Mmozine Issue 3

FREE! NAVIGATE MMOZineIssue 3 | M arc h 20 0 8 Fr e e M a g a z i n e Fo r M M O G a m e r s. R e a d i t , Pri n t i t , S e n d i t t o yo u r m a t e s HOT YOUR FREE GAME TRIAL! PIRATES Claim your FREE in- game COMBAT BOOSTER for... The Kamael GIFT! FREE Play test! We’ve got exclusive trial codes to give away right now... PIRATES OF THE + MORE TO WIN INSIDE... AGE OF CONAN Massive preview of Lineage II the ba rba rous MMO Game Bundles INTERVIEW! Full game, plus BURNING SEA limited edition SWASHBUCKLING REVIEW & STARTER GUIDE INSIDE! AION’S SENIOR GAME goodies including DESIGNER this statue! Is this the best-looking HUGE REVIEW! MMO ever made? EARTHRISE + PREVIEW & TIPS! The stunning new dawn for space MMOs Lineage II: The EVE ONLINE: TRINIT Y Chaotic Throne - The univer se expa nds with a big ba ng! The Kamael • WOW UPDATE • EMPIRE OF SPORTS Beginners ’ guide and PLUS! DARK AGE OF CAMELOT REVISITED• KINGDOM UNDER FIRE II GOES MASSIVE our massiv e playt est CONTROL NAVIGATE | 02 Contents QUICK FINDER DON’T MISS! Every game’s just a click away This month’s highlights... PLUS! CLAIM YOUR Earthrise Empire of Sports Welcome FREE ITEM! Kingdom Under Fire II Age of Conan PAGE 22 EVE: Trinity Warhammer Online: Aion Threesome reviewed! Age of Reckoning Pirates of the to PAGE 24 NASA LT Burning Sea Kwari EVE Online: Trinity It’s an exciting time for established MMOs and Ice Age World of Warcraft all-new franchises alike this Spring, with fantastic A FREE TRIAL PLAY OF LINEAGE II: THE KAMAEL Jumpgate Evolution Dark Age of Camelot expansions to EVE Online, Lineage II, Hellgate PLUS! Lineage II: The Kamael London and more, plus the launch of the flagship Pirates of the Burning Sea, god bless all MORE FREE MAGAZINES! LATEST ISSUES! who sail with her, and the upcoming Age of PIRATES OF THE Conan: Hyborian Adventures. As always it’s going to be tough deciding where to spend BURNING SEA your valuable time, but luckily you’ve got us to Massive review of the buccaneering help you. Use our playtests and reviews to make blockbuster sailing your way PAGE 19 your choices and our handy tutorials to get the most out of your new forays. And on top of our great advice, be sure to Lineage II: claim the useful freebies on offer this month, with a 14-day trial of Lineage II: The Kamael The Kamael DON’T MISS ISSUE 4 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! and a combat-boosting locket for Pirates! Huge playtest PAGE 9 Steve Brown, Editor WARNING! MULTIMEDIA DISABLED! [email protected] If you are rea ding this, then you didn’t cho o se “Play” when Ado be R ea der aske d you ab out multime dia when MEET THE TEAM Age of Conan you opene d the magazine. Go forth and multiplay... You and whose Arnie? Without the multimedia playing, the magazine will lo ok correct, but you will Bulging playtest PAGE 14 be missing out on all of the extra content built into each issue, like videos, PLUS! animated screenshots, annotations, quizzes, competitions and more. STARTER’S GUIDE We recommend you close and re-open the magazine and select “Play” when JIM I A N M O R R I S ADAM OXFORD PAGE 30 asked about the multimedia to enj oy the magazine as intended. ROSSIGNOL Got spaced out and Sold himself to us for Spent the month in no - one was able to the price of just one the Caribbean. hear him scream. Kamael. CONTROL PLAYBACK OPTIONS: NAV I G AT E | 0 4 Alpha Looks like FIRST Gears of War 2! Earthrise LOOK

Publisher: TBA Fallout 3 meets Deus Ex in this new MMO Developer: Masthead Heritage: First game What’s the story? from this studio After an apocalyptic third World War, Earth survivors build a new city Link: www.play- known as Sal Vitas, where all appears rather too rosy with the discovery earthrise.com of new energy sources, cloning, nanotechnology and quantum ETA: 2009 engineering, all driven by a unified but strict government. What do we know? This advanced society means that every citizen is in effect immortal, consciousnesses uploaded to a data vault and downloaded into new cloned bodies as necessary. A bit like a computer game in fact. How fortunate! But it’s not quite so fortunate for the apparently happy If tha t’s a clone , I don ’t w ant t o come back. populace, as their government are a bit more discerning in who they decide to bring back from the dead than is at first apparent. But Sal Vitas has once the supernanny state’s selective reanimation program leaks out, “The supernanny the air of a insurgents rise against the government and the rebels form a shadow state’s selective Gibson novel. government known as Noir. reanimation” When do we get more? We’re a long way from Beta yet, but we’ll bring you updates through the year until we can get hands-on. Anything else to declare? PREVIEW Earthrise will feature over 100 FEEDBACK! skills and promises meaningful Click here to Player versus Player combat, tell us what you whether you’re a noble soldier, think of an underworld criminal, or a Earthrise renowned engineer in one of the new technologies. This will be an MMO that Huxley should keep an eye out for, although its release Lion Football L eague w as date should be a way after that popular in the futur e . dystopian MMO.

CO N T R O L NAVIGATE | 05 Alpha He’s like a Lord of the Rings Nazgul FIRST on steroids. Kingdom LOOK Publisher: Phantagram Developer: Blueside Heritage: Kingdom Under Fire II Under Fire console The RTS that thinks it’s an MMO... versions (Circle of Doom, Heroes and The Crusaders) What’s the story? Link: www.phantagram. A new storyline for the franchise will introduce a third mystery faction com to the ongoing war between the Human Alliance and the Dark Legion. ETA: 2009 What do we know? Essentially an action RTS series, the next instalment of Kingdom Under Fire will feature an MMO mode on top of the massive single player campaign. The sequel promises to deliver an unprecedented “Kingdom Under Fire II will battle scale, with vast tactical war fields that will make the previous PREVIEW feature an MMO mode on games look like Luxemburg if it was relocated between Russia and FEEDBACK! China. Blueside’s CEO Sejung Kim boasts that, “We are preparing for an Click here to top of the massive single immense game that will feature not only field battles, but also titanic tell us what you player campaign” siege engines and thousands of units that will swarm over monstrous think of KUF II fortresses in siege battles of epic proportions.” The Kingdom Under Fire franchise has always managed to deliver impressive numbers of warring units, so we’re confident in his statement. When do we get more? We’re hoping to bring you more Cornrows were a information on the mysterious third popular warrior faction in our next issue, along with hairstyle. even more details of the MMO features. Anything else to declare? RTS and MMO is perhaps a strange mix, but it’s a brave experiment and Should be Kingdom if it works well we’re all for expanding Under Grumpy Cloud. the genre. It could usher in PvP action on an unprecedented scale.

