very little hope and abundant misery. Gather knowledge on the creatures inhabiting this war torn planet here, and find out about all the latest tech you can use in the course of your journey…

Corsairs

Helen Continent has been jointly governed by three races. They hold each other up, while also striving to bring each other down. War is cruel and often ironic that way. Everyone is scared by the thought of the battles to come as each side seeks the means to eradicate the other and determine final control over the planet and its peoples. In order to protect themselves and defend their homeland, a constant stream of new types of Corsairs have been developed, using spare parts and pieces from the combat machines that roam the land. These Corsairs are mainly used to attack enemies in combat. You can also upgrade them with more defenses or enhanced movement speed.

Futuristic Weapons

To survive, the races here have been engrossed in the development of powerful weapons. Different races have different choices of weapons and differing approaches to how the weapon is made, used and even their effects. Simply choose what works for you.

Tags: 2029 Online

Mo Siang Came Back As Titan - Interview of Titan Online

May 10, 2009 Articles Recommend|1,131views

An epic title based on traditional Asian culture, Titan Online is a fusion MMORPG that boasts a unique combination of martial arts and robots that takes place in a spectacular fantasy world. Set in ancient China, players will experience historic Chinese locales, meet influential figures from various dynasties, experience mysterious aspects of various ancient Asian cultures, all while trying to save the martial arts world by engaging in intense real-time battles. Its open beta started on April 28th, so we are going to talk about the stories of Titan Online with HJ Lee from EYA Interactive today.

MMOsite: It’s such a pleasure to take this opportunity to do an interview with you. First off, please give us a brief introduction about yourself and your company, as well as what MMO titles you’ve ever made.

HJ Lee: My name is HJ Lee, and I’m a project manager for Global Service for EYA Interactive.  EYA Interactive was founded in 2004, developing Free to Play MMORPGs.  We have Darkstory Online, which is an older version of Titan Online and Luna Online in service.  Iris Online and many other great titles are scheduled for launch in 2009-2010 time frame.

MMOsite: There may be some readers who are still unfamiliar with Titan Online. Can you give us an overview of the game, including the storyline and background?

HJ Lee: Titan Online is an Asian Martial arts game with China as a background.  The main conflict is between human heroes and evil spirits and monsters.  Human heroes learn to use the mechanic armor called Titan to fight back the evil monsters.

MMOsite: Titan Online is based on the hit Korean novel, Mo Siang, and it bears a great resemblance to the popular MMOG Mo Siang Online. Can we say Titan Online is a sequel to Mo Siang Online or it’s a totally new project?

HJ Lee: The project started with Mosiang Online and later upgraded to Titan Online, with the addition of new features such as instance dungeons and Titans.  Titan Online is an improved version of Mosiang Online, not a sequel.

MMOsite: What does the title of the game indicate? Titan is a class of deities who preceded the Olympians in Greek mythology. Does Titan Online have something related to the Greek mythology?

HJ Lee: There isn’t a dorect relationship.  However, when players craft their Titan and ride the machine, their superiority is instantly noticed in every aspect of battle.

MMOsite: There are many Chinese historic cities featured in the world of Titan Online. Can you name some and why did you choose these cities? Can you show the readers some related screenshots? And can we see any Korean cities or European cities in Titan Online?

HJ Lee: The novel was based in China, and we do not have Korean or European cities in the game.

MMOsite: What are some of the special features you’d want to note for us? And what do you think is the most impressive highlight of Titan Online?

HJ Lee: The most impressive highlight of the game would be the Titan concept.  Later in the game, players can do a special Titan quest, in order to obtain and craft Titan parts.  Titans are superior in every aspect when equipped.  Its big, strong and powerful and will overwhelm other players.

MMOsite: We know that Mo Siang Online has achieved a great success in Asian markets. Do you think Titan Online will outdo it？And what’s the goal you set for the game in the western market?

HJ Lee: Titan Online is a first step for EYA Interactive and our goal is to attract and build a healthy gaming community.  As we learn more about the market and its demands, we hope to build on and expand our community.

MMOsite: In recent years, martial arts MMOGs, like 12 Sky and Dragon Sky, have become increasingly popular in the European and North American markets. Are you confident that you can compete with them? And where does your confidence come from?

HJ Lee: With unique gaming content and healthy community group who really enjoys the game, I believe we can provide players with unique experiences not found in other Asian MMORPG games.  I encourage those players to try it out!

MMOsite: Now, Titan Online is in its Grand Open Beta phase. What’s the feedback from the players? What goals do you want to achieve in Open beta?

HJ Lee: We’re getting great feedback from the players.  Players really enjoy the game and the interaction between the in-game GMs is phenomenal.  We need to build on this healthy community to expand and grow.  I hope you can help!

MMOsite: When can we expect Titan Online to be commercially launched? And will there be any new features or content available then?

HJ Lee: We are actually planning on the commercial launch in late May, with the introduction of our premium Item Mall. Our Item Mall will contain over 800 cash items from cosmetic to functional to enhance your gaming experience.

MMOsite: To finish the interview, do you have anything else about Titan Online to talk to our readers?

HJ Lee: Please do try out the game.  Players really enjoy the game and I would like for you to experience this awesome Global version.

Playboy will Launch Casual MMO - Playboy Manager

May 10, 2009 Articles Recommend|522views

 

Attention! Playboy, a fashion magazine famous for sexy beauty photos, will launch a casual online game this summer, that is, Playboy Manager. Incredible, isn’t it? Taking the models’road to success as the clue, this casual MMOG will allow you to compete with other players all around the world as a manager while striving to bring along the world’s top Playboy Bunny. Since Playboy Manager is rated 18+, there will surely be a lot of sexy cuties feasting your eyes!

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In Playboy Manager, you play a crack talent agent managing the career of some of Playboy’s hottest up-and-coming models. Competing against thousands of other players, you will guide your model’s career toward her ultimate goal: Becoming a world-renowned Playmate with a permanent room in the Playboy Mansion!”We’ve wanted to do a Playboy game forever,” exclaimed Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt. “As enormous fans of the articles, we jumped at the opportunity to bring the game online for a huge audience. Who hasn’t wanted to manage a Playboy model?”

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Combining the best elements of trading card and turn-based gaming, Playboy Manager is the only online game to feature exclusive content from Playboy, including videos and photos of breathtaking Playboy models. The game, to launch in Summer 2009, will be playable for free at www.playboymanager.com.

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Playboy Manager is recruiting tester on its international website. If you pre-register right now at www.playboymanager.com, you could join the beta test in this summer and win one of several lifetime subscriptions to Playboy magazine - a prize offered only to pre-registered users!

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Following pictures are from Playboy’s Annual Girls of Video Games

Getting to Know Warhammer Guild Ranks 6-10

May 9, 2009 Warhammer Online|595views

This article is a continuation of the last one I did and picks up where it left off after guild rank 5. For the first 5 ranks see that article. The primary body of this article deals with guild alliances.

