As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Battle of the Immortals] Diablo II Withdrawals? «Inquire Here«

ExhanderExhander Registered User new member
edited April 2010 in MMO Extravaganza
boilogo.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m30S-U7kqY8


Introduction

Battle of the Immortals [BoI] is a blend of the action-RPG and MMO genres. Diablo II much? Very. If it's any consolation, these are the same developers that conceived of Torchlight which is a fairly decent ARPG but is unfortunately only single player as of now. So what makes this game any different from, say, Titan Quest or Diablo? Well, besides the joyous lack of duping, teleport hacking, and the played-out occult/Greek mythology, it's an MMOARPG that changes as you play. The Hack-and-Slash mood those types of games often tout is completely shattered, because the AI in the game adapts to your playstyle, making the gameplay non-repetitive and a little less of a borefuck. The game is already out in Asia and you can find some nice videos of the gameplay on YouTube to see for yourself why this game is going to rock your dick right off your pelvic region.

So... this is Diablo II.5?

Yes and no. While it lacks the SoJ-based economy and cow level grinding of the days of yore, it's still a proper player-run world. Bartering is still as precious as a cure for cancer and the action doesn't cease. Instancing is limited and armor sets have plenty of moving bits and flashy pieces. It is, however, rumored that it will be released some time between Q3 and Q4 of 2010. That places it right in between now and the supposed slated release of Diablo III in late-2011. Which means it's never too early to sell your soul.

K soundz gud, but hao I get inside game?

It's approaching the official Closed Beta in April. You can participate by registering an account (if you don't already have one) over at http://boi.perfectworld.com. The keys are given on a first come, first served basis so chances are you probably missed out on a beta key by now since they started the beta signups in January of this year. BUT, you can still get your fix of action porn by signing up for a beta key on a sleuth of other sites.

Wait, when is it coming out again?

The Closed Beta is slated for April 2010. Open Beta is still a big fat question mark. Release date is RUMORED to be in between Q3 and Q4 (so October/September). The game was originally supposed to enter the Closed Beta in February but because this game is being developed by PWE and not Mythic, it won't be rushed to release and then force you to patch in half-assed, severely unbalanced content. Too soon? :(


Features
  • Sexy 2.5D Visuals
  • Norse + Asian Mythology
  • Five Playable Classes
  • "Zodiac System" - Character gains special powers depending on when they were created
  • Easy Questing System (Seriously it's easy)
  • Soul Gear - Gear that upgrades itself and changes as you play
  • Hardcore PvP Content - Competitive ladder and open world PvP
  • Deep PvE Content - Fight bosses, get paid, buy ho's, repeat
  • AI Adaptation - AI that adapt to your playstyle to provide a never ending challenge
  • Pets and Mounts
  • Territory Battles - Fight over boss instances, precious resources, etc.
  • Grinding Your Balls Off - HOORAY!
  • Cash Shop (sadface)


Classes

Berserker
berzerker(1).jpg
Your stereotypical high-attack, magic-vulnerable dicksmacker. Can dual wield or grip a two-hander for maximum facerolling. They focus primarily on debuffing the enemy to prevent their escape and then skill spamming until they die from the ridiculousness.

Champion
champion.jpg
Your standard tank. They can take quite a few hits and can debuff enemies pretty readily. So what is a tank doing in PvP you ask? They can actually taunt players. Makes them pretty useful in my book, besides the whole shield-in-your-face thing.

Heretic
heretic.jpg
Can't have a game without healers. These guys provide defensive buffs and heals to anyone in their line of sight. They also pack a pretty heavy punch when it comes to the light.

Magus
magus.jpg
Not your standard vending machine. They actually provide some very hefty AoE abilities and direct damage spells that can wipe out groups of monsters and players with ease if left alone. Sort of like the serial killer looking kid you always get creeped out by in your classes.

Slayer
slayer.jpg
Battle of the Roguemortals. Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it... Your ever-so-neccessary rogue/thief/bandit class. Sneak in there, thrust those in fast, pull out, and walk away like you's a true playa.


So When Is This Coming Out Again?

YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL JUST PUT THAT INFO HERE, HOLY SHIT:
CLOSED BETA begins in April 2010. Sign up on the website now and register your beta key to get ready!
OPEN BETA remains unannounced.
OFFICIAL RELEASE remains unannounced. Rumors point to a Sep./Oct. release in 2010.


Sources

http://boi.perfectworld.com - The Official Website
http://www.perfectworld.com/blog - Developers Blog
http://boi-forum.perfectworld.com - The Official Forums


Did I forget to mention that it's completely FREE?

Yes, I did. It's free!

Exhander on

Posts

  • MadpoetMadpoet Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Just signed up and got two beta keys from the official site - no need to scavenge one.

