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Mmozine Issue 9

FREE! NAVIGATE Issue 9 | January 2009 FREE LIVE FOR A YEAR + LOADS OF STUFF! + PREVIEWED MMOZine The old school revival Free Magazine For MMO Gamers.Read it, Print it, Send it to your mates is close at hand

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+ LONG TERM TEST THE MINES OF MORIA BACK TO BASICS Delving deep inside Earth and beyond in this World Of LOTRO’s latest expansion magical combat MMOG Warcraft The Journey Begins CONTROL NAVIGATE |02 Contents WIN! QUICK FINDER DON’T MISS! A GRAPHICS Every game’s just a click away This month’s highlights… CARD! Global Agenda Darkfall Welcome Infinity: The The Chronicles for Earth of Spellborn RUNES Shin Megami of the to Darkfall Tensei Rings Online: When in comes to choosing an online world, OF Enter the light Mines of Moria most of us are happy to pay monthly charges, Horsing around for free Free Realms Football believing that a more consistent experience is Worlds Manager Live guaranteed when equal fees apply to all. The Tabula Rasa Atlantica Online misnomer over ‘free-2-play’ games is that they are Tears Saga shoddy in comparison, when the truth is that f2p : games still require sustainable levels of investment. Apocrypha The difference is that those who can’t or won’t Runes of Magic pay are still allowed in, while those with money can pay extra and buy in-game luxuries. Which is the fairer tax system is often debated, but the Atlantica FM LIVE PLUS important question is whether the games are A world apart? PLUS! SUBSCRIPTION! good, and increasingly the micro-transaction- fuelled worlds are every bit as enjoyable as those LOTRO: Mines many of us subscribe to. In these times when we have to tighten our belts, maybe it’s just as well. of Moria DON’T MISS ISSUE 10 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE ! Richie Shoemaker, Editor Is it the dog’s Balrogs? [email protected] WA RNIN G! M ULT IMEDIA DISA BLED! If yo u ar e r ea din g th is, th en yo u di dn ’ t ch o o s e “Pl a y” MEET THE TEAM w h en A d o be R ea d er aske d yo u ab o ut m ultim e di a w h en The MMOZine massive were told to go yo u open e d th e m a g azin e. forth and multiplay, which they did… Wi tho u t t h e m ul tim edi a p l a yin g , t h e m a g a z in e w il l l o o k co r re ct, b u t yo u w il l b e m i ssin g o u t o n al l o f t h e ext ra co n ten t b u il t in to e a c h i ssu e , l ike vi d e o s , an im ated sc re en sh o ts , an n o tati o n s , q u i zze s , co m p eti ti o n s an d m o re . We re co m m en d yo u c l o se an d re-o p en t h e m a g a z in e an d sel e ct “Pl a y” w h en PA UL PRESLEY DAVE TAYLOR D AN a s ked ab o u t t h e m ul tim edi a to en j oy t h e m a g a z in e a s in ten d ed . Looked for bargains Is very much hoping HUTCHINSON in the January to find gold in the EVE Online is this transfer window. mines of Moria. man’s MMO of choice. CONTROL NAVIGATE |03

Alpha FIRST Global AgendaLOOK Publisher: N/A Developer: Hi-Rez Studios When two (hundred) tribes go to war… Heritage: None Link: www.global agendagame.com What’s the story? ETA: N/A As the doors close on one MMO sci-fi shooting-heavy enterprise (step forward Tabula Rasa), another even more shooting-heavy sci-fi MMO stands up to take its place. Global Agenda, ostensibly, is a cross PREVIEW between Battlefield 2 (or 2142, if you prefer) and the perennial online FEEDBACK! team combat fave Tribes 2. All the persistent character growth of Click here to the former mixed with the hardcore gun-toting, jetpack-wearing, tell us what adrenaline-pumping action of the latter. All dished up with the visual you think of The Hello Kitty line of finery that comes from the Unreal Engine 3. Global Agenda ninja blades lives on into the near future at least. What do we know? “Ohh my head. What was A well-edited – if somewhat cheesy – gameplay I drinking last night?” video was doing the rounds at a public charity “Global Agenda is event, and since then we’ve found out that the a cross between gameplay consists of a real-world battleground, in Battlefield 2 and team which player-run ‘agencies’ face off against each other for control over key resource points has combat fave, Tribes 2” come on by jetpack-assisted leaps and bounds. A heady mixture of gunplay, melee combat and stealthy infiltration seems to be the order of the day, with multiple classes ensuring a need for teamwork among players. Agencies have to capture and defend technology resources to further their abilities, weapons and global power, although how this ties into a persistent, real-time world with (potentially) thousands of other player groups isn’t clear. When do we get more? It’s already been under development for two years, and there were promises of a closed beta starting up towards the end of 2008, although that particular annus came and went with nary a whiff. “Hot, hot, hot, hot, Being a self-funded developer does mean that there’s no rush, which hot, hot, hot...” bodes well for quality control at least.

CONTROL WHICH SIDE WILL YOU CHOOSE?

