Frogster today announced that it will serve up the third chapter of Runes of Magic, titled 'The Elder Kingdoms' this May. Players can expect a new continent with unexplored regions, dungeons, a new skill system and an increase in the level cap to 60. Guild wars in the game will also be expanded with the addition of siege weapons.

'Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms' will take players to a newly rediscovered continent. Here the old kingdom of Dalanis lies in chaos and turmoil with plotters scheming behind the throne of the child-king Callaway. Little remains of the old glory of the ruling dynasty from the time of the legendary King Kalume. In total desperation, the people long for the return of the old heroes. So now it is down to all brave adventurers to support the young regent and bring order to the chaos. Level 55 and above adventurers will be able to take their first steps into a kingdom full of intrigue and uprisings when they enter the 'Thunderhoof Hills', the first territory in the 'The Elder Kingdoms'.

This is where a new zone concept comes into play in Runes of Magic. The design template for the new continent has moved away from closed, themed territories and has evolved into extensive, versatile and varied landscapes. So players who journey to the 'Thunderhoof Hills' will first enter the forests and pass by waterfalls and then enter one of the three new cities to trade and meet other players. Within the same zone, players can explore a mystery shrouded graveyard of long dead kings. One of the new instances, the 'Dungeon of Dalanis', leads adventurers into the world of shadows beneath the 'Thunderhoof Hills'. Here terrors lurk that are of such a dreadful nature they can only be overcome by utilizing every power from your group.

The history of the old kingdoms of Runes of Magic will be told in Chapter III through many new quests. Level 55 and above adventurers will become familiar with a new skill system where they can select from a pool of special abilities which will then be available to them in combat. There will also be plenty of opportunities to try out these new abilities in the new chapter, including in conflicts with other guilds. 'The Elder Kingdoms' also expands on the existing opportunities which guilds have to equip their castles with new buildings. Rival guilds will also be able to lay their hands on siege weapons. Quests for whole player communities, Player vs. Player rankings and reward systems, as well as a new battlefield – the 'Tyrefen Mountains' – bring additional depth to the PvP game. Three further mini-games have also been built into the game.

Frogster is already releasing some initial content from the third chapter in the run-up to launch in May. A zone from the new continent, as well as various opportunities for guilds to upgrade their castles, will be released in April to get people geared up for the official launch. Runes of Magic 'Chapter III - The Elder Kingdoms' will be a free download and free-to-play. Polish language version on the starting blocks – Frogster is also continuing the localization of Runes of Magic and the Polish open beta begins on 16th February. The official release date in Poland is 2nd March.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 5:32 pm and is filed under MMO News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.