MapleStory 2 Alpha Test Information!

Hey guys! I mentioned in my last post that registration for the MapleStory 2 Alpha Test would open yesterday, and it did! Some people have asked me how they can sign up and so I’ll mention that in this post, as well as information regarding PC requirements and other assorted Alpha test shenanigans.
You can check out the updated/redesigned MapleStory 2 homepage here if you want.


For those of you that have accounts with Nexon Korea, you can sign up for the Alpha test by going to the homepage and pressing the Apply to be a Tester button beside King Slime. Make sure you’re logged in first.

You’ll then have to confirm your information and then comes step 2. It’s just a bunch of questions you have to fill out.

1. Please choose your gender. 

• Male
• Female

2. Please choose your year of birth.
3. Which of these games would you say you have played the most in the last 3 months?

• League of Legends
• Sudden Attack
• Dungeon and Fighter
• FIFA Online 3
• MapleStory
• Other (please enter the game name here)

4. Which feature of MapleStory 2 are you most excited for?

• The large variety of character customization options
• The cube style’s cute and charming maps
• The 3D characters’ exciting and dynamic combat
• The 4 classes and 8 adventurer jobs
• The large variety of fascinating boss raids
• The construction system that allows you to create houses and maps
• Other (please enter here)

5. Please note what you are expecting from this alpha test.

And then press the red button to submit, you’re done! You will be contacted by email later if you are accepted to the Alpha test!

Here is the schedule for the Alpha test! Registration will be open from August 28 to September 10, and those who are chosen to participate will be notified on September 15. The test itself will take place from September 17 to 21.

On testing days, there are time limits for when users can play. On the 17th/18th/19th, the game will be open from 6pm ~ 11pm, and on the 20th/21st, it will be open from 12pm ~ 11pm.

They also posted information about the game’s graphics and system requirements. Users will be able to change the graphics to better fit their computer’s specs. Above is a Slime monster, and you can see that on High, there are much more detailed textures.

The skill motions and town backgrounds will also be affected, obviously being more detailed on High settings.

You will be able to change the graphics from Low/Medium/High/Best. Each one comes with its own settings on the different effects in the game. I’m not sure if you can create your own custom settings (but it’s probably a good bet that you can).
Effect quality will change how good different things look, based on the stage (1 being worst and 3 being best). Brightness is self explanatory. Anti-aliasing makes outlines smoother and less jagged. Real-time shadows means that shadows from objects in the game will update constantly based on your position and light sources.

They also posted the average system requirements for each graphics settings. As you can see, the Low settings’ requirements are quite low, so I don’t think anyone will need to worry about being able to run MapleStory 2 haha.

The two GMs, Warwick and Jackie, also answered some other questions users had about the Alpha test. They confirmed that after this Alpha test is over, all information (including character names, levels gained, and items acquired) will be deleted.
In addition, users will be able to post freely about anything they encounter during the Alpha test. Yay! I’ll definitely be on the prowl for information and videos to share with you guys.
Finally, after the test is over, the information acquired will be used to improve MapleStory 2 until the next testing stage is ready! They will be releasing a more detailed schedule for future testing at a later date.

kMS ver. 1.2.220 – Shining Star!

The second summer update, Shining Star has been released! Go to a new world with colourful spotlights and become a star on Star Planet! This patch features a new area with a ton of minigames and events, as well as a reorganization of the Mileage system.
It’s not as exciting as the first one (and probably not the third one when that comes), but we have to make do with what we get. More detailed information about the Mileage system will be added later!


There are a couple of ways you can enter Star Planet. First of all, you can use any existing characters you have by choosing them and pressing the Go to Star Planet button.
Note that in Star Planet, you cannot access your Use or Etc inventory.

You can also create a Star Planet character in the world selection screen.

• This character can be used to easily enjoy Star Planet without having to choose a world or job.
• You can play with this character in Maple World by selecting a world and job after creating it (you cannot choose Kaiser, Angelic Burster, Mikhail or Zero).
• You cannot go to Maple World before selecting a world and job.
• Each Maple ID can only have 1 Star Planet character. If you wish to create another one, you must move your existing character to Maple World.
• If you delete your Star Planet character after choosing a job and world, the Maple World character will also be deleted.
• You can buy Cash items for your Star Planet character but some items cannot be purchased.

Star Planet is different than Maple World, and that includes the game interface!

1. Star Grade and Character Name: Star Planet does not have jobs, instead it gives you a Star Grade based on your Star Points.
2. Star Point Bar: Your current Star Points. When the bar is filled, your Star Grade will go up!
3. Character Information: Instead of your buddies, quests, items, equipment, or skills, in Star Planet you can see your Star Grade, Mileage obtained today, time connected, and minigame high scores.
4. Skill Shortcuts: You can use these to place skills that can be used in Star Planet. However you cannot use many skills from Maple World.
5. Star Planet Quests: An icon that alerts you to quests you can do in Star Planet.
6. Star Planet Information: An icon that lets you talk to NPCs which can guide you through minigames, world events, and rewards.
7. Go to Maple World: This button is used to go to Maple World from Star Planet. It cannot be used in some maps. Star Planet characters will have to choose a world and job before they can move to Maple World.