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© 2004-2009 NCsoft Ltd. All Rights Reserved. NCsoft, the interlocking NC Logo, , City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |05 Alpha Front… no, back! No, FIRST definitely the front… Infinity: The LOOK Publisher: N/A Developer: Flavien Brebion Quest for Earth Heritage: None Link: www.infinity- One man creates the entire galaxy… .com/Infinity ETA: N/A What’s the story? We’ve had space-based MMOs before, and after a lengthy period of inactivity, the genre is about to welcome a couple of others to the PREVIEW fray, JumpGate Evolution and to name but two. The FEEDBACK! main difference between all these other space-faring titles and Infinity Click here to however? Simple, Infinity’s goal of recreating our solar system, all 200 tell us what billion stars, planets and moons of it, is being handled by just one man. you think of Infinity: The What do we know? Quest for Earth This ‘Milky Way Kid’ is one Flavien Brebion, and he’s a programming genius. The galaxy of stars is mostly being created by procedural “Infinity’s goal of generation techniques, albeit ones that marry up with the star systems recreating all 200 created by each player’s clients, while many of the game’s 3D models billion stars, moons and have come via well-wishers with 3D CAD developing nous. Gameplay details are still rather thin on the ground at this stage, planets in our solar although it is a stated fact that players aren’t limited to zipping system is being handled about space lanes but rather can travel seamlessly from orbit down by just one man” to the surface of every planet in the game. Brebion also boasts of complete freedom to go from small shuttle piloting to controlling vast empires, and a -based real-time combat system that’s loosely seen the light of day already via a standalone combat ‘prototype’ game that can be downloaded right now. When do we get more? Rumours of the game being ‘vapourware’ were recently refuted by Brebion in an open letter on his website, although he freely admits to progress being slow due to the vastness of the project and his limitations of only Well, it doesn’t look having two arms. That said, Brebion is hoping for an very friendly to us. early alpha to go live sometime later this year.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |06 Alpha Free Realms Developer: SOE | ETA: Spring Stargate Worlds New MMOs and content Developer: Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment | ETA: TBA SOE’s family-friendly MMO updates to mark on continues to impress in beta, but Worrying news over at Stargate Command, away from the screen, kids of all as rumours of unpaid employees and your calendar with a ages will be able to enjoy the Free frantic scrabbling around for investment BIG RED PEN! Realms trading card game, courtesy capital leak out into the general populace. of SOE Denver, the folks behind The official word from the developer is that UP work continues apace, while further Legends of Norrath and the Star 7 funding opportunities are sought out. A Wars Galaxies card game. Shin healthy community site certainly raises Developer: Aeria Games | ETA: 2009 hopes, but we Now entering open beta is the Champions Online wait with English language version of popular Developer: Cryptic Studios | ETA: April baited Japanese demon breeding and Holy change of publisher, non-trademark breath on shopping-’em-up console role-player, infringing Bat-themed man! Cryptic’s follow-up this one Shin Megami Tensei. Post-apocalyptic to the brilliant City of Heroes has moved houses for now. Tokyo is the setting for the strategy- from Take 2 to the newly invigorated Atari, heavy fun, as players help with the along with Cryptic itself, furthering rumours construction of a tower block while along the way that many of Atari’s IPs may be fusing captured demons together to lending themselves towards MMO goodness Tabula Rasa keep others at bay. further down the line. Developer: Destination Games | ETA: February 2009 While General Sir Lord Rear Admiral The Agency Cosmonaut British (aka ) adjusts to back on terra firma after his EVE Online: sojourn into deep space, and ponders a SUMMER Apocrypha move back into fantasy online game Champions Developer: CCP | ETA: March development, his last venture, Tabula Rasa, Online sees out its remaining days on virtual Earth Fresh on the heels of setting by going completely free-to-play until the SUMMER yet another concurrent user servers shut at the end of February. Lovely. record for a single server Tears Saga Developer: NECT | ETA: Late 2009 Aion: Tower (45,000 and rising, stats fans!), of Eternity veteran spaceship Tears Saga is the new name for SPRING game, EVE Online, is forging Puppeteers, getting set for a ahead to a whole new frontier closed beta later this year. Key – store shelves. Again. A features are mouse-controlled Jumpgate partnership with Atari is weapon aiming and Tekken- Evolution seeing the client get a box in style fighting, pitching more ON time to squeeze in the game’s towards the action end of the THE tenth expansion. market than is usual for an MMO. RADAR CONTROL PLAYBACK OPTIONS:

CONTROL NAVIG ATE |08 Beta It was hardly a fair fight.

Publisher: Frogster Developer: Runewaker Runes of Magic Heritage: None Link: www.runes The freeplay MMO that might be worth investing in ofmagic.com “Runes of Magic is ETA: Q1 2009 f you’ve played an MMO at any and offering very little innovation of actually a very fine time in the last few years (and its own. Dig a little deeper and you Frankenstein’s Iif you’re reading this we can soon realise that Runes of Magic PREVIEW assume with some confidence that borrows a great deal, not only from Monster of an MMO” FEEDBACK! you have), then you should feel the world’s favourite game, but also Click here to immediately at home when you Lord of the Rings Online and even Now that’s a tell us what first log in to Runes of Magic. Even the forgotten son of EverQuest. In ring of fire. you think of the name has an of comfortable fact, the more you play, the more Runes of Magic familiarity about it. It’s as if it’s been influences you spot. Some might see carefully thought through by a this as a dubious sign that a lack of marketing team so as not to appear imagination hides within, which may too unique, or too threatening. Were be true in a sense, but when you it destined to be delivered in human get right down to it, Runes of Magic form the game would likely be called is actually a very fine Frankenstein’s something non-threatening like Dave. Monster of an MMO. So much so Dave is one of an increasing that after a while you hardly notice number of ‘free2play’ online worlds, the scars at all. and on the surface a very familiar Set in the lands of Taborea, a one, borrowing a little too much generic patchwork of snowy, from the likes of temperate and arid zones, the

NPC guards Getting around is patrol the cities. easier than you think.

Auction houses, banks and mailboxes – all fitted as standard.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |09 Beta

Runes of Magic cont. “If we were to A face only a choose one word to mother could love. game world is as varied as any describe the first forged in the name of high fantasy, and remarkably well padded with hours of playing content, with the usual selection Runes of Magic it of wolves, bears, spiders and even would be ‘dense’” strangely comical mushrooms lolling about the early killing fields. Although your choice of starting If we were to choose one word races are limited to just humans, and to describe the first hours of playing the player classes condensed to the Runes of Magic it would be ‘dense’. standard choices of Knight, Warrior, It’s not that it’s just busy with new Scout, Rogue, Mage and Priest, players chopping wood or baiting upon reaching 10 it’s possible bears, but the starting lands are to pick a secondary class. You can’t conspicuously narrow and closed in. level your secondary role above your You can barely go more than a few primary, but you can switch them paces before tripping over an NPC All roads lead to Varanas… over. It’s a neat little trick, one that is or aggravating a of wolves. perhaps a little disassociating, but With quests asking you to kill and it allows for easy changing-out of fetch all the usual things that require city of Varanas are well stocked roles should your party members be killing and fetching, it’s perhaps little with human players. overstocked with tanks and in need wonder that you find out that the With an overall aesthetic that of supporting staff. lands before and around the major fuses WoW with the fudged-lens stylings of the best Asian MMOGs, an EQ2-inspired crafting system Portals link the major compliments things nicely. With towns and cities. the added reams of written quests that could give Lord of the Rings Online a run for its money, Runes of Magic does have a lot to offer. As a secondary game to kill the hours waiting for friends to join you in your subscription world of choice, it seems hard to find many faults. Whether it has enough to convince you to part with cold hard cash in order to buy in-game items will only become apparent over time. For many, the gold pieces dropped This is the place to cook by mobs and given as payment up a healthy meal.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |10 Beta