Guild Rank 6

Alliances

The first thing, and probably the most exciting thing, you receive at guild rank 6 is the ability to form alliances. The alliance function was quite an early concept to enter the game from way back in development when guilds were called regiments. The basic idea behind the concept was that multiple regiments would ally and form an army which would march into battle. Different regiments would have different missions and roles on the field of battle. The fundamentals of the scheme have stayed the same and now guilds can enter into alliances in place of regiments. Unfortunately though, alliances offer little beyond advance communication utilities.

To access the alliance menu you must first open the roster tab on your guild screen. From there you should see two tabs at the bottom. One is labelled “Guild” and displays your standard guild roster. The other is labelled “Alliance” and displays the closest thing to a GUI you’ll find for alliances. If you are not in an alliance, the tab will still appear at guild rank 6, but instead of alliance utilities it will display two text boxes, one for the name of the alliance you wish to form and the other for the name of the unallied guild you wish to form it with. To create your own alliance is fairly self-explanatory from the alliance tab; find ally, name alliance, enter ally’s name, press enter (or in this case, click on the form alliance button). Congratulations on your alliance. To join an alliance that has already been created someone from that alliance must invite you. At the time of writing there is a maximum of 10 guilds per alliance.

Once in an alliance, of your own creation or otherwise, you can access alliance information from the tab on the guild roster page. The top box displays a list of all the guild masters and guild officers in the alliance. Note that, while guild master is obviously set, alliance officers and guild officers are not. E.g. a player can be a guild officer but not an alliance officer and vice versa. The annoying thing about this system is that every character, bar the guild master, enters the alliance at the rank “Alliance Hopeful”. At the time of writing there is no way to mass promote your members and you (being the guild master) must go through each name right-clicking to promote, more often than not 2 or 3 times. For a guild with 12 members I can see how this would be a drag. For a guild with in excess of 100 or 150 members it is an excruciatingly boring, full day, task. I hope you didn’t have any pre-made scenarios planned for today.

Once you have sorted out your alliance ranks you may find yourself wondering; what has actually changed? Well, there are a few things, though don’t get too excited, for a mechanic that has been so talked about there is nothing revolutionary. The first thing you will notice, or check out if you’ve heard about it is the alliance chat. Just like guild chat you now have access to alliance chat, which, just like guild chat, is divided into 2 channels; peasant and officer… member and officer. These can be accessed by using the slash commands: [/alliancesay {text}] abbreviated to [/a {text}] and [/allianceofficersay {text}] abbreviated to [/aos {text}]. Something else you may notice is that now, when you schedule guild events on the calendar, you can now select an option to “allow alliance signup” or “share with alliance”. This simply means that other members of the alliance that are not in your guild can sign up for events that you have scheduled. This is a useful tool if you want to organise large RvR strikes with several war bands.That’s it for alliances at this time, it would be nice if Mythic added some additional functions to the limited ones available, but it’s certainly not a top priority.

Access to Guild Halls

At guild rank 6 you also gain access to The Viper’s Pit or Sigmar’s Hammer. These are the Guild Halls for Destruction and Order respectively. You will gain access to the merchants inside as well as the flight master and Officers’ Hall. The Guild Hall contains all sorts of npcs; there is a career trainer, a crafting materials merchant, renown merchants (1 for every tier), quartermaster and a flight master, though there is no renown trainer. The Officers’ Hall is located inside the Guild Hall and only allows access to guild masters and officers. The room was designed for use as a meeting place for guild higher-ups to discuss tactics and plans if their alliance chat won’t suffice. However, alliance chat seems to suffice and the room is largely used for logging out in. This is because a Guild Hall offers a bonus to rested XP regeneration while you are logged out in it and the officers’ hall offers a further bonus on top of that, though the exact numbers are unpublished.

Tactic Point

Just as with guild rank 5 you will gain another tactic point to use on your guild standard. At guild rank 6 you will still only have one slot and one standard open to you. As you gain access to additional standards and multiple tactic slots your range of options and choice of configurations will improve and broaden along with the applications of your standard.

Guild Rank 7

You will gain a third tactic point at guild rank 7.

At this rank you will also gain access to guild crafting materials from the guild merchant in your Guild Hall. If you engage in PvE then these materials will likely be familiar to you as they are a limited selection of materials that drop in from monsters in the PvE side of the game. If you rank up exclusively through RvR based activities then you probably don’t craft either, but if you do then you’ll want to check these out, especially if you are into Talisman Making or you are an Apothecary.

Guild Rank 8

At this rank you receive your fourth tactic point.

You also earn the ability to set up guild only auctions in the auction house. What this means is that if you want to auction an item but want to keep it in the guild then you can select this option and only fellow members of your guild may purchase it. There is currently no way to extend this offer to your alliance.

Guild Rank 9

Congratulations, you have earned your fifth tactic point.

More exciting is the second tactic slot you have earned on your standard. Finally, you can start equipping some more of those tactics. Choose carefully which two you want, you still only have one standard at this guild rank and you can only edit the tactics once every 24 hours, you don’t want to change them only to discover another group needed that configuration for their dungeon run in an hour.

Guild Rank 10

You will also be able to reserve your heraldry at this rank. It costs 10 gold (or near enough), which the guild master will be charged for, though he can always raise the guild tax if he’s broke. The heraldry won’t be fully revealed until guild rank 20. You will be able to see part of it now and reserve all of it so another guild won’t be able to take it (though they can come very close to copying it). At guild rank 10 you will be able to see all parts of the heraldry but the emblem on your guild standard. You won’t get the guild cloak until guild rank 15 and the emblem won’t be visible on either the standard or the cloak until guild rank 20.

Oh… and you will receive your sixth guild tactic point.

Tags: Warhammer Online

Getting to Know Warhammer Guild Ranks 1-5

May 9, 2009 Warhammer Online|623views

Now you have a guild or you’re in a guild, the first thing you might notice after hitting [G] to open your guild screen is the large XP bar. This bar fills up as the various members of your guild take action in The Old World. As it fills, you gain rewards for your guild. In this article I’ll take a look at the first five rewards you get and their application on the battlefield, or at home in your capital city.

Guild Rank 1

At rank one, your reward is a guild. Congratulations. The first thing you will notice is that you now have access to the guild screen. There are five tabs, each governing a different function of the guild. You will also notice that there is a cog attached to the upper right hand corner of the window. The first tab, entitled Profile, is an introductory window to the guild. The guild leader or a guild member with the right permissions can edit most of the information on this page; you can see or set the Message Of The Day at the top (the Message Of The Day is a short piece of text that pops up for all guild members when they log in), below that you will see the guild XP bar, then there’s the About Us section, below that, in the big window, is the news feed which will log calendar events like, when new members join the guild or if someone leaves the guild as well as when a guild member reaches a new career or renown rank. Lastly there is the date the guild was created, a counter displaying the collective renown of all guild members, the email address of the guild and the URL for the guild forums. Neither of the latter two sections is mandatory, but they are there if your guild has access to those supplementary utilities.

The next tab is the guild Calendar. Unsurprisingly this tab contains a calendar. Guild members with the right permissions can schedule and sign up for events. To create an event, you select your chosen date then hit the “new” button. You can enter a start and finish time for the event and it will be logged. The event will be visible to everyone in the guild.

