The One Where Grando Espada Is… Everywhere!

Granado Espada is popping up everywhere! From TV commercials in Singapore, to Roadshows in Malaysia…

… to cinema advertisements in the Philippines

Schedule and locations:
June 6 Ocean's 13
June 13 Fantastic 4
June 27 Transformers
July 11 Harry Potter & Order of Phoenix
August 1 Bourne Ultimatum

Makati Glorietta 4 and Greenbelt
Ortigas SM Megamall & Rob Galleria
Cubao Gateway
Q.C SM North Edsa
LasPiñas SM Southmall
Manila Rob Manila
Cebu SM Cebu & Cebu Town Center

… to that oh-so-hawt GE car randomly cruising around Singapore (Time to ask Daddy Dearest to buy his fave and only daughter, Hrin, a GE car)


























… to your friendly MSN window









































Oh, and have I mentioned that this is just the beginning? ;)

The One About Colony War - Part I

Colony War is just round the corner and the schedule for the first 3 wars are as follows:

First Colony War: 8 June 2007, Friday, 2000hrs-2200hrs (GMT+8)
Second Colony War: 17 June 2007, Sunday, 2000hrs-undecided (GMT+8)
Third Colony War: 23 June 2007, Saturday, 2000hrs-undecided (GMT+8)

I've been getting a lot of questions about what colony wars are all about. I guess I should start with the basics.

What is a colony? A colony is this tall pillar that is available in certain maps in the world.
























For the very first colony war, colonies will be open to attack on all the maps that have a colony in it. Factions can start attacking these colonies. Once the colony has been destroyed, the colony will belong to the faction of the last person who hit and destroyed the colony and they have to defend it till the timer for the colony war has ended. His/her faction will now rule that map and enjoy certain HP and attack boost bonuses. Their faction name will be written on the world map, such that the world will know that they are ruling that map.

Aight. That's all for today lest information overload takes place. ;)

Read Colony War - Part 2 here.

The One About Level Playing Field

I remember having this discussion with a friend of mine a few months ago when we were playing a trading card game. I asked him,"Why is it you would rather play trading card games as compared to MMORPGs?"

He replied,"That's because I hardly have the time to train my characters and I don't like it that if someone has more time to play, he can easily pwn me with his higher level character. It's a given fact more time = higher level character = definite pwnage. I may be a better player skill-wise but I will always lose out to someone who has all the time in the world."

That certainly gave me a lot of food for thought. The GE RAID party 2v2 PvP Finals Tournament was designed in such a way that skill will triumph over 'who-has-the-highest-level character'. The finalists will all be able to compete on a level playing field since they get to choose from a suite of pre-made characters to form their team of 3 for the duration of the match - this includes both stock (basic classes) characters as well as selected RNPCs. These pre-made characters will have their levels maxed out to veteran Lvl 100 with all available stances and skills maxed out.

I'm really excited about this. It reminds me of the arcade games I used to play back then where you get to choose from a series of characters to fight for you. Finally a chance at level playing field in an MMORPG! Here's a little teaser of what the real life battle scene would look like that day...

















On a sidenote, it is definitely time to give that friend of mine a call and tell him about Granado Espada... ;)

The One About Winning Your Non-Gaming Friends Over

I've been given a monthly 2-page column in Playworks magazine, starting from May 2007, where I will be talking about GE. But hey, you know what I always say - The best things in life should always be shared. Thus, for July's issue of Playworks onwards, I will include some lovely GE fanart or contributions from the community in my column as well.

I have come to realize that as gamers, sometimes we tend to be over-technical when we talk about the games we so love. To us, these so-called 'technical terms' are second nature to us, everyday talk and vocabulary. MCC, XAI, PK, PVP, PVE, KS... unfortunately, these abbreviations are alien language to our non-gaming peers, which tends to further push them away from the whole notion of gaming.

