Baldur’s Gate 3 shines with its various available romance options, and MeinMMO editor Sophia’s character is bombarded with love offers. But because she has chosen the biggest loser, she even rejects the hottest companions.
Out of nowhere, Gale from Waterdeep leaves my character hanging out to dry. He was actually not my first choice. Like many others, I initially directed my attention to a certain vampire.
The wizard is quite a joke in the community, and numerous memes make fun of him. He is known for eating magical items and constantly talking about his ex. There was also a bug, through which Gale would immediately latch onto anyone at just a friendly word.
Even the studio itself, Larian, makes fun of the wizard from Waterdeep:
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To win Gale’s favor, you need to give him magical items to consume as soon as he asks for them. Play a generally friendly, helpful character and also show interest in magic as well as his cat Tara, and ta-da: Gale will be at your feet.
I firmly believe that Gale’s approval for my character has only risen so quickly due to the known bugs surrounding the romances.
Sadly, we have not progressed beyond a few conversation cutscenes since then. Recently, he let my character know how nice it is to fight side by side.
Hooray!, I thought, maybe we can finally make it official. Wrongly thought.
With words like that, one would think he was in a hurry. But no…
How I set out to turn down the two nicest companions
Early in Act 2, you get the opportunity to make significant steps in the relationships with your companions Wyll and Karlach. They are the friendliest companions for me:
They have no hidden agenda and just want to be there for your Tav. That’s why I’m so sorry that I rejected both, even if they were never my main focus.
To date Karlach, you need to play a good Tav like with Gale. Also, support her in all her endeavors and show absolute enthusiasm when talking to her. Additionally, you need to conduct her upgrades with infernal iron at the blacksmith Dammon in the Emerald Grove as well as in Act 2 at the Last Light Inn.
If you have done everything right by then, she will invite you for a hot night in the camp. However, you should first show that you are not afraid of physical contact – kiss her or hug her.
Karlach is really great: wild, hot-blooded but always warm and empathetic.
With Wyll, I actually don’t know how I earned the honor of a dance: I was generally just nice to him. I spoke with him whenever he needed to. Besides, we are still searching for his father, which I have promised to assist him with.
My attempt to free him from his warlock pact with Mizora probably particularly pleased him. Two long rests later, he invited me to an elegant dance and a kiss.
In this scene, there were a few dice checks to pass – I got lucky!
I want! But somehow I don’t?
Both offers from both characters came more or less surprisingly. But neither Wyll nor Karlach was the object of my desire.
I am still trying to win Gale for myself.
So I did what all good players of Baldur’s Gate 3 do: I saved before important decisions and then indulged in the offered intimate moments. Just to reload, like a beaten dog, when faced with the break up dialogue option with Gale.
As sad as the broken hearts made me, the romantic scenes were beautiful! I can only highly recommend this tactic.
About what the hell is going on with the guardian, I don’t even want to talk.
And what’s next with Gale?
As much as I feel sorry for Wyll and Karlach… the dice have been cast, and I will live with my decision to have rejected them.
It surprised me myself that I ended up stuck with Gale! He simply has this loyal Golden Retriever energy and tries so hard to please you. When he also looks so sad when you reject him, what am I supposed to do? I just succumbed to him.
As long as Wyll and Karlach remain in my party and I can continue to help them with their personal quests, I’m content.
However, neither my Tav nor I are willing to wait forever for a certain wizard. We can overlook the fact that he talks too often about his ex and we can somehow manage his mansplaining.
POV: Gale explains to you (once again without being asked) how the world works.
If he doesn’t pull himself together and take the next step until the (hopefully) lifting of the shadow curse, I already have a backup: If all goes well, druid Halsin will join my group.
I like Halsin, and I hope that I complete all quests correctly in order to recruit him. He is also one of the two participants from the famous bear sex scene. But about what I want to do with him, I prefer to keep quiet.
Whom did you take into bed with you in Baldur’s Gate 3? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Xur is sneaking up on the Destiny 2 players again today. Accompanying him is his suitcase full of uncanny Exo-secrets. This offers the brave and curious the chance to dive into the dark depths of the exotic unknown and even shop with him this Halloween. MeinMMO reveals where he lands and what Exo-treasures he sells.
What happened this week in Destiny 2? At the beginning of this week, the Game Director of Destiny 2 fulfilled his promise to the community.
A bit curious this week was also a new glitch where players in Destiny 2 can stop time in-game, or completely stop objects. This includes items like the conveyor belts in Gambit, the fake alliance arena at the destination Neomuna, or even spawn doors from which countless enemies usually rush out.
It was already dark. But with the Halloween event, it became even darker. The free event brought spooky outfits, a black leather shader for weapons, and loads of candy into the game. While the event has remained quite the same, one change still scored points. This year, Halloween activities will be commented on by Immaru, Savathun’s ghost, and he’s really stirring you meatballs around.
For more about what else is happening for Halloween, check out this video:
Start video
Destiny 2 celebrates the Festival of the Lost in 2023 with creepy bug looks
All info on Xur on October 20, 2023 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
When does Xur come? Xur visits Destiny 2 every Friday at 7:00 PM. His visit ends on the following Tuesday at 7:00 PM. During this time, his shop is open and all Guardians from near and far can buy exotic items from him.
Where is Xur? This is his stock for the weekend
Xur’s position: Even after nearly 10 years, searching for Xur is an event. After the weekly reset at 7:00 PM, the search begins, and players fly to Xur’s possible locations. The MeinMMO team is on board and will promptly reveal his location in this article.
Here is where Xur is located: European Dead Zone, Twisted Cove
Look for Xur in the European Dead Zone, Twisted Cove.
Xur’s Inventory from October 20 – 24.10. – All Exotics at a glance
What is Xur offering? Xur is known for offering a solid selection of exotic gear and weapons, which he sells to all Guardians for Legendary Shards on behalf of the Nine.
His inventory changes weekly and primarily gives new players the chance to supplement their Guardian abilities and prepare more quickly for the challenges in Destiny 2.
This is Xur’s offer
Xur’s inventory from October 20 – 24.10.
Weapon: Arbalest – Linear Fusion Rifle for 29 Legendary Shards
Titan: Helm of the 14th Saint – Headgear for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +10
Resilience: +11
Recovery: +11
Discipline: +6
Intellect: +20
Strength: +6
Total: 64
Hunter: The Gunslingers – Leg Armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +12
Resilience: +18
Recovery: +2
Discipline: +2
Intellect: +10
Strength: +20
Total: 64
Warlock: Eye of Another World – Headgear for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +10
Resilience: +2
Recovery: +24
Discipline: +25
Intellect: +2
Strength: +6
Total: 69
Legendary Armor Set: “Braytech Explorer” Set
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Nexxoss Gaming shows you Xur’s inventory in the video
In addition to the regular offer, Xur sells unique rolls for exotics from no longer available exotic missions from past DLCs. However, you can only buy these weapons from Xur if you own the appropriate expansion.
