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Black Gold Online
Black Gold Online Overview
Black Gold Online is an MMORPG by Snail Games that is set in a steampunk fantasy universe. Two factions — Isenhorst and Erlandir — battle each other for resources. You can choose to be human on either faction, or two unique races to each. Isenhorst possesses crafty dwarves and cunning vampires, while Erlandir boasts the blue-skinned Kosh and the mighty brutes. Players can choose to be three classes (dependent on faction); each class also has three different specializations. The amount of systems in the game is quite astonishing as well. Your questing can take branching paths, each path having different results. Players can also engage in mech based combat, which can be upgraded. Players can create custom spells by combining abilities they already have.
Isenhorst – (Steampunk) – Isenhorst draws its background on a future western setting accented by Victorian style mixed into a society run by Steampunk mechanisms. They carry all the hope and glory of the expansionist era along with the realistic modern dread of resource monopolization and limited supplies.
Erlindir – (Nature/fantasy) – built out of a combination of primarily Mayan and Polynesian cultures, but with plenty of reference to lesser known tribal societies from around the world. Transforming the natural world into living weapons to defend their bountiful landscape is the driving motivation of these people, seeing Isenhorst as a sharp corruption of their ideals.
BUVONT – Dynasty of Steam
Naturally all-embracing, these human families settled peacefully in the west after their exile. The Buvonts are smart, agile and exceptionally adaptive. Although the dwarves were the inventors of steam technology, it was the Buvont humans who militarized its power. The Buvontian dynasty is now accepted to be the ruler of all Isenhorst.
LOKEMEAN – Masters of the Forge
Molded in the unrelenting, harsh environments of Isenhorst, the Lokemean Dwarves are the creators of steam technology. The typical dwarf is stout and strong; most are greedy, some take their long beards very seriously. Dwarves are formidable opponents in close range combat; even their females have developed a keen sense for melee strikes. To make up for their lack of magical prowess, Dwarven technology is unmatched in power and endurance.
KOSH - Children of the Sun
The enigmatic Kosh are an ancient race that long ago ruled the lands now comprising the Magic alignment. The Kosh believe they are the children of the Sun God and that Black Gold—bestowed from this divine being—is what endowed them with exceptional intelligence and physical might.
YUTONIAN - The Fearless Blade
The Yutons were among the first to settle in the ancient land of Erlandir, one of the original races created by the Goddess of Light. Taken under the rule of Kosh as a protectorate nation, the humans were left alone to govern themselves. Capricious yet traditional, curious yet reserved: they are light on their feet and roam the forests freely.
2 more unannounced
Black Gold Online Screenshots
Black Gold Online Featured Video
Black Gold Online Beta Impressions
By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)
Black Gold Online is the latest game from Snail Games, creators of Age of Wushu. It uses a modified version of the Age of Wushu engine, and features a Steampunk versus Nature theme. The steam-based Isenhorst face off against the nature-loving Erlandir, mechs and dragons will clash in epic battles for the all-important "black gold" that the game gets its name from. Myself, I'm a huge fan of Age of Wushu, so I will be comparing the two games at various points in the review. It seems that Snail has everything they need for a great game, so let's hope they've managed to pull it off once again.
Character Creation
Similar to Age of Wushu, Black Gold has a large amount of customization at character creation. There's plenty of sliders to make use of and other options to make your character look unique right from the get-go. At creation, you will also choose your character's faction (and race), picking from one of four of the current races, and a class. Being a massive fan of both the steampunk and mech genres of fiction, I went with Isenhorst. As for classes, it seems that each race has nine classes to choose from, and although some of the names are different between the two factions, they mostly seem to be mirrors of the each other. These classes are your typical archetypes – rogues, support, tank, DPS, etc…
Besides character creation, there honestly is not much in terms of customization. Coming from Age of Wushu, this felt like a huge let down. When you pick your class, you're on a linear path from start to end. Abilities will unlock at certain levels, and upgrading abilities can only be done when you reach certain levels. As upgrading abilities seems rather cheap, you might as well upgrade everything.
In terms of equipment, there are more customization options. Obviously, you'll want to grab the best gear possible and Snail (at least so far) hasn't created a wide variety to choose from. You can, however, use various upgrades to improve the stats of your gear in certain ways. For example, you could choose to stack critical hit damage on all of your gear, or defense if you find that you're a bit weak. As far as I'm concerned this is a massive improvement over the (in my opinion) poor luck-based system that Age of Wushu used for equipment upgrading, where the stats on your gear were left up to RNGesus.
I much prefer the "You get what you see" philosophy over the randomness in Age of Wushu.
When I saw early videos of the game, I have to be honest and say I didn't think much of the graphics. However, after having actually got into the game to play, my opinion has changed a lot. Simply put, I feel the game looks great. The steampunk and nature designs are incredible. Mechs look intimidating and the Isenhorst cities look exactly like you would think a city in a steam-powered era would look – with cranes, gears, and smokestacks everywhere. The Erlandir cities and areas look superb as well, with most of the architecture seamlessly blending into the nature around it.
I loved going through the cities, just exploring them.
I also want to praise the skill effects and UI. Most of the skill effects look great, and I find that I actually enjoy watching fights because of how good they look. The UI has a nice sleek design, so it's not intrusive to the game and is also pleasing to the eye. It was very responsive and smooth as well. The last thing I want to mention (in terms of graphics) is how awesome the armor looks, even early on. It's completely bad-ass to see a skull with flaming eyes on your level 20 character. About the only place I felt fell short of the overall quality of the graphics were the basic motorcycles – they just looked like crap, and their clear reskinning of standard mounts with no realistic cycle physics made it all the worse.
The light also has a nice trailing effect when you move.
