Counter-Strike 2 has been playable for a few months now, but the shooter is still struggling with issues. Nvidia drivers are causing problems again, as players can see through smoke.
What an unfair advantage! On Reddit, Counter-Strike player “GGDropcom_Off” shared a clip in which he activated a “game filter” using GeForce Experience, allowing him to see better through smoke.
GeForce Experience is a tool for Nvidia graphics cards that allows, for example, the recording of clips or displaying your FPS. With the game filter setting, the Reddit user was able to change the coloring of CS2.
When he subsequently threw a smoke grenade, he could still clearly see the silhouettes of other characters through the smoke and accurately shoot them – quite an unfair advantage against anyone who doesn’t have or cannot use this option.
Here you can see the Reddit clip of the player:
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Why is this bad? In Counter-Strike, smoke grenades play an important tactical role. They hinder your opponent’s sight of you and give you a short window of time to exploit the lack of visibility of your opponents.
CS2 even raised the bar and improved the smoke compared to CS:GO. It is now even more variable in use, as it temporarily disappears due to the explosion of grenades. Additionally, shots can cause small holes in the smoke for a short period, and it now spreads better in rooms.
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Counter-Strike 2: Trailer – The New Smoke
If players can see through the smoke and see you, that’s a huge tactical advantage. The cover that the smoke normally provides is no longer effective.
The enemy team’s economy can also benefit if players can see through the smoke due to a game filter, as they won’t need to use grenades to counter your smoke.
What does the community say? In the comments under the clip, there is discussion about who is responsible for the problem. One user writes that Nvidia is in trouble. Other users respond that Valve is to blame: “It’s not Nvidia’s fault, but Valve’s. If the driver has access to it, cheats can too. They shouldn’t render the player if he is not visible.”
Another user writes that Counter-Strike competitor Valorant had a similar problem some time ago. Generally, some players trust that Valve will quickly have a solution ready.
However, one user adds that to use game filters in CS2, one must allow third-party software, which decreases the trust factor.
A too low trust factor can lead to you playing with and against players who also have a low trust factor – for example, due to toxic behavior or many reports for cheating.
By the way, Valve can also be very creative when it comes to showing you that you should behave better. A streamer had to experience this in DOTA 2:
A festive and mysterious veil surrounds Destiny 2, as the final week of the Dawning event begins today. While the galaxy prepares for the upcoming New Year’s Eve, an engaging symphony of adventures and challenges also unfolds in the new Exo mission. MeinMMO summarizes the activities of this Christmas week for you.
For all Star Cat seekers in week 5: This week the cat is not hidden at the specified location. We will show you in this article where you can really find it.
Of course, the story of Season 23 continues, while Eva encourages you to bake cookies for the NPCs in Destiny 2. The countdown for the end of the Dawning event is January 2, 2024. By then, you should also have baked all ingredients into a large pile of Glimmer, weapons, and materials.
But that’s not all – while the snowflakes gently drift from the sky, the weekly activities also rotate through the cosmic offerings.
Start video
Destiny 2 heats up 2023 with “The Dawn” to warm your holiday oven again
The key information about activities from 12/26 to 1/2.
Nightfall
The Corrupted, in the Dreaming City
Guardians must find one of Queen Mara’s closest advisors, Sedia, and free her from the control of the Taken. However, she has some screaming arguments that you need to counter.
Earn this week’s Nightfall weapon: The sniper rifle “Uzume RR4”
Crucible – This is the rotating PvP activity
This week in PvP, the modes checkmate control, witch’s cauldron, and elimination are active.
Additionally, there is a weekly boost with double Crucible rewards.
Endgame: Raid Challenges and Dungeon Rotation
Farmable Endgame on a weekly rotation: For those who enjoy challenges, the so-called Legacy rotations await in the endgame. They can be repeated and farmed.
What does “Farmable Endgame” mean in Destiny 2?
Since Season 21, older missions and raids rotate every week as Legacy activities and are farmable. This means: The active rotational raid, the active rotational dungeon, and the exotic rotational missions can be farmed in the week. You can complete the individual encounters multiple times to receive different items and complete your collection, including any exotics available in these contents.
This week’s Legacy raid is “Oryx’s Sworn” with the pulse rifle “Crowd Control.”
Additionally, there’s the dungeon “Prophecy”
The weekly Exo mission is “Foreboding” with the scout rifle “Tale of a Dead Man.”
Sedia awaits you this week in the Nightfall of Destiny 2.
Weekly Activities
These are the ritual activities:
The Circus: Cross the dangerous paths of the Dreaming City and uncover the secrets left behind by Riven.
Protect the Nest: Retrieve the lost eggs across the Ley Lines from Riven’s domain to fulfill your part of a dangerous deal.
Storm the Watchtower: Enter the ruin of the Warlord and banish the scorn and the Taken from the desire magic.
Lightfall – Weekly Campaign Mission
“No Time Left”
This mission reveals more information about CloudArk that the Guardians are meant to discover. Rohan sends you to the reactor of the network and infrastructure of Neomuna.
Ascendant Challenge – Dreaming City
Petra Venjhas this week’s 2nd Ascendant Challenge for you. You will find Petra and her quest offerings at the location “The Shore” in the Dreaming City. Here too, Savathun has her fingers in the pie, as the curse begins to reclaim the holy city of the Awoken at Level 1.
All sources for top loot in Season 23 of Destiny 2
More power level comes automatically: It seems there will be no grinding for power level in Season 23 either. The hard power level cap in Destiny 2 has remained unchanged at 1,810 for several seasons. Thus, no player is forced to perform at their peak every week, but automatically levels up with artifact level in all activities.
If you are currently not at the hard cap of 1,810, we have listed the best sources for top loot for you here.
This top loot boosts your power level up to 1,810:
Weekly Lightfall campaign mission on Legendary (+2)
Play “Part Restart” on Neomuna
Complete ritual activities in the Vanguard, in Gambit, or in the Crucible
Hawthorne’s clan task: Award 5 appreciation cards to other Guardians (+2 and 7 enhancement cores)
If any additional sources emerge in Season 23, we will promptly add them here.
Glimmer highlights in the Eververse
Only this week can you earn all Dawning armors through Glimmer in the Eververse. Players can obtain them for 6,000 Glimmer. You can use your saved Glimmer, or you can bake a lot of cookies for Eva and receive 10 Glimmer per cookie. Her additional bounty quests are farmable as long as you have enough Dawning Essence. You can even earn more Glimmer through the weekly Eva bounties here.
The frosty offers await you in exchange for Glimmer.
And these items are also available this week in the Eververse:
The MMORPG Star Citizen has not been released yet, but it offers a neat new package: For 53,121 euros and 60 cents, there is the “Legatus 2953” package. It contains 175 virtual spaceships.
However, since more and more ships are being added to the package, it is now at 48,000 $.
By any conceivable definition, that is extremely a lot of money. Especially since neither Star Citizen nor Squadron 42 can currently present any release date. The game is still in alpha.
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Star Citizen Alpha 3.22 Trailer
How expensive is that in relation? On Twitter, an American says: The price is three times the annual minimum wage in the USA.
On a Spanish site, it is explained: That is half as much as the sports car Maserati Grecale GT costs. There is also a small yacht, the Azimut 36 FLY Boat with a length of 11.2 meters, available for 90,000 €. In Spain, the average income is 22,781 euros – so the price of the package is double the annual salary.
