gameshogun

AddOn: WoWMap

2010-02-06T01:37:15-08:00

The first addon I want to share is WoWMap. I admit, I was a World of Warcraft player and I really like the worldmap feature of that game.

WoWMap gives us that functionality and feel. Taking it from the author:

Tired of having to work your way through that annoying dropdown menu every time you want to check something on a different map? Then WoWMap is for You! The aim of WoWMap is to make the worldmap of RoM feel like you may know it from WoW i.e. the map handling will be changed to feel more like WoW.

WoWMap

This is how my Runes of Magic worldmap looks like:

With additional functionalities not found on the default RoM worldmap like:

Right-Click: Zooms the map out by one level. Examples:
- When you are displaying a zone map it will change to the worldmap; or
- When you are displaying the map of Varanas it will change to the map of Silverfall.
Left-Click: Clicking on a zoomable area, the worldmap zooms in on that area or zone or town. Examples:
- When you are viewing the worldmap itself and you click on Howling Mountains, it will zoom-in and show the zone map of Howling Mountains; or
- When you click on the town of Varanas, WoWMap will zoom-in and show you the town map of Varanas.

The original features are still intact. If you want to ping the map or show the dropdown menu, simply press your Shift key then Click! Of course all other maps are viewable, if your local RoM server have it enabled.

How to Install?

Get the latest version of WoWMap which is v1.8.5.
Extract the WoWMap folder to your /Interface/AddOns/ folder located on your Runes of Magic folder. (If it isn’t there, just create it.)

That simple! But if for whatever reason it isn’t working for you, then do the following steps:

Download this RoM mappack (it’s safe, don’t worry)
Extract the folder to /Interface/ (NOT /Interface/AddOns/)
Rename the folder to: WorldMap

That should do it.

But if it is still not working for you, especially if your local RoM server have a different setting somewhere like Runes of Magic Philippines, then you need to do additional steps:

Go to the folder: /Interface/AddOns/WoWMap/
Open the file: WoWMap.lua
Search for (usually line 87): loc == "ENUS"
Change it to: if (loc == "ENUS" or loc == "PH") then (change “PH” to your own locale if needed)
Save the file!

Done! Finally! Go enjoy Runes of Magic with a new enhanced worldmap.

By the way, if you do not want to use the WoWMap addon but you want to see the latest map of RoM, just download the RoM mappack as instructed above. However, do not expect to see some of the maps if it isn’t enabled or activated on your local RoM server.

Except where otherwise noted, this content is
licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Original post at gameshogun™.

What Do You Eat While Playing Games?

2010-02-01T20:11:01-08:00

Game meat combo plate by patrick h

Alcarcalimo tagged me to post about my top 5 gaming session (food and) drinks. I thought it’s cool to know what gamers crunch and gulp while playing.

His Top 5 are:

3-in-1 Instant Coffee
Hot chocolate
Apple Juice
Milk
Ice-cold water

Here’s mine…

H₂O or water: The best drink we can gulp will always be plain water (of Gatorade or Mangosteen quality). It truly refreshes our body and at the same time washes out the impurities inside our bodies. In other words it is good for your health. Soda/softdrinks will not really quench your thirst, it is also not good for our health, and I don’t drink softdrinks if I can grab H₂O.
Instant noodles with egg: When I am in the middle of an important quest or a raid, going AFK is not an option. If I am hungry I prepare instant noodles with egg. It tastes so good that it makes me feel so good, enabling me to do my role better (and keeps me awake when I’m feeling sleepy).
Bread: Any bread. Well those that doesn’t make my hands dirty and sticky, I still have to use the keyboard and mouse
Iced-Tea: If I want something different, I go for iced tea.. if I feel like it.
Any meal: If I can stay away from the computer longer, then I’ll eat a full meal.

So that’s my Top 5 food and drinks when I am playing games. What about you Carlo “Waukeen” Ople, Mike Abundo, Joey Alarilla, the PinoyGaming.Net Admins, and YOU?

Just remember, EAT. If you don’t want to eat, then at least DRINK! especially if you are going to do 24/7 sessions. And you should probably take vitamins too

Spooked by Jacek Sniecikowski

First tagging by MMOtaku.

Except where otherwise noted, this content is
licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Original post at gameshogun™.

What Are Runes of Magic AddOns?

