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ISSUE 3 www.mo-times.comFebruary 2009MICA (P) 149/06/2008

MULTIPLAYER ONLINE TIMES

Ragnarok Online EP XII

Star Craft II Beta

FIFA Online 2 -Launch and PressConference Review

INSIDE


2/8

NEWS Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009

March 2009....beware of the DEMONfrom hellLong ago, the Mage Knight Thanatosbattled and sealed away the greater demon, Satan Morroc. Legend has it thatthe fallout from the battle destroyed thesouth eastern part of the Rune-Midgard

Kingdom, creating what is now known asthe Sograt Desert. In order to protect theseal and keep the demon locked away, thepeople of Rune-Midgard constructed acastle above the seal. Before long,buildings and tents were built around thecastle, and this new-founded city took thename of the demon and was calledMorroc.

However, one thousand years have nowpassed, and Satan Morroc has awakenedonce again! His release caused greatdamage to the city of Morroc, and theMidgard continent once again faces anunprecedented crisis.

RO Episode 12 is a major leap for thegame, including many new regions, arenewal of the games PVP features, thenew Memorial Dungeon instancingsystem, and a wide variety of newequipment.

New Features of Game1. The World Map SystemPressing ctrl ~ will open a world map thatshows your location and the location of your partymates

2. The Battle GroundsThe Battlegrounds is a PVP scenario thatcan be accessed from most of the popular towns.

3. Item Socketing version 2With the increase in danger of the world

how to add card slots to even more itemsthan previously available.

4. New MonstersSatan MorrocThe terror of the past,reawakened to destroyMorroc and next the world.Entire armies have beenslain in his wake, only thestrongest most fearless dare challenge himwhen he is at full power. Defeating SatanMorocc only weakens him; nd him out in theabyss that is the Dimensional Gorge to put himto rest temporarily.

Great Demon BaphometThe ancient power ofBaphomet is sealed beneaththe Monk`s Abbey. But theseals that bind Baphometfrom coming full strengthback into the world arewaning. A group of brave adventurers areneeded to reseal Baphomet again. Taking onBaphomet in his shrine is a monumental task,much stronger than the weakened Baphomet.

Naght SeigerThe true Ruler of theMemorial Tower, holdingnothing but distain forthose trying to ascend tobattle him. To trulyconquer the tower andclaim your victory spoils you mustconquer Naght Sieger.

5. New CardsAgav: MATK +5%, DEF -10, andMax SP +100 if wearer is a Mageclass character.

Byorgue: ATK +10% and MATK+10% if the wearer is a Rogue orStalker

Banshee: Max SP +100 and MaxHP -100 if the wearer is a Mageclass character. Increasesdamage of Soul Strike, NapalmBeat, and Napalm Vulcan by20%

Isilla: INT +2, Each magicattack has a chance of

reducing Cast Time by 50%and +30 Flee for 5 seconds

Flame Skull: Increasestolerance to Stun, Curse,Darkness, and Stone Cursestatuses by 30%. Inicts theStun, Curse, Darkness, orStone Curse statuses onenemies inicting short rangephysical attacks on the wearer

Atroce: ATK +25. Has achance of increasing AttackSpeed by 100% with eachphysical attack for 5 seconds

For more information about Ragnarok Online EP XII, kindly visit www.gameier.com.my

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3/8

NEWS Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009

According to French publisher Ubisoft, well be seeing the nextgeneration of consoles within 3years in 2012. In an interviewwith gamesindustry.biz, UbisoftCEO Yves Guillemot stated So,we have now enough to help usto grow the company for not onlynext year but to get ready for thecoming of the next generationconsoles that are probably goingto happen in 2011, 2012.

CarneyVale: Showtime recently made itsway into the international lime-light andwas nominated for the Seumas McNallyGrand Prize at the 2009 IndependentGames Festival.Along with CarneyVale:Showtime, four other independently

developed games are in contention for the grand prize.As of now, audiencevoting for the festival has ended but thewinners have yet to be announced.

Created right here in this region by theSingapore-MIT Gambit Game Lab,CarneyVale: Showtime places you in theshoes of Slinky, a circus acrobat. Thegame involves leading Slinky through aseries of increasingly dangerous andcomplex arenas as he collects balloonsand stars. Standing in Slinkys way are amyriad of obstacles and hazards thathell have to avoid.

CarneyVale: Showtime also includes amap editor, allowing users to create evenmore content for themselves and othersto enjoy. If you are interested in trying outthe game, both the trial version and thefull version of the game are currentlyavailable via Xbox Live CommunityGames.

