The One About V3.4.14

Guess what? We've just started localizing V3.4.14. The tentative launch date is 18 June 2009. Still far to early to confirm if we can launch on that date, but for now, that's the date we are working towards, plus minus 1~2 weeks depending on how the goldmaster client turns out.

V3.4.14 will be a very exciting major update since it encompasses a new art direction. This time the direction is headed towards a more masquerade, cirque du soleil type of look and feel.

I haven't received the 'official patch updates' document yet but some of the more interesting updates that are likely to be in the V3.4.14 patch are:

1) A cat pet which generates Intensify, Lv.11 of Fortify, Lv.10 of Divine Bless Buffs and has healing capabilities

2) New RNPC - Helena, who was a vice-leader of the Circus Troupe and has every Elementalist’s stance (except The Elemental Lord), as well as her exclusive stance.

3) Mysterious Treasure Box of Premium Treasure Box has been updated:

Reward Items	Number
Symbol of Taurus	1
Symbol of Leo	1
Symbol of Aquarius	1
Symbol of Sagittarius	1
Symbol of Capricornus	1
Epic Grade Glazium	4
Metal Armor Crystal - Grade 26	2
Robe Armor Crystal - Grade 26	2
Coat Armor Crystal - Grade 26	2
Leather Armor Crystal - Grade 26	2
Melee Weapon Crystal - Grade 26	2
Ranged Weapon Crystal - Grade 26	2
Magic Weapon Crystal - Grade 26	2
High Quality Sapphire	2
High Quality Emerald	5
High Quality Ruby	3
Damaged Ancient Glazium	1
Lv. 100 Enchantment Chip	3
Lv. 96 Enchantment Chip	5
Lv. 92 Enchantment Chip	8
Lv. 84 Enchantment Chip	5
Field Manual - Master (1 day)	1
1 Barrack Slot	1
Memoirs	5
Andre's Costume Box	5
Karja's Vanity Box	5
Ring Box	2
Eyewear Box	5
Veteran EXP Card	1
Progressive Mithridart	10
Recipe - Arsene Circus Troupe’s Red Ticket	1
Recipe - Arsene Circus Troupe’s Blue Ticket	1
Recipe - Arsene Circus Troupe’s Green Ticket	1
Warp Scroll Coupon	2
Treasure Hunter's Request Form	1
Legendary Treasure Book	1
Progressive Analeptic Remedy	10
Mystery Powders	5
EXP Card	6
Enhancement Booster	2
Socket Processing Tranquillizer	1
Enchantment Tranquillizers	5
Triumph Fillers	5
Mystic Ampule	5
Soul Crystal	5
Progressive Painkiller	10
Progressive Nutrition	10
Pure Otite	3
Hrin's Potion	3
Hrin's Ampule	5
Defensive Filler	5
Offensive Filler	5
Otite Perfume	1

I'll update more as we go along. Vietnam GE is likely launching its Closed Beta Test phase next month and has already launched their website over here.

Some Vietnam users playing on our servers expressed concern as to whether there will be IP blocks for their current accounts on our servers. As of now, I haven't heard any such thing and you guys are welcome to continue playing on our English servers. :)

I'll be flying up to Vietnam next week so I'll update more on V3.4.14 when I return. Drop me a comment if there's anything in particular you would like to know about for V3.4.14 and I'll pick a few questions to reply. I'll also be happy to hear your suggestions for the name of the next expansion since we haven't decided on it yet.

Oh wait! One last thing to update, we're having a blogging contest for Plantronics Gamecom 777 over here. The closing date is next Tuesday, 5 May 2009. Basically, it's an invitation for a product test drive of GameCom 777, the first surround sound gaming headset with Dolby technology for competitive gaming.

We are looking for a select group of bloggers who are gamers, has a keen audio sense, craves for a true 5 channel virtual surround sound experience, believes that headsets should be comfortable on the ears, even after hours of game play, likes to give feedback on their blog about GameCom 777.

If you fit the bill, write to us at iah.marketing@iahgames.com and include your full name, email address, mobile number, home address that we can deliver the headset to, and blog URL. 10 gaming bloggers will be selected to receive a Plantronics GameCom 777 headset for a free 2 weeks "test drive". If you love the GameCom 777 as much as we do, express exactly that in your blog before 5 May 2009 and you may just get to win this limited-edition launch kit!