Currently, he has one weapon on offer:
The exotic hand cannon “Fallen Dawn” (Beyond Light DLC) with First Shot.
Trials of Osiris from October 20 – 24.10. – Maps, Weapon and Info
Be a good team in the Trials of Osiris and become invincible.
This is happening in PvP this weekend: The flawless Guardians can be found in PvP at the Trials of Osiris. This endgame challenge with the 14th Saint offers intense 3v3 battles where only the bravest and most skilled can collect the Master rewards and Trials cosmetics at the Lighthouse.
Which map is on this week? In the Trials, Guardians must focus on a specific map. It does not change and remains active until the weekly reset on October 24 at 7:00 PM.
This map is active: Meltdown, Clovis Bray Installation – Mars
This is the reward for a flawless run: Every week, you also get a very special weapon at the Lighthouse, which you receive for your flawless run, meaning 7 victories, as a Master version. You can also earn this weapon until the upcoming Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00 PM.
As a reward, you always receive an Adept weapon if you made it to the Lighthouse safely with your ticket.
This week’s Adept weapon is: Unexpected Return, Glaive (Master)
Unexpected Return, Glaive (Master)
Focus on the loot you want: You can also specifically focus your Trial Engrams on your desired weapon at the 14th Saint. Additionally, there are Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Shards.
Your rewards increase further once you have a full pass—even if you lost one or two Trials matches.
When do the Trials officially start? The Trials of Osiris start today, on October 20, 2023, at 7:00 PM and end with the weekly reset on October 24, 2023, at 7:00 PM.
How do you like the Halloween week in Destiny 2 and the sayings from Immaru? Do you have enough to do, or are you already done with everything? Let us know in the comments how your week in the loot shooter went.
In the MMORPG Oldschool RuneScape (Steam), a player’s question about how to retrieve a valuable item has shown the darker side of the MMORPG community. Players on reddit are giving sinister advice for a simple problem.
What wand is it about?
The item is called ‘The Kodai Wand’ and is worth about 96 million gold in OldSchool RuneScape.
The item has some advantages and is considered the strongest one-handed wand in OldSchool RuneScape. The wand gives 15% damage boost and has a 15% chance that offensive spells will not incur rune costs.
A player made the mistake of lending this item.
Select a MMO video…
Player becomes a dad, stops playing the MMORPG, and lends an item
This was the player’s problem: A player asked the community on reddit for advice:
He had lent the wand to a cousin in April 2021. His first child had just been born and he wanted to play less RuneScape.
Now, he proudly tells, he tricked his wife, is allowed to stay home as a father, and take care of the child: Therefore, he logically logged back into RuneScape after 2 years and wanted his wand back.
But his cousin also became a father and had stopped playing RuneScape.
His question to the community: He would see his cousin again in November for Thanksgiving. How could he make it clear to him that after 2 years he needed to log back into his ‘Point-and-Click’ childhood game, use two-factor authentication, buy a membership, and get the wand back?
These were the brilliant pieces of advice from the community:
The top advice from the MMORPG community is ‘Beat him up, screw the little punk. Get your stuff back. Do not be an adult here. Cause chaos. Ruin his life. That’s RuneScape: Way more important than the stupid child!’
Another said: ‘Do all that and then kiss his sister!’
A third recommended: ‘Hit his child too. Show his wife your gold status and make her your new RuneScape girlfriend.’
The most nefarious suggestion was probably: He should befriend his new niece or nephew. When the child is old enough, he should show the child how to play OldSchool RuneScape and let him farm ‘The Kodai Wand’. Then he just needs to ask the child to lend him the wand for a moment. Profit.
Did the advice help? Surprisingly yes, but not in the way the advisors thought.
The player says he only had to show the cousin the thread with the crazy suggestions and the cousin returned the wand without protest.
Particularly the first comment about causing chaos made the difference. When the message from his cousin came, the player was lying in bed, thinking about how to ruin his cousin’s life for Thanksgiving.
Pokémon cards have been accompanying generations of fans for years. But how are the iconic cards actually created? We got a glimpse at “Creatures.”
Entering the headquarters of “Creatures” in Tokyo feels a bit like stepping into the holy Pokémon halls – and in a way, it is. Here, not only are games, models, and animations for Pokémon created, but also the trading card game that has captivated children and adults for many years.
At Creatures, the theme of “Pokémon” is almost overwhelming. The entire entrance area consists of white, radiant blank card templates – with energy cards hidden in between. There are also gigantic images of a classic Blastoise and Charizard card, as well as the iconic Pokéball.
The iconic Charizard card as a gigantic image in the entrance area of Creatures
Together with several other media representatives, we visited the headquarters of Creatures. Here we were able to speak with some individuals involved in the creation process of the card game during the Pokémon World Championships in summer 2023 in Yokohama.
How do new sets come to be? According to Director Atsushi Nagashima, the goal of Creatures is to create something “that everyone can enjoy and that only we can create.”
The planning of a new card set begins about a year in advance. Five departments work together on such a set:
Planning
Game Design
Art Design
Illustration
Quality Control.
These departments must work perfectly together, since Pokémon is a theme for different generations and thus for different age groups: One wants to create a game for children that also captivates adults. Therefore, the goal is to implement a simple game principle that can still impress with a lot of depth.
Collecting and Playing
There are numerous loops and considerations before a set is finalized. For example:
Which Pokémon in the new set will be the most important monsters?
Which features from the video games, such as Dynamax or Paradox Pokémon, can be included?
How do new cards fit into the established game?
And which artists are the right ones for the cards?
The developers emphasize that variation is extremely important, especially in the images on the cards. Currently, Creatures collaborates with about 240 illustrators, all of whom bring different styles and ideas. They receive an initial briefing but should then develop ideas as freely as possible.
We spoke with artist Yuka Mori, who creates clay models of Pokémon for her cards to then incorporate them into the card image: “I should bring in my own creativity,” she emphasizes. In a small workshop, she demonstrated how this was done and let us as a group try to do the same:
This is what the result looked like when we tried to model Magnetilo in the style of Yuka Mori
For many of the illustrators, working for Creatures is a long-held dream. Artist “Gidora” also emphasizes: “I am a long-time fan and live my dream.” It takes him about two days to create a new illustration.
The variety of illustrators leads to a wide range of images.
Here you see a card by Gidora (left) and a model card by Yuka Mori (right)
And the importance of the images should not be underestimated – after all, many fans also enjoy collecting the cards without ever playing the game. Nowadays, large sums are often paid by collectors for the rarest cards.
7 hours of play per day, 4 matches per hour
Unlike a video game, cards cannot be patched once they are released. Therefore, the Quality Control department is extremely important: it is responsible for ensuring that the cards function well in the game and are well-balanced.
Kohei Kobayashi (Game Director Development) and Satoru Inoue (Manager Game Design) explained to us how this works.
They focus on three main aspects in their job:
The “playfulness” of new cards, meaning the fun they bring.
Secondly: balancing. What is too strong, what is too weak?
