The Online Gaming division of Codemasters has just announced the launch of the first major content expansion for RF Online, which is now live on all servers. This Giga Expansion brings the game to version 4.1, can be downloaded free of charge and adds some highly-anticipated features, including:

• A brand new battle dungeon spanning across multiple zones, called "Dark Hole", also featuring a pit boss players can try to defeat
• An upgrade for the existing battle dungeon, which adds 24 new instances and should provide more challenges now
• A new Battle Mode System, designed to improve and deepen RF Online's PvP combat
• Four completely new class skills, and updates to the 12 skills that already exist
• The new Guild Manager NPC, coming with an improved guild management system, making guild formation as well as the whole process of guild administration easier
• New range of ammo for the existing weapons, leading to more equipment variety
• The innovative "Representative Chat System", where guilds can talk to each other in a patriarchal kind of way
• An upgrade to the Chip War Quest System that adds new user interface elements to Chip War participants
• A Macro System, bringing auto settings for a streamlined playing experience - Auto Action, Auto Potion and Auto Chat
• New items for the crafting system

Ed Blincoe, Product Marketing Manager at Codemasters Online Gaming, said that this expansion shows how RF Online "has gone from strength to strength", demonstrating the company's "continued commitment and support for the game". With even more content updates on the way, RF players should better have a lot of free time on their hands in the future.

Finally, here's some screenshots showing the new Dark Hole battle dungeon, along with other features of the Giga 4.1 expansion.

   
   
   
   
   
 

While most of the design team working on Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar focus on specific characters, objects and locations actually described by tolkien/2288" id="tag" title="">J.R.R. Tolkien, there's a group of people whose job it is to work on other items not described by Tolkien but are "stuff" you know has to be in there somewhere.

For instance, tavern signs - what do those look like? How about a hobbit's wardrobe (they're very fond of clothes, after all) or larder (remember, they eat six meals a day when they can get them)?

The Lead Content Support Artist is the gaming world's equivalent to the film or theatre world's propmaster. It's Rick Schmitz' job to design and supervise the "little things" - objects that may be ordinary (like writing quills, drinking mugs, sideboards), extraordinary (great stone gateways, troll armor, Aragorn's crown and scepter) or mysterious (ancient rusted weapons from the First Age, broken pottery sherds). Although we as gamers may take stuff like this for granted - or may not even notice it - these objects comprise the little details that bring virtual worlds to vivid life.

Take a look at these sketches. You're probably going to see these objects in the game soon - and you'll have to admit, there is some real craftsmanship here. These things may not be significant in the Grand Scheme of events in Middle Earth, but they definitely make Middle Earth a much more real place.

  

Martial arts is not just about hand chops and flying kicks, there's also the armaments. 9Dragons, the first authentic martial arts MMO, will showcase the weapons that reflect the period of the Ming Dynasty. Developers of the game have gone through laborious research to get as much authenticity as possible.

9Dragons has seven categories of weapons: Gloves and claws, staffs and staves, polearms, swords, sabres, axes, and spears, and daggers and wheels. Popular shurikens and nunchuks have Japanese origins, hence they have not found their way in China. But that doesn't mean they won't make an appearance in the game. Players who travel far and wide might just get lucky.

In the game, each clan uses the very same weapons that their historical counterparts used. 9Dragons is designed to reward you for thinking about your style of fighting before you decide to join a clan. The basis of the Chinese martial arts is unarmed combat (think Kung Fu). It's for this reason that all the clans have to use gloves in basic training. They're for protection and have very little additional attacking power. Staffs and staves, on the other hand, are used for fast variations and continuous attacks.

Polearms are used by Shaolin monks and are considered "the father of all weapons" because they are easier to handle for a beginner. They give a tactical advantage because they can be used further away from the arms. Of course, there's the familiar sword. Those obsessed with swordplay. like the Tai Chi initiates of Wu-Tang Clan, would agree that they're the most difficult weapons to master. Heroes of the Wu-Tang clan are considered great swordsmen. Giving swords a competition are the sabres. While a sword has two sharp edges, a saber only has one. Using it may give you less attack variations, but since it's heavier, it generates a more powerful attack

For more aggressive style of fighting, axes and spears come to play. Spears are used for longer range fighting. When used by capable hands, they can dazzle anyone.

The lesser known weapons of the period are the daggers and flying wheels, but in the hands of an assassin, they are among the deadliest. They're ideal for women because they are small and lightweight. They're the weapon of choice by the Sacred Flower. The best use for a dagger is when you throw it an opponent from a distance.

Now that you're armed with the knowledge, use it to choose your clan wisely.