PangYa

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PangYa
Image:PangYa.jpg
Developer(s) Ntreev Soft
Publisher(s)

Flag of South Korea HanbitSoft
Flag of the United States GameFactory Inc. and OGPlanet
Flag of the People's Republic of China T2 Entertainment Inc.
Flag of Japan Gamepot Inc.
Flag of Indonesia PT Boleh Net Indonesia
Flag of Thailand Ini3 Digital Company Limited
Flag of the Philippines Level Up! Games Inc.
Flag of the Republic of China Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Flag of Singapore Asiasoft Corporation
Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of France Flag of Germany Flag of Spain GOA
Version Various across different servers
Platform(s) Windows
Genre(s) Golf
Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer
System requirements Celeron 500 MHz or higher, 128 MB of RAM, DirectX 8.1
Input methods Keyboard, Mouse

PangYa (Korean: 팡야, lit. "Bang!"), is an online multiplayer casual golf simulation game designed by a Korean development company, Ntreev Soft and published by Korean online game publisher HanbitSoft. The full game is free to download, although certain special items for the game (such as clothes for characters, new equipment, and decorations) can only be purchased with real money. However, all characters are purchasable without real money, and certain measures have been taken to minimize or effectively reduce the differences between money users and non-money users. The game awards players with Pang, a currency that can be used to upgrade a character, or items to gain the upper hand during a course.

PangYa currently has servers in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Europe, the Philippines, China, Singapore (serving Southeast Asia as well) and the US (known there as Albatross18), with plans to expand to more English speaking countries. However, the Philippines server has ceased operating effective 21 January 2008. Southeast Asia server will cease operation on 25 August 2008.[1]

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

A typical screenshot featuring Scout (left) with Papel (right).
A typical screenshot featuring Scout (left) with Papel (right).

The gameplay is designed similar to most other golf games. The power and accuracy of a shot are determined by a meter located at the bottom of the screen, using the "three-click method": one click to activate the meter's bar, one click to set power, and one click to set accuracy. Clicking is either done by moving the mouse pointer over the bar and clicking, or simply pressing the space bar.

The game's graphics look more like that of a Japanese anime than real golf, and many features are derived of creative imaginations rather than realism. For example, players have the option of using golf clubs that resemble household products or baseball bats, courses such as Silvia Cannon and Wiz Wiz are set in fantasy realms, and certain special shots that are physically impossible can be performed.

[edit] Characters

The playable characters of the game. As of PangYa season 4, there are nine. One character is given to you as soon as you register for the game, depending on the gender you specify. All the other characters must be purchased either with Pang or in packages with certain items or clothing, via the Cookies, Astros, or A-Cash systems.

  • Scout (Korean: Nuri) - Invited by Pipin to PangYa Island after she saw his love for golf.
  • Hana - Invited by Quma to PangYa Island after he saw Hana's love for golf, as well as the excellent control she has on the ball.
  • Uncle Bob (Korean: Azer) - An ex-cop, invited by Lola to PangYa Island. He is only a beginner, but brags as though he's been playing the game for years, and often gets himself into trouble.
  • Cecilia - A captain on the naval battle cruiser Silvia.
  • Max - A professional tennis player from Britain who ended up on PangYa Island due to an airplane accident. He joins the PangYa tournament after hearing that the captain of the navy would be entering in the hopes of realizing his dream of joining the military.
  • Kooh - A pirate and the captain of the crew Lunar Tomb. She is trying to find her father who went missing after the Battle of the Demon King.
  • Arin - The first female in a long line of excellent magicians on PangYa Island. She practices PangYa all the time in the hopes that she can meet Max, and play a round of PangYa against him.
  • Kaz - A descendant of the Demon King. He lost his memory due to the trauma of his lover dying to save him.
  • Lucia - An idol singer. She enters the PangYa tournament to show that her voice isn't the only talent she has in PangYa island.

