China claims to have the fastest internet in the world now. Their new network is said to transmit 1.2 terabits per second.
Today, you need a stable internet connection for various things:
Many games require an internet connection.
Anyone wanting to stream Netflix, Disney+, and others also cannot do without the internet.
If you want to pay with a card in the supermarket, the terminal must also connect to the internet.
The fastest internet in the world has now been officially launched in China.
China now offers 1.2 terabits per second
What kind of network is this? China officially launched its new backbone network on November 13. Colleagues from FirstPost.com report this. It is said to comprise more than 3,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables capable of transmitting data at a speed of 1.2 terabits (1,200 gigabits) per second.
The new network connects Beijing in the north, Wuhan in central China, and Guangzhou in the southern province of Guangdong.
Work on the network has reportedly been ongoing for months, with important configurations already prepared in July. Many companies are behind the development, including Tsinghua University, China Mobile, Huawei Technologies, and Cernet Corporation.
Backbone networks are important components of the telecommunications network and connect many smaller networks together. For this reason, they need to offer high bandwidth. These central networks now almost universally rely on fiber optic cables.
Therefore, it does no good if you could download at lightning speeds when the servers and your installed hardware cannot handle the speed.
When the internet is down: How important the internet is today is also shown by another example from Asia. Here, a shutdown of water cooling caused thousands of people to be unable to pay their bills:
Old School RuneScape is a special phenomenon. The MMORPG was released in 2013 and reflects the state of the game from 2007. In recent years, it has gained increasing popularity and with an event, it even managed to set a strong player record.
How many people play Old School RuneScape? On November 15, the MMORPG peaked at 185,123 concurrent players. This is impressive, especially considering the age and graphics of the game.
Old School RuneScape significantly surpasses the combined player counts of the two games from Amazon, which can be well read on SteamDB. New World reached a peak of 30,681 on the same day, and Lost Ark reached 58,021.
Furthermore, the MMORPG is currently the big draw for the developer Jagex. The modern RuneScape only reached a peak of 31,802 players on the same day.
Start video
5 old MMORPGs that are still actively played
Is this just a snapshot? Not really. While an event is currently driving the numbers up, RuneScape is experiencing a positive trend overall.
While there were only 75,000 peak players combined in both titles in 2015, there were already 140,000 in 2019. After the record years due to Corona, the number did go down, but at least Old School RuneScape is currently experiencing a very positive trend and regularly surpasses 120,000 players on its own.
You can see the complete development of player numbers in this (admittedly small) graph. It comes from the MisplacedItems page, which queries and documents the player numbers from the official website every 5 minutes. The red bar represents the total number, light blue is OSRS, and yellow is the modern RuneScape:
Old School RuneScape is popular and successful, delights with new season
Praise is especially given for the in-depth mechanics and the proverbial carrot the MMORPG constantly dangles in front of you. One can quickly become addicted and keep coming back, even after long breaks.
An important factor are the different skills that one can grind, as well as the Ironman modes, where one is left to their own devices and must sometimes go through the content without dying.
The current event Leagues IV: Trailblazer Reloaded also goes in this direction. There, you can create a character in a sort of season, level it particularly quickly, and take it through various challenges. At the end of the season, the character will be deleted, but there are special rewards that remain with the account.
There is a very close bond between the developers and the community, which also plays an important role in the success of Old School RuneScape. Every new feature must receive 75% approval from players before it is implemented.
Additionally, Jagex organizes RuneFest every year, where new content is presented and players and content creators are honored. I personally attended the event in 2019:
The MMORPG Cinderstone Online takes place in a 2.5D world and focuses on housing, caravan events, and castle battles, which you may know from ArcheAge. However, the release did not go well at all, and the game was closed after only two months.
What happened with Cinderstone? The indie MMORPG celebrated its release in Early Access on Steam on September 6. However, it failed to impress many players, partly because it was Buy2Play and you had to pay €24.99 just to access the servers:
The highest peak of concurrent players was reached by Cinderstone Online during a free play event in 2022. At that time, 683 people logged in simultaneously.
The release itself did not even manage to reach a three-digit player count.
Recently, only about two to three players were online at the same time per day.
On November 14, the developers announced that the servers would be shut down. The post states that the MMORPG unfortunately never managed to reach the hoped-for player numbers and that expenses far exceeded revenues.
However, the shutdown is not supposed to be the end of Cinderstone:
We are excited to inform you that we are working on a new free-to-play version. This is not just a new game, but also a sign of our appreciation for your unwavering support. Our loyal players can look forward to special premium items in this new adventure – a small thank you for embarking on this journey with us.
Here you can watch gameplay of Cinderstone Online:
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Codevision shares new beta trailer for the indie MMORPG Cinderstone Online
Clumsy controls, balance issues and an overly empty game world
What kind of game was Cinderstone? On Steam, the game described itself as a “cute and colorful” MMORPG in a 2.5D world. You always looked at your characters from the side, but you could move in all four directions in the game world.
The MMORPG focused on:
12 different main classes that could be played as tank, healer, or DD
Action-packed combat
A large and open game world
A main story and dynamic quests in the world
Housing including your own farm
Various life skills, including mining, logging, and fishing
In the endgame, everything was supposed to revolve around caravans transporting goods from one place to another, as well as battles for fortresses
It was quite unique in terms of graphics, classes, and gameplay feel. I spent about 4 hours in the game myself.
Why didn’t it work? Cinderstone Online had a very unusual control scheme. You looked at the character from the side and used WASD to move. Since there were no functions for diagonal movements, like Q and E, you always moved in a sort of square.
However, this led to problems with targeting attacks. You could stand right in front of an enemy, but you were hardly visible at a different position on the y-axis and just hit nothing. Moreover, the dodge roll in the game looked totally weird and only partially served its purpose. You didn’t really move a distance, but rather avoided an enemy attack while standing.
Distance is also a good keyword, as many tasks in the game required you to walk from A to B, often covering huge distances. The first two hours were not really fun. In addition, there were frequent bugs and display errors in the text.
