Goblin Spritesheet for Ironbane (pre-alpha MMORPG) WiP

Lately one of the projects I've been working on continuously has been a spritesheet for the game Iron Bane  (please visit the server and try out the game if you want to). 

A spritesheet is a collection of the various frames (still images), which together result in an animation.  I have been asked to make a spritesheet of a goblin that can move in 8 directions. After today's update two directions remain before I can begin to refine each frame with shadows and details. Here is the draft for the first six directions:

A Man-eating Plant!

Today I started on my first concept art for the game Ironbane . It represents one of the plants the players may be forced to fight in the game. First draft looks like this:

Man-eating Plant WiP

An Online Fantasy World You Can Visit Today

Walking down the spiral stairs for what seems like forever you finally arrive in the dark, damp catacombs beneath the Citadel. As you walk through a long, winding torch-lit corridor, seven heavy iron gates are unlocked in order for you to finally reach your shimmering destination. Before you - almost blinding you with the intensity of its bright white and blue light - stands the huge Portal of Dreams, capable of sending you to other worlds...

(today it is Moondale in the 3rd inquart, 0 S.D and a gentle drizzle is falling)




ver since I was just a little child I have been fascinated by how stories, fairy tales, books and - as I grew up - computer RPGs and MMORPGs seem capable of creating worlds existing within the real world. The idea with this post, that will hopefully one day grow into an entire fantasy universe (imagine a list with hundreds of Online Fantasy Worlds...that is what I call a smorgasbord) is to start collecting links to some of the available online fantasy worlds in one place.

Criteria for being included are at the moment:
- It is a fully developed, released MMORPG fantasy world (not in an alpha or beta state)
- It is totally free to enter and to experience at least parts of the world (registration will however probably be needed as it usually is)
- It must be an original world, no "clones" or fan versions of already existing ones
- It must be a browser-based world (no client download should be necessary)
- It must be a world described through the use of SOME kind of graphics (no text-based MUDs - Multi User Dungeons - at the moment, since then there are just TOO many to choose from)

Fantasytree tip #4: If you like or are curious about trying text-based MUDs I recommend you to visit The Mudconnector for more than one thousand MUDs to choose from.

I will try to keep this list up-to-date and to mark worlds that are no longer existing. But I am - as always - grateful for any feedback or suggestions I can get. If you feel that you have created a MMORPG world that meets the above criteria, simply write a comment where you give me the name of the world and your the address to your website and I'll come and take visit before I add it.

I won't provide any information at all about the different worlds (except that they meet the criteria stated above). Part of the excitement should be for you - and me as I will probably forget which world is which as the list grows - to find out more about and explore these distant destinations.

Shivering you enter the Portal of Dreams heading for...

(Recently visited by me)

More worlds to be added soon...


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Finding a Good Free MMO Game Online - A Step By Step Guide, Part 2

You are happy to once again turn your back on all the sounds of the market square and finding your way into the serenity of the countryside. The wise old man smiles as he opens the door and you soon find yourself sitting by his side in front of the fireplace. His calm voice is accompanied by the squeaking from his old rocking chair as he begins to talk...

(Today it is Squaredale in the 2nd inquart, 0 S.D. and clouds cover the sun this afternoon)





n the previous post in this guide you were advised to first decide whether you were looking for a F2P (requires download) or a browser-based MMO game. Done that? Great, then you're ready for:

Step 2A: Deciding the genre by picking your game (browser-based)

Fantasytree tip #1: If you are completely new to MMOs or feel hesitant about downloading a client it's wise to start with a browser-based game just to make sure you like the main game concept of MMO:s before you put down the extra time and effort it takes to find and download a client-based one.

The time has now come to decide whether you want to be a human warrior or a minotaur mage in a fantasy setting - or if you perhaps prefer playing a trigger happy bounty hunter in some future dystopia. In other words: Which genre are you looking for? And would you like a text/tile-based, 2D, 2,5D or 3D experience? (Welcome to the jungle...)

However, if you have decided on the F2P alternative you must also make sure your computer can meet the system requirements. We will look at that specific problem in the next part of this guide (Most of the general tips I give in this part apply to F2P gaming as well though, so keep reading...)

