f13.net

I don't think Tales Weaver (TalesWeaver?)  has been mentioned at f13.  It's a sprite-based Korean MMORPG similar to Ragnarok Online.

Homepage: http://www.talesweaver.co.kr
Pretty screenshots: http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesweaver/index.html

I don't know Korean so it's hard to determine what state the game is in currently.  It looks like open beta.

Of course, I'm sure it will have all the standard pitfalls of its predecessors: limited character variety, centuries-long treadmill, rampant kill stealing and camping, duping, hacks, unchecked griefing, not to mention a terrible English port (if any).

Anyway, the screenshots are pretty.

2D cell games can be a bit misleading.   Sure, they're of hand-drawn quality, but they often animate poorly against a static, nonchanging background.  

Looks like this particular one has a sort of Disgaea artistic style to it (when outside of the Item World backgrounds, which greatly emphesized function over form).

Asheron's Call 2, now there's a gorgeous game.   Unfortunately, the gameplay was dull enough to be genuinely depressing.   Here's hoping that this particular game is better, but I wager it's probably yet another Lineage clone.

If there ever was a proof needed, that you can't judge other people's taste in anything, this would be it.

I, personaly could not stand playing this.

On the other hand, I have been playing  this (http://gunbound.co.kr/[/url)

/shrugs

You showed us pictures of this game? Why do you hate us so?

R.O.S.E Online looks better. A LOT Better. Here's a screenshot archive: http://www.roseonline.co.kr/Community/UserSShot.asp

That said:
(http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesweaver/ss-024.jpg)

HOLY FUCKING KEKE ZERGRUSH++. ^_^

Personally I think the first game posted by the OP looks better than R.O.S.E. at least going by the few screenshots.  How they animate will be the determining factor though.  Neither one looks very appealing to my eyes as a game I would be caught DEAD playing.  *shudder*

I think it looks nice. It has a very clean look to it, that a lot of 3D games lack.

It's hard to do something like 2D MMORPG though, because 3D makes it a lot easier to swtich out helmets, armors, swords, etc.
--
About AC2, the animation was *atrocious.* Your walking speed and the movement of your feet were completely disjoint...I noticed that 5 seconds into the game.

RO had a few things going for it.  For instance, the fact that apparently Koreans find sadism entertaining and the treadmill fresh.

As for this game....didn't Lineage 2 show us just how pretty Korean games can be?  (If the gameplay is genuinely entertaining I apoligize for comparing it to L2)

As for the one schild linked to :
(http://img.roseonline.co.kr/images/SShot/screen16.jpg)
I'm at a loss for words to describe that facial option.

I agree with the original poster -- those Talesweaver backgrounds are gorgeous with a detailed "painterly" look you just can't get with 3D graphics at the moment. The R.O.S.E. screenshots remind me of WoW except with super deformed characters. Having played enough Japanese (S)RPGs I don't have a problem with the "cutsey" look of the super deformed characters either.



That's not any different than UO, and in fact looks better since you don't have the bizarre capitalization and all-caps "yelling" in Japanese like you do with Roman alphabet languages.



It can be more work to have to "render" objects at multiple viewing angles for 2D sprites (though there are tools to automate this sort of thing if you start with a 3D object) but as games like UO, Diablo and even The Sims have shown it's certainly possible.



Yeah that guys looks like he's on some serious drugs. I love the sunglasses on the little one, though.

After those screenshots, I am going to cut my eyeballs out, with a rusty spoon.

Thank you so much for sharing.


Off to work

Did someone say rusty spoon?

(http://www.fat-pie.com/saladfingers.jpg)

SALAD FINGERS (http://www.fat-pie.com/salad.htm)!

Sweet merciful crap salad fingers is fucked up.

As for the kekemmogs. BAAAAAAH! After Fung Wan Online. NEVER AGAIN  I TOUCH A MMOG OUT OF THE EAST!

I played the Korean beta of Tales Weaver. It was a pretty blah Diablo clone with clumsy controls, boring combat, and good music. It certainly was pretty though.

All Asian art in these games makes me stabby. Any time someone says something looks beautiful and links to a pic of a nice background with a big-titted anime chick, I die a little inside.

I'd trade all the big-boobed avatars in the world for a game that doesn't make me wish we'd dropped more bombs over there.