modkoreknight

2008-05-21T00:25:00.003+08:00

Bullet for My Valentine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bullet for My Valentine
Background information
Also known as Jeff Killed John
BFMV
B4MV
Bullet[citation needed]
Origin Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom
Genre(s) Metalcore
Heavy Metal
Years active 1995–present
Label(s) Columbia (UK)
Trustkill Records (U.S.)
Gun Records/Sony-BMG
Jive Records (Present)
Website bulletformyvalentine1.com
Members
Matt Tuck
Michael Paget
Jason James
Michael Tomas
Former members
Hamed Alidoust

Bullet for My Valentine are a four-piece metalcore band from Bridgend, Wales. Originally known as Jeff Killed John, the band formed in 1998 and covered songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Financial difficulties marked a change in music direction and name for the band. Bullet for My Valentine was formed in 2002, and was offered a record deal by Roadrunner Records. The offer was turned down, and the band later secured a five album deal with Sony BMG.

Bullet for My Valentine's debut album The Poison was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and February 14, 2006 in the United States. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 128, and the Top Heatseekers chart at number 1, and has sold 375,000 copies in the U.S. as of February 6, 2008. The band made appearances at the Download Festival, Kerrang! XXV, and a United States tour with Rob Zombie, which the band were ultimately kicked off due to vocalist Matthew Tuck's comments on the band's message board. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album Scream Aim Fire debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 53,000.[1]

Biography

It was rumored that their first name was "Jeff Killed John" and then to "Opportunity in Chicago". But the band started out as "Jeff Killed John" and later "Bullet for My Valentine".

Jeff Killed John members wanted to follow the nu-metal trend set by bands such as Korn and Limp Bizkit — Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording studio. The band recorded three songs (unmixed and unmastered) before quitting the project and subsequently split up. But despite this, they did get back together and they found a new bassist in the shape of Jason 'Jay' James. As nu-metal had started to become less popular, the band gave it one final shot by changing their name to Bullet for My Valentine, a name which refers to the "fictional evil yet loving lyrical content".[2]

Record label signing

For six to ten months, Bullet for My Valentine played at concerts to attract the interest of record labels. At a show in London, Roadrunner Records showed interest and offered the band a deal. The label was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five record deal with Sony BMG, and a United Kingdom licensing deal with Visible Noise. The choice to choose Sony as said by frontman Tuck was "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us with the Sony deal".[3]

A self-titled EP was released on November 15, 2004 in the U.K., and November 30, 2004 in the United States. Produced by Colin Richardson and mixed by Andy Sneap, the EP featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release.[4] A second EP, titled Hand of Blood was released on August 22, 2005 through Trustkill Records, and was only available in the United States. The EP contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)". Decibel Magazine contributor Daniel Lukes responded to the EP negatively stating "The worst part is that the music itself isn’t all that bad, for the genre. "Cries In Vain" even threatens to kick some major ass before drowning in vocal sub-Incubusisms"; commenting the band should be embarrassed about the release.[5] Zeromag.com editor Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".[6]

The Poison

Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, was released in the U.K. on October 3, 2005 and February 14, 2006 in the U.S.. It entered the Billboard 200 at number 128,[7] attained a peak of number 2 on the Top Heatseekers, and number 11 on the Top Independent albums.[8] As of February 6, 2008, the album has sold 375,000 copies in the U.S..[9][10]
Music sample:

"Tears Don't Fall"
Play sound
Blabbermouth.net Reviewer Scott Alisoglu commented on "Tears Don't Fall"; "the twin lead work, thrashy romps, galloping tempos, and a hot solo launch the track out of mediocrity"[11]
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Critical response to the album was mixed. Stylus Magazine editor Dom Passantino commented the band's contribution to the world of music is "basically a slightly uglier, yet similarly polished take on their genre than Lostprophets", awarding a C- grade.[12] Blabbermouth.net reviewer Scott Alisoglu stated Bullet for My Valentine "is fairly good at what it does and at least half of the songs are better than average", although commented that the album "follows with several 'hey, it's predictable, but pretty rocking' moments".[11] Decibel Magazine contributor Kirk Miller commented "There’s zero in the originality department here", although praised the band's synchronised song structures compared to other bands.[13]

Four singles were released from The Poison including "4 Words (To Choke upon)", the band's first single, followed by "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)". "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" peaked on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks at number 13 and number 30 on the Modern Rock Tracks. "Tears Don't Fall" peaked at number 24 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and number 32 on the Modern Rock Tracks.[14]

Promoting The Poison

Main article: The Poison

Bullet for My Valentine played at the Download Festival in Donington Park for three consecutive years, first appearing at the 2004 festival on the Barfly stage.[15] The following year with increased popularity, Bullet for My Valentine played on the larger Snickers stage,[16] and in 2006 the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill, playing on Sunday night below Guns N' Roses and Funeral for a Friend.[17] Other tours the band embarked on included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses for six weeks of the summer in 2006,[18] the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday on April 28, 2007. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London was filmed for the band's first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton.[19]
Paget and Tuck at Roskilde 2006
Paget and Tuck at Roskilde 2006