The One About Team Arena

Some good news!

We are still in schedule for V3.2 and should be set to launch this Thursday, 9 April'2009.

Check out a sneak preview of the very awesome poster created by one of our creative team members, MooMoo:

Click here to download high resolution poster

Personally, I think it's one of MooMoo's best masterpieces ever! I immediately used it as my desktop wallpaper. It reminded me of the evolution of Granado Espada - From the first build of V1.8 fan art of the musketeer, to Dilos Latemn - the very first raid boss that I fought... To think I felt so intimidated by Dilos the first time I fought him! Back then, he was the Sekhmet of the game. When I first saw the poster, I got all choked up with emotions, as I reflected my own journey through Granado Espada... (or maybe it's just that time of the month where hormones have gone a-haywire)

I like how the direction of Granado Espada's latest updates is moving towards team-based missions and mini games. The Defense of The Zeia was named as such because of one of the new features, Team Arena which reminded us so much of the oh-so-popular DOTA (Defense Of The Ancients). The beauty of Team Arena is how it pretty much equalizes everyone, regardless of your levels, armors, weapons.

Kudos to Kaioujin who fully explored the system and gave me the brief on this!

Background of Team Arena - It don't matter if you're yellow or blue
There are two teams who will pit against each other in Team Arena - Yellow and Blue. Each team will have to work together to fight into their opposing team’s base and defeat the boss there in order to win the game. Each team can either be a 3v3 or 10v10.

The Map - Know thyself, know thy territory
There are two bases which is located at different ends of the map which are linked together by 3 path lanes that are guarded by towers and bosses. There are 3 levels of defenses for each team. I'm not going to go too much into detail but each of the levels are guarded by bosses and shooting towers.

Arena Coins - Choose how you spend them wisely
Periodically, monsters will spawn from the Gates located in the bases and path towards the opposing base in their respective lanes. These monsters drop Arena Coins when killed so it is the most common way for the players to gather Arena Coins to purchase buffs over at their bases.

The Buffs - Strategies revolve around these
This is the most important feature of Team Arena and the various strategies deployed will likely determine your team's win or loss. I can't wait to see what kind of tactics you guys will come up with!

Arena Coins are the only currency accepted by the merchant NPCs in Team Arena. There are a total of 5 NPCs in each base, which will provide the users with different features.

Consumable Item Volunteer
You will be able to purchase Team Arena Soul Crystal to resurrect your characters when they are killed in battle. Also, Base Return Sheets can also be purchased to allow quick teleportation for your characters back to base.

Team Upgrade NPC
This NPC allows you to increase the attack, defense and health attributes of your base creeps.

Enemy Debuff
This NPC decreases the accuracy, attack power, defense power of all the characters in the opposing team permanently. In addition, this NPC can also apply temporary status effects such as stun, electric shock and ritardi on the opposing team.

Family Attack Buff
This NPC increases the attack rating, attack power, attack speed, accuracy and physical penetration of all characters in your family.

Family Defense Buff
This NPC increases the defense rating, defense power, evasion, block, immunity and movement speed of all characters in your family.

Family Attribute Attack Buff
This NPC increases the magic penetration and additional elemental damage of all characters in your family.

Family Attribute Defense Buff
This NPC increases the elemental resistance of all characters in your family.

We will be posting up the Team Arena article pretty soon on the website, so stay tuned for more updates!

The One About V3.2 The Defense of The Zeia

Wow it's been a long time since I updated here. April is one of those milestone months, where a lot of major things will be happening. Not sure if I mentioned it to you guys - I got promoted quite a few months back and am more involved with strategic planning and external projects, as well as helping to manage a team of co-workers. Thus, please forgive my constant absence from the GE forums. Lorenza and Kaioujin have been helping out with that aspect and tentatively, by next month, there may be even more people helping out in the more important sections like General Discussion, Problems and Technical issues. We are still trying to work out the details of it, so that's all I can share with you guys right now.

On to some good news! V3.2 The Defense of The Zeia is likely to be out in 2 weeks, on 9 April 2009. We just downloaded the client last night and will be doing intensive testing nightly and over the weekends. Hopefully, all turns out well and we get to launch on schedule. :)

The exact versioning is V3.2.4 and it features 2 new pets, Pan pan and Pigling as well as several other new features which I'll be exploring soon and sharing with you guys.