Hellgate: London which was scheduled to stop operating on the 30th of January has beenrescued from the brink of debt by HanbitSoft. HanbitSoft stated that it would continuemaintaining the game using a free-to-play model. Prior to this, HanbitSoft was in charge of Hellgate: Londons operation in Korea.

Earlier on, Namco-Bandai made a decision to terminate the games servers due to poor performance of the game.Apparently though, HanbitSoft feels that it will be able to revivethe game using its free-to-play model of service.

HanbitSoft said that it owns the IP, engines and source code and will maintain Hellgate:London for its global community. Information regarding how this will affect Hellgate: Londonservers in South East Asia has yet to be released though, it would be safe to assume that itwill follow HanbitSofts free-to-play model.

If Guillemots predictions are correct,it will mean that this generation of consoles will have one of the longestproduct life cycles. The Playstationconsoles (PS1 and PS2) each had alifespan of approximately 5 yearsbefore seeing a new generationreleased. Guillemots predictionhowever puts the Xbox 360slifespan at 7 years, which is notsurprising given the currenteconomic situation and lack of consumer demand for a newgeneration of consoles.

On a side note, Ubisoft has statedthat following the success of itsShaun Whites Snowboarding game,it has decided to acquire new sportsproperties to further its product linewithin the genre.

Blizzard has always been known for being tight-lipped regarding their gamesin development but recent posts byBlizzard employees on the Battle.netforums have announced several ways for fans to get their hands on beta keys.While the posts revealed the means of

any start date for the StarCraft II beta.

There have been many rumours as towhen the beta will begin with somepredicting a start date as recent asMarch. We have absolutely no idea when

willing to sell my soul to get a piece of theaction.

The predecessor to StarCraft II, the originalStarCraft, has sold over 9.5 million unitsworldwide and played a major part in thestart of the Korean cyber gamingphenomenon. StarCraft II will have some

store shelves later this year. We havenothing but great expectations fromBlizzard.

CARNEYVALE: SHOWTIME

STARCRAFT II BETA

HANBITSOFT TO THE RESCUE

UBISOFT EXPECTS NEXTGENERATION IN 2012


4/8

MAIN FEATURE Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009

RUSH, RUSH, RUSHOn the surface, when Asiasoft unveiledSudden Attack to us in December, itseemed like just another Counter-Strikeclone. And to be fair, to a large extent, itis. But beyond the basic counter-

theres quite a bit more.

For starters, Sudden Attack is free toplay, with a micro-transaction system inplace. Players can pick up the gamewhich comes with a small basic weaponspack. All players get it and the guns thereare, while weak, effective forever.

The micro-transaction system is whatSudden Attack hopes will set it apartfrom other free FPS titles out there.Called PP, this currency can be earned in

ridiculously crack shot, able to take downtons of enemies and win consistently.Youll be awarded quite a sum of PP inthat way though the team on hand to

be tweaked.

The second, of course, is to cough upsome cash. This gives players a largeamount of PP to spend as they please inthe in-game store.

GUNS FOR SALEBut whats all the PP for? Plenty. Onecriticism of Counter-Strike and other titlesis that therere only so many guns goingaround. Sooner or later, youll get used toseeing players using the AWP or other

stale.

Sudden Attack

including time-based restraints oneverything ranging from guns to better

the in-game store already had a robust setof weapons, ranging from the familiar Desert Eagles to others were barelyfamiliar with. Players pay an amount of PP,and that unlocks the gun for use for a day.

Asiasoft was quick to point out that its not aone-use pony. Players will be getting their bang for their buck. Cheaper guns donttranslate to weaker than worthless theystill have the same amount of killing power,but different tradeoffs. Obviously, bigger guns cost more too, but as Aaron and Ifound out, every gun still has their strengthsand drawbacks that differ greatly from whatCounter-Strike fans may be used to.

Particularly diligent players who prefer onetype of gun above all others can spend alarger amount of PP, including a bulk buydiscount, to purchase a weapon or character for several days, giving them the

suddenly drop out once the timer is gone.

Theres also a hint that if you pick up anenemys gun, you can use that gun beyondthe match for a short period of time if youwin. Think of it as a sort of congratulationsfor whacking him off.

Things the game does to keep players

shooting include point penalties and

we were playing on gave winners andlosers a set amount of PP, while those whoraged and quit out had a small amountdeducted from them.

fault with this (Who wants to be penalizedfor having their Internet suddenly cut?) wethink the idea bears some merit as in itfocuses players to think about whether they have enough time on hand tocomplete a match. And for the kids whocant resist sneaking on to play even twominutes, it could prove a worthy detriment(Hey, even we know the effects of gamingaddiction after all) if they know their hardearned cash is going to go poof.