Bullet for My Valentine were removed as a supporting act on a 2006 tour with Rob Zombie after 17 shows. Tuck posted a message on the band's official message board, stating the band were not being treated well on the tour in response to fans who complained about t-shirt prices and sound quality.[20] Zombie made the band price match his merchandise ($40 a shirt), and were only allowed two pieces. Because the band were unable to use a dressing room, could not perform a sound check, Tuck referred to the headliner as "money-grabbing fucks". Tuck commented "Basically, we are shit to him, but fuck it — if this is what it takes to get a name over here, then it's gotta be done".[21] A few hours later, Tuck posted a message apologizing for his comments claiming they were "out of line and totally exaggerated". However, the band were kicked off the tour the following day for the comments. Vocalist of fellow support act Lacuna Coil, Andrea Ferro, attributed the behaviour due to inexperience; "Probably they got some different kind of success in the U.K. in the beginning and they think that they paid their dues, but I believe that they still have to pay their dues, like everybody".[22]

During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis which led to a number of shows being postponed until early January. A tonsillectomy was scheduled in mid July, although it was brought forward at the last minute at the advice of Tuck's doctor. Advised a minimum recovery period of four weeks, the band were forced to cancel several shows. This included supporting Metallica for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on June 29 in Bilbao, Spain, July 5 in Vienna, Austria, and July 8 at the recently completed Wembley Stadium in London. Machine Head replaced the band as supporting act.[23] Although unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.[24]

Scream Aim Fire

Main article: Scream Aim Fire

Bullet for My Valentine filmed a video for the title track "Scream Aim Fire" on November 17, which is from the band's album of the same name. Director Frank Borin described the video as "a social commentary about the facade of war and the deceitful tactics used to recruit the young men of our country".[25] This video was later scrapped, and a second was filmed in California. The album was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios with production duties handled by Colin Richardson.[26] The album was released on January 28, 2008 and January 29 in the US. [27]Tuck commented on the album; "The biggest difference is probably the tempo and the aggression. It's a lot more uptempo, a lot more aggressive".[25] The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 4 with 53,000 copies sold in its first week.[1] The band has finished touring North America for the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour with the bands Atreyu, Idiot Pilot, Blessthefall and Avenged Sevenfold. They will also be performing at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park and the Download Festival in June 2008. Their new single "Waking The Demon" has now hit U.S. radio airways. They recently self-confirmed themselves for this years Reading & Leeds festivals.

It was announced on April 14, 2008 that the band would cut short their Canada tour in order to fly back home in support of bassist Jason 'Jay' James whose daughter has been hospitalised. They are currently touring Australia and New Zealand with their Taste of Chaos co-headliners, Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu. [28]

Style

Bullet for My Valentine claim to be influenced by bands such as Metallica, Annihilator, Pantera, Machine Head, Iron Maiden, Testament, Slayer, Stuck Mojo, Judas Priest, Megadeth. Paget classifies these influences as "old school thrash".[29] These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies".[30] Reviewing The Poison, Blabbermouth.net reviewer Scott Alisoglu described the band's sound as "predictable" and the album as a "made-for-MTV breakout hit" comparing the harmonies to Swedish metal band In Flames. However, Alisoglu praised songs such as "Tears Don't Fall" for incorporating "twin lead work, thrashy romps, galloping tempos, and a hot solo".[11]

The members are not interested in modern music as Paget described it as "just about noise and smashing people's faces off for seven minutes, we're not into that just being loud for the sake of it".[29] Members of the band have stated they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach. Tuck commented "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like".[31] Kirk Miller of Decibel magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures.[13]

Awards

Bullet for My Valentine have received two awards from Kerrang!, 'Best UK single' for their track Tears Don't Fall in 2006, and 'Best British Newcomer' in 2005. As a result the band headlined Kerrang!'s 25 year anniversary tour of the U.K.[32] The band recorded a cover song for the magazine, Metallica's "Creeping Death", which is featured on the magazine's Higher Voltage complication disk.[33] Another Metallica cover, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", was featured on Metallica" Remastered.[34]

The band won the Welsh Music Award for "Best Newcomer" in 2004,[35] and according to The Sun, were 'booed' when receiving the 2006 Metal Hammer Golden God Award award for 'Best British Band'.[36] Bullet for My Valentine has received coverage in music magazines including being featured on the covers of Metal Hammer, Guitar World and Kerrang, and stories in Revolver, Outburn, Penthouse, Rock Sound, NME, Hit Parader, Total Guitar, Guitar One, Drummer Magazine and Alternative Press.[32]

Members

Current members

* Matt Tuck – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
* Michael "Padge" Paget – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Jason "Jay" James – Bass, Backing Vocals
* Michael "Moose" Thomas– Drums

[edit] Former members

* Nick Crandle – Bass

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

* 2005: The Poison #128 U.S.
* 2008: Scream Aim Fire #4 U.S. #5 U.K. #4 AUS. #10 IRE.

[edit] EPs

* 2002: You/Play with Me
* 2004: Bullet for My Valentine
* 2005: Hand of Blood
* 2006: Rare Cuts (EP)

[edit] Singles
Year Single Chart positions Album
UK Singles Chart[37][38][39] UK Rock Chart U.S. Modern Rock[14] U.S. Mainstream Rock[14] German Singles Chart
2005 "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" 40 - - - - The Poison
"Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)" 37 - - - -
2006 "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" 29 - 30 13 -
"Tears Don't Fall" 37 - 32 24 -
2007 "Scream Aim Fire" 34 1 26 16 58 Scream Aim Fire
2008 "Hearts Burst Into Fire" 66 - - -
"Waking The Demon" - - - - -

[edit] DVDs

* The Poison: Live at Brixton
* Scream Aim Fire (CD & DVD Bundle)