Pan Pan, your friendly neighborhood panda!

Pigling, Winnie the Pooh's best friend in an alternate universe called GE

So...are you guys psyched up for V3.2 or what? ;)

The One About The Occulta Fortress

With the opening of the mystical Mayan temple, the Occulta Fortress, comes your opportunity to be the next Indiana Jones!

Are you the next Indiana Jones?

Preparation for your adventure: Collect the Runes!

To enter the Occulta Fortress, collect 5 Ancient Runes – either Ti or Te. These ancient runes can be found at either the Meridian of Zeia or the Twilight of Zeia.

Doorway: Unraveling the Sundial…

The mysterious sundials are located at the Meridian of Zeia and the Twilight of Zeia. The sundial at Meridian of Zeia will requires 5 Ancient Runes – Ti while the sundial at the Twilight of Zeia map will require 5 Ancient Runes – Te.

Hallway of Headless Guards

Upon entering the fortress, you will be presented with rows of headless guards on either side of the hallway trying to deter you from entering. Beware though - These headless armors will come to live and attack you to defend their fortress!


If you manage to make it pass these headless warriors, good luck in dealing with the kobold warriors who out for your blood!

The Blender Room: Care to be juiced?

After escaping the claws of the kobolds, your next nightmare begins. Get to know what life must be like as a fruit before it gets juiced by the blender, as you struggle to make it out alive from the rows of rotating blades covering the entire room with turrets at the sides.

Here’s a tip on how to resolve this little dilemma. Use an expert level ‘Nar’ character to talk to the sundial right outside the room.

If you have the Ancient Rune - Ar required by the sundial, it will shine brightly and voila! The trap would have been disabled.

Goodbye blender!

A Seemingly Harmless Corridor?

After leaving the Blender Room, you will arrive at a “seemingly harmless corridor”.

However, once you start moving forward…

… spikes on the floor pop up which will instantly kill your characters. Unfortunately, the traps in this room cannot be disabled, so strategy and teamwork is required for this.

The safest way to get across would be to walk along the sides of the room but beware of the turrets there.

Meet Boss, Necro Shaman

The boss in this room, Necro Shaman, is located in the middle of the room which will drop a ‘Key to Occulta, General’s Room’. You will require this to face the last boss in the zone. Nerco Shaman will cast ‘Dark Explosion’ which will inflict ‘Enervation’ on players reducing ATK, ATK Speed, Movement Speed by 50% and reduce HP by 30% and halt HP regeneration.

The only way out of this room would be to use an expert Nar and follow the green arrow at the end of the room.

Decisions, decisions

Upon entering the room, there will be 3 warp gates inside. One of the warp gates inside is the correct warp gate which will create a warp gate in the previous room which will allow players to advance further into the dungeon. If the wrong warp gate is selected, players will be teleported back to the previous room and monsters will be spawned.

When you reach the end of the map, there will be another sundial which requires 10 of each Ancient Runes before it will summons the warp gate to the last room in the Occulta Fortress.

A Dead End?

Inside the last room of Occulta Fortress, there will be a door at each of the 3 corners of the room which will require a ‘Key to Occulta, General’s Room’ obtained from the Necro Shaman to open. If the wrong door is opened, monsters will flood into the room. However, if the correct door is opened, a mission lobby to the ‘General’s Room’ will be opened at the location of the correct door.
Final Stop: Mufasa

Upon entering the mission room, there will be a dialogue by Ania before she will summon the boss ‘Mufasa’.

Mufasa uses the following skill Armageddon that will cause confusion that halts SP regeneration and disables all skill. The Wall of Fire he casts causes burn that restricts all attacks and skills and reduces max HP by 25%. His last skill, Frost Hand, causes cold wave that reduces attack and movement speed. His random punches will reduce the DEF of the targeted character to 0.

So that you know all about what lies ahead in the Occulta Fortress, are you ready to be the next Indiana Jones?

Indian Jones Picture Source: http://www.matrix-online.net/bsfa/website/matrixonline/Matrix_Reviews_2.aspx

The One About Moooo....

Guess what exclusive Adelina Booty Search loot is coming this Niu Year?

The One About V3.0 Trailers & Interviews

So tomorrow's D-Day and I'll be waking up at 6am to go down to the office to get things coordinated. Good thing Kaioujin and Lorenza will be going down early with me too. Gosh, what would I do without their incredible support?!