Next is the Roster. This lists the names of everyone in the guild, their rank within the guild, their career, their career rank and the last time they were online. You can also set notes on players which can be viewed here. There are public member notes, which can be viewed by everyone and officer notes which can only be viewed by guild officers. There is a right-click drop down menu on each player’s name that allows you to promote/demote them, set them as a standard bearer and various other things. At this time however the promote/demote function is broken and the text command [/guildpromote {name}] must be used. This is all there is on this screen at guild rank one, but at rank six you will also see an alliance tab at the bottom.

Next is the Standard tab. Here you can view the various standards your guild has, the guild tactics it has unlocked and the various aesthetic options for your standard.

Beside that is the Rewards tab, this tab lists all of the rewards your guild has unlocked though its guild rank and allows you to choose any new tactics and make various other decisions based on the guild rewards.

Finally, there is the cog on the upper right-hand side of the window next to the Rewards tab. This is the Permissions page and can be viewed by any guild member but only edited by the guild leader or a member with the right permissions. You can organise guild ranks here (these are the ranks of the players within the guild and not the ranks of the guild itself; confusingly they have the same name). You can also rename the default player ranks, create new ones (up to a maximum of 10 including the guild leader rank) and, of course, set permissions (permissions govern what each player rank within your guild is allowed to do, e.g. sign up for events & withdraw items from the guild bank).

Some of these functions, for example the calendar and alliance tab, will not be available to you until your guild has reached a certain rank. Fortunately most of the fundamental features are unlocked within the first 10 guild ranks and the later ones are largely bonus items and aesthetic rewards.

Guild Rank 2

At guild rank two, you will receive your guild calendar as described above. I have covered most of the functions of the calendar above. One nifty nuance of the calendar is that it will automatically adjust the timezone it displays based on the location of the character viewing it so you need not worry about the various different ones when you are setting up an event.

Guild Rank 3

At guild rank three, you gain access to the taxes and tithes mechanic. The guild tax will apply to everyone in the guild and siphon off a percentage of all the cash drops a player receives and send it to the guild bank. The guild leader can set this percentage. Tithes work in a similar way but are set by individual guild members. For example, if a guild has 2% tax but a generous player wishes to give more s/he can set their tithe to whatever percent they want and that will override the guild tax. Note, this only works if you set it to more than the current guild tax.

Guild Rank 4

At rank four your guild gains access to the first vault in the guild bank. The guild bank is located in The Soul Vault (map coordinates: 18627, 26990) in the Inevitable City and the First Bank of Altdorf (14634, 24430) in Altdorf. A guild leader can set permissions for which player ranks in the guild can access the bank to deposit and withdraw money and items, however, there is currently no bank log so it is impossible to tell who has added or removed things from the bank.

Guild Rank 5

This is a very important rank for your guild as it grants access to the guild standard and standard bearer title. There are three standards to unlock, but at this level you only receive the first; Warped Standard for Destruction and Recruit’s Standard for Order. A guild standard is a banner that displays the guild’s heraldry and has a number of useful functions:

• A standard bearer can carry the flag into battle. When he does so, it will convey a number of bonuses to nearby friendly players. These bonuses are determined by the tactics locked on the standard (see the tactics section below). While the standard is equipped the bearer can utilise a number of unique abilities but will have his career abilities disabled.
• A standard is required to capture a keep for your guild. If your realm has an empty keep, then you can capture it using your standard and any friendly player in the vicinity will gain the bonus your standard provides. This ability is available to all guild members with the right permissions; you do not need to be a standard bearer.
• Standards can also be placed in the ground by the standard bearer to act as a rally point. When a standard bearer does this they lose the abilities tied to the standard but regain use of their career abilities. The standard also becomes vulnerable to enemy capture.

Your guild will be granted two standard bearer titles at this rank which the guild leader can distribute as s/he sees fit amongst your guild members. Be careful though if your standard bearer is killed or you plant your standard in the ground and leave it behind, the enemy can capture it for renown. There is no penalty but you will have to buy a new one which costs upward of 2 gold. If you see a friendly guild’s standard lying forgotten you can pick it up and mail it back to them.

The standard utilises a tactic system similar to the tactics available to each career. At rank five your guild will also unlock its first tactic point. You can access a complete list of these from the Standard tab on the guild page in-game and they range from stat boosts to experience and renown buffs. It is worth noting standard tactics can only be edited once every 24 hours. It is also worth noting that standards can have a PvE application to and can make dungeons runs much more smoothly.

Tags: Warhammer Online

Ultima Online:Into the Stygian Abyss

May 9, 2009 Articles Recommend|282views

Many Ultima games featured the expansive, hard dungeon known as Stygian Abyss. It even received its own game known as “Ultima Underworld.” Well, many feel it’s about time it made its debut on Ultima Online. Well, the wish has been given an answer, and it might be a scary one.

Despite all of the excitement surrounding the dungeon (particularly the sheer mystery), some have asked how its coming effects them. It’s a strong question; particularly because it features something that has never appeared in the Ultima universe: PvPvM.

What’s PvPvM? Player versus Players versus Monster. Other games, such as Lineage 2 and Ragnarok Online have already included dungeons featuring these elements. But, how does this apply to the UO player? Simply put: It changes the way he/she will play the game.

Ultima Online, regardless of its controversy, has always been split into two convenient realms known as Trammel and Felucca. The Player Killer got to stay in the “ghetto” of Ultima, playing in the dangerous lands; while, the blue player, the one interested in player versus monster, could take their time without the threats of other players–that is, until now. Stygian Abyss will contain several rooms, unknown at this time, which will make it a free-for-all.

Could we see reds and blues fighting side by side for the sake of self-preservation? Well, at least until the blue is overweight, most likely. This means you could massacre monsters until you’ve gotten your fair share of treasure, only to be quickly, and quite literally, stabbed in the back by someone right next to you. It might even be me if you have the right item.

How disgruntled does this make some of the players?

Some aren’t. Ritter Maggier, a player of Ultima Online since its beta, says, “If it’s room based, I don’t care… I don’t fear other players.” But do other players fear him?

Aceline, a reportedly new player to the Ultima world, states, “I guess it makes it more realistic, but I’m not particularly into PvP. If I was in a party with someone I didn’t know…”

So, what else changes with the release of this new style of dungeon?

Many builds that are centered around player versus monster (or player versus environment) don’t feature certain skills such as Resist Spells. 120 Evaluate Intelligence and 120 Magery paralyzation don’t usually come from them; however, many players do cast just that. So, in the future, players may actually have to take real re-consideration into their builds, as the additions of the “toughest bosses” will also, most likely, mean some of the best loot. Thinking about taking that crowd control bard of yours? You might want to think again. Peace-making, at best, might just stall your opponent enough to run as fast as you can, but not if they get to you first. I know for my bard in a player versus player situation, he’s going to be dead so fast I won’t have time to beg.

Now, as for an experience many players can relate this concept to Champ Spawns in Felucca. Many times, reds camp around the area in order to loot or kill parties at their weakest hour. Currently, many parties choose just to do Trammel or Ilshs spawns (I know I usually stick with them), aside from rare occasions; however, what if Doom allowed player versus player combat? Suddenly, a place where the best artifacts can be obtained from is threatened to be off limits to the PvM player.

