Neverwinter's Shadowmantle Will Introduce The Hunter Ranger

Neverwinter by Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment is one of the best action-mmorpg today. The maps are huge, the action is non-stop and intense and best of all it's FREE-TO-PLAY. What else can you ask for an action-MMORPG?

I've never played the pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons game but who cares? I know I don't. As far as I know, knowing nothing about the pen-and-paper D&D never stopped me from enjoying this amazing game. Yes, it doesn't have the best graphics nor the best PvP but it brought adventuring back to world of MMORPGs.

Soon, players of Neverwinter will enjoy the game's second free module. It's called Shadowmantle and it will introduce a new class, the Hunter Ranger. It's a bow wielding character with dual-wielding abilities (based on what I saw on the Hunter Ranger reveal trailer).

I'm not really into bow wielding characters but I'm sure many of you are.

The things that I find more interesting in this new free module, Shadowmantle, are the following:

• expansion to the Paragon Path system
• the new Dead Ring Campaign
• the new Artifact items
• and the new Collection System

I feel that the above mentioned additions and changes will keep me playing longer and will make me busier than playing with a new character class. Of course, many of you might feel different about but that's absolutely fine because no two players or gamers are the same.

For those of you who are interested in seeing the new Hunter Ranger character class, check out the YouTube video below.

If you are not yet playing Neverwinter then start playing by creating an account and downloading the game here » http://play.any.tv/SHJR4.

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Lockboxes, Chance Packs, Lucky Boxes, Etc. Is PWE Running A Casino?

PWE or Perfect World Entertainment is an online game publisher. Some of the online games it publishes are Star Trek Online, Champions Online, RaiderZ and Blacklight: Retribution. Besides being published by PWE and Free-To-Play, all these games have another thing in common and you'll find it in each game's item shop or marketplace.

(A sample Chance Pack in Blacklight: Retribution)

Each game has a different name for it but, in general, you can describe it as an item that gives out uncertain or random items. In Star Trek Online and Champions Online it's called a Lockbox. Blacklight: Retribution's name for it is Chance Pack and, in RaiderZ, it has what it calls a Lucky Box. All of these items may have different names but all of them have the same function and that is to give out random items.

Also, these items are bought with Zen and Zen is bought with real money. With that in mind, buying these items is almost like gambling because you'll only get a random chance of getting the actual item you want from it and, instead of using chips or gambling chips, you use Zen to pay for them. So, is PWE running a massively multiplayer online gaming casino?

Casinos are almost synonymous to gambling and, with the existence of such items in games published by PWE, you are like  gambling with your money every time you buy any of these items. Of course, if all you want is to gamble then why not just go to an online casino and gamble till you drop but, then again, why go there when you can do it in your favorite PWE published MMO.

(A Lock Box in Star Trek Online)

Gambling has no place in any massively multiplayer online game. PWE can call it a lockbox, a chance pack,  a lucky box or whatever it wants to call it but, as long as it gives out random items and it is bought with Zen which is bought with real money, buying it is still gambling because what you'll get when the item is opened is uncertain or random.

This is just a suggestion but PWE should just sell the item directly and not put it in a random box along with other useless items. By selling items directly and not putting them in a random box, the perception of gambling is removed from the item sold.

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Vehicles Are Now Available In Champions Online

Champions Online is an amazing Super Hero themed MMO and it's a very good alternative to City Of Heroes: Freedom because it was developed by the original developers of City Of Heroes, Cryptic Studios. For those City Of Heroes: Freedom players who are still thinking of whether to jump to Champions Online or not, well, now is the perfect time to do so because Champions Online just got a massive update called Champions Online: Reloaded and one of the cool things that came with this update is the addition of player vehicles.

(Vehicle in Champions Online. Image Credit: Champions Online)

Yup, Champions Online now has player vehicles. Vehicles that your heroes can ride as they fight for justice and peace in Millenium City. Unfortunately, these vehicles are not FREE. You'll have to buy them from the C-Store. You'll also get them from a Hover Tank Arsenal Lock Box but you'll still have to buy the key from the C-Store with Zen.

Fortunately, there are two ways of earning Zen for FREE in Champions Online. The first is by completing and doing surveys and offers in Perfect World Entertainment's website. The second way of earning Zen is by farming and exchanging Q for Zen in-game. It may take you a long time to get the amount of Zen you want or need but at least it's FREE.

By the way, Q means Questionite. It's like Dilithium in Star Trek Online. These currencies make both games truly Free-To-Play because you can exchange them for Zen which will allow you to buy Zen only items without spending any money. The trade-off is, it takes a lot of time to get them.

(Image Credit: Champions Online)

Back to the vehicles. The vehicles in Champions Online are highly customizable. With thirteen chassis to choose from and each with its own amount of MOD slots, the ability to create a truly unique vehicle for your Hero is right under your fingertips.

Here is a preview video of the vehicles in YouTube. Credit goes to the original uploader of the video.

To learn more about Champions Online and to play it for FREE, click here!

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RaiderZ Stress Test Is Live

Perfect World Entertainment's latest Free-To-Play MMORPG RaiderZ is currently undergoing a Stress Test right now. This Stress Test started on October 12, 2012 and it will end on October 15, 2012. If you are eager to get your hands on RaiderZ now then login to your PWE account and download the Stress Test client. Install it and start playing RaiderZ even if it's only for a few days.

(RaiderZ)

Obviously, the purpose of the Stress Test is to stress the server to the point of crashing it. This will help the developer and publisher determine the best server setup for RaiderZ. It will also prepare them when Open Beta comes because if it doesn't then this Stress Test Event would be all for nothing. He he he!

Also, if you reach Level 10 while playing in this Stress Test event then you'll be rewarded with a special prize when Open Beta starts. This is a very easy prize to get because getting to Level 10 in RaiderZ is a piece of cake. It will only take you a couple of hours of playing to reach Level 10. Just go through all the quest to receive all the experience points you'll need to level up quickly.

If you bought a founder's pack then you'll be able to try out and use your Black Arrod Mount and all the other items included in the pack. You'll get them again when Open Beta starts because characters in this Stress Test will be wiped at the end of the event. Remember, this is not yet Open Beta. It's just a Stress Test to test the stability of the server.

(Kabalyero in RaiderZ Stress Test Server)

RaiderZ is dubbed as a monster hunting action-oriented fantasy mmorpg but aren't all mmorpgs all about hunting and killing monsters? Anyway, if you haven't tried it they try it now and decide whether you'll play it or not when Open Beta starts.

To learn more about RaiderZ and to play it for FREE, click here!

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