Dragon Ball Online

2008-04-22T19:40:00.002+08:00

Dragon Ball Online (ドラゴンボールオンライン, Doragonbōru Onrain?, Korean: 드래곤볼 온라인) (officially abbreviated as DBO) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game being developed simultaneously in Japan and South Korea by NTL, set in the Dragon Ball universe, first introduced by the Dragon Ball Japanese manga in 1984. Dragon Ball Online takes place on Earth, 216 years after the events at the conclusion of the Dragon Ball manga series. A beta testing of Dragon Ball Online was initially announced to begin in South Korea, during the summer of 2007, though development was delayed by nearly a year, and it is currently scheduled to go live in Korea by the end of 2008, and in Japan in 2009 [1]. No North American release has been announced as of yet, though in a press conference held in South Korea on February 14th, 2008, NTL expressed interest in releasing the game to a worldwide audience. Dragon Ball Online will be released on PC and XBOX 360.[2]

Series creator Akira Toriyama has a great deal of creative control over the project, both contributing to and supervising the story and art design, including character and location arrangements.[3] It has been stated that Toriyama has been working on character designs for this project for the last five years.[4]

Story

Dragon Ball Online is set in Age 1000, exactly 216 years after Son Goku left the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai to train Uub in Age 784, in Dragon Ball Z. During this period time, a number of notable events have occurred, including the appearance of a Majin race, the arrival of what appear to be Yardratians in the Southern Galaxy, and most recently, a gulf forming in time.[5] The Earth has also been divided into pieces by a villainous organization known as the Dark Eye (闇の目玉, Yami no Medama?), which is lead by a mysterious individual.

It is worth noting that Dragon Ball Online ignores the events of Dragon Ball GT, and even appears to contradict some aspects of the anime (for example, the Yardratians, who did not appear in the manga, look completely different in DBO and the Dragon Ball Z anime). Due to the high level of supervision from Akira Toriyama, as well as the involvement of Bird Studio and Shueisha, DBO may actually be considered a more accurate continuation of the Dragon Ball manga.

Gameplay

As with other MMORPGs, players control a character avatar within a persistent game world, where they will be able to explore the landscape, search for the Dragon Balls, train to compete in the Tenkaichi Budokai, aspiring to become like the warriors of legend, as well as interacting with NPCs as well as other players. As in most MMORPGs, players will be able to obtain money and experience which will allow them to level up and obtain new abilities. Players will also be able to participate in "Timemachine Quests", in which they will receive guidance from Time Patrol Trunks (タイム・パトロール・トランクス, Taimu Patorōru Torankusu?), in order to travel back in time and take part in notable aspects of the Dragon Ball history.[6]

To date, three playable races have been announced: Human, Namekian, and Majin.[1] Saiyans no longer exist in the world as of Age 1000, and will not appear as a playable race.[1] Players will also be able to create their characters as children, allowing them to age over time, much like characters in the Dragonball series. A wide variety of skills appear to be able, including energy attacks such as the Kienzan or the Kamehameha. Players will additionally have access to weapons, including gloves, guns, and staves as well as to Bukujutsu, the ability to fly using chi energy (Gameplay video - 1:47).[7]

[edit] Races and Character Classes

Human

* Martial Artist (武道家, Budōka?) - Fighters who specialize in martial arts, comparable to characters like Yamucha or Tenshinhan.[1]
* Spiritualist (気功家, Kikōka?) - Mystics who specialize in spiritual, ki-based techniques.[1]
* Engineer (エンジニア, Enjinia?) - Mechanics and inventors who build weapons and utilize technology, much like Bulma.[1]

Namekian

* Dragon Clan (竜族, Ryūzoku?) - Members of the Namekian support caste which have abilities including healing, such as Dende or Kami.[1]
* Warrior (戦士, Senshi?) - Members of the Namekian warrior caste, which includes Piccolo and Nail.[1]

Majin

* Strange Majin (異魔人, Imajin?) - Slender, evil-looking Majin who have a similar appearance to Majin Buu's original, pure form.[1]
* Large Majin (大魔人, Daimajin?) - Fat, happy-looking Majin who resemble Majin Buu's good form.[1]

Ragnarok Online 2

2008-04-22T19:25:00.002+08:00

Ragnarok Online 2: The Gate of the World (Korean:라그나로크 온라인 2: The Gate Of The World; alternatively subtitled Epic of the Light) is an upcoming MMORPG created by Gravity Corp. of South Korea and is the sequel to the popular MMORPG, Ragnarok Online. Most of the game's universe is based on Norse mythology. The soundtrack will be produced by Yoko Kanno, well known for her work in Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, and other anime series.

Plot

The year 1000 L.C is approaching. One thousand years prior, a terrible destruction took place, and the world was saved by St. Lif, son of Baldr. Roughly twenty years earlier, a destructive war took place between Normans of the east and west, but there has recently been peace. Strange things have begun happening, however; the dark wanderers Dimago have awoken, and the Ellr have left their land of Alfheim to investigate the Mother Tree's silence.

General features

Ragnarok Online 2 improves on many of the original's features as well as adding quite a few of its own. Below are notable new features or changes that will be seen in RO2. Larger features are described in detail. Not all game features have been announced yet.