Scared yet? I am.

Honestly, though, there might not be need for alarm. Ultima Online and its staff has done a great job of keeping some yin with its yang. The Kingdom Reborn website has stated only certain areas will contain this threatening aspect. For most parties, the excitement will still stay with tough bosses and enemies only.

Of course, everything, as of right now, is speculation short of some very small tidbits of information from EA. Stygian Abyss has been a dynamically built expansion to say the least. From its original intention to only support the Kingdom Reborn client, to its full support and improvement to both clients. Regardless of what occurs, I admire the amount of attention and time that has gone into this project. A Theater Professor of mine once said, “If you succeed–succeed spectacularly. If you fail–fail spectacularly. But never do either one in moderation.” Why? Because both are memorable. No matter how much controversy sticks behind the creation of Trammel, it’s known and remembered. After a non-aggressive expansion such as Mondain’s Legacy, it will be very amazing to see the fireworks behind the dungeon forever feared as Stygian Abyss.

Good luck, adventurers! And be sure to check out my next article where I spend a week in the Bangkok of Ultima Online: Siege Perilous to see just how tough the hardest server in Ultima Online is.

Tags: Ultima Online

2029 Online: Elves Powerful Skills Overview

May 8, 2009 Articles Recommend|184views

The beautiful blue planet of 2029 Online is the last shelter of different races’ and they are vying for control of everything, resources, energy and land. Who are your enemies? No one can give specific answer. Everyone is fighting against anyone standing in opposition to them.

All E. Elves are born to be proud and aloof. Because of their indifference to the plight of others and their arrogant assumption that they are more important than others, they have alienated most of the other races. However, hating an enemy and actually defeating that enemy are two very different things. The fact that they are still here, and thriving, is testament to the power of their skills.

Frost: Freeze an enemy. Don’t try telling an Elf what to do. They will freeze you where you stand and do what they want instead.

Ice Shield: Increases defensive force and dispels negative status. When an invasion is detected, the E. Elves will upgrade their defenses with this skill.

Lightning Storm: Attacks all enemies in front of the player. Go ahead, push them around, but don’t be surprised when they push back.

Burn: Produces painful burns on their enemies, causing targets to lose HP continually. Don’t force them to use this skill. Or you will regret it.

EM Storm: Makes a target enemy unable to attack or be attacked.

This game will enter its Alpha Test soon. To see how these skills will effect combat and PvP, get an Alpha code and get in the game!

Tags: 2029 Online

Galaxy Online: Guide to the Ruins

May 8, 2009 Age of Conan|728views

The Ruins are a mystical area that players in Galaxy Online have been speculating about for some time now. Although not much information is available, its geographic and strategic importance cannot be exaggerated as the Ruins sit at the center of the Galaxy, sharing borders with all factions. This allows a force occupying it to attack any other faction with ease. In addition to its strategic importance is the value of the trophies that can be looted here. However, with so many reasons to go after this mysterious place, don’t assume it is abandoned or unguarded and never underestimate the dangers that lie in wait there…

The Ruins Guide

1.The Ruins are located in the middle of the vast universe. Orbiting around it are 5 Transmission Platforms.

2.When a faction has occupied 3 of the Transmission Platforms, the faction’s fleets will be able to enter the Ruins.

3.The Ruins and the Transmission Platforms are guarded by strong pirates. The supplies consumed and the warships shot down while assaulting the Ruins or the Transmission Platforms won’t be refunded.

Rewards

1.In the Ruins, there are 4 chests, each of which contains 1 million Science points, and 2 rescue capsules, both of which contain a Spell Commander.

2.On each Transmission Platform, there are 2 chests, each of which contains 300,000 Science points.

Trophies will appear on the screen once players defeat the pirates. However, since only a limited number of rewards have been prepared, players must hurry to claim them.

The Ruins System Respawn

When the Ruins are occupied, the server will make it public and begin a 24 hour countdown. Any fleets that are remaining in the Ruins system will be sent back to their own home galaxy. When the countdown has finished, the Ruins system (including the pirates, chests and rescue capsules) will respawn and players can attack the Transmission Platforms and the Ruins again.

Tags: Galaxy Online

Champions Online:Contest: Urban Planning

May 8, 2009 Articles Recommend|198views

The Urban Planning Commission is scrambling to rename parks that have been destroyed by the most recent Qularr invasion in an effort to boost local morale. To honor the fallen, they have taken the City’s most treasured heroes and built monuments in their name. One remains to be named. The council has determined that our citizens shall take on this task.

It is your challenge, nay your duty, to make your mark on Millennium City – name this last city park! The council will choose the most appropriate name for the park and they will honor you with a plaque in the center of that area. As a bonus, they will also give you a key to play there.

Contest Rules:

1. Definitions

Contest Name
THe Urban Planning Contest

Contest Start Date
May 6, 2009, 12:01:00 A.M., Pacific Time.

Contest End Date
May 13, 2009, 11:59:00 P.M., Pacific Time.

Submission Agreement
Located in Exhibit A.

Website
http://www.champions-online.com/
and all web pages associated therewith.

Webpage
http://www.champions-online.com/contest/urban_planning

Judging Date
May 14, 2009

Contest Address
Cryptic Studios, Inc.
P.O. Box 321213
Los Gatos, CA 95032

Entry Requirements

1. The entry must be a response to the following description on the Webpage:

The Urban Planning Commission is scrambling to rename parks that have been destroyed by the most recent Qularr invasion in an effort to boost local morale.  To honor the fallen, they have taken the City’s most treasured heroes and built monuments in their name. One remains to be named. The council has determined that our citizens shall take on this task.

It is your challenge, nay your duty, to make your mark on Millennium City – name this last city park!  The council will choose the most appropriate name for the park and they will honor you with a plaque in the center of that area.  As a bonus, they will also give you a key to play there.  E-mail your entry to contest@crypticstudios.com today!

2. Only the single most recent Entry submitted by the Participant will be eligible.

Judging Criteria

• Creativity
• Appropriateness to image provided

Prizes

• The first place winner will be given a beta key to Champions Online and a signed Champions Online Poster
• One(1) prize as defined above.
• The runner up winners will be given a signed Champions Online Poster
• Two (2) prizes as defined above.
• The total value of all prizes to be awarded (“Total Value”) is $0.00 (zero dollars).

2. Acceptance of Terms

2.(a). This Official Rules and the Submission Agreement located in Exhibit A (collectively the “Official Rules and Submission Agreement”) is made between you and Sponsor.

2.(b). YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT BEFORE SUBMITTING A CONTEST ENTRY (AS DEFINED BELOW) TO THE CONTEST. BY SUBMITTING A CONTEST ENTRY YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) AND YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT, PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE A CONTEST ENTRY TO THE SPONSOR AND DO NOT OTHERWISE PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST.

3. Eligibility

3.(a). THIS IS A SKILL CONTEST. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

3.(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter “Participant“). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction.

3.(c). If the total cash value of the Prizes is greater than zero-dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority, and in particular Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations located in a foreign country) who is eighteen (18) years of age or older (hereafter “Participant“). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their advertising and promotional agencies and all of their respective employees, consultants, representatives and agents, and the immediate family members of and persons domiciled with any such employees and agents, and any judges or other parties involved in any aspect with the creation, production, operation, execution and fulfillment of the Contest, and the immediate families or household members of each are not eligible to participate. Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction.