Runes of Magic cont. Resurrection points are not places you for quests will be enough. Of course want to hang around. the developers will hope you’ll be smitten enough by that point that you’ll rent some extra storage space – which is thankfully cheap – or buy yourself a permanent horse (which Strange glowing walls are at 299 diamonds is by far the most there to be walked through. expensive in-game ). Surprisingly stable For a beta, the Runes of Magic client is as stable as any we’ve encountered, with bugs related The house fairy. to issues of poor path-finding and No, really. two-handed weapons that twitch nervously on player’s backs when not in use – hardly a deal-breaker. Balancing is much more difficult to gauge. Many claim that PvP is far debt players must pay in order to from satisfactory, with little incentive offset death is proportionate, though Roads are generally safe, to be bad. Others suggest the melee increasingly harsh as you level up, if you have a horse. classes are too weak, which may but if balances are the only things be the case. The people are getting heated over, then that’s probably a very good sign. Given that a whopping 100,000 people were playing happily EXPORT FILES within hours of the open beta Verdict being announced last month, we A compilation of some of the best MMO Made in … reckon Runes of Magic could well features in one free package Developed in Taiwan, Runes of Magic was become the first poster boy for apparently designed from the outset to free2play online games, and the first HOW COMPLETE real challenger in the West to the be a ‘Western’ game. We assume at the 95% top of the to-do list was not to make the dominance of subscription gaming. experience a horrendous grind, punctuated the game certainly isn’t a grind. In fact, It may have taken the best features by text boxes that had been given only a progression seems rather swift, on a par of the best games, but at it’s core FIRST IMPRESSIONS cursory run through an English spellchecker with the perennial World of Warcraft, which Runes of Magic has a soul that is before being pasted into the English client. is no slouch when it comes to pounding the unmistakeably its own. This looks to 80% Across the first 20 levels we can attest that levelling treadmill. be a case where familiarity does not breed contempt.

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CONTROL NAVIGATE |12 Beta

I’m not sure that road’s safe for travel to be honest.

Publisher: Audiovisual SA Developer: Adventurine Darkfall Heritage: None Link: www. Fighting here, fighting there, fighting everywhere darkfallonline.com ETA: January n the surface, Darkfall’s of ’s early days, in that world of elves, dwarves, nothing is off limits to any character Oorcs and humans looks like – weapons, abilities, career paths, PREVIEW any other fantasy MMO currently etc. – and instead revolves around FEEDBACK! out there, albeit one that’s been in whichever of the 1,000-plus skills, Click here to development for so long that the spells and abilities the player decides tell us what makers of Duke Nukem Forever can to begin using at any given time. you think of look over and feel like they’re rushing The more you swing a sword, the Darkfall things and should probably slow better you get at sword-swinging, down a wee bit. However, if you take for instance. Taking it one step more than a passing glance at this further and repeated sword- soon-to-be unleashed world then swinging not only raises that skill, you start to notice that things aren’t but will affect your basic strength quite so simple. statistic as well, opening up a whole Of course, as was seen with UO, take a look at the rest of the game, For a start, the strong skill system range of character development this kind of mechanic is like catnip to we wouldn’t be surprised to see bears a passing resemblance to that options to explore. the ‘botters’ who love nothing more some kind of blood-letting involved. than to set up macros for particular actions, stand in the corner swinging Claim to fame You find the oddest things away and then just sit back and You see, Darkfall’s biggest claim when mowing the lawn. watch the numbers rise. How the to potential fame is that it’s a Greek developer, Adventurine, is completely 100% PvP dominated planning to counter this isn’t clear, world. Nowhere is safe. Even the but given what occurs when you safe zones such as capital cities are only marginally less unsafe than the other areas. So, in keeping with the “Darkfall’s biggest über-hardcore nature, combat takes claim to fame is that on a different slant, eschewing the it’s a completely 100% usual MMO methods for a real-time, action-packed offering, requiring PvP dominated world” effective use of blocks and attacks, a first-person ranged combat view, the

CONTROL NAVIGATE |13 Beta “There’s a lot of Darkfall continued hidden depth to need to actually make contact with Darkfall” your target, and the ability to hurt your own teammates with friendly fire if your aim is off. At least you get to know when you hit your opponent though, through the use of graphic blood splatter and the cries of pain and anguish from your foe, rather than seeing abstracted numbers floating above everyone’s head like a psychotic maths professor on a bloody killing spree. The right to Kill your enemy and you get full looting rights, meaning the ever- Another peaceful day in present PvP takes on a more the Hundred Acre Wood. pressing urgency should you be You know you’ve been hit carrying something particularly when the red mist descends. precious about your person. apart from the rest of the pack, And then, when you think it step forward ship-to-ship combat! can’t possibly set itself any further Outside of dedicated naval MMOs cities to NPC mercenaries to boost (Pirates of the Burning Sea, Bounty your adventuring party. While it’s Bay Online), we’ve never so far true that solely PvP games haven’t Not just a mount, experienced a solid, well-thought always fared that well on release to Verdict but a handy bottle out ship-based combat system a seemingly conquest-hungry but There’s a lot to admire here assuming the opener, too. that blends seamlessly with the quickly-bored-once-the-griefing- gameplay quirks are polished rest of the world. Darkfall not only begins virtual populace, the fact promises to give you watery thrills, that games such as EVE Online HOW COMPLETE but to combine them with full city can continue to thrive offers some sieges, vehicular and mounted hope for Adventurine yet. With a 95% combat and large-scale warfare European release already underway alongside the more traditional man as you read this (and a US one to FIRST IMPRESSIONS versus monster action. follow shortly thereafter), we’ll see There’s a lot of hidden depth if these Greeks are bearing a gift 75% to Darkfall, from guild versus guild worth spending time with very war declarations to player-built soon now.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |14 Beta I think I dropped my The Chronicles lighter. Anyone seen it? Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Spellborn International Ltd. Heritage: None Link: spellborn. of Spellborn acclaim.com ETA: Spring Dress to impress, then roll with your role “Spellborn mixes real-time combat, ne thousand quests, that it makes no odds. Regardless, it’s PREVIEW manual aiming and a multiple experience point a tale of shatterings, demons, great multi-role skill bar” FEEDBACK! progression, stat-free houses and mighty … not to Click here to O clothing and a promise of limited mention some notably original takes tell us what think of . If nothing else, The on important things like character you Chronicles of Spellborn is setting its progression and combat. The Chronicles stall out early on as a breath of fresh of Spellborn air in the overly populated (some say Let’s fight! polluted) world of fantasy MMOs. Let’s start with the combat system, Even that fantasy label is a little key to which is understanding the misleading, set as this is in a post- Skill Deck. Rather than rely on the apocalyptic world, albeit one that is tried and tested auto-target, auto-hit, so thick with magic and monsters pseudo-turn based systems of other MMOs, Spellborn mixes real-time combat, manual aiming (FPS-style crosshair action) and a multi-role skill bar that you pre-load with your attack moves and rotate through the rows with each trigger. The idea is you can line up combo moves by pre-loading related skills on each row, the number of slots growing as you increase in level. Imagine ’ hotbar system and a Pizza ovens just get more and fruit machine’s display area and more impressive, don’t they? you’ll get the idea.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |15 Beta Ever get the feeling Spellborn continued you’re being watched? Spin the wheel of combat! What expands this idea is the fact that each isn’t limited to particular combat roles, meaning you can load melee, ranged, buffs and debuffs into different slots regardless of your character, and easily switch between roles mid- combat. Or you can choose to focus on one particular role and just give yourself more powerful options in that sphere instead. A truly personalised character development scheme, and one that looks set to add a much-needed layer of tactical thinking to the genre as a whole. “The game is pushing the Dress to impress Unreal engine to its limit, Also helping the personalisation producing some stunning- aspect is the ability for characters to wear and wield any type of looking scenery” armour, clothing and weapon they desire, regardless of class. Plate mail adorned , sir? Absolutely. Bottom line is that clothing in and of when you want to deal more cranial itself offers no numerical bonus to imploding damage to critters. your stats and is purely a cosmetic Sigils can be swapped about at Funny, I don’t choice (meaning there are hundreds will, so even if you swap chainmail Verdict remember a tree in of dress-up options available from for formal dinner wear, your stat Original features could give this plucky upstart the bedroom when the start), and it’s only through the bonuses can still come with you. some muscle against the established ‘big boys’ I went to sleep… use of ‘sigils’ that items take on power There’s a lot to like about beyond the ability to look fab-u-lous. Spellborn’s design ideas, not to HOW COMPLETE Sigils provide the buffs and can be mention the game is pushing applied to whatever item you feel the Unreal engine to its limit, 90% like. Thus, your starting weapon producing some stunning-looking can be continually improved right scenery. Having already launched FIRST IMPRESSIONS through to the level cap should a seemingly successful European you wish, rather than having to launch, it’s soon time for the English- 85% constantly change a beloved cudgel language players to get a look in, for a generic Whack-o-Stick Mk. II both here and in the US.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |16 Interview Runes of Magic The European Community Manager defends attacks that his game is a clone…