Here in Germany, the average gross salary is about 49,260 euros (via Wirtschaftswoche), when working full-time. Even there, one could not afford the package.
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In recent weeks, the venerable MMORPG World of Warcraft had a surge on Twitch. That has now come to a stop for the time being. We explain what it is all about.
What was that surge on Twitch about?
WoW is actually not a big game on Twitch, except when there is currently a “World First Race” for a new raid boss in WoW Retail.
But in recent weeks there was an unusually large boost for WoW on Twitch, and it was precisely because of WoW Classic: In the last 90 days, the game had double the viewer hours compared to the previous 90 days.
This was partly due to the World First Race in WoW Retail, but even when that ended, interest remained high. This was due to a special project: “OnlyFangs” in WoW Classic Hardcore.
Anyone raiding on a hardcore server must be a bit crazy:
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WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!
Twitch streamers come together for project “OnlyFangs” and it hits hard
What was this project? “OnlyFangs” is a raid guild in WoW Classic Hardcore on the server “Ragnaros”, consisting of major Twitch streamers. The unique appeal: Anyone who dies here is out. And in a raid in WoW, people can die.
Leading the guild and the raid is the popular sodapoppin, who achieved 7.6 million viewer hours in the last 90 days, almost as much as raid leader Maximum.
Other big Twitch streamers like Mizkif or Annie Fuchsia were also part of OnlyFangs – and they welcomed people who are not usually known for WoW, like Pokimane or CohhCarnage.
What happened now: The surge for WoW began to stall on December 16 and then dropped significantly starting December 20. Since then, top streamer sodapoppin has not been streaming WoW, and many other major streamers are missing:
In the last 7 days, WoW has lost 34% of viewer hours compared to the previous week.
What is the cause? As Twitch streamer Mizkif explains, “OnlyFangs” is currently paused. The father of Veibae, sodapoppin’s partner, has passed away, and therefore the guild leader, Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris, has taken a streaming break.
As Mizkif explains, they will not play WoW without sodapoppin and are putting the entire project on hold:
“No, WoW is not over, but Chance is missing. Chance will… Chance will be gone for a while, he will be away for a while. Yeah, it’s pretty sad stuff.”
Mizkif thinks the “WoW stuff” will take a break for a few weeks without the raid leader. Because without Chance, they will not be able to continue the guild.
Terminator: Genisys is the fifth installment of the film series featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. The sci-fi film is considered a flop, but in reality, it performed well. At least at the box office.
The sci-fi film Terminator: Genisys was released in July 2015, directed by Alan Taylor. Despite casting “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke in the role of Sarah Connor alongside Schwarzenegger, the film failed to impress audiences.
However, it was still a success at the box office. And the revenue from U.S. cinemas was not responsible for this in 2015.
Fourth Largest Opening for a U.S. Film in China
Where was the film a financial success? Although Terminator: Genisys couldn’t attract many viewers in the U.S., the film apparently found success abroad. James Cameron’s work achieved the fourth largest opening for a U.S. film in China in 2015. After its premiere, the film grossed $27.4 million in 25,000 locations in China. (Source: variety.com)
Terminator: Genisys grossed according to IMDb a total of $440,603,537 worldwide (approximately €400,023,951). However, only about one-fifth of the earnings, namely $89,760,956, came from the U.S. and Canada.
German trailer for Terminator: Genisys featuring Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor:
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Terminator: Genisys – German Trailer
What is criticized about the film? On Rotten Tomatoes, Terminator: Genisys has an audience rating of only 52%, on IMDb the film has a rating of 6.3/10 with a total of about 289,000 ratings. It is criticized that Terminator: Genisys “treads on the dusty skeletons of its predecessors that it has slaughtered for this purpose.” (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)
Furthermore, the Terminator series has “forgotten what made Terminator and Terminator 2 so great.” Terminator: Genisys is also described as “unnecessarily complicated with so many time shifts that even a passionate fan of the series must reluctantly admit that its future lies behind it.”
Emilia Clarke said according to CinemaBlend about Terminator: Genisys that she was “relieved” she didn’t have to make another film. The shooting experience was not pleasant.
Arnold Schwarzenegger believes that Terminator: Genisys and its sequel, Terminator: Dark Fate, are not a worthy conclusion for the series. You can find out more about this from our colleagues at Moviepilot.
The first two Terminator films, in particular, received very positive feedback. We conducted a survey at MeinMMO where we wanted to know from you which Schwarzenegger film you think is the best.
Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3 is underrated, but powerful. Our author Fabienne explains why she loves this class and what makes it particularly strong.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, there is a class that hides in the shadow of the popularity of others: the Cleric. A statistic from Larian Studios reveals that the Cleric is the least played class in the game:
Source: Larian Studios
The truth is, the Cleric is not just a weaker Paladin. Personally, I love the Cleric, alongside the Druid, and consider this class one of the most powerful in the entire game.
Cleric is damn strong
Overall, you have seven subclasses to choose from. All are viable, but I find the Domain of Light and the Domain of Life stand out significantly.
What makes the two subclasses so strong?
Domain of Light: With the Domain of Light, you as a Cleric receive strong AOE spells early on, especially the Channel Divinity and later the Fireball, allowing you to deal massive damage. With Wall of Fire, you can make tactical plays by placing it wisely, causing enemies to take significant damage when they walk through it. Together with Hunger of Hadar (for example, from the Warlock), it’s a great combo.
Additionally, with the Domain of Light, you have free access to the spell Spirit Guardians. This means you do not need to prepare the spell, as you have it available right away. With your reaction Protective Flicker, you can impose disadvantage on the opponent, potentially leading to a failed attack. From level 5 onwards, you can also use the reaction for an ally.
Domain of Life: This domain is my personal favorite. To be honest, I also play healer in other games like the two MMORPGs WoW and FFXIV. I also enjoy playing supports in LoL and Overwatch, and in Valorant, I play Sage as my main character – so yes, I love the playstyle. It just feels so good when the group survives because of you or when you can turn the battle with supportive abilities. The impact of healers and supporters on the situation can be immense.
With the Life Cleric, you have the only class in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can really keep allies alive. It is the only class that can be considered a healer. Additionally, you are tanky due to the access to heavy armor.
Also, with the choice of this domain, you later gain free access to Spirit Guardians, which is an incredibly strong spell that you can have a lot of fun with, especially in Act 2.
With the Life Cleric, healing spells become very powerful. With the subclass passive Disciple of Life, you heal additional hit points equal to 2 + spell level, which includes AOE healing spells like Mass Healing Word and Mass Cure Wounds. As Channel Divinity, you receive Preserve Life – another strong AOE heal.
Together with the concentration spell Beacon of Hope, you ensure that your allies receive the highest possible number of hit points from your next healing spells – as long as your concentration is not broken. This allows you to unleash strong healing combos.
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Baldur’s Gate 3: Cast two spells in one go
Spirit Guardians – such a cool spell
Spirit Guardians is simply an outstanding spell that is incredibly fun and is considered one of the strongest in the game. For me, it’s also the Mario Kart spell, because the spell feels like the shells from Mario Kart, which can annoy the opponents significantly.