* Full 3D graphics, while retaining the "original anime style" of Ragnarok Online.
* Real Emotion Expression, allowing player avatars to show and express realistic emotions. This will replace the "bubble emotes" from the original.
* Anti-Theft Mob System, which gives benefits to a victim of kill-stealing instead of penalizing the offender.
* Safe Trade System, which enables two ways of trade. The first option requires an item from both parties (or Zeny) and the second option allows the trade of an item or amount of Zeny without having to receive something in return.
* Killing one strong creature has been redesigned to be far more effective than killing multiple weaker enemies. Grouping has also been made far more beneficial to those in the group.
* Loot collection has been changed to a "loot the body" system. Instead of making dropped items fall onto the ground, the player must select the fallen enemy's corpse and retrieve the items.
* Jumping and swimming have been implemented.
* There will be a day and night cycle.

Main features

Ragnarok Online 2 introduces many new features for MMOs. This section outlines the currently known main features of RO2. Not all game features have been announced yet.

Specialty Job system

This System allows a character to use skills from other classes. Special abilities can be gained by leveling a character's job class, giving them the ability to create useful and original class combinations, such as battle mages and wares-selling thieves.

For example, when a Swordsman learns Bash Specialty, he can equip this ability when he changes into another class, such as an Enchanter. He can now use the ability without being a Swordsman. Specialty skills learned this way have no real limitations, except for the fact that they cannot be upgraded while the character is not in the class in which the skill belongs. In this example, in order to upgrade the skill, the Enchanter must change back into a Swordsman, level up the Bash ability, before changing back to an Enchanter.

A bonus feature of this system is that a class can now equip class-specific gear that is normally limited to a different class. For example, Swordsmen have the "Long Sword Specialty." When equipped on an Enchanter, he/she can use Long Swords, where usually Enchanters could not.

There is a limit to how many special abilities one can employ at a time, represented by 16 blocks in a 4x4 box. Some skills may take up to 3 blocks, however, thus leaving less room for other abilities. Characters start with fewer than 16 blocks, but will gradually gain additional blocks as he/she levels, eventually gaining access to the full 4x4, 16-slot box.

Complex Job Change system

The first Ragnarok Online featured a unique leveling system in which a character's base level (how strong the character was) and job level (how skilled the character was at his job) were leveled separately. However, once a job was chosen, it could not be changed, so this could be considered a limitation to a player's freedom within the game. The Complex Job Change System, available only to Normans, will change this.

The Complex Job Change system will allow a Norman to change his job at any time. This system was devised so that a player can experience all different classes (s)he wishes to without having to create a new character for a specific class. There are certain small requirements one must fulfill in order to change his job, though these requirements are currently unknown. A character will even be able to change from secondary classes (i.e., a priest) to first level classes (i.e., an acolyte) and vice versa.

Though the character's base level stays the same, changing a character's class will reset the job level back to 1. For example, a character is a job level 25 swordsman and changes into an enchanter. Their job level is reset to level 1 while they are an enchanter, but if they decide to change the character back to a swordsman, their job level will go back to level 25. All skills and bonuses from the character's swordsman job will be saved in the event that they decide to go back to that class again. Three fifths of a character's stat points are controlled automatically based on the class the character is, and the remaining two fifths, which you can put into any stat you choose except LUK, will always reset upon changing jobs (every job change comes with a free restat).

It's been stated that in RO2, a variety of stats will be needed in order to play a class well, as opposed to setting all the stat points into two or three stats.

Equipment leveling

RO2 has implemented a new system in which equipment itself levels up. This system allows people to keep their favorite pieces of equipment because they continue being useful instead of tossing them out when they become outdated.

Equipment in RO2 is separated into two categories: they are either a leveling type, or a non-leveling type. The leveling equipment types can gain experience and levels, just like your character, whereas the non-leveling type doesn't acquire any experience and doesn't level at all.

All of the following gear is considered to be of the leveling type: weapons, shields, gloves, "upper" clothing, and shoes. The rest - "lower" clothing, garments, belts and accessories - are considered to be the non-leveling type.

Leveling Equipment...

* Can level up.
* Has fixed base stats.
* Belongs to you and you alone from the moment it is identified.
* Cannot be traded.

Non-leveling Equipment...

* Cannot level up.
* Has randomized base stats.
* Doesn't belong to any one specific person.
* Can be traded.

An item "belonging" to a character works in a similar way to an item being customized in Guild Wars.

Equipments are separated into three classes: C-class, B-class, and A-class. Each of these classes has a max level that your equipment can reach. Once it's reached its max level, you must use a special equipment combination item in order to upgrade it to the next class. When this happens, you can either choose to keep the equipment's features, or you can opt to change the equipment's name, shape, special ability, and growth rate changes. Only the stats remain the same. An example of this that's been given is that the C-class weapon, "Ellr's Knife," which focuses on both melee and magic power, can be upgraded into the B-class weapon, "Kris of Thorns," which has a new growth rate focus on critical rate. The max level of every class is as follows:

C-class: Max level 20

B-class: Max level 20

A-class: Max level 30

Once your leveled equipment’s experience bar reaches 100%, it will not level on its own. Instead, you will have to take the piece of equipment to the nearest blacksmith NPC to upgrade it for you for a small fee. The equipment's stats will increase randomly based on its growth rate. The growth rate simply determines which stats are more likely to increase when the piece of equipment levels. For example, if a piece of equipment's growth rate focuses on melee damage, the stats of the equipment's melee damage will increase at a much higher rate than other stats.

Stats

The statistics in RO2 vary slightly from the original system. When a player levels up their base level, they are given several points to increase stats of their choosing.