And thirdly: what role could new cards play in tournaments? What combinations may arise that one might not expect at first glance? The meta of the game must be taken into account.
To test these aspects, the card is placed into various test decks to be thoroughly examined.
Start video
Pokémon presents new Tera type in trailer
Currently, 18 full-time testers work at Creatures, who are basically occupied with Pokémon all day long. On average, the testers spend about 7 hours a day testing, sometimes more. They play about 4 matches per hour. Additionally, not only the TCG but also other Pokémon products, such as board games, are tested.
Moreover, a real treasure is hidden in the offices of Creatures: a huge cabinet containing examples of almost all the cards in the Pokémon trading card game. This is necessary because countless resources are needed to test new cards.
The new cards are tested using a variety of test decks that simulate different scenarios: New cards are tested with both championship and casual decks. “We don’t want to develop overpowered Pokémon,” explain Kobayashi and Inoue. Everything should always be as balanced as possible.
However, that is not so simple: “We spend months with the cards but still do not find all combinations. Sometimes there are surprising developments,” the two explain: “We think about Pokémon 24/7.”
How does one become a tester? For many fans of the Pokémon cards, it must be a dream job to be engaged in testing all day. To become a tester, according to the developers, two things are needed: passion and knowledge. The latter should not be underestimated, as one should know as many cards and details of the game as possible.
However, one does not have to be a certified world champion of the TCG: Developers say that they never scout for new testers at championships. They do not place special importance on bringing in professionals of the game as testers. Instead, regular ads are placed online and in magazines that anyone can apply to.
If one gets the position, the learning doesn’t stop: “You have to keep learning,” both emphasize. Logically: After all, new cards are constantly being developed.
Since 2018, the popular Witcher card game Gwent (PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android) can be played online as a standalone collectible card game. On Steam, the game has 88% positive reviews. Now, the last official update has been released. In a stream, the developers explain how the game will proceed.
This is Gwent:
“Gwent: The Witcher Card Game” is an online collectible card game developed by CD Projekt RED
It is based on the mini-game of the same name from the action role-playing game “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”
The game is fundamentally free to play, but features optional in-game purchases to acquire more card packs
Here you can find out how to find the Witcher Easter egg in Cyberpunk 2077:
Start video
Cyberpunk 2077: How to find the Witcher Easter Egg
What’s next? Luckily, the cessation of developer updates doesn’t mean that Gwent can no longer be played. There should still be some variety.
“We always wanted to ensure that there is something new to consider with each season start,” it says in the FAQ.
For this, a new “Balance Council” is being introduced in update 11.10. This is a voting system in which players can vote every month on whether cards should become stronger, weaker, more expensive, or cheaper.
How does the new system work? To participate in the voting, two conditions must be met:
The account has reached at least Prestige 1 (from level 60)
You have achieved the pro rank (highest rank in the game) OR won at least 25 games of the current season
With this, the developers want to ensure that only players who actively engage with the game can participate in the votes.
Once the conditions are met, players can access the Balance Council through the main menu. It is designed similarly to the deck builder, allowing for intuitive use.
This is what the new Balance Council looks like:
For each of the 4 categories (increase or decrease in strength; increase or decrease in recruitment costs), 3 cards can be selected and weighted. The higher the weighting, the more votes are cast for the selected card.
Per voting cycle, a maximum of 15 changes per category should occur, with a required minimum of 50 votes. If no card meets this criterion, at least 3 cards per group will still be changed.
If serious technical problems arise, they should still be addressed in patches. Otherwise, the further development of the game is now in the hands of the community.
Collectible card games are also very popular outside of online matches. One of the most well-known is certainly “Magic: The Gathering”.
When Magic entered into a collaboration with Lord of the Rings, a very special card was produced. You can find out here on MeinMMO how this “one ring” valued at $2,000,000 was found:
In November, the new Call of Duty is coming with Modern Warfare 3. A German YouTuber had fun in the beta but had to manipulate the matchmaking for it.
The release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is getting closer, and many shooter fans are eagerly watching the upcoming title. Are we finally getting a good CoD again, or will we be disappointed?
The German CoD YouTuber HapticRush, who has played the MW3 beta extensively, is also addressing the topic. In a video series on his channel, he talks about the aspects that players like or dislike about MW3 based on the beta, and criticizes the SBMM (Skill Based Matchmaking).
One thing stands out: the YouTuber had a lot of fun with the MW3 beta – when he manipulated the matchmaking of the shooter.
Start video
The new CoD MW3 presents itself with shooter action in the new multiplayer trailer
What does the YouTuber say in his videos? The probably most important point is the criticism of SBMM. He repeatedly emphasizes that he does not want to constantly play against the top “sweat players” and the best players. SBMM has no place in casual CoD modes like Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed, and belongs in competitive ranked modes.
On the other hand, he praises the fast movement, some maps, and the weapon selection. Even seemingly minor changes to MW2, like the reload cancel, are well received by the YouTuber. In general, MW3 feels again like a game that friends who turned their backs on CoD years ago would come back to.
In the videos, it quickly becomes clear: according to HapticRush, MW3 does many things right, can definitely be fun, and is one of the best CoDs of recent years – only the SBMM dampens the enjoyment.
YouTuber creates mixed lobbies with second account
How does the YouTuber trick the matchmaking? He helped himself with a smurf account that intentionally racked up many losses and performed poorly to lower the average skill of the opponents.
However, instead of playing on the smurf account and only measuring himself against beginners, he played on a normal account and only brought the smurf into the lobby. This account then got kicked out during a round for inactivity, as it wasn’t used, but automatically rejoined the group in the next match.
By mixing the smurf and the normal account of a top player, he received a mixed lobby with truly good and comparatively bad players – just like in the past. And he had a lot of fun with this mix.
What is a smurf/smurf account? A smurf account is an additional account of a good player, where he intentionally played poorly and lost, to then compete against easier opponents – meaning players who play below his actual level.
What is the criticism of SBMM? The criticism of SBMM is not new and has existed in the CoD community for years. Many players wish for mixed lobbies, where players of all skill levels are represented – just like it used to be.
It is simply much less fun when you always have to give your best and play at the highest level because you are competing against the top 5% of the players. Even good players want to relax and play after work.
Moreover, SBMM is not advantageous for worse players either, believes HapticRush, as even for them the lobbies are always the same, keeping them at their level.
And the YouTuber is not wrong about that. To improve, worse players should also sometimes play against better players. This way, they can observe movement routes, movement tricks, or meta weapons and setups from the players who dominate the scoreboard. However, if you only compete against similarly bad players, this learning effect completely disappears.
In general, SBMM continues to face criticism from CoD fans. They already found ways to manipulate matchmaking in Modern Warfare back in 2019.
The 35-year-old Matthew “Dellor” Vaughn is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer who is often in the public eye. Twitch has now banned him for making someone’s address public. This is called “doxxing” and is generally frowned upon. However, Dellor seemed to just want to defend himself. On Twitter, he recounts that stalkers have made his life hell for 4 years.