Spirit Guardians is a 3rd-level conjuration spell that requires concentration. You summon spirits that protect you in the form of an aura. Nearby enemies take 3-24 radiant damage or 3-24 necrotic damage per turn, depending on which damage type you choose. Additionally, their movement speed is halved within the aura. On a saving throw, enemies still take half damage.
You receive the spell with all subclasses of the Cleric. With the Life Cleric, you can also deal strong damage with this spell by effectively walking through enemies with the Spirit Guardians.
This aura is especially good at effectively defeating small enemies. In Act 2, this spell is worth its weight in gold. Just be careful not to provoke opportunity attacks.
Divine Guidance: Always a handy cantrip that is available to both Clerics and Druids. With Divine Guidance, you receive a bonus of 1d4 on your ability checks. The cool thing about it is: You can also cast Divine Guidance on your allies. You can use the ability as often as you want without expending resources.
Spiritual Weapon: With this 2nd-level spell, you can conjure a floating spiritual weapon as a Cleric (as a bonus action) that aids you in battle. You can choose from various weapons, including a two-handed axe, a greatsword, a halberd, a two-handed hammer, a spear, or a trident. All weapons deal 6-13 force damage, but each has its own special attack.
The summoned weapon acts independently of the Cleric with its own movement rate, its own action and bonus action – and it can also fly. The cool thing about this spell is: It is not a concentration spell. You use a spell slot, and the weapon is then available to you for 10 turns.
It is also practical that the weapon is seen as a team unit by the enemies, which means it sometimes draws the focus of their attacks, allowing the weapon to tank a few hits.
Although the Cleric is the least played class in Baldur’s Gate 3 (or as a standalone character), the lack of popularity is likely also influenced by the ever-popular companion Shadowheart, who is also a Cleric.
But for anyone unsure about their class choice and who doesn’t want Shadowheart in their party, I highly recommend the Cleric. I personally have not had two Clerics in a group yet, but I think it could also be strong if you choose two different subclasses.
Clerics should not be underestimated – the class is not just a supportive class, but can also deal substantial damage and watch over the group’s survival.
In the right hands, the Cleric becomes an invaluable member of any adventurer group in Baldur’s Gate 3. As always, class choice is a matter of taste.
What do you think of the Cleric? Which class do you love? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Fritz Meinecke is the inventor of the popular outdoor show “7 vs. Wild”. But it did not go well for him in season 3. Now he comments on his own appearance and answers fans’ questions on Twitch.
Why were there so many questions about Fritz Meinecke’s appearance on 7 vs. Wild?
Fritz Meinecke’s team and Survival Mattin were considered the favorites to win the season. However, they were the first team to be eliminated: It was over by day 3.
A flooding had contaminated the team’s freshwater source, and the two decided that without water, they had no chance of lasting 14 days. They saw no prospects of finding a fresh drinking water source, felt the dehydration, and called to be picked up.
Consequently, there was a lot of criticism for this decision. The team was accused of only seeking an “easy exit” and not doing everything possible to find water. As Meinecke says, he received many nasty and mocking comments and messages online.
Now that the episode with his elimination had aired on YouTube, he wanted to address the fans’ questions in detail.
One of the participants of season 3 is Twitch streamer Jens “Knossi” Knossalla. You can see more about him in our video:
Start video
From the Witness Stand with Barbara Salesch to the King of Twitch – Career and Life of Knossi
Next time in such a situation, he would stock up on more water supplies
What would Fritz Meinecke do differently today? Eine of the questions that Meinecke answered on Twitch was: Why didn’t he stock up on water?
Indeed, he says, he would do it differently now: If he were to find himself in a situation where he uses a “shallow water source close to the sea,” he would try to stock up for 3 to 4 days.
While he had gathered water supplies on day 2, it was only for one day: The supplies were consumed by Mattin and him on day 2 while building the shelter and searching for food. When they were finished, darkness had already fallen, and the two went to sleep instead of refilling the water supplies at the distant source at night.
Why not just make a divining rod?
What were the most unusual questions? The probably strangest question for Meinecke was whether he couldn’t have made a divining rod and searched for freshwater sources.
Meinecke replied dryly: That would indeed have been possible, but for that, he would also have had to bring his tarot cards and crystal ball.
He also did not see the idea of drinking his own urine as a solution:
“Drinking pee dehydrates you too. If you drink really dark yellow urine, that’s not clever.”
Similarly, the “construction of a well” was not a realistic option.
Although the brackish water from the bog could have been boiled, it would not have changed the fact that it was “acidic”.
The central question was: Meinecke was asked why he hadn’t followed the salted river up to the source but had stopped after about half a kilometer.
Meinecke says: He believed that the rule from previous seasons applied, to only move within a limited radius around the camp. Although he had only received the correct limitation for one direction from the production team, he assumed that the old rules still applied. Therefore, he did not want to go too far down the river.
When asked why he didn’t just break such rules, he replied:
“What kind of message is that? Just think about it, in terms of public perception: What kind of message is that if I break the rules of my own project, the rules I set in season 1? No, I don’t feel that at all.”
What does he regret? It is especially noticeable that Fritz Meinecke regrets not having deep knowledge on the topic of “salty drinking water” and that he was clueless in the situation. He had to simply accept the assessment of Survival Mattin (“There’s salt in it, you can’t drink that, it will damage your kidneys”).
He says he knows that you shouldn’t drink seawater, but he did lack the knowledge of how salty water can be drinkable. And without this knowledge, he did not want to contradict another survival expert who has been doing this for 10 years and didn’t want to start a big discussion about it.
In hindsight, Meinecke sees no solution to the drinking water problem
Was the lack of motivation a problem? Meinecke admits that the mood and mindset of him and Survival Mattin were not good for many reasons.
However, he does not believe that a “super-hyped” mindset could have changed much about the drinking water situation. The mindset may have contributed to them not lasting another night. But ultimately, they would have only delayed the inevitable elimination insignificantly.
A way to prevent elimination with some action has not yet come to his mind even months later.
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What does he hope for? Meinecke says: In the later episodes of the season, there will be a little “aha moment”:
“There will be a little plot twist in this series. I think the people who saw this on Freevee know what I’m talking about.”
From now on, there are spoilers about the later course of 7 vs. Wild that YouTube viewers do not yet know.
What does he mean by that?
The location of the team “Trymacs and Rumathra” was relatively close to the location of Meinecke and Survival Mattin – they were about 6 kilometers apart, on the same beach.
When they later ran out of drinking water in the season, they made a forced march and reached the spot of Meinecke and Survival Mattin: There they found traces of both, but also only salty drinking water and had to be picked up as well.
The YouTube users will see this “plot twist” in a few weeks. Meinecke suspects that then his performance will be evaluated differently: Because even if Meinecke could have waited a week for a better situation, his freshwater source would still have been salty.
Also, Fritz Meinecke’s partner in the show has commented on the fans’ questions:
In the subreddit of Diablo 4, there is often complaining and whining. A player received Blizzard’s ARPG as a Christmas gift and is asking for tips for getting started – and the responses are much nicer than one might think.
A player received Diablo 4 as a Christmas gift and visited the subreddit to ask for tips on starting the game. Based on the threads, one might think a tip would be: “Just ask if you can exchange the game.” But he actually receives many good and helpful responses.