    Madpoet on
  • KarmondKarmond Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    My first thought after looking at the images was: 'That magus wouldn't even look out of place in WoW, it's like they're not even trying to hide that they're ripping off the art style.'

    Anyway, I've signed up for the Beta.

    Karmond on
  • TheLawinatorTheLawinator Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    They're giving out keys like candy. Can't wait to try it.

    TheLawinator on
    My SteamID Gamertag and PSN: TheLawinator
  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited March 2010
    OP is an obvious plant, but I've seen worse OPs from non-plants.

    I may look into beta.

    Sterica on
    YL9WnCY.png
  • aunsophaunsoph Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    So, just one thing:

    These are not the same developers that were involved with Torchlight. None of this has anything to do whatsoever with Runic. The only thing they have in common is the same publisher.

    aunsoph on
  • PelPel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    OP is an obvious plant, but I've seen worse OPs from non-plants.

    I may look into beta.
    I've never before seen a company stooge use the term "dicksmacker". If he's a plant, I like his employers marketing tactics. In for the beta!

    Pel on
  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited March 2010
    Plants are hardly effective if they don't talk like the community they're rooting in.

    And c'mon: the dude signed up, posted about a game and hasn't done shit in two days. That's not typical behavior.

    Sterica on
    YL9WnCY.png
  • PelPel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    Plants are hardly effective if they don't talk like the community they're rooting in.

    And c'mon: the dude signed up, posted about a game and hasn't done shit in two days. That's not typical behavior.
    Signed up 4 months ago. I mean, I'm not denying its very possible, but at least they did their homework.

    Pel on
  • NATIKNATIK DenmarkRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Either way I appreciate the heads-up on the game, looks interesting and got a key.

    NATIK on
    steam_sig.png
  • TheLawinatorTheLawinator Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm fine with this plant.

    TheLawinator on
    My SteamID Gamertag and PSN: TheLawinator
  • Shorn Scrotum ManShorn Scrotum Man Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    If all plants were this good, you wouldn't hear so much bitching about plants.

    Shorn Scrotum Man on
    steam_sig.png
  • RaakamRaakam Too many years... CanadalandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    It looks pretty fun. I'm not much for Diablo though, but this looked purdy enough to warrant signing up. The biggest flag for me is the PvP aspects of it. Hopefully there are some non PVP servers or something, because open-world PVP turns into shitty gankfests within a week of release.

    Raakam on
    My padherder
    they don't it be like it is but it do
  • EliminationElimination Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    It's actually not the same developers as Torchlight. It is the same PUBLISHERS, but not the same devs. They are two separate entities.

    The game does look cool though, i'd been keeping my eye on it for a while.

    Elimination on
    PSN: PA_Elimination 3DS: 4399-2012-1711 Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/TheElimination/
  • StrillStrill Registered User new member
    edited April 2010
    Exhander wrote: »
    it's an MMOARPG that changes as you play. The Hack-and-Slash mood those types of games often tout is completely shattered, because the AI in the game adapts to your playstyle, making the gameplay non-repetitive and a little less of a borefuck.

    Who in the world did you hear that from? I've seen videos of the Chinese version and NONE of the monsters aggro, and they all deal 1 damage per hit. Since a level 1 player has about 750 hp, it's a major accomplishment to actually manage to get killed. The game is essentially Habbo Hotel with a pvp system. The only change in monster AI I've heard of was them turning on monster aggro, and rebalancing player/monster HP and damage so it's actually possible to die. Other than that, everything I've seen indicates that monster AI is no different than the AI in WoW.

    That said I still don't think it'll be bad. The game has a cool guild vs guild system, pk system, and the dungeon instances are competitive, so your group competes against other players to be able to get the boss. Like some instances will have you able to pvp the other group, and others it will be a race, and whoever finishes the instance first gets to fight the boss.

    One of the biggest features you never mentioned though, was the fact that everyone gets a pet and ANY monster you come across in the game can become your pet. Basically, monsters have a chance to drop "themselves", and you can summon them to fight with you and level them up and all sorts of stuff. The pet customization is VERY extensive. You can choose skills for your pet, allocate its stats, increase the amount of stats it gets on level up, rebirth it to hopefully get better base stats or a different mood (explained at the end), enchant it up to +10, disenchant it into pet upgrade mats (kinda morbid seeing as you can get humans as pets), and combine two pets into one. Pets also come with one of six different "moods" (essentially classes) which each give their own stat bonus to the pet, and determine which skills it can learn. From what I've heard, a really good pet can be comparable to a poorly geared player in terms of damage.

    Strill on
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Been playing all throughout the day when I have time. It's definitely solid.

    Zombiemambo on
    JKKaAGp.png
  • TheLawinatorTheLawinator Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Played for a bit, realized it was like every other free to play mmo out there, uninstalled disappointedly.

    TheLawinator on
    My SteamID Gamertag and PSN: TheLawinator
  • MorvidusMorvidus Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Not a bad game.