The main goal of everyone in Star Planet is to become a Shining Star! Collect Star Points through various activities such as minigames and climb in popularity with the help of Sierra Grace and Ryan.D!

Every week, the top 100 users in the Star Planet Rankings and the top 5 in the Game Rankings  will become Shining Stars! The rankings can be viewed in the central plaza and Star Arena and will also show the remaining time until the next Shining Stars are chosen.

Now, let’s talk about Star Grades! When you first enter Star Planet, you’ll be a Beginning Newbie. In Maple World, you get experience to level up but here, your goal is to get Star Points in order to increase your Star Grade! There are many prizes you can receive as you increase your Star Grade.
There are 12 Star Grades but you don’t have to be a Flying Star (11th stage) to become a Shining Star (12th stage), you just need to be on the rankings mentioned above!

• Rising Newbie (10 SP)
• Prime Newbie (30 SP)
• New Talent (50 SP)
  • New Board riding
  • Action: Flash Mob
  • Yutnori Customizing (Petite Luminous)
• Fresh Talent (90 SP)
  • Fresh Board riding
  • One Card Customizing (Orange Slime)
• Junior Talent (150 SP)
  • Junior Board riding
  • Yutnori Customizing (Petite Magnus)
• Senior Talent (300 SP)
  • Senior Board riding
  • One Card Customizing (Green Mushroom)
• Master Talent (500 SP)
  • Master Board riding
  • Yutnori Customizing (Petite Phantom)
• Prime Talent (700 SP)
  • Prime Board riding
  • Yutnori Customizing (Petite Lang)
• Beginning Star (1000 SP)
  • Beginning Open Car riding
  • Beginning Star title
  • Action: Headspin
  • One Card Customizing (Yellow Mushroom)
  • Typing Defense Customizing (Deadly Star)
  • Yutnori Customizing (Petite Hilla)
• Rising Star (1400 SP)
  • Rising Sports Car riding
  • Rising Star title
  • Action: Hands on Head
• Flying Star (2000 SP)
  • Flying Sports Car riding
  • Flying Star title
  • Action: Photo Zone
• Shining Star (SP not applicable)
  • Shining Balloon riding
  • Shining Star title
  • Petite Sierra and Petite Ryan pets
  • Mix Dye Coupon
  • Action: Shining Star

Note that after you achieve New Talent or higher, if you do not collect any more Star Points your Star Grade will go down steadily. You cannot use a Star Grade’s rewards if you decline below it. Other than the customizing, all items are usable in Maple World.

Board ridings have a special Boost ability, which you can use by pressing the jump key.

You can also use your rewards to customize minigames, such as changing the players in Star Yutnori!

Every Thursday at 12AM, the week’s Shining Stars will be chosen! Maplers that are able to achieve it (be in the top 100 rankings or top 5 minigame rankings) are given special prizes as well, such as a unique mount, a title, and two pets based off the main characters in Star Planet!
Note that these prizes will only last one week, unless you are able to become a Shining Star once more.

The Mix Dye Coupon is a special hair colour changer which allows you to mix two different colours together! Choose a base and a mix and then move the slider to your desired proportions.

Star Planet consists of 7 different areas, the entrance, Star Arena, central plaza, the fortune teller’s house, Game Centre, Trend Shop, and cafeteria.

Here’s a tour of the area, you might notice the map is similar to the Friends Story main map, it is a quarter view!

When you decide to go to Star Planet, you’ll arrive at the entrance.

In the Star Planet entrance and central plaza, you can use the Star Planet Limousine to move quickly to the entrance or Star Arena.

First there’s Star Arena. This area features many popular minigames from past Maple World events, but now they are available year round!
There are two ways to play minigames, Regular Play, where you are randomly matched with others in a queue (you will receive Star Points and Mileage, only the highest player will be ranked) and Party Play, where you can join a game with your party members and friends (you will receive less Star Points and Mileage but you will not be ranked).
There are a total of six minigames available to play in the Star Arena.

• Speed! Rock Paper Scissors: a game that tests your wits and judgement (requires 1 person)
• Showdown! Typing Defense: a competitive typing game (requires 3 people)
• Defend! Typing Defense: a typing game where you must prevent the invasion of Moon Bunnies (requires 1 person)
• Star Yutnori: a folk strategy board game (requires 2 people)
• Star One Card: a tactical card game (requires 4 people)
• Star Marvel: a dice strategy board game (requires 3 people)

The central plaza is where many events and special attractions take place! First of all, there are world events which allow up to 100 people to participate! These events take place every day from 12pm to 10pm.

Star Bingo begins at the start of every hour. If you get 1st place, you’ll receive 10 SP and a Lord of Bingo Hat (lasts 7 days). 2nd~10th gets 7 SP and 11th~30th gets 4 SP.