Start video
Diablo 4: The German trailer for the Midwinter Pest
“Just stay the hell away from that damn subreddit!”
What do the players respond? In the post on Reddit, the user “Mosasaurus999” writes on December 25 that Diablo 4 is his first Diablo and he is “super hyped” to play it with a friend. When he asks for tips and tricks for beginners, people mainly advise him of one thing: Not to listen to the haters complaining about the game.
A user recommends him to check out maxroll.gg. The site is run by experts who create tier lists for builds in Diablo 4. The user “acog” responds: “It’s fun to experiment with the builds. If you feel your character isn’t strong enough, there are rankings and detailed guides for leveling (1-49) as well as for endgame (level 50-100).”
“ShadowSwoopz” suggests staying away from this subreddit and enjoying the game in their own way. They can use build guides, but they should definitely stay away from this “goddamn subreddit”.
Other users recommend starting with the campaign, which is worthwhile and has great cutscenes. One user advises uncovering all Lilith altars, which they did not do and regret very much.
“allen_mglt” writes: “Enjoy the game. […] Just equip the items that have higher stats. And make sure your mouse is up for it; there’s a lot of clicking, LOL.” Another user notes that you can also just hold the buttons down.
As a technology enthusiast, a PC upgrade was the best Christmas gift for me many years ago, as it had a significant impact on me, and I still fondly remember it today.
Christmas gifts can be as diverse as the pattern of the paper they are wrapped in. Occasionally, an unwrapped present is left unattended in the corner on the same evening, or is simply completely forgotten. And some gifts can have a significant impact on someone.
The best gift I ever received at Christmas had such an impact on me. A small piece of hardware for my computer, specifically a graphics card in connection with a racing game, made me a technology enthusiast 25 years ago.
Start video
Manufacturer shows sleek case, gamers are thrilled: “Great design! Goes directly onto my wishlist”
Christmas gifts with different effects
Every gift can elicit a different reaction. There are Christmas gifts that bring joy, either because one explicitly wished for them or because they turn out to be unexpectedly good. Then there are unfortunately those types of presents that one would rather have done without.
And there are gifts that one looks back on fondly even years later, and here I take it a step further: Gifts that can have a lasting impact on someone. Such a gift I received on Christmas Eve 25 years ago.
It was a 3D add-on card for my first computer, which I ever owned. At that time, I had no significant interest in computers and their hardware. I only saw it as an option to play on a different platform than consoles.
A technology gift sparked my lasting enthusiasm for PC hardware
This inconspicuous piece of hardware was my best Christmas gift (Image via Wikipedia)
Thanks to my experiences with this 3D accelerator card, my interest in technology, especially PC hardware, was ignited. This small piece of hardware transformed my then-discount computer into a gaming PC overnight.
This initial experience with the 3D add-on card has had a significant effect on me to this day. Professionally and privately, I have been connected to the IT world since then. I am more interested in technology than ever and still enjoy tinkering with my gaming PC.
A game showed me what a small piece of hardware was capable of
On that same Christmas evening, I installed the “3dfx Voodoo 2” card into my computer. This 3D accelerator card only worked if a pre-existing 2D graphics card was already in the system. Both cards were connected via a so-called loop cable.
My PC game collection at the time was still quite limited. So, I grabbed the next best game that I knew would benefit from the Voodoo 2. I chose Need for Speed II in the Special Edition. The graphical difference was immense and impressed me greatly.
Need for Speed II: Special Edition supported my new 3D add-on card (Image via Amazon)
Have you ever received a great gift that got you through the stressful Christmas days? Or did you have a similar experience with a (technical) gift that had a lasting impact on you?
The action RPG Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is currently available on Steam for €30. This is a low price in the Steam Winter Sale. Fans of the game spend hundreds of hours with the mix of strategy and RPG; Bannerlord is still being developed and receives regular patches. Christmas 2023 seems to be the ideal time to check out the game, which has been somewhat overlooked by many, says MeinMMO author Schuhmann.
What kind of game is it?
“Bannerlord” is essentially a mercenary simulation: You are the leader of a clan in a fantasy land that resembles our Middle Ages. You hire companions and soldiers, can fight battles, solve quests, trade, and advance your rise and that of your dynasty in this world.
Bannerlord launched in Early Access in 2020 and had a massive launch with 250,000 concurrent players during Early Access. Even today, it averages almost 19,000 players online – a testament to the game’s long-term motivation.
On Metacritic, Bannerlord only scores 77%, but it is one of the few games where the user score of 81% is higher than the critic opinion.
Start video
Strategy RPG Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Trailer
Why should you get it now? Bannerlord is currently available on Steam for €30. This is a historic low price – the game has only been this cheap once before, during the Summer Sale 2023.
Normally, you pay €50 for it, or €35 if there is a discount.
Many people with 200 hours in the game are still thrilled
What stands out in the reviews? In the reviews on Steam, it becomes clear how much time one can spend with Bannerlord: Many of the people who recommend the game on Steam have spent 200 hours or more with the epic. Especially through mods, the game has the potential to be a long-term hit:
A player with 211 hours writes: “I just opened the game, suddenly it was 2 hours later.”
A player with 252 hours writes: “Do you remember when your army captured me and extorted my coins, and I then executed every ruler in your kingdom, until you were the last one left? What happened now? Oh, your head is rolling.”
A player with 260 hours writes: “I can definitely say this game is just fascinating. The open world, the tactical battles, and the character development offer hours of fun.”
Bannerlord had its hype too early, suffers from Early Access
Why is the game not more well-known if it is such a hit? Bannerlord belongs to the games that suffered from Early Access:
The vast majority of players on Steam had it in a much too early phase in April 2020
When it was later polished and became really good, it could never reach that hype level again – around the release, in October 2022, it had just under 60,000 people at peak.
The rise from a common man to a warlord is motivating
What makes it appealing? Bannerlord gives you the satisfying feeling of achieving something in a world and playing a role.
You start with a few foot soldiers and are barely able to hold a sword yourself. But in just 20, 30 minutes, you quickly become a competent mercenary, wandering around with 20 people, hunting down smaller bandit groups and trading.
After 4.5 hours, you suddenly command 60 men, have infantry, archers, and cavalry, and some personal vassals who fulfill special functions in your clan: You start to think bigger.
In the end, you conquer your own castles, play a central role in the political struggle for power, wear shining armor, ride a noble steed, and behead fools left and right who dare to cross your path.
This rise motivates and keeps players engaged for hundreds of hours, as one can see.
There are many board games with a beautiful fantasy setting. Not all of them are suitable for every age group. If you want to experience fantasy fun with the whole family, including a younger sibling or grandparents, the rules should not be too difficult. You will find games on this list perfect for a family game night that still allow you to enjoy a fantasy setting.
What was the ranking based on? When selecting games, special attention was paid to the following points:
The target audience is variable. Both children and adults can participate well.
The rules are easy to learn, but still interesting for experienced players.
The game does not take too long, making it perfect for between other activities.
What is it about? On behalf of the queen, you, as a cartographer, explore the northern kingdoms of Nalos. You must draw wise borders and watch out for the monsters.
How does it play? In each turn, a card is drawn that shows a Tetris-like shape. All players must then cleverly draw this shape on their respective “maps.” Points are awarded for various conditions, such as “forest fields” at the edge of the map.