I popped by the Creative Dept earlier and was relieved that the relevant V3.0 stuff such as the splash page and re-skinning of the website had already been prepared and ready for launch tomorrow. At least that's one thing off the checklist! :D

Here's the V3.0 trailer for your enjoyment!



And the Behind the Scenes interviews with some of the IMC folks (game developers of Granado Espada)

The One About IAHGames iCash Cards

The atmosphere in the office is getting really tense especially since 2 major milestones are happening on the same day tomorrow: the launch of EA Sports™ Fifa Online 2 Cash Shop and the launch of V3.0 The Zeia. This is the first expansion launch that we are cutting it this close to the edge, yet it is important that we launch it soon lest V3.3 gets delayed. As compared to V3.3, V3.0's content is not as substantial, thus V3.3 patch is the one we are really looking forward to.

If you haven't already done so, please download the full client from here. The manual patch, unfortunately, will only be arriving by the end of today. Yes! It is that close to the edge and we will really need all the support from you guys in helping to distribute it around to your friends.

In a roomful of sighs and this sense of foreboding that has descended on us, thankfully, meepoktah has been our pillar of strength and jokes and he tries to lighten the atmosphere. As you can see, I need to destress so I am here blogging. We all have our different outlets, as you can see...

Well anyway, I missed out the 3rd milestone - which is the launch of the IAHGames iCash Card. Currently, it is only available in Singapore, though it is likely to be expanded to the region soon. The top up guide and the finalized FAQ will be up on the web pretty soon, most likely tomorrow. Here's a sneak peek at what it looks like:


Meanwhile, a quick FAQ about what the IAHGames iCash Card is all about.

What is IAHGames iCash?

The new IAHGames iCash Card is a game value card that can be used across all the online games operated by IAHGames. Currently it supports both the award winning Granado Espada as well as the popular EA Sports FIFA Online 2.

How and where can it be used?

The IAHGames iCash card contains a set of game codes that that can entered online into the IAHGames Passport system. Simply scratch away the foil that covers the code on the card and enter the codes (Top-up Code: 15 digits number starting with “00” and Password: 6 digits number), you will be given a choice of which game to top up to. Follow the instructions on the screen and you will be getting your game value in 3 short steps.

Where can I purchase iCash cards from?

Currently, the IAHGames iCash card is only available in all 7-elevens in Singapore. It will be available soon in other game retail shops.

What are the various denominations available and how many C-Points or Gpoints will I be able to get for each denomination?

IAHGames iCash cards are available in S$5, S$10 and S$60 denominations. You can check the amount of game value you get from each type of card:


Can I still use Granado Espada GVCs to top up Gpoints?

Yes! The Granado Espada Game Value Cards (GVC) are still available for sales and can still be used for all top-ups to Granado Espada.

I have bought only one card but I would like to top up for two games. Can I split the value in any ratio I want?

Right now, the game codes on each IAHGames iCash Card can only be used to top up once into any ONE game. This method of topping up is being developed right now and we’ll inform the gamers when it’s ready.

There was an error when I topped up my game account. Where can I get help from?

Please submit a ticket under ‘General’ category over here , giving the details of your error and we will send a reply to your registered email address as soon as possible.

What are the reimbursement policies for IAHGames iCash? Will I be able to refund/exchange if I bought the wrong items or selected the wrong game to top up? Can I transfer some IAHGames iCash to my friend's account?

All IAHGames iCash Cards are considered used once the foil covering the Top-up codes and Password are removed either partially or in whole. There will not be any reimbursement or refund to all top-ups through the IAHGames Passport system. Please do note that all game value top-ups are NON-transferable and NON-refundable.

The One About The Fantazzztic Linksys Ads

The power of Elite Le Noirs and Constellation Weapons.

Within one day of posting those prizes up, the submissions for Fantazzztic Ads Awards came flooding in!

I was looking through some of the Blood Donation Week submissions (since it is the first theme to end) when something else caught my eye. The film submissions thread for Linksys Week.

I had been rather apprehensive and worried about the Linksys Week initially, since I thought that it might be difficult for people to come up with ad concepts using Granado Espada. I even considered that during the Linksys Week, I might give a couple of ideas or ad directions in my article for the web.

And then I watched this and ended up in tears...