Each settlement ore than 200,000 people “We have always said the like which set standards for our has a set of have plunged themselves genre. We think that we have taken All characters in the game can craf ting stations. Minto the beta for Runes of that Runes of Magic many of their great ideas and just chose a second class and switch Magic, making it one of the most has been inspired by taken them a step further. the primary and secondary power. successful test periods in recent So any player can, for instance, play memory. Even so, there remain many MMORPGs” What features would you claim his Warrior/Mage to have incredible claims that the game lacks identity, are unique to Runes of Magic? close combat proficiency at one and people still aren’t won over by We have always said that Runes of To me, the most outstanding time and then change to Mage/ the concept of so-called ‘free-to- Magic has been inspired by many features are the Dual Class system, Warrior to unleash the raw power of play’ gaming. Jörg Koonen, RoM’s MMORPGs, and World of Warcraft the different Rune Systems (e.g. magic. Each dual class combination Jörg Koonen, Community Manager, reckons the is one of those. Many of us MMO for upgrading equipment or has special unique Elite Sk ills that the European Community times are a-changin’… veterans have seen a lot of the teleporting) and the dynamically grant your chosen combination Manager of features incorporated in WoW generated instanced dungeons. particularly powerful capabilities. Runes of Magic. Do you think it’s fair that Runes before. We mustn’t forget that there of Magic is being labelled by were such great games as Ultima some as a clone? Online, Everquest, Lineage II and

Use the Play and Stop controls to the left, The stuff that nightmares or click here to see the enhanced version! are made of.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |17

Interview Collecting resources is nice and simple. Interview continued bosses. We will also have the above mentioned ‘tile-based’ dungeons for From what I’ve seen so far, the the occasional good old-fashioned dynamically generated dungeon is dungeon crawl. something rarely found in full-blown We will have more PvP options, MMORPGs. The system offers a great ranging from arenas to battle experience to all the dungeon fans grounds, where players can freely that enjoy good hack-and-slash PvP. For guilds we have guild wars action from time to time. In return, and guild battles, where opposing these dungeons will offer a number guilds can have a good old scrap. of really cool items as rewards. Finally, there will be dungeon sieges and special Server vs. Server vs. What’s the end-game for high Server maps, too. level players? Just a few weeks ago we introduced What new feature do you have more dungeons and instances. “We believe that Runes of epic quest lines for characters in planned post-release? Eventually we’ll have mounted their high 40s, and sometime in the For one of the first free add-ons, we combat as well. Magic will prove that free- near future we will have class, group have already announced that we’re and guild quests. There are open planning to add a new race and two Why did you decide to make to-play games can be dungeons everywhere throughout new classes. The plan is to continue the game free-to-play and not commercially successful” the world, and raid dungeons of telling the story of Taborea, so we subscription based? course – we all know how players will definitively see new zones, new It was no easy decision. Runes of love to raid and encounter epic monsters, new quests and many Magic is a game that has enough – provided they meet the standards features and content that would of modern MMORPG games. easily justify a monthly subscription Finding friends to – especially when you keep in mind Why do you think free-to-play group with is easy. how many people are working games are often derided? on the project full-time. But then One reason for this is the belief that we decided to go for a more ‘You get what you pay for’, and that community-friendly business model free-to-play games are considered by making the game free-to-play, to be boring, lacking in story, depth because it’s our goal to create a and, most importantly, support. game that is enjoyable for those In part that’s a cultural thing, as who don’t want to spend any the most successful MMORPGs money and players who like to use in Europe and are the Item Shop alike. subscription-based. Players have We believe that Runes of Magic gotten used to having free access to will prove that free-to-play games all in-game elements, features can be commercially successful and content for just one

CONTROL NAVIGATE |18 Interview “We offer thousands Interview continued of quests, unique PLAY TO WIN! A graphics card and T-shirts up for grabs! Publisher: Frogster subscription, knowing that everyone gameplay features Developer: Runewaker around them was playing on the Heritage: None Not content with giving us all a free game to play, Frogster have handed over same terms. Many of these games and a support team Link: www.runesof some free loot as well. We decided that we give quite enough away already, so in offer items in their shops that grant magic.com in the background” order to be able to win yourself the graphics card, we want something in return. paying customers advantages over ETA: Q1 2009 In order to be in with a chance of winning a Gainward 9800GTX+ 512MB players wanting to invest time rather graphics card, courtesy of Frogster, we would like to receive your correct than money. As we are proving with that they can buy themselves items answer to the question shown below. Runes of Magic, this doesn’t have that allow them to level faster or skip Don’t be too despondent if you don’t win the graphics card though, as we to be the case. We offer thousands certain chores. However, they won’t have a few T-shirts as runner-up prizes. You lucky, lucky people! of quests, unique gameplay be able to buy anything that gives features and a support team in the them an unfair advantage over non- background – and the things we buying players. Most items in the sell in the Item Shop are either only shop can be found in game as well cosmetic or save people time. – some are rare drops, some can be purchased for in-game currency (e.g. What can you say to players with rental mounts). no spare cash who would like to Item Shop users might reach the compete with the best players? level cap before non-paying players Players can substitute money for a and get a few things earlier, but in certain amount of time, meaning the end they are only saving time.