2010-01-27T00:44:09-08:00

Runes of Magic is one of the few massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG, that allows use of addons. The use of addons is new in the Philippine Online Gaming scene, not only does it make the local gamers cautious but many simply ignore it for fear that it is a hack tool, a bot, or just a keylogger.

I will tell you now: addons are legal. As you can see in the screenshot below…

(click to enlarge)

Convinced? I hope so. The question now: where to find addons and which addons to use?

To answer your first question, the best place to find addons for Runes of Magic are the following sites:

Curse.com
CurseForge.com (if you are an advance user and willing to help in testing addons for bugs)
RoM-EU AddOns Forums
RoM-US AddOns Forums

You can also use Curse’s AddOn Updater tool. It is safe, go install the tool by downloading it here. If you want to install it on your Debian-based Linux machine (like Ubuntu), you can follow my instructions here. (Yes, Runes of Magic runs on Linux.)

Your second question: Which addons to use? Well that depends on what you want and on how you play. Each class have different needs and each role (Tanker, Healer, DPS ) have different play styles. For healer roles and classes, you will want addons that allow you to see at first glance which of your party/raid members requires immediate attention.

If you are a tanker, you will want an addon that will let you see which of your party/raid members are getting too much attention (aggro/threat level) and warn him to stop for a while to allow you to build up threat (again). Caster types may want to use an addon that will alert them of previous casted spells ready for another round of casting. Or maybe you want an addon that gives you the ability to show all the bar slots - all 80 of them! (80 slots as of this writing)

It could be anything. If there is an addon available then you are in luck, just install it and set it up, voila enjoy your game. But if the addon that you are looking for is not available, then you either have to learn how to create an addon (first you need to learn: Lua programming language), then study RoM’s addon system, and do a lot of testing. Or you can go find someone who knows how to program an addon and file a request.

Probably, most of you are not Lua programmers. Probably, you also want to just jump right in and use addons instead of spending countless of hours searching for the “right” addon for you. I can help you with that, but I can not help you find the “right” addon. As I’ve said earlier, each of us have different needs, different play style, different tastes.

In the next few days, I will go through a series of RoM AddOns I have personally tried and recommended to our guild. For some of these addons, I will also provide a short guide on how to make it compatible with Runes of Magic Philippines. Then after I’m done with it, maybe I will do a review of the other addons (that I do not use or previously used).

For now, if you can not wait simply visit the links I provided above and start using addons that will help you be efficient and at the same time make the game even more enjoyable.

Except where otherwise noted, this content is
licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Original post at gameshogun™.

First Screenshots from Runes of Magic Philippines

2010-01-08T07:32:52-08:00

Runes of Magic Philippines launch Open Beta today, around two in the afternoon after a minor manual patch. Initially, there is only one server named ‘Blackstone’. Only a few minutes after the game went online there was already three channels (or sub-server instance if you will) and all crowded by newbies (and n00bs too).

As expected, there were gamers who are new to this type of 3^rd Generation MMORPG . They asked a lot of questions which were answered by concerned and patient gamers who were lucky to join the Alpha and Closed Beta Test of RoM-PH (or played in the International servers).

Everything was fine and well until the server recorded its first official guild registration - Relentless. A name fitting them because they were relentless in their effort to be the RoM-PH’s first guild under two hours since the game went live. An impossible thing to the eyes of those who have not played Runes of Magic but a small challenge to those who have been conquering the world of Taborea for a long time already.

An hour and a half later, by my reckoning, the next official guild was established in-game, the guild Exitializ, founded by ExcEsc. Of course, this prompted a wave of guild requests from the unguilded which every guild master have learned to put through some rigid application process.

Here are five screenshots from RoM-PH’s OBT launch.

re one of the new players, be sure to check out our short guide to Runes of Magic’s Dual-Class System by clicking here. It might save you time and effort - from deciding which one to combine and from restarting all-over again.

Original post at gameshogun™.

Warrior: the Raging Bull

2010-01-06T00:47:41-08:00

No warrior would ever back away from an honorable fight. They are skilled in the use of the deadliest weapons and always strive to become better and stronger. They are proficient in all close comba techniques so that they can emerge gloriously from the toughest of struggles.

Every victory though has to be earned in an honorable way. Attacks from behind an opponent’s back and other unfair means are taboo. The prospect of an upcoming fight does not arouse fear in the heads of the sturdy warriors but instills a sense of honor and the will to victory.