According to the Steam reviews, this did not improve in the progressing game. In the endgame and in PvP, balance issues appeared. As a Thief, for example, auto-attacks dealt more damage than most abilities, making it smarter to just stand still and let the character hit. In addition, there was an animation lock that held the character in one place for a long time.
Hardcore fans, of whom there were at least some in the beginning, also complained that content promised at the start was not present in Early Access.
What do you think of Cinderstone Online? Have you tried the MMORPG or did you just stay away from it?
For those longing for a new ArcheAge, keep an eye on the second part. There were new updates last week:
Many games feature nightclubs, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Starfield. However, while one of the RPGs is praised, the other receives criticism.
What is this comparison about? Starfield and Cyberpunk 2077 are two extremely ambitious sci-fi role-playing games. In both titles, players can visit various locations such as clubs or bars and get a glimpse of the NPCs’ nightlife.
On the YouTube channel Mordor, there is now a video comparing the nightclubs of both RPGs. While Cyberpunk 2077 features the “Toe Dance” occupied by Maelstrom, Starfield is represented by the club “Astral Lounge” found on the planet Neon.
The video comparing both nightclubs can be seen here:
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“Starfield nightclubs are like how 12-year-olds imagine nightclubs”
How does the comparison turn out? The comparison of the nightclubs clearly goes to Cyberpunk 2077. Many comments speak positively about the clubs and bars of Night City. Especially the love for detail, the atmosphere, and the behavior of the NPCs are praised.
Overall, Starfield does not fare well in the comparison. One player summarizes the difference between the nightclubs on YouTube in a comment and writes:
“The main difference is that in Starfield, NPCs constantly emphasize how much fun they’re having in dialogues, while in Cyberpunk, NPCs are actually having fun.”
Overall, there is much praise for Cyberpunk 2077 and criticism for the Astral Lounge of Starfield:
“Starfield’s nightclub was designed by people who have never been in a nightclub.”
“The way they muffled the music in CP2077 and then clarified it when entering is amazing and very immersive!”
“The nightclub in Starfield looks like the end of the night when the lights come on and almost everyone leaves because the nightclub is closing.”
Start video
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — Official Trailer
However, the comparison between the nightclubs has not only been discussed on YouTube by players. There are also numerous comments on Reddit about the topic. Many of them strike a similar chord and primarily praise Cyberpunk 2077.
“I spent an unbelievable amount of time in this Cyberpunk nightclub. It felt so lifelike […]. Everything from the music to the darkness to the smoke/fog somehow reminded me of my rave days. What a great setting (via Reddit)!”
“CP2077 looks way more fun. It reminds me of underground raves in our city 15 years ago (via Reddit).”
“Starfield nightclubs are like how 12-year-olds imagine nightclubs. Cyberpunk 2077 looks like it was made by someone who has done drugs in an actual nightclub (via Reddit).”
Shortly after the release of the 2.0 update of Cyberpunk 2077 and the DLC Phantom Liberty, players compared the two RPGs with each other. Even then, Cyberpunk 2077 emerged as the winner of the comparison, as confirmed by the look at the nightclubs.
A player wrote at the time that Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are a must-have for role-playing fans, but Starfield can be skipped without missing anything.
In the space MMORPG EVE Online, there was a scam involving the powerful alliance Goonswarm: An important member returned after a long hiatus, and the head of the alliance entrusted him with a position of power. However, the “old friend” had switched to the enemies and shamelessly exploited the trust.
A former commander of the alliance, who had been a member for almost a decade, recently returned after a long hiatus: Jay Amazingness.
Because the leader had known him for a long time, they got along well personally, and communicated regularly, Asher did something that is usually taboo: He gave the returnee his full rights as “Director” back. This is typically not done. Because in EVE, it’s said: “Trust no one.”
He recently returned to EVE, and I gave him the director role because I trust him. I would say he is the person I trust the most in EVE.
The new expansion Havoc launched yesterday in EVE Online:
Start video
EVE Online lets you finally be truly evil – Trailer for the new expansion Havoc
The scam came without warning
This was the scam: Without any signs that something was wrong, Jay used his new power and removed the “Jump Clone Service” from a Goonswarm structure.
This leads to all 52,670 Jump Clones of the station inevitably being destroyed, which would mean a setback for Goonswarm. It would restrict their options for response and make the alliance vulnerable to their enemies, PanFam.
Jump Clones are clones in EVE Online that can be placed on stations, structures, or capital ships. They allow players to switch to them without having to physically travel to the location. Jump Clones are therefore of high strategic importance for players in an alliance to respond quickly.
However, this move was apparently only the preparation for a heist: Because now Jay massively stole money from his alliance, as well as capital ships and more.
As Asher says, it would take about 3 months to make up for the losses. Fortunately for Goonswarm, a server maintenance prevented the worst, as at least 70% of the Jump Clones could be saved.
52,670 clones would have been destroyed. A heavy blow. (Image source: mmorpg.com).
“Jay is stealing everything that isn’t nailed down”
This is what the alliance leader says: The head of the alliance still does not understand what exactly happened. He says he did not suspect Jay at all, having talked to him on the day of the robbery. Jay never indicated that he was dissatisfied or had any problems.
We were friends and talked to each other, then I wake up, my phone rings, and someone tells me: Jay is stealing everything that isn’t nailed down.
What does the fraudster say? He is not commenting. However, he has added to his player profile with the phrase: “Sometimes we need a rogue, it makes for an exciting story”.
And Jay Amazingness is now a member of the Pandemic Legion, the arch-enemies of Goonswarm.
I’ve never liked these “That’s EVE” stories – I still don’t like them
How does the alliance leader reflect on the incident? Asher says: “I know these “That’s EVE” stories, but I’ve never liked them and I still don’t like them. My side used to benefit from them, so I would never say that [this behavior] is unfair, but I am sad about the loss of trust and the loss of a friend.
I was quite sad in the last 24 hours, and it is not because my spaceship guild has lost money.”