So well, in my first article for Playworks, I have attempted to write it in such a way that our non-gaming friends will be able to catch a glimpse into what the world of Granado Espada has given to us. Enjoy! ;)

Click on images to enlarge:

The One About Baron Mode

The bad flu that has been going around IAH has finally spread to me, despite how badly I've been trying to avoid. On the bright side, it hit me only after POBT began and playing GE is all the medicine I need! I've been reading on the forums about how many are wary of starting characters in Cervantes because it is a PK server and there are various wild predictions that Cervantes will be over-run with high level players camping newbies or low levels just so that they can get that baron mode high attack bonuses. Well, that crystal ball of prediction ain't going to materialize! Simply because of that misconception about Baron mode.

That Misunderstood Pre-Requisite: Family Level = 6

So most of us know that in order to "baron" (force PK) someone, you need to fulfill that pre-requisite of having a family level of 6. Many people are under the impression that a family level of 6 means your character level is 6. In reality, a family level of 1 = 10 levels.

Thus, if my
highest level character = 19, my family level is 1
highest level character = 34, my family level is 3

However, if my highest level character = 30, my family level still remains at 2. Until that character reaches level 30+ ; only then will my family level be considered as family level 3.

This effectively relates that family level 6 = character level 60+ , which means that I need to be of character level 60+ at least to be able to "baron" (PK) someone! And on top of that, the other family that I am trying to "baron" (PK) must also be of family level 6. This automatically rules out the misconception that high level players will be camping lowbies.

On a side note, since we are on the topic of family level, your family level is directly proportionate to the family protection percentage you get. A family level of 2 will improve your HP by 2%.







Further to that, let's say you already have a level 60+ character, and you start re-training another character from level 1 again. Your family level will be still regarded as level 6 and your level character open to attacks from other families of family level 6 and above. In summary, your family level will be based on the highest leveled character that you have in your barracks, regardless of whether they are part of your team of 3 or not.

Although in this way, you can say that high leveled characters can still 'camp' low leveled characters, but considering that you already have at least one high level character of family level 6 and above, this would probably indicate that you have had considerable experience in playing Granado Espada and would know enough about GE to be able to avoid such attacks, or at the very least be able to bring out your other high leveled character to challenge that person on a level playing field.

Hi guys!

The glorious day of 17^th May 2007 has finally arrived! Just some quick updates before all of us get drawn into the new continent of Granado Espada.

1) Meet your local Community Managers!

Yes! Our local distributors have appointed a community manager who will address the needs of the local community. As for myself, I will be working closely with these local community managers to further instill that bond of unity and sense of ‘GE ownage’ within the community. I formally introduce your local community managers over here in the newly updated Community section on the left. As we expand over the Southeast Asia region and appoint more local distributors, we will continue to add more community managers to this page. As for the rest of you guys who do not have a local community manager yet, don’t worry - I will be looking after you lot in the meantime. ;)

2) Squad me, baby!

Guys, do not think that having that funky MCC ability of the “power of 3” is sufficient. Read about why here. Further to that, join a faction! Faction chat is ever so entertaining and colony wars between factions are something you definitely do not want to miss out on! For those of you who are new to GE, there is now a new user guide available here which gives you some useful tips and tricks about starting out in GE.

3) Game Feedback

I have been compiling feedback from the CBT forums about what you guys think about GE and some of the changes you hope to see in the future of Granado Espada. Over the last few days, I had the privilege of having several meetings with some of the IMC and Hanbitsoft guys to discuss the various ideas that you have brought up. Some of these changes have already been implemented as a result of your feedback and other ideas are being looked into right now by IMC and Hanbitsoft.

“With great power comes great responsibility”

We at IAHgames are greatly honored an privileged to have that direct link to IMC and Hanbitsoft. This game we all love was made for our guilty pleasure and sinful delight. With this passion for GE comes our sense of dedication, responsibility and determination that the community’s voice must be heard. I will be setting up a ‘Feedback’ link in the Community section soon which states the more popular feedback from the community and the replies from IMC (GE’s game developers also known as the legendary Hakkyu Kim’s team). This would be for the purpose of greater transparency and accountability between us and you. :)

In the meantime, you will be glad to know that thanks to your feedback, patches were made and first names are now no longer unique! The name filter has been modified to allow more variations in names. The PvP (Cervantes) and non PvP (Carracci) servers were also implemented due to your active participation in suggestions.