CONTROL 22/01/08 www.piratesoftheburningsea.com

© 2007 Flying Lab Software, LLC. Flying Lab Software and Pirates of the Burning Sea are trademarks or registered trademarks of Flying Lab Software, LLC. Platform Publishing and the Platform Publishing logo are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC in the US and/or other countries. All other trademarks or trade names are properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. CONTROL NAVIGATE | 07 Alpha Hellgate London: Kwari New MMOs and content Stonehenge Publisher : Kwari | ETA: OUT NOW! updates to mark on Chronicles This new online gaming service provides a networking site for online FPS gamers and Publisher: EA | ETA: OUT NOW! your calendar with a allows players to compete for real money The first update for Hellgate features stakes in deathmatch games using the free BIG RED PEN! the mysterious stone circle and new client software. Once a kitty has been UP outdoor quests into the demon- established and your own real cash put in, 7 infested realms beyond it. the game starts and your slice of the Jumpgate Evolution money pie Publisher: Codemasters | ETA: Late 2008 increases or shrinks This space combat MMO is a substantial Lord of the Rings Online: according to update to Jumpgate, featuring a total the hits you graphics overhaul, plus a new raft of The Ashen Wastes Publisher: Codemasters | ETA: Feb give or take. advanced AI that promises to ensure Now that’s upredictable events and gripping scenarios Book 12 will be the latest update for LOTRO and scary! as you fight and trade your way through the feature significant changes to several classes void. There will be more weapons available, including Guardian, Burglar and Champion. The new missions with a greater focus on PVE Ashen Wastes will also expand greatly on targets, plus greater social aspects with current customisation features including the Ice Age Online players able to own their own space stations! Outfit System and Barbershops. Publisher: FOX | ETA: Late 2009 WINTER Incorporating elements from both hit Jumpgate animated films, Ice Age and Ice Age: The Evolution Meltdown, this recently announced licensing deal is a long way off, but does AUTUMN Warhammer Online: lend itself well to the MMO genre if you Aion - Tower Age of Reckoning think about it, with plenty of exciting of Eternity environments during a time of chaos, loads Publisher: EA | ETA: Spring of animal and human character classes and SUMMER Based of course upon Games NASA LT MMO an appeal that has already proven itself Workshop’s epic tabletop game, Publisher: NASA LT ETA: TBA with kids and adults. World of Warcraft: this MMO promises innovative Wrath of the Lich King combat in RvR or Realm versus America’s National Aeronautics SPRING Realm gameplay. It’s been a and Space Administration’s long time in development Learning Technology division and Beta testing, but we has announced intent to Age of Conan - genuinely think it’s develop an MMO that will Hyborian approaching completion promote scientific exploration ON Adventures now and can’t wait to get and help to develop skills in THE our mitts on it! strategic thinking and analysis! RADAR CONTROL THQ_DOW_SOULSTORM_EZINES 11/2/08 17:13 Page 1

PLAYBACK OPTIONS: NAVIGATE | 0 9 Beta

‘Pimp my wolf’ was a popular show.

Publisher: NCsoft Developer: NCsoft Lineage II: Heritage: Lineage, Lineage II, Tabula Rasa Link: www.lineage2.com OUT NOW The Kamael It’s going to be a good year for MMOs, so can old man Lineage II keep up with the new kids in town?

arhammer, Age of Conan, from looking rudimentary and dated Pirates of the Burning Sea, when set against the new breed? WAion, more WoW: 2008 Lets deal with the looks part first. is shaping up to be a fine year for While no-one will pretend that the sophisticated, good looking MMOs. latest add-on pack will have the PREVIEW Can the latest expansion pack for audience swooning in its chairs, it FEEDBACK! Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne save it does a good job of hiding the fact Click here to that the game tell us what you is approaching think of The its fifth birthday. Kamael High-dynamic lighting and more

New instances bring dungeoneering to L2 at last. “2008 is shaping up to be a fine year for sophisticated, good looking The Kamael’s Final Form spell MMOs” turns them into an intimidating (and flying) angel.

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 10 Beta

The Kamael cont… draining the souls of their foe. And pitched battles for territory, albeit the magic is powerful too: should on a smaller scale, than the two complex modelling bring the new you manage to take a Kamael up week rollover for the castles allows. areas of the world to life, including to level 80, the last spell in the list, Fortresses are constantly under the Isle of Souls, the starting area for Final Form, uses the energy of souls threat of seige, and attacks can take the new race, the Kamael. to double your seraphim’s size and place at any time of the day or night It’s a good starting place for restore the lost flying protuberence against other players or NPCs. Just the newcomer to Lineage II. The to your rear. as with castles, though, there are Kamael are by some way the most diplomatic and strategic bonuses to interesting race in the game now, a Pee vee pee owning a fortress, increasing your race of banished giant killing angels While there’s a lot we’d change empire’s reach and gaining taxes stripped of one wing and finally about Lineage II in terms of the from the local populace. released back into the world, they quest structures and general finding Perhaps more importantly, ooze sang froid as only a cold- your way around stuff - this isn’t a though, in terms of extending L2’s blooded, one winged angel armed massively newbie friendly game reach at least, NCSoft has added in in the new level 70+ areas - the with a crossbow can. - The Kamael pack does do more instanced dungeons for more PvE wispy Isle of Prayer and red-earthed More pertinently, they’re quite than just add in a new race. Lineage play, allowing clans and alliances to Hellbound - as well as in the hunting pissed off about things, and have II is rightly renowned as one of adventure together in dungeons like grounds of the main continents of dark magic affinities to prove it. the most intensive PvP games out the eerily beautiful Crystal Caverns, the normal game. Their spell attacks are powered by there short of Unreal 3, and with collecting S grade armour drops and Incidentally, in those five years the introduction of fortresses - fighting the biggest bosses in the since it went live, NCSoft reckons L2 smaller castles - there are more game so far. Instances can be found has attracted 17million players. Stick “Stick that in your that in your Warcraft and smoke it. Warcraft and smoke it!” Verdict Looking out over the world from the edge A good makeover which breathes new life into of the Isle of Prayer. Lineage II, worth trying if you’ve a newbie too! HOW COMPLETE 98%

The surreal ‘Fantasy Island’ is on FIRST IMPRESSIONS the East of the game map. You have 80% to swim hard to get there.

CONTROL N A V I G A T E | 1 1 Trial REQUESTING YOUR 14-DAY TRIAL... STEP 1: Enter your details into the box below and register. There is only one registration per reader allowed. At the same time as registering for the 14-day Kamael trial you can subscribe to any of our GamerZines and we will email you whenever Pl ay Li ne age I I we publish an issue that interests you. Like our magazines, this is a free service ad you can unsubscribe at any time. The Kamae l now ! Tr y t h i s s t u n n i n g n e w e x p a n s i o n f o r F R E E w i t h M M O Z i n e . . . We’ve been playtesting the awesome update to Lineage II this month and NCsoft has generously provided us with 50,000 14-day trial places for our readers to join in as well. To apply for one of these exclusive codes use the MMOZine form opposite to request a play code and then visit the gamershell download page at www. gamershell.com/download_22214. shtml to obtain the client software. Finally follow the instructions at http://eu.plaync. STEP 2: You will receive an email with your unique 14-day Kamael trial code. Do not share this key with anyone else, as it is only com/eu/activate to activate it. But do valid for one use. If you chose to subscribe to any GamerZines you will also receive a confirmation email for the hurry, because these exclusive codes will subscription, which you must activate. fly like one-winged Kamael! STEP 3: * Once you have received your code, go to www.gamershell.com/download_22214.shtml * Download the Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - Kamael Client and install it * Visit http://eu.plaync.com/eu/activate and then follow the instructions to activate your PlayNC account I N T H E KA M A E L T R I A L. . . * Play Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - The Kamael for 14 awesome days! M e e t t h e n e w K a m a e l r a c e , o n e- w i n g e d s o l d i e r s w i t h d a r k m a g i c E n g a g e i n a t h r i l l i n g F o rt r e s s B a t t l e , a v a i l a b l e 2 4 / 7 E x p l o r e t h e n e w a r e a s o f H e l l b o u n d a n d C ry s t a l O r a c l e U s e t h e b e g i n n e r’ s g u i d e t o K a m a e l o n p a g e 3 0 o f t h i s i s s u e!

C O N T R O L N AV I G AT E | 12 Beta Improve basketball skills with a shooting mini-game.