The World
The Isenhorst and Erlandir lands can be eerily similar sometimes. For example, while adventuring around an Isenhorst stronghold, you may come across cyborg wolves. And while you're in Erlandir lands, you may find yourself facing just regular wolves. I find stuff like this quite nice, as it shows you two ways of life and two different worlds that have collided. With Isenhorst you have zepplins or airplanes and helicopters, while Erlandir has boats pulled in the sky by dragons. Sometimes, it's incredible to see how these two different life-styles have accomplished (basically) the same thing in completely different ways. For that, I have to commend the lore-writers and world builders.
As of right now, the controls are generally an improvement over Age of Wushu. But there are some quirks. Some of which can be very annoying. There is a lot of customization when it comes to hotkeys and other "control options." If you're the type of person that likes to completely customize your controls, you won't be disappointed with Black Gold.
Something else that is important to mention is that Battle Carriers (or at least the Mech Battle Carriers) have both third-person and first-person mode. Personally, I prefer first-person mode as the view from the cockpit is great and the combat is very fun. To be clear, while you're in a Battle Carrier, there is no point-and-click – you will need to use your aim and (in some cases) timing to hit your targets. This is why I enjoy this part of the game so much.
This is how I feel the game was meant to be played.
So far, the community has been fairly nice. However, this may be due to the beta nature of the game. For the most part, the only people in the game currently are those who really want to be in. Because of that, a large number of the player-base is extremely helpful to new players. I had no issue finding a helpful guild who was willing to answer all my newbie questions. So far I haven't noticed any major negative aspects about the community.
Overall, there are a number of aspects I'm disappointed in when it comes to Black Gold's gameplay, with the questing being the most prominent. Although some of the stories behind quest can be interesting, the questing itself is boring "kill x of y" or "collect x of y" or "auto-path to X and talk to him." Basically the same crap that has been found in themepark MMORPGs for a decade. To me, this is a massive let down when compared to the freedom that Age of Wushu offered. As far as I understand it, the choice of going with a more quest-oriented approach with Black Gold was made so that it would appeal to Western audiences more than Age of Wushu did.
Black Gold has a pretty interesting exploration system. It seems there are numerous caves, dungeons, and other places for adventurers to get killed in, spread all throughout the land. Most of these are up to you to discover, often by accident. If you happen to be the first person to discover one of these locations, you will get a world announcement about it, letting others know that you have unlocked the cave/dungeon/whatever for everyone else. To me, this is a great system that encourages people to actually stray from the (rather linear) quest-lines to find something interesting.
Combat is a very nice hybrid of action and point-and-click, in my opinion. I found myself enjoying the combat a great deal, and fighting mobs was both challenging and fun in most cases. However, because of the mechs (which I will get into more later on), Snail kinda shadowed its own combat system a bit. How, you might ask? Simply because you can pull out your mech, or dragon, or whatever other battle carriers you might have, and ROFLSTOMP any mob. Whenever I come across a quest that has me killing a lot of non-sense mobs, I simply hop in my Reveler I Model Raging Flame and burn everything to a crisp using the flamethrower. It doesn't make for much of a challenge and because of that you will usually only end up using the actual combat system while in some of the PVP options, or in the various dungeons and instances. At the same time, I feel I would be more upset if Snail limited my use of the mechs. It's a catch-22 of sorts.
It's so easy, even an Erlandir could manage it.
Mechs (and other Battle Carriers)
Before I get into PVP, I want to talk a bit about the mechs, and Battle Carriers in general. In Black Gold, a Battle Carrier is any number of combat mount/vehicle. For Isenhorst, they take the form of mechs, tanks, and flying machines. Erlandir has dinosaurs, dragons, and other such organic-type beasts. As a mech fan, I chose Isenhorst as my faction and spent a lot of my time in mechs.
I love the amount of freedom you get while flying in the aerial Battle Carriers.
Now, there are a lot of different types of Battle Carriers, and most seem to fill a specific role and are best for countering certain other types of Battle Carriers. Some are great when fighting those on the ground, while others are better at hitting the more heavy Battle Carriers, who can deal the most damage and usually have the most HP. This variety when it comes to Battle Carriers is one of my favorite things about the game, and the reason I've had so much fun with it. It actually feels like MechWarrior sometimes.
On the subject of Battle Carriers, I feel I should make it clear that they are not mounts. Although, you could use them as mounts if you wanted (but I would advise against it as they require fuel and are usually slower than the mounts). The 'real' mounts are generally a lot faster than Battle Carriers and require no fuel to use and that makes them great for getting around. You will get your first mount in the first few levels, if you're Isenhorst this will be the Dwarven motorcycle. Later on you can get better (both in terms of speed and looks) mounts, such as a mechanical wolf. As far as I can tell, the mount system in Black Gold is not limited in the ways that they were in Age of Wushu – that is, you won't find your mount disappearing after thirty days, requiring that you buy a new one.
When it comes to PVP, there are a number of options. From the "territory control"-styled Energy Wells, to the Balanced Arena that puts you on completely equal terms with whoever you are facing. My personal favorite PVP option was the Bloodfang Citadel, which felt a lot like a Battle Carrier MOBA. It's a capture-the-flag style match where the use of Battle Carriers is strongly suggested, and because of that there are tons of them available for you to use (on top of the ones you already have in your garage). It's honestly a great way to test out the various Battle Carriers before putting in the effort to get them yourself, too.
I love how epic the fights can get in Bloodfang.
The Balanced Arena is a 1 versus 1 match where both participants are "balanced" so the fight can be as fair as possible. Even if one of the participants is level 30 while the other is 20, the fight is as fair as it can be. When you enter, your stats are altered to better match your opponent's. Of course, fighting someone that is level 40 (the current max level) can be quite difficult as they already have all their abilities available to them, while at a lower level you won't have all of yours. It is fun, though.
Crafting is very similar to how it was in Age of Wushu. You're only allowed to take one of the professions (which are Alchemist, Jeweler, Armorsmith, Tailor, and Blacksmith). You can gain recipes by purchasing them from the profession NPCs (and possibly by looting them, although I haven't confirmed it). There is also a stamina system, just like in Age of Wushu, designed to limit how much you can make in a single day. However, also like in Wushu, there are potions you can take to refill some of your stamina.