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Review “The most significant upgrade is the introduction of LOTRO: Legendary Weapons” Speak friend and enter, once you’ve cleared the rubble away. Publisher: Codemasters Mines of Moria Online Developer: Turbine Heritage: LOTRO LOTRO is now polished and expanded, and one of the best fantasy MMOs out there. Welcome to Moria… Shadows of Angmar, D&D Online, Asheron’s Call olume One of The Lord of the the game: to create the perfect you have to gauge the trade-off the new one will offer when levelled to Link: www.lotro- Rings Online was well received weapon for your character. between deconstructing the weapon a reasonable point. europe.com Vby the press, but it failed to fully Just like your character, Legendary you have levelled and starting again All of this means you can end up OUT NOW catch hold with the gaming public, and Items have levels, with points to spend with a new one, against the benefits with a very powerful and unique the lower level areas soon started to each time they level up. Individual look empty. In the higher level areas weapons have different sets of skills, so Roll over screen for annotations though, you’ll still find a thriving you need to select a weapon that has a community, and Mines of Moria is the decent DPS for you, and which has second “Volume” for the game, aimed attributes that suit your method of play at extending the high level areas for – do you want to increase your critical the active players. chance or your armour class, for The most significant upgrade to example? What’s more, new Legendary gameplay in Volume Two is the Weapons become available every two TOP TIP! introduction of Legendary Weapons, levels above level 51, so you have to be If you get a legendary item you can use, but which offer awesome potential for constantly on the look out for a better don’t want, don’t enhancing your combat skills and weapon. On top of levelling, Legendary deconstruct it transforming the way you play. Weapons can be improved with gems, immediately. Take it to level 2 (100 XP) and However, they are sadly under- which you get by deconstructing then deconstruct it as represented in the game manual and Legendary Weapons you pick up but you will get many therefore sometimes underused by don’t want – including ones you more runes from it. players. Legendary Weapons are class acquire for different classes. These items that gain experience as your gems can be combined by a Relic character does through combat. They Master to create a higher Tier gem with drop from mobs or you can buy them better benefits (five Level One gems = from your class trader (which is another one Level Two gem, roughly) – you can new addition in Moria) and they continue doing this right up to Tier provide you with a new challenge in Eight. It’s a real balancing act, as

CONTROL NAVIGATE |21 Review Mines of Moria cont. Legendary Weapon and then leaves you and out into Lothlórien. Moria itself is to find out the rest by yourself. Once huge, split down into several areas. The BIG ENHANCEMENTS weapon. It would have been helpful if you do understand it though, it does fact that it’s all underground hasn’t As well as new content, Moria has new ideas the game had introduced this complex add a new depth to the game. stopped the developers from creating system more fully, as it only goes as far The idea of Legendary Weapons isn’t breathtaking scenes, with caverns rising as showing you how to get your first new – pen and paper RPGs have had up out of view, and dropping off to EPIC STUFF OF TRAIT the like for decades – but MMOs have unfathomable depths. QUESTS LEGENDS TRETREATSATS never imported the idea, and the complexity and sophistication of the Varied quests AsLegendaryYou’ll with want Volume itemsto re-check One, are aMoria reward your offers traits, for thean because over-arching first part specialising of the storyline Epic in Quest.one for aspectyou You to have can system is a boon to the game, and all Thankfully, the quests are varied and followtolead get to intoin some the Moria formextra itself of benefits an to Epic use now Quest. one. that Then It’s traits a they long stack. drop quest Theregularly, chain, new buttraits and regularly youlayout go to credit to Turbine for introducing them entertaining, with the usual solo quests offersahelps Forge youitems Master see rewards what to identify you that need are them. tounmissable, combine. They also Thereand need rival arere-forging somenew Legendary drops every from 10 traitslevels raids. in such a complete form. for killing x number of mobs, and the Thiswhentoo, ofEpic they course, system gain for ancan the extra really higher ability involve levels. and you become in the moregame. powerful. This does seem to have been done group quests for larger dungeons, plus at something of a cost though – the raids for end-game content. There are new class skills as you level are less than also several solo instances for getting inspired, and often just “upgrades” to titles or extras for Legendary Weapons, existing skills, which is a shame. which are great fun. Lastly, there’s some Of course, there’s more to the new small fellowship quests, which are Volume than just a new weapons’ remarkably hard. Along with XP from Endgame instances system. There’s the new area of Moria, the quests and reputation gained (and include huge bosses this is an area where you’ll really want and “hard modes”. to increase your reputation, because the Guards and Miners in Moria have some impressive items to sell to those with Kindred status), you also need to take a new look at the Trait system. Firstly, there are masses of both new Traits and additional levels to existing ones, gained as usual by completing numbers of quests, killing numbers of mobs, using your skills or discovering places. Additionally though, like armour sets, class traits now stack, so you gain an additional buff by having two or more traits equipped from one tree – another example of the sophistication of gameplay that LOTRO now offers. As well as all this new content and We’re not going to be gameplay, there are two new classes, The 21st Hall is the new hub, with AH, vault, fighting this one. Just run! Rune Master and Warden. Warden etc. Hunters get a Swift Travel here at level 55. is a sort of off-, while Rune

