With unscrupulous folks going around these days trying to rob MMORPG players of their hard-earned in-game money, it's no wonder that Codemasters is doing something about it.
 
From now on, Rising Force Online and ArchLord players will have to go through an extra layer of protection before they can play. More on this takes place in the full article, right after the jump.

For those of you who haven't visited the MMORPG Archlord for the past couple of days, be informed that Codemasters had already applied the Christmas patch for the game. Archlord, for the uninitiated, will remain live during the holiday season.

If you run into problems because of this patch, you need not worry as Codemasters had already increased its internal support for the game in a collaboration with Canada-based company Alchemic Dream. The full details after the jump!

If you see some new folks over at the official Codemasters forums and inside their games, don't be surprised.The Codemasters Online support team recently announced that they're expanding their internal support services by reintegrating Alchemic Dream into their internal support structure.

More on the reintegration after the jump!

Codemasters has announced a special experience and treasure-gaining event for all the Archlord MMORPG players out there. It's called the Archlord Double XP and Drop Extravaganza, and it's actually happening right now!

Find out more about the event after the jump!

 

In a recent interview with the guys at the Multiplayer Online Games Directory website, the Archlord Community Team stated how the next expansion to the MMORPG (which would be Episode 3) is currently in development and in all likelihood will still be free.

According to the team, Archlord from Codemasters is unlike other MMORPGs in terms of how it acquires its revenue. While MMOs like Guild Wars for example, which is also free-to-play, revenue is acquired through the purchase of expansion packs for the game. In Archlord however, revenue is acquired when players "purchase optional consumable enhancements for their characters."

Owing to this fact, the Archlord Community Team is still confident that the next expansion, like the current one, will still continue to be free. Hopefully this will be true for other future expansions.

 

Codemasters has released the latest set of patch notes for their free-to-play MMORPG ArchLord, ensuring that folks everywhere can enjoy quality MMO gaming for absolutely no cost. The latest patch's biggest improvement seems to be compatibility for Windows Vista users, but there are also numerous gameplay fixes and tweaks made available for gamers.

Without further ado, here are the patch notes:

• Option Window updated
• (For Effect Advanced, skill effect changed to have On/Off instead of High/Med/Low)
• (New option added "Loot Item" which turns on Monster loot item names when dropped)
• New Launcher updated (Window Vista compatibility)
• Emotes for German/French version fixed
• Numerous localisation updates
• Archlord skills for German/French version now working
• Catapult deadspots fixed
• PK level restriction changed from 15 to 30
• Items not in game but in AH removed
  
• (Shield items above level 71, Armour set above level 83)
• Rensphere map data changed
• Packet and login process changed
• Level up message changed for PvP
• Guild window text changed (Guild/Guild member information)
• Various collision issues resolved
• Change text on Chantra passport from 'Prohibited Mine' to 'Forbidden Mine'
• Guild Npcs restored (players will be able to use the various npc features again)

ArchLord is free to download from their website and is also free-to-play. If you'd like to try your hand at becoming the lord of all Chantra, then feel free to visit the website below and sign up for the game.

  

Five new screenshots have arrived from ArchLord featuring armored men and their armored mounts. The screens also showcase the world of ArchLord: from courtyards to deserts, from dawn till dusk. The screens come after the announcement of the expansion to the world of Evangarda.

One of the warriors has an exceptionally piece of armor that looks like it can kill just by rubbing against you. Two very aggressive looking mounts are also featured in the screenshots: what looks to be a rhinoceros and a lion fully decked out in their own armor (infinitely more interesting than the single mundane horse out in the courtyard).

    

ArchLord is expanding, and you are all invited to go check out the new world, Evangarda. Here, Codemasters Online is giving players a treat by giving them new opportunities to create new characters in an entirely new world, and all from the same starting level.

To coincide with the launch of Evangarda is a week-long treasure hunt, as orchestrated by Codemasters. The treasures that are up for grabs are no measly trinkets, mind you. Rather, we're talking about hundreds of silver, gold and platinum chests spread and hidden throughout the new world of ArchLord.

Apart from the launch of the new world, Codemasters also have something else to celebrate, in the form of the 600% growth in the numbers of players ever since they moved to a 100% free-to-play MMORPG last month.

Says Adam McGowan, Codemasters' Product Marketing Manager, "We are incredibly pleased to see the recent surge of new players entering the game service further with yet more new game content coming online in the forthcoming months."

 

Let's face it: with a name like Icecube, you'd never expect to be crowned king of anything. Despite that though, working together with your guild to become the most awesome of players is certainly a mean feat, no matter what your name may be. Thus, we are actually quite pleased to announce that after almost a year of play, Codemasters has come out with ArchLord's first ever world leader: Icecube.

For those who don't know him yet (As loyal vassals, you probably should!), ArchLord Icecube is a level 77 Human mage from the Genesis Brumhart server, and he commands the Genesis guild.

According to the laws of Chantra, the one who's able to stake his claim to the ArchLord's throne will be able to command the elements, call forth dragons, and become master of the taxation ledgers! We're not sure if you can really call dragons, but for the next month or so, ArchLord Icecube will be able to influence certain aspects of the game. Not only that, he's now the only player-character in the game who'll be donning the ArchLord armor, the exquisitely crafted piece of defensive goodness you see above.

Only time will tell if he'll be able to keep his crown, but one thing's for sure: nobody forgets their first ArchLord. Congratulations to Icecube!

If there's one thing that beats having a game become free to play, it's having that same game become completely free. Codemasters Online Gaming's ArchLord has now adopted a "100% free" gaming stance by introducing downloadable game clients for people to play ArchLord.

According to this new scheme, players can now forego buying the game from stores. Instead, they can download the game and grab an authorization key through the ArchLord website. To compensate gamers who recently bought the game, however, Codemasters is offering credits for their in-game microtransaction system so that players can buy additional goodies for their character.

It certainly looks like an impressive way to draw in more players, as there's almost no way you can lose out. The only question is, are you going to try to become ArchLord too?