* STR, or Strength: Increase Melee Physical Max Damage and Melee Physical Defense.
* DEX, or Dexterity: Increase Melee Physical CRIT Chance and Melee Physical Dodge.
* CON, or Concentration: Increase Melee Physical HIT Chance, Increase Magic HIT Chance, Ranged Max Damage, and Ranged Physical CRIT Chance.
* INT, or Intelligence: Increase Ranged Physical HIT Chance, Magic Max Damage, and Magic Defense.

There is a 5th stat that can only be increased by equipment or skills.

* LUK, or Luck: Increase Melee Physical Dodge, Ranged Physical Dodge, and Magic Dodge.

Races

Ragnarok Online 2 introduces 2 new races for players to play as. In addition to the Normans (from Ragnarok 1) you can now play as an Ellr or Dimago. Each race has advantages to it that make it a viable choice when a new player is creating their character. Little is known as of now on how these races will affect the game, but announcements have made some info clear about them.

Norman
Height comparison of the Norman and Ellr.
Height comparison of the Norman and Ellr.

The Norman race has a human appearance and is the race that was played in RO1. They use the job System, allowing them to switch their job at will and take advantage of specialty skills. The original appearance of the Norman, a very childish look, was re-designed for a more mature look. The race's name may likely be a reference to the historical Normans or Norsemen, given the game's focus on Norse mythology. It could also be a portmanteau of the words "normal" and "human."

Ellr

The Ellr are a half-breed, born between an interracial relationship between the Normans and the Elves. They inhabit their own land known as "Alfheim". After participating in the war between the eastern and western Normans, they returned to Alfheim, but have recently returned to Midgard to investigate why their "Mother Tree" fell silent. The power of an Ellr comes from the magical stones they possess, called "Stones of Ancestors". These stones influence their skills, and as such the Ellr has no professions or classes. They may only equip two stones at a time, however. The original model of the concept Ellr appeared as a super deformed art style. It was later redesigned to appear more normal in proportions, although still very childlike.

Dimago

The Dimago are the rejected offspring of a relationship between the Colossus and Norman. They have apparently been under an enchanted sleep, and have no memory of their previous lives. They "fight with style" and are able to make use of dynamic skill trees. The characters are designed to be 7-8 heads tall in height (that of an average human.) This, compared to the Ellr which are 2~3 heads tall or the Normans which are 4~6 heads tall, means that the Dimago will be the tallest playable race in the game.

[edit] Classes

At this time, only the classes for the Norman race have been announced. It is unknown if the other races will have a class, or job, system. With lack of information, excluding the official descriptions, similar classes from Ragnarok Online have been used as a basis for determining the main purpose of the new classes by several RO communities. Please also note that it is unknown at this time if these are all the classes for the Norman race, as more may be announced.

Novice
The Novice class is the starting class for every new Norman player. It has the ability to advance to the other classes and offers new players a chance to learn the game and decide what course they want to take before committing to a class. They are generally a weak and short-lived playing class, but have potential and skills to make them just as viable as other classes later on. They have an interesting repertoire of utility and combat skills suiting their adventurous nature and Play Dead makes a return. It is unconfirmed if the Super Novice, an advanced form of the Novice with the ability to learn the basic skills of every 1st job class, will be carried into RO2 as well, though it is estimated Gravity will implement this class in a later update instead of having it available on release.

Swordsman
The identified "tank" of RO2, the Swordsman class is a melee class dependent on close range battles. They are generally the first person to take damage and deliver damage in a battle, fighting on the frontlines of a battle. A Novice can become a Swordsman after a certain requirement, at this time unknown, is met. They are tanks and need a lot of HP. The Swordsman relies on damage skills, though it also has several powerful defensive skills. It can successfully fight high level monsters much higher than its level due to its high HP and damage ratio. Most of its attacks center around dealing damage, though some are geared towards dealing damage towards more than one target at the same time. It is severely limited in ranged attacks, however. In RO1, a swordsman could advance to either a Knight or Crusader at job level 40-50. The Knight, which is an improvement on the Swordsman's damage dealing ideal, relies on high damage skills. A Crusader, who is more of a battlemage, relies on a balance of both damage skills and buff skills. It is unknown at this point if the Knight or Crusader will be introduced into RO2.

Enchanter
The main magic user in RO2, the Enchanter supports the other players in battle to maximize damage and keep players alive. They have access to very powerful healing abilities, as well as resurrection skills to bring life back to a dead combatant. Their skills also allow them to buff, or power up, a player in the game to increase his skills or status. They can even debuff, or sabotage, an enemy by slowing them down or making them weaker to specific elements. Enchanters also have access to damage dealing skills, ranging from elemental skills, such as Fire Bolt and Ice Arrow, to skills that rely on stats, such as Shadow Strike. They also have a few damaging holy spells, however they also have the ability to support other players. Enchanters could best be described as a mix of the RO1 classes Priest, Sage and Mage.

Recruit
The Recruit is the supposed replacement of the Archer from RO1. Yet, from the official description, its role varies from the Archer and more like the Gunslinger class from RO1. Regardless, the Recruit is the long-range attack master, with many of its skills using long-range attacks to deal damage. The Recruit more closely resembles the Gunslinger, a new class released in RO1. Unlike the Archer, the Recruit uses weapons similar to modern day guns, rifles, and gatling cannons. This weaponry is known as a "Dampf Flinte" in the RO2 world. The Norman race advanced heavily in technology to attain guns to make up for their shortcomings in their physical and mental abilities. A large difference from the RO1 Archer is that Recruits can also engage in melee effectively. Footage has been released of a Recruit attacking an enemy using their gun as a melee weapon, hitting them with the butt end of the gun. The advanced Archer classes, Bard/Dancer and Hunter, are again unknown of continuance in RO2. The Hunter advances on the abilities of the Archer, increasing use of damage skills with long-range attacks and enabling the player to use traps to trick enemies. It has been concluded that Bards and Dancers will not journey to RO2, as the Clown class will receive their abilities.