With “That’s EVE” story, Asher apparently means something like this:
The gaming community is eagerly awaiting the release of GTA 6 – or at least the trailer. Because details about the content are missing. A tweet from an actor in GTA 5 is now causing a stir.
Who is it about? The tweet was sent by actor Shawn Fonteno. He is known in the gaming community for playing the role of Franklin in GTA 5. Together with Michael De Santa (played by Ned Luke) and Trevor (played by Steven Ogg), Franklin took the lead role in the single-player of Grand Theft Auto V.
With a cryptic message, Fonteno is currently causing a lot of speculation among fans. He writes on X (formerly Twitter): ‘If I told you this, I would get in trouble’ along with a smiling emoji with tears in his eyes. What he intended or meant with the statement is unclear. Shortly after, the tweet was deleted.
How players speculate
Although the tweet was deleted, it is still being hotly debated on various social platforms. In the GTA 6 subreddit alone, there are several hundred comments. Here players write:
‘It was deleted faster than expected’
‘Rockstar probably invited him and Ned Luke to see the trailer. Steven Ogg was most likely not invited for obvious reasons’
‘He definitely saw the trailer’
‘CJ and Franklin will both be in GTA 6, mark my words […]’
‘Either he was shown the trailer or he was told that he would have a cameo in GTA 6. It’s probably the former, but either way, that’s crazy.’
Also in other threads on Reddit, it is speculated that the actor was allowed to see the trailer for GTA VI earlier, while players are still eagerly waiting for the video material.
The most common speculations in the community are:
Shawn Fonteno is also appearing in GTA 6 in his role as Franklin
He has seen the trailer and is looking forward to the game
As GamesRadar reports, Ned Luke and Shawn Fonteno recently appeared in an interview where Fonteno trolled the community and said: ‘Franklin Clinton will not be in GTA 6’, and added: ‘I’m not in GTA 6’, before he backtracked and clarified: ‘It’s still a secret. I’m just messing with you guys.’
What exactly this cryptic tweet is about is unclear. What do you think? Please share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Apparently, there has been a wave of bans in Pokémon GO related to the “catch trick.” Niantic has already announced a solution.
What is happening in Pokémon GO? As reported by the portal “Pokémon GO Hub“, there has been a wave of bans in Pokémon GO.
According to the report, the temporary bans affected trainers who neither spoofed nor violated the terms of use or otherwise cheated in Pokémon GO. The stated reason for the bans was “Unusual activities on the account.”
There was quickly speculation that the bans were related to the “catch trick”. Some trainers like to use it to bypass the long catch animation.
And indeed, this seems to be the problem – although Niantic apparently did not intend it at all.
What does Niantic say about the issue?
“Pokémon GO Hub” reached out to Niantic and confirmed that using the catch trick could indeed trigger the bans. At the same time, it should be an unintended occurrence.
According to the report, Niantic plans to lift the erroneous bans shortly, and this is expected to happen on November 16. They are also reportedly working on a solution to the problem itself. However, it is probably wise to refrain from using the catch trick for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, there is still no official post from support on the topic. We will keep you updated as soon as further information becomes available.
What exactly is the catch trick? Normally, you throw a ball at a Pokémon, which then disappears into the ball, and you have to wait until it shakes three times. Once this happens, the Pokémon stays caught.
However, this animation takes a comparatively long time and annoys some trainers. Especially during big events or standard occasions like Community Days or Spotlight Hours, trainers want to catch many Pokémon in a row. They like to save time.
The catch animation can be skipped by using the “catch trick,” which has been in the game since 2018. A bit of finger acrobatics is required for this. We have described how the trick works here.
Start video
Pokémon GO: Finding Rocket Bosses – How to Collect the Rocket Radar and Track Them Down
If done correctly and the catch is successful, the Pokémon will appear in storage without you seeing the animation and catch screen. If the catch fails, the monster reappears on the map, and you have to repeat the procedure.
Currently, you should consider whether to forgo the trick to avoid risking a ban.
Do you use the catch trick in Pokémon GO? Or are you currently affected by one of the bans? Tell us in the comments!
Hunt: Showdown impresses in the latest trailer with a tough character and wonderful animations. Fans are now hoping for even more.
What to expect in the DLC: As monster hunters at the end of the 19th century, you are, in this PvPvE horror shooter on Steam, hunting boss monsters. In the process, you will fight through numerous NPC enemies, and the up to 10 other players will give you a hard time. They are pursuing the same goal – just not together with you.
We have embedded the trailer for the new DLC here for you:
Start video
Hunt: Showdown DLC
The new DLC Law of Salvage delivers a legendary hunter in two variants, two legendary weapons, and a new consumable item:
Captain Laffite (Legendary Hunter)
Scuttled Glory (Legendary Winfield 1887 Terminus)
Knuckle Shunt (Legendary Scottfield Model 3 Brawler)
Hagfish Bronze (Legendary Choke Bomb)
Why the trailer excites: Just three weeks ago, Hunt: Showdown captivated with a trailer for another DLC. It has already been praised for its animations, as well as for its character and weapon designs.
The current, new trailer seems to please players just as much, as can be learned from the comments via YouTube.
There, the design of the new character is especially praised: Captain Laffite is a dark captain with a full beard, solid stature, and his body and clothes are overgrown with barnacles.
This gives the impression that he is an experienced and tough guy who has seen a lot. User Triads297 describes him in his comment as the toughest character in a long time.
In many comments, Laffite is compared to other well-known figures. Many mention “Uncle Sam” as an example in their comments. Actors William Dafoe and Jim Carrey’s character Count Olaf are also named as examples.
The latest trailers impress so much that fans want to see more
But not only the character design is praised in the comments. In this trailer too, many fans again mention the very good animations. These seem to really excite them, because, like marakushieda4039, many are calling in their comments for a live-action or animated series.
This at least shows that they not only want to see more of the lore but also find great pleasure in the way the team behind Hunt creates its cinematic trailers. The fact that they would indeed like to see a whole series or movie is probably a big compliment.
World of Warcraft is more popular than ever, at least on Twitch. We explain here why this ancient MMORPG is suddenly dominating.