Who is that?
Dellor has been on Twitch since 2013 and is quite successful on the streaming platform when he showcases gaming. Over the past year, he has primarily streamed DayZ and has always been regarded as a good player. Most recently, he defeated C’Thun in WoW Hardcore (via youtube). He has 750,000 followers on Twitch. When he streams, he has about 1080 viewers.
However, Dellor is also regarded as terribly uncontrolled: He had made it a habit to furiously drag the keyboard across his own head and break it. That was his trademark. He himself said he constantly smashed cheap keyboards in fits of rage.
Twitch, however, did not find this so funny in 2019, but permanently banned him from the streaming platform for “self-harm.” Via YouTube, he returned a year later to Twitch.
What was he banned for now? Dellor was banned from Twitch on October 16 for publishing someone’s address.
Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion
Dellor says stalkers have made his life hell on earth for 4 years
How did this happen: Dellor wrote on Twitter 8 days before the ban, on October 8, that someone has been stalking him for a long time: The person frequently came to his house and threatened him.
But the stalker has now made a mistake, and therefore Dellor is now in possession of all his personal information – license plate number, name, address, everything. He had already threatened to publish the data at that time.
On October 12, he then wrote that he no longer felt safe in his house.
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Stalkers throw eggs at his house – streamer can’t take it anymore
So the situation escalated: After his ban, Dellor justified himself on Twitter. He says the situation escalated before he made the personal information public:
He has been harassed and stalked for 4 years, and has been swatted 3 times
People are sneaking around him and filming him
Stalkers have knocked on his door and windows hundreds of times; have ordered food to his house multiple times that he did not order.
Recently, strangers have thrown eggs at his house, ruined a monitor, and damaged his setup
Streamer says he knew it was wrong – but did what he did
This is what he says about the ban: He says he did something stupid and he also knew it was stupid at the moment he did it. He had a really bad night.
Dellor apparently felt helpless; he has reported all incidents to the police and the FBI but received no help.
It’s not fair that I have to sit here and have my life ruined by people who have no sense of decency when I use every legal means to defend myself. This is America, and I don’t feel safe in my home. That’s why I did what I did.
Some people are now calling for his unbanning on Twitch, but Dellor is currently still banned.
More about Dellor and his tense relationship with Twitch:
A German FC-24 professional took on an experiment and started with a complete team of women in the toughest competition of EA FC 24: the UT Champions Weekend League. Find out how successful this was here.
Since the integration of women into Ultimate Team in the FIFA successor EA Sports FC 24, there have been voices questioning the innovation due to supposedly lacking realism. EA Sports then explained that the focus is on the fantasy aspect of Ultimate Team.
However, the German streamer and FC-24 professional UmutGTK (via Twitch), who plays for the RB Leipzig eSports team, shows in a new video that one can be very successful with a complete women’s team.
How the Weekend League went with a complete women’s team
This was UmutGTK’s team: The squad that the professional chose is by no means an extremely strong team. It has an overall rating of 83 and according to UmutGTK, a value of about 100,000 coins.
The strongest is probably the Inform card of Rachael Kundananji (85), who is very popular due to her 5-star weak foot and 4-star skill moves and currently costs about 36,000 coins.
One searches in the professional’s team in vain for real star players like Sam Kerr or Alexia Putellas.
How the Weekend League went for the professional: UmutGTK published a collage of the highlights on YouTube that shows how extraordinarily successful he played with his women’s team.
Out of the 20 matches of the Weekend League, UmutGTK won an impressive 19 and only faced his first defeat in the 12th match. He finished the Weekend League with a record of 19-1 and secured rank-1 rewards.
You can watch the video here:
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The next Smoke Day is on Saturday in Pokémon GO and brings many bonuses. The chance of certain Shinys is significantly higher. We show you the details.
What kind of event is this? The Smoke Day focuses on the Pokémon Pionskora. When you activate smoke, the scorpion Pokémon is drawn much more frequently. In general, with smoke you will also encounter more Pokémon of the types Poison and Bug.
At different times, different Pokémon are attracted. We will show you the times and which Pokémon they are here in the overview.
Smoke Day on 21.10.2023 with Pionskora
When does it start? The event starts on October 21 at 11:00 AM. It is active until 5:00 PM.
What bonuses are there? Pionskora are attracted by your smoke. There is also an increased chance of encountering shiny Pionskora. When you light smoke during the event time, its duration is doubled.
In addition, you will find an exclusive event bundle in the shop that costs you only one PokéCoin. Field research will give you more encounters with Pionskora or reward you with items like Stardust and Ultra Balls.
At what times do which Pokémon appear through smoke?
What you need to know: Alternately, smoke attracts Bug or Poison Pokémon. The type that is currently active changes every full hour.
Time (local time)
Type
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Bug
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Poison
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Bug
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Poison
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Bug
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Poison
Which Bug Pokémon appear through smoke? Raupy, Hornliu, Pinsir, Yanma, Waumpel, and Reißlaus. Also less frequently, Sichlor and Araqua.
Which Poison Pokémon appear through smoke? Rettan, Zubat, Schluppuck, Skunkapuh, Glibunkel, and Algitt. Also less frequently, Alola-Sleima and Unratütox.
Who is it worth it for? If you need a few of the highlighted Pokémon, this event is ideal for catching them. The higher chance of Shinys is an incentive for many trainers to catch at least a few of the shiny specimens at the event.
The longer time for smoke and adventure smoke is also worthwhile.
Will you participate in the event? Let us know your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Around three weeks after the official release of EA FC 24, most have built their first starter teams in Ultimate Team. A Spanish defender appears in almost every squad due to his versatility and strong stats. Despite his popularity, he costs almost nothing.
Which player are we talking about? Marcos Llorente is a true all-rounder. Originally based in the right midfield position, he can be deployed both as a right-back and as a right winger. Additionally, he can also play in central midfield.
Thus, the Spaniard who is under contract with Atlético Madrid is the perfect player for team building. His price is unbeatable, as he costs less than 6,000 coins on the transfer market. According to FUTBIN, he is played more often than any other defender in Ultimate Team.
The Spaniard is an asset to almost any team. Where you should best position Llorente in-game is revealed in the following.
Llorente is the best right-back (RB) for this price
Here’s why you should play Llorente as a right-back: Since Llorente has no stat below 78, he is perfectly suited as a right wing-back in a four-man defense. He possesses all the qualities that this position requires. He is fast, has a solid passing game and dribbling, and can also shine with good physical and defensive stats.
If you decide to use Llorente as a right-back, Shadow would be a suitable chemistry style to boost his pace and defense even further. Getting the Spaniard to full chemistry is not a significant challenge. There are plenty of good Spanish players from the top Spanish men’s and women’s divisions to link him via nationality and league.
Or you decide to incorporate one or two players directly from his team, Atlético Madrid, into your squad.
Goalkeeper and teammate Jan Oblak, for example, would be a fitting addition. Or you can spend a bit more and buy the most expensive player from Atlético Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, for over 100,000 coins. He has one of the best playstyles in EA FC 24.