Publisher: Infront Developer: F4 Empire of Heritage: Track and Field Link: www. empireofsports.com ETA: Summer 2008 Sports As someone on Star Trek almost said, “It’s gym life, but not as we know it”

MO players have befitted super-fit sports star? PREVIEW over the years from a Yet this is essentially what FEEDBACK! Mmyriad of new, strange Empire of Sports offers - a lean, “Who could have Click here to and wonderful experiences through clean, social network where you tell us what you their avatars - slaying orcs and can meet, train, practice and prepared us for this think of Empire goblins, engaging in deep space compete with your aspiring alien experience - a of Sports battles, plundering the high seas and peers in massive, slightly life as a super-fit saving the world with superpowers. futuristic city environments But who could have prepared that are a cross between an sports star?” gamers around the globe for the Olympic Village and a Dan most alien experience yet - a life as a Dare strip. The sports themselves are, well... the main events, and so far to improve specific muscle groups The Gherkin can be include tennis, basketball, football, relevant to each sport, go dancing seen in near-future What muscle groups bobsleigh and skiing. But as much to improve your reactions, or try the London. are used for bobsleigh time will be spent networking, shooting gallery to perfect accuracy, - finger gripping? training with teams you have particularly for basketball and tennis. joined in the various disciplines and Much gym training is of the Track improving your physical stats in and Field button-mashing variety fitness centres. and you’ll need to choose muscle So Player versus Player sports groups to improve that relate to your games are at the heart of this Empire, upcoming events. As you specialise with simple un-daunting controls in one sport, it will be harder to such as WASD and mouse for the retrain for another that uses very instantly addictive tennis. Join, or different muscles. start your own guild-like sports clubs The cities of the Empire are and train with your team in the gym loosely based on the areas of

CO N T R O L NAVIGATE | 13 Beta

Empire of Sports cont… quests, which will mean being Is this a gym or the challenged to beat a certain player, set of the Blockbusters London, Paris and the Black Forest, or get a good time or score. quiz show? with the addition of the obviously Laying down such challenges fictional Sportopia. All cities host all may be licensed sports stars from sports, but there will be different the real world and as the game is competitions held regularly in each being developed by Swiss sports ad location, so if your club wants to agency Infront, along with French compete overseas you’ll need to developers F4, the connections are appoint a team coach to arrange there to make this happen. Infront meeting and travel in advance of sell advertising for events such as the event. You’ll also need to pay the FIFA World Cup and also hope to Tennis has basic controls but is for luxuries like air travel and new license real sports clubs for the game amazingly addictive to play. equipment (which can also be such as Benfica and Man United. traded) out of the winnings your Empire of Sports is certainly a very club brings back from events. You’ll different approach to the MMO and gain valuable experience from if the developers can bring on board the events you take part in, again big names from the real world of improving specific muscle groups. sport they could be real winners. With experience you’ll also gain tricks (such as a “They hope to Looks like one of boost spurt in license real sports those old Afterburner skiing), although arcade cabinets. these can also clubs for the game be gained via such as Benfica and Man United” Verdict Tricks like speed If you can have your own training boost are equivalent montage set to music, we’re sold. to spells. HOW COMPLETE 60% FIRST IMPRESSIONS 75%

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 14 Beta Age of Conan is a very mature and bloody MMO. Publisher: Eidos Developer: Funcom Heritage: Anarchy Age of Conan Online Link: www.ageofconan. com ETA: May 20th Hyborian Adventures Camel-punching, sword-wielding, empire-taking, blood-shedding, breathtaking!

he legacy of the Conan done with the brand until “A low budget films is extraordinary really. recently. But that’s about to fantasy flick ended TA fairly low-budget fantasy change in massive style. flick ended up producing a Age of Conan is an up producing a Californian governor and becoming unusual MMO, as it’s also a Californian PREVIEW synonymous worldwide with swords strong solo RPG before you FEEDBACK! and sorcery. Everyone, from kids to even get into the wider governor” Click here to granny, knows who Conan is and adventures. Because of the tell us what you the barbarous world he represents. MMO element, you don’t get think of Age of It’s just surprising more hasn’t been to play as Conan, but as one of his engine that lets you swing weapons Conan followers. Conan is at this point King and make horrific contact exactly of Aquilonia, but his reign is troubled where you direct them in real time, Crush your enemies and hear the by invading evil, even facing total even from the game’s mounts. And lamentation of their women! chaos if you don’t help to throw out the combat slashes across a wide the bad gods and their terrifying range of conflicts, from one-on- beasts. This is a very mature MMO, one to massive battle sieges, where matching the more gruesome and built-in command systems allow bloody scenes of the films with you to direct the tactics of your frequent brutality and the rule of armies. At the lowest level you’ll the sword. Eidos warns that “this is be getting into drunken street no cartoony fairytale” and says that brawls when visiting the taverns grown-up gamers should prepare “to of the cities and attempting skull- unleash the ultimate havoc and fury”. crushing mini-games. You’ll also The combat in Age of Conan is be able to compete in small group not only bloody and visceral, but gladiatorial events at the arena extremely dynamic for an MMO, with fights, sometimes taking on pretty a multi-point melee Real Combat big monsters. The aforementioned

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 15 Beta We wonder if you can Age of Conan cont… room for questing in Age of Conan. trebuchet cattle in Age King Conan may hold Aquilonia, of Conan? city sieges will be the thick end of but you can visit 30 regions in the the bloody wedge however, with game, including his birth nation of construction of massive battlekeeps Cimmeria and the deserts of Stygia. and assault weapons such as giant Environments range as you travel catapults and cavalry divisions. from lush dripping jungle to dank But it’s not all gut-ripping underground dungeons and high swordplay, death and destruction. mountain passes. You can also indulge in a deep Age of Conan is a strong licence guild system so that whole groups and behind this is an extremely of you can get together for such powerful game - massive as Arnold’s bloodthirsty activities. Then you left pec, feisty as Red Sonia and as can all tear off on mounts to wage brutal as punching a Magic also has an war on another guild’s battlekeep camel in its face. important part to play together. Who says social in the game. activities aren’t an important part of the barbarian lifestyle? “It’s not all gut- And guilds will have plenty of ripping swordplay,

death and A well-constructed battlekeep destruction. There will be very hard to take. are guilds too” Verdict Bow before Conan the Massivelymultiplayeronlinegamarian! Never forget your hang-glider. You’ll HOW COMPLETE just look silly. 90% FIRST IMPRESSIONS Pick on someone your 90% own size. If anyone like that exists?

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 16 Interview Wow, nice, “The most beautiful err... moons! MMORPG ever made” It’s a bold claim, but we have to admit that NCsoft’s Aion - Tower of Eternity has the graphical baubles to back it up...

his is one good-looking The player has the ability to choose Not at launch, but definitely as soon game, using the advanced between several different hairstyles, as possible. It is likely to be in the first TCrytec engine and already colours, shapes of their face, skin expansion. boasting that it will be the best- colours, character height and voice. looking MMORPG ever. But what It is also possible to alter eye colours What about mounts - how do we lies beneath the pretty face of this and to add tattoos to the character travel around fast? Aion’s Senior Game Designer model MMO - are there brains to face. A character build feature is No. There are currently no plans to Kyoung Won Choi match the beauty? Senior Game currently being planned, which implement regular mounts in Aion. Designer Kyoung Won Choi invites will affect the size of the character, Transport will be done by foot or by “There are currently no plans to us in. ranging from skinny to big. flying. There will also be a long-range teleport system and short-range implement regular mounts in Aion. Will characters be given plenty of Is player housing built in, or will travel in which you let the game customisation options? be perpetual wanderers? control flight to your destination. Transport will be by foot or flying.”

Nautilus but nice. You’ll T he Crytec engine has pr oved want to shell out for this. to be very scalable.