Let's start by focusing on the less complicated - but often somewhat limited - alternative of playing a MMO directly in your browser. (Path "A")

My favorite site when trying to pick a free MMO to play is OnRpg.com. However this approach requires you to define certain search criteria and compare ratings or reviews between different games in order to find your game. If you want an even faster way to find some of the very best browser-based MMOs I suggest you take a look at this list from the site Freebrowsergamer.com.

Fantasytree tip #2: Make sure that you also take a look at what is available for a "free" account vs. a "premium" account. Sometimes certain areas, skills, quests and items are only available for premium members. If you find that there is too much of a disadvantage to only playing for free, then there is really just one decision to make: Bite that sour apple and pay or simply find another game. (Personally I don't mind if I can't have all the most powerful items in a game, however I find it hard playing a game in which I know that some areas and quests - probably the most inspiring ones - will always be out of my reach unless I start paying a monthly fee.) Of course it is all up to every gamer to decide what is important for a rewarding experience. I recommend you to check these things BEFORE falling in love with - and dedicating a lot of time to - a game though.


Step 3A: Register at the site

After having picked a game what you do next is going to the site to register for a game account. You will probably have to submit your e-mail address in order to receive an activation mail for your account.

Fantasytree tip #3: Register an extra mail account at one of the free mail services that you use for all the different game accounts you will have to make in order to play the best of the available online MMO games. A "ijustusethisforgaming@ ... .com" account is really good to have when you don't want too much game related mails among your private ones.


Step 4A: Go to your mailbox and activate your account

Once you've found the "account activation mail" and your account is activated you simply - 5A: - log in and start playing (probably by creating your first character and perhaps going through some sort of tutorial)

In the next part of this guide we will take a look at in which ways your computer will perhaps limit your choices when it comes to which F2P (and B2P - Buy to play - or P2P - Pay to play) games you can actually play.

But let's end this part - and finish the guide as far as it comes to browser-based gaming by summing up:


The steps included in finding and beginning to play a good, free, browser-based MMO:

1. Decide that it's a browser-based (A) and not F2P (B - will be covered in the next part of this guide) MMO game you're looking for.

2A. Find a game you feel like trying - you can for instance use this list for that purpose. Don't forget to look at "free vs. premium account advantages"

3A. Go to the game site and register (submit that alternative e-mail address I suggested)

4A. Go to inbox and activate account

5A. Go back to game site, log in and enter another world...


I hope this guide was helpful to you. Please comment or mail me if you like/dislike it.

Don't miss part 3 (coming soon...)

Shadow of Legend: Going from Level 1 to 10 without a Fight!

Type of review: First impression
(Read OnRPGs full review of the game HERE)

Game: Shadow of Legend

Type of game: MMORPG, F2P (Item shop)

State: Open beta

ever before have I been able to gain 10 levels and a LOT of new equipment without fighting at least some low level enemies. Not until I gave the new MMORPG "Shadow of legend" a go. As a sort of "beginner's quest" the only thing you have to do (at least if you have chosen to play a combatant - I assume it's the same for every class) is to go from NPC to NPC in order to receive a new requests to go see a person, something that is really easy thanks to the autotracking feature. Simply click the NPC you want to go to and a route is automatically drawn on the map and your character goes there by itself (reminds me of the way Talisman Online and Myth War II is being played).

What first made me download SoL however, was the fact that it had a very detailed background story (five pages!) and chronicles about different events during the history of the world more than 10 pages!). Not usual for a F2P game to rest on such an elaborate ground.

Since this game has been developed also for users playing on their mobile phone, the 2D graphics are rather simple albeit detailed. This brings a sort of nostalgic feel to the game as you actually feel almost like playing a game from the good old Baldur's Gate era.

So far I am really pleased with what I have experienced in SoL (currently at level 11) and I will keep playing it in order to see whether this first impression lasts. If it doesn't I'll surely let you know.

Browserbased MMORPGs

rom time to time I find myself playing browser-based MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games. I will try to tell you when I discover new good browser-based MMO games. I'm especially fond of MMORPGs. (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, games like Wow, World of Warcraft). The most famous - and I believe most popular - browser-based MMORPG is Runescape.

Browser-based means that you don't have to download any client to play the game, you are able to play directly in your browser.

I also play many online MMORPGs that are free to play but you have to download a client. I hope I can help you through the MMORPG jungle and help you find the games you're looking for.