Fairly simple, fairly boring.
With crafting, the next question is usually "How does the economy work?" Well, similar to Age of Wushu, Black Gold uses a dual currency system. You have your typical gold/silver/copper coins used to trade with NPCs and whatnot. But you also have Black Gold, which is the currency that is used when purchasing the really important stuff or when trading with players. Probably the easiest source of Black Gold is the Sands of Time, but you can also gain them from participating in the Patch of the Warrior challenge or just by adventuring.
The Fluff
In terms of "fluff" that is available in the game, there are pets and costumes. Unlike in Age of Wushu, pets are relatively easy to come across in Black Gold and you will get your first very early on. Getting new ones didn't seem very hard, just requiring a time investment and in-game money. Costumes, at least for now, seem kind of limited. However, it could be that I wasn't looking in the right places. There are also combat pets that can be collected. Either way, there is sure to be a lot of fluff in the game for those that like that kind of stuff.
Looks more like a flea or bug, in my opinion.
The Cash System
I would like to close up by talking about how Black Gold plans to make a profit. So far, the only way they seem to plan to make money is through their "Sands of Time" system. Perhaps later on they will add a cash shop, but so far it seems like this will be their payment plan. Now, the Sands of Time system in general can be confusing and a lot of people were initially up-in-arms about it – who wants to pay for loot, right? However, it doesn't work quite like that.
As you adventure, your progress for that play session will be saved in a "Sands of Time." You can then purchase that Sands of Time to get some nice loot, or upgrades for your gear, or other nice things. To be clear, the stuff you loot during your adventuring isn't automatically put into your Sands of Time (as far as I can tell). And, when you get a Sands of Time, you can either refine it (for gear upgrades) or "gain" from it, receiving a nice item. You get two free Sands of Time each day, and after that you can use vouchers (which are purchased with real cash) to gain access to more Sands of Time.
Conclusion: Great
In the end, Black Gold is quite different than Age of Wushu. Although it's a traditional themepark MMORPG, it does have a few features that are very fun – namely the Battle Carriers and various PVP options. The Sands of Time cash system isn't as bad as I had initially feared, in fact it seems like a small part of the game (although it may become more important in the future). The game is not exactly what I had hoped it would be, especially after having experience with Age of Wushu and how unique that game is. However, it is the best Steampunk game I've yet to play. It portrays the setting perfectly, and the nature side of the game is just as diverse and interesting. I would say Black Gold is definitely worth playing, and I plan to continue playing myself!
Catch a previous write-up here:
Black Gold Online – An Early Look (Alpha)
By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)
Black Gold is the up-and-coming title being brought to us by Snail USA. Using an updated and modified version of the engine that was used in Age of Wushu, we will experience a world where steampunk technology and fantasy magic clash. The game has two factions, the nature-loving and magic using Erlandir Union and the techno-steampunk Kingdom of Isenhorst. As opposed to Snail's previous title, Age of Wushu, Black Gold will use a class and level system, with questing and other traditional MMORPG features playing a much larger role. The hope is that this more Western-friendly setting and familiar game mechanics will be more attractive to the North American/European crowd.
Before I continue, I want to stress that my experiences were within the alpha version of the game. This means what I write in this impressions article may not be true or accurate at a later date, and there's a chance for changes to be made to the game.
The Customization
Just like in Age of Wushu, you have quite a decent amount of customization. You can create the girl of your dreams, or that mutant guy from your nightmares. There's pretty much a slider for just about everything you could think of. Heck, there's even a boob size slider. About the only thing you might be able to complain about is the short supply of hairstyles to choose from.
That brings me into the races and classes. Right now, there are six races and four classes per faction (so a total of eight classes). The Kingdom has the human Buvont and Dwarf Lokemean, while the Union has the elvish Kosh and human Yutonian. The Upryian and Yuton races are not yet available in the Alpha version of the game. The classes fulfill the usual MMO archetypes: rogue-types, spellcasters, support, tanks, etc. If you've played WoW, or an other traditional themepark MMORPG, you'll find the classes quite familiar.
Something you'll notice is that the game looks great. Just like Wushu, there are a lot of amazing vistas to view, areas to explore, and you can have a lot of fun by just wandering around. However, I did feel that the Union areas were a lot more beautiful than the Steampunk zones. This is to be expected, as Steampunk is attributed as a dirty and gritty-type theme, but it also felt like the Kingdom zones were just of an over-all lower quality for the most part. I'm hoping Snail can do some touch ups to fix this.
I really wish I could provide some screenshots, but due to the NDA, I can't. When I first started playing, I rolled a dwarf assassin in the Kingdom and was a bit disappointed by the quality of the graphics. Later on, I rolled a human pyromancer in the Union and my mind was instantly blown as soon as I loaded in. The starting area for the humans in the Union is just plain amazing to look at. It definitely has a mystical fantasy feel to it, with a calm and homely nature. The architecture of the buildings in that area, combined with the music, remind me a lot of the Hobbit village in the Lord of the Ring films.
Something that will become apparent right off the bat is that questing is an important part of progression in Black Gold. Unfortunately, most of these quests are the typical-and-boring "kill X of Y" or "Gather X of Z" or a combination of both. The tediousness of these quests is slightly mitigated by the auto-pathing system in the game. There are also semi-spontaneous area quests that will appear that you and other players can participate in. For example, you might help hold off a horde attacking a city.
Generally, I was disappointed with the questing experience I found. The game is still in alpha, and there's still hope that the Devs can take player feedback into consideration and change the game, but I don't think that something that seems to be the core of the game will change much. I would have much preferred a modified Age of Wushu system, where you weren't forced to do mind-numbingly tedious tasks in order to progress your character. I honestly think this new quests-driven progression will be something that a lot of former Age of Wushu players will instantly not like after having experienced the more fun and laid-back progression in Wushu.