Warriors do not care about their enemies because they aim to surpass themselves in each battle.

Warriors are truly masters in the use of arms and can handle every close combat weapon while also being able to wear all kinds of armours. Driven by their battle rage, they try to upset the enemy with special combinations of strikes and blows which also increases the momentum of their attacks.

They can also channel their rage into passive abilities to strengthen themselves or to provoke opponents and to scare them with an impressive display of their fury - so terrigying that weaker minds take flight in panic.

Ultimately the class combinations broaden their skills into various arrays. To inflict massive physical damage in close combat will always remain their primal strength. Skilled warriors keep the overall situation in mind at all times and know when they can break loose in battle, draw the wrath of their enemies upon themselves or take a back seat.

The “Barbarian” (Warrior/Knight)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Barbarian” (Warrior/Knight) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Warrior	Knight
STR	14	13
DEX	12	11
CON	13	14
INT	5	11
WIS	6	11

Warrior/Knight	Barbarian
Whirlwind Shield Blocking Stance Ignore Pain Shield Bash Heroic Surprise Attack Concentrated Precision Fierce Attack Resist

The “Stormlord” (Warrior/Mage)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Stormlord” (Warrior/Mage) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Warrior	Mage
STR	14	5
DEX	12	10
CON	13	9
INT	5	14
WIS	6	12

Warrior/Mage	Stormlord
Electrical Rage Lightning’s Touch Sense of Danger Thunder Sword Electric Attack Lava Weapon Power Control Wind Bastion

The “Warlord” (Warrior/Priest)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Warlord” (Warrior/Priest) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Warrior	Priest
STR	14	7
DEX	12	10
CON	13	10
INT	5	13
WIS	6	14

Warrior/Priest	Warlord
Defender’s Roar Interrupting Strike Magic Barrier Perfection Bloodlust Opportunity Blood Retention Morale Boost Barbarian Battle Cry

Original post at gameshogun™.

Scout: the Protector of Nature

2010-01-06T00:35:06-08:00

Scouts are masters of long ranger combat. They use their abilities to bring their bow and crossbow skills to deadly perfection. In close combat they depend on evasion and delaying tactics which enables them to move back far for another deadly shot at the enemy.

Specially boosted long range attacks can defeat opponents in a matter of seconds or at least weaken them in such a way that they become easy prey in close combat. Scouts, with their exceptional perception can find hidden foes from a safe distance which makes them valuable in any party.

Dexterity and Intelligence are the essential traits of Scouts. Cleverly taking advantage of the physical distance is critical and every single decision has to be well thought out.

Scouts are persevering wanderers who are sensitive to dangers in their surroundings. This allows them to close in on their enemies from a favorable position. Their cold precision with bow and arrow is the bread-and-butter of their profession.

Bloody close range engagements are not meant for them. If it comes down to it, they have enough trumps up their sleeves to get away as quickly as possible and get back into shooting their enemies from a distance.

Endurance, concentrations, and a sharp mind are the virtues of a real hunter who keeps his eyes on the prey and kills it with one shot.

The “Agent” (Scout/Knight)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Agent” (Scout/Knight) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Scout	Knight
STR	11	13
DEX	13	11
CON	10	14
INT	10	11
WIS	9	11

Scout/Knight	Agent
Repelling Arrow Healing Shot Enhanced Armor Perfection Mana Conversion Mana Recovery Healing Shot Armor-piercing Arrow Escape Danger Spirit Meld

The “Arcane Archer” (Scout/Mage)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Arcane Archer” (Scout/Mage) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Scout	Mage
STR	11	5
DEX	13	10
CON	10	9
INT	10	14
WIS	9	12

Scout/Mage	Arcane Archer
Purifying Arrow Blazing Energy Ignite Gone with the Wind Cursed Arrow Prairie Fire Wilderness Campaign Aggro Transfer

The “Evangelist” (Scout/Priest)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Evangelist” (Scout/Priest) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Scout	Priest
STR	11	7
DEX	13	10
CON	10	10
INT	10	13
WIS	9	14

Scout/Priest	Evangelist
Purifying Shot Mana Arrows Sniper Spiritual Leader Vampiric Transformation Target Neck Drums of War Aggro Lead

Original post at gameshogun™.