CON TROL NAVIGATE | 17 Interview

A joyful Fight and flight in reunion, or will Aion, with innovative there be tears? travel solutions

Interview cont… the opposing faction. A feature that is currently in a Now that’s a silly There are many benefits to be planning stage is to randomly open place to wear a Can you explain how the massive gained from controlling a castle. teleportation portals in the Elyos and dagger, mate. sieges will work? The castle will have NPCs who Asmodian lands. This would allow The main PvP area in Aion is the vend unique items, whose sales the for very random, occasional battles Abyss. There are several castles in controlling guild may put taxes on in where even lower level players get Aion, all which can be captured order to gain a bit of extra income. a chance to experience PvP, without by player guilds on behalf of Guilds will also have direct access to it being a constant threat and their faction. A siege is in its very the hunting grounds and resources presence. fundament a raid. Initially, each castle surrounding the castle. is controlled by the Balaur, who will What social activities will bolster not gladly give it up. A guild leader Please go into Player versus Aion’s combat dynamic? would gather his or her troops and Player in more detail... Except from the extensive character initiate an attack on the castle and PvP is very important in Aion. To customization, Aion will have a wide its defenders. After defeating the get most out of the game, one array of emotes to be used in NPC defenders, the castle changes should definitely participate in PvP various situations. We also plan ownership. Since the battles take at some point. We want to gradually to put some fun and cute place in the Abyss, it’s always introduce non-PvPers to the PvP. “items” in there that don’t Publisher: NCsoft possible that the other PC faction It is, however, not necessary to have much actual value Developer: NCsoft might interfere to either defend or participate in PvP. One can go from except for role-playing. Heritage: Lineage, attack. Once the castle has a new level 1 to 50 without participating Other activities that could Lineage II, Tabula Rasa “PvP is very important in Aion. To owner, there are a few hours during in a single PvP battle. It will take a appeal to the role-players Features: Flying, sieges, get the most out of the game, one which no PvP can take place on the little bit longer, though, as the most out there are resource PvP combat, Crytec engine island. After this period, however, the rewarding hunting grounds often gathering, crafting and of Link: www.aiononline.com should definitely participate in castle is again open to attacks from are those found in the Abyss. course cooking. ETA: Late 2008 PvP at some point” CONTROL © 2007 NCsoft Europe Ltd. All rights reserved. NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, the interlocking DG logo, the Destination Games logo, Destination Games, Tabula Rasa, Character Cloning System and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 19 Review OFF THETHE PEG PEG Another typical typical day day at at the the helm... helm...

THE THE THE OPENOPEN Pirates Of The EXPERT VILLAINSVILLIANS SEA REVIEW CleverYou’llAn early soon use missions of have instancing to sees take you meansto havingthe sea, that a and mysteriousthe oncepublic you’re town map out you there FEEDBACK! wereyouexamined might in just byjust a one few travel, of moments the or local find before yourselfcollectors. can with be He’s transformed an not option the only to into a Click here to battleenterperson combat. zone. interested You Most take in missions it, to however, the streets see andyou for violenceattacking some swashbuckling rapidly and boarding ensues Publisher: SOE Burning Sea tell us what you actionenemyas evil andpirates ships, save but turn the there up day to are by intercept slayingother possibilities it.some scurvy too. sea-dogs. Developer: Flying Lab think of POTBS Heritage: Sid Maier’s Pirates, Eve Online Massively multiplayer buccaneering with a touch of class Link: www.burningsea. com en million people are do something rather less fantastical, gamer’s heart. ETA: OUT NOW! now paying to play World something like plundering the high System specs: Pentium Tof Warcraft. You can see seas of the 18th century? Yeah, that’s Salty Sea Dogs 4 1.5Ghz or better, 512MB why: that lurid fantasy world is so more like it. So thank Davey Jones’ Inspired by Johnny Depp’s RAM, DirextX 9 3D card enticing, and so brilliantly imagined. Locker for Pirates of the Burning Hollywood antics this pirate revival Nevertheless for some of us there’s Sea, a genuinely different massively might have been, but Pirates of the the nagging feeling that we really multiplayer game with a personality Burning Sea is very much its own don’t want to spend our time and penchant for piratical behaviour game. Set in the Caribbean of the mashing goblins or frolicking with that will bring a glimmer of 1720s, we get to fight as English the night elves. Perhaps you’d rather happiness to even the blackest privateers, Spanish smugglers,

Peg-legged crew members Step ashore and encounter guide you on your way. the local pirate scum. French colonial merchants orCharacters rogue in ports have plenty pirates. It’s all here, from the tropicalto tell you about the world. perfidy of the Mexican coasts, to the pirate haven of Tortuga on the isle of Hispaniola. Like any other online RPG you get to create your pirate character with a versatile customisation engine, and once you’re in game you’ll find yourself diving about on the deck of a ship, or attending to your business in the various posts that dot the huge Caribbean map. What takes

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 20 Review Learning how to grapple and board other ships is essential.

Equipping a ship is a vital “The ships are process throughout the game. where the real action is” Pirates cont… The hand-to-hand fights are truly chaotic. place on dry land, however, is only get the best broadside on your band of your crewmen and attempt a small fragment of what the game opponent, and it’s a tricky challenge, to down the enemy captain. The has to offer. Like Sid Maier’s Pirates, especially against multiple forces. fighting systems sees you trying to or the less famous Age Of Sail series, Once the enemy is weakened you get your enemy off balance so that Pirates of the Burning Sea puts can either sink them, or choose to you can connect with a killing blow, you in charge of your own sailing board the ship to fight its crew and all the while charging up your own ship, which can be upgraded and plunder the cargo. initiative bar so that you can use your outfitted according to the depth of special moves. It takes some getting your pocket. The ships are where the Economic Warfare used to, but we’d expect to see the real action is, allowing you to travel The hand-to-hand fighting is concept reworked by other games rapidly between ports, or to engage probably the most confusing aspect in the future. enemy ships in naval combat. This of the game, although the system it Beyond the sailing, ship-to-ship combat relies on your is trying to teach us is quite elegant swashbuckling, and brutality there’s manoeuvring against the wind to and nuanced. You fight alongside a also a fairly deep long game that

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 21 PULSOMETER: Signs of life Review Pirates cont… Charge up initiative Early mission Winning your first Besieging for that killing blow. requires multiplayer co-operation to defending the town PvP encounter a port play. Ports, which can be captured by various factions, allow players to farm various resources. These resources are required for ship-building. A number of players will have to work to work together to produce any one ship, and they will all reap the rewards. These ships, of course, are Getting sunk Joining a set to be lost in combat, and so the by pirates society captains who sail them will always need more. The Player versus Player features of the game are centred around this resource battle aspect. Players can contest the ownership of ports for their faction by hanging around and attacking other ships in the vicinity. As the level of contention increases players push the town towards a decisive battle. Once the battle kicks off players from the contesting factions are all invited to join and fight for the port. While it’s not quite as open or free as the territorial conflict in, say, EVE Online, it is a remarkably strong concept for the player-combat endgame. “It has the whiff Pirates of the Burning Sea isn’t Verdict quite as robust or polished as many Riches to be found on Unique of classic pirate gamers would have hoped, but treacherous waters. characters it nevertheless has the whiff of litter the world storytelling” of the pirates. classic pirate storytelling, as well as a broad massively multiplayer world, Loads of quests in a fun world complete with the conflict and economic complexity that gives the Stimulating long PvP game best such games their long-term appeal. Still a little patchy Jim Rossignol

CONTROL NAV I G AT E | 22 Giveaway LOCKET TREASURE MAP STEP 1: E n t e r y o u r d e t a i l s i n t o t h e b o x b e l o w a n d r e g i s t e r. T h e r e i s o n l y o n e r e g i s t r a t i o n p e r r e a d e r a l l o w e d . At t h e s a m e t i m e a s r e g i s t e r i n g f o r t h e l o c k e t y o u c a n s u b s c r i b e t o a ny o f o u r G a m e rZ i n e s a n d w e w i l l e m a i l y o u w h e n e v e r w e p u b l i s h a n i s s u e t h a t i n t e r e s t s y o u . L i k e o u r m a g a z i n e s , t h i s i s a f r e e s e rv i c e a d y o u c a n u n s u b s c r i b e a t a ny t i m e .

