This time, the only somewhat hidden star: Feliospa, the evolution of plant starter Felori.
What kind of Pokémon is Feliospa?
This is Feliospa: Feliospa evolves from Felori and is therefore one of the starter Pokémon of the Paldea region.
As usual, at the beginning of the games Karmesin and Purpur, you can choose a monster of type plant, fire or water. Felori’s last evolution is called Maskagato.
Feliospa itself is still largely inconspicuous in terms of type distribution – it is a classic plant Pokémon.
Maskagato, on the other hand, receives the dark type as its final evolution, which is an unusual combination.
How strong the monster ultimately becomes in the game remains to be seen and depends among other things on the attacks it receives.
An early analysis by PvP expert Teban54 described Maskagato as a potentially strong plant starter Pokémon that can deal high damage, but it may lack endurance (via reddit).
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Pokémon from the Paldea region will soon appear in Pokémon GO!
How exactly to obtain the monster remains to be seen. But given that there was already a video indicating that the Paldea monsters are supposed to appear in September, as well as the current teasers, it shouldn’t be long until Felori and its evolutions appear in Pokémon GO.
With the Game Pass, you can Starfield play without paying extra. However, Microsoft is now removing a particularly good offer. Nevertheless, there is a trick with which you can try Starfield for free.
What was that with the Euro? For 1 Euro, you could subscribe to the Game Pass for one month. Sort of as a trial offer to properly subscribe to the Game Pass afterwards. For many gamers, this was a chance to test new releases very cheaply. Microsoft is now removing this option.
So, anyone who hoped to test Starfield for 1 Euro and now wants to use the preload for Starfield is now out of luck.
But there is another option for how you can play Starfield very cheaply. All you need is a friend who has an active ‘Game Pass’ subscription.
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Starfield – Official Gameplay Trailer
Play Starfield for free if you have friends with Game Pass
The same goes for the opposite: If you have friends who have subscribed to Game Pass, they can also ‘gift’ you access.
How exactly does it work? Each subscriber of the ‘Game Pass’ can gift up to 5 trial subscriptions per year. You gift 2 weeks of free Game Pass. During this time, you can play all games from the Game Pass without restrictions – including the new Starfield, which will be released on September 6, 2023.
What is the limitation? One downside is: You can only ‘gift’ friends who have never been a member before or have an Xbox account that has never subscribed to Game Pass. If you’ve ever been a subscriber, you cannot use the free trial phase anymore.
So think carefully about whether you want to use this trial phase for Starfield now, or in 5 years for The Elder Scrolls VI.
Save with Game Pass: How you can get the Game Pass significantly cheaper with a long subscription can be read here:
In the last 14 days, there has been significant review bombing on Steam for World of Warships. Players are complaining about a change to the summer event made by the developers. While Wargaming is somewhat backtracking in their latest announcement, negative reviews are still coming in, also because players are frustrated about some general changes.
What is making players so angry? On August 10, the developers announced their event for the 8th anniversary. This is a highlight because you can quickly earn many interesting rewards. However, this year, changes were announced that many players were not happy with:
Previously, the event revolved around players having Tier X ships in their port. For this, there was a reward of one supercontainer per ship. The ships in the lower tiers did not play such a significant role.
However, the rewards were changed and simultaneously reduced this year. Instead of directly receiving containers, there are now festival tokens.
While you get a hefty 200 tokens for a Tier X ship, only the first 30 supercontainers cost exactly that much. For all thereafter, you pay 400 tokens, which is double.
This change tipped the scales for many. Since 2021, there have been constant small adjustments that made World of Warships less appealing to players.
Additionally, the Discord server for World of Warships has been heavily criticized. Players are complaining that criticism regarding the summer event was simply deleted. Therefore, many resorted to Steam reviews to make their voices heard.
How are players showing their discontent? On Steam, World of Warships received 5,121 reviews in the last 14 days. A hefty 4,671 (or 91.2%) were negative. Previously, the game had a total of 83% positive ratings.
Wargaming has since made some adjustments to the summer event. However, this is currently not slowing down the negative reviews.
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3 of the best new MMORPGs released on Steam since 2020
Wargaming is backtracking, but much of the criticism remains
What has Wargaming changed now? In a new blog post, the developers announced that each player can now purchase 110 supercontainers. Additionally, the bundle with the 400 tokens has been removed, and further tokens for “performance bonuses” have been introduced.
The post also explained why the change was announced this way. The current system addresses an issue in the economy of the game:
We want to make it transparent that we need to reconcile a generous anniversary system with the economic health of the game. Over the past 8 years, the selection of ships in the game has grown to over 600 […].
This means that with the growing fleet, the number of anniversary rewards that players can collect each year has also increased. Last year, a player with all ships received rewards worth more than 180,000 doubloons. This ongoing trend puts a strain on the economic balance of the game, and we regularly take measures to optimize our systems.
