The One About Vietnam GE CBT Activities
Ack! I've been wanting to post these photos up since last week, but oh well, better late than never I guess. In summary, it was an awesome party that I will live to regret not being at. The most beautiful people in HCM were all gathered there - from models, to TV celebrities. The DJ spinned Tiesto soundtracks from GE. Mr. Hakkyu Kim also visited a local university to give a talk to their students about Granado Espada's game development and for a Q&A session. Enjoy the slideshow:
We just received the V3.4 client and will be starting intensive testing pretty soon. IF all goes well, we will most likely be launching "V3.4 The Masquerade - Deception Takes Center Stage" on Friday, 19th June 2009.
Hellena is a very cool character. I've always liked magic and summons the most and I am absolutely loving it that IMC is creating Hellena who has both magical abilities and a summoning ability. Hellena is able to summon a Frost creature
Frost at Lvl : 100
Type: Human / Light Armor / No Attribute / Small
Max HP: 49764
ATK Rating: 50
Fire RES: 40
ATK: 2830
Ice RES: 40
DEF Rating: 50
Lightening RES: 40
DEF: 138
Mental RES: 40
To recruit her, however, you will need to have Emilia and Ania to activate the quest. (Ania will be out in V3.4 as well.) Ok, back to work work.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The One Where Meepoktah Cries Me A River...
What can possibly bring a grown man to tears when listening to Aria De Coimbra?
Nope, it's not the failed enhancement of his +9 Constellation Weapon... it was the day I let him listen to that song on my newly acquired Plantronics Headset Gamecom 777.
It was hilarious seeing the various reactions on the faces of my colleagues as I placed the headset on them. It was such a unanimous response - They instantly stopped doing whatever they were doing and their eyes opened widely, as if they had just been enlightened to a new world of audio utopia. And then they have this dazed look in their eyes, as if hypnotized and drawn into a different dimension. Yup, I kid you not. That's just how powerful this headset is!
Serenade me from all angles~
Dramatics aside, what really sets this headset apart is first of all, its 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. In less technical terms, 5.1 surround actually means that sound seemingly comes from 5 'angles': Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround. Of course, since a stereo headset is only capable of 2 channels, it doesn't actually make 5.1 sound. How it actually works is that it mixes the sounds so they seem like 5.1 channels. The integrated sound card makes it sound like you have 5 speakers and a subwoofer, even though you're just wearing a stereo headset.
This adds an incredible edge in gaming, especially when playing FPS type of games. It was like a dream come true when I could actually hear which direction my enemies were coming from and every beat of their pitter patter footsteps. It is simply too realistic and definitely not recommended for the faint-hearted or those on medication.
The headset comes with a USB 2.0 adaptor which produces the surround sound - so just simply plug and play to get it working (no drivers needed!). It comes with analog as well, which makes it compatible with your MP3 players or other devices that uses the usual 3.5mm plugs.
Talk to me, baby
When I first used it, I was totally oblivious to the fact that there was a well-concealed microphone attached to the inner frame of the headset, which could be easily flipped down. The microphone is even extendable to wherever your mouth is.
Its noise-cancelling feature helps to filter background noises significantly. When I was chatting with my friends in Ventrilo, they expressed gratitude that they finally didn't have to be subject to my usual TV drama serials playing loudly in the background. (Thanks a lot, guys...)
The mic-mute button cleverly positoned on the volume control knob is especially useful when you wanna get all mushy with your partner, without grossing the rest of your faction mates out on Ventrilo.
On that same note, you will still be able to give him/her your full attention when using your headset, since the headset's open-ear design allows you to hear background sounds and even your handphone ringing.
Built to last... in comfort
I always have a problem with the cables of my headsets since they wear and tear pretty easily, especially when I bring them overseas for travel. To me, one of the best plus points of this headset is that it is constructed to military-grade standards with extra-strength cables for rugged use.
Surprisingly, comfort isn't compromised with its durability factor. Any contact that my head could possibly have with the headset was cushioned totally - the earpods and the top frame have these non-allergenic cushions that rests comfortably on my ears and atop my head. Despite looking extremely bulky in appearance, the headset is unexpectedly lightweight, which is another critical factor for long hours of gaming or listening to music.
Some things to take note of, though. One is the uncomfortable amount of pressure on my ears after some time of using it. However, I noticed that after some days of using it, the headset 'adapts' to the size of my head and the pressure became significantly less. I guess it's just that initial 'teething' stage, much like getting used to a new pair of shoes, or in this case, the new shoes getting used to you.
The other issue is that some Vista users may not be able to hear anything after plugging in the adaptor. Not to worry - simply go to your Control Panel>Sound and Set Default to the Speakers - USB Audio Device to switch the sound output to the headset.
And voila! You're done!
On a really random note, here's a little trivia -Plantronics headset was used by Neil Armstrong when he first landed on the moon...