Llorente also brings a number of playstyles that particularly suit him for the position of right-back alongside his strong stats. Which ones they are, you can read below.
What playstyles make Llorente so strong? Llorente does not have a golden playstyle+, but he possesses several silver playstyles that mainly give him extra pace, stamina, and better crosses. These stats are extremely important, as a wing-back must contribute both defensively and offensively.
These playstyles make Llorente even stronger:
Fury
With the playstyle Fury, the player does not lose any speed during pace dribbling with the ball. This pays off especially when you get the ball to Llorente on the flank and have a lot of space in front of you. He can use that space perfectly with Fury.
Quick Step
Quick Step is one of the most important playstyles in EA FC 24 and, in combination with Fury, is a game changer. Unlike Fury, Quick Step gives you a speed boost not over distance but in the first few meters. This can be particularly useful when the opponent approaches you aggressively, and you want to quickly create some space by rushing into an open area.
This playstyle is ideal for a position that demands a lot of running, like the right-back. Your player generally loses less stamina and gets a “second wind” after halftime, meaning they regenerate more stamina compared to other players.
Sharp Pass
Sharp Pass increases the precision, effect, and sharpness of crosses. If Llorente manages to break through on the flank, you can definitely try a sharp cross into the box.
The combination of all these playstyles paired with the already strong stats of the Spanish all-rounder makes him one of the best wing-backs. In the game itself, you can also gladly position him in central midfield or even more offensively as a right midfielder or right winger. His fifth playstyle, the Power Shot, also gives him a certain goal threat.
What do you think of Llorente? Have you had experiences with him or against him? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Mortal Kombat 1 creates a folder with crash reports on your PC drive without asking during every crash. With a size of up to 1 GB, these can be very large. The lost storage space increases with each crash.
Bugs and glitches in new video games are not uncommon. However, there are also errors that do not become apparent immediately because they do not affect the gaming experience as such. The unpleasant surprise usually hits players later and completely unexpectedly.
How does Mortal Kombat 1 secretly consume data storage? A problem has now been identified with automatically generated crash reports in Mortal Kombat 1 (MK1) that consume storage on your PC drive.
Several players of MK1 on PC report that a folder with a crash report is created with each game crash. The folder size can vary, but can take up to 1 GB.
On X, formerly Twitter, the user “X-Azeez” shared pictures of various saved crash reports:
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It becomes problematic when MK1 crashes very often on your system. In this case, a separate crash report is created each time. Individual users report up to 70 GB of occupied storage space (via Steam).
Why is this bad? If a system runs with too little free storage space, it can become unstable. In some cases, it may even refuse service completely until enough storage space is freed up.
As game installations continue to grow larger, this is a problem that cannot be underestimated.
Developers are working on a solution
Is there already a patch for the bug? No, unfortunately not yet. However, Cory Taylor, a community manager from publisher WB Games, has commented on the issue.
Taylor says the problem is known and the MK1 developers from NetherRealms Studio are already working on a solution (via Twitter).
Can I delete the folders myself? Yes, for the time being, there is no other way than to take action yourself and remove the folders containing the files. As long as the developer has no official solution for the problem, this is your only way to address the issue.
Manually delete crash reports
Where can I find the folders with the crash reports? Thanks to the community, two different folder paths have now been identified that may contain these files. You need to delete all subfolders there to free up storage space.
A new building game will be released on Steam in October, but the developers sound skeptical about whether you should really play the game at launch.
What game is it?
On October 24, a new city-building simulation “Cities: Skylines 2” will be released by the Finnish developer studio Colossal Order, serving as a sequel to the popular “Cities: Skylines” on Steam.
As in the predecessor, you will build your own cities and transform them into huge metropolises. You will need to consider the needs of the citizens, the economy, and the energy supply of the local industry.
There are also environmental factors like changing weather and seasons. Additionally, the chosen map influences the climate in your city.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
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The release trailer for the building game Cities: Skylines 2
However, even before the release of Cities: Skylines 2 on October 24, early criticism regarding the game’s performance has emerged from testers.
Colossal Order has also commented on the performance in a forum of the publisher Paradox Entertainment and sounds rather skeptical about whether you should really play the building game at release.
What do the developers say? In the statement, the developers acknowledge the concerns regarding performance. Although Cities: Skylines 2 is a next-gen title, the team has “not achieved the intended benchmark,” despite working tirelessly to deliver “the best possible gaming experience” (via forum.paradoxplaza.com).
Furthermore, the developers state that they want to continue working on the game in the coming months, but still want to transparently present performance expectations during the upcoming release.
Overall, Colossal Order believes that releasing the game at this time is the right decision in the long run and is convinced that players will have a great experience and fun with the game despite the performance issues.
How bad is the performance of Cities: Skylines 2 really? All tests regarding Cities: Skylines 2 share one common aspect: criticism of the performance. This really seems to be a problem.
Our colleagues from GameStar even deducted 10 points in their review of Cities: Skylines 2 because larger cities stuttered despite powerful hardware. Even with a PC equipped with a 13900K CPU and a GeForce RTX 4090, only 25-45 FPS were achieved in a city with 100,000 inhabitants.
You can read the full review of Cities: Skylines 2 on GameStar.de
Colleagues from GameStar Tech are also reporting significant performance issues. When asked if the developers could still salvage it, “GameStar Tech” author Nils Raettig writes:
“Some improvements to performance may still be possible. However, the building game is likely to remain a very difficult case in the future, at least if the optical quality and the admittedly very high simulation degree are not (too) strongly affected.”
But internationally as well, Cities: Skylines 2’s performance is criticized. PC Gamer decided to start a new game save with just 45,000 inhabitants, as the FPS had already dropped below 30 frames per second at that point.
Likewise, PCGamesN writes about issues such as long wait times and frozen screens they experienced when zooming in and out of cities. They note that on those PCs, games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield ran “smoothly and powerfully” before.
Is there any praise for the building game? Yes, various aspects of Cities: Skylines 2 are well-received by testers. Although the building game does not completely reinvent the genre, there are several quality-of-life improvements and innovations compared to its predecessor that meaningfully enhance the gaming experience.
In particular, the construction of roads and general traffic within the city has been improved compared to its predecessor.
Amazon announced a confidential test for the new MMORPG Throne and Liberty for October 2023: They said no one was allowed to talk about the test. Now they are breaking their own rules.
What kind of test was it?
At the end of August, Amazon announced that they were planning a “technical test” for the MMORPG Throne and Liberty, which they would distribute in the western regions: The test would be strictly on an “You can’t get in here unless we invite you” basis and would take place for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
The test ended on October 3rd, and Amazon thanked everyone.
Additionally, they reminded that it was strictly forbidden to talk about the test. So “Fight Club” style – a breach of confidentiality would be taken “seriously” and handled accordingly.
