March 22, 2009

Cabal To Release New Dungeon Map

As per GM Boom's post in Plurk, Cabal Ph will be opening the Forbidden Island Dungeon on April 14.

The dungeon's requirement for entry is for your character level to be 125 or higher. Regarding the entry item, GM Boom has not yet confirmed whether it is the Unknown Item that has been constantly popping up when players open Edeza's Lamp.

This is something for all Cabalists to watch out for!

Rohan: First-Hand Experience

I had a good-enough PC to get me the opportunity to be one of the few Filipino gamers to participate in the Close Beta Testing of Rohan Online, released under LevelUp Games.

It took me to the edge of my seat!

I chose to be a Dekan, due to its dark profile and mysterious aura. Dekans are swift and have skills similar to those of a Cabal Blader, but with more oomph to keep you wanting to get your character stronger.

First-timers might be surprised to see other players named "Dekan" or "Dhan". It is because only characters in Peace Mode can see other players' names. This also means that you cannot see a character's name when he is in Attack mode, even if you are in Peace Mode. This gives players enough confidence when they want to PK you (since Rohan is PK-based).

The game is not overrated - it has very meticulous graphics with scenic backgrounds and realistic environment that will completely remind you of Lord of the Rings (especially when I was battling those Drhyses because they looked like Ents). Characters are equipped with interesting skills with action-packed graphics that will make you feel like you are the one executing those attacks.

And I didn't even have an audio card to begin with - which means the action will make your heart pound even without any sound or music accompanying your gaming.

The only downside to this game is the only irritating bug I encountered - the mobs disappear if you are in a crowded map. Because of this, your character gets attacked by aggressive monsters and you'll end up dead without even knowing why. I thought it was just because of lag but after checking my internet connection speed, I confirmed it was a bug.

Rohan Online Open Beta begins this April.

March 20, 2009

Highstreet 5: worth spending money on?

Highstreet 5 is a casual online dance RPG that allows players to customize the physical attributes of an avatar and show off cool dance moves in street party locations such as a school, alley, and even in a subway.

Any Highstreet 5 player will easily notice how much time and effort EagleGames is putting for their game to beat every other casual online game available in the market.

In the Philippines, with E-Games' Audition Dance Battle as its biggest - and probably only - competition, EagleGames came up with a perfectly clever solution. They increased their IRL cash to in-game cash conversion, therefore even if you top up your account with only 100PHP, your account receives 1040 Points, thus allowing you to shop for more in-game items. Compared to Audition's equal conversion (100PHP will get you 100 Points as well), Highstreet 5's tactic gives players an equal chance to avail of items fit for a student's budget.

Another noteworthy strategy is that they sell Highstreet 5's in-game cash items at incredibly lower prices compared to that of Audition. For instance, one can purchase a suit (a clothing set consisting of a top, pants or skirt, shoes, and/or accessories such as a cap or glasses) for only 450 Points which by conversion will only cost you less than 50PHP, while the same set for the same price is worth 450PHP in Audition. What's even better is that for an item to be "forever" (the item will not disappear from your inventory, termed "indefinite" in Audition) yours, you simply triple its basic price and presto, your favorite outfit is yours until you decide to delete your account.

To keep the profit coming, there are monthly events for players to participate in, all focused on rewarding players who top up their accounts most within a certain period of time. The impressive part here is that the rewards they give are yours, oh yes, forever. They also happen to be items that you cannot purchase at the in-game mall or online store - you really have to spend and top up your account if you want them to be yours.

Of course not everyone wants to spend for an online game, right? But in Highstreet 5, every Point you spend in the in-game mall is converted into a point for your Family (or guild). The more points your Family gets from your Point-spending spree, the higher your Family level. Example, once your Family total reaches 10,000 Points, your Family becomes a Level 2 guild, therefore enabling your Family to invite more members and appoint more officers. It also adds to the prestige of having not only high level players who can easily kick anybody's ass but a guild that can buy their way to fashion as well.

Surely, it is not practical to spend so much money on online gaming, especially on clothes you can't wear yourself or pets that will never cuddle up to you. But hey, if the game makes you happy and brings to "online gaming life" all your fantasies, Highstreet 5 is the game for you to cough up your cash on.