Thief
The Thief class in RO2 specializes in causing chaos and disorder for their enemies, as well as stealing items and money. Unlike their RO1 counterparts, which were a more direct attack class, the RO2 Thief is more centered around confusion-type skills designed for silent strikes and mayhem. Thief skills will revolve around causing problems with their enemies. Attacks that poison or inflict other aliments are said to be their main way of attacking, though they can also use skills to hide or disorient the enemy. Abilities such as the double attack ability from RO1 may also make a transition into RO2. The Thief is weak in long-range attacks, like the Swordsman, due to it not having any long-range abilities to counterattack with. It is significantly less able to defend itself, but balances itself out with high agility, making them a hard target. The Thief advanced classes, Assassin and Rogue, are undetermined as to being in RO2. The Assassin improved on killing moves, while Rogues move into more mayhem causing skills or even using a bow. There is good support for their existence, however, as the official description makes a note of citizens employing Thieves to use their skills.

Clown
The Clown class is mainly derived from the Bard and Dancer in RO1. Their skills are in the same general area: Singing songs and supporting in combat. Though the official description is very vague, the idea is that the Clown will relax and increase players' stats for battle. They will sing during battle too, "soothing" front line fighters. The Clown's combat abilities are not defined well, though there is an example of the Clown employing deadly poison on its enemies when they least expect it. In RO1, bows are the weapon-of-choice for the Bard and the Dancer, using the skills they learned as an Archer to supplement their damage. They also need a musical instrument in order to use their bardic skills. Because their description is so vague, not much can be said for the Clown class until more announcements are made.

Current status of the game

The first closed beta in South Korea officially ended on December 29, 2006. Application to participate in this beta was made available for a week (during the second week of December, 2006). Over 190,000 applications were submitted but only 2000 were chosen to participate for a period of three days (from 27 December to 29 December). Due to several technical issues and server tweaking, the total testing time was only about 10 hours.[1]

According to an interview between the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo and developer team Mercury, the main goal for the first closed beta was to test characters. They wanted to see how gamers would react to the overall feel of the game as well as whether character designs were accepted by them.

For the second phase of the Korean closed beta, 3,000 users were automatically accepted upon registration and login via the website, with another 5,000 being selected before and on February 22nd. The original closed beta testers were also given access to phase two. Towards the end of this phase, a special event invited 10,000 additional players to join testing, leading to a total of 20,000 selected accounts.[2]

The third phase of the Korean closed beta ran from April 26 to May 5, 2007. It was open for 100,000 registered users as well as those players from the previous closed beta. In order to balance the large amounts of traffic, Gravity opened a second server at the start of the third phase.

The final phase was the Korean Open Beta running from May 28th to an unannounced date, where the final release of the game is expected right after. It is open to all Korean citizens with a Korean Social Security Number and during the first week, the servers went through severe maintenance as each server quickly filled up. Several more servers were opened shortly after to fit the demand, including several age 18 and up only servers to accommodate those who wish to participate in a player versus player environment. The focus during open beta is game balance and mechanics. The game content was similar to the previous closed betas and it is expected to see a greater release of content in the near future, but most likely after the game is released.

A final Release for the game is currently unknown. The Japanese open beta was running from August 30th to September 20th with an unknown release date for the finished game. Closed Beta and Open Beta tests for following Asian countries are expected to follow soon; Level Up! Games Philippines [3] is anticipating a Closed Beta this summer (mid 2008), International (English Version) will most likely get a beta Q2 or Q3 2008. Closed beta for other countries will most likely start only after the final release of the game in Korea.

Memories of Pirate King Online

2008-04-22T17:47:00.003+08:00

MY Pirate King Online Videos:

Finally i have decided to quit playing Pirate King Online...It has been more than a year since i started playing this wonderful MMO. It was very hard for me to leave my friends especially the closest ones. I will always cherish the grinding, the guildwars ,the chat wars in world chat, and the simple act of leaving your character to AFK vend. But life has to move on, as this chapter closes another one opens. So seeya guys and I hope you too will have a wonderful journey in the world of Pirate King Online.

The Universe of Zero Online

2008-03-19T16:57:00.002+08:00

Prologue

Generations have passed since faith ruled man and man ruled machine. After the Universal War, religion seemed to simply disappear. Man turned to science to fill the void left by spirituality. In this new and sterile philosophy, skepticism is revered while belief is admonished. Survival of the fittest has left the realm of the physical to be overthrown completely by the intellectual. It was in this way that in this era, the most aporetic and rigorous minds have risen to power and man and machine exist in nearly complete symbiotic coexistence.

For generations now, Earthlings have spread the seeds of civilization to the corners of the galaxy, founding settlements on planets that could support life and robotic mining colonies on planets that could not. The humans searched for extraterrestrial life on the planets but finding none, continued to extend themselves into the far reaches of space. No one truly knows why, after nearly a century of unhindered expansion, an obstacle has suddenly arisen. Whether it was interference with the qubit encoded programming of the unmanned mining colonies, or anonymous alien interception still remains unclear. Through the agony and chaos of the recent upheaval, Earth and her interstellar progeny have only uncovered these seven letters: O-T-H-E-L-L-O.