World of Warcraft is dying – that has been said for many years. However, the fact that WoW is still quite alive in 2023 can sometimes be particularly seen on Twitch. Often Blizzard’s MMORPG plays only a minor role here, but anyone who watched the streaming site in recent hours could even see WoW temporarily at number 1.
The new Patch 10.2 Guardian of Dreams also plays a role:
Start video
WoW: Guardians of the Dream – Launch Trailer
Why is WoW successful on Twitch? The reasons for WoW being temporarily the most popular game on Twitch yesterday with 230,000 viewers (50,000 ahead of the second place League of Legends) and currently still holding second place (as of: 16.11.2023, 11:30 AM) are manifold, as many factors are coming together (via gamesradar.).
WoW announced the next three expansions at BlizzCon, effectively revealing a rough timeline for the next six years. This ensures that old fans take another look.
WoW Classic Hardcore is still quite popular, and many take delight in watching streamers lose their beloved HC character to death. There are also many “Reaction” videos on compilations of the most beautiful (or silliest) permanent deaths in HC Classic. Some Classic deaths are simply too beautiful.
There is a special Twitch drop, a white riding camel – therefore, all active WoW fans have to watch a few hours of WoW content on Twitch to secure this goodie.
Will it stay this way? Probably not. Actions like the Twitch drops rather lead to a temporary viewership that primarily wants to grab the reward. Although the race for the “World First Kill” is likely to drive the viewership numbers up again in the coming days, as soon as the first professionals reach Fyrakk, afterwards it will likely quickly level off again.
The other Twitch attractions, like the announcements of BlizzCon or the Twitch drop for a new mount, are also expected to decrease again in the coming days.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to see that Blizzard, with a game over 19 years old, still manages to capture attention.
It seems unlikely that World of Warcraft will become a long-term hit again – as is the case with League of Legends – but the short, drastic spikes upwards are certainly remarkable.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, hides many clues in his manga. For example, he hints at events in the future or introduces important characters before their first appearance. Did you know that one of the most popular characters was actually seen 11 years before his first appearance?
Attention, spoiler: We are talking in this article about an important “family member” of Luffy who is part of the Revolutionary Army. If you haven’t reached the Dressrosa arc yet, you might encounter spoilers here.
Who is it about? We are talking about Sabo. He is a “blood brother” of Luffy who tragically perished at sea during his childhood. Luffy assumed that his “brother” died in that incident, but he reappeared as one of the participants during the Coliseum battles.
Sabo’s first appearance was actually in chapter 583, which was released in 2010. However, the character was already seen in two chapters from 1999. Eiichiro Oda knew 11 years before Sabo’s actual appearance that he wanted to incorporate the character into the story in the future.
One Piece is now so successful that there is even a live-action series on Netflix:
Start video
One Piece – German Trailer for the First Season of the Live-Action Series by Netflix
So subtly did Eiichiro Oda hint at Sabo’s existence
In the images, among the many people, there is one person with light hair, a black cylinder, and a black cloak. The clothing is Sabo’s trademark, as reddit user JasonNMP shows:
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It even makes sense that Sabo was in Logue Town at that time. We already know from the manga that Monkey D. Dragon was in the same city at that time and saved Luffy from Smoker. Since both hold high positions in the Revolutionary Army, it is likely that Sabo traveled with his leader.
Luffy is captured by Buggy in the chapters and is supposed to be executed on the gallows, just like Roger. At that time, however, Sabo had lost his memory. He could only remember Luffy again when he had to read the death notice of his other “blood brother”.
What do readers think?In the comments of the reddit thread, there are some fans who do not believe that Eiichiro Oda plans that far ahead. But upon closer inspection, they notice that Sabo indeed stands out from the crowd due to his clothing.
Perhaps Oda designed the character early but only later gave him his backstory. Fans hope that this topic will be addressed in a SBS. In that format, fans can ask Eiichiro Oda questions that he will answer.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of stories and intrigues that you can intentionally or even unintentionally get caught up in. A particularly nasty schemer tests players’ patience from Act 1, even though she is still a child.
Who is the girl?
Mol is a tiefling girl in the refugee camp in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3. She is also the leader of the thieves’ gang, which consists only of children.
You first meet her in her hideout, and she is only friendly to you if you help the other children in the camp.
It is absolutely taboo to harm the children or even use them as a weapon. You have to let yourself be robbed if you don’t want to end up on Mol’s bad list.
That’s why she drives players to the brink: If you encounter Mol without having made a name for yourself first, she will rat you out to the adults. She simply claims that you harassed the children.
The consequence is that you will be approached by a guard and have two options: either you go willingly to jail, or you have to lie – with a difficulty level of a proud 20. For characters without charisma, this is nearly impossible at this level.
The problem is: if you end up in the cell, you will most likely face guards. The only way to get out is a breakout. But the guards don’t like that and will attack you.
What particularly annoys players is that Mol even “rats” you out to the guards if you refuse to let her accomplice above rob you. Anyone who has been in the camp will know who is being talked about.
Our tips make Baldur’s Gate 3 easier for you:
Start video
5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
“I love the game, but I’ve hated Mol ever since”
In a thread on Reddit, a player complains specifically about this situation. SirEnder2Me wanted to avoid being robbed and simply didn’t talk to the “merchant” who sold him fake rings.
As an honorable character, he would like to tell the guards the truth, namely that he was harassed by the children, not the other way around. A “Persuasion” roll would be appropriate, but not “Deception.”
The thread received over 2,300 upvotes and over 800 comments, where other players agree and sometimes get quite deep into it…
According to some players, Mol is the only reason why they chose an evil route. The girl is so annoying that they joyfully send goblins to the camp instead of laboriously holding back the attack.
Especially players from the “Dark Desire” see Mol’s lie as an invitation to massacre the entire refugee camp. Some necromancers have even made it their mission to pack up the whole camp into their chest to have a stock of corpses…
If Mol evokes similar thoughts in you, you should keep in mind that each of your actions has a consequence that may not show for a long time:
Diablo 4 has received a new hotfix. In this hotfix, the developers improve the drop rate of Living Steel, which you need to summon Uber Duriel. This means you can now farm the best items in the game more easily. Players are very pleased with this.