Power to the people!

4) Email Of The Day

Interestingly enough, news of my newly appointed ‘Regional Community Manager’ position has spread before my official announcement. With this, came several sweet congratulatory emails…

“Hey Hrin! Congratz on your promotion to Regional Community Manager! So are you now like the lady boss of the other community managers? =p”

I grinned at that email in amusement. Nope, I am not “the one ring to rule them all”. Neither am I the one hring to pwn them all. We work together as a team. Our greater purpose is that vision of uniting the whole GE community, across the region. :)

Hi guys!

A very hearty “Welcome Back!” goes out to our CBT (Closed Beta Testing) gamers who have returned to continue their adventuring in Granado Espada. For those who have just joined our extended Granado Espada family - It’s great to have you with us! May you fall deeply in love with Granado Espada, just like the rest of us. My name is Hrin and I am the Regional Community Manager for Granado Espada. You can read more about the community manager’s role, as well as the ‘GE Ownage’ culture that has been instilled within our close-knit community since CBT over here.

I know… POBT (Pre-Open Beta Testing) is a painful 5 days away. Yes, I do realize tensions are running high in the forums due to this agonizing wait. We are all in the same boat, people. But hey, let’s de-activate that PK (Player Kill) mode and keep things friendly on the forums in the meantime. After all, there ain’t no baron mode bonuses on the forums! ;)

1) Baron Server & Carebear Server: Cervantes & Carracci!

Speaking of baron mode, the choice is now yours. We will be opening up two servers, Cervantes and Carracci on 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 12pm (GMT+8) to the public. Cervantes server will be a PK server, or what I like to call the baron server, whereby baron mode is activated while Carracci server will be the non PK server, otherwise more commonly referred to in the forums as the Carebear server. What I am looking forward to in the Carebear server (Carracci) is that interaction with some of the more peace-loving citizens and I foresee Carracci becoming that Utopia of perhaps, the best player-organized events. On the other hand, Cervantes will have all that typical mama drama which results from PK-ing and spirit of competition. In any case, choose the world you want to reside in based on what you hope to accomplish in Granado Espada. Or better yet, create families in BOTH servers to get the best of both worlds.

2) No Patch Available From CBT Client To POBT Client

Unfortunately, due to the extremely huge content differences from the V1.8.23 to the V2.0 game client, we have been informed by the game developers that patching will not be possible as it might result in instabilities. The mirrors for downloading the POBT client can be found here while torrent users can find the POBT client here. Many thanks to the GE fans who have set these torrent links up!

3) POBT Phase To Officially Begin On 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 1200 (GMT+8)

Until that glorious day of 17^th May 2007, Thursday, 1200 (GMT+8), you will NOT be able to log into the servers. This applies to the general public. For the winners of the POBT 2-day advance pass, you will be receiving an activation code in an email within the next 2 days. Instructions on how to activate your account will be included in that email. Once we have sent out the emails, we will post an official announcement on the website and in the forums.

4) "Hear, Hear" Rumors FAQ

Too many duplicate threads on the forums with too many phantom speculations. Here is an FAQ to banish those 'phantom menaces':

FAQ1: Hrin! I heard there will be IP bans! No wai! Say it isn’t so!

Ans: It isn’t so.

FAQ2: Hrin! Will GE be F2P/P2P? Why can’t you tell me?

Ans: Because we are all about mystery and suspense? On a more serious note, we are still fine-tuning the details of our business model. Once we have done so, we PROMISE we will announce it on the website and on the forums. In the meantime, we have been reading the forums and hearing what you guys have been saying and believe me, we have been taking every one of those concerns into arriving at our decision.

FAQ3: Hrin! Will the Granado Espada game client be made available in CD/DVD format?