Rogue: the Hands of Death

2010-01-06T00:06:56-08:00

The specialists in inflicting deadly physical damage. Rogues use dagger techniques that only them know for dealing a killing blow on their enemies. When close combat is not an option, Rogues use ranged weapons to inflict the same killing blow on their target.

In contrast to Warriors and Scouts, they whole-heartedly rely on their malicious methods like sneak attacks, poisoning, and various techniques perfected just for the job - rendering the target dead on the spot. This requires of them to be agile, failure to be swift almost always leads to their death when hunted down by the friends of their new victims.

However, if a Rogue is being pursued or tracked down by those who wants to exact revenge on them, they quickly lay down traps for their pursuers. This skill of theirs not only saved their lives and of their friends but also killed more people than they can count.

Rogues are one of the fastest character classes. They are almost always able to sneak up on their unprepared victims. Due to their marginal physical strength they can only inflict minor damage so they combine their swift attacks with insidious poisons and become a great danger to all their adversaries.

Their great arsenal of impressive tricks is looked down upon by lesser skilled fighters who think of them as unfair and dishonorable. To them however, nothing is fair in a life or death situation, and honor is but a fools virtue. Either one lives or one dies, and for Rogues that is as clear as the clearest diamond - the Rogue lives and the victim dies, never the other way around.

The “Reckless Warrior” (Rogue/Knight)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Reckless Warrior” (Rogue/Knight) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Rogue	Knight
STR	12	13
DEX	14	11
CON	11	14
INT	7	11
WIS	7	11

Rogue/Knight	Reckless Warrior
Armor Breaker Poison Protection Lion’s Protection Holy Light Protection Courageous Guard Power of the Lion Searing Light Reckless Warrior

The “Arcane Trapper” (Rogue/Mage)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Arcane Trapper” (Rogue/Mage) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Rogue	Mage
STR	12	5
DEX	14	10
CON	11	9
INT	7	14
WIS	7	12

Rogue/Mage	Arcane Trapper
Poisonous Trap Explosion Trap Paralysing Trap Magic Breaker Poison Flame Enhanced Paralysis Create Opportunity Protective Aura

The “Shadow Walker” (Rogue/Priest)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Shadow Walker” (Rogue/Priest) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Rogue	Priest
STR	12	7
DEX	14	10
CON	11	10
INT	7	13
WIS	7	14

Rogue/Priest	Shadow Walker
Quickness Aura Wound Tear Shadow Walker Fearless Kick Slowing Poison Sinister Methods Mana Surge

Original post at gameshogun™.

Priest: the Messenger of the gods

2010-01-05T23:19:06-08:00

Mortals need gods but as mortals, they can not get in touch with their deities directly. They need the help of Priests who will guide them to enter the spiritual realm through their spiritual-selves and communicate with their gods.

Priests use their prayers and god-given abilities to all those who are in need of godly help. They work their wonders by using the power which flows through them from their gods. It is their belief that with faith to Narfas, the god of sprinc water, they will be able to cure wounds, purge magic, and call back souls into their bodies.

They also use the element of water to protect all those who strongly believe in him but their faith must be true. Their belief in god, their belief in themselves, and their belief toward destiny. Only by this state of mentality can the power between the Priest and his god can connect and be used to bring about the wonders of prayers into the world.

Priests are able to defend, restore hit points, and increase stats of their companions. They also have the power to bring back their fallen comrades from the dead.

Priests can also wield shields and have the ability to use the element of water to deal damage on any who dares to go against their gods. However, their most important role remains calling out for godly assistance and mending the wounds of the innocents and his friends during battle.

The “Hospitaler” (Priest/Knight)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Hospitaler” (Priest/Knight) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Priest	Knight
STR	7	13
DEX	10	11
CON	10	14
INT	13	11
WIS	14	11

Priest/Knight	Hostpitaler
Enhanced Grace of Life Life Link Last Prayer Divine Incarnation Calm Heart Sacrificial Cure Holy Power Light Fairy Devotion Halo

The “Cleric” (Priest/Mage)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Cleric” (Priest/Mage) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Priest	Mage
STR	7	5
DEX	10	10
CON	10	9
INT	13	14
WIS	14	12

Priest/Mage	Cleric
Freeze Remove Curse Angel’s Blessing Angel’s Carol Lightning Rod Enlightenment Icewind Blade Wind Fairy Windrider Halo

Original post at gameshogun™.