What is Othello?

The argument for alien interruption is wrought with as much skepticism as optimism. For decades humans have expanded throughout the farthest reaches of the galaxy and for centuries have probed galactic and intergalactic space. In the past millennium scientists have reassured the populous of the existence of extraterrestrial life over and over again; all theories, experiments and tests show that non-human intelligent life must exist somewhere out in the universe. The chance to make such a significant discovery, however unlikely, is bound to eventually happen. Nonetheless, the overwhelming reality is that human interstellar navigation is still in its infancy. So every time something unexplained happens on the rims of galactic civilization, there will always be those who attribute it to aliens. Othello falls into this theory as popularly as any other, that is to say, Othello is a computer hacking alien race.

Another popular theory is that Othello is simply the ghost in the machine, a form of artificial intelligence extant in the fecundity of silicon crystals of unknown chemistry and origin. This theory somewhat borders on the non-human intelligent life theory, except that the former is usually associated with carbon based life forms whilst the latter employs a silicon base. Proponents of this theory are mostly curious computer engineers and graduate students whose thoughts linger in the higher echelons of advanced experimental quantum theory.

There are, of course, a minority of conspiracy theorists who claim Othello to be a secret faction of the Earth Alliance Government, though no one takes these ideas too seriously. This minority of paranoid skeptics only slightly out number those who believe Othello is God, coming for vengeance on an arrogant race from where he was so recently expelled. These statistical outliers are largely ignored by the body politic and wholly ignored by mainstream media.

The most popular theory however is by far the most likely: Othello is the name of a guerrilla terrorist organization; a colony of forgotten space travelers lost on a distant rock. This theory is the result of the rational and scientific majority, whom still employ the wisdom of the ancients: ¡°All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one.¡± Without any other proof of non-human interference it stands to reason that the problem is internal to the human race.

Recent Changes...

Whatever explanation you believe to be true, the fact remains that Othello is a liability that can not be underestimated. Since the first attacks on Earth Alliance outposts in the long arms of known galactic space, no one and no place can be said to be safe from attack. Objectively speaking, these occurrences of terror and destruction haven`t been entirely detrimental for human existence. As the interstellar war increases in intensity so does interplanetary trade. The war has reinvigorated a population that has, in recent generations, begun to stagnate. The hopelessness and desperation of a race complacent in their automated and luxurious lives has found a cause to unite behind. The survival instincts buried beneath so many layers of hedonism has finally been awaken, as a result the war effort has also boosted technological development. Yet, with new technology, new materials are needed and in greater numbers. When Othello`s minions attack and destroy a mining colony or manufacturing plant on some distant planet, the effect is felt all across the galaxy all the way down to Mother Earth. Othello has perturbed the human world on every level and in doing so has become the archetype of terror.

Job Openings...

Othello`s seemingly unfettered ability to reprogram once friendly and obedient robots and machines has created a superstition among the human race. Only machines that are not networked and incapable of full automation have not been dismantled. This has led to the reintroduction of battle mechs; powerful, fast and accurate as a machine, but with a human pilot there is no danger of Othello corrupting the machines circuits and turning the machine against mankind. Independent of the government, mechanized mercenaries have become rampant among the galaxy. With no official affiliations, they sometimes cooperate to battle Othello`s minions, and sometimes fall at odds battling each other. As these space cowboys grow in number, famous heroes and infamous outlaws exhibit the very best and worst of human nature, attracting those unsatisfied with their bourgeois existence to seek the freedom and adventure of mercdom. Those motivated few, scrape together what money they can in order to purchase a basic walker unit; just enough to get them off-planet. In the free market interstellar economy, competition is fierce and in the big empty vacuum of space, only the laws of physics apply.

9DragonsOnline

2008-03-19T16:51:00.003+08:00

(Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) published by Korean game company Indy21 and remastered for the Western Market for Acclaim Games by best-selling American author Steven-Elliot Altman. The game features 3D graphics and traditional MMO control schemes. Set in China during the Ming Dynasty, it includes actual Chinese geography and historical features such as the Great Wall of China and the famous Shaolin Temple.

The Clans a player may join in 9Dragons are based upon various schools of Kung Fu and are separated into two major factions, The White Clans (loyal to the Imperial Emperor) and The Black Clans (who have no allegiance to him). The White Clans include: Shaolin (male disciples only), Wu-Tang Clan, and The League of Beggars. The Black Clans include: Sacred Flower (female disciples only), The Brotherhood of Thieves, and Heavenly Demon Clan. Each Clan has its own separate but very similar requirements for admission.

For additional reading on this article click here.

Getting addicted

2008-01-11T16:22:00.000+08:00

Hi guyz...its been a long time since i last updated my blog...I was just so busy power leveling my character at the new PKO server Flag. Each day goes harder and harder to train and right now i am getting super lazy...My char was stuck at level 62...hehheh..

New Server on Pirate King Online(FLAG Server)

2007-12-08T18:01:00.000+08:00

GOt this news from the PKO website...the actual page can be viewed in this link: click me

Hoist Yer Colors! New Server!
Dec 07, 2007 17:18 pm SGT

New Server: Flag
Aye! The Seafarer is finally getting its own pirate flag! A brand new server (Flag) will be added on this coming Thursday, 13th of December 2007. This server will be different from other servers and is coined the "Vanilla Server" by many as it will NOT include many elements that may affect the balance and economy of the server such as item auctions and also the exclusion of powerful items reward from events!