CONTROL NAVIGATE |22 Review PULSOMETER: Signs of life The Watcher is Hang on, legendary Back into the Mines of Moria cont. the choice at the start of each combat. and newcomers could join the game at disappointing items are awesome sunshine! The more offensive spells you cast, the a high enough level to play with real Master is probably the more interesting, better you get at them, but the less life friends who had been playing for a as it is a magic user. Magic has always attuned you are to casting healing while. Not so here; it’s back to the been the Achilles’ heel of LOTRO – by spells and vice versa, but this cools nursery slopes of Ered Luin for you. being true to Tolkein’s world, it has down after combat, so you can swap to meant a fantasy MMO where magic is the other role on the next fight if you Finding flaws rare, which is fine, but not much fun to want. It’s a fascinating class to play, but This is a missed trick, and it’s also a sign play. Rune Master overcomes this by with one drawback – you have to start of the one flaw in Moria. As well as First legendary Despite everything, mines allowing to use, guess what, runes to at level 1. In WoW, the new Death pleasing existing players, and tempting weapon is okay can get monotonous cast magic. The class can switch Knight came in at level 55, so not at the back lapsed ones, an expansion should between being a or a DPS, and old level cap, but high enough up that reach out to new players. Moria time to time, together with an easy way the interesting thing is that you make old hands didn’t have to replay content struggles to do this, because a new to get there. It also needs to find a way TO BE player comes into a barren start game for newcomers to get up to the content CONTINUED... environment. While WoW ensures where most people are playing quickly. LOTRO gets content updates in the form everyone has to go back to Ironforge to As LOTRO gets regular updates in the of “Books”. Book 7 do certain things, thus ensuring the form of books, we hope this is something will complete place is always teeming, the only that’ll be addressed. Until then, lapsed Lothlórien and a new raid. You can already population centre in LOTRO remains LOTRO gamers should get into Moria, see where the Stable Bree, and after a certain point you don’t and those with stamina should give it a Master is going to be, need to go there. So, new gamers may go. LOTRO is now a most complex and incidentally. well think that there aren’t many rewarding fantasy MMO. Moria offers people playing LOTRO and give up, masses of new where the truth is that in the high level content, looks Even though it’s set indoors, areas, the game is packed and lively. gorgeous and is scenery in Moria is varied Get into Moria, and it’s genuinely busy. sociable. Bravo, and as gorgeous as ever. LOTRO needs to create a community Turbine. hub where all players have to go from David Taylor Verdict New content, levels, FREEZE gameplay and classes FRAME Taking you through Legendary weapons rock the game, one step More content than a single 5 MINUTES 6 HOURS 8 HOURS DAY THREE WEEK THREE at a time… player needs to level cap Enter Eregion, the new Venture into the hills Complete the first part of Swap your first legendary Head past the broken area with access to Moria. outside Moria, and the Epic quest in Volume weapon for something bridge of Khazad-dum and More magic with new There’s 2-3 levels of complete the Epic to gain Two and wander around better and solo instance you can get back outside Rune Master class content here. access to the mines. the first few halls. for a new title for it. into Lothlόrien.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |23 Review Football

Publisher: Sega Manager Live Developer: Heritage: The Football Same old maddening addiction – now with added humans Manager series Link: www.football he main question to ask about managerlive.com any incarnation of a Football “No one was sure if Manager title is simple: Is it just as And this is your team… OUT NOW T the classic offline You’re free to name maddeningly addictive as ever, capable game would ever them however you wish. SYSTEM of piercing through even the most iron REQUIREMENTS of wills, forcing grown men to stare at work in an online 1.6GHz CPU, 256MB RAM, little coloured dots on a screen until multiplayer format” 500MB hard drive space the wee hours of the morning, and a DX9.0c-compatible forsaking friends, family and food for graphics card the promise of pretend footballing but the answer, in Football Manager fame and fortune? Actually, that’s quite Live’s case is certainly simple enough… a complicated question when you put oh , yes. Want proof? It’s 3am on it in such a long-winded fashion as that, a Sunday morning as I write this and once I’m done I won’t be going to bed but back to the pitch instead. It was never clear, in the months leading up to FML’s launch into the world, that it would be this way. Hell, no one was even sure if the classic offline football managing sim would ever work in an online, multiplayer format. Many people had tried to reach for this holy grail before, after all. Many, many people, in fact. And almost Each player has a without exception, efforts ended up as wealth of figures and either noble failures or embarrassing statistics to read up on. train wrecks. For many observers,

CONTROL NAVIGATE |24 Review You’ll obviously need Football Manager cont. to keep a close eye on MANAGEMENT SKILLS your finances. FML was going to be Sports Interactive’s Talk from the touchline grand folly, just another big name developer getting too big for its boots. Instead, by expertly jettisoning the TV CROWD NEWS trappings of real-world football LOUNGE CONTROL REPREPORTSORTS infrastructure constraints and developing in its place an online world- AllTheManagers matches social sidecan can leaveof be the joined comments game by is spectators equally after every as atimportant anymatch time is in played– creatinguseful or for a an tournament watching accessible friendly system (but still keeping the yourworldis entered, friends to play that crash in getas outthe worked oftactical competitions, into sim, a ‘news and cheering FMLreport’ is filled sent and withto jeering everyone, nice from touches and the to essential themes and spirit that has sidelines,encouragefeedback canor interaction. scouting be left on on Multipleany players’ manager, chatpotential channels all helping before help, toyou cementincluding swoop a in reputation a with ‘TV Lounge’ a imbued every incarnation of the offline lightningthatfor Ferguson-style shows bid constantly to snap mind them updating games up for or clips yourRedknapp-like of own matches team. in warmth progress. and geniality. game to date), FML manages to create an addictive, playable and structurally rewarding world of football management and social competition.

You can create your own “The game manages league for online play, and to create an addictive even give it a silly name. world of football management and social competition”

At its heart, FML is basically four systems in one: Fantasy Football, with all starting teams chosen from a preset ‘average’ pool of footballers, with the superstars of soccer only becoming available as the game worlds progress – thus keeping things fair and square at the start. Then there’s the player- auctioning eBay setup, the traditional matchday tactical engine, and finally competitive Facebook groups if you Everdon? See what can imagine such a thing. we did there? There’s no one ‘league’ for all in a gameworld. Instead, players are