[edit] Caddies

Caddies are secondary characters in the series who stand by the player character, guiding them and giving them tips. Some caddies are hired on a monthly salary, while others are paid for once, using paid currency such as Cookies or Astros. Caddies can develop a liking for you if you say things such as "I love you (caddie)" Caddies include:

  • Papel (Korean: Bongdal) - A shopping bag created in PangYa to help in shopping. Gives +1 Control
  • Pipin - A Cross Chronos fairy, she invited Scout to the world of PangYa. Gives +2 Power.
  • Dolfini (Korean: Dolfiny) - A special species of dolphins, Dolfini dreams of being able to fly one day. He has a small umbrella left behind by his late mother to ensure a safe landing. Gives +2 Spin.
  • Quma - An impulsive young man from the Libera tribe, who invited Hana to PangYa Island. He believes actions speak louder than words. Gives +2 Curve.
  • TitanBoo (Korean: Titangboo) - A large polar bear from the Ventus area of PangYa Island. He's very large, but wouldn't hurt a fly. Gives +2 Power and +2 Control.
  • Tiki - A mage in training, who looks up to her sister, Brie. She is never seen without her broomstick. Gives +2 Accuracy
  • Lola (Korean: Lolo) - The daughter of the Libera tribe's chief leader. She has a cheerful personality, and seems to be good friends with Quma. Gives +1 Spin and +1 Curve.
  • Brie (Korean: Cadie) - Tiki's sister, and an experienced mage. Has a carefree personality, but is very powerful; she was one of the mages who helped in creating the Mystical Phoenix ball to fight the Darkness Aura. Gives +2 Accuracy and +2 Control.

[edit] Terminology

[edit] Clubs

A player will start the game with the default golf club and as player progresses, they are given the option to purchase new clubs, either using Pang or Astros/A-Cash. Club sets differ from each other in term of stats provided, available upgrade slots, level requirement, and appearance. Just like in real golf, PangYa club sets contain 4 basic type of clubs, they include woods, irons, wedges, and putters.

[edit] Currency

The currency of PangYa is Pang. Pang is normally earned by finishing a hole at par or better, pulling off powerful shots, and making difficult chip-ins. Pang can be used at the Shop to buy equipment or items. Pang can also be used to upgrade equipment such as golf clubs, or the characters themselves, boosting their stats.
A cookie system has also been established on most PangYa servers which allows people to buy equipment and items using real cash. PangyaSEA's A-Cash system and Albatross18's Astros system (both of which are systems designed to allow their respective virtual credit systems use on multiple games) replaces the cookie system but are identical in usage.

[edit] Ranking

In PangYa, a ranking system is used. When you first create a character their level will be Rookie F. As you play more games in tournament mode or match play you will gain more experience points and move up in rank. A comprehensive look at the ranking system can be found here

[edit] Special Shots

In PangYa, special shots are achieved by doing different combinations of keys. The standard "perfect shot" is performed by hitting a shot that lands in the white bar, causing a voice to cheer "PangYa!". To add to this, under certain conditions, players can hit shots such as the Power Topspin, Power Backspin, and Power Curve, aiding them in avoiding obstacles or chipping the ball into the hole. More complicated shots can be achieved such as the Super PangYa, which adds 10-20 yards to a shot (depending on how many power bars are spent on the shot), and the Cobra, Tomahawk and Spike, which change the trajectory of the shot considerably.

[edit] Criticisms

There have been criticisms of bugs within the game. Most prominent is the disconnect bug that cuts users communication with the server at certain points during the game. This problem has reappeared during newly-completed upgrades to the Season 2 client. When users disconnect, their quit rate rises, which makes their acceptance to matches harder. Another common problem is the in-game lag created by users' slow Internet connection or when the disconnect bug is taking effect.

The reason for this bug is the fact the Albatross18 client is based on Korea's Pangya client. The Pangya client was made for a smaller region like Korea, Japan, etc. Albatross18 however, is open to most of the world, thus many players causes the servers to be unstable when trying to accommodate the many players from around the world.

[edit] Super Swing Golf (Wii)

Main articles: Super Swing Golf and Super Swing Golf: Season 2

First unveiled at Nintendo's E3 press conference during a montage trailer, Super Swing Golf was announced for the Wii gaming system. The game was in joint development by Ntreev Soft and Tecmo, was released on December 2nd, 2006, by Tecmo in Japan, and was released on December 12th, 2006 in the U.S. Super Swing Golf has been built from the ground up for the Wii but still shares similar attributes with the PC version of the game. The sequel to Super Swing Golf, Super Swing Golf: Season 2, has also been released, featuring new items as well as the Deep Inferno, Pink Wind, and Ice Spa courses from PangYa on PC.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Completion of PangyaSEA contract (2008-04-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.

[edit] External links

[edit] Official sites

Note: In exception to boleh.com, the links may not load in some countries as the IP through the countries will be refused connection.