Tip: Different colored pencils ensure better clarity when drawing.
Who is it suitable for? Since all players play simultaneously, “The Cartographer” is suitable for groups of any size. Additionally, the game falls into the category of “easy to learn, hard to master.” The rules are quickly learned, but those who wish can also mull over the perfect strategy. This makes it a fantastic puzzle game for any group, where both game enthusiasts and absolute beginners can participate.
What is it about? In “The Quacksalbers of Quedlinburg,” you become a wonder healer. You brew potions from the most peculiar ingredients and try to perform better than the competition.
How does it play? Each player has their own cauldron and a bag of ingredients that can be replenished during the game. Ingredients are drawn blindly from this bag and placed into the cauldron. The more ingredients, the more points.
But caution is advised. If too many popping beans land in the cauldron, the valuable potion explodes. So you must always weigh: “Should I draw more to get more points, or is the risk of an explosion too great?”
Who is it suitable for? Here too, the basic principle is easy to learn: draw an ingredient and place it in the cauldron. However, due to the purchase of ingredients with various properties, there is enough depth to keep even game professionals entertained.
However, the game is only suitable for a maximum of 4 players – with the expansion “The Herbal Witches” for 5. It is very nice for smaller family gatherings.
For younger players from age 6, there is also a children’s version, “With Quacks & Co. to Quedlinburg.”
What is it about? In Dixit, creativity and good intuition are key. Combined with great illustrations from well-known Disney and Pixar stories, it creates a game that is imaginative in every way.
How does it play? One player thinks of a clue for one of their hand cards. It can be an association, a quote, or a song – there are no limits to creativity. Then, everyone selects their own card that fits the clue. The selected cards are shuffled, and then you must guess which one was the clue giver’s card.
Who is it suitable for? If you’re not in the mood for competitive strategy and would rather sit down together and be creative, then Dixit is perfect for you.
Especially Disney lovers, both young and old, will enjoy this version.
What is it about? Your task is to bring magical dewdrops from your forest to the shrine of life. To do this, you gather a team of magical beings.
How does it play? Mycelia is a so-called deck-builder. This means that each player starts with the same, rather weak cards and improves their personal card deck throughout the game.
The winner is the one who is the first to get all the magical dewdrops from their forest to the shrine of life using the cards.
Who is it suitable for? Mycelia offers an easy entry. If you are a fan of deck-builders, you can perfectly introduce your family to the game mechanics.
At the same time, the game shines with its enchanting illustrations and is perfect for nature and fantasy lovers.
What is it about? Deep beneath the crumbling Castle Karak, valuable treasures await to be retrieved. But monsters also lurk in the labyrinth of corridors. As a hero, you dare the adventure to collect as many treasures as possible and become the master of Karak.
How does it play? Karak is a dice adventure game where you embody one of 6 playable heroes. The dungeon is assembled from individual tiles, making each round unique. To withstand the dangers, you equip yourself with powerful weapons and spells during the game.
Who is it suitable for? Especially for young adventurers, Karak is a beautiful and simple dungeon crawler that can bring great joy in a group.
It is a game that is very luck-based, as everything depends on the right dice roll. If you are looking for a fantasy children’s game, Karak is surely a good choice.
If you are a fan of fantasy, you can hardly avoid the story of the witcher Geralt of Riva. Whether as a novel series, PC game, or Netflix series, “The Witcher” can now be experienced across many media.
Among other things, with the latest board game “The Witcher: The Old World.” Here at MeinMMO, we tested how well the game adapts the popular role-playing game “The Witcher 3”:
Can you hold a controller incorrectly? Yes, you can. And most people do. Because that is inefficient.
When you hand an inexperienced person a gamepad, every experienced gamer will probably smirk a little. It often looks curious how newcomers try to hold the controller. But in reality, even most veterans likely hold the controller – whether PlayStation or Xbox – in the “wrong” way.
This is how most people hold the controller: The basic posture of a controller is the same for PlayStation and Xbox. The index and middle fingers rest on the shoulder buttons, while the thumbs are on the thumb sticks. So far, so good. Or not?
Here’s why that’s wrong: Especially in action games or shooters, many will automatically realize that the controller posture is not ideal. Because usually, in such games, you have to control both sticks at the same time – for camera and movement – and also make different inputs on the 4 buttons on the right side (A, B, X, Y on Xbox and circle, X, triangle, square on PS).
However, with the normal controller posture, that is not possible at all. Because here you have to take your right thumb off the right stick to press the buttons.
How do you actually hold the controller? The “correct” and thus most efficient way to hold a controller can often be seen with speedrunners or other professionals. They keep their thumbs on the two sticks, but take their right index finger off the shoulder buttons. Instead, the index finger is “bent” in a claw shape so that it can reach the four buttons on the right side.
This is how you should actually hold the controller. (Image source: 3djuegos.com)
This is not necessarily the most comfortable way – but definitely the most efficient to reach all control elements at any time.
Why has this never been improved? The reason that large companies like Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo have never addressed this “problem” primarily boils down to patents. Other manufacturers identified this issue, especially the company “SCUF Gaming”. They offer numerous controllers that have additional buttons on the bottom, allowing you to operate the “4 buttons” on the bottom with your ring fingers.
Just a few years ago, Valve was embroiled in a legal battle with SCUF over the Steam Controller and lost (via Polygon). The court found that they had used the design, and those buttons on the back were the issue.
These patents, which are largely held by SCUF, are also the reason why controllers have hardly changed in handling over the past few years. While there are always small, new features, the basic design has hardly changed at its core since the first console generations of the major manufacturers.
Even if you probably won’t adjust your controller grip now – enjoy knowing that you always hold your gamepad “incorrectly” …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Our Flag Means Death, you embark on a not entirely historically accurate privateering adventure in the Caribbean. The series has heart, intelligence, and doesn’t always take itself too seriously. And it’s precisely this combination that makes it the absolute favorite pirate series of MeinMMO editor Sophia.
What kind of series is this?
Our Flag Means Death is based on the real lives of Stede Bonnet and Edward Ed Teach, who both roamed as pirates in the 18th century. Stede as a Gentleman Pirate, Ed as the feared Black Beard.
The series loosely follows the historically documented events. Instead, it retells the story of Stede and Ed through a humorous lens.
Currently, HBO has released two seasons, with the first available on various streaming services in Germany.
What can you expect in Our Flag Means Death? Our Flag Means Death finds its roots in historically documented people and events, but it is not a historical drama. It is much more like Pirates of the Caribbean, without the supernatural elements. Davy Jones is mentioned as a seafaring legend, but there is no sign of a tentacled face.
The catalyst for the plot is the midlife crisis of Stede Bonnet, portrayed by Rhys Darby: He feels unloved and unappreciated by his family. So, he commissions a ship and secretly sets sail one night to become a pirate.
Unfortunately, the Gentleman Pirate has no idea about piracy and treats his crew more like a support group. However, Stede’s actions pique the curiosity of the feared pirate Black Beard (Taika Waititi), who takes him and his crew under his wing.