CONTROL NAVIGATE |25 Review w PULSOMETER: Signs of life Joining a game Waiting for a season Your first Football Manager cont. constantly shifting ranking score, and usually where other games have gone in pre-season to start properly player signing your wallet some much-needed cash wrong, trying too hard to stick to the encouraged to create their own to bring in new talent. established real-world setup of fixtures imaginatively titled leagues and And it works. Matches in a league and leagues, ultimately becoming knockout tournaments, then either can be played in any order you like, so tiresomely drawn-out affairs that invite their friends or make them open long as they all get done by the ‘play- required far too much coordination of to all. Your team can enter as many by’ date (at which point the game’s AI real-world schedules by players with no leagues and ‘cups’ as you like (or can will play the game for you using your real means to synchronise their play afford to if they have a monetary prize previously saved tactics as best it can). times. What happens here is you log Experimenting with Gameworld is setup), earning your bunch of players This is the crucial key to success that on, scan the list of currently online your first team underway… skill increases, your overall team a Sports Interactive has unlocked, and opponents, play whichever matches are available, then log off until the next time (actually that ‘logging off’ part is smooth te chnical achievement (even harder to do than you might think, Mac owners can join in for go d ’s s ake), given the game’s annoying habit of and it’s a shining example of how the making you want to keep trying ‘just world of MMOs can b e so much more one more tweak to the formation’). than the usual hack-and -slash levelling grindfest s when you put some thought Implemented well into them and move b eyond the Football Manager Live is a superb genre’s cliches. Re commended. implementation of a game that many Paul Presley said simply couldn’t be done, filled with elements that make perfect sense even as they eschew the real world in the Even checking up on your mail is process. More than simply being a neatly done and a process that great game of football management, will keep you enthralled for ages. it’s a great social environment that has a game attached, it’s a remarkably Verdict Might not be what you were FREEZE expect, but all the better for it FRAME Taking you through Hugely addictive the game, one step at a time… TEAM NAME C OLOUR ME BAD ROLL CALL TIME FOR SCHOOL BLOW THE WHISTLE Socially engaging Choosing your team name Nex t comes the all- Get your starting team by FML uses an E VE O nline Pick a starting line -up and is key to standing out important kit designer. letting the game know st yle of real-time ‘training’ your tac tics and experience No pressure game style among teams like Fundee Your shirt colours say so how much of your initial to open up hundreds of your first match as a United or Carsenal. much about your players. c apital you want to spend. new tactic al options. football manager.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |26 Review Each city has a market, a bank, a hospital and Atlantica Online other useful amenities. Publisher: nDoors Developer: nDoors Turn-based combat in a topsy-turvy world Heritage: Time ‘N’ Tales, GoonZu f we were to tell you Atlantica full of cakes and smiles. However, just Link: www.play Online is set on Earth, it probably like our own here-and-now, you only “Bizarrely, the lands atlantica.com wouldn’t surprise you too much to have to scratch the surface to realise OUT NOW I of South-East Asia learn that it’s a very different planet to there are evil forces at work. The fairies the one we currently occupy. Bizarrely, have become gossamer-winged are abundant with SYSTEM the lands of South-East Asia are harpies and the unicorns are literally fairies and unicorns” amount to little more than a painfully REQUIREMENTS abundant with fairies and unicorns, to plague-ridden. Even the local deer stretched-out – but, at the same time, 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, the point that you might be forgiven would like nothing better than to helpfully exhaustive – tutorial. On the 5GB hard drive space and for thinking Atlantica is a happy world nuzzle you into an early grave. It’s all to do with some substance plus side you can auto-route your way a DX9.0c-compatible called Oriharukon, invented long ago across the landscape without having to graphics card by the Atlanteans, and so zealously get too frustrated, and because mobs Roll over screen for annotations prized thereafter that it drove to meander about rather than home in destruction every nation that took an on you, it’s easy to avoid battles interest in it – eventually even the should you wish to. You can even Atlanteans themselves. The evil stuff queue up your refining and crafting has persisted to the present day, and jobs on the move, which makes the it’s setting the once benign wildlife on an orgy of random violence. By a rather happy coincidence, it also puts the Early battles are not narrative cogs in place that drive the much of a challenge. grind for endless rounds of battles in order to level up, and so take on more dangerous creatures lurking in other parts of the globe. Playing to a stereotype Approached as a typical MMORPG, Atlantica is a little disappointing; playing almost to the Asian stereotype. Taken as a pure questing experience it’s blighted by a ratchety storyline and mundane fetch-and-carry missions that

CONTROL NAVIGATE |27 Review Atlantica Online cont. WORLD GONE MAD shortcomings outside of combat It’s Earth, but not as we know it considerably more bearable. Where the game deviates from the standard MMOG template, and where it LONDON ROME absolutely shines, is in its approach to combat. As you progress you can recruit mercenaries to join you (lesser ToItIn looksAtlanticaget to like the Moscow,Rome Big Smoke is where but you the the need lakes big to ofstuff walk magma happens. through that So dominatethe much Channel so the that Tunnel. road even to the NPCs, if you will), who will also gain SwimmingtheTower Russian of Pisa is capital obviouslyhas leaned are aout littlea little of thedisconcerting. closer question. to take a look-see. experience alongside your central character. They only come out to play when you walk into a monster, at which point you’re zoomed off into a mini- instance for as many rounds of turn- based combat as may be required to secure victory. It’s nothing that hasn’t It’s not subtle, but brash effects been seen before in dozens of make us happy deep inside. Japanese console RPGs, but it’s a system that works brilliantly and in an MMO feels refreshingly unique. “Hey Bambi, just because your mother’s dead you don’t have Time for combat to take it out on me!” A timer in combat means that quick- witted tactical decisions are required, and for each member of your gang – assuming they have enough Action Points – you can choose standard or magic attacks, use items from your What happened next is why inventory or rearrange your formation. you should never stand Swordsmen and spearmen will typically behind an elephant… take the front row, with long-range and magic users at the rear for protection. As you would expect, if your hero is killed, the battle ends in defeat. Battling mobs is all well and good, but linking up and fighting with or against other players is when combat really gets interesting. You can have three players on each side, and with each able to field up to nine

CONTROL NAVIGATE |28 Review w PULSOMETER: Signs of life Few character Why isn’t all MMO Guilds fighting for Atlantica Online cont. may not have earned through options combat this good? control of cities. Nice missions or crafting, but even at level characters in their party – and with 20 20, when the ‘Free League’ opens up classes of mercenary to choose from (which only takes a few hours to (including witches, cannoneer, beast reach), the battles are rarely anything trainers and mech-armoured inventors) other than a lot of fun. Hopefully in a – it can be just as much fun preparing future review we can expand upon for them as it is fighting the battles the endgame PvP between guilds themselves. Your tactical options are battling for control of cities. Walking to Okay, time to limited slightly by the level of your Atlantica Online isn’t just a good be necessary to part with any money New York find better gear main hero and the finances you may or online game, as its combat system to succeed at the game on the same makes it one of the most unique online terms as those with more money than worlds you can log into. It’s made all sense. If you can get over the fact that e xperience se cond – you may find the better for being free to play, and there are sharks in the English Channel yourself spending more time across its TURN UP FOR THE FIGHT while you may be tempted to invest in and approach the game as a fun and bizarre interpretation of Earth than in Gladiators, are you ready? some permanent slots to expand your thoughtful tournament combat game the real thing. If you do, we suggest paltry and fiddly inventory, it shouldn’t first – before being a role-playing that you avoid Milton Key nes like the plague, though. There are creatures SOLO PARTY TOURNYTOURNY there that are best left undiscovere d. The console influences You have be en warned. are easy to spot. Richie Shoemaker JoinPvPStandard combatup with PvE isto combat where two others the is your real for party fun a three-pronged is versus to be found. the mob. attack The It’s league on still the way runs bad more allguys day, to earnwithinteresting impressivespecial that tournaments amountshacking at ofat rabbits experienceweekends. in other points. games.