Combat in Black Gold is tab-target with a bit of an action twinge. The "action" portion comes from the dodging function and the importance of facing your target, which means movement is a huge aspect of a fight. Other than that, the combat is quite similar to any other themepark MMO. Depending on what class you choose, you might be using energy, rage, or mana as your class "resource" for using your abilities. For example, as an assassin you'll be using rage which is generated by using some attacks, such as your basic attack, and is consumed by using the more advanced attacks. Speaking of assassin, for those who like rogue-type classes, you can turn invisible.
It seems like all attacks are "AOE" in nature. Even the basic attack of my rogue is capable of damaging multiple enemies in one swing. As long as they're grouped up together and you can withstand their damage output, you can take out a group of enemies incredibly fast. This gives the combat a more intense feeling that kind of makes you forget that the combat is really just a tab-targeting system. Although, at least from what I've seen, the combat doesn't have the same complexity as Age of Wushu, which is a bit of a let down.
Magic, and ranged combat in general, seems to be about the same as in other MMOs. It had a very nice feeling, and I found it a bit easier (and more fun) than melee. Of course, I tend to roll a mage as my main in a majority of games a play, so I may be a bit biased in that regard. There's a mixture of instant, charged, and channeled abilities. One thing I instantly liked, and this is apparent for both melee and magic, is that enemies will sometimes literally be blown away when they die. It's a bit mean, but there's nothing more hilarious than hitting a rabbit with a fireball and watching it fly into a building or an NPC.
While I didn't get a chance to participate in PVP during the alpha, I have been told that just like in Wushu, PVP will be a huge part of the game. It was even described as one of the primary end-game features. I wasn't able to confirm it, but a few of the in-game alert messages I received gave the impression that there was a similar guild territory control system as Age of Wushu, guild bidding and all. It seems like the primary focus is taking control of special resource nodes.
The crafting system seems to be similar to Age of Wushu in some ways. For example, there is a stamina system, which the professions in the game use. This means you're limited to how much you can actually do per day which may promote the use of alts. It seems like high-end gear will make use of relatively hard-to-obtain materials, similar (once again) to Wushu. Crafting was one of my favorite experiences in Wushu, as well, so I'm looking forward to it in Black Gold.
General Gameplay
In general, the gameplay in Black Gold had a clunky feel. The combat was difficult to get used to at first, as I found it sometimes hard to get my character to face the right direction in a fight. Sometimes, he would seemingly turn around in a fight for no reason (but perhaps that is some-sort of combat mechanic?). The mounts, especially the motorcycles (which you get very early on), seemed to be a bit stiff. Being able to do impossible turns, and even turning while staying completely up-right, on a motorcycle feels a bit weird and sort of breaks the immersion. However, this is an alpha version of the game and there will hopefully be a ton of polish done before the game is released.
Speaking of mounts, each faction has their own style of mounts. As you might guess, the Kingdom has steampunk-themed mounts, such as motorcycles or robotic wolves. On the other-hand, the Union has organic mounts which you might expect from a fantasy setting. These mounts do not allow for combat, however there are "battle vehicles" that do.
The level cap is currently set to 40, which doesn't seem like it will take very long to achieve. I was able to get to level 20 in a relatively short amount of time. Perhaps the later levels will be significantly harder to achieve? Either way, the monotony of the leveling process will hopefully be broken up thanks to the hidden cave-dungeons, public events, and other similar features. More than likely, however, you will spend a lot of your time doing PVP battlegrounds, guild wars, open PVP, crafting, and instances.
Dungeons seem to be everywhere. There aren't quite the same as instances, as they're more like small caves that multiple people can enter to kill mobs and collect loot. There didn't seem to be much story to them, at least in the earlier areas. I did like the abundance of them, as I felt like I was discovering something new quite frequently. You feel like an adventurer that is exploring a new place, which is something a lot of new MMOs fail to convey.
The Sands of Time
Some of you may be familiar with Snail's experimental payment model for Black Gold. In this model, you essentially have to pay real money to gain access to some of the best stuff you picked up during your gameplay session once you log off. At least in the alpha, you got two free Sands of Time exchanges a day, which I guess makes it accessible to even completely free players. There were also hints of a "sand of time" auction, so perhaps players will be able to sell their sands to others for in-game currency. However, there also seemed to be a lot of different types of sands, and I honestly was completely confused about how the system worked.
A bit of tinkering made it seem like you could, depending on your accumulated "Treasure Value," gain access to better items. Once you get your Sand of Time, you can right click it and either turn it into an enhancement item (which could be used on equipment) or a piece of equipment. Opening the Sands of Time interface lets you see what pieces of equipment of enhancement items you have a possibility of getting when you use the Sand of Time, and I'm guessing the higher your Treasure Value, the better stuff you have a chance of getting. There was a "Items in save file" list of items as well, but I had no idea how to actually get those items. Like I said, the system was just confusing and I wasn't able to find any resources that explained it well, so all I had to go on was my own experimenting and best guesses.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use any of my own screenshots for this impressions due to the NDA. Hopefully my writing will be enough to convey what I've experienced, and the screenshots I've provided will placate you. Black Gold seems to be shaping into a good game that fans of both the fantasy and steampunk genres can enjoy. Personally, I have great hopes for this game as I love the steampunk setting and I had a blast playing Age of Wushu. This is definitely a game to keep your eye on in the near future.
Black Gold Online Videos
Black Gold Online Official Trailer
Black Gold Online – First Look
Black Gold Online – Dev Preview
Black Gold Online E3 Developer Preview
Black Gold Online Links
Black Gold Online System Requirements
Coming Soon. . .
Black Gold Online Articles
- Black Gold Online (Russia): Open Beta Test Underway - Posted on December 29, 2014
NIKITA ONLINE makes an announcement on the beginning of the open beta test for Black Gold Online: all the access limitations have been lifted from the Russian version of the game which is now fully available to millions of Russian-speaking users.
- Black Gold Online: Russian Open Beta Begins - Posted on December 8, 2014
NIKITA ONLINE opens a limited access to the early version of Russian Black Gold Online and receives a major inflow of users signed up for initial testing in number yet unmatched even by the most prominent of the company's previous titles.
