Knights of the Sky (2009 video game)
A browser-based MMORTS set in the floating world of Odyssya.
Knights of the Sky is a browser-based massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game built with Adobe Flash. It was created by Hangzhou Legang, a studio owned by Joyport. The game first launched in China in 2009, followed by a Taiwanese release in 2010. Atlus later secured the license for a global launch in 2012.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Joyport
- Publisher
- CN/TW
- Ledu
- WW
- Atlus (2012–2013); Marvelous USA (2013)
- Genre
- Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Platforms
- Web browser
- Microsoft Windows
- OS X
- Released
- October 19, 2009 (CN)
- April 13, 2010 (TW)
- January 13, 2012 (WW)
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Knights of the Sky is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game set in the world of Odyssya. At the start, the player, referred to as a Lord, chooses one of two factions: the Empire or the Federation. After the tutorial, players receive a Sky Castle, a floating city that serves as a base, a hub for accepting quests from NPCs, and a means of moving across the map for battles or resource gathering. The story is delivered through main and optional side quests that grant experience points, gear, and portions of six in-game currencies. Most units and items can be bought with in-game currency, while cosmetic or time-saving items require real money. Combat is fast turn-based on a tile-based grid, with units called Heroes having separate stats for movement, damage, and strengths. Winning battles rewards Heroes with experience and currency. The chosen faction determines which enemies the player fights: neutral foes or members of the opposing faction. Players can interact via a chat system and form Guilds to pool resources and tackle harder challenges.
Development and release
Knights of the Sky was announced in July 2009 under its original name, with its first public appearance at ChinaJoy that year. A closed beta test began on October 19, 2009, followed by a second closed beta on October 28, and an open beta on December 8, 2009. The game changed domains on January 26, 2010 to its current publisher's website, and a Taiwan release followed on April 13, 2010. Regular updates included major expansions to the alliance system and new features. Globally, the game was announced on the Atlus Online Forums in December 2011, with a closed beta from January 13 to January 16, 2012. Open beta began on February 9, 2012, lasting an unknown duration before full release. Around April 2012, the NPC art style shifted from realistic anime to a more stylized, chibi-like appearance. Atlus Online managed the game from January 2012 until May 2013, when Marvelous USA acquired Atlus Online and took over management. The global servers shut down between August 15, 2013 and September 16, 2013, and the game was delisted from Marvelous' library. Visitors to the site after October 12 were redirected to Marvelous USA's main page with the code KOTSCLOSEO. The Chinese and Taiwanese servers shut down between February 18, 2012 and March 16, 2012, with the game delisted from Ledu's library and redirecting users after March 20.
Reception
During its open beta as Magic Crystal Fantasy, 4399.com praised the graphics as beautiful and the stability, but criticized long load times, lack of game balance, and an overly complex story. As Knights of the Sky, Zevri of BBGSite.com liked the enemy AI and easy-to-learn gameplay, but disliked that unit numbers often outmatched wit and that city building felt hollow. Nick Tylwalk of Gamezebo praised the character artwork and features as ambitious for a browser game, while criticizing complicated resource management, a steep learning curve, and time commitment.
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