4. Entering the Contest

4.2. How to submit a Contest Entry

4.2.(a). Each Participant must create an Entry according to the Entry Requirements. The Participant may then enter the Contest by visiting the Webpage and following the instructions provided to upload their Entry. Registration on Sponsor’s Website is required. No other means of entry will be accepted.

4.2.(b). By entering, you acknowledge that your Entry may be in the public domain and that no privacy to Entries submitted is guaranteed.

4.3. Requirements for Entries

4.3.(a).All Entries must comply with the Entry Requirements in the Definition to be eligible to win. Sponsor is not required to pro-actively notify Participant if their submission is not eligible.

4.4. Representations and Warranties

4.4.(a). You represent and warrant that you have read and agreed to the terms of the Submission Agreement, that your Entry complies with all requirements set forth therein, and that in the event your Entry is selected as a Potential Winner, you agree to assign all rights in such Entry to Sponsor or its designee. Any Entry that would violate any law or regulation or this Official Rules and Submission Agreement will not be considered. Sponsor retains sole discretion as to what constitutes unsuitable content, and to disqualify the submitting Participant from participation in the Contest. An Entry that is submitted in violation of this Official Rules and Submission Agreement; that is received in whole or in part after the end of the Contest Period; or that is incomplete, illegible, corrupted, or damaged, will be discarded and deemed to be VOID.

5. Additional Forms

5.(a). In order to participate in the Contest, you may be required to sign consent forms and/or releases in connection with your Entry, and you may be required to provide Sponsor with a copy of your Entry in the original uncompressed format. You agree that upon Sponsor’s request, you will comply with the foregoing.

6. Winner(s) and Prize(s)

6.1. Selecting the Winner(s)

6.1.(a). A panel of judges (the “Panel”) will be selected by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Panel will review eligible entries and, based on the Judging Criteria set forth in the Definition, will select in their sole discretion one top entry as the potential winner of each Prize (such potential winners, the “Potential Winners”). The Potential Winners will be notified on or about the Notification Date. Each Potential Winner must complete and return a signed ‘Affidavit of Eligibility, Originality and Non-Infringement and Compliance with Official Rules and Submission Agreement, Assignment of Rights, and Liability/ Publicity Release,’ as well as any other documents related to prize acceptance that Sponsor may reasonably require or be obligated to obtain, e.g., publicity releases executed by third parties who appear in the Entry, etc., and provide a copy of the winning Entry, in its original format, for verification by the due date specified by Sponsor in the notification or subsequent correspondence. If after a reasonable number of attempts contact has not been made, or if any prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or if a potential winner is deemed to be ineligible, not in compliance with these Official Rules, or fails to provide any information or return any required documents in a timely manner, prize will be forfeited and an alternate Potential Winner selected, provided that such alternate entrant will be subject to the terms and conditions of this Section. After all Potential Winners have been finally determined by Sponsor to be eligible to continue to participate in the Contest (such Potential Winners, the “Winners”), the Winners will be awarded prizes as set forth in sub-section “Prizes” below.

6.2. Judging Criteria

6.2.(a). The Panel and the Judge will judge all entries according to the Judging Criteria given in the Definition. The Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may choose to make the Panel’s evaluations of the eligible Entries public, but is not required to do so.

6.3. Prizes

6.3.(a). Subject to compliance with this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, Sponsor will award each Prize to the Winner chosen by the Panel. All taxes (including, without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes) on or in connection with any Prize, and the reporting consequences thereof, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of Winners. The Prizes are non-transferable and non-refundable, and no substitution of any Prize will be permitted. If any Prize is unavailable, a substitute prize of greater or equal value may be awarded. By accepting a Prize, the Winners agree to participate in and/or cooperate with media interviews, public or other promotional events and any other activities related to the Contest as reasonably requested by Sponsor, without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

7. Limitations of Liability

7.(a). By entering this Contest, each Participant represents and warrants that he or she is not prohibited from participating in this Contest by any applicable law, statute, regulation, or authority. No responsibility or liability is assumed by Sponsor for technical problems or technical malfunction arising in connection with any of the following occurrences which may affect the operation of the Website or e-mail address to which Entries can be sent: hardware or software errors; faulty computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, electronic, wireless or Internet connectivity or other online communication problems; errors or limitations of any Internet service providers, servers, hosts or providers; garbled, jumbled, faulty, incomplete or illegible data transmissions; failure of any e-mail transmissions to be sent to or received; difficulties in opening e-mail attachments; lost, late, delayed or intercepted e-mail transmissions; incorrect or inaccurate capture of Entry or other information; inaccessibility of the Website in whole or in part for any reason; traffic congestion on the Internet or Website; or unauthorized human or non-human intervention of the operation of the Contest, including without limitation, unauthorized tampering, hacking, theft, virus, bugs, worms; or destruction of any aspect of the Contest. Sponsor also is not responsible for any lost, late, incomplete, illegible, damaged or misdirected Contest Entries submitted or any delay, loss or damage by communication systems. Proof of submitting Entries will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor. Any use of robotic, automatic, programmed or similar methods of participation will void all such submissions by such methods. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other errors in the offering or announcement of prizes, in this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, or in the administration of the Contest, or any inaccurate or incorrect data contained on the Website, or any personal injury or property damage or losses of any kind which may be sustained to Participant’s or any other person’s computer equipment resulting from participation in the Contest, or use of or download of any information from the Website. Use of Website is at Participant’s own risk.

7.(b). WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE WEBSITE AND ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED THROUGH OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE WEBSITE, AND ANY PRIZES OFFERED OR PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY SPONSOR, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF USABILITY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES; CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS. IN NO EVENT WILL THE CONTEST ENTITIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE CONTEST OR THE ENTRY, even if a Contest Entity has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall the Contest Entities’ aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the contest or this Official Rules and Submission Agreement (regardless of the form of action giving rise to such liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise) exceed your costs (if any) of entering the contest.

7.(c). Sponsor does not make any, and hereby disclaims any and all, representations or warranties of any kind regarding any Prize, including without limitation any representations or warranties concerning fitness for a particular purpose or potential results. All Participants, on behalf of themselves, their executors, employers or companies, heirs and assigns, by submitting an Entry and/ or by acceptance of a prize if selected as a Potential Winner, agree to release Sponsor, prize providers, and all officers, employees, agents, affiliates and partners of such entities, from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses of any kind to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, use or misuse of any prize or any actions undertaken using prize, or while preparing for, participating in, or any activity in connection with the Contest or otherwise.