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Throne and Liberty – Preview of the new combat system
This is what Amazon says now: They have now evaluated the data and are going public with it. In a post, Merv Lee Kwai, an old acquaintance from Archeage days and the lead of the game at Amazon, proudly shares the numbers.
He mentions that he knows that not all who signed up for the test got in – but they are planning further tests before the game’s launch.
A mad red pyromancer is the deadliest NPC in the game
What do the numbers say? The numbers are a bit odd if you don’t know the game:
In any case, there seemed to be quite a bit of PvP – 48,000 players died by other players.
But 3.7 million NPCs were also killed – so there seems to be a strong PvE aspect.
Most commonly, desert cobras were killed. They probably deserved it.
The most dangerous NPCs were the “Mad Red Pyromancer” – they already sound dangerous.
A good record belongs to the world boss “Morokai” – he killed 3,150 players and died only 173 times himself.
When is it supposed to come out? Officially, it is said that Throne and Liberty is supposed to come to the West in 2024. The game was actually scheduled for release as “Project TL” many years ago but was then pulled back and fundamentally revised.
Throne and Liberty has also already been postponed several times. However, tests are already taking place, so a release can’t be too far away.
In Diablo 4 all players want to reach maximum level as quickly as possible in a new season. Even in Season 2, the rush to level 100 was great, but fans did not need the necessary 180 hours – it was much less.
How long does it officially take to reach level 100? Already at the release of Diablo 4, fans asked themselves how long it takes to reach level 100, the maximum level of the hack & slash.
If you were preparing for a long marathon, we have to disappoint you, the ladder resembled a sprint.
Have you missed the trailer for Season 2? Then we have the right video for you:
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Diablo 4 presents new Season 2, coming this fall – Blood & Vampires
Players need less than 19 hours
How long does it really take for the maximum level? According to the gaming site mmorpg.org.pl, the first players reached the maximum level already after 19 hours. On the tracking site d4armory.io, there are already 153 players in normal mode and 33 players in hardcore (as of October 20, 10:27 AM) who are running around with heroes at maximum level in Season 2.
Compared to the release, this has drastically decreased, because one of the first players who achieved this was Rob2628, and he was able to level up his hero in about 54 hours. After players studied the mechanics behind XP gain, it was only a matter of time before players could further push the record.
Which builds are at the top? Among the top 10 in softcore of Diablo 4 Season 2, especially the classes of the Necromancer, Hunter, Barbarian, and Sorcerer can be seen. All Necromancers use Bone Spears, Hunters come with Cutters, and Barbarians use Upsurge in battle. Sorcerers split into Firewall and Frost Nova builds and thus place themselves in the ladder.
In Hardcore, a greater build variety can be seen. The Necromancers went into battle with a Blood Wave and Bone Spear build. Hunters again strolled through Sanctuary with Cutters, but some used traps as additions while the rest relied on infusions. Two Sorcerers used Lightning Spears, and the last one used a Firewall build.
Lastly, the Barbarian again placed among the best with an Upsurge build. It is interesting to see that no Druid made it into the top 10 fastest players, even though it possesses strong defensive skills – perfect for survival in hardcore.
Have you already reached level 100 or are you still diligently farming your XP? Let us know how far you are!
No boss in Baldur’s Gate 3 is as nasty as the Vettel. This is not due to her strength – but to her biting insults.
If you play a Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3, you surely know the spell ‘Vicious Mockery’. This spell only does a little bit of damage, but at the same time, it causes the affected enemy to have disadvantage on their next attack roll – incredibly useful, especially on higher difficulty levels. However, the real highlight of this spell is that your opponent is mocked with biting comments.
But not only player characters use such voice lines to mock their enemies – the villains also have a large repertoire of painful insults. Chief among them is the Vettel Ethel.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
Who is the Vettel Ethel? You can meet Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3, depending on your choices, multiple times. The first time you encounter her is already in Act 1 in the small swamp area. Here she has her current residence and is currently plotting while fulfilling some wishes of the locals.
If it comes to a fight, however, it becomes clear that the Vettel apparently already has extensive knowledge of your characters and their insecurities. Because she has prepared individual insults for each origin character – which sometimes cut really deep.
What kind of insults are there? Depending on which character she attacks or whom you selected as your starting hero, Ethel spits out nasty insults. Often, these already refer to the background stories of the characters and their insecurities. Here are some examples:
To Astarion: ‘Deep down inside, you love to be submissive, don’t you?’
To Shadowheart: ‘Why would Shar love you if no one else does?’ ‘You are not a complex puzzle. Just a sad, little girl.’
To Lae’zel: ‘The frog with a tadpole. How fitting.’
To Wyll: ‘Oh, look. It’s Daddy’s regret.’
To Karlach: ‘When I’m done with you, not even Hell will want you back.’
To Minsc: ‘How appropriate. The hamster has a pet.’
There are even insults for a scrapped origin character, Helia. She is also a werewolf – and Ethel could have already revealed that before the group finds out.
If you want to listen to all the insults, here is a compilation of all the insults Ethel has for your companions (from 1 hour 34 minutes):
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She harshly insults your player character too – depending on which race you play and whether you chose a male or female character. For example, male Drow are told that they should bow before ‘more important beings’ – women. Because among the Drow, most men are enslaved.
To Half-elves she says: ‘I wonder which of your parents regrets you more.’
Especially cool: Did you know that all origin characters also have their own voice lines for insults? You only hear these if you change the class of the origin characters to ‘Bard’ or teach them appropriate spells. If you want to learn a bit more about the personalities of the companions, you should try rebuilding Karlach or Lae’zel as Bards and see how they insult their enemies.
Kingdoms of Ereloth has just entered Early Access on Steam. The survival MMO visually reminds one of “Gothic” and “Dragon Age”. However, the game has so many bugs that players are currently tearing the title apart in reviews.
We can sail the seas with a ship to explore distant realms.
There are no pre-made classes, as the choice of our weapon determines our skills.
There are building mechanics reminiscent of Valheim, but the development team aims to differentiate itself.
Additional features include guilds, dungeons, world bosses, and trading among players.
Kingdoms of Ereloth is regularly available for a price of 24.50 euros. At launch, the game is offered with a 20 percent discount, making it just 19.60 euros. However, as gleaned from the reviews, even that may be too much for the game.
In a trailer, Kingdoms of Ereloth showcased how charming the game’s open world looks:
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Kingdoms of Ereloth MMO Steam
Players currently warn against purchasing Kingdoms of Ereloth
Shortly after launch, the title is currently flooded with a multitude of negative reviews. At this moment, the game is struggling with “very negative” reviews, as only 10% of the reviews are positive (as of: October 20, 2023, 10:15 AM).
However, there is a chance that this rating may change. So far, only 83 critiques have come in, and some players report that improvements are in sight.
What problems are currently present? Many players were unable to access the online servers of the MMORPG at all. When they did manage to get in, the title was unplayable for them (via Steam).
User Juga points out, for example, that the release of the game has been postponed so often, yet such problems are still prevalent. The textures are buggy, and no interaction with items is possible. User Roger feels that the graphics do not match the trailer and the screenshots.