- NIKITA ONLINE is to publish Black Gold Online in Russian - Posted on December 2, 2014
Russian version of the game is already scheduled for testing and is planned for taking a decent place among other titles available on NIKITA ONLINE's proprietary entertainment web-portal GameXP (http://www.gamexp.ru/) before the year's end.
- Black Gold Online: New expansion release date announced - Posted on November 19, 2014
Snail Games announced today the release date of the upcoming expansion to Black Gold Online, named "Bloodied Tides". The update will go live as a free DLC on November 24th. The new content will include:
- The MMORPG Disillusionment – Buy to Play Model Takeover? - Posted on October 6, 2014
Wait, hold on. A flat fee for all the content? Well, haven't we just come full-circle, then? That's called a box fee. We used to buy video games in boxes, you know in the days before the Internet sucked so many console gamers onto personal computers.
Similar games we recommend
- Black Desert - Black Desert is a sandbox-style MMORPG that offers a great deal for players to do.
- RIFT - Rift is a 3D fantasy MMORPG. Chose to fight against the coming apocalypse as a member of the Guardians or Defiant faction.
- TERA: Fate of Arun - TERA is a unique action MMORPG that lets you become a legendary hero. Instead of the traditional target and auto-attack featured in most MMOs, TERA requires your own skill in positioning, aiming, and timing your attacks to take down your foes. With seven races and eight classes to choose from, and a variety of skills, you can customize to suit your style, there will always be a variety of ways to conquer your foes!
- City of Steam: Arkadia - Take a look inside City of Steam, a browser-based steampunk MMORPG from Mechanist Games.


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Make a magical sensory tray for mark making and early writing using homemade fairy dust and exciting added extras! Such a fun way to ignite the imagination and enthusiasm for young children as they learn their letters and sight words in a playful, hands-on way!
Continue reading Sensory Writing in Fairy Dust

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Search Engine Optimization has been made a priority when designing the Business Success theme. In the code hierarchy, the main content block is placed before the sidebar regardless of the sidebar position, so it is crawled first by search engines.
- Style 1 (Yellow)
- Style 2 (Blue)
- Style 3 (Red)
- Style 4 (Green)
- Style 5 (Purple)
- Style 6 (Warm colors)
- Style 7 (Grey)
- SEO Friendly
- 7 Preset Styles (DEMO HERE)
- Cufón Fonts
- prettyPhoto Included for Images and Galleries, video and flash
- 10 Widget Areas
- Flexible Home Page Layout
- Custom Sidebars
- Sidebar Position Control (left or right)
- 2D or 3D Option
- Easy to Customize Admin Backend Options Page (Full Description)
- Unobtrusive Menu
- 960 Grid System
- Page Templates
- Custom Widgets
- Contact Page Template, Business Contact fields and E-mail form with North American phone number validation option
- Portfolio Section
- Easy to Apply Typography and Shortcodes
- Advanced Pagination
- Improved Search Results Page
- Nicely Styled Comments with Alternating Styles (threading is also supported)
Updates History:Update: 05.03.2012 (Version 1.2.2):
- Updated : Timthumb script
- Updated : prettyPhoto script to v3.1.3
Update: 26.08.2011 (Version 1.2.1):
- Updated : Timthumb script security update
Update: 24.04.2011:
- Added : Shortcodes for Dividers and Blockquotes/Pull-quotes
- Updated : Titles not showing in IE 9. It is a Cufón related update for file 'cufon-yui.js' version 1.09i, which is the same as 1.09 but IE9-compatible
Update: 22.06.2010:
- This update adds support for the new WP3.0 Menus system. The affected files are header.php and functions.php. For those of you who need more information please contact me through my prifile.
Update: 14.03.2010:
- This is a minor fix for the Search Box CSS. The text inside the Search Box appears a couple of pixels lower in FireFox version 3.6. (affected files: all styles/style(x)/css/style(x).css, (x) refers to the style # respectively; only 2 CSS identifiers have been updated beginning with line numbers 54 and 60)
Update: 25.02.2010:
- I've updated the eurofurence font type that is used with cufón in the headings and titles. It now includes all the glyphs available, so special accented characters should now be included. (affected files: scripts/cufon/eurofurence_500-eurofurence_700.font.js)
Update: 22.02.2010:
- Minor bug fix in the backend options page. A couple of fields like the custom logo field won't allow you to enter more than 10 characters in Chrome browser only. (affected files: 'b_success_options_page.php')
- Fixed some typos in the backend options page. (affected files: 'b_success_options_page.php')
- Minor color adjustment for the style of the Calendar Widget. If you're using the Calendar Widget you might want to download the theme again and replace the styles/ subdirectory. (affected files: all styles/style(x)/css/style(x).css, (x) refers to the style # respectively)


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Chicken Katsu (Fried Chicken Cutlet)
Chicken Katsu
Chicken Katsu is Japanese fried chicken cutlet with bread crumbs/panko. Easy chicken katsu recipe, served with Tonkatsu sauce.
In the United States, when people think of Japanese food, a few items spring to the minds: sushi, sashmi, chicken teriyaki, ramen, and tonkatsu. I believe not everyone loves sushi, sashimi, or ramen, but I think most people like the idea of fried meat. While many people love tonkatsu, or Japanese fried pork cutlet, many people don't eat pork. So, today, I am sharing with you a friendly recipe, chicken katsu (Japanese fried chicken cutlet) that is sure to please. I can assure you that even the pickiest eaters, including toddlers, love a piece of crispy, light, delicious fried chicken coated with a generous layer of panko.
