Ace Online

Ace Online

Developer(s) MasangSoft Inc.
Publisher(s) YD Online Corp. (Korea)
GameForge4D (Europe)
Suba Games, LLC (North America)
Axeso5 (Latin America)
Winner Online (Thailand)
VTC Online (Vietnam)
Yetime (China)
Gamon (Taiwan)
Arario Corp. (Japan)
Innova Inc. (Russia)
OhLaLa Interactive (South East Asia)
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date(s) May 26, 2006 (International)
September 26, 2008 (North American Relaunch) [1]
Genre(s) MMO 3D Space Shooter
Mode(s) Multiplayer
Distribution Download

Ace Online and Air Rivals are free-to-play massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), 3D shooter, developed by MasangSoft and owned by YD Online Corp.[2]

History

In North America, the game was previously released as Space Cowboy Online. Space Cowboy Online '​s client was made available for download in May 2006.

The Gala-Net version of Space Cowboy Online, was shut down on December 26, 2007. This was announced to the public with a letter from Space Cowboy '​s last active GM, "Xarfox".[3] Yedang, the owner of Ace Online '​s license, decided to run its servers themselves, as Ace Online International.

In November 2008, Yedang also shut down the Global version which they hosted, presumably due to lack of players.

Ace Online is known as AirRivals in the European versions. Originally, the European version was going to be called Flysis,[4] but the name was later changed. In Vietnam the game is called Phi Doi.

Gameforge GmbH and Suba Games are currently hosting the European and North American versions of the game respectively, although both also cater to players worldwide and have an international playerbase.[5][6][7]

Arario Corporation has acquired the license to host ACE Online in Japan and launched sometime in the first quarter of 2009.

In 2011, the first release date for the Episode 4 release for the North American Ace Online was given. It was released on November 15, 2012. In February 2011, Axeso5 officially opened the first Latin American ACE Online server.[8]

Gameplay

Collected kill points dependency on player level

In Ace Online, players pilot their own individual starfighters (called "Gears") throughout a number of maps, including terrestrial, lunar, and space maps. It has typical MMORPG elements such as leveling, currency, a skill system and combat mostly based on player equipment and level. Ace Online is a largely player vs. player-oriented game (PvP), with character leveling and item acquisition achieved through combat against non-player characters and the completion of missions. After completion of certain missions, more maps will be accessible to the player. Although a high level character will have better character attributes than most other players, no one at any level is invincible against other players in PvP. As in other MMORPGs, players can trade items, customize their gears, form parties ("formations") and guilds ("brigades"), and fight with other players via PvP combat. Almost all of the combat in Ace Online is aerial, from the third-person view. Players have the option to use an in-cockpit, first-person view.

When players create their account, they can choose their fighter, each with different play styles.

Item shop and enchantments

Ace Online is a free-to-play MMO, with the option of buying in-game items via an "Item shop" that can be only accessed whilst in the "Hub City" or "Supply Shop" from bottom right corner of the screen or the shop. In the International Ace Online version, a player can only purchase the items from the "Item shop" using yecoins that has been bought through Yedang website via a Ace Online account. There are many items available to purchase that affect sgear's weapons (e.g. change the trail effect of the missiles), stats (e.g. resets or partial resets of stats), experience (e.g. increase experience rate) or others for a limited time. This item shop was made available to players on June 23, 2006.

The Cash Shop also includes "Weapon Gamble", "Enhancements", Enchant Protection" and "Legending" services. Weapon Gamble allows weapons to be "gambled" and enchanted. This card randomly gambles the weapon stats with prefix and suffix to add extra attributes to the weapon. "Enhancements" affect a player's weapons and armor, to boost performance such as having faster missiles, higher rate of fire or damage. To limit the power of weapons and armour, only five enchantments can be applied safely to a piece of equipment. For the sixth enchant and onward there is a chance to break the weapon.

Nation War

Ace Online offers a PvP system of "Nation Wars", which revolves around a point system: "National Contribution Points" (NCP). The two nations in question are Bygeniou City United (BCU) and Arlington National Influence (ANI). Every time an enemy gear is shot down, the shooter's nation gains 1 NCP. NCP are also gained for other events, such as Strategic Points, Mothership wars, and Arena battles. Arena battles usually give a small amount of NCP compared to Strategic Points and Mothership wars.

One of the most popular areas for these unorganized battles is "Bark City". Usually within bark city someone may alert that BCU are killing the NPCs of Bark City or that they are in fact killing the few ANI that go there, as more ANI show up, more BCU also show up.

Duels

Players can challenge other players in an 1 on 1 duel, or a formation battle (up to 6 players per formation).

Notes and references

  1. Wicked Interactive Official Launch of ACE Online
  2. "YD Online Corp (052770) Company Profile - CorporateInformation.com". Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  3. GM Xarfox. "Space Cowboy Online". Archived from the original on 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  4. Nuntal Games MMORPG and Strategies. "flysis: Nuntal Games MMORPG and Strategies". Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  5. Gameforge 4D GmbH. "Welcome to AirRivals!". Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  6. WICKED INTERACTIVE Ltd. "ACE Online - SUBAGAMES.com". Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  7. "Wicked Launches Ace Online…Again".
  8. "¡ACE online latino lanzamiento oficial!".

External links