1 vs 100 Rock Paper Scissors begins 20 minutes past the hour (XX:20). If you get the most wins, you’ll receive 15 SP and the Kemdi Hat (lasts 7 days). If you win the final game, you’ll get 15 SP, if you have 3 or more wins you’ll get 8 SP and if you have less than that you’ll get 5 SP.

Photographing Stars is a new game which requires you to take pictures of either Sierra Grace or Ryan.D in specific poses, it begins 40 minutes past the hour (XX:40). You’ll get some SP based on the poses that you can capture the idols in with your camera!

Also in the central plaza is the Lucky Lottery! Every 30 minutes, Roamin will let you enter. Choose one of three marks and be lucky!
First place will get you 10 Star Points and the Lucky Lucky Hat (lasts 7 days). Second place gets 5 SP, third place gets 3 SP, and fourth place gets 1 SP.

If you are a Shining Star, central plaza will have extra benefits for you! You can talk to Elmin in order to enter the Shining Star stage or change the message on the Star Planet screen.
You can enter the stage as much as you want but you can only change messages once every 10 minutes. In addition, each channel can only have a maximum of 10 Shining Stars’ messages.

In the bottom right of the central plaza, you’ll see a purple tent. This is the fortune teller’s house! You can go get special buffs once a day for free, based on your fortune~

•  Great Word of Mouth: Your popularity seems to be on the rise. You will get increased Star Points from minigames for a certain period of time.
•  Ancestors’ Fortune: Your ancestors have appeared in a dream, increasing your luck. You will have an increased chance to win 1st or 2nd place in the next lottery.
•  Ribbon Pig Dream: Your fate is closely aligned with gold. You will get increased Mileage from minigames for a certain period of time.
•  Failure is the Root of Success: Your fate allows you to reverse bad decisions. You will be able to reverse your choice once in the lottery.
• Lucky Life: Your extremely lucky day! You will gain the effects of all four buffs together.
• Autograph Rush: A random event at the fortune teller’s house. Your adoring fans rush to ask you for your autograph, increasing your Star Points.

The Game Centre, right of the central plaza, has a couple of extra minigames: Go! Mesorangers! (requires 5 people) and Star Omok (requires 2 people)!
These games however do not reward Star Points or Mileage, they’re just meant to be played for fun.

After playing a lot of minigames and participating in events with your friends, take a break at the cafeteria! It is on the west side of Star Planet and here, you can sit in special chairs (given by Jamin) and talk to your friends~

You can also head to the Trend Shop on the east side, where you can try on popular Cash items!

Mileage has been updated! Now, in addition to beating bosses, you can gain it from playing minigames, doing daily challenges in Star Planet, or buying Nexon Cash. Mileage could be used in the Mileage Shop in the Cash Shop but now you can also use it to buy almost any Cash item!
This does not apply to some categories such as beauty coupons or cubes, which can still only use Mileage to cover 30% of the cost.

You can collect 2x Experience Coupons for Maple World from Star Planet! As you can Star Points, the EXP Buff Gauge will fill up, allowing you to redeem coupons!
25% filled will give you 15 minutes and so on. You can even choose to receive them in separate coupons (such as if your bar is 100% filled, you can get 4 15 minute coupons).

You can check out you and your friends’ rankings in various games as well~

Finally, there are a ton of cute and charming little areas all over Star Planet! Explore with your friends and create some memories~

Registration for the MapleStory 2 open alpha test is going to open up today! They will be open until September 10, and the winners will be announced on September 15! If you have a Korean Nexon account, make sure to sign up on the homepage~ I hope I can get in to share information with all of you *_*

There were only a couple new events added this patch. The first is the Star Planet Attendance Check which will run until September 18!

Unlike other attendance checks, this one requires you to collect 35 Star Points per day in Star Planet! There are 14 days worth of prizes.

1. 2x Experience Coupon Extender
2. 3 Star Planet Weather Effects
3. 5 2x Experience Coupon Extenders
4. 3 Star Planet Weather Effects
5. Star Planet Chat Bubble Ring
6. 2x Box
7. Star Planet Hangawi Hat
8. 5 Star Planet Weather Effects
9. 7 2x Experience Coupon Extenders
10. Star Planet Name Tag Ring
11. Star Planet Hangawi Overall
12. Pingpong Star Balloon
13. Star Planet Damage Skin
14. Hangawi Persimmon Branch

The 2x Experience Coupon Extenders double the duration of the 2x Experience Coupons you can get from Star Planet.
The 2x Box gives either 10 weather effects or 14 extenders. The Hangawi items give you a Cash hat and overall based on your gender.

The second event is the 2x Star Points and Mileage event, which runs from now until September 21.

On the days scheduled above (August 30/31, September 8/9/10/13/14/20/21), at the specified times (1pm~2pm, 3pm~4pm, 5pm~6pm), you will get twice the regular amount of Star Points and Mileage from Star Planet minigames!