FREE ITEM! PIRATES OF STEP 2 : Yo u w i l l r e c e i v e a n e m a i l w i t h y o u r u n i q u e i t e m c o d e . D o n o t s h a r e t h i s c o d e w i t h a ny o n e e l s e , a s i t i s o n l y v a l i d f o r o n e u s e . I f y o u c h o s e t o s u b s c r i b e t o a ny G a m e rZ i n e s y o u w i l l a l s o r e c e i v e a c o n fi r m a t i o n e m a i l f o r t h e s u b s c r i p t i o n , w h i c h THE BURNING SEA y o u m u s t a ct i v a t e . STEP 3: Boost your combat skills with this rare Yo u w i l l n o t r e c e i v e y o u r i n-g a m e l o c k e t i t e m u n t i l 14 t h F e b r u a ry 2 00 8 , b u t y o u m ay a p p l y i n a d v a n c e o f t h a t d a t e . To c l a i m a n d e q u i p i t y o u w i l l n e e d t o s t a rt t h e g a m e a n d t h e n e n t e r y o u r u n i q u e M M OZ i n e c o d e f r o m t h e e m a i l i n St e p 2 . FREE locket , an exclusive in -game item! F o l l o w t h e i n-g a m e i n s t r u ct i o n s t o a c q u i r e a n d e q u i p t h e l o c k e t i n y o u r i nv e n t o ry. THERE ARE MANY forms of combat in the Sony Online Entertainment has stolen us a stunning seafaring MMO Pirates of the treasure chest full of these delight fully Burning Sea. Swordfight in Fencing, piratical charms to give away from 14th Florentine, or even Dirty Trick s style, but January (think of it as a surprise Valentine’s whichever method you favour, on land, or at gift that will make your enemies’ hearts sea, you can now give yourself the edge over bleed), so hurry to request yours right now. your foes with this amazing and exquisite Simply follow the Treasure Map instruc tions heart-shaped locket, which will provide a opposite to hunt down this rare treasure and healthy combat bonus when equipped. equip it in the game.

CO N T R O L NAVIGATE | 23 PCGZine PCGZine Issue 14 IN ISSUE 14, OUT NOW: Your monthly PC games magazine AGE OF CONAN PREVIEW PIRATES OF THE BURNING SEA INTERVIEW SPACE SIEGE PREVIEW UNIVERSE AT WAR REVIEW MORE FREE MAGAZINES! LATEST ISSUES!

DON’T MISS ISSUE 15 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! WARNING! MULTIMEDIA DISABLED! If you are reading this, then you didn’t choose “Play” when Adobe Reader asked you about multimedia when you opened the magazine. Without the multimedia playing, the magazine will look correct, but you will PCGZine be missing out on all of the extra content built into each issue, like videos, animated screenshots, annotations, quizzes, competitions and more. Completely free of charge Passionate about PC gaming We recommend you close and re-open the magazine and select “Play” when asked about the multimedia to enjoy the magazine as intended. The best PC games previews & reviews Written by the best in the biz

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 24 Review REVIEW FEEDBACK! Click here to tell us what you think of EVE EVE Online: Trinity Trinity Publisher: CCP Games The content update that’s far more than a pretty face Developer: CCP Games t’s pretty, oh so pretty, but is supposed to compromise of a your teeth into here. level. Huge gas clouds swirl around, Heritage: EVE Online Trinity more than just a graphical huge graphical update, bringing But to start off with, let’s look at painting the skies a menagerie of Link: www.eve-online/ overhaul? Eve’s slightly aging visuals back to the eye-candy - after all, it would colours, colossal ships hulk past your trinty I For the past few months, CCP forefront of MMORPGs. Other than almost be rude not to. Taking a tiny, insignificant fighter, dwarfing ETA: OUT NOW! have been teasing us with details of that, not much else was known, supposed fifty man-years of time to you 500:1 in size. EVE Trinity really System Requirements: the all new EVE expansion. Released as CCP reiterated that the one big create, EVE Trinity’s graphics engine is an incredibly pretty game, and Pentium IV 1.5GHz AMD completely free of charge, this feature was the visual update. Luckily is, in a word, stunning, and takes thankfully, it has the involving 1.5GHz, 1GB RAM, update was, we were told, mainly for us, there’s a whole lot more to get the beauty of space to a whole new gameplay to match. GeForce 6 series/ATI X1300

Roll over screen for annotations Hey, this is space - not everyone has to be pretty.

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 25 Review The new tutorial helps ease new players in, without ever EVE Trinity cont… incredible expansion pack, but yet, about EVE Trinity is that it’s all free! letting them feel helpless. there’s still more. Bringing up the rear This is no mere patch - this is the sort Along with the graphical is an extra 140 or so missions that of thing shop-bought expansion overhaul, Trinity’s bought with it a have been added across all races, packs were made for, but instead, it’s host of various UI tweaks, gameplay including the much wanted return all free. And we’re not complaining. additions, and various other bits and of mining missions, to allow the With an all new tutorial easing bobs, the most notable of which money-conscious miner to earn a bit new players into the game, there’s are the new ships. Whilst these all of extra dough while they’re digging. never been a better time to dive cost a fair amount to buy, each of Giving loyal players even more to into EVE’s unforgiving galaxy. Join the new ships has been specialised do, and swamping new players with a corporation, or start your own to cater to a certain player, whether tasks, these extra missions will take - rule the world through business it’s the Heavy Interdictor Cruisers, hours to complete, and add even or force. Go it alone and live the who can simply sit in the midst of further to the value of this already life of a bounty hunter, or simply any battle, generating an anti-warp fantastic expansion. wonder round admiring the sights. field, effectively trapping all ships But while the graphical update is No matter what your persuasion, that come too close, or the Jump sure to impress, the extra missions the possibilities in Eve are practically Freighters - huge frigates that can, will most likely drain hours from your endless, and on the back of this as the name may suggest, use their life, and the new ships offer tonnes new update, we hope even more built in jump drives, or EVE’s jump of strategic possibilities, in our people decide to give EVE a chance. gates to jet around the galaxies. opinion, the most incredible thing Take it for a spin - you won’t be Already, we’re looking at an disappointed. Ian Morris “The most It’s only when you zoom out on the incredible thing is Warp gates, believe it or not, are among galaxy map that you finally start to that it’s all free!” the smaller structures in EVE, and offer an appreciate the scope of EVE. effective way of getting from point to point. Verdict Fifty man years were well worth it