Much like its close cousin tonkatsu (pork), chicken katsu is basically fried chicken cutlet coated with crispy Japanese panko (bread crumbs), served with a tonkatsu dipping sauce, which you can purchase from Japanese or Asian food stores. Traditionally, you coat the meat with flour, and then dip with beaten eggs before coating with panko. For me, I don't like the flour coating because I think it separates the panko crust from the meat after deep-frying, so I improvised my recipe. To make my chicken katsu extra crispy, I coat the chicken with two layers of panko. You can't go wrong with this trick as the end result is a piece of fried chicken cutlet with shattering crispiness. I also don't like the tonkatsu sauce on top of the meat, so I always have the sauce on the side and dip the chicken as I eat to avoid the chicken being soggy.
I shared this Chicken Katsu recipe a while ago on a website that I contributed to and thought my readers here on Rasa Malaysia would love it. Since I am making this for my son tonight, I shot some new pictures above and share it here. You can serve chicken katsu with steamed rice and some salad, enjoy!
RECIPE HERE: Chicken Katsu (Fried Chicken Cutlet)
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11 comments... read them below or add one
Chicken katsu always reminds me of Hawaii, where they serve it with rice and local macaroni salad with a sauce. Thanks for posting the recipe!
one of my favorite things to eat. It's fried. it has to be good. lucky for me I exercise and eat right most of time. So, I am not fat and my colest. is 140. but there are times when I absolutely have to have some fried chicken or pork cutlets.
Can't believe how simple katsu is! You reckon this would work in the oven? Can't deal with deep frying.
Amazing recipe and very easy way to prepare.Really it looks very taste.Thanks for sharing this.
Do you have a baked version of katsu? I like katsu but am afraid of oil.
I hv a list of food allergy. So egg is one of them. Please advise if there is somthing else instead of egg because without the egg, how the chicken stick wiyh crumbs. Thank you.
Enjoyed cooking your chicken katsu (cutlet) recipe. I use to add flour, but seeing your recipe says not to add flour just use egg & panko. We'll using these two ingredients alone is great it doesen't fall apart as when your adding flour. Thanks for sharing recipe as my boyfriend loves this dish.


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Im praying for your safety Richard. The advise that Nancy gave you is good. There are door and window alarms you can buy at Menards and when they try to open them they make a huge horrible sound. There are door blockers and motion sensor lights. And St. Benedict medals can be taped above your door with a Miraculous Medal. You can put them over all doors and windows and St. Michael prayers and Holy Water. I keep a baseball bat and flashlight in several places in my home and other weapons I won't go into here. I have them hidden throughout the house and my car.
Yes, it can happen in multiple events over relatively short timespans. I've had an attempted breakin at my residence twice in the last month. I now carry a fully loaded .38 around the house with me everywhere I go. As the deputy sheriff told me on Easter night, if he gets past the screen door, start pumping and keep on pumping.
At 5:25 this morning I woke up to find an intruder/burglar in one of my adjacent bedrooms ... I yelled that police were on the way and he ran down the steps and out the basement door that he had broken down to get in the house ,,, The nite before I had a guy trying to break down my front door at 3:15 am ,,, Don't think it was the same guy ... So, this was 2 nites in a row ... Needless to say I have spent all day at the police station and getting my door temporarily secured ,,, But tonite I am tired and on edge ,,,Can this happen 3 nites in a row? I live alone and am almost thinking of sleeping in the basement to guard the doors ... So, just asking for some prayers for calm and also wondering if anyone else out there has dealt with home break-ins?... It was so weird to see this guy 10-15 feet away, ,,, plusc not to be dramatut ic, bthinking he could have done whatever he wanted to me when I was asleep ... So, just hoping you all can send some prayers my way that this is all over...
Thanks & God bless ..
So bizzare that it would happen two nights in a row! Did you have a box for a new t.v./electronics out with your trash?
Prayers definitely on the way


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Wrestling dream come true Area boy wins trip to WWE event in reading contest
Saturday, April 6, 2013
STRATHAM — Dylan Aviles had just about forgotten that he'd participated in a Reading Superstar challenge with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
"Almost everybody, really," he said.
"It's awesome because he really did put in the work and read the books," his mother said.


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The APTD Center at Southeast Missouri State is dedicated to training teachers to teach Advanced Placement* courses and to the promotion of participation by high schools in the Advanced Placement* Program. The two Missouri AP* Centers at Southeast Missouri State and Truman State work closely with the College Board* to improve the quality of high school courses in the state through AP* offerings.
Southeast Missouri State University is again offering intensive, five-day Advanced Placement* Teacher Development Institutes to Missouri secondary school teachers who wish to teach Advanced Placement* courses. AP* courses offer a way for high school students to be recognized for studies done at the college-level during their secondary school years. AP* students may earn college credit or advanced standing at any of 4,000 colleges and universities nationally and internationally.
The AP* Institutes are designed to prepare secondary school teachers to teach college-level AP* courses, and to prepare their students for the AP* Exam. The primary focus of the Institutes is pedagogy; a secondary focus is the use of content in pedagogically effective ways. Each participant who has not previously earned graduate credit for the course corresponding to the chosen Institute session will earn three hours of graduate credit, graded (A-F), in accordance with the Institute's syllabus. The Institutes enable participants to understand and teach the AP* curriculum, to design, discuss and implement AP* pedagogical strategies, to develop resources and materials for use in AP* courses, and to develop an AP* course syllabus.
The 2015 Summer Institutes will be announced soon. It will be offered on the campus of the Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, MO (north side of St. Louis), July 13-17, 2015. All institutes are led by College Board* Endorsed Consultants.
The AP* Teacher Development Institutes are offered tuition-free to qualified Missouri secondary school teachers who reside and teach in Missouri. Participation begins with an application, which is available in this website, and the $30 non-refundable application fee is the only money collected with the application. Participants or their school districts will bear the cost of travel, housing and meals. Fees (tuition) for non-Missouri residents and teachers is $1503.00** for three graduate credits.(**Fees are from 2014. Fees may be subject for change in 2015.)
Please note that as part of the application you must submit a non-degree credit application, and provide a letter of recommendation from your school administrator. Since enrollment is limited to 25 participants per institute, apply early to ensure your place in the Institutes. School districts who submit multiple applications for two or more Institutes will be given priority in the selection process.