8. Release and Indemnification

8.(a). BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU RELEASE, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD SPONSOR, SPONSOR PARTNER, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PANEL (COLLECTIVELY, THE “CONTEST ENTITIES”) HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, ACTIONS, LOSSES, COSTS, DAMAGES, LIABILITIES, JUDGMENTS, SETTLEMENTS AND EXPENSES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES) (“LOSSES”) ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM: (A) YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST OR ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY; (B) ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE; (C) ANY BREACH BY YOU OF ANY CONVENANT, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY SET FORTH IN THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT; (D) ANY CLAIM BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY; OR (E) ANY CLAIM THAT ENTRY OR THE USE THEREOF BY ANY CONTEST ENTITY INFRINGES UPON OR VIOLATES THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OR OTHER RIGHTS OF ANY THIRD PARTY OR CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO A THIRD PARTY (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE INFRINGEMENT, MISAPPROPRIATION, LIBEL, DEFAMATION, INVASION OF PRIVACY OR RIGHT OF PUBLICITY OR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING).

9. Modification

9.(a). Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, postpone, clarify, delay, suspend and/or terminate this Contest in whole or in part in the event that the Contest is not capable of running as planned or as intended by this Official Rules and Submission Agreement by reason of any technical, disabling, human or other causes or events that, in the sole discretion of Sponsor, impair, corrupt or interrupt the administration, fairness, security or integrity or proper conduct of the Contest, including without limitation, fire, flood, natural disaster, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, terrorist threat or activity or insurrection. In such event, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion: (a) postpone and/or reschedule and/or modify the Contest, or (b) terminate the Contest in its entirety. In the event of postponement, rescheduling or modification of the Contest, a notice to such effect will be posted online. In the event of termination, a notice to such effect will be posted online and all eligible and salvageable Entries collected prior to the termination shall be included in the Contest for purposes of awarding the prizes (or prizes of substantially similar value), provided that a sufficient number of Entries are received, and Sponsor shall have no further liability to any Participant in connection with the Contest. In no event will Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in this Official Rules and Submission Agreement. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate this Contest or to modify any rules as necessary for any reason or as required by applicable law.

10. Disputes

10.(a). This Contest is governed under the laws of the United States and the State of California, without respect to conflict of law doctrines. As a condition of participating in this Contest, Participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Official Rules and Submission Agreement and/or this Contest shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a federal or state court located in Santa Clara County, California, having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will Participant be permitted to obtain awards for and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), other than Participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Contest) and Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. Without limitation, Participant agrees that a printed version of this Official Rules and Submission Agreement will be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this Official Rules and Submission Agreement to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form.

11. Conditions of Participation

11.(a). All Participants agree to be bound by this Official Rules and Submission Agreement and the decisions of Sponsor whose decisions in all aspects of this Contest shall be final and binding. Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, disqualify a Participant from participating in any aspect of the Contest, if Sponsor deems or suspects that such person has engaged in or has attempted to engage in any of the following: (a) acting in violation of this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, or any terms and conditions relating to use of or access to the Website; or (b) submitting an Entry that the Participant has not personally authored (submitting someone else’s work); (c) damaging, tampering with or corrupting the operation of the Contest; or (d) acting with intent to annoy, harass or abuse any other person; or (e) any unsportsmanlike, inappropriate, uncooperative, disruptive, fraudulent, potentially fraudulent, or unusual behavior or activity; or (g) activity deemed in the sole discretion of Sponsor and its agents to be generally inconsistent with the intended operation of the Contest. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY A PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR CORRUPT THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR AND ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO PROSECUTE AND SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

12. Privacy

12.(a). Except as otherwise provided in this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, Participant’s personal information submitted to Sponsor in the Entry process will be treated in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy posted on the Website and may be used by Sponsor to send e-mail updates to Participants. Participants may elect to opt out of receiving such updates at any time.

13. Winners List

13.(a). For information concerning the Winners (available after Judging Date), please see the Webpage, or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Contest Address. Queries must be postmarked no later than 90 days after Judging Date.

14. Interpretation

14.(a). In the event of any conflict between any information provided on Sponsor’s or a third party’s web site or provided by any entity other than Sponsor, on the one hand, and this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, on the other hand, this Official Rules and Submission Agreement shall govern.

15. Severability

15.(a). If any provision of this Official Rules and Submission Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other term hereof, and this Official Rules and Submission Agreement will be interpreted and construed as if such term, solely to the extent such term will have been held to be invalid or unenforceable, had never been contained herein. In addition, if any provision of this Official Rules and Submission Agreement is for any reason held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, such provision will be construed by limiting and reducing it so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with applicable law.

16. Assignment

16.(a). This Official Rules and Submission Agreement, and any rights and licenses granted hereunder, may not be transferred or assigned by you, but may be transferred or assigned by Sponsor without restriction.

- End of Official Rules -

IMPORTANT: This Submission Agreement (the “Submission Agreement”) is made between you (“you”) and Sponsor in connection with your submission of Submission Materials (as defined below) through the Website. For purposes of this Submission Agreement, (a) “Submission Materials” means, collectively, any and all material which you post or cause to be posted to, submitted to, or in any way transmitted via, the Website, including without limitation video, audio, music, audiovisual, music, text and drawings and other materials and (b) the “Sponsor Entities” means Sponsor and Sponsor Partner (if any), and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, licensors, and advertising and promotional agencies.

YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT BEFORE PROVIDING ANY SUBMISSION MATERIALS TO SPONSOR. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT, PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY SUBMISSION MATERIALS TO SPONSOR.

1. General; License to Submission Materials

1.(a). Following your submission of Submission Materials through the Website, Sponsor, at its discretion, may potentially include the Submission Materials, in whole or in part, on the Website or elsewhere. For clarity, you will retain ownership of your Submission Materials, unless you later agree in writing to assign such ownership. By submitting your Submission Materials, you grant to Sponsor Entities a world-wide, royalty free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, and fully sub-licensable (through multiple tiers) license, without additional consideration to you or any third party, to: (a) reproduce, distribute, transmit, perform and display (publicly or otherwise), make available to the public, adapt, modify, edit, translate, make, sell, offer to sell, import and otherwise use and exploit (and have others exercise such rights on behalf of Sponsor Entities, through multiple tiers) your Submission Materials, any ideas accompanying, related to, or embodied in your Submission Materials, and any materials embodying, incorporating, or derived from your Submission Materials, in any format or media now known or hereafter developed (including without limitation Internet, cable, satellite, and wireless media); (b) create derivative works from and incorporate your Submission Materials into other works or into Sponsor Entities or their respective designees’ products or services; (c) rate, review, evaluate, and judge your Submission Materials; (d) exercise all copyright, trademark, publicity and other proprietary rights with regard to your Submission Materials; (e) use your name, photograph, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and biographical information as news or information and for advertising or promotional purposes, whether or not in connection with your Submission Materials; and (f) use your Submission Materials for the purpose of promoting any Sponsor Entity and for any other advertising or promotional purposes. The foregoing license shall survive any termination or expiration of this Submission Agreement for any reason.

1.(b). All Submission Materials will be deemed to be non-confidential and may be used on a non-restricted basis. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO GRANT THE RIGHTS GRANTED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY SUBMISSION MATERIALS TO SPONSOR.