Note:
- Server Flag will be excluded from all sort of game item auction to bring more balance to the game itself.
- It will also be excluded from some events that may have the same impact.
- Players are only entitled to win physical prizes for participating in the Christmas Super Draw 2007.

We have also planned a Fastest Leveler Event which is open to everyone on server Flag.

Start Date: 13/12/07 - 1100 hrs (GMT + 8)
End Date: 16/12/07 - 2359 hrs (GMT + 8)

1st place
-Mordo Junior
-99x Fairy Rations
-5x Greater Pet Energy Food of player's choice
-Expert Possession Skill Book

2nd place
-Mordo Junior
-99x Fairy Rations
-Standard Possession Skill Book

3rd place
-Mordo Junior
-99x Fairy Rations
-Novice Possession Skill Book

Top Crusader
3x Refining Gem Voucher

Top Champion
3x Refining Gem Voucher

Top Seal Master
3x Refining Gem Voucher

Top Cleric
3x Refining Gem Voucher

Top Voyager
3x Refining Gem Voucher

Top Sharpshooter
3x Refining Gem Voucher

General Rules for Fastest Leveler Event
1. Once the server is open. Players may join the game world immediately and begin leveling.
2. There are no rules to how you may level up. (Quest or grinding)
3. Players with the top levels as of 16/12/07 at 2359 hrs GMT + 8 will be selected as the winners.
4. Top 3 players will be excluded from individual character class ranking.
5. Exploiting bugs is strictly not allowed.
6. This event is open to all players of our game.

*Note: Virtual bag function for server Flag will only be activated after the leveling event ended.

Pirate King Online

peltans.blogspot.com

2007-12-04T19:31:00.000+08:00

I have created a new webpage for our fraternity and sorrority....

Pirate King Online Review

2007-12-03T20:26:00.000+08:00

Description:
Based on 5000 years of background history with Piracy as its central theme, Pirate King Online lets players have a fruitful navigating experience as well as exploration of the unknown. This fully 3D designed multiplayer online game is comical in nature and has humorous looking characters and creatures. The game is painted in bright and beautiful colors. The exaggerated movements and actions of characters as well as objects, topped with an atmosphere that is overall relaxed, the game makes it always interesting and fresh for new and old players alike. There are also different styles, themes and architecture for the different towns, islands and dungeons. The multitude of elements designed captivates players and keeps them immersed while they explore all different possibilities available in game.

My Review:
Pirate King Online is a fairly crafted game with unique features. On of this is the use of ships to navigate the world of PKO. Battles are also involved using these ships. The players are also very active and bots are less in this game due to anti bot features that this game has. Items can be acquired from ordinary monsters and bosses. Items are also sold at the item mall which is bought according to the rum point in your account. For Philippine players, rum points can be purchased through load central at any Netopia outlets. I recommend playing in Engine server because its the latest and the server economy there is more stable compared to the older servers. Visit the official PKO site at : www.piratekingonline.com

LatesTruck Model(For Sale)

2007-12-03T15:00:00.001+08:00

I was chatting on YM just now when a very good friend of mine sent me this pic....I almost fell from where i was sitting when i saw this pic...I really could not contain my laughter when i saw it. On the other hand, it made me appreciate the ingenuity of the human mind.( Laugh out loud)

thanks to nong rhiam for the image

Valkyrie Botting Links

2007-12-03T11:20:00.000+08:00

Since the old Darkmoon database was wiped out, some links were retained and was posted by onlyone at the forums. This link may help you out on your bot problems at valkyrie. http://darkmoon.ath.cx/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30

Darkmoon Forums Upgrade

2007-12-03T11:08:00.000+08:00

This was quted from Bibian, the admin of Darkmoon forums:
"Oke... so you might have noticed that i upgraded to phpBB3 RC8 (or not).
Before i started i spent about 2 hours googling and reading forums to figure out how to convert the old database to the new one.
I found out that this is _NOT_ possible so i was forced to make a new clean database.

Everyone will have to reregister and i ask everyone to report any abnormalities to the Admins (just me at the moment).
Errors with permissions and stuff like that.

Thanks

[edit]
This is a reminder that there are people that MIGHT try to impersonate people (like heero was earlier), if someone who is NOT in a mod, sub-mod, admin posts files DO NOT TRUST THEM untill we say so"

Hastang (a new sound from the south)

2007-12-03T10:20:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, while i was surfing the net, i came across a website which had a link "Hastang" on it. I clicked the link thinking it was just another webpage. I was wrong, i learned that Hastang is a band from cebu. I became an instant fan of the band by just listening to their track titled Oblivion. I describe their music as Urbandub with a female vocalist.Heheheh... You can check out their site at: www.hastang.com!!! Rock on Cebuanos!

modkoreknight: the story behind the name.

2007-12-02T20:46:00.000+08:00

I started playing online games mid year of 2002. Ragnarok Online was released and being an online gamer, i played that game. Playing the game for hours (or days) could be very boring and so tiring. Then one day, an in-game friend of mine told me about a program at would make things easier. It was called a bot(probably short for robot, since the program is a sort of A.I). Learning about the wonderful program made me so excited. I googled and yahooed it for days until i found a site which has a link called modkore(short for modified kore).Ever since i always used modkore for my botting purposes in our server and since my first main character was a Knight, i joined the 2 words to form modkoreknight and since then, that name relates to me.