Outstanding visuals

Loads and loads of free stuff

May swallow your life

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 26 Review THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN (AND WIZARDS) World of Warcraft Please board at your gate now... CATTLE CLASS TURBO PROP REVIEW FEEDBACK! Click here to tell us what you ButOne thething second we didn’t is a Turbo-Charged mention last month Flying wasMachine, that level which 375 has Publisher: Vivendi Patch 2.3.3 aengineers movement are bonus now able of 280%. to create It even flying comes machines complete to navigate with a Developer: think of WOW 2.3.3 Tikithe Outlands.doll dashboard The first piece. is a mere 60% speed movement, like a Blizzard Welcome, player 10,000,001 to the binary world of Warcraft! regular flying mount... Heritage: Warcraft, Starcraft, you know by nother month, another easier now. For the main game, though, know enormous milestone for Speaking personally, though, as a there’s increasingly a golden Link: www.wow-europe. Atotal live (or at least recent) mage my favourite new feature is in question mark hanging over its head com subscribers to Warcraft. The new the latest, albeit minor, patch, 2.3.3. about the sense of continuing to ETA: OUT NOW! dungeons added in to 2.3.0 (see Swapping Ice Block out of the talent grind now that the Wrath of the Lich MMOZ2) seem to have done the tree and making it a purchasable King is looking quite close. SYSTEM trick in terms of enticing people back spell leaves room for Icy Veins, giving The point is, that when the REQUIREMENTS into the game. That and the fact that my frost wizard extra chances at Burning Crusade launched, within Windows: Intel levelling up a new alt is so much landing a critted frostbolt at will. the first area there was more high Pentium(r) III 800Mhz or power loot than festered on the floors of Ahn’Qiraj - more players are AMD Athlon 800Mhz, See it all now 512MB or more of RAM, starting to grumble that grinding before the Lich their way to purple armour sets now 32MB 3D graphics card King cometh! with Hardware Transform seems pointless if they’ll be able to and Lighting, such as kill 50 rabbits for a better head-dress NVIDIA(r) GeForce(tm) 2 in a few months time. Doesn’t seem class card or above, to be putting too many people off DirectX(r) 9.0c or above, playing, though, does it - perhaps Verdict 6GB available HD space, Blizzard learned their lesson? WoW keeps getting bigger, but is it enough? 4x CD-ROM drive, A 56k Back to the current game, though, and there’s at least one or better Internet No date for Lich King or more high level dungeon with tier More small tweaks connection Silvermoon six and above armour drops on Performance test “There’s at least the way before the Lich King gets Is the grind still worth it? one more high level here. Sunwell Plateau, to the north included of Silvermoon City, will be even New flying Timetest a bit pointless dungeon left” tougher than Zul’Aman, so watch machines this space. Adam Oxford

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 27 Replay PLAY AGAIN “One of those rare MMOs that has succeeded in Dark Age modernising”

Publisher: EA other graphical improvements to Developer: Mythic the game, fixing slow framerates The Neverending Heritage: Darkness Falls, and performance issues that were Story ended badly Spellbinder, ID4, of Camelot affecting aspects like keep sieges. this time. Warhammer Online: AOR We don’t like players whooo spam-a-loooot! In terms of content, new (upcoming) campaigns are rolled out roughly Link: www. f you’ve never tried Dark Age Celtic folklore mixed in with Norse twice a year and there are plenty of darkageofcamelot.com of Camelot, or stopped playing influence. new incentives for players to head to bit like a successful development Released: 2001 Iit a few years back, then now When EA incorporated the the realm frontiers for awesome and in Property Ladder. If Sarah System reqs: is a great time to revisit. Originally developer Mythic, many assumed now totally smooth RvR combat. Beeny came back now to Windows XP, Pentium 4 released in October 2001, DAOC the corporate death knell had Dark Age of Camelot is one of those review the work, even RETURNING TO 2.0GHz, 512MB RAM, fixed upon the under-represented sounded for a game that had rare MMOs that has succeeded she would be pretty CAMELOT? 64MB DX9+ Video Card legacy of legendary King Arthur and become a little bogged down over the years in modernising itself impressed with the Three things you with Shader 1.1+ has a very British back-story, with by manifold imbalances and without losing its heart and soul. A results! Steve Brown game locations such as Hadrian’s an outdated (if originally quite should do… Wall and Stonehenge and plenty of innovative) User Interface. But Mythic GAME OF ARRERS Be sure to try has listened to the community out the vastly improved archery REPLAY and over recent years, through that has been revamped so that FEEDBACK! expansions and updates, revamped the clunky old ‘multiple click’ Click here to almost every aspect of the game to system is now single click and tell us what you keep gameplay contemporary and damage balanced. think of DAOC involving for old players and new. The game has continued to develop TRY AN ADD-ON There are now systems and quests and still offers an seven content expansions for experience you won’t get anywhere Dark Age of Camelot - four retail else. The UI, for instance, has been and three now free to download. Look out for the upcoming totally updated to iron out bugs and Dragons Revenge! respond to community feedback on the features players wanted to A mount, a mount, The Quake III KEEP TRYING Go and attack my kingdom for a add. There’s a vastly improved chat retrospective is a keep. Now that ladders have mount! system that is now tab based rather next door, mate. been replaced by ramps and new than split window and the UI look textures put in, the experience is has been modernised to match a joy and not a trial.

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 28

Letters World of Warcraft take less of a cut It’s going to be a for sales to your allies than for sales long Trek now! at neutral auction houses. Maintaining a house cut also helps MMOs to regulate the inflation in the virtual economy, preventing too much currency from floating around the game at any time. Lord of the Rings’ GAME SCHOOL Bree auction house. >Inbox January the developer Perpetual HEYA, MY NAME IS NICK, and I just Entertainment lost the license for found out about your zine today, and I Thanks for your feedback, keep the emails the game and is no longer working was reading through your MMOZine, successor. Played Beta and thought it coming... [email protected] on it. It now seems that any new and you guys wanted feedback it says. was bad because, well, it was Beta... But development studio assigned to the Well, here’s what I have to say. Definitely the game has been released and I really BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE FAST project will have to start from a winner! Why do I say that you ask? regret buying it hoping it would have STAR TREK ONLINE certainly looks good scratch, which could put years on Because otherwise this would be a changed into something I knew damn on paper, but so did the M25 London the project. waste of your time to read. Well, I’m well it wasn’t going to be. The game orbital motorway. I’d certainly like to going into college at the moment for has no soul, the quests pointless, the get my hands dirty with it. They would UNDER THE HAMMER! Digital Entertainment and Game gear dull and uninteresting, the need to keep the PvP element realistic I HAVE YET TO FIND a crafting/auction Design, so I love video games, and locations drab and lifeless. Immersion PREVIEW though; the preview mentions you house combo that deals fairly with MMOs are one of the most popular factor zero, fun factor zero. Nice idea, FEEDBACK! start as “...a lowly Starfleet cadet”, players. It seems the “House” always types of games out there right now. For truly awful implementation. Click here to Starfleet vs other player races would wins. In Lord of the Rings Online - to most of us, it’s a dream to make an > Richard Evans tell us what you work for me, but not Starfleet vs post an item for 48 hours costs money MMO one day of our own. But think of all Starfleet. I’ll be interested how they and then the house takes a percentage anyways, I just wanted to pass that all > Tabula Rasa had things MMO! manage that one. Also, I hope they from the final sale - it gets you coming on to you. Thanks again for making a its disappointments keep the pay-to-use items cost and going. You can lose money on this UNIQUE method of brining the as well as its effective in both number and cost. deal if the bottom drops out on an information to us. Have a great day. successes, but Looks good, ready for more! item. Auction costs should reflect the > Weasel since launch > Ane current going price of an item - rising many issues have and falling as it does. In my opinion. > Thanks Nick, or ‘Weasel’. Good been addressed >Unfortunately, since our > Otter luck with your studies - sounds like and there’s a great preview last issue, Star Trek you know what you want to do and content update model Online seems to have > We’re afraid that’s often the have found a great course! But why of regular small additions suffered a catastrophic nature of an auction. Usually the is everyone named after a critter rather than the usual engine room failure house cut taken from the sale of this month? big expansions every Don’t and development your auction items is considered to few months. This is seems to have been be payment for hosting your items BLANK SLATED working well and miss Issueth 4 sucked into a while you carry on playing, rather TABULA RASA - Awful game, has no Tabula Rasa is temporal anomaly than you having to spam countless heart. I’ve played MMO’s since proving Out April 7 Stick with Tabula and set back to others yourself to sell crafted Everquest, and was hoping this was a real grower. Rasa, it’s improving. Sign up now! year zero! In goods. At least some MMOs like going to be World of Warcraft’s CONTROL MORE FREE MAGAZINES! LATEST ISSUES!