What’s included in the patch?
With hotfix 3, several bugs have been fixed and the amount of Living Steel in Hell Floods has been increased.
You now receive 2 units of Living Steel per chest in World Tier 3 (previously 1 Steel) and 5 Steel in World Tier 4 (previously 3 Steel). Each additional chest has a chance to grant 1 Steel in World Tier 4 as well.
Additionally, there is a chance to get another 1-2 Steel (World Tier 3) or up to 5 Steel (World Tier 4) – so up to 10 Steel per chest in total. This is more than could drop per entire Hell Flood before.
This change means: Players calculated before the hotfix that they would have to play about 2,400 Hell Floods to find a desired Unique in the worst case. However, this calculation assumed that a maximum of 6 Steel could be obtained per flood.
Now you are very likely to obtain this amount per chest. To summon Duriel, 10 Living Steel is needed, and it is the only material that is actually limited. Because the Hell Floods as the only source are only available at certain times.
With this change, you can get the necessary Steel from a Hell Flood, possibly even from a single chest. You will need only half as many floods to get a desired Uber Unique.
In discussions with the developers, the topic of Living Steel was also directly addressed:
Start video
BlizzCon 2023: Diablo 4 leaders talk to us about the development and future of the game
“It should have been this way from the start”
In several threads on Reddit, players discuss the change, sometimes with astonished exclamations as the increased drops have become apparent to them. The patch has been well received overall, and one searches in vain for criticism.
The fans believe that the system should have worked this way since the release of Season 2. The introduction of the materials was supposed to address one of the release issues, as the developers revealed to me in an interview.
Community Manager Adam Fletcher has also commented on Reddit with a brief note and the patch notes. Players are thanking him directly for actually listening to their feedback.
Especially in Season 1, some fans felt that their criticism fell on deaf ears because certain issues, such as endgame progress, were not addressed. In discussions with the devs, I received exactly that answer:
Since the layoffs at the end of October, fans of Destiny 2 are unsure whether the upcoming expansion “The Final Shape” will be released as planned in February 2024. A recent press release has now once again confirmed the known date, which left many hopeful. However, Jason Schreier stands by his prediction and laughs at the guardians’ hope.
Note: We updated this article on November 16 with new information that Bungie has made another change.
However, Bungie has not confirmed this after 2 weeks, so it remains just a rumor and not official.
So far, the developer has not updated the release date of the DLC anywhere.
Even a press release published yesterday by Bungie sticks to the old release date of February 27, 2024.
Many players now hope that Bungie will stick to the original plan for the upcoming DLC. But Jason Schreier, who has the mentioned insider information and also made the alleged delay public, can only laugh about it.
In the news from Bungie, a small teaser for the upcoming Season 23 was also given, which will revolve around the greatest mystery from Forsaken.
Start video
Destiny 2: Teaser trailer for the “Season of Wishes”
“Don’t get your hopes up”
Whom should one believe? Many players of Destiny 2 are currently asking themselves this. Should one believe the official press release from the developer or the statements of a well-known and extremely reliable insider named Jason Schreier?
How reliable is Jason Schreier?
Jason Schreier is considered an extremely reliable source in the field of video game reporting. He has worked for reputable media companies like Kotaku, currently for Bloomberg, and is known for his well-researched articles. Schreier has also published insider information and background stories in the past that later turned out to be correct.
Bungie contradicted Jason Schreier’s claim on November 14 in an official press release regarding the new Season 23, in which they repeated the known release date of “The Final Shape” again.
In the press release published via bungie.net, it states:
The Season of Wishes is the final season for Destiny 2 before the expansion “The Final Shape” with new episodes is released on February 27, 2024. “The Final Shape” is the monumental conclusion of the saga of Light and Darkness, in which the guardians encounter the Witness.
This contradicts the Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier, who claimed, after interviews with former Bungie employees who were laid off, that there would be a delay until June 2024.
Some guardians believe that this information about the upcoming DLC should not have been mentioned so explicitly in the announcement if a delay was indeed impending. They confronted Jason Schreier about this.
So the guardian TheLazzrich wrote to the Bloomberg reporter: “I think I will believe the company’s official press release, which did not have to include a release date for The Final Shape at all, rather than an anonymous insider source.”
Jason Schreier is still sure: The delay is coming, and one should not get too high hopes. He commented on the tweet from DestinyTracker with Bungie’s statement with the words:
I will rate this post with an L for “LoL”, it will be outdated quickly
Update from November 16: The Twitter account of DestinyBulletin published a screenshot showing a minimal change on Bungie’s website. This could therefore indicate that the developer may have already prepared the delay, but it is not yet official.
This is the guardians’ wish: One should keep in mind that no source is 100% error-free. Therefore, it is always advisable to check information from various external sources to obtain a more comprehensive picture.
The discussion within the Destiny 2 community clearly shows, however, that the guardians wish for clarity and reliability. Ideally from Bungie itself, and as soon as possible.
Many players now even advocate a delay of “The Final Shape” because they wish for Destiny 2 to be good. As the guardian Michael DiVentura says: “I would prefer to delay it because I don’t want it to be bad.”
What are your thoughts on the recent developments surrounding Destiny 2 and the uncertainty regarding the release date of “The Final Shape”? Do you want the DLC to be delayed due to possible issues, or are you optimistic that everything will proceed as planned?
With a little trick, World of Warcraft has deactivated many “cheat programs” – but this could lead to problems now.
When it comes to maximum efficiency, players in World of Warcraft are willing to push all boundaries. This is not only possible through particularly powerful addons in the game but also through external programs that overlay the game. This was especially a nasty advantage in the last raid, Aberrus. However, Blizzard has put a stop to this – and it could lead to other problems.
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WoW: Guardians of the Dream – Launch Trailer
What has changed? Blizzard has changed how the combat log works and thus how other programs can access the log. The combat log is actually saved live in an external file, which can then be read immediately.