...BECAUSE I WAS LAUGHING SO FRIGGIN HARD!!!

Kudos to exebolt Family (Rembrandt/Giovanni)! I guess my worries were uncalled for. Another of his Linksys Ads had a rather interesting concept and good execution as well:



The concept has a lot of potential, perhaps it might be made stronger by giving it a stronger branding such as,'Learn the Linksys Dance!' and giving some of the 'dance steps' some interesting names. But of course there is a delicate balance between overkill of words VS visual impact. Ads are ultimately, very subjective, since beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Nevertheless, exebolt's ingenious creativity and incredible sense of humor is just so WINrar. Never in my wildest imaginations would I be able to come up with such innovative ads for Linksys routers! I can't wait to see what other ads the rest of the community will produce for the Linksys Week, which IMO is THE most challenging week of them all.

The One About A Pleasant Distraction

Needless to say, it has been an absolutely dreadful month and an awful start to the New Year 2009. What with all the recent server disruptions and technical issues at all kinds of odd hours every 2 days, the entire team has become extremely discouraged and exhausted. More puzzling to us was... WHAT IS WITH ALL THIS BAD LUCK?! To the extent that Meepoktah even suggested that we go to our various temples and churches to pray over the weekend... @.@

Hopefully the Chinese New Year will bring in some peace and happiness - we're planning something like a Top 10 Best Selling Items to be on sale during this period with auspicious numbers ending with 888. Our dear Meepoktah a.k.a "King of All Things Auspicious & Superstitious", will be planning this project.

Meanwhile, the V3.0 client just came in 2 days ago and we have been feverishly testing it. Thankfully, bugs are pretty minor and if nothing major crops up, we should be on schedule to launch V3.0 The Zeia next Thursday. Even if there are delays, it isn't likely to be more than 1~2 weeks. Hmmm... but then again, with this dark cloud over us... maybe I should take back those words... (oh man, I am becoming so meepoktah)

Anyway, here's the tentative first week content launch schedule:
Thereafter, there will be patch updates every 2 weeks till we go into V3.3 in April'2009 (tentative schedule). These fortnightly patch updates are mostly cash item updates since most of the other content like the new maps and 2 RNPCs Selva and Nar will be released in the first week. Ania was supposed to be released in V3.0 but due to some fatal flaws in her character development, IMC has cancelled her recruitment till V3.3.

Despite the incredibly black mood that has descended, my day brightened overwhelmingly this evening when much to my surprise, a box of flowers with a pearl necklace was delivered anonymously to me in the IAHGames office!

Well, whoever you are, thank you for your lovely flowers. The beauty of the flowers coupled with the beauty of the thoughts and actions behind it are very much appreciated and treasured... :)

Hey wait a sec, I just noticed a card. What does it say?

"Dear Mistress, I look forward to my evenings with you."

EH!?!? Did I promise one of you an evening that I can't remember?!

The One About Selva's Voiceover

It's been a ghost town at the office and in Shenton Way (business district) these few days with just about everyone clearing their leave for the festive season.

Personally, I find that this is the best period to come to work. For once, there are minimal disruptions as I am trying to concentrate to finish up my work.

No more screams of "Hrin!! Sign this please!"

or... "Hrin! Can we have a meeting to discuss XXX matter now?"

or... "Hrin! Urgent urgent! Quick help resolve this!"

...You get the picture.

Gosh I even managed to squeeze in time to blog! Like right now! I'll be off to Taiwan for the New Year countdown tomorrow till the following week, so this will be my last blog entry for the year. Happy New Year in advance everyone!

Anyway, not to digress any further, re-visiting one of my previous blog entries about the voiceovers for the 3 new RNPCs in V3.0 The Zeia, the final voiceovers are finally in! But waaaay before that was finalized, Runner had originally sent me a voiceover audition done by Carly (the jazz singer who did Calyce voiceover) for Ania and Selva. This audition was done without any script or any knowledge of the characters' backgrounds. It was merely based on perceptions of Selva and Ania's names and looks:



After listening to it, I told Runner,"I think Ania is a very good fit for Carly. But Selva is all wrong. Can we find someone else for Selva instead?"

"I do have a few other candidates in mind, but it's going to cost you a lot more though," he replied.

