Atlantica Online launches later today but not before Producer Kim Tae Gon get's in one more Developer Journal entry at Allakhazam. In his final journal he talks about the 'mercenary system' that just so happens to be a major part of your adventuring within Atlantica. You can start to hire mercenaries shortly after you create your character so pay attention!

You’ve Got Friends in Atlantica

In Atlantica Online, you'll always have friends. No matter what the rest of life is like, at least in Atlantica you can travel with your buddies around the world to places like Egypt, and very soon to California. If you like to kick some butt while seeing the sights, then the friends found in Atlantica that we call mercenaries will make for perfect travel companions. They've got some great travel gear swords, guns and some wicked spells.

When we created Atlantica, we wanted the mercenary system to really heighten the excitement and fun of the turn-based combat that we had envisioned and worked hard to realize. These two features together would make the game different from the normal single-character, real-time action found in most MMORPGs today. But it’s not different just to be different. We believe the combination of the two systems offers an exciting and fast-paced form of gameplay that will hopefully have players coming back for more. With multiple characters to control, each with numerous moves and magic to take advantage of, there are countless possibilities in how a player can fight a battle. We hope players will experiment and tinker with the many different options available to them.

Allakhazam has 10 exclusive screenshots for you today and these will be the last before the game launches. It's been an amazing ride within Atlantica and we hope that some of you have had the opportunity to enjoy the game. If not, you're in luck; the game isn't even out yet! We'll be sure let you know when the release date has been announced officially.

This week we have some shots of a battle in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world. Of course, some of the monsters in this dungeon are plants. Players will fight their way through this dungeon towards the main boss 'Tiamat', a Babylonian god. 

Additionally, we also have shots of a player traveling through India and entering the city of Mumbai on a horse mount. This particular mount is the Shire horse, one of the prizes for the Adventurer's Journal event.

Enjoy the latest exclusive screenshots and be sure to view the rest of our Atlantica Online gallery.

Our fourth and final Atlantica Online desktop wallpaper is of a Mercenary in the Taj Mahal. That's right, India is just another location you'll have to venture to during your quest in Atlantica. With just under a month to go before release, are you ready to discover Atlantica for yourself?

Available in multiple resolutions ( 1024x768 - 1280x1024 - 1600x1200 )

To download every size, please click on the preview image below!

Guilds have always been a fundimental pre-requisite in an MMORPG. Atlantica Online Producer, Kim Tae Gon, decided to share with us the basics of Guilds in Atlantica in this weeks Developer Journal. Kim writes about how Guilds will decide how cities like London are governed and consiquently, how they are inhabited. The system sounds as innovative as it does amazing; check it out for yourself...

As we developed Atlantica Online, we believed we had created something unique and exciting with our turn-based combat, since it is a feature that isn’t normally found in an MMORPG. However, the action of the turn-based battles is fast-paced and the rewards players glean from it, such as loot as well as a visceral excitement are to a great extent immediate. But what was also very important to us while we were producing the game was to allow players to get deeply involved in the community side, or the multiplayer part, of an MMORPG, which would provide more steady and measured rewards.

To do that, there needed to be a deep and rich environment for players to immerse themselves in, and our method to enable that is through the guilds of Atlantica. Combine guilds with the real-world elements of the Atlantica backdrop, and there is much to uncover.

It's Monday and that means more exclusive screenshots from the Atlantica Online team! This week we have shots from The Ruins of the Yellow River which is the first dungeon in China that players come across. I've had the opportunity to run through this dungeon and enjoyed the exciting content, beautiful art and rich history.

We also have shots from the Mausolem of Qin Shi Huangdi which is another dungeon, based on one of the early emperors of China -- which just so happens to be the same one's who had the great wall started and had the terra cotta warriors built.

Enjoy the latest exclusive screenshots and be sure to view the rest of our Atlantica Online gallery.

In our third Atlantica Online wallpaper we bring you a new monster type; the "Maiko" which can be found in the Shogun Castle of Death. In the backdrop you can also see the 'Emperor’s Tomb' dungeon. Like with most content in Atlantica; all of this is inspired or completely based on real world places and/or events. Be sure to check out all of our wallpapers and please give the game a try, tell us what you think!

Available in multiple resolutions ( 1024x768 - 1280x1024 - 1600x1200 )

To download every size, please click on the preview image below!

One of my favorite elements of Atlantica Online is that it utilizes the familiar lands of Earth to tell its story. "From Tokyo to Bangkok, Paris to Detroit, players will traverse the land of our planet in the search for the mysterious lost land of Atlantis ". This week the producer of Atlantica Online, Kim Tae Gon, gave Allakhazam an exclusive look at the 'Wide World of Atlantica'.

The Wide World of Atlantica  

In most fantasy-based games, the game world is usually filled with unfamiliar continents, islands,  countries, etc. These fantasy lands take players to somewhere they have never been before, countries developed from the minds of man. Players would visit different societies, various cultures and creative landscapes that can only be accessed through these unique games. But Atlantica’s approach to being a unique game takes players to a familiar land. That’s right; Atlantica Online takes place on our very own Earth.

It's our second week with exclusive Atlantica Online screenshots and this week the shots are of the "Devil’s Forest" Dungeon. This dungeon is based off the Biblical story of the Archangel Michael, who led the forces of good against Satan and his forces of evil. Players must go through this dungeon as part of the quest to obtain the Exorcist mercenary. If the Exorcist mercenary is upgraded to its highest level, it becomes Hero Michael.

Now, I'm fairly positive that progression in The Bible wasn't linear but I'll have to double check. Regardless, I really enjoy that most of the content from Atlantica Online is taken from real world stories and events. It adds a sense of familiarity and immersion to the gameplay.

Enjoy the latest exclusive screenshots and be sure to view the rest of our Atlantica Online gallery.

It's time for our next exclusive desktop wallpaper; though to be fair, it was time yesterday. I'm late in posting the wallpaper but nonetheless -- here we go! Check out the wallpaper and if you haven't already given Atlantica Online a try, download the beta client and jump right in!

Available in multiple resolutions ( 1024x768 - 1280x1024 - 1600x1200 )

To download every size, please click on the preview image below!