Mage: the Arcane Master

2010-01-05T22:43:08-08:00

Mages attack with fire and lightning and inflict heavy magical damage. Some of their spells can enclose a wide range area with fiery walls and keep whole hordes of monsters in check. Seasoned mages are said to harness the power of the phoenix. With the help of their arcane knowledge they can protect themselves and their companions from harm or increase the strength of the entire party.

Mages are wise and prudent - knowledge is the only force they have faith in. For eons they have tried to solve the mysteries of the elements, to completely understand and master their invocation. The immense concentration needed to unleash a spell, forces mages to do without the protection offered by strong armour.

For casting, distance is needed. Better still are some loyal companions in whose support a mage can trust. The hardships endured by protecting these sometimes outlandish savants is justified by the immense power they can yield.

The “Holy Mage” (Mage/Knight)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Holy Mage” (Mage/Knight) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Mage	Knight
STR	5	13
DEX	10	11
CON	9	14
INT	14	11
WIS	12	11

Mage/Knight	Holy Mage
Holy Light Strike Stars of Light Enhanced Holy Light Strike Messenger of Light Light Charge Concentrated Attention Light of Day Energy Recovery

The “Wizard” (Mage/Priest)

(note: Do you want to help in defining the “Wizard” (Mage/Priest) class combo? Simply send your name, URL/blog, guild, and your content to blognet@gameshogun.ws with the subject prefix [Runes of Magic].)

Stats	Mage	Priest
STR	5	7
DEX	10	10
CON	9	10
INT	13	13
WIS	12	14

Mage/Priest	Wizard
Essence of Magic Purify Outburst Rising Tide Mastery Shine of the Holy Aura Grand Dispel Disable Magic Drain

Original post at gameshogun™.

Runes of Magic Philippines Open Beta

2010-01-05T01:43:51-08:00

Closed-Beta testing of Runes of Magic Philippines ended today to give way to the preparations needed for the much anticipated Open Beta of this 3^rd Generation Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game.

When is the Open Beta? This Friday already! January 8, 2010 at exactly 12:00nn all gamers from all over the Philippines will be able to create their new characters. So if at this time you still do not have RoM-PH installed, you better start downloading the game or check your nearest iCafe shop.

Are you experienced enough to go to the next level?

Original post at gameshogun™.

Name That Starship Class

2009-12-30T01:57:39-08:00

Cryptic is running a simple contest which you probably guessed already (read: the title of this post) - Name That Starship Class. This is for their soon to be launch MMORPG Star Trek Online.

The rule is simple: Name one or all three of the Tier 5 starship designs located on their website. The contest will end on January 8, 2010.

A class of starship is a term referring to the design of a group of vessels built to the specifications, capabilities, modification, or type arrangement and outfitting. Many cultures name separate series or classes based on these qualities. A starship classification is usually used to refer to the general abilities of a vessel, but a specific class designation refers to its shape or layout in differing degrees, according to how specific species and cultures use the term.

Retrieved: 12/30/2009 from Starship classes - Memory Alpha, the Star Trek Wiki

The three new Starship designs of the Starfleet are:

Tier 5 Star Cruiser

LENGTH: 724m | DRAFT: 90m | BEAM: 255m

Tier 5 Fleet Escort

LENGTH: 390m | DRAFT: 70m | BEAM: 306m

Tier 5 DSSV (Deep Space Science Vessel)

LENGTH: 554m | DRAFT: 98m | BEAM: 211m

You can read

Some things to remember, only entries submitted via this URL: www.startrekonline.com/name_that_starship will be recognized. And only your most recent entry will be eligible for each Starship.

The criteria for judging are: Creativity and Appropriateness to the image provided. Last but not the least, the prizes are the following:

Inclusion of winning entry into the Star Trek Online game.
A copy of Star Trek Online Digital Deluxe Edition.
An autographed poster featuring your starship name on it.
A unique in-game title, “Starship Designer”

Three (3) First-Place Prizes will be given (obviously 1 per Starship design). The total value of all prizes is U$79.99 (approximate US retail value).

Go, submit your entry now: www.startrekonline.com/name_that_starship. Do not forget that you need to be logged-in before you can see the entry form.

