I wanna introduce a new mmo. Its called Runes of Magic (Radiant Arcana in China). Its already in beta in China. The beta start for europe and america will be soon.

Website: www.runesofmagic.com/main.php

Features of the game:

• Free2play, no monthly fees, free download
• Dual class system with switchable primary and secondary classes
• Enthralling background story
• Already over 600 quests and level comprehensive quest series on launch
• Instanced and persistent dungeons
• Individually developed skills and spells
• Armor sets with special bonuses
• Dynamic item system: Upgrades with hundreds of runes
• Activatable PvP system (Player vs. Player duels)
• Epic crafting system with the possibility to improve existing items
• Individual coloring of clothes and armor
• Housing: personalization with individual furniture for players and guilds
• Special zones for guild houses
• Reputation system
• Scalable user interface based on the users flavor (development of own add-ons possible)
• In-game map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
• Auction house: auction and purchase items
• Teleporting possibilities per runes
• Different and unique mounts
• Controlling with mouse (point & click) and keyboard (WASD or arrow keys) possible

Some youtube vids:

1. trailer

2. char creation

3. gameplay

Looks interesting.  I'm signed up.   :)

I don't see any  new innovation  in your list compare to other eastern MMO's ... so anything in this game that's special that would make people try this game instead many easten MMORPG like Rohan or perfect world?

only pvp is duels ? fail

eh..its another f2p

This game has sparked my interest. Ty for the info OP.

Originally posted by newborn

I don't see any  new innovation  in your list compare to other eastern MMO's ... so anything in this game that's special that would make people try this game instead many easten MMORPG like Rohan or perfect world?

well, from what the devs say, it gonna define f2p games in a new way. to know what that means u have to wait till they give new infos about the game or just wait till the beta begins. but from what i heared the game will be matched to the taste of the western countries.
and its true that the company is located in taiwan but the devs have worked a long time in the us and are UO and WOW players.

Well if they're just posting and taking sign-ups for the first round of closed betas, it'll be quite some time before it actually rolls out.  Whole lotta stuff can happen between now and then.

I don't mind the "anime+WoW" thing.  I know what you mean when you say that, there's a bit of a chunky similarity there.  But a slightly retro engine works for me.  Just stickin' a bunch of crappy glow and film-grain effects to a newer engine doesn't make a great game.  And since I have a slightly outdated machine, it works for me for performance reasons too.  :-)

I saw the WoW/Anime/Guild Wars similarities as well.

I've read claims that this game will be similar to UO, in the fact that it will be skill based and not level based, but I will believe it when I see it.

I dunnno, I'm not a fan of skill-based MMORPG's.   Problem is that without classes, everybody takes every skill they might need, so everybody winds up the same build.  In theory it's a good idea, but in practice it tends to make everybody very generic and cookie cutter.

Originally posted by dcorleone75

I dunnno, I'm not a fan of skill-based MMORPG's.   Problem is that without classes, everybody takes every skill they might need, so everybody winds up the same build.  In theory it's a good idea, but in practice it tends to make everybody very generic and cookie cutter.

Skill based doesn't mean it is without classes.  People seem to lack any imagination whatsoever.

Originally posted by Airspell

only pvp is duels ? fail

right now there are just duals. but there will be soon an addon in the chinese beta. then there will be also a pvp kolloseum and realm vs realm

Originally posted by dcorleone75

I dunnno, I'm not a fan of skill-based MMORPG's.   Problem is that without classes, everybody takes every skill they might need, so everybody winds up the same build.  In theory it's a good idea, but in practice it tends to make everybody very generic and cookie cutter.

