DarkOrbit

DarkOrbit is a massively multiplayer online game developed by Bigpoint Games. The game is set in outer space, where players control a spaceship to battle against non-player characters and other players. It is a three-dimensional isometric Flash game with over 90 million registered accounts.^[1][2]

History

DarkOrbit was released on December 11, 2006.

Originally this game is created for American players.

Gameplay

At the start of the game, the player chooses between three companies: Venus Resources Unlimited (VRU), Earth Industries Corporation (EIC), and Mars Mining Operations (MMO).(In the story have one more companies,Saturn Autonomous Technology)^[3] Players are teleported to the home map to begin quests from Mission Control.

The object of the game is to gain wealth and power both individually and for the company.

Top User Points

This is a formula that will divide your Experience by 100,000 and Honor by 100, which will equal your top user points. Top user points show up in the hall of fame.

Rank Points

Table of DarkOrbit ranks

Rank points are also based on a mathematical formula that is figured by a variety of factors, such as experience, level, honor, quests finished, Ships Points destroyed, Alien Points destroyed, and your ship type. There are also factors that will reduce your rank points such as times destroyed, own company kills, radiation zone destructions, and phoenix (starter) ships destroyed. Rank Points do not show up in the hall of fame.

Economy

DarkOrbit uses two types of currencies: credits and uridium. Uridium, common abbreviated "Uri", is more valuable and harder to obtain. Some types of equipment and ammunition can be purchased using credits, however the most valuable or "elite" items can only be bought with uridium.^[1] However, for some of those elite items, there is an option to bid using credits. This auction system is used to control inflation of credits.^[4] Many new items are not offered in trade. The P.E.T. 10 is a highly priced drone that increases with costs as the player levels it up. Ship designs are also available in the auction.However,certain valuable equipment such as Drone designs or Elite laser ammo are not available in the auction. Uridium can be purchased in exchange for real money via PayPal, credit card, or another method of payment. Uridium can't be traded.

Combat

DarkOrbit utilizes a real-time combat system. In combat, a variety of weapons can be used to destroy aliens and other players. These include laser cannons, laser ammunition, rockets, rocket launchers, and mines. Players need to click on their target to lock on before they can begin shooting. Successfully destroying an enemy will result in a "cargo box" containing ore being dropped that the player can take. If the destroyed ship is a player, it will cost 500 Uridium to repair the ship, although the ship started with in the game is free to repair. This was available only before Darkorbit Reloaded. At the moment, you can choose to repair your ship for free, spawning at your home base, paying 700 Uridium (or one repair credit + 200 Uridium) to spawn at the nearest portal on the map (note that on 4-x maps there are not demilitarized zones, so be careful), or you can pay 800 Uridium (or one repair credit + 300 Uridium) to spawn at the same spot your ship got destroyed.

Players start of the game with a Phoenix, a free but easily destroyed ship. As the player advances in the game, he/she can buy better ships. There are a total of ten different ships that can be bought, with the Goliath, the Aegis, the Citadel, and the Vengeance typically being regarded as the best ships. Ships can be equipped with a variety of items, including shield generators, speed engines, laser cannons, rocket launchers, ammunition, and many other accessories.

Clans

Players can join a clan if they pay 1,500 credits. Benefits of joining a clan include help from clan mates and clan payouts in the form of credits. However, most clans have a clan tax (between 0% and 5%) that is collected into the clans treasury daily. Clans can help players level up, gain credits and compete against other rivals. In addition, a player can found a clan for 300,000 credits. There is also a page in the game that allows you to see which clan players are online, if they are ready for action on your map or if they are offline. The menu also allows you to invite them into group without having to write their name.^[1][5] also if you are part of a clan member you can have wars with others and fight against.

Skylab

The Skylab is a system used to produce and refine ores, such as Prometium, Endurium, and Terbium. These basic ores can be refined to Prometid and Duranium, which when combined with Xenomit can make Promerium. There is also a crystal named Seprom that can only be produced in the Skylab by further refining Promerium. Seprom cannot be sold however the ore can give weapons and shields a great power boost. These ores can then be sent to the player's ship and either sold for credits or equipped to enhance the ship.^[6] The highest level is 20 for upgrading your Skylab.

Pilot Sheet

The Pilot Bio is a very powerful skill tree designed to give players extra advantages in-game. Pilot points are needed to work the Pilot Bio. Pilot Points can be obtained by buying log disks from the shop, shooting down boss or uber NPC's for a small chance, or even by completing Galaxy Gates. Each pilot point can be used to acquire certain abilities that help the player in battle or other game functions. A player can have up to fifty pilot points in their bio. When certain skills are maxed out, they generate special effects, such as brighter lasers, rocket trails, etc.^[7] Most pilot points a player can spend is 50.