SNIPER, SNIPER PANTS OF FIREWhile we were checking the game out, itseemed pretty heartening to us that therewas more to Sudden Attack than just thein-game store though. Already, the systemis well in place, with streamlined lobbiesreminiscent of Gunbound , a friends

mates, and even a memo page for jottingdown quick notes.

Theres also a nice and large variety of maps and modes for players to play on,which is always a good sign. Theres basicdeathmatch, bomb defusal, intelligence,property defense, and just for the heck of

With that many modes, we were a little

worried at the number of maps shipping.Predictably, deathmatch and bomb defusalwere the ones with the most maps readyto go, but therere over 26 maps alone for

hope for the 8v8 multiplayer that the gametouts.

Some of the maps we played on, such asWarehouse and Emble Lab, looked prettypolished up. While theyre a far cry fromSource-engine quality ala Counter-Strike ,they do a respectable job on anyhalf-decent PC. It wont be winningawards, but the HUD was clean, therewasnt any clipping, and character modelslooked of decent quality. There was even asmall mini-map to display the location of allies.

PERSONAL GLORY, PERSONALFAMEPersonal stats, always good for gloryhounds, will also be tracked acrossgames. Its more than just for showhowever. Some items or character types

which may boast more health, run speedor armor, cant be used no matter howmuch cash you have. Youll need to playhard and level up in order to earn theability to use them.

Tossed into the mix for good measure is asmall checkbox with the words quickrespawns. Like a true FPS, the gamequickly lets players get back into the gameinstead of sitting around waiting for theround to end if theyre unlucky.Unfortunately, that came with an

The world really needs to move on from Counter-Strike . Yes, its fun, yes, it looks pretty in the new Source

engine, and yes, were bored stiff of the game turning into sniper wars.

(Keep in mind a lot of this is still pre-closed beta stuff, so some of it is bound to change.)

ENTER SUDDEN ATTACK

immediate drawback that was only tooapparent on smaller maps like Warehouse.

That problem is spawn camping. Whenplayers respawn, theres a three secondinvulnerability timer, but after that, yourefair game. It was far too easy in the quickmatches that we played to box in theenemy, and then proceed to sit back and kill

shots in, as long as we had a constantsupply of ammo and allies, the other teamwasnt getting out.

When we asked about this issue, thedevelopers were quick to point out that

maps were designed expressly with theidea of situations such as these. It becomes

contrasted this with other modes such asintelligence, where a tighter defense wouldhave all the advantages in holding on to thebriefcase, or bomb defusal, which sees bothsides moving into a central position. We can

preparing to enter closed beta in earlyJanuary, with an open beta in late Januaryand an expected launch date sometime inFebruary. Keep an eye out if youre lookingfor a new free FPS to while the time away.- Neubronner Eugene

w w w . m o l. c o m



5/8

MAIN FEATURE Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009

THE WS AND THE SINGLE H

When in doubt, ask a series of questions to determine if its worththe time. Heres what we askedourselves when we looked atSudden Attack , so you guys get aninsight into the lives of a gaming

journalist as he writes.

WHOYou, and up to 15 others playing insemi-realistic, but fast and furious

gunplay that melds together therealistic guns of the world with the runand gun of other shooters.

WHATWhats so good about it? Well, itsfree. Cant beat that. And while itsnot the most eye-popping in terms of graphics, it handles on almost anycomputer worth its salt with the

requires a graphics card).

WHYMicro-transactions mean thedevelopers get to tweak and controlthings to suit the general player populace. Too many people buying

the AWP? No problem, just up the priceon it. Instantly, only those die-hards whowant to afford it, or those with the skillsto do so will own it. Everyone else has togo bugger off back to the rest of theguns. Supply and demand will mean thegame doesnt stalemate into anAWP-fest.

HOWEverything players do will be tracked by

server stats. So, if theres a suddenspike in, say the MP4 machine gun.Developers will have access to a wealthof information that they can then use togive players better responses. Think theMP4 got a boost and is now toooverpowered? Stats will tell all.

WHENThe game will be entering closed betaearly in January, with open beta to followlater in the month. Look out for it then.

THE MICRO-TRANSACTION SYSTEM IS WHAT SUDDENATTACK HOPES WILL SET IT APART FROM OTHER FREE FPS

TITLES OUT THERE.