Gamerwww.gamerzines.comZines

FREE MAGAZINES FOR PC GAMES, MMOS, XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PSP & DS AND MORE. PCGZine P3Zine FREE! For FREE! For PC gamers PlayStation 3

360Zine HGZine FREE! For FREE! For Xbox 360 DS and PSP

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 30

Tutorial The Isle of Prayer defies HELLO, NEWBIE gravity! Getting started in the Lineage world Unlike many other MMOs you won’t always be attacked by wandering fauna from the start. Your birthplace on the Isle of Souls is inside a temple-like structure, the Cave of Souls and when you first leave, you’ll find NEW fields full of wildlife. You can either ignore this Lineage II: for the time being, and head on to the first LOCATIONS town area, Kamael Village, or thwack a few OF THE innocent mammals to start levelling up. Combat is initiated by double-clicking on a mob, or using KAMAEL the icons in the action bar. Walking you down The Kamael If you head into the village, there’s a helpful Newbie the isle... Guide who’ll give you a fair amount of useful information Beginners’ guide to being a Kamael about your world environment to get you started. ISLE OF SOULS The Kamael have As with other MMOs, you can buy stuff and pick up quests in Kamael The starting place for Kamael hile it has a massive to earn back their Village by talking to the NPCs standing around. The first few quests will warriors: the entire race was following in Korea and wings. see you running around and just getting used to the layout of the town, banished here as punishment the US, Lineage II is still but as you advance, there are two instances on the Isle, Normil’s Garden for fighting the gods. Now W and Normil’s Cave to get you grouping. You should be up to around level the divinities are trying to growing fast in Europe. And with 20 before you leave for the mainland. rehabilitate the angelic warriors all the additions in The Kamael race/class based game, although into society. expansion, we’re expecting quite a the class tree will vary from race to few of you to take up arms and join race and opens up as you progress Roll over screen for annotations ISLE OF PRAYER the fight in one of the most PvP- past certain levels. As a Kamael, A gravity defying place of centric MMOs out there. Since the for example, you can only choose floating islands and underwater new race is so striking and unusual, to play as a soldier initially. Almost instances, the Isle of Prayer is a we’ll be referring to them exclusively uniquely, class options are also high level hunting ground. in this beginners’ guide. gender dependent - so your choice Just as with most MMOs, L2 is of sex will affect your abilities. HELLBOUND The world of Lineage II is split The highest level area accessible between three empires who vie via a quest chain in the Isle of Prayer. The final raid boss, for territorial power across the Beleth, lives here. “The class tree will continents, advancing their frontlines vary, but as a Kamael, by taking control of castles and FANTASY ISLAND for example, you can outposts. The more land you have, Still in development, but swim the more revenue you can draw in: hard to the west and you just only choose to play as let battle commence. might be able to find it... a soldier initially”

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 31 Tutorial Fighting talk The key to the game is PvP Roll over screen for annotations CLASSES OF ou’re probably aware that loot on defeat. Attacking white - or THE KAMAEL advancing in Lineage II is non-aggressive - players, though will Not a dromedary or Ygoing to mean smacking earn you Karma points. Too many down other players. You may even Karma points, and you’ll receive the bactrian to be seen be relishing the challenge, but ‘Chaotic’ flag in red by your name. TROOPER remember that there are certain That means you won’t be able to use A male Kamael levels from Soldier to rules to abide by, even in Lineage II. the services of local tradesmen and Trooper, at which point he can use magic, You’ll probably want to practice the like. Karma can be reduced by as well as his sword, for melee fighting. with the duel option a bit too. First killing mobs in the hunting ground, off, there are safe areas where PvP or completing special quests. WARDER is restricted. These are usually the New players are offered some The Female Kamael, meanwhile, learns traditional hunter skills like ranged towns and villages. Any character protection - you can’t be killed by a weapons and traps. that starts a fight here will be character more than 10 levels above attacked by the village guards. you and characters below level 40 SOUL HOUND Once combat is initiated with a will be offered specialist buffs from Powerful mage warriors, at the final class rival player, the aggressor is flagged the newbie guides to help them. selection all Kamael classes also gain with a purple label. Purple players the Final Form power to win back their are fair game for all, and will drop missing wings. “Soul-sucking, DOOMBRINGER shape-shifting A high level beserker, the Doombringer’s Class action THE OTHEROTHER RACES RACES OF OF LINEAGE LINEAGE magic is generally reserved for defence, power!” but their sword skills are second to none. Choices arise with levelling... Getting to to know know you... you... Every race in Lineage II has two starting in a skill tree not entirely dissimilar to classes, except for Dwarves and the Kamael. Tabula Rasa. A Human fighter can become a HUMANS DWARVES ELVES When you first create your winged soldier, Warrior, Knight or Rogue at level 20. you may be a little disappointed at the To really personalise your character, at amount of options open to you: don’t level 75 you can choose a subclass to adjoin TheThere stockyrace are of light littleman and fellascan dark start can elves off despair, pretty quickly you’ll have plenty of your main abilities. Once you choose a new ways to customise your new character to subclass, you must then begin levelling it carryinas thea fighter much game, moreor natch, mystic, weight each with than two your own taste. separately from your main class: when your thewithpossible other their talent races, own treesspecialities and specialisefor the Class selections are influenced by your subclass hits a class choice level, you can inbutworld farming generally of arms or crafting conformingand the skills. world actions in the game, though - hey, Richard then diversify again. Thetoof magic.the most expected reveredThey boast norms. dwarves the The most are Garriott had a hand in this you know. At And although Dwarves and Kamael get theSwordsingerversatile Maestros skillset, bardwho and charactercan can create end levels 19, 35 and 76 (the level cap is 80) you it tough at the start, the Dwarves’ excellent powerfulclassthe game is a particularly weaponsas anything and from armour. a Not a race for begin a quest chain, which takes several crafting skills later in the game and the interestingmaster archer option. to a high priest. drab clothing the levels to complete and will eventually see Kamael’s soul-sucking, shape shifting power Kamael! you converting to a more specialised class more than make up for it.

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 32 Tutorial Take the time to equip your SETTING SAILS ship well. Your ship is the most Pirates of the important element of your game Unlike other MMOs your pirate character in Burning Sea is secondary to the ship he Burning Sea sails. While he’s all-important for those fights and running around town, your Beginner’s guide to becoming a Pirate of the Burning Sea success will hinge on how well your ship is fitted out, and what ship you decide hen starting out on create multiple characters so don’t to sail out of port on a particular day. the high seas it’s worth feel like you’re stuck with a single You can go to the auction house to pick remembering that the choice once you’re into the game. up both ships and equipment, and once W you’ve got them you have to head down British, French and Spanish factions Of course if you really want to enter to the dockyard to get them set up. Every are just as cut-throat and ruthless into the spirit of things you should port has a dockyard and you can check as pirates - it’s just a matter of aim to play either as a pirate, or as a out your ships in any of them. Don’t whose flag you end up privateer attempting to hunt down forget to fit out your current ship with flying under. You can and kill the very same. Whatever you loot from older ships, and keep the ammo stocked. Getting yourself afloat choose, you’re going to be facing in something suitable is the difference between death and riches. VITAL the same corrupt crime bosses, the SHIP same evil local governors, and the same tooth-and-nail battles on the Roll over screen for annotations COMBAT ocean. Don’t forget to use the chat We’re going to need functions to ask other players for a bigger boat! help if you need it - there’s always someone who knows the answer to Remember that while a tougher your questions. ship might be able to blow you out of the water, you still have a chance if your combat skills are good (we’ll come to that in a minute). “If you really want to enter Getting the grapples to allow into the spirit of things you to board means slowing you should play as a the enemy down by blasting his pirate or as a rigging, and keep his crew at bay by blasting the decks. Let’s hope privateer” that musket isn’t loaded!