Since Patch 10.2 Guardians of the Dream, however, there has been a change: the data of the combat log is not saved immediately, but only transferred to the file after the end of the fight. Some professionals notice this especially now that the raid Amirdrassil, Hope of the Dream is open.
What does this bring? As parts of the combat log can no longer be read live, not all data is available “live”. This, in turn, means that external programs can no longer read the log in real-time and therefore can no longer create overlays that give tips and hints directly in the game, such as how to position oneself or where certain effects are occurring.
Why is this a problem? A “problem” arises because the combat log is written to the corresponding file with some delay. Especially in long boss fights, this can create a fairly large file that is then written “spontaneously” more or less. This can lead to stuttering and short delays on some computers.
Another problem is that the entire combat log of the current fight is lost if the affected account disconnects during the ongoing fight. This can be frustrating if one wanted to evaluate phases of the fight and no data from other players is available.
What do you think of this change? A good step against overpowered software? Or an annoying change?
The developers of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen announced a new spin-off in October. They wanted to earn additional money through an extraction survival game, which should flow into the development of the MMORPG. However, after angry complaints from fans, they are now backtracking.
The plan was to mix survival, MMO, and extraction to encourage people to invest money that could be used in the development of the MMORPG. Additionally, they wanted to reach a completely new target audience with the unique gameplay. The development of Pantheon was supposed to take a back seat but continue nonetheless.
What do the developers say now? In a statement, Creative Director Chris Perkins has now addressed the community and confirmed that the standalone game has been shelved:
The Pantheon community has made it clear that the test mode 247 is not the reason why they support us, and we need to listen to that.
Instead, they want to fully focus on the MMORPG again and even lift the verbal NDA.
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Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen shows the art update in the trailer
24/7 Tests and an invitation to all Alpha Testers
What’s next for Pantheon? The MMORPG will be available for testing around the clock for pre-alpha players. Previously, there were only selected testing periods. Alpha players will also be invited to new events in December:
Pantheon will abandon its 247 test mode and fully return to the PvE MMORPG. We will implement the transition immediately, and it will be available in the coming days, round the clock for participants with pre-alpha access.
Alpha access holders will be invited to 24-hour play sessions starting in December, which will continue into next year.
But there’s good news for all other fans as well. On December 1, the verbal non-disclosure agreement will be lifted. Every tester will then be allowed to report on their experiences. However, no screenshots or gameplay can still be shared.
There will be a climbing system that allows vertical exploration of the world.
Players are meant to gather in guilds as they did before, venture out together, and lead a kind of second life in the MMORPG.
Many players could immediately identify with the ideas and placed great hopes in the game. However, the development progressed slowly, and the death of Brad McQuaid in 2019 also set the project back. It wasn’t until January 2023 that a first pre-alpha phase started, in which only backers could participate who had already invested quite a bit of money into the MMORPG.
What do you think of the decision to refocus on Pantheon? Will it benefit the MMORPG or could it harm the title because they are simply running out of money?
Throne and Liberty, on the other hand, has recently announced surprisingly many PvE contents:
In the Anime One Piece, every pirate crew that takes itself seriously has a cool ship. For some crews, the ship seems just a simple means of transportation, but many pirate bands have crafted really cool watercraft. MeinMMO presents you with the coolest ships in a list.
Do you remember the time when Ruffy was sailing the seas with a small boat? The ship was affectionately called “Nutshell” and could withstand storms about as well as a nutshell. But by now, the Straw Hat crew has gotten themselves a proper ship that can compete with the ships of other crews.
Our requirements for inclusion in the list are:
The ship has already appeared in the anime or manga
It has a distinctive feature that sets it apart from other ships
Thus, ships are not considered which simply have a cool Jolly Roger of the respective captain. The ship must be extraordinary and grab attention with its appearance. Furthermore, we consider ships that have already been destroyed according to the current status of the manga.
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1. The Thousand Sunny (Straw Hat Pirates)
What would this list be without the Thousand Sunny? After the Flying Lamb basically fell apart, the Straw Hat Pirates had to get a new ship. Cyborg Franky designed and built the ship, which is why he knows it best among all the members of the Straw Hat crew.
At the bow of the ship is a lion’s head, on which Ruffy often takes a seat. At the highest point of the ship, the tip of the main mast, there is a training room for Zorro. But the other Straw Hat Pirates also have rooms that are tailored to their needs:
A women’s quarters
A men’s quarters
Kitchen and dining room
Treatment room
Aquarium bar
Library
Workshop
A deck for Nami’s orange trees and Usopp’s garden
The ship has a total of 16 cannons. A special cannon is the Coup de Burst, with which the Straw Hats can generate a huge burst of energy using cola. This catapults the ship forward and allows it to flee from attackers, for example.
At the edge of the ship, there are also gigantic plates with numbers on them. They contain several vehicles, such as a mini-Flying Lamb or a shark-submarine. Of all the ships, this one seems to be the most advanced of the Straw Hat Pirates.
2. Queen Mama Chanter (Big Mom Pirates)
If a ship is striking, then it’s probably Big Mom’s. The ship is much larger than the Thousand Sunny and can be seen from afar due to its pink color. This immense size is also necessary, as Big Mom’s pirate crew consists, among other things, of her family. The family alone consists of 85 children, each with their own subordinates.
Through the following video, you can almost smell how heavenly the ship smells:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCbhN_qsgvE
At the bow of the ship is a clown figure that can even sing the word “ship.” This has to do with Big Mom’s devil fruit power, through which she can imbue lifeless objects with a soul. But not only the clown face at the bow, the rest of the ship is also alive. In one scene, for example, it is seen that the door to Sanji’s quarters has been given a soul.
The ship looks externally like the realized dream of a candy fanatic. Big Mom has probably designed the ship according to her fondness for chocolate, pastries, and ice cream.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The best counters against Kobabalium in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With these, you can defeat the boss in raids.