    Scorpion King vs. Dragon Emperor vs. Odin vs. Zeus vs. Jesus vs. Allah vs. etc...

    Also, I have a fucking Spartan as a pet. A SPARTAN!

    Morvidus on
  • sidhaethesidhaethe Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Yeah, I played this for a few hours last night, which is more than I can say for any dungeon crawler to cross my desktop before. My fiance is also officially on-board now that he sees you can potentially get any mob in the game as a pet.

    The game's Asianness is pretty apparent with the random groupings of mobs that all hang out with each other very conveniently in a field, but with the added aggro it's easy to get overwhelmed, which doesn't seem like the best joining of both worlds. Hopefully they can get this sorted out, because the game itself is pretty fun all things considered, and it looks great.

    sidhaethe on
  • EliminationElimination Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Is this game actually open now? It was in closed beta for a long time.

    Elimination on
    PSN: PA_Elimination 3DS: 4399-2012-1711 Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/TheElimination/
  • AddaAdda LondonRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    The closed beta just started but it's pretty easy to get keys.

    Adda on
    steam_sig.png
    I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
  • MorvidusMorvidus Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    As long as you have an account with PWI, clicking "Apply for beta" will let you play without a key. It's basically open beta that requires one extra click.

    Morvidus on
  • Lord_MordjaLord_Mordja Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    So, uh does the combat actually play like an ARPG? Basically are you killing huge swathes of monsters all at once or are you going up to a monster and tapping 1...2...3...1...

    Lord_Mordja on
  • AumniAumni Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Got to level 20 and am turned off by a lot of things in this game.

    First of all, the combat is very stiff - it looks like an ARPG, and throws a ton of guys at you like an ARPG but you target one enemy and press buttons till it dies.

    The game is programmed to handle things server side then client side, so there is a delay between when you click an action/move and when it happens.

    The game rewards you if you stay on at least two hours with a 'Salary', there are links to the cash shop stuff in your inventory, bound to a hotkey, and below your map.

    The UI in general is very confusing at first but becomes slightly less jarring over time. The map itself doesn't rotate to the camera so it's very disorienting.

    The game is incredibly small and the quests can all be auto-walked to by clicking on their description so you don't have to look around. The monsters are strewn about with no rhyme or reason and it has all the traits of a Korean MMO in an attractive Diablo-esque style. The style becomes deceivingly corny very early on. Everyone will have giant floaty dragon swords with flames spewing out over the whole screen, diluting the illusion of power and uniqueness rapidly.

    Definitely not for me - and shouldn't be advertised as a Diablo clone, because it only shares the perspective and none of the gameplay.

    Aumni on
    http://steamcommunity.com/id/aumni/ Battlenet: Aumni#1978 GW2: Aumni.1425 PSN: Aumnius
  • RaakamRaakam Too many years... CanadalandRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    What Aumni said. I got to 25 because I wanted to ride my bigass wolf mount, but... it's unimaginative. The only neat aspect was leveling your pet, but that was pretty confusing with all the tweaks you could do to it. There's also no real explanation what tradeskill items do, bunch of crap being announced when you're in Atlantis, the music is pretty terribad, the sound effects equally so.
    It's just quest grinding to level, kill x amounts of such, proceed to next kill quest. The salary system also kind of put me off.

    Anyhow, it's a mix of Lineage grinding + micro transactions from Maple Story + Diablo perspective. If that sounds fun to you, that's your game.

    Raakam on
    My padherder
    they don't it be like it is but it do
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Shoot, I really enjoy it. My Mage is 46 right now, taking a break because CB ends on the 30th and I'm sure characters will be wiped.
    The game is programmed to handle things server side then client side, so there is a delay between when you click an action/move and when it happens.

    Hasn't happened to me at all. Everything feels quite smooth.
    The game is incredibly small and the quests can all be auto-walked to by clicking on their description so you don't have to look around. The monsters are strewn about with no rhyme or reason and it has all the traits of a Korean MMO in an attractive Diablo-esque style. The style becomes deceivingly corny very early on. Everyone will have giant floaty dragon swords with flames spewing out over the whole screen, diluting the illusion of power and uniqueness rapidly.

    That's not entirely true - there's very few really flashy things in the early game. The unique weapon you get around 15 (crab claws, bat wing staff, crazy fin sword) are pretty over-the-top, but it calms down right afterwards.

    Zombiemambo on
    JKKaAGp.png
  • MadpoetMadpoet Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    My girl is devouring this game, like whoa. In addition, she's playing a rogue, despite her severe aversion to melee classes. We spent a few hours just trying to make her the perfect teddy bear pet, only to have her decide she needed a spectre. The cute one, not the cool one from underwater. I can't shake the free-mmo vibe, but there must be something to it to grab her.

    Madpoet on
Sign In or Register to comment.