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 33 Tutorial To fight, or to run away? Roll over screen for annotations SWASHBUCKLING Learning it’s sometimes better to live and fight another day! Keeping your opponents off-balance nce you’ve completed some of the battle, and you can go there of the opening sections of to fight for your side. Control of a Hand to hand combat in Pirates of the Pirates of the Burning Sea port allows industrious players to Burning Sea is a unique experience. O you’ll begin to travel around the produce the resources required for Firstly, you tend to fight with a big posse of crew, but you’re also fighting in a way large map. This will leave you open the more advanced ship production, that is more realistic than in other MMOs. to the possibilities of combat with and also reduces the tax rate for the As you engage your enemy you are trying other players. You can either do this owning faction’s players. to reduce his balance with particular by having your PvP flag on, which blows. Get him off guard and you can use will allow other players to attack you, the power you charge up - your initiative - or by attacking players who are PvP “Having your Player to land a killing blow. This makes fighting flagged. Alternatively you can enter versus Player flag on far more tactical than it might have been PvP zones, and the contended in other, similar games, and you really areas in which battles for control will allow other have to figure out the combos if you want over ports are taking place. If a port players to approach to take down an enemy captain quickly. is being contended you’ll get a and attack you” broadcast message informing you FENCING Use of the sword is the key attribute of fencing. Being able to knock weapons away, or stab someone in the face is key to mastering fencing. GETTING THETHE FLORENTINE This style is certainly the most stylish, with your character using GOOD STUFFSTUFF two blades at once to take on opponents. Use crimecrime to to get get yourself yourself the the best best gear gear It’s fast, even if the damage is low.

DIRTY FIGHTING SCUM BOSSES BRETHREN Pirates fight dirty, so if you want to stay Are you a dir ty in character then this is probably the way fighter? It ’s ok ay you want to go. Knees, elbows, headbutts, in this game! hidden blades and more! TortugaLocal The Crime bosses is the Boss’ will hub organisationhave of pirate a number activity, is that of missions andof the the Brethren forcity you, harbours andO f Pirates. most some prettyofThese these guysvillainous c an aren’t be ac scum. tivatedthe same Chief simply as of the these by local heading is crimethe Crime out bosses, of Boss, the who harbour who can caninusually your be found ship.be found You’ll through in have their the a lair choicetunnel in the to at town.either the back Checktake end the each of open the building city. sea, to Onceorsee head what there into you you your can can mission.dig accept up. Watch Thesea number out sec for tionsof Brethrenmissions, are hidden whowhich from give involve out runningthemissions, main other game,however, missions so you’ll bec ausefor not the these be various interrupted are rather town by crimemore other interestingbosses. players. Clock upAlternativelythan enough your average points you can and fare, group the and crime withcould overlord players end up to willdelivering overcome reward you you missions some with a decentthatuseful you treasures. ship. are It’sfinding a fast-track par tic ularly to decent challenging. rewards.

CONTROL N AV I G AT E | 3 4 Compo LINEAGE II: THE CHAOTIC THRONE – THE KAMAEL WIN!Exclusive game and goodie bundles, plus a limited edition elf! To celebrate the upcoming launch of the superb new expansion for massively multiplayer masterpiece Lineage II, NCSoft has loaded us up with exclusive gifts to give away. Ten lucky readers will win bundles that include the game itself, a Kamael T-shirt, a cool standee figure, and Kamael posters. The ultimate winner will get all this plus a limited edition statue of a beautiful lady elf (see left)!

To be in with a chance of claiming these fantastic Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne – The Kamael bundles, simply T his competition answer the question opposite… br ought t o y ou in associa tion with the Na tional Elf Service .

C O N T R O L NAV IG AT E | 35 Subscribe toMMOZine FREE! PC & MMO GAMES MAGS!  Free gifts  Professionally written  Free to download  Regular exclusives  Fully interactive magazines DON’T MISS OUT AGAIN SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! Over 35,000 pe o p le have alre ady chosen to subscri b e to o ne o r mo re of o u r G amerZi ne s an d now re ceive noti fica ti o n of e ach new issue a s so o n a s i t’s publ ishe d. Why not j o i n them an d ensu re yo u never m iss another issue a g ai n?

www.gamerzines.com CO N T RO L NAVIGATE | 36 Next Month Issue 4 Out 7th April In Issue 4 MORE FREE MAGAZINES! LATEST ISSUES!

MASSIVE REVIEW AND EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME ITEM!

Lineage II: DON’T MISS ISSUE 16 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! WARNING! MULTIMEDIA DISABLED! If you are reading this, then you didn’t choose “Play” The Chaotic Throne when Adobe Reader asked you about multimedia when - The Kamael you opened the magazine. Without the multimedia playing, the magazine will look correct, but you will Don’t miss your chance to claim one of the be missing out on all of the extra content built into each issue, like videos, rarest cosmetic items ever made for Lineage animated screenshots, annotations, quizzes, competitions and more. II - the half mask! This amazing object is We recommend you close and re-open the magazine and select “Play” when being created ONLY for MMOZine Issue 4 asked about the multimedia to enjoy the magazine as intended. and you won’t find it anywhere else!

Contributors: Lee Hall, Lee Hart, Ian Morris, Richard Melville, Cranberry Publishing Limited Chris Schilling, Jason D’Aprile www.cranberrypublishing.com All rights reserved. This publication may be copied in its entirety without Publishing Director: Dave Taylor modification for non-commercial purposes, for example but not limited to copying Email: [email protected] to CD-R for a friend, but it may not be offered for download from any website or similar without the prior permission of the copyright holder. You are REVIEWED! BETA TEST! AND MORE! Editorial Director: Dan Hutchinson free to, and encouraged to, link to the original file for download from our website Email: [email protected] and you can find help on doing so here. While the greatest care is taken in producing Commercial Director: Duncan Ferguson this guide, we do not accept responsibility for the loss of any data or any other Age of Conan: Warhammer Full report from damage caused by following the instructions in this publication. We always Email: [email protected] recommend that you keep a backup of your hard disk data and ensure that you check Telephone: 07770 648500 all files for viruses before installing or using any new software. None of the Hyborian Online: Age of Codemasters’s information in this guide is intended as legal advice. All articles are for information Call Duncan to discover how e-publications can work for you! purposes only. Websites mentioned in this publication are not affiliated to or controlled by the publisher. We are not responsible for the contents of these sites or Adventures Reckoning Connect 2008 any changes made to them. Design: InkCap Design All contents © Cranberry Publishing Ltd 2008 Company registration number: 4987058

CONTROL NAVIGATE | 37 Sadly, you’ve reached the end of this issue. What would you like to do now? Exit this issue and go and download another issue?

Exit this issue and subscribe FREE for future issues? Want more Exit this issue. PC Games? THE WORLD’S BEST SOCIAL NEWS SITE FOR GAMERS!

http://www.n4g.com/

News 4 Gamers is a news website written by platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, gamers for gamers. Each story is submitted Wii, PC, DS, PSP and more. by a member of the community and ranked When you read a story on N4G, you can by popularity. You can comment on each click to go straight out to the full story article, and even if you’re not a fully fledged source, making this the ultimate gaming writer, you can submit news tips for items news site, because it gives you access to the you’ve seen elsewhere on the web! stories from all the games sites on the web, The site has sections for all gaming rather than just its own.

CONTROL