What is Kobabalium? Kobabalium is from the fifth generation of games and has the types Steel and Fighting. It belongs together with Terrakium, Viridium and Keldeo to the Knights of Integrity.
When does Kobabalium appear? You can find the boss starting from November 16 at 10:00 AM local time in Pokémon GO. It will remain in the game until November 23 at 10:00 AM local time. Here we show you the best counters against Kobabalium and against which types it is weak (type effectiveness).
Defeating Kobabalium in raids – With these counters
Proto-Groudon with Mud Shot and Abyss Slash
Mega-Lohgock with Counter and Flame Cannon
Mega-Glurak Y with Fire Swirl and Flame Cannon
Mega-Knakrack with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Crypto-Skelabra with Fire Swirl and Heat Wave
Crypto-Stalobor with Mud Shot and Fire Sand
Reshiram with Fire Fang and Cross Flame
Terrakium with Double Kick and Sanctity Blade
Crypto-Machomei with Counter and Rock Smash
Crypto-Lohgock with Counter and Flame Cannon
Crypto-Entei with Fire Fang and Heat Wave
Crypto-Knakrack with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Mega-Simsala with Counter and Focus Blast
Keldeo with Foot Kick and Sanctity Blade
Crypto-Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Purifying Fire+
Crypto-Lavados with Fire Swirl and Heat Wave
Mega-Glurak X with Fire Swirl and Flame Cannon
Mega-Galagladi with Foot Kick and Close Combat
Mega-Rayquaza with Air Slice and Zenith Striker
Crypto-Hariyama with Counter and Rock Smash
Weaknesses of Kobabalium: The Pokémon belongs to the types Steel and Fighting and is thus vulnerable to Fighting, Ground, and Fire. Therefore, focus on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Kobabalium.
Is there a Shiny Kobabalium? Yes, you can catch Shiny Kobabalium in Pokémon GO. We show you in the graphic how the shiny version looks:
Kobabalium and Shiny Kobabalium compared
How many trainers are needed? With the best counters at a high level, you can defeat the boss with two or three players. With lower levels but strong counters, you should rely on more trainers. To complete the raids quickly, groups with many participants are recommended.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Two important vendors are missing in World of Warcraft! We will tell you how to redeem Storm Sigils and Twilight Trophies right now.
In World of Warcraft Dragonflight, there are numerous ways to obtain solid gear. If you’re not keen on group activities like raids or dungeons, you might choose to farm the sets from the Elemental Storms. They have solid stats and are quite strong for solo content.
However, since Patch 10.0.5, the NPC “Rethelshi” no longer sells the upgraded sets. This is not a bug but intentional. We will reveal how you can now obtain the sets.
Vendors for Storm Sigils in Patch 10.0.5
You can still purchase the “blue” set from Mythressa, who stands right next to Rethelshi. However, the upgraded set can no longer be bought from Rethelshi.
Instead, you now have to go to the black dragon Corxian. He is the NPC for item upgrades. Corxian is located in the “PvP Hall,” the “Sanctuary of Gladiators” in Valdrakken, where practice dummies are also present. The entrance to the hall is at the coordinates 41 / 45.
Corxian does not “sell” the sets like a vendor. Instead, you must place the blue set pieces into the upgrade interface, allowing you to convert the items into the epic sets. The corresponding currency – in this case, the Storm Sigils – is used as payment.
The black dragon Corxian stands in the rather dark PvP section of the city. He upgrades all kinds of items for you.
How to obtain Storm Sigils? You receive Storm Sigils for the weekly quest “Storm Surge,” which is still initiated by Rethelshi. Additional sigils per week can be obtained directly from the Elemental Storms as a rare drop.
The dark Dracthyr Malicia is also affected by the same change. She previously sold the upgraded open-world PvP set for “Twilight Tokens.” She has also closed her shop. Instead, you can now also request upgrades at the NPC Corxian and exchange your blue PvP set for the epic one if you have the necessary tokens.
How to obtain Twilight Tokens? You get Twilight Tokens from a weekly quest that you can only complete in War Mode. Each week, there is an NPC in the same room as Malicia who asks you to collect 100 Sparks from one of the four areas of Dragonflight. You receive Sparks in the respective area for completing world quests, opening treasures (Agitated Earth, Expedition Bags, Magical Treasure Chests), or for killing players.
Note that you can complete the quest without engaging in PvP. You can simply loot all the treasures and thus complete the mission.
Blizzard aims to streamline the upgrade system with this change, so you always have a fixed NPC as a target for upgrading items. Basically, this adjustment is a relief, even if it may feel unusual at first.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new feature is live in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. You no longer have to rely on loot luck, but can build tier sets yourself.
The most sought-after items in World of Warcraft Dragonflight are the tier sets. They not only look really stylish, but also grant strong bonuses when you wear 2 or 4 items of the set at the same time. Groups in the most difficult gameplay content especially require these bonuses for joining.
However, obtaining tier sets is not that easy. You either have luck when visiting the raid “Amirdrassil, Hope of Dreams” or hope to pull one of the set pieces from the weekly chest.
Blizzard is providing a solution here. Immediately with the start of the new raid on November 16, 2023, you will have the opportunity to craft tier set items yourself!
We documented how well the dungeons of Dragonflight were received in our ranking:
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WoW Dragonflight: All Dungeons of Season 1 in the Ranking
How does the Revitalization Catalyst work? The short answer for those who already know the catalyst from Shadowlands: Basically, it works exactly like it did back then.
The slightly longer answer goes like this: Starting November 15, 2023, you can visit the Revitalization Catalyst in Thaldraszus. On the northern side of Tyrhold, you will find the console, right next to the NPC Antuka.
You can give items to this console – for example, a chest from “Mythic+” – and then transform it into the tier set chest of your class. The item level of the item is not changed during the transformation. If you throw a chest with item level 447 into the catalyst, then the tier set item will also have item level 447 afterwards.
The secondary attributes of the equipment can change because they align with the tier sets. If you have a “Mythic+” chest with haste and mastery, but your tier set has critical strike rating and haste, then the two values will be converted.