2. Waiver

2.(a). To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to forever release, discharge, and waive all claims against each of the Sponsor Entities from, and covenant not to initiate, file, maintain, or proceed upon any suit, claim, demand, or cause of action against any Sponsor Entity with respect to, any and all claims, demands, actions, losses, costs, damages, liabilities, judgments, settlements and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) (the foregoing, collectively, “Losses”) that relate in any way to this Submission Agreement or the Submission Materials, including without limitation any claim for idea misappropriation. Additionally, you hereby waive any and all rights that you may have under laws or statutes worldwide that concern “moral rights” or “droit moral,” in connection with your Submission Materials.

3. Ownership of Star Trek Materials

3.(a). Sponsor or CBS Studios, Inc. may make available to you certain content through the Website, which may include film clips, still images, graphics, sound and music recordings, and other content from or based on the Star Trek franchise (the “Star Trek Supplied Materials”) for use by you solely for the purpose of creating Submission Materials and submitting them on this Website only in accordance with this agreement. You may not use the Star Trek Supplied Materials, in any other manner or for any other purpose. Without in any way limiting the foregoing, you acknowledge and agree the Star Trek Supplied Materials are owned exclusively by CBS Studios, Inc. and are provided to you solely for the purpose of inclusion in your submitted Submission Materials. You shall acquire no copyright or other ownership of these materials as the result of the incorporation of these materials into the Submission Materials. You are not granted any rights in any of the Star Trek Supplied Materials or any of the Star Trek movies or television series. Your violation of any of these provisions or your unauthorized or improper use of any of the Star Trek Supplied Materials shall entitle Sponsor and/or CBS Studios, Inc. to pursue all legal and equitable rights and remedies, including, without limitation, its right to injunctive relief.

4. Consideration

4.(a). You acknowledge that you have received good and valuable consideration in exchange for the rights granted by you hereunder in and to the Submission Materials, including without limitation the possibility that publicity or favorable exposure may arise from any Sponsor Entity’s use of the Submission Materials incorporating or embodying the Submission Materials. You acknowledge and agree that you are not entitled to any further compensation for any use or other exploitation by Sponsor or any other party (including without limitation any Sponsor Entity) of the Submission Materials.

5. Representations and Warranties

5.(a). You represent and warrant that: (i) all information that you provide through the Website in connection with your submission of Submission Materials, including without limitation any registration information, is and will remain true, accurate, and complete; (ii) you have the legal right and authority to enter into this Submission Agreement with Sponsor; (iii) you have not submitted and shall not submit your Submission Materials to any other video site, service, contest, festival, or promotion, whether online or otherwise; (iv) the Submission Materials are all your original, sole work; (v) you solely own, or otherwise have the full right and permission to exploit, all of the rights in, to, and under the Submission Materials and to grant Sponsor the rights and licenses set forth herein, and with respect to any third party materials that appear in or are otherwise incorporated or embodied in the Submission Materials, you have obtained express, written clearances from all owners of and rights holders in such third party materials as necessary to grant Sponsor the rights and licenses set forth herein; (vi) you have obtained the written consent, release, and/or permission of every identifiable individual who appears in the Submission Materials, to use such individual’s name and likeness for purposes of using and otherwise exploiting the Submission Materials in the manner contemplated by this Submission Agreement, or, if any such identifiable individual is under the age of eighteen (18), you have obtained such written consent, release and/or permission from such individual’s parent or guardian; (vii) the Submission Materials, and the use thereof by the Sponsor Entities and their respective designees, do not and shall not infringe upon or violate any patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property rights or other rights of any third party; (viii) the Submission Materials are not confidential and do not contain any confidential information; and (ix) in creating the Submission Materials, preparing them for submission, and submitting your Submission Materials, you (A) have complied and will comply in all respects with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations and (B) have not violated and will not violate any understanding by which you are explicitly or implicitly bound (including without limitation any agreement with any third party).

5.(b). You represent and warrant that your Submission Materials do not and shall not contain any material that: (i) impersonates any person or entity, or falsely states or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity, without such person or entity’s prior written consent; (ii) constitutes personally identifying information or other personal or identifying information about you or any individual; (iii) is false, deceptive, misleading, scandalous, indecent, obscene, pornographic, unlawful, defamatory, libelous, fraudulent, tortious, threatening, harassing, hateful, degrading, intimidating, or racially or ethnically offensive, or contains nudity, pornographic images, explicit sexual themes, or graphic violence; (iv) encourages conduct that could be considered a criminal offense, could give rise to criminal civil liability, or could violate any law, or that could otherwise be considered inappropriate; (v) constitutes a virus, worm, Trojan Horse, Easter egg, time bomb, spyware, or other computer code, file, or program that is harmful or invasive or may or is intended to damage or hijack the operation of, or to monitor the use of, the Website or any hardware, software, or equipment; (vi) constitutes any advertising, promotional material, or other form of solicitation; or (vii) constitutes any material, non-public information about a company.

5.(c). Sponsor reserves the right (but not the obligation), in its sole discretion, to verify, whether prior to processing the Submission Materials or at any other time, that all necessary rights, clearances, consents, releases, and/or permissions in or relating to the Submission Materials have been obtained. Sponsor reserves the right to refuse or reject your Submission Materials and/or File(s) for inclusion in the Website, if Sponsor determines at any time, in its sole discretion, that all necessary rights, clearances, consents, releases, and/or permissions have not been obtained by you. You agree to cooperate with Sponsor in any verification or inquiries related to the foregoing.
5.(d). This Section shall survive any termination or expiration of this Submission Agreement for any reason.

6. Indemnity

6.(a). You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor Entities and their respective employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents and representatives from and against any and all Losses of any kind arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of or in connection with (a) any use or other exploitation, or failure or omission to use or otherwise exploit, your Submission Materials; (b) your use of or access to the Website; (c) any breach by you of any covenant, representation, or warranty set forth in this Submission Agreement; or (d) any claim that your Submission Materials or any use or exploitation thereof caused damage to or infringed upon or violated the rights of a third party, including without limitation past, present or future infringement, misappropriation, libel, defamation, invasion of privacy or right of publicity or violation of rights related to the foregoing.

7. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

7.(a). The Sponsor Entities are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information or materials made available through the Website, whether caused or created by Website users, by tampering or “hacking,” or by any of the equipment, software, or programming related to the Website, and assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft, destruction, or unauthorized access to the Website, any Submission Materials. In no event will the Sponsor Entities be responsible or liable for injury or damage to your or any other person’s computer, other equipment, or person in connection with downloading materials from or using the Website. IN NO EVENT WILL THE SPONSOR ENTITIES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE WEBSITE, THE STREAMING OR DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE WEBSITE, SPONSOR’S REMOVAL FROM THE WEBSITE OF OR DISCONTINUATION OF ACCESS TO ANY FILES OR OTHER MATERIALS, OR ANY HARM RESULTING THEREFROM. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL SPONSOR’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT (REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) EXCEED FIFTY DOLLARS ($50.00).