You can get a first impression in the trailer:
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Not much is known about the real lives of Stede and Ed. Therefore, Our Flag Means Death largely interprets them anew and does so absolutely fabulously:
Pirate crews in the 18th century were one of the few places where people could simply be themselves. On Stede’s ship, there are former slaves, queer individuals, and all sorts of people who do not fit into the regulated life according to the standards of the time. Stede himself struggles with his low self-esteem. And even Black Beard has his share of personal problems.
On board the Revenge, however, all of that is a thing of the past: Here, everyone can be who they are and who they want to be. Stede turns his ship into a Safe Space. Only Black Beard’s right-hand man Izzy is not pleased with that – he is the source of many conflicts but also many funny moments.
Why do I think the series is so good? A colorful Found Family helps each other navigate the challenges of pirate life by disregarding the norms of regulated society. Stede’s ignorance and Ed’s curiosity create a good dose of situational comedy.
The series has everything that makes a good story for me: humor, love, drama, sword fights, and an absolutely endearing cast. This combination makes Our Flag Means Death one of the best series I have seen in a long time. Accordingly, I can highly recommend it to you.
For whom is Our Flag Means Death worth watching? If you enjoy pirate stories on the high seas, then Our Flag Means Death is right for you. Especially if you celebrated the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, you will have a lot of fun with the colorful cast surrounding Stede and Ed.
I also want to recommend the series to those who are looking forward to more lead character duos like in Good Omens. While Crowley and Aziraphel are still a bit hesitant, I can already tell you about Our Flag Means Death: here, things are getting serious right from the first season.
Last but not least, everyone who appreciates Taika Waititi’s very particular brand of humor will have fun here. Our Flag Means Death is a great mix of Waititi’s series What We Do in the Shadows and the films Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit.
Where can I watch Our Flag Means Death? Unfortunately, only the first season has made its way to the German streaming seas so far. Here are your current options:
The streaming provider RTL+ offers a 30-day trial period for its premium model. If you cancel before the end of this trial period, you will incur no costs. Thus, RTP+ Premium is currently the best option to watch Our Flag Means Death legally and affordably in Germany. However, check the fine print before subscribing, in case anything has changed.
Every console player knows and hates it: Stick Drift. A frustrating moment that turns gaming into a nightmare, but what if I told you that you don’t need to buy a new controller? MeinMMO author Christos shows you a trick to repair your controller without having to spend 70 €.
What is Stick Drift? You take your controller from the PS5 or Xbox, want to play a round of Warframe or Destiny 2, and suddenly your character moves or looks around even though you haven’t made an input. This is called Stick Drift. Every player who plays on consoles or with a gamepad knows this problem, and often there are few solutions.
Either you still have a warranty and get a new controller, or in the worst case, you have to buy a new one and throw the old one in the bin. This is not only frustrating but also costly in the long run.
My name is Christos, and I have been playing on consoles for years. Whether it was the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, or even PS4 and PS5, I encountered this problem everywhere, and eventually, I couldn’t accept having to spend money again.
Recently, I faced the problem with my PS5, and I tried to find a way to “repair” the controller. After some research, I found the culprit that almost made me replace two of my controllers – the potentiometer.
How to Repair Stick Drift on Your Controller
The potentiometer is a component on your analog stick. To repair your controller, you need to open it and expose it until you have access to your sticks.
Note: Such modifications are done at your own risk. Proceed with caution, and please note that your warranty may be voided if you open your controller. MeinMMO assumes no liability.
The sticks are firmly soldered with the potentiometers to the motherboard, and it’s usually these green or orange components that cause the annoying “Stick Drift” problem.
Here I have embedded a video on YouTube that explains step by step how to disassemble the PS5 controller:
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Once you have disassembled your controller to the point where you have the motherboard and the analog sticks in front of you, you need to remove the black sticks. Now you can see the analog stick and potentiometer components in front of you.
The marked structures show the sticks with their green potentiometers on the side
Each analog stick has two potentiometers that are clicked onto the large component. You now need to bend them in the opposite direction with a little pressure and a narrow object. Then you will see a white component that is responsible for the x- and y-axis of the respective stick. Take a pair of tweezers and remove the white component.
Carefully remove the white component
Pay attention to the metal wire of your white component; make sure not to lose it, bend it, or damage it. This metal wire is responsible for allowing inputs on the carbon fiber rings of the potentiometer.
Now you have a disassembled potentiometer in front of you. Take a small brush and clean it dry. If there is heavy dirt, you can dampen a cotton swab with some cleaning alcohol and gently clean it. However, be careful not to damage the carbon fiber ring, or you will have a bigger problem than your stick drift.
Why is the potentiometer to blame? The potentiometer transmits the inputs of your stick to your console. The problem here is the quality of the analog sticks, as they are substandard in almost all controllers. Moreover, they are wear parts that break down depending on the level of use. In the worst case, the wire of the white component can erode your carbon fiber ring to the point that it is no longer existent. Then, no inputs will be possible.
The trick of cleaning the components can be repeated as often as you like, but if your carbon fiber ring in one of the potentiometers is completely gone, you will need to solder in a suitable replacement.
I have been using my controller since the PS5’s release and play about 4-6 hours daily. Both had stick drift, and both are still functioning well since I performed the cleaning of the components. So it’s a good way to save your wallet.
Did my trick help you? Feel free to share your tricks on how you try to keep your controllers more durable!
2023 has brought many new Anime. We will reveal which ones are the best and must be seen – whether as an anime fan or not.
The year 2023 is coming to an end, and with it one of the years in which we received more anime series than ever before in the history of the medium. However, with more series every year, there is also more trash among them, under which the true gems are buried. We take a look back at the 5 best anime of the year 2023.
Even though some series are still waiting for their final episode, it can already be seen from the overall picture which series belong to the best.
Which series appear in this list? This list is about new releases of the year 2023 – that is, those that debuted between January and December 2023. Sequels, such as second or third seasons of already existing series, are not considered here. It is only about new releases that were seen for the first time as anime in 2023.
Heavenly Delusion
Alternative names: Tengoku Daimakyou, Heavenly Delusion: The Lost Paradise Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi Number of episodes: 13 Ratings: 8.22 / 10 (myanimelist), 8.0 / 10 (IMDb) Streaming provider: Disney+
Fifteen years ago, humanity was plagued by a devastating incident that was supposed to change everything forever. Dangerous monsters now lurk everywhere in the world, stalking the last survivors and threatening to bring an end to humanity. A few bastions are completely cut off from the outside world and raise children in a deceptive peace – but the curiosity of the children drives them to want to learn about the outside world.
At the same time, in the outside world, Maru and Kiruko are fighting for their survival and searching for a place called “Heaven” – a promised paradise where humans can live in peace and without fear again. But the way there is long and reveals many secrets and mysteries that only slowly disclose what is actually going on in the world.
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Why is Heavenly Delusion so good? Heavenly Delusion ran a bit under the radar for most and still does today because it is offered on Disney+, which has so far been less known for anime. However, the world shown here, in all its brutality and morbidity, with many puzzles and numerous complex characters, can captivate from the first episode.
Exciting, dark turns draw all viewers into a whirlpool, and at the end, the question remains: Why are there not more episodes of this?
Heavenly Delusion was one of the surprise hits of the year, and every fan of the medium should have seen it.
Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End
Alternative names: Sousou no Frieren Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Number of episodes: 28 (not yet completed) Ratings: 9.12 / 10 (myanimelist), 8.9 / 10 (IMDb) Streaming provider: Crunchyroll
The demon king was defeated by the hero team, and decades of peace lie ahead for the kingdom. Part of this hero team was the elven mage “Frieren,” who quickly sets off on a journey again. Decades pass, and when she meets her former companions again, many are already old and on the threshold of death.
Too late, she realizes that she did not use the time to get to know her former comrades better. She tries to make up for this mistake and sets off again on the journey she once took with the other heroes. In doing so, she also takes on a student and must simultaneously deal with unresolved problems from the past – for time keeps moving on.
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Why is Frieren so good? While modern anime otherwise relies on more and more action in ever faster succession, Frieren takes its time. Characters are multi-faceted, and the series ensures that there is enough room for world-building and that the protagonist can be understood. Especially the discrepancy between Frieren’s age, her perception of time, and the sense of time of humans is portrayed in this series as rarely seen in any other work.
What starts slowly soon develops into a captivating, emotional story that does not even need exaggerated drama – for the theme delivers this all by itself.
Frieren is also one of the few stories where characters truly develop and time moves forward – often unexpectedly spontaneous, with greater consequences.
Alternative names: Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, The Diaries of the Apothecary Genre: Drama, Mystery Number of episodes: 24 (not yet completed) Ratings: 8.72 / 10 (myanimelist), 8.6 / 10 (IMDb) Streaming provider: Crunchyroll
As the daughter of a pharmacist, Maomao faces a fairly solid life in the old empire – at least until she is kidnapped and abducted. Like many other girls, she is sold to the imperial palace to serve the emperor’s concubines and noblewomen.
However, it becomes obvious that she is more talented than the other slaves when she saves one of the emperor’s children from death through her knowledge of herbs. This quickly earns her a new position as the direct maid and taster of an imperial concubine.
Maomao soon finds herself in a web of intrigues and must protect “her” concubine from attacks or solve mysteries surrounding diseases and alchemy without getting caught in the emperor’s crosshairs.
Why are the Apothecary Diaries so good? The series is primarily carried by the protagonist Maomao, who is both funny, lovable, and yet profound. A clever, confident woman who has found herself in a difficult situation and now has to showcase her skills to survive and get through everyday life as unscathed as possible.
The series switches back and forth between serious topics, such as assassination attempts, poisonings, and prostitution, while maintaining its charming charm and not trivializing the topics. By the way, Maomao’s knowledge of alchemy is often also informative and educational, and the historical approach of the series adds to its seriousness.
A clear recommendation for anyone who simply wants to experience a great story with interesting characters.
More top anime of the year 2023 can be found on the next page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, on December 26, 2023, the Spotlight Hour with Gelatini will take place in Pokémon GO. We provide you with all the information about the event and the bonuses.
What kind of event is this? The Spotlight Hour takes place every Tuesday evening. A specific Pokémon appears for 60 minutes, which spawns significantly more often. You will find it everywhere in the wild. In addition, there is a rotating bonus each week.
What bonuses are active? The main bonus is the increased appearance of Gelatini. Today, you have the perfect opportunity to secure many specimens and candies for the evolution into Gelatroppo and Gelatwino. If you activate a “Incense,” you can encounter even more Gelatini.
Additionally, you will receive double the amount of Stardust when you catch Pokémon.
Can you catch Shiny Gelatini? Yes, and it has only recently been introduced. The Shiny variant was added to the game in December 2023 and is now catchable. However, keep in mind that the chances of encountering one are not increased. So you will need a lot of luck to find it.
Is the Spotlight Hour worth it? If you are looking for a strong fighter, Gelatini will not help you. The Pokémon is not particularly strong in raids or in the PvP league, and this applies to its evolutions as well.
This hour is more for collectors: players who want to secure the Pokédex entry for Gelatini’s evolutions or try their luck in the Shiny hunt. Furthermore, there is double Stardust – and that’s a resource you can never have enough of.
Dead by Daylight will bring fresh game modes. There is also a kind of “Among Us” mode – but what will that be?
Even though Dead by Daylight has developed significantly since its release in June 2016, the basic game mechanics have remained the same. There is only one game mode, the typical “4vs1”, where the killer tries to prevent the survivors from escaping.
But now it seems the time has come to think about new game modes. In a survey, the developers are discussing ideas that are currently swirling around in their heads.
Here is the latest killer in Dead by Daylight:
Start video
Chucky in Dead by Daylight: These are his abilities
What new modes are planned? Although there are no concrete announcements yet, the developers are already fantasizing about some interesting new game modes. So far, these are just thought constructs, but we already have a rough idea:
Tag: A random survivor becomes the killer. Bring down a survivor to swap roles. Survive for 5 minutes to escape.
Deceivers: Survivors work together on tasks while one or more “deceivers” try to kill everyone before they are discovered. The mode is played in rounds, at the end of which a vote is held on who the traitor is.
Hide & Seek: There are no generators. There are no hooks, only mori kills. Survive for 5 minutes to escape through the exit gates. The auras of all players are revealed every few seconds.
Luck of the Draw: You start the game with a random selection of perks and items.
Disgustingly scary: The fog is significantly thicker and the map is shrouded in darkness.
Giant: Sizes are altered. Killers are gigantic and survivors are very small.
5vs5: Two teams of one killer and 4 survivors play against each other trying to control the generators.
2v8: 2 killers and 8 survivors face off against each other. There are no hooks.
VIP: Once the obsession dies, all survivors die. Only the obsession can open the exit gates.
Bumrush: There are more generators on the map. Everyone moves at double speed. Survivors have 3 lives and respawn after a 20-second timer.
Zombie Tag: A random survivor becomes the killer. Bring down a survivor to swap roles. Once a survivor becomes the killer this way, they do not transform back. The game ends when only one survivor remains.
If you want to influence the development of the new game modes, the developers welcome your feedback in a survey.
What is the current state of Dead by Daylight? Last year received a lot of praise from players, as the recent chapters were quite well received – but this was not always the case. A few years ago, the criticism was much louder, with developers seemingly only “churning out chapters” without really considering balance or making necessary adjustments.
Meanwhile, changes to perks and balance adjustments have become more frequent, so the overall sentiment about the game is positive.
What is your opinion on Dead by Daylight?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the world of chess, there is a conflict between former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and Hikaru Nakamura, a grandmaster and Twitch streamer. Kramnik hints in a blog that Nakamura cheated. The chess platform Chess.com intervenes.
What does Kramnik say? The Russian Vladimir Kramnik (48) became world champion in 2000 when he defeated Garry Kasparov, but lost the title in 2007 to Viswanathan Anand.
In November, Kramnik stated on his blog on Chess.com that a player had won 45.5 out of 46 consecutive blitz games against strong competition. This corresponds to a rating of 3,600 – everyone should find it “Interesting”.
This was clearly directed against Twitch streamer Hikaru Nakamura, who achieved such a performance.
As a result, Kramnik’s accusations escalated further, and he called for the “administration of the platform” to conduct a thorough investigation of Nakamura’s games. Kramnik deemed his performances “not corresponding to Nakamura’s rating”. He plays better than his ranking suggests.
The Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” made chess cool:
Start video
Das Damengambit im Trailer
Chess.com considers Kramnik’s accusations unfounded, sanctions him
Here is the result: The platform Chess.com has apparently complied with the request for an investigation, but the outcome is likely to be unsatisfactory for Kramnik.
