Comments on: Shades Of Grey: Noir Online

By: Redford

Redford — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:00:38 +0000

The only Korean MMO I can suggest you play right now is Atlantica. They are trying very very hard to not be korean, and are mostly accomplishing this. Is it still korean? Yes. But are you excepted to endlessly kill the same monsters over and over again in order to level? No, not at all, unless you are a high level character and your nation sux lolz.

By: Wisq

Wisq — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:22:08 +0000

I love the part near the start where he’s just gunning down people in the street and nobody’s even noticing.

Even fantasy RPGs, with their unintelligent monsters, often have them assist each other if a nearby one is attacked. Or if they don’t, they at least have the excuse that the creatures are too dumb for that.

It’s hard to use that excuse when you’re shooting men in suits in broad daylight. :)

That raises another interesting point. I’ve yet to see an RPG/MMO where attacking a non-aggressive mob causes it (and nearby ones) to run away rather than attack the player. Certainly it introduces a new style of gameplay (and therefore, a new challenge) — either be faster than the mob, or be deadly in one shot, or be able to sneak close enough to get in several shots before it gets out of range. But I guess that’s “Deer Hunter” gameplay, not “World of Grinding Online” gameplay, so . . .

By: The Yellowest Peril

The Yellowest Peril — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:38:23 +0000

the shirtless man sitting and the dudes squatting like they were about to take a crap in the pic look gay and stupid

Chinese people: Gay and stupid. :(

By: faelnor

faelnor — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:35:39 +0000

nice midi music

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:18:06 +0000

I dunno Okami, ever played any online game with Americans and voice chat before?

By: Okami

Okami — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:11:43 +0000

*sigh* Could we please all stop using the word gay as a derogatory term? Isn’t this supposed to be a blog about pc gaming and aren’t pc gamers supposed to be more mature and clever than the unwashed console playing masses?

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:09:42 +0000

On the other part… “originalism” is a western thing. We raise to god status “the author” and “originality”. While on the south east, things work different.
We often raise “authors” a bit too much. Like authors are something like god’s, that can create stuff from thin air. Is a lie, authors are not god’s, can’t create from nothing. But these cool guys from asia are not even tryiing. You can’t always get the next cool thing going evolutionary, you must often go to the edge of technology and JUMP, and make a revolution, breaktrought.
Of course, there are not pure western or eastern attitudes. There are bits of a creative/original author on everyone. This is more a cultural thing, than a personal thing, I suspect.

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:02:41 +0000

There are a special circle on hell for all Pacman clone, Tetris clones and Korean MMO’s.

Is not that these games are bad. Is not that the programmers or artist lack style (most of these are great programmers and great artist). Is what you do with your time. If you use your skills, talent and time to create a generic clone, the result will be another terrible clone.
The Koreans have demoed a amazing ability for graphics and programming, and wasting these resources on a infinite army of clones. Or that is what the world think, maybe the koreans disagree.

At least this one is original on the settings.

By: NuZZ

NuZZ — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:37:14 +0000

Oh pahleez western-big-budget-mmo-developers, save us from these crappy korean games!

By: Kommissar Nicko

Kommissar Nicko — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:16:24 +0000

There’s something eerily incongruous about watching mobster-esque mans gun down thousands in broad daylight while the rest stare and wander in disinterest. While I inexplicably forgive this in most fantasy MMOs on the simple basis that everyone who’s not a player in fantasy settings is afflicted with severe Alzheimer’s, seeing this level of callousness is definitely not conducive to suspension of disbelief. Normally I’d be interested in something of this flavor, but the above coupled with the fact that it seems to be nothing but a reskinning of every other MMO on the market makes me want to gag.

By: CakeAddict

CakeAddict — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:57:34 +0000

Did one of the gangsters just do a nightelf hop?
I agree with wedge, it will most likely just be the usual Korean mmo.

By: Dominic White

Dominic White — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:53:40 +0000

99% of Korean MMOs are terrible. This one looks to be no exception. Just that screenshot alone kinda fills me with dread.

Still, there’s always that 1% exception. I’ve recently been playing quite a bit of Atlantica Online ( http://tiny.cc/ehulO ), which actually is quite refreshingly different. More than anything, it reminds me of RPS darling King’s Bounty. Yes, that includes turn-based tactical combat.

Yes, turn-based MMO, you read that right. Party-based as well. Each player can field up to 9 characters, and smart play is rewarded.

I normally can’t stand MMOs in general, and wouldn’t pay for most, but Atlantica has, so far, had me playing for longer than I could stand World of Warcraft. That’s not saying a huge amount (just over a month of WoW, two months of Atlantica), but I’m actually having a good time.

It’s a decent RPG first and foremost, and an MMO second.