8. Arbitration

8.(a). In the event of any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Submission Agreement, regardless of the number or identity of defendant(s) or plaintiff(s), such dispute shall be submitted to arbitration in the County of Santa Clara, State of California, U.S.A. in accordance with the rules and regulations of the American Arbitration Association then in effect (as amended herein), provided that said arbitration shall be heard before a single arbitrator, selected pursuant to such rules and regulations, and shall be conducted on an expedited basis and in confidence. The arbitrator shall have at least ten (10) years of related intellectual property experience, shall be well acquainted with the entertainment, new media, and Internet industries, and shall not have the power to impose punitive damages. Each party hereby waives any and all rights and benefits which it might otherwise have or be entitled to under federal law or the laws of California or any other state to litigate any such dispute in court, it being the intention of the parties to arbitrate, according to the provisions of this Submission Agreement, all such disputes. The arbitrator’s decision shall be controlled by the terms and conditions of this Submission Agreement, shall be final and binding, and shall provide for each party to bear its own costs of arbitration and attorneys’ fees. EACH PARTY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A JURY. Judgment upon the award of the arbitrator may be entered or enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction. If either party shall fail to appear at the hearing on the date designated in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, or shall otherwise fail to participate in the arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator is hereby empowered to proceed ex parte. In the event of any dispute concerning this Submission Agreement, your sole and exclusive remedy shall be to seek damages pursuant to an arbitration authorized by this Section. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE REQUIREMENTS (OR ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT), DO NOT PROVIDE ANY SUBMISSION MATERIALS TO SPONSOR.

9. Governing Law

9.(a). This Submission Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. For any dispute not subject to arbitration according to Section ‘Arbitration’ above, you irrevocably agree to personal jurisdiction by the federal and state courts located in the County of Santa Clara in the State of California, United States of America, and waive any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such courts. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will you be permitted to obtain awards for, and you hereby irrevocably waive all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than your actual out-of-pocket expenses, and you further irrevocably waive all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. YOU AGREE THAT ANY CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR SUBMISSION MATERIALS MUST COMMENCE WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES, OTHERWISE, SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL BE PERMANENTLY BARRED.

10. Severability

10.(a). If any provision of this Submission Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other term hereof, and this Submission Agreement will be interpreted and construed as if such term, to the extent such term will have been held to be invalid or unenforceable, had never been contained herein. In addition, if any provision of this Submission Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with applicable law.

11. Assignment

11.(a). This Submission Agreement, and any rights and licenses granted hereunder, may not be transferred or assigned by you, but may be transferred or assigned by Sponsor without restriction.

12. Headings

12.(a). Headings and captions are used in this Submission Agreement solely for convenience of reference, and shall not be deemed to affect in any manner the meaning or intent of this Submission Agreement or any provision hereof.

13. Printed Copy

13.(a). At any time upon Sponsor’s request, you agree to execute a non-electronic hard copy of this Submission Agreement.

14. Survival

14.(a). The licenses and rights granted and assigned by you in and to the Submission Materials, and your waiver of claims with respect thereto, shall survive any termination of this Submission Agreement for any reason.

Tags: Champions Online

The different factors that make lotro be a visually appealing game

May 8, 2009 Lord of the Rings Online|397views

The term “graphics” has been widely identified with a number of aspects of a game’s engine and game play since the creation of the first coin-operated arcade machines. In the 21st century, the era of MMOs, we can identify some specific traits which correspond to a concise definition of what makes a game look good.

Modelling is the first step of creation and that leads to the general sculpted shape of sets, characters and weapons. The rigging and texturing allows for the characters to have a “skeleton” and a skin through which they can be manipulated into moving. Finally, the animation allows the movement, fighting and interacting between players and makes the game immersive. It is necessary for a development team to master all of these steps in order to make a game aesthetically pleasing to the public and, so far, LOTRO has done a tremendous job at keeping Tolkien’s legacy not just in the storyline but also in mood and visual impact.

To be able to look at LOTRO as objectively as possible and be able to appreciate its graphical features, you must take yourself back to the first hours of interaction with the game. Yes, the game has improved since then, yet that first impression is the one that I regard as most genuine and true to what originally appealed to you.

The modeling itself must have been arduous work, yet you can appreciate the care and detail portrayed not only in the characters but also in the environment in which you play. All MMOs deal with factions, and each faction is unique in its look, feel and actions. Hence proportions had to be established and many races, such as hobbits, require adjustments made not only in housing and infrastructure but also in regards of weapons and clothing. If I were to choose the best-sculpted scene in the game it would have to be Bree Town, and it is not only for its size and busy mood but also for the tiny details in archways, décor, guild spaces and interior architecture. The only critique I would make so far is the rigid edges kept in some of the clothing, lamps and fountains especially. It is important to allow for some smoothness as light and texture seams will clearly show later on in the development process.

Now the texturing and lighting process is of the utmost importance to creating a realistic set up of whatever you are attempting to simulate. In the case of Tolkien’s novel, the battle between the Dark Lord Sauron and the inhabitants of Middle Earth was purposefully contrasted in symbolic imagery in both the aura of the characters but also in the battlefields and the homes of the people involved. LotRO, in my opinion, has done the best job in keeping that emotion and tension throughout the game and engaging the players to recognize and sense land that is “safe” and land that is “hostile”. The flickering candle lit interiors offer another great view of the simple rigging that allowed such an authentic feeling and how it directly affects the appreciation one gives to these places.

A suggested improvement would be directed more into the technical application of texturing and the use of “bump mapping”. A bump map is an image the same size as your root texture file which tells how “deep” the shadows should be in the texture. The light is used therefore to create a sense of depth and grain on a certain object without modifying its actual geometric structure. The bump map contains black and white areas, black for “going in” and white for “going out”. Going back to LotRO, we see many cases where bump maps could be used to enrich the architecture as well as some of the clothing. Bricks, wooden poles, roofs and walls are just some of the areas that can be given a bit of touch, especially with such good lighting going around.

And lastly, we have the animation practice which is the most complex and elongating of them all. From the very start the characters themselves showed quite a bit of personality, especially in their walks, and allowed for some good contact with the environment. I have played recent MMOs that have depended on their gameplay so much they forgot about putting some consistent effort into making these aspects work. For example, in one of these games, after gaining a helmet that I had been waiting for, it appeared that the character’s hair would go through the model of the helmet and create this intertwining mess of geometry, as if the back of the helmet was going in my head. Of course I wrote a bug report and nothing got fixed, not a surprise, yet the animation field had some issues too. Shooting arrows was sometimes misleading as they would freeze in the air while being shot and sometimes late even with the damage reports on the hits.

On the other hand LotRO for me has been the most visually complex fantasy MMO I have ever played, with an abundance of benefices. Clothing follows movement on characters, the mounts have well founded offset motions, weapon actions are fairly varied and with no flaws or glitches and there is a great attention to detail such as the interaction of clothing to wind as well as the constantly moving sky. There is also a harmony in the synchronization of the sound with all sorts of actions from pure city life noise to a substantial battle depiction.

I have to say that having all of these layers upon layers of simulations works great in the context of this game. Even if you are walking alone in a city you still get a sense of action, of people chatting to each other and always up and about. It is as if no one ever sleeps, and it keeps you going. There are numerous aesthetic freedoms given to the player too, from selecting your own costumes and clothing to choosing a house and decorating it as you please. The artistic side adds complexity, but also flexibility and choice. It allows each of us to differentiate each other even more and create unique identities in this world where appearances can sometimes go unnoticed.

Tags: Lord of the Rings Online, LOTRO