Whereas in a more skill based game you could have a spellcaster putting a lot of points into spellcasting, lore, tailoring and more intelligence based skills that improve spells, whereas another spell caster might also put a lot of points into spellcasting, but place points in alchemy, and magic resistance and healing.. They'd both be effective spell casters but one would be better at resisting spells, creating potions, and using bandages to heal. (But they'd both have the same number of points to work with, IE 700, with each skill having a max of 100 that you can put points into)

Originally posted by Emeraq

 

Well in UO there was a limit to skill points you could acquire. So, there are numerous mixing and matching possibilities. IMO I think that class based would be more 'cookie cutter' as two level 20 priests putting points into the same skills on the tree would be identical in ability. 

 

Whereas in a more skill based game you could have a spellcaster putting a lot of points into spellcasting, lore, tailoring and more intelligence based skills that improve spells, whereas another spell caster might also put a lot of points into spellcasting, but place points in alchemy, and magic resistance and healing.. They'd both be effective spell casters but one would be better at resisting spells, creating potions, and using bandages to heal. (But they'd both have the same number of points to work with, IE 700, with each skill having a max of 100 that you can put points into)

Well maybe, but I've played skill-based games before and who's not gonna want to be able to heal themselves?  Who's gonna want to pass on the defense passive skill?  Yeah, you can limit the skills points, but that's gonna end up one of two ways.  You'll have a buncha people gimped on one side cuz they wanna do it ALL, and you'll have a bunch of other people who take skills to try to create a certain class in a classless game.  If you pass on all the fighter skills to make a good healer, how is that any different than havin' a healer class?  Yeah, havin' classes is the cookie-cutter approach, but yer basically gonna have classes anyway, and you'll also have a ton of people that are basically useless cuz they go the jack-of-all trades route.  Havin' basic classes would be the same thing, but eliminate the tons of people that'll be gimped this way.

I agree that havin' the same old warrior/cleric/archer/mage classes as every other game is very tired, but I don't think a skill-based system will be a much better alternative.    My preference would be to have base classes to start from, but make those classes different than the stereotypical ones.  Take Rohan for example.  For one thing, the skill trees are very different than your typical class equivalents (healers being very powerful electrical-attack-mages, etc) but in addition to having unusual skill trees for the classes that are there, there's also geographic considerations to consider.    Take the dragon fighter/dhan (assassins basically).  The DF is a jack of all trades.  The dhan is your typical assassin-type.  Those two races are aligned against the others.  Yes, you can take either one, but by doin' so, you have to be willing to give up having pure-healers or pure-mages on your side, because they only exist in the other races.  Same with pure tanks.  In that situation its about more than just your own class preference, it's also about the tactical differences that class will have in the bigger picture.

Don't get me wrong, Rohan is far from being a perfect game, but it IS an example of a class-based system that doesn't feel like the same-old-same-old 4-base-class system.  The skills associated with each class are not what you would expect from playing the same class in another game,, and race/class selection is more involved than just your own personal class preference.  I like dragon-fighter, but i'll tell you, it's no picnic to play when there's no healer-class available to your side. 

I'm sure there are just as many people that hate Rohan as like it, but the point is they're tryin' to be DIFFERENT.  How well it succeeds depends on your preference.

  Rohan has an old diablo style skill tree, there is nothing different about it :P  You obviously have little experience with gaming.

Looks interesting, i'll give it a try.

Nice music on the character creation trailer. Are we at war with menus now? Sheesh.

It look s nice, i've just signed for beta. I hope that this game won't have the same problem that Secret Online had: excellent features, excellent staff bu never came from China due to bad condition negotiation...

so, i have some news about the housing in the game.  every player will have from the begining an own house. but right now i dont know if there will be housing for guilds.

Written in this link www.massively.com/category/runes-of-magic/  will be release at the end of the year.....

looks really nice! graphics seem very cool!

A lot of these games out now days are so similar. It looks interesting, so i signed up. But, I guess we'll see how it turns out. open beta is always fun too

Man personally im a bit excited, if this is a real decent (im not saying real super good or excellent) sandboxish MMO, then I cant wait to try it out. Im in CB and it should start soon because the account registration started today. Goody goody