Ans: From what I understand from our distributors, Malaysia and Singapore will be releasing DVD format game clients while Philippines will be releasing CD format game clients. These DVD/CD clients will be made available after the launch of POBT. As for the exact dates, we will post up an announcement when they are out in stores.

5) Colony War Schedules

Since this is a testing phase, we are also testing out the best times of the week as well as the frequency per week to hold our colony wars. The final decision will be based on the results of our findings during this phase. Colony wars will be made available in BOTH Cervantes and Carracci servers. Here is the tentative schedule, up to mid July:

First Colony War: 8 June 2007, Friday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Second Colony War: 17 June 2007, Sunday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Third Colony War: 23 June 2007, Saturday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Fourth Colony War: 27 June 2007, Wednesday, 2000hrs (GMT+8)
Fifth Colony War: 1 July 2007, Sunday, 1400hrs (GMT+8)
Sixth Colony War: 7 July 2007, Saturday, 1400hrs (GMT+8)

So, guys, train hard and mark your faction name on the world map! ;)

POBT is just one week away! The excitement in IAH is simply overwhelming right now. Not to mention the IMC team (Hakkyu Kim's team of developers) just flew down last night and have been working with us to get the servers up and running. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Yup, that pretty much describes my hourly schedule for the whole week. Everyone at IAH is taking turns getting ill due to the sudden heatwave that has hit Singapore. Meanwhile, the only symptoms I am suffering from lately is one of those woman problem thingies. Yep. That of Shopping Withdrawal Symptoms. I am so glad I bought those 5 pairs of boots last month to match my planned GE wardrobe for POBT. It keeps me going till I get a chance to shop again.

My sincere regrets to my GE heroes (the community service volunteers) that I will be unable to attend the Community Service Event tomorrow. Much as I would love to check out hot firemen with you guys and play with the kids we have grown to love, but there is just too much that needs my urgent, undivided attention these few days. In any case, thanks for taking the initiative to take up the ownership of this event. Kudos. :)

Community Service Event 3: Fire Station

Well guys, Community Service Event 3 is on 10th May 2007, this Thursday. As usual, we will be meeting at 11am at Ronald's Bedok Villa, otherwise known as Bedok Interchange Macdonalds outlet - the one under Princess cinema. The whole outing should last till 6pm. Hrin will then treat the GE heroes to dinner. Those who have not signed up for the event yet, please drop me an email at community@ge.iahgames.com

Quite a few people have been asking me about how this whole community service event came about. It all started one day when I got a call from my good friend's mother who is a teacher at Katong Special School. I had previously been volunteering there, but ever since I started working, I was unable to make it. She had called me in an act of desperation because she was finding it so difficult to get volunteers to help out. I told her I would try to take leave to help out. After all, I really missed those kids. Then it hit me - Hey! Why not combine my 2 loves together? The love I have for those kids and the love I have for my GE community. So I penned an email to my Level 100 bosses to propose this monthly Community Service Event. It was very well-received and they have been extremely supportive.

The GE community has been very supportive as well. I received so many sweet emails encouraging us to press on in our community service efforts. The latest email I got was from this dude, Andre:

"By the way, i just read your blog and i have to say, your idea with heaving RL-Quest that help children is absolutely fantastic ^^ Ive never seen ANY gaming company do something similiar. Too bad Singapore is too far away from Germany to reach it with the Car in a few minutes ^^. Your "Levitating Maid" reminded me kinda of Mary Poppins and her levitating umbrella ... so i decided to "update" your levitating maid picture =P (picture enclosed)... you should consider adding the umbrella as an ingame item lol ^^"

Another GE fan, Tsubaki, sent me the most creative picture in order that I could publicize my RL quest:

Yep, so... Vespanoleans out there, let's extend that good old fashioned chivalry and heroism in Granado Espada into real life as well. Don't just play GE. Live GE!

Hi guys,

I am back from the Philippines and back to the hectic (albeit exciting) life of preparations for Granado Espada's POBT phase. Here's the V2.0 map from the new continent of Granado Espada. 12 days more before all of you get a chance to see it for your very own eyes! ;)