"That's fine. It's just that Selva is a one of the most highly anticipated RNPCs and she really needs to have a good voiceover," I insisted. (Oh alright, I had my own personal agenda too, since Selva was my all-time-favorite RNPC and I do have an incredibly soft spot for her.)

A week later.

Runner tells me,"Hey I'm going to go with Carly for Selva's voiceover. You have to trust me. She re-did it and this time it is much better."

"NYUUUUUUU!!!! But she's so Ania, how can she be a Selva?" I sulked.

"This time, I asked her to do one of Anne Rice's vampires. You know? Like cold and detached and all," he explained.

"You mean like Akasha? Queen of the Damned? Bit Akasha is so... so... ANIA!!! Not Selva!" I wailed in despair.

"No, no not like Akasha, more like... you know? Generic vampires?"

"You mean like Lestat?"

"Well something like that, but not really either..."

"Then what talking you?! Let me hear it!" I demanded. NPNT. No (audition) Piece, No talk.

"I didn't record it down. We did it over the phone. But hey! Trust me! You will like it, I promise you!" he persists.

I sulked and growled. But at that time, I was simply too overwhelmingly busy preparing for the launch of Giovanni and the launch of V3.0 The Zeia - there were some things I needed to let go off for the greater good of the bigger picture. And this was one of them.

Another week later.

Runner comes to me with some mp3 files,"Here you are. Listen to it and tell me what you think."

A large part of me didn't really want to listen to it, since I didn't want to risk being disappointed. But ah well... just get the disappointment over and done with.

Much to my surprise, it actually turned out not too bad!



Either that, or maybe I was expecting the absolute worst and it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would be. I'm too personally involved with Selva, so it's hard for me to make a rational judgement.

More importantly, what do you think of Selva's voiceover?

The One About Nar and Ania's Voiceovers

Good news! We just finished with script translation for V3.0 The Zeia and we're all good to go with implementation of V3.0 into the test server. We have one last patch arriving next week, tentatively on 8 Jan'09, which unleashes the Reboldoeux Culverts (Sewers) and Sword Mania Event.

Reboldoeux Culverts will later be the doorway to the hidden civilization, otherwise known as The Zeia. So this last content release couldn't be any more appropriate as a conclusion to V2.9 Secrets of the Underground expansion. Getting into the Zeia won't be all too easy either. Like Chaos Requiem, there will be a certain obstacle to getting into that map. Only the Chancellor will be able to activate that quest to commence. This time round, however, the obstacle won't be as simple as a big ass boss to fight.

Since Zeia is ruled by a woman, and a woman's best friends are jewels... that's a hint to what the requirements may be for entering Zeia.

With the Zeia, comes 2 new Zeian RNPCs, Nar and Ania. Both of them are Royal Guards of the Queen Hamann. An interesting point to note is that Emilia's father, Dr Lorenzo was last seen in The Zeia before his mysterious disappearance and he was somehow involved in a huge explosion many years ago which had concealed Zeia from the rest of the world. Nar has some secret dark past, which you will slowly uncover as you do his quest. Ania, on the other hand, is embittered due to her family being killed in the explosion that happened years ago.

Enjoy a preview of their voiceovers!

Ania Voiceovers

Nar Voiceovers

The One About Granado Espada Red Packets!

If you haven't already heard about the Red Affair Blood Donation Drive happening this weekend at red dot design museum, check out the article here:

Even if blood donation scares you, or you're still sitting on the fence as to whether or not you wanna donate, no worries. Just come down as a 'spectator' or rather, a supporter to your fellow GE mates! There will be lots of side events happening that day - like MAAD bazaar and Settlers Cafe will be setting up some board-gaming booths as well. Supporters will receive a Rabbit Grindstone and GE red packets as a token of appreciation:

Grind your rabbit into powder!

For those out of Singapore, no worries, I will be giving your local distributors some of these rabbit grindstone codes to be used at local events and we'll probably use some during in-game /forum / website events as well.

And here's a sneak peek at the red packets that will be fresh from the printers this Friday, 2 Jan'09. Let's hope there aren't any delays from the printer's side or else... *gulp*...



Here's my personal favorite!

For donors, you heroes deserve a little something extra! A White Cristatus and an extra pack of GE red packets for you!

It tickles! But in a glam way...

We've also posted up the event in the IAHGames Facebook Fan Page. So do RSVP over here so that we have a rough estimate of how many people will be attending that day. And of course do blog/Facebook/Friendster about this event and spread the news to your friends and family to support this event!