Currently, Plantronics Gamecom 777 is the very first Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound headset to be launched in Singapore and it's definitely the worth the buy. At the very least, try to get your hands on a headset to test-demo it and savor a taste of Audio Utopia, if only for a little while. It will be well worth your while!
Plantronics Gamecom 777 retails at SG$169 and can be purchased from the following locations:
- IAHGames iCafe (Funan DigiLife Mall)
- The Software Boutique, #05-42 Funan DigiLife Mall
- Tec-Drome, #05-78 Sim Lim Square
- Game Haven, 29 Carpenter St
- E2Max, #04-18 The Cathay
Friday, May 15, 2009
The One About Helena's Voiceover
Just like I promised, this blog entry is all about the new RNPC in V3.4, Helena. This time round, Runner managed to get a gorgeous French singer to do the voiceovers. Check out Helena's voiceovers:
This has simply got to be Runner's best work ever! The flavored text and singing bits were really good. After listening to the clips, I turned to him and declared,"RUNNER! THAT WAS A MASTERPIECE!!!!! YOUR BEST WORK EVERRRR!!!! I WANNA HAVE YOUR BABIES!!!!!"
I then proceeded to force the rest of Team GE to give him a standing ovation and a round of applause. The next thing I'm gonna do is to force them to use some of the clips as their SMS ringtones. You guys can do the same by downloading the files over here.
Well, what can I say?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The One About Vietnam Granado Espada CBT
In about 20 hours' time, Vietnam Granado Espada will be officially introduced to the rest of the world via a major press conference hosted by FPT Online, followed by the commencement of their CBT.
Their press conference is truly going to be an exciting one! A famous Vietnamese architect will be giving a talk about the baroque architecture of Granado Espada. They even invited the most famous fashion designer in Vietnam to design some costumes based on Granado Espada and to showcase them in a fashion show during the press conference. (And no, the fashion designer isn't anything like Andre Janzur, just in case you were wondering!)
Here's some exclusive photos of their pre-event setup:
Vietnam Granado Espada's Project Runway?Gorgeous setup ain't it? Too bad I wouldn't be able to be there for the actual event. :_(
Nevertheless, I'll post up some photos as soon as I get them from Jon. More updates about V3.4 coming up in my next entry - here's a teaser: it's gonna be the new RNPC Helena's voiceover!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
The One About Cooking
Just back from Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and still feeling a little fuzzy. Had the privilege to meet up with some of the Vietnamese gamers during their focused group discussion about some of the changes in the vGE build. The vGE client that IMC built is vastly different from the other versions and the changes made to the build were to stem out potential economic problems of inflation and to allow the user to get through the lower levels faster (e.g. Some RNPC cards start out at higher levels rather than Level 1) so as to reach veteran/expert content more quickly.
This is essential due to vGE going into V2.9 in their first build whereby most of the content is already starting to focus on veteran/expert content. One of the more interesting changes to their build is that skill points are reduced, so the user will not be able to max all his/her skills. This makes it pretty interesting since more thought will be required in choosing the kind of character to build - DPS? Tanker? Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none? Raids could potentially be more strategic with organizing of the various build types.
The focused group discussion was a pretty formal one, with some Vietnamese gaming reporters present:
There was even a video conference with gamers in Hanoi:
Work aside, we managed to have a few fun filled days of relaxation as well. Jon recently bought a DSLR camera and I was playing around with it during the Vietnam trip. Photography with a DSLR camera feels so different. It enlivens the soul and overwhelms you with a desire to capture and immortalize an unforgettable moment. For myself, I enjoy capturing emotions and human dynamics on film, such as these:
And this is my all-time personal fave:
Anyway, coming back to my blog post title... about cooking, IMC is currently in the midst of developing a farming and cooking system for V3.6. Not sure about the exact mechanics of what it will be like yet since it's still in development stage but I can't help but feel excited by it! It would be funny though, if it was something like Facebook's Restaurant City, otherwise known as the only reason I have been actively logging into Facebook these days. And hey, Restaurant City has an AFK function, just like GE! Falkenhausen (Reclusion) Family gave me a pretty maid costume which even looks like the one worn by the wizard in GE. The downside about wearing it was that I noticed a lot of other GE players on Restaurant City started hiring me as their restaurant cleaner!?
On the topic of Facebook, Desanggria and Reimaru also created some pretty awesome Granado Espada quizzes on Facebook. Check them out:
Which Granado Esapada character are you?
Which Granado Espada RNPC are you?
There has to be some truth in it, since my quiz results reflects my personal favorite characters:
Meanwhile, if you still don't have a Facebook account, go get one! And join IAHGames page! And get Restaurant City! And trade me lemons, lobsters and butters! And don't make me your cleaner! Like now (when it's still maintenance)!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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!
Monday, April 06, 2009
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:
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!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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
Friday, March 13, 2009
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!
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’.
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
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