If you have any questions about these institutes or about AP* funding for students and teachers, please contact us at (573) 986-6179 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
We are looking forward to working with you this summer!
Michael Rodgers,
Director of Advanced Placement*Teacher Development
*College Board, AP, and Advanced Placement, are registered trademarks of the College
Used with permission.


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Liane Side Table
Designed to mix and match with other furnishings for an eclectic look, our side table highlights the artistry of vintage furniture, and is an exacting reproduction of an antique.
- Handcrafted of kiln-dried American hardwood with fine veneers using tongue-and-groove joinery
- Graceful oval shape set on carved cabriole legs
- Features 2 drawers, wood-on-wood glides, a dust panel and tip rails
- Finished by hand in sandwashed natural using an intense multistep finishing process that achieves the authentic texture of time
- Gently worn edges lend timeworn appeal
- Nylon glides on feet
- Cast hardware has an antiqued aged finish
- Wood swatch is 6" square; free shipping
- This item is handcrafted with meticulous care. Given its hand-finished nature, each item is unique and no two will be exactly alike.
- GREENGUARD Gold Certified. Meets or exceeds stringent chemical emissions standards. Learn more.
Finish Options
Liane Side Table
- 16"W x 12"D x 27"H
Liane Side Table


text: Second, Wine was built for a decade based on the nvidia driver. Even though steps have been taken to work on other drivers, it shouldn't be surprising that there are still occasionally bugs/issues that pop up on other drivers that the code wasn't originally designed for. I don't believe this is still a major issue, but it can popup from time to time.


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ASHLAND, Ore. – Cole McKenzie's football career isn't exactly a blueprint for how to get to the NFL. From Red Bluff, California, a town of roughly 14,000, McKenzie came to SOU out of high school, then transferred to Butte College in Northern California, only to return to the Raiders before his junior season. Dodge says, "You could … Continue reading »
Combine Gives McKenzie Draft Potential
ASHLAND, Ore. – Nearly every kid growing up playing football has a dream of playing in the NFL, but for most kids, that's all it is, a dream. Former Southern Oregon wide receiver Cole McKenzie remembers the time he knew his dream could become a reality. "After the Seattle combine, I actually got a voicemail … Continue reading »


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Yesterday and today with some Hirsch 22. New bottle and yummy.
Yesterday and today with some Hirsch 22. New bottle and yummy.
And let me add before this sounds too geeked out- I wouldn't kick any of these out of my Glencairn. I'm lucky to have even tasted some of these.
Last edited by Old Dusty; 10-17-2013 at 04:42.
They say some of my stars drink whiskey, but I have found that ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ball games-Casey Stengel
Opened up my first bottle of High West Double Rye last night and while enjoyable it doesn't quite measure up to the Rendezvous but I do like it. Been a member for a few months now but I'm still opening up my first bottle of something every week.
Talking about HW 16 got me hankering. Sipping on that now :-)
AE rye tonight. Unique, confusing and delicious.
"Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die."
A long, slow, sip of Fleischmann's Rye. What a hidden jewel of a whiskey.
Wag more.
Bark less.
"Every bottle is its own learning experience." -- Sensei Ox-sama
Sipping some Ritt BiB while making chili with a little AAA mixed in :-)


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28 Ton 11.5 HP Log Splitter
The Swisher® 11.5 HP log splitter features a powerful Briggs & Stratton engine for power and efficiency. The splitter offers 28 Tons of splitting force. The heavy-duty 2-stage pump provides maximum splitting performance. The splitter can function in both horizontal and vertical splitting positions and includes the Swisher® exclusive cold weather clutch. No more starting problems in cold weather! The log cradles prevent the operator from constant bending to get split logs. Transport the splitter wherever you need to go, it's road towable. Other features include: 25" opening and a 5 gallon poly hydraulic tank. Made in the USA!
- 11.5 HP Briggs & Stratton engine
- 28 Ton horizontal and vertical splitting position
- 25" Opening
- Swisher® exclusive cold weather clutch
- 2-Stage pump
- 5 Gallon poly hydraulic tank
- H-Beam design
- 1" Machined steel compound wedge
- Log cradles
- Road towable
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Shipping InformationShipping Included
Warranty InformationHydraulic System: 1 year
Steel Components: 3 years
There is no additional information available for this item.


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Blog Archive
The Lakeside Blog springs forth from the creative mind of Michelle Bruck at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT. She writes about events, great places to visit and cool things to do – in and around Lakeville & Salisbury Connecticut.
Showing - of Articles
Welcome CT Challenge!
Bike riding through scenic Northwest Connecticut to support Cancer Survivors - sounds like a 'win-win', doesn't it?
The Interlaken once again is honored to welcome the many cyclists arriving here to support the CT Challenge, a 2-Day Ride beginning tomorrow, Friday, July 25th. Cyclists will ride about 80 miles of gorgeous countryside down to Fairfield, CT. The event continues on Saturday where over 1000 riders will depart on Day 2 of the Challenge from Fairfield to Westport, CT.
Funds raised support survivorship programs and events at the CT Challenge Center for Survivorship and at hospitals around the State who are members of the CT Challenge Survivorship Network, in addition to groundbreaking research that will benefit cancer survivors everywhere.
The Connecticut Challenge empowers cancer survivors to live healthier, happier and longer lives by creating and funding unique survivorship programs and research. In 2012, programs funded by the CT Challenge impacted the lives of over 54,000 cancer survivors.
360 degree views
I was fortunate enough to take a boat out onto Lake Wononscopomuc this afternoon, and thought I'd share my beautiful and relaxing views with you.
Completely surrounded by beauty.
No matter where you look, this is what you'll see. As you approach the perimeter of the deepest lake in Connecticut you will also see some amazing homes (both year round and summer), the always busy Lakeville Town Grove, jumping fish, the mighty Hotchkiss school on the hill, a very small 'island', and some seagulls. You'll also see the Interlaken's lakefront which looks like this:
There are other places to stay when visiting this part of Connecticut and up into the Berkshires, but why miss out on this wonderful amenity? It's a must do while visiting Interlaken.