How are players reacting?On Reddit, this is being celebrated as a victory for the players. They have stood up against the “evil Wargaming” and even left a bit of praise for the developers.
However, essentially, a criticism point shared by many has now been addressed.
With over 11,000 concurrent players on August 28 and over 411,000 at peak, World of Warships is among the largest MMOs on Steam (via SteamDB).
Focus on monetization, not on the players
What are the Steam reviews criticizing still? The reviews complain about several things, such as general monetization with doubloons and tokens to obscure real money expenses, the shutdown of the official forums in July, and generally fewer in-game rewards while simultaneously focusing more on the shop.
One player comments: “At the moment, we have an unbelievable 7 sales events, plus loot boxes, plus a premium account, and of course, there’s also a battle pass. Have I mentioned premium ships? So, for those who like to spend a lot, they can easily sink their monthly rent here.”
However, the statement about the economy is causing concern among some players. Especially new and casual players seem to have trouble keeping up with the larger accounts.
The general sentiment is: The developers are focusing too much on the shop and too little on the players.
What do you say about World of Warships? Do you play it actively yourself or have you stopped for exactly these reasons?
Throne and Liberty has received quite a bit of criticism in recent months, for instance regarding the combat system or autoplay in the beta. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to try out the first 30 minutes himself at gamescom 2023. The version there already included some changes compared to the beta that we would like to present to you.
Throne and Liberty has already conducted several tests in Korea that I could not attend. However, the shown gameplay always had one aspect that put me off quite a bit: the combat system.
Players selected a target, ran towards it as melee fighters, and followed with auto-attacks and individual abilities with sometimes very long animations during which they could not move. Even in the endgame, it looked not much better.
Several videos highlighted where the problems of the combat system lay:
In one video, the YouTuber Logen gets stunned in GvG, but the opponent is just a millimeter too far away and wastes the entire combo. Subsequently, Logen then killed his enemy (via YouTube).
Furthermore, there was substantial criticism regarding the autoplay in which the character fights automatically and completes quests. The YouTuber Neeko2lo emphasized this, calling TL the “Worst MMO I have ever played” (via YouTube).
Throne and Liberty – Official GeForce RTX Gameplay Reveal Trailer
The combat system is significantly more dynamic
The good news first: the battles no longer felt as rigid as in the initial beta tests. At the start, I directly have three abilities to choose from, none of which for the great sword had a cast bar. All could be used while moving.
Relatively quickly in the tutorial, you receive a chest that contains all weapon sets. So I was able to freely experiment. The dual crossbows, for example, had an ability that allowed me to actively dodge, which really benefits the dynamism, while the staff has a spell for which I have to remain standing still for a casting time of 2 seconds. However, I found that completely acceptable in this case.
I was able to play roughly the same content as the YouTuber Steparu. If I compare my experience with that from this video, almost every moment felt more dynamic. For instance, you can see how the YouTuber interrupts the auto-attacks with ranged weapons through a movement or they don’t happen at all. It was different in my test.
In general, the animations and transitions between abilities also felt smoother.
By the way, NCSoft and Amazon have slightly adjusted the ability bars. The right part with the auto-attack on “E” and blocking was revised and is now stacked on top of each other instead of side by side.
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However, the auto-attack still felt somewhat strange to me. When I target an enemy, my character automatically attacks it when in range. As a melee fighter, I have to manually walk towards it. However, once I am in range, the auto-attack occurs completely without my intervention; I don’t have to use any buttons on the mouse or keyboard.
In Final Fantasy XIV or Guild Wars 2, I at least have to target the enemy with a right-click or use the 1 key.
It’s not dramatic, as the attacks do not restrict the use of my other abilities. For someone used to the action combat of New World and Black Desert, this automatic attack without any intervention feels a bit unusual.
I cannot say how the combat system plays in the endgame with all unlocked abilities since I was only able to try out the intro.
I also cannot comment on autoplay as it was fortunately already deactivated. It is simply bad game design when the MMORPG can complete tasks itself if they are too boring and too easy for me.
Pretty graphics and incredibly fun transformations
What initially distracted me a bit from the combat system was the pretty graphics. They are not at the level of Red Dead Redemption 2, but they are definitely above what most MMORPGs offer.
Especially the masonry and the overall environment look beautiful. However, the grass and trees could be more detailed.
My big highlight in this short play event were definitely the transformations. Early in the tutorial, you learn to transform into a wolf. To do this, you only have to press W+Shift at the same time. Then you run faster and attacks cannot stop you. However, you revert back if you remain still for a short period of time.
You also get to “fly” as an eagle for the first time in the tutorial. However, the function resembles more of a glide. You continuously sink down and can land faster on the ground in a dive. However, it does not feel as good as in Guild Wars 2.
Not an action MMORPG, but I’m keeping an eye on it
Throne and Liberty is still not an action MMORPG even after the (first?) adjustments to the combat system. You target enemies with the Tab key, and your character performs the normal attack completely automatically; you don’t even have to press a button initially. However, the animations are smoother, and much can now be used while moving.