The One Where Hrin Becomes a Grandma!

I generally try to avoid blogging about personal stuff since it may bore some of you, but I'm just too overwhelmed with delight that I can't help myself! I just HAVE to tell the world!

Yesterday, on 20th December 2008, my dog, Lenneth, gave birth to 6 adorable lil' puppies. It was fortunate that she delivered them on a Saturday night when most of us were around.

Many thanks to my brother Shawn, [GM] Lorenza and [GM] Eulalie for their midwife assistance and phone consulation during the miracle of birth act by Lenny.

No thanks to myself who was freaking out the entire time.

It went something like that:

Bro: *holding 3 pups* Hrin! Quick, get over here with the scissors and cut the umbilical cord now!!"

Me: *visibly pale* ....where? what does it look like? which one is it!?!? THIS?! IS THIS IT???

Lorenza: *calmly takes scissors from my trembling hands* *snip* *snip* *snip*

Me: *whimper* ...i need to sit down...

In the words of [GM] Lorenza last night...

"Hrin, why are you panting so hard and sweating so much!? You're not the one giving birth!?!"

Thanks to the power of technology, my brother documented parts of it down. It's not a pretty sight though, so if you're reading this before lunch, it would be best not to play the video right now...

The One About White Christmas

It's that time of the year again! Christmas is in the air and guess what music is going to play in the barracks after next patch?

Team G.E got together last night to do a quick recording of 'White Christmas'.

Meepoktah started the ball rolling with "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to know..."

My lines were (yeay!) my favorite lines in the song,"...Where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow..."

Unfortunately, the only M.I.A person from the team was Kaioujin who was on leave.

Several out-of-tune keys later, recording was done and voila! I compiled the mp3 into a video format which showcased some of the more close-to-the-heart photo memories, like our second home (office) and the community service outings to Katong Special School. Enjoy!



Well, it's pretty obvious we ain't professional singers. But, hey, on the bright side, at least the music is only parked at the barracks. Can you imagine having to listen to us singing and concentrate on enhancement and enchantment at the same time?

Oh, by the way, there's a 'Be a GE Fan' page on Facebook that extends to Granado Espada gamers worldwide, from all the different versions of GE. Join here!

The One About Christmas Specials~

Just a quick sneak peek about what's up and coming for Christmas...


We're also going to have special in-game music for Christmas, but maybe this time, Team GE will be singing Christmas carols instead. :p

There's also going to be a blood donation awareness project coming up in the first week of Jan'09, alongside Fantazzztic Ads Awards 2009 (finally!).

Over at the V3.0 frontier, we've have more or less nailed down the voice actors for all the other characters except for my precioussss Selva. It's hard to find the perfect voice for her, since perfection doesn't exist. And so the search for perfection continues...

The One About Projects in the Pipeline

Being in the online gaming industry is like being on a bullet train that never stops. V2.9 has just launched, and we are already starting preparations for V3.0 Third Civilization. The tentative launch date is late January'09. We are still pretty far away though, so it's tough to confirm it at this time.

We are also planning to launch a 3rd PK world (server) this December, just before Christmas. As for the name of the new world... well, you guys decide! I'll be working with [GM] Lorenza to get the contest up and running later on this afternoon.

IMC spoke with us recently, to modify the game content release schedule, such that a new content patch will be released every fortnight, instead of the current schedule of weekly patches. So there's gonna be some changes in the schedule for game content releases.

I received some enquiries about the Fantazzztic Ads Awards event which was scheduled to launch in Dec'08. Well... I've already got the plan ready but... there may be delays in this project till Jan/Feb next year due to sponsors being tied up in other projects for the year end etc. Fifa Online 2 OBT is coming up soon on 28 Nov 2008, Fri, so you haven't signed up for it yet, do so over here!!!

The One About The V2.9 Website Teasers

If you hadn't already noticed, the GE website has been closed down these 3 days for 'hatching purposes'. These are teasers for the launch of V2.9 'Secrets of The Underground' expansion by which the new major feature of pets has been added.

If you missed out Day 1 of the teaser, here it is:

When you click on the egg...

And here's today's teaser...
And when you click on the egg this time...

Unfortunately, the beauty of the 'website closed for hatching' seems lost on some people. Too subtle for them, perhaps? :_(