User FuVimarchi even had a bizarre experience: In the starting area, there were 5 to 6 players who had the same name as him and did not move. When he approached them, they suddenly dealt damage to him.
MeinMMO has translated more reviews for you to give you an impression of the general sentiment of the reviews:
Vichara: “Is this a scam? Can we get information somewhere about why it says that soon no servers will be found and when they will be available?”
roven: “The performance is an absolute nightmare. Insane rubberbanding, NPCs standing oddly under a rain from the sky in the city, can’t collect anything lying around and the graphics are buggy, so you have to set everything to low to avoid eye pain. And you can’t swim, so you’re practically running underwater.”
Supertoaster: “Did they just release the wrong earlier version? Unplayable, the only thing one can currently do is move with WASD and jump with the space bar. I will check back tomorrow. UPDATE: Yes, I think this is just a scam, I would have never thought Steam could sink so low in terms of releases on their platform.”
But there are also some positive voices who are aware of the problems of the game but still see potential in it. User db_king96 writes, for example, that the game is currently unplayable, but the review bombing should still stop.
User ZanguardX bought the game and has since returned it, but as a game developer, he is aware of the problems and wants to buy the game again when it has received some updates. According to user Aron Alvion, the developers are also working to fix the bugs.
Seekers of Skyveil is a cooperative role-playing game and originally started as a PvPvE mode of Project Skies. Ultimately, the developers decided to make it a standalone game.
As PvPvE fantasy extraction RPG, the game aims to offer you a unique gaming experience. How it succeeds will only be known once it has overcome a few steps. The game is being developed by former developers from Riot, Blizzard, and BioWare.
Because today, on October 20, 2023, the game enters the alpha playtest phase, for which you can register on the official website (playseekers.com).
In a first trailer, you get a glimpse of the style and gameplay:
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Seekers of Skyveil Trailer
What kind of game is this? In Seekers of Skyveil, you work in a group of three players together, exploring a fantasy world and searching for numerous treasures and epic loot.
Choose from six different characters to effectively support your team with their unique abilities and playstyles.
There are already more detailed information about four of them:
Kumu: This ancient protector is strong and robust. He draws his power from the Everbloom and provides protection and defense for his team. Kumu appears to be a tank or support role.
Zuraya: As an experienced warrior in tune with the wind, Zuraya is suited for close combat with her light and agile movements.
Joon: This rebel takes a dramatic and aggressive approach. He specializes in long-range combat, raining down bullets on his enemies.
Lily: The magical support among the characters, controlling the battlefield with breathtaking but deadly ice forms. Lily seems to deal good damage and be a strong ranged fighter.
Not everyone understands the transition from pure ARPG to extraction game
In your trio team, you fight against magical creatures, powerful bosses, and hostile seekers who want to stop you on your way through the game world.
During your rounds through the fantasy world, you are time-limited and must always reach a specific extraction point to escape safely and return to the city. There is always the risk of losing your loot if you happen to die.
What are the reactions? Many users who left their comments via YouTube seem to have been following the development of the game for a while. The reactions to the trailer are quite varied.
Some users, including fennk5386, complain that this has little to do with the originally announced ARPG. This user wishes the developers good luck, which they apparently now need.
rippeh8942 also hoped for an MMO with an open world and is disappointed by the similarity to League of Legends.
Others are excited about the developers’ shift to the extraction game. For example, ten.kenobi states that it looks like an interesting approach for this genre.
User Zazzaro703 even writes that it’s good to try something new in the ARPG genre, as the market is currently full of simple ARPGs.
Riot Games has officially introduced the latest agent from Valorant in the first trailer. Featured is the duelist “Iso”, who takes out his enemies with deadly precision. Enveloped in myths, the only thing missing in the trailer are the white hairs to make him a true protagonist of an anime.
Who is the new agent? The new agent from Valorant is the duelist “Iso” from China, who will be introduced in Episode 7 Act 3 of the popular tactical shooter.
What does the trailer show? In the first half of the new trailer, we see some supposed villains who are in the process of carrying out a mysterious plan.
However, during the operation, one of the armed fighters asks whether all this is worth risking one’s life – after all, there is supposedly a contract killer behind them. An assassin who takes out entire operations all by himself.
Shortly thereafter, one of the fighters says that the mentioned contract killer is bulletproof. Animated scenes follow, showing Iso with a casual stride and purple glowing eyes, taking out his opponents with ease.
Then, the voice of one of the fighters can be heard again, continuing to tell the myths that are spread about Iso: anyone who stands against him disappears. He is a “bulletproof wizard”.
Shortly thereafter, Iso makes his appearance and takes out all four villains before he sees the face of his next target on his smartphone: the Valorant agent “Omen”.
You can watch the full trailer here:
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Riot Games shows the new agent of Valorant in the animated trailer
Why does Iso seem like an anime hero? Overall, Iso is presented in the trailer as the cool hero from an anime. Not like the teenager who possesses great potential and is destined to become a great fighter, but like the character who, due to his immense strength, serves as a role model for the teenager and shares his tricks.
Iso strides casually, remaining unbothered, has glowing eyes, and myths about his strength are told – however, the white hairs are missing to make him a true badass anime character.
Alongside the trailer, there is already gameplay showcasing the abilities of the new duelist, and even here, Iso has already been compared to the well-known anime character “Satoru Gojo” from Jujutsu Kaisen, as he possesses similar abilities (via Twitter).
For example, Iso can block enemy attacks without taking damage or create a dimension around himself and an opponent in his ultimate, forcing a 1v1.
How does the community react? In the comments on YouTube, the trailer is getting a very positive response. Many fans praise the quality of the animations and even joke that Riot Games makes really good games for an animation studio.
“As an animation studio, Riot makes pretty good games.”
“These stories should be TV series or movies.”
“This will be interesting, I hope to see some new lore after a long time.”
“Riot always does these cinematics so well.”
After 2 hours, the trailer already has over 380,000 views and 60,000 “likes” on YouTube. There should be an insight into official gameplay in a reveal on October 20.
Alongside Valorant, Apex Legends has also introduced a new hero today:
In EA FC 24 continues today with Team 2 of the Trailblazers promo. Early leaks already promise strong cardslike Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafeal Leao, or Harry Kane.
When does Trailblazers Team 2 come out? Currently, the special cards from Team 1 of the Trailblazers promo are still in the game. These will be replaced on Friday, October 20 at 7:00 PM, with the new cards from Trailblazers Team 2.
What kind of event is it? The new Trailblazers event is entirely focused on the new PlayStyles feature. It brings new and improved special cards to Ultimate Team, each receiving new PlayStyles+ as well as regular PlayStyles.
Trailblazers Team 2 in EA FC 24 – All leaks and information
What the leaks say: The well-known FUT leaker Donk has struck again (via Twitter/X) and has directly published a whole bunch of leaked players for Trailblazers Team 2.