For on Christmas, December 24, Chess.com came to the decision that Kramnik’s accusations were unfounded and subsequently closed Kramnik’s blog, removing his ability to write on the platform. However, he could still privately contact Chess.com, for example via email, to discuss his suspicions:
“The escalating attacks by Grandmaster Kramnik against some of the most respected members of the chess community and against some of the most promising young talents can no longer be ignored. As a consequence, we have closed Grandmaster Kramnik’s blog and muted his account.”
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The MMORPG Throne and Liberty will be released in Europe by Amazon in 2024. In South Korea, it has already launched on December 7, 2023: Players from the West who want to play it now and are willing to go through some troubles can do so. There is even an English version. NCSoft will not ban “foreigners” – at least for now.
What kind of MMORPG is this?
Throne and Liberty is a new MMORPG from the Lineage series. In South Korea, “Lineage” is what “WoW” is to us: a huge gaming brand that has dominated the MMORPG market for decades.
Amazon wants to bring Throne and Liberty to the West in 2024, but there is no exact release date yet.
In South Korea, the game has already launched on December 7 and is now received much better than one might have assumed. Before its release, there were many negative reports about the MMORPG, but apparently the mood has shifted positively. On reddit , a player describes it as a “modern, Asian WoW”.
Start video
Throne and Liberty – NCSoft presents the launch trailer
MMORPG will not ban foreigners if they behave
This is the latest development: If you want to play a game in Asia from the West, there is often trouble. In the past, it has happened multiple times that while it was possible to get an account with much effort, the publisher suddenly found it not so cool and simply banned all foreign players.
However, as it has now been revealed, NCSoft will not do that with Throne and Liberty. As shown in a YouTube video, the devs explained on December 22 that they would not ban foreign players as long as they behave and follow the rules.
How is this being discussed? On reddit , they are now discussing the possibility of playing the game already, and some MMORPG fans suggest that they are willing to go through the trouble to play the game already in South Korea.
This is not so easy because you need a VPN provider and have to somehow acquire a verifiable account – likely having to buy an account on the gray market, since Westerners lack the social security number required to play in South Korea.
It’s also not really “safe”. It could be that NCSoft might rethink this stance in the future.
Thus, the topic is being controversially discussed:
Some say they will do it and perceive playing there as an “extended beta test”.
Others find it too much effort, feel insecure with a “bought account” that can disappear at any time, and want to wait until the game is officially released in the West.
One user says, for instance, that there is a clear difference between a legitimate account and a bought, verified account using a stolen ID: “Re-verification waves” will surely wash away many foreign players – technically speaking, this is not a ban.
Some also fear that NCSoft’s permission for Westerners to play the game in South Korea already indicates that the Western release will take a long time.
If the family comes together at Christmas, it can often happen that you are asked to solve technical problems of relatives. With our 4 tips, you can get through the holidays as stress-free as possible.
It 27s getting colder outside, and it 27s time for family. So you look forward to a delicious Christmas dinner and hope for great gifts. But especially during the holidays, it is often the time when relatives bombard you with their technical problems. In some cases, the online community can also help you with technical difficulties.
To prevent your holiday spirit from sinking into technical frustration, we have 4 helpful tips for you. With our advice, you can calmly respond to the pleas for help from your family and rescue the devices of your relatives with your IT support.
1. What is the best approach? – The right approach
What is the best reaction to a spontaneous request for help? When you are asked to take a look at a problem at short notice, you should remain calm at first. Even if you feel like you 27ve answered specific questions a hundred times and the other person is the epitome of ignorance. After all, it is Christmas, and during this time you want to avoid unnecessary stress.
To keep IT support limited between Christmas dinner and dessert, you can agree to fix only the most important issue and postpone other questions and troubleshooting to a later time. This way, you stay focused on a single problem and can quickly return to more Christmas-related things.
How can the right wording help? Around IT, there are countless technical terms and jargon that can be foreign to the less tech-savvy. To help a family member in technical distress describe their problem more easily, it is often helpful to use simple and understandable terms instead of IT jargon.
The relatives will thank you and can better answer questions that narrow down a problem. This eases the nerves of everyone involved.
2. Simple, but often effective – Restart and updates
Why should the affected device be restarted first? Some problems can be solved by restarting the operating system. Regardless of whether it is a Windows computer or a mobile phone, smaller errors can be fixed this way.
This includes, for example, programs that do not start or stalled updates that can slow down the system. By restarting, all programs and background services are reloaded. This method can be incredibly effective, and your counterpart will appreciate the quick help.
How useful are updates for troubleshooting? In general, it is always advisable to keep your system up to date. Through updates, software developers regularly fix small errors and quirks in their products. In addition to fixing errors, stability is often increased, which results in fewer program crashes.
Ideally, you should enable automatic installation of updates for programs and the operating system. The updates will then be downloaded in the background and installed at the latest during a restart. At the same time, this minimizes the number of pop-up messages indicating an update to be installed.
Less tech-savvy users sometimes have trouble distinguishing between update prompts and actual error messages. This measure will definitely help them.
3. Better safe than sorry – Data backup and virus scan
Why is a backup helpful in troubleshooting? Not every problem can be resolved as simply as by restarting or installing an update. Sometimes the cause lies deeper within the system. And if you do not plan to completely reinstall and set up the affected device, a backup can be worth its weight in gold.
But even if you make changes and then things work even less than before, you are on the safe side if you at least back up the most important data, provided the backup is current. This way, you can undo a wrong decision in troubleshooting.
Generally, backing up photos and other irreplaceable files can keep the spirits of individual family members up if a device should completely fail.
What does occupied storage space have to do with it? Before a data backup, it is also advisable to free up storage space. But only delete files that you are sure will not be needed afterward. Some operating programs offer a filtered cleaning of system folders to delete, for example, temporary files.
In case of doubt, go through the download folder with the device owner file by file. There are certain programs that you should definitely delete. Additionally, too little free storage space can also cause problems. Many errors are attributed to insufficient system memory.
You may hit two birds with one stone. You can also speed up the search for viruses on the affected device, as there are fewer files to scan.
What can a virus scan achieve? Malware on a system can have different consequences. Especially computers with a Windows operating system are affected. Viruses and trojans can partially impair a device unnoticed or lead to complete system failure.
So make sure that an antivirus program is installed if it makes sense for the respective device platform and allows it. It is best to set up a regular virus scan that quarantines potential pests. This way, accidentally moved files can be released later.
4. Support beyond the holidays – Install remote access tool
How can you help in detail without being there? To avoid spending most of your next visit again dealing with a long list of problems, it is advisable to install a remote maintenance program. Such tools are now available not only for computers but also for mobile phones and other mobile devices.
Once installed and set up accordingly, you can easily connect to the family 27s devices and check on them. Of course, errors can also be resolved simply by talking on the phone. But in some situations, it is beneficial to see a problem directly with your own eyes.
On this occasion, it is conveniently wise to apply our previous tips as well. This way, you can also resolve some errors from home. Your remote IT support can thus proactively counteract new possible problems.
These are our 4 tips to keep your nerves intact during Christmas IT support. Do you have any other tips in mind that should be followed? Then feel free to write them in the comments.