Wait! Be sure to check out the list of existing Starship classes known in the Star Trek Universe, you don’t want to submit an existing name

* Licensed but non-canon, means that a Star Trek product was given a license to produce Star Trek materials, but the community does not consider it canon or part of actual universe.
** Canon - only sanctioned Star Trek TV series and Movies are considered by the community as part of the actual universe
*** The community is divided over the “canon” issue, so don’t bother yourself with that and don’t let it stop you from enjoying Star Trek Online.

Do not forget to Pre-Order Star Trek Online Now!

Original post at gameshogun™.

Lineage II and Exteel South-East Asia Shuts Down in 30 Days

2009-12-22T05:38:38-08:00

iAM Interactive ~~the gaming arm of~~ or Asian Media Development Group is shutting down its service in thirty (30) days. This is the announcement that you will see if you visit their official website at iam-interactive.com.

Thus, all Lineage II and Exteel players are advised to use all their remaining iCOINs immediately. Another sad day in the online gaming industry, not just locally in the Philippines but in the Asean region.

iAM Interactive was known as iPlayAsia when AsianMedia ( AMDG ) entered the Philippine Online Gaming Industry ("P.O.G.I."). Their first offering was ArenaNet’s Guild Wars, selling game boxes to Filipino gamers locally. Later, AsianMedia launched Lineage II for South-East Asian gamers. It was followed by Exteel and then GoGo Racer, both serving Asean gamers in the region.

Check out the first website of L2-SEA here, or rather what was left of it before the MY, PH, and SG websites were launched (which are not accessible anymore).

Thanks to AsianMedia for the games and for the opportunities they offered to everyone - to the gamers to the employees of the company.

* Hat tip to Geek Papa for the news.

Original post at gameshogun™.

Pre-Order Star Trek Online Now!

2009-12-21T05:59:12-08:00

It is December already and this means one thing, Star Trek Online Open Beta is coming closer, faster! The Open Beta will be on January 12, 2010 to January 26, 2010 then a few days later, the Head Start period is next from January 29, 2010 to February 2, 2010.

Yes I hear you, it is time to pre-order and get your STO boxes. There are two boxes as usual, the Regular Box and the Collector’s Edition boxset. Allow me to show you where you can order and have it shipped in your country, especially if you are in Asia.

Regular Box

Collector’s Edition Boxset

You should buy the CE boxset if you have the extra cash for it! Here are some of the goodies that comes with the CE box (source)

Communicator Badge: High quality cast metal design based on the in-game badge model. Fully 3D Sculpted with recessed burst and curved contours.
Deluxe Packaging: Futuristic 3dX holography set in a high quality brushed aluminum finish. Heavy duty construction with magnetic closures and nested compartments for all components.
Deluxe Manual: High end, hardbound, art book, manual, and disc case in a single, elegant package. “HD Printing” on over 40 glossy pages of exclusive art from the Star Trek Online Universe.
Red Matter Capacitor: A unique item that charges up and delivers extra energy to all of your ship’s equipment for a short time. A device that, when used, gives you a small bump in energy, has a long recharge.
The Next Generation Uniform: Uniform options from The Next Generation. The timeless look worn by Picard, Data, and Riker.
Deep Space Nine Uniform: Uniform options from Deep Space Nine. Grey shoulders, on a black uniform, just like Sisko, Worf, and Dax.

Cryptic also posted a Pre-Order Bonus FAQ which you should read. Of course, with every pre-order comes exclusive items, features, emoticons, and what not. Check some of my favorites below:

NX Prefix
This renowned ship registration prefix designates a special prototype vessel. Players can attach this prefix to the title of any of their ships.

Joined Trill
At character creation, a player can select Trill as a race. This unlocks special exclusive traits that enhance the character’s abilities. Note that the special abilities are the only exclusive aspect; players are still able to create Trills in the game. However, they will lack the Trill abilities.

Chromodynamic Armor
This ground item goes into a character’s body armor slot. Based on technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by U.S.S. Voyager, this personal body armor improves the damage and critical hits of a player’s ground energy weapons.

You can check the complete list at STO’s Pre-Order Exclusives page.

Once you have Pre-Order, you should get a key which you should enter here. It guarantees your access to the Open Beta, in other words the OBT is by invite only (isn’t that called Closed Beta then, Cryptic?) or will be limited (which still means not “open” beta).

Here are some screenshots from the game.

I will soon go where no man has gone before, would you like to join me and explore the vastness of space? But be sure to check the system requirements

Original post at gameshogun™.