Unfortunately, the leaker does not tell us which new PlayStyles the supposed cards from Team 2 will receive.
According to leaks, the following players are supposed to be in Trailblazers Team 2:
Today, on October 19th, the new SF strategy game Galactic Civilizations IV launches in the “Supernova” edition on Steam. MeinMMO author Schuhmann has already spent about 40 to 45 hours with the game and says in his review: It fulfills all your alien power fantasies.
What kind of game is this?
Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova is a 4x game in space. You start with your alien species and a home planet that you can develop similarly to Civilization VI; you also have some spaceships to explore the cosmos. Quickly, you will possess further planets as resource colonies or settle them as core worlds.
In the game, there are numerous resources and raw materials that you can mine through star bases or on your planets. Certain luxury resources are necessary to build “wonders”, unique buildings that can only exist once in the galaxy.
You then fight against numerous alien races for dominance: 23 species are in the game. Additional races can be downloaded for free or even created by the player. There are also “smaller races”, plus pirates and space monsters – everything you need for a space adventure.
Check out the launch trailer for the new strategy game featuring the extraordinary alien races:
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Launch trailer for the strategy game Galactic Civilizations IV Supernova
The series has been around for 20 years – the latest installment is a sort of 4.5
Where does it come from? The series began back in 1992 and then grew steadily, much like Civilization. Part 4 was released in April 2022 on the Epic Games Store. We tested it at MeinMMO back then.
Today, on October 19th, the “Supernova” edition is released on Epic Games and Steam.
This is a sort of “Galactic Civilizations 4.5”: Some game mechanics have been changed and 5 new races have been added. Those who are not familiar with Part 4 will hardly notice the changes:
The important “Constructors” no longer require populations.
For each race, it is now more beneficial to stick to their “corresponding” traditions.
Additionally, research is now freer than in Vanilla Part 4.
For the Supernova edition, Brad Wardell returned, who invented the game 30 years ago and says: He wanted to take the game “in a different direction”. The Steam release was the right time for it, he writes.
If the offered species seem too normal to you, you can also play as a totalitarian alien cat.
The game is extremely customizable
That’s what makes Galactic Civilizations IV – Supernova special: You can customize the game extensively to your needs. The customization options cover every conceivable aspect of the game. For example, I play without technology trading, without giving up the AI, and with a slow research and gameplay pace, against all standard alien races available – thus against 2 opponents:
There are 6 sliders alone to define the size and nature of the universe.
Additionally, 6 fine-tunings for gameplay.
Furthermore, there are 5 optional settings – for example, one can prevent the trading of technologies.
And 5 different victory conditions.
At least 17 of these settings directly affect the gameplay – the victory conditions being the least impactful.
The 6 sliders for the nature of the universe (right) and the 6 for gameplay (left).
Depending on how large I make the galaxy, it leads to completely different gameplay:
If I choose a galaxy with many systems and distant opponents, I can play for hours without encountering an enemy, as the 23 alien races avoid each other far into the midgame. This way, I can research in peace and grab countless planets and resources. It plays more like a “Sim Universe” – kind of nice but ultimately quite boring.
With fewer systems (only 4) and 23 races, I can only conquer one or at most 2 planets before I encounter opponents. And quickly, the entire system is occupied by the AI. Here, contact with enemies happens early in the game.
I think every player will play around with the extensive parameters until they find out how they want to play the game.
This extreme customizability of the game certainly guarantees a high replay value.
When playing against 22 alien races in a galaxy designed for only 19 species, the galaxy becomes quite cramped.
That’s what makes it appealing: In Galactic Civilizations IV Supernova Edition, alien species and how you play them differ significantly from each other.
The Yor are a race of cyborgs with which you can immediately go on the attack. They are technically very strong; you do not have to pay attention to some aspects of the game, such as food or approval ratings, but you need the resource “Duranium” to produce new robots.
There is a kind of spider race that is totally geared towards attack and receives powerful bonuses when it can defeat and eat opponents.
There is a religious race that plays rather passively and builds a religion, thereby collecting “culture points” and can conquer enemy planets without a fight.
There is also a tree race that can revive dead planets.
Plus every imaginable sci-fi fantasy, from rock people to crystal beings to pillaging space orcs or noble dragon people.
With all these creatures, typical alien power fantasies from science fiction can be fulfilled: Do you want to be the Predator or the Borg or a race like the Zerg in Starcraft – do you want to be a greedy trader like a Ferengi, a noble warrior like a Klingon, or a plundering space pirate.
Everything is possible: The multitude of races, whether organic or not, continually changes the gameplay. It’s well done and promises variety.
Especially since the “ideologies” of the peoples also each prefer a playstyle that grants unique bonuses.
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Rewarding gaming experience with lulls in the endgame
This is my conclusion: The Supernova edition came at just the right time for me: After the disappointing “Star Trek: Infinite”, I had already played the standard edition Galactic Civilization IV and then purchased the Supernova edition in early access on Epic Games.
At first, it felt buggy and I couldn’t get used to the changes from the standard edition: After about 10 to 15 hours, I lost interest in Supernova.
But then there were several patches in the last weeks, and the game progressively improved. Soon, I was at my computer until 2 a.m.
Galactic Civilizations IV is available for €38.99 on Steam. The game is set to launch tonight, on October 19th.
The Steam version now offered me a good, varied 4x experience for 31 hours, which I can recommend to any fan of games like Civilization VI or Stellaris.
The game is deep, varied, and really fun. Just the Steam achievements, which I unfairly secured for myself before the game started, motivated me.
Ha, only 0.1% of players have this achievement!
One will rarely finish games, but that’s genre-typical
Like practically every 4x game, the Supernova edition also has significant lulls in the endgame, when you have to manage 30 planets and 50 fleets and move them around every turn.
As with the Paradox games, Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova will become a game where you start many more games than you actually finish.
But especially in the early and mid-game, it has its weaknesses, particularly since the AI is quite challenging and often launches a counterattack.
Pro
Motivating, refined gameplay
23 varied races that fulfill every power fantasy
Good transition from early-game to mid-game
Clean polish, good performance, (now) few bugs
Witty presentation
Strong customizability of the game and thus high replayability
Contra
Balance will likely be a problem – races are too different to be “fair”
The game tends to feel “bloated” in the endgame when commanding too many planets and fleets
Starting situation can be easy or hard – depending on which resources are nearby
A change from the original version: Games now end much later. In Galactic Civilizations IV, it was usually enough to win and dominate a system to achieve a prestige victory. In the Supernova edition, reaching the end is much harder.
In one match, I thought I had already won: 19 opponents were defeated, only 4 empires remained, and I had conquered 2 of the 4 systems.
So I took it easy, let the turns run out, researched luxury technologies because I wanted to pursue an easy prestige victory, but this laziness came back to bite me in the end because the opponents – unlike me – continued to build up their military and then bombed me away with an overwhelming fleet.
They apparently had no understanding that I no longer wanted to build 50 ships each turn and painstakingly move them to the other end of the galaxy.