Only 6 more weeks of summer! Come and relax.
"Where is that?"
I love when Guests share photos with me, especially pretty ones like this:
This Guest attended a wedding at Interlaken in June. Kathy writes:
"The Wedding setting overlooking the Lake was spectacular. My daughter took a fabulous picture of the setting and everyone that sees it asks "Where is that?" and cannot believe it is right here in CT!!"
Yes, right here in Lakeville, CT. I think it's even prettier in person.
Do you have a photo from a wedding you recently attended at Interlaken? Please do send it to me and I'd be happy to post it!
If you would like a photo like this to be in your own memory book, visit our Wedding page for more details on how to get married by the lake at Interlaken.
Day 5: Wedding Set-up
I know, you are thinking, "Michelle, how is that new"? "You are always blogging about weddings at Interlaken"! Well, this set-up is new. In all my years of admiring weddings under the pavilion at Interlaken I've never seen this particular one.
The "new" is the long table that created a wonderful "frame" along the edges of the pavilion. Very pleasing to the eye!
Day 4: Interlaken's Hot Dog Cart
This is probably the cutest of my new this week!
Even if you aren't hungry, there is something about hot dogs from an old-fashioned hot dog cart that can make you crave for one. It's just plain cute. Our Guests enjoying our lakefront on the weekends this summer will have the option of this quick bite to eat and of course a cold drink. Try to walk by it without being tempted!
Of course, if you want lunch served to you in air conditioning, our restaurant Morgan's is open for lunch on Saturday and brunch on Sunday from 11:30am to 2pm. Fresh salads and sandwiches, special cocktails and of course, yummy desserts!
Day 3: Amenia Drive-In Theater
Take yourself back to another era, the era of the Drive In Movie. Super popular in the late 1950's and early 1960's, you can watch the latest films (and throwbacks too) on their large digital screen right from the privacy and comfort of your own car. Head to the Amenia Drive-In and turn your radio to 104.5, push your seat back and relax while food from their concession stand gets delivered right to your car door. The Drive In is open 7 nights a week, and is located in Amenia, NY, just 15 minutes from the Interlaken.
While in Amenia, keep in mind of their weekly Farmer's Market held every Friday 3pm to 7pm at the Amenia Town Hall parking lot.
Day 2: Campbell Falls
Located about 30 minutes from Interlaken, traveling east to Norfolk, CT, you'll find Campbell Falls State Park Preserve. The name itself just relaxes you, doesn't it? A short and easy hike through the picturesque woodland setting brings you to 50' landmark of beautiful cascading waters – what more does one need from a State Park? Relax and refresh in the natural waters. The Falls are right near the village of Norfolk, home of Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, an entertainment venue as part of our "Night on the Town" package. For more information about Campbell Falls click here to visit the Berkshire Hiking website.
Happy 1st day of New!
Did I mean July, or did I truly mean New? Yes, I meant NEW! The next 5 blogs will all be about things I haven't blogged about in my almost 4 years of posting. It could be something brand new at Interlaken or brand new in the local area, or something that has been around a while and just brand new to me. Either way, it's always fun to share new things so let's see what we've got for Day 1!
Day 1: Barlow Farms Fresh Fruit & Dairy
Tucked away on quiet South Center Street in Millerton, NY, the staff of this little place is ready to juice just about any fresh fruit you can imagine. They will give you a nutrient boost, a cleanse & detox, and also assist you with your sweet tooth - naturally. I chose the beet, carrot, apple and kale blend and it was like drinking pure health. They also offer frozen custard, ice cream, smoothies, chocolate-covered fruit, frozen yogurt and fruit slushies. If you are looking for any type of refreshment while visiting the bustling village of Millerton on a hot summer day, look no further than Barlow Farms.
Car Show at Interlaken?
So it's not an official Car Show at Interlaken, but it's not every day that the parking lot at Interlaken looks like this:
It may not be sunny yet at Interlaken yet, but these cars sure brighten the morning!
Every June we welcome back the Aston Martin Owner's Club (AMOC) to Interlaken and Lime Rock Park. We've got the very vintage to the very latest models gracing our lot, and one is just as beautiful as the next. I enjoyed walking through them this morning, snapping some photos and talking to some owners, who are always happy to talk about their "baby".
Besides admiring their beauty, one has to admire their sound. I heard every one of them leave the lot today, the deep grumble, the slight shaking of the building. I think I will have to get some audio on my blog... I hope every member of the club is enjoying their stay with us!
I've seen many car clubs stay at Interlaken over the years, including the Ferrari Club, VSCCA, Porsche Club, and Audi NE Quattro Club. In fact, coming up in early July is the "Steam Car Club" USA car tour event titled "We're All Here Because We're Not There". It is always so neat to see one of these cars on the road, but to have a parking lot full of them? Yes, that sounds like a car show at Interlaken! Stop by the week of July 6th to July 11th to admire these unique vehicles, or check back to the blog for some great photos.
Honoring Harney
It is with a very sad heart that I hold my morning cup of Harney Irish Breakfast Tea and think of Mr. John Harney.
The memorial services for the creator and Master Tea Blender of Harney & Sons are being held today. This entire local community is feeling his loss, this wonderful man who was "larger than life". With always a twinkle in his eye and a contagious laugh, Mr. Harney was just pure kindness.
You can read more about Mr. Harney's life here.
Showing - of Articles


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Hello Swellinfo community. My name is Phil Taylor and I have been building surfboards on a custom order basis for over 15 years. Endless Summer surf shop on 38th st in Ocean City MD is the first surf shop to carry my surfboards. These are handcrafted surfboards where all pocesses are completed by me as I would have it no other way. If you are in the area feel free to stop in. Also you can check out my facebook @ PhillipTaylorGallery.
Thankyou Swellinfo and be well all,
Phil Taylor