If your item has tertiary stats (life steal, avoidance, speed) or even a socket, these bonuses will remain intact during the transformation.
Soon you will be able to easily craft tier set items.
The upgrade level will also not be changed. Items from “Mythic+” can be enhanced using flight stones and dragon emblems. This remains possible even after transforming into a tier set piece, as long as the necessary requirements (such as a corresponding rating) are met.
Which items can be transformed into tier set pieces? In principle, you can transform almost all items from endgame activities at the Revitalization Catalyst. This includes:
Loot from mythic keystone dungeons
Loot from PvP
Loot from the raid “Amirdrassil, Hope of Dreams”
Epic gear (T2) from the War Mode
Loot from world bosses
Loot from the Great Vault
However, please note that only chest, hands, legs, head, and shoulders grant the set bonuses. The other items (waist, feet, wrists, back) are only visually part of the set.
How often can the Revitalization Catalyst be used? You start with one charge at the catalyst and receive another every 2 weeks. At the beginning, you should use the catalyst sparingly and only transform parts that you will likely wear for a long time.
Please note, however, that the maximum number of stored charges per character is 6. Since the tier set only requires 4 pieces to grant the maximum bonus, this should be more than enough charges.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to collect tier set pieces and are still missing set bonuses, that should soon come to an end.
What do you think of this feature? A good way to compensate for “bad luck” and still get tier sets? Or do the sets thus become too easily obtainable?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Without addons, little happens in World of Warcraft. We will reveal to you what the most popular addons are and what they bring.
Interface addons are hardly thinkable in modern World of Warcraft. These modifications allow not only extensive adjustments to the interface but also enable filtering or clearer display of information that would otherwise be hidden. Whether you engage in PvE, PvP, role-playing, or trade in the auction house – addons are almost always mandatory.
Such addons are offered on many different sites, the best-known of which is “Curse”, now better known as “Curseforge”. We will show you the 5 most popular addons and explain why you need them.
1. Details! Damage Meter
Some curse it, others love it – but “Damage Meter” is now indispensable in modern World of Warcraft. The tool allows you to see at a glance which teammate is currently dealing how much damage or how many actions they are performing.
Contrary to many prejudices, Details! not only helps to show off one’s performance but primarily excels in analysis functions. Clear lists and graphs help to identify where difficulties arise in a fight, how and why players may have died, and when corresponding abilities or buffs were used.
Details is small and clear – yet powerful.
Those who take the time to delve into Details! can not only improve their character’s performance but also better assess group members and enhance overall game understanding.
While there are many other alternatives, such as Recount, Details! has become the standard that is most widely used in recent years.
For many PvE fans, DBM is seen as an absolute must-have tool, as it significantly facilitates the entry into boss fights through clear displays. Anyone who does not have DBM or a comparable addon (like BigWigs) is often not even taken into many groups.
Outsiders often criticize that addons like DBM “take over the game” – but this does not reflect reality. DBM is a tool that purely supports and simplifies the process of internalizing boss abilities and preparing for them.
DBM is primarily capable of displaying various timers that clearly indicate when a boss uses a specific ability. This is usually dependent on a fixed timer and can therefore be predicted accurately.
The second function is to communicate clear announcements to maintain oversight. If a player forgets what to do for a specific ability, DBM will always display a brief warning message. For example, “Watch the ground” when someone needs to dodge a negative effect or “Gather up” when one must run to the other group members.
Explaining what WeakAuras can do would likely fill several books. It is one of the most powerful addons in World of Warcraft.
In most cases, WeakAuras performs similar tasks to Boss mods, but allows for significantly more customization. You can display various cooldowns and timers. If you want more, you can visually highlight the acquisition of special buffs or create clear warning signals when, for example, an important buff is missing in the group.
Other functions are more complex; for example, during “Shadowlands”, it was common to have a WeakAura that assisted in navigating the maze in Tirna Scithe.
Very, very, very many settings.
In fact, there are now so many different “Weak Auras” (“WAs”) that there is an entire website dedicated to different WAs – the selection is practically endless on wago.io.
If you want to experiment with WeakAuras, you should plan a lot of time for it – as the addon is extremely extensive and complex, but allows for a level of customization that is hard to find in other interface extensions.
For many, a closed book, for others the “true” game in World of Warcraft – collecting gold, whether through farming or the auction house.
Auctionator allows you to scan the entire auction house and then adds a price to all items in the tooltip. This way, you can see at a glance what an item in your inventory would fetch in the auction house.
But the tool does even more. If you are a craftsman and want to build a piece of armor, Auctionator already calculates in the crafting window what all the materials would cost in gold.
More overview of your functions.
There are also more complex functions. You can create shopping lists that simplify navigation in the auction house or set preferences for when and how you want to sell items in the auction house.
5. Raider.IO Mythic Plus, Raid Progress, and Recruitment
Another addon that is quite controversial in the community and yet hardly dispensable in many areas. This interface addon is basically an extension of the Raider.IO website and transmits many of its functionalities into the game.
When you hover over other people in the group search or your guild list, you immediately get useful information about the progress of that character. This way, you can see at a glance how many raid bosses a character has already defeated, what their current rating is in the “Mythic+” area, and how many successful runs in high dungeons they have already accomplished.
Hated by some, loved by others: Raider.IO
The addon was so popular that Blizzard has since built some of its functionality directly into World of Warcraft.
Especially for those who often put together raids with players from the group search, Raider.IO is a first solid indicator to gain insights into a character’s suitability.
How to install addons? You can manually install addons by copying the corresponding files into the WoW folder in Interface/Addons. However, it’s much easier if you use an additional program for this, as it makes the regular updating of all addons significantly easier. One option for this is WoWUp, which we introduced to you here.
Do addons cost anything? In principle, interface addons and their use are free. However, since addons are usually developed by individuals in their spare time – often with great time investment – one might consider supporting the addon developers with a small donation after years of use. Relevant donation links can generally be found on the download pages of Curse.
What are your favorite addons? Which addons could you not play WoW without?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