“Atlantica’s combat system makes it one of Verdict the most unique Unique MMO combat in an oddly compelling world online worlds you can log into” Tactically engaging

You don’t have to pay

Head-scratching at times

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CONTROL NAVIGATE |30 Replay PLAY AGAIN Around a world in

14 days* (*or however long the trail period lasts) Prologue: The journey begins… Massive gun and a scary bear? You’re pretty safe we reckon. We’ve got something different ngoing coverage of World of for Replay this month, as we take Warcraft across these pages a slightly alternative look at Ohas been a gradual levelling- can get there, but for most people thriving in the Eastern Kingdoms some of the MMOs that you’re up process, one that in the wake of starting out in an MMO, such locales of World of Warcraft Classic. likely to be playing. This month we Lich King’s release allowed everyone are a long way away. It’s easy to It’s the same across dozens bring you one man’s adventures to burst through the thick ice that forget that every week thousands of of established persistent worlds. into the World of Warcraft. In this once barred the way to level 80. people join World of Warcraft for the Those who’ve been around since case, the man is our very own Undoubtedly Northrend is a great first time, and while it may not be as launch are searching the nooks and editor, Richie Shoemaker… place to hang out for those that busy a place as it once was, life is still crannies for rare loot in high-level

It’s only quiet here No matter how big you are, a platted because everyone’s already beard really isn’t good, as it looks like scarpered to Northrend. your head’s on back-to-front.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |31 Replay A Gryphon is the perfect It was this brief encounter that way to travel quickly. got me thinking… My freeloading friend had unwittingly tasked me to experience all that the varied online worlds had to offer the hapless and transient newbie. It would be a long and hazardous journey, at times soul-destroying, so I would limit my time at each waypoint. This meant that I would stay only as long in each MMO as its visa would allow, reporting on how it felt to be new and alone in a strange land. I could think of no better place to begin my journey than from where he “This meant that I had come. Northrend, which was to be my eventual destination, would would stay only as have to wait for another time. long in each MMO as Picking up my hunting rifle and its visa would allow” throwing another slab of boar meat Let’s assume that he’s not in the direction of my flea-ridden hunting for grouse with a sword companion, I plodded through the like that. Time to run away! my rifle, after which he stopping folds of snow to Ironforge. Perhaps peeing his pants and eventually with enough silver I might convince came back to chat. Turns out he a Gryphon Master that Chantra and Replay continued grown up and moved on, leaving was having a holiday from his usual the lands of this fabled Archlord behind a few veterans doing the game of choice, Archlord, a game aren’t too far away. zones, or just waiting around for the MMO equivalent of chewing straw that’s hardly the next big thing. next big expansion, while quietly and rocking in chairs in their porches, Interestingly, he’d always avoided the To be continued… there is a constant influx of visitors while the occasional latecomers to big-name games, fearing they were sniffing around the starting grounds. the game run past frantically trying full of whining morons. His fears Developers hope such people will to evade the local wildlife. were unfounded on this occasion, Quiet, isn’t it? find a more permanent home, but I had such an encounter myself because the only creatures who had inevitably many continue their as I was a having a nostalgic trip cause to complain were the boars. search for the . to some old stomping grounds I’d say we were the only two Starting an MMO years after in World of Warcraft. I forget the around that didn’t have punctuation everyone else has been through it is guy’s name, but he was abusing marks floating over our heads. Even a far more relaxed way to enjoy an some boars near Iceflow Lake, so, he didn’t plan on staying beyond online world than when it first goes when he aggroed more than he his 10-day trial period: “Too many live. The hyperactive kids who once could handle and scarpered off. other worlds to visit,” he said, running rushed about ceaselessly hacking Being a kindly soul, I picked off a into the icy mists looking for more at every living thing around have couple of the slavering beasts with pork to harvest.

CONTROL NAVIGATE |32 Compo FOOTBALL MANAGER LIVE FREE FOR A WHOLE YEAR! WIN!Plus a full roster of other Sega games, too

In celebration of the retail release of Football For 20 runners-up we have a copies of Football Manager Live, Sega are offering one lucky MMOZine Manager Live (which each come with four month free reader a copy of the boxed game, a full year of play periods as standard) and unrestricted playtime worth almost £100, a copy of for the PC. the PC edition of Football Manager 2009 (in case your Internet connection fails) and a selection of other To be in with a chance of winning one of these Sega titles should you tire of managing your team excellent football bundles, all you have to do us through a dismal run of defeats. answer the question opposite…

Competition closes 9th March 2009. S ee website for full T&Cs. CONTROL NAVIGATE |33 Next Month In Issue 10 Issue 10 Out 10th March! EVE ONLINE: DON’T MISS ISSUE 10 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! DON’T MISS ISSUE 10 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! WARNING! MULTIMEDIA DISABLED! APOCRYPHA If you are reading this, then you didn’t choose “Play” when Adobe Reader asked you about multimedia when Beyond the new frontier! you opened the magazine. Without the multimedia playing, the magazine will look correct, but you will be missing out on all of the extra content built into each issue, like videos, animated screenshots, annotations, quizzes, competitions and more. We recommend you close and re-open the magazine and select “Play” when asked about the multimedia to enjoy the magazine as intended. PLUS! Earthrise explored All rights reserved. This publication may be copied in its entirety without Darkfall reviewed Cranberry Publishing Limited modification for non-commercial purposes, for example but not limited to copying to CD-R for a friend, but it may not be offered for download from www.cranberrypublishing.com any website or similar without the prior permission of the copyright holder. You are Jumpgate evolved Publishing Director: Dave Taylor free to, and encouraged to, link to the original file for download from our website and you can find help on doing so here. While the greatest care is taken in producing Email: [email protected] this guide, we do not accept responsibility for the loss of any data or any other Warhammer revisted Editorial Director: Dan Hutchinson damage caused by following the instructions in this publication. We always recommend that you keep a backup of your hard disk data and ensure that you check Email: [email protected] all files for viruses before installing or using any new software. None of the Commercial Director: Duncan Ferguson information in this guide is intended as legal advice. All articles are for information purposes only. Websites mentioned in this publication are not affiliated to or Email: [email protected] controlled by the publisher. We are not responsible for the contents of these sites or Telephone: 07770 648500 any changes made to them. AND… All contents © Cranberry Publishing Ltd 2009 Call Duncan to discover how e-publications can work for you! Company registration number: 4987058 Goodbye cruel worlds – a celebration of the MMOs that are no longer with us

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