Ace Online

Ace Online or AirRivals is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) 3D shooter developed by MasangSoft Inc. and owned by YD Online Corp.
In North America, the game was previously released as Space Cowboy Online through a portal known as gPotato, which was operated by Gala-Net. Space Cowboy Online's client was made available for download on May 22, 2006, and the service went live on May 26, 2006.
On December 26, 2007, Space Cowboy Online was shut down. This was announced to the public with a letter from Space Cowboy's last active GM, "Xarfox".
Following the closure of Space Cowboy Online, the European version of the game would be hosted under GameForge4D GmbH and renamed to AirRivals in early 2008 (originally, it was intended to be known as Flysis). The North American release would soon follow, with hosting from Suba Games beginning on September 26, 2008, titled Ace Online.
Other publishers eventually followed, with Arario Corporation acquiring the license to host Ace Online in Japan and launching in the first quarter of 2009, while Axeso5 officially opened the first Latin American Ace Online server in February 2011.
In 2016, GameForge4D GmbH relinquished the rights for hosting AirRivals , which were then handed to MasangSoft. Players were offered the chance to transfer their gears and in-game items to a new server, where the European version would once again be renamed, this time to Ace Online.
In Ace Online, players pilot their own individual starfighters (called "Gears") throughout a number of maps, including terrestrial, lunar, and space maps. It has typical MMORPG elements such as leveling, currency, a skill system and combat mostly based on player equipment and level. Ace Online is a largely player vs. player-oriented game (PvP), with character leveling and item acquisition achieved through combat against non-player characters and the completion of missions. After the conclusion of certain missions, more maps will be accessible to the player. Although a high level character will have better character attributes than most other players, no one at any level is invincible against other players in PvP. As in other MMORPGs, players can trade items, customize their gears, form parties ("formations") and guilds ("brigades"), and fight with other players via PvP combat. Almost all of the combat in Ace Online is aerial, from the third-person view. Players have the option to use an in-cockpit, first-person view.
When players create their account, they can choose their fighter, each with different play styles.
Ace Online is a free-to-play MMO, with the option of buying in-game items via an "Item Shop" that can be accessed when the player interacts with the item shop icon in the bottom right corner of the screen, or by speaking to an NPC in the main hub. A player can only purchase the items from the item shop using currency that must be purchased through a website via a Ace Online account. There are many items available to purchase that affect a gear's weapons (e.g. change the trail effect of the missiles), stats (e.g. full reset or partial reset of stats), experience (e.g. increase experience rate) or others for a limited time. This item shop was made available to players on June 23, 2006.
The item shop also includes "Weapon Gamble", "Enhancements", "Enchant Protection" and "Legending" services. Weapon Gamble allows weapons to be "gambled" and enchanted. This card randomly gambles the weapon stats with prefix and suffix to add extra attributes to the weapon. "Enhancements" affect a player's weapons and armor to boost performance, such as having faster missiles, higher rate of fire, or damage. To limit the power of weapons and armor, only five enchantments can be applied safely to a piece of equipment. For the sixth enchant and onward, there is a chance to break the weapon.
Ace Online offers a PvP system of "Nation Wars", which revolves around a point system: "National Contribution Points" (NCP). The two nations in question are Bygeniou City United (BCU) and Arlington National Influence (ANI). Every time an enemy gear is shot down, the shooter's nation gains 1 NCP. NCP are also gained for other events, such as Strategic Points, Mothership wars, and Arena battles. Arena battles usually give a small amount of NCP compared to Strategic Points and Mothership wars.
One of the most popular areas for these unorganized battles is "Bark City", as it is a neutral zone between the two warring nations. It contains wide open spaces, a repair shop, and access to four teleports, two of which only open during a time-specific event that either nation can participate in.
Ace Online contains a duel based system where players may challenge other players in either a 1 on 1 duel or "Formation Battle" (up to 6 players per formation).