Galaxy Gates

For 100 Uridium, players can "spin" a galaxy Gate Generator, which gives ammunition, free repairs, or parts for a "galaxy gate". Once you collect enough parts to build one of the many galaxy gates, you are sent through a portal into a map where enemies cannot reach you, only NPCs. Once in, the only way out is to be shot down, or to destroy the entire "wave" of aliens. These waves get progressively harder throughout the duration of the gate; they also become more difficult depending on the gate you have active. The reward for completing a gate without being shot down more than twice is quite substantial.

LoW Gate

Also called the Outfit Gate, the Lord of War map is found on every x-3 map. To enter this gate, one must be in an outfit. Once in the gate, players find there is no way out - they must "finish" the gate. The goal is to energize four probes at the corners of the map; once this is accomplished, the station at the center of the map gains the ability to heal any player that goes within range. In addition, a considerable horde of aliens spawns, along with the Century Falcon. Killing this extremely tough NPC awards the player the achievement "Falconer" and ejects them from the map. All destructions inside the map result in free repairs.

Special Events

DarkOrbit has special events from time to time that can give players special rewards.

Jackpot Arena

Jackpot Arena is a monthly event on the second Sunday of every month, in which all players who sign up fight each other in 1 vs 1 until only one ship is left surviving. The winning player will receive real cash up to €10,000.^[8] from DarkOrbit, based on how many "Jackpot euros" they had. Jackpot dollars can be found in bonus boxes that are scattered across space.

The Jackpot Arena has been suspended until further notice as of 27th of July, 2015. ^[9]

Team Death Match

The Team Death Match is an event that in which five ships from one company work together to kill five ships from an enemy company. The winning team receives rewards at the end and is taken to the next level. This keeps on continuing until you die (or your team loses).

Spaceball

Spaceball is an event that takes place in the map 4-4, with the objective of scoring goals by shooting an NPC ball to your x-5 portal. After a goal has been scored cargo boxes are released around the portal containing assorted prizes such as uridium, ammunition, and jackpot dollars. The winning company wins prizes for 24 hours the next day such as x%EP, honor, bonus box rewards, and cargo selling price.

Invasion

A event that is taken place in different maps, depending on your level. This event is made up of waves, each wave harder to pass than the one before. This event lets you rack up millions of credits and thousands of uridium. Repairs are free as long as you die in the invasion map.

For levels 5-9 an invasion gate appears in the middle of x-1, in x-3 a gate appears for all those between levels 10-14 and in x-5 all players at levels 15 and above have to enter invasion here. The gate in x-1 typically contains NPCs that are easier to kill and they get harder as you move to the higher gates. You are unable to log out when in the invasion gate, the only way out is if your ship is destroyed, or you level beyond the parameters of the gate.

Capture The Beacon

Capture The Beacon, like the traditional game capture the flag, is an event where all 3 companies have beacons in their x-2 maps which must be protected by the defending company, and captured by the attacking company, and taken back to their own x-2 map. Games are 1 hour long, company with most points gets a 1-hour prize such as x% more experience, honor, bonus box rewards, etc.

Scoremageddon

Players fight in PvP battles to gain points. You gain more points based on your combo, which rises as you kill other enemy players. The top 50 in points at the end will win various prizes such as UCB-100, PLD-8, Special Mines, and even Uridium. You lose a life every time you die from an original total of 5. Once all of your lives are depleted you are eliminated and can no longer earn more points (you are also not worth any for enemy players that destroy you)

Infiltration

NPCs will spawn every 10 minutes. The objective is to destroy all NPCs to earn a point for your company. The NPCs have camouflage and are marked as yellow on the minimap. Every map, except x-1, have varying amounts of NPCs, and once they are all destroyed there will be a message to all players on the map saying all the Infiltrators have been destroyed.

Birthday Gate

To commemorate the date that DarkOrbit went online, every year on December 11, a gate appears on the home map, given free to all players. Weakened aliens, usually at half-strength, are found in the gate. The rewards are not as large as other gates, since the enemies are weaker. They also give you 100000 uridium.

Community

The official DarkOrbit forums are powered by vBulletin. The forums provide a place for DarkOrbit to announce updates and events as well as a place for players to ask questions, discuss the game, and give suggestions. In addition, DarkOrbit's support can be contacted via email by players wishing to report a bug or make a complaint.

Reception

Joystiq called it an "insane shooter" with a mix of Asteroids and EVE Online.^[10]

See also

• Bigpoint Games

References

• "Bigpoint's DarkOrbit Now Available on Cell Phones - Wireless News at IGN". IGN. October 22, 2009. 
• "Press Releases - Bigpoint celebrates DarkOrbit's 4th Anniversary". Gamasutra. 2010-12-14. 
• "WeMade Announces DarkOrbit, Seafight And Farmerama Now Live - PC News at IGN". IGN. October 25, 2010. 

External links

• DarkOrbit
• DarkOrbit Help
• DarkOrbit Forums