6/8

POPULAR GAMES & EVENTS Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009

FIFA ONLINE 2LAUNCH AND PRESS CONFERENCE REVIEWIAHgames, providers of major onlinetitles such as Emil Chronicle Online andDragonica has worked with its Malaysiancounterpart MyCNX Holdings (M) Sdn

was held on the 23rd of January at MOLiCafe in Berjaya Times Square. Theevent was held in conjunction with thelaunching of the Kick N Win Contestwhere gamers stood the chance to winRM 1,000 daily until March 18th byplaying the game. FIFA Online 2s launchwas open to the public and goodie bagswere given out to people who attendedthe event. Inside the goodie bags wereFIFA styled posters and stationarycelebrating the launch of the game and afree copy of FIFA Online 2 on CD. A copyof the game can be downloaded from

www.EAsportsFIFAonline2.com for those unfortunate enough not to attend.

The event began with speeches fromChristopher Ng (General Manager of EA)

IAHGames) and YBhg Datuk Dr MohamedArif Nun (Chairman of MyCNX Holdings (M)Sdn Bhd) where various aspects of thegames game play, overall marketingstrategy and its plans for the future wereexplained to the crowd.

The speeches were concluded with YBhgDatuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun sharing a few

jokes with the crowd in which he drew to aclose by giving out a special mention toGanesh Kumar Bangah, CEO of MOL.comfor his contribution in making the project asuccessful one.

Awards were given out to the speakers and

YBhg Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun shootinga ball into an open net, in which he missed(hopefully this is not a testament of thingsto come for the game) but he made up for itwith a stylish rendition of Cristiano Ronaldostyled stepovers to score from 3 feet out

into an open net. As his shot hit the back of the net the crowd went wild with applause,this was followed by a display of paper-

A trailer of FIFA 2009 was shown at thelaunch, showing off crisp graphics withrealistic motion captured movements frompolygons modeled after popular playerssuch as Manchester Uniteds WayneRooney and Chelseas Didier Drogba.

FIFA Online 2 is free to play for everyone;

parts (FIFA 2009) and only requires acomputer that meets the game

working Internet connection for users tobegin playing. All that users are required todo is to set up an account with FIFA Online2 and then they are ready to go. Oneaspect of the game that sets it apart from

purchase experience points, specialized jerseys for a team and the like for a feewith the use of points or credits whichcan be purchased from MOL.com through

networks such as 7-11.

The response of the crowd was positiveduring the event and a member of the

crowd summed up the feeling of anticipation from the crowd perfectly whenhe said to me why so long one they talk.

FIFA Online 2s launch concluded with thespeakers and representatives fromIAHgames, MyCNX and Mol.com having aQ&A session with the media.

As for everyone else who attended theevent, it was kick off time on FIFA Online 2!

SHAIYA, LIGHT AND DARKNESSThe Elves possess longer lifetimethan Human beings, Vile creatures,and the Deatheaters. With its uniqueand longer lifetime, these elves areall devoted to the goddess, Shaiyathrough their prayers to the goddess.These prayers are all held on a holyground called Jeurner where theydwell for their eternal development of tribes and civilizations, where theholy Clorons have been responsibleto protect the holy ground. With envyof the wealth of Jeurner, the jealousforeign Nemesis, Etain has invadedthe sacred land and stopped theresidents from worshiping thegoddess. To their greatest sorrow,the Elves with the Clorons have alliedwith Human beings to confront the

cruel invasion of Etain and its Unionof Fury.

TALES OF 2 DRAGONS CLORON As a way of life, the Vile has been living inagony from illness. They are thirsty andthus they crave for blood through explicitlust and desire. Although they possess abeautiful outlook, some incurable diseasehas unfortunately, hosted them. To stop thetorment and misery, they carried outimmoral experiments on Human beings,Elves, and even the Deatheaters, whichthese experiment fails constantly.

As a result of various experiments,Fantasma, a brand new species of dragonwas formed out of the skeletons of manyinnocent lives. Before Fantasma turned intoa skeletal dragon, it used to possess ashinny glittering outlook, in silver colour,so-called the Platinum Dragon. However,the Vile creatures exploited them andtransformed it into undead specimens.

These vicious deeds of the Vile creatureshave triggered the anger of Fantasma.Moaning for its saddened fate, the rage of Fantasma slaughtered the Vile species andcursed them into undead creatures with nomercy. Since then, the Vile creatures andFantasma lived miserably with loathe andhatred deep in the laboratory.

FANTASMA

Visit http://shaiya.runup.com.my/ for moreinfo on Shaiya, Light and Darkness




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Multiplayer Online Times - February, 2009


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