Overall, my interest has massively increased due to the changes to the combat system and the autoplay. While the game previously sounded more like fan service for the Lineage 2 community, it may now appeal to a broader audience. And that is precisely what NCSoft and Amazon want, especially considering the console release. The rigid combat system from the beta would not have gone over well there.
I cannot say whether the changes are sufficient overall after such a short time. Much can still change before the release in 2024.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The German studio Mimimi Games is closing. After three great games, it is now over in Munich. However, the latest game, Shadow Gambit, will continue to receive support.
Mimimi Games is considered a favorite among stealth strategy fans. With their games, they have gained a community. But now the team announced that they no longer want to develop new games. The latest game Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is the last game from Mimimi Games.
Behind the decision are too much stress, an uncertain financial situation, and no options for a new genre.
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Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew shows cursed pirates in the announcement trailer
Three great games that never achieved great financial success
What do the developers say? The developers themselves write on their website:
With a heavy heart, we must announce today that Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew will be the last game from Mimimi.
(…)
At the same time, the work on ever more ambitious games over the last one and a half decades has taken a heavy personal toll on us and our families. After the release of Shadow Gambit, we decided that it was time to prioritize our well-being and pull the emergency brake rather than engage in another multi-year production cycle.
It has been fun to develop great games, but they have also pushed us to our limits. Because after every completed project, the battle for financing the next project would start again. So we decided to close the studio and make “Shadow Gambit” the last game.
Which games did Mimimi Games develop? Especially with three great titles, Mimimi Games captured the hearts of its fans and created a community:
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and the stand-alone expansion Aiko’s Choice.
Desperados III
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
All three games were well received by players and also received much praise from testers: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun gets 96% positive reviews on Steam (27,000 users). Desperados III (96%, 8,000 reviews) and Shadow Gambit (94%, 1,000 reviews) also perform very well.
What is the problem with the games? All three games were so-called stealth strategy games: You sneak your way across the map and complete various missions with much strategy. With sheer brute force, you rarely got very far.
But stealth games are a niche that appeals to significantly fewer users than other genres. Similar games, such as the popular Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood or the well-known Commandos series, are known to many players who enjoy such stealth games. This is also reflected in the sales figures: The games may be great, but that doesn’t mean they sell well.
For Mimimi Games, it seems that the stress and the high pressure are no longer worth it. While they want to deliver excellent games, it is a considerable effort. And the return for that is simply too low, and the financial pressure is too high.
The statistics on Steam also show this: All games have been able to build a loyal fan base, but no game reached at least tens of thousands of simultaneous players. Shadow Gambit currently has about 1,500 active players, with the highest peak being around 4,000 (via steamdb.info).
And the option to switch to a new genre and leave the niche would not have been there, the developers explain. Because that would again be associated with great stress, which they do not want to impose on their colleagues:
Working in a new genre would further increase the risks and stress level for the entire team. It is already hard enough to develop great stealth strategy games, and we simply lack the experience from working in other genres.
What happens next? Mimimi Games will be significantly downsized and will continue to take care of the latest and last game, Shadow Gambit. A new patch is already in the works. However, no new games will be developed.
If you now want to see a detailed review of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, you will find it at our colleagues from GameStar:
I love the games from Mimimi Games, Desperados III alone kept me fascinated for hours. And I also have many acquaintances who rave about the games. All three games were excellent and offered depth and relied on tactical approaches. Unfortunately, it is no longer enough these days to be only excellent.
The end of Mimimi Games leaves me somewhat speechless, especially since all the games were really good. Desperados III was genuinely brilliant and could heal all the wounds that the failed Desperados 2 from Spellbound had opened for me. For me, a dream came true when Desperados III landed with the stealth experts from Mimimi Games.
For me and many other players, the team revived a long-lost genre with its games, and it makes me sad that it should end like this now. However, I can understand the decision if the time of Mimimi Games is now coming to an end.
Benedikt Schlotmann Hardware editor MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Steven Spielberg spoke together with James Cameron about the sci-fi classic ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and how excited they and other moviegoers were about the film.
In the first episode of the AMC series James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (via IndieWire), the two world-famous directors Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Jurassic Park) and James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) talked about a highly acclaimed sci-fi film that is considered an absolute classic of the genre: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Here you can see a trailer for the sci-fi film from 1968:
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Trailer for the Sci-Fi classic 2001 – A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey as a great inspiration for Spielberg
Steven Spielberg revealed during the AMC show that Kubrick’s film had a great influence on him.
When he saw the sci-fi classic in theaters back then, it felt like a spiritual experience:
2001 had a profound impact on my life and my everyday life. It was the first time I went to a movie and really felt like I was having a religious experience.
But James Cameron is also a huge fan of the sci-fi film. The director shared that he watched it a total of 18 times in the years following its release in various theaters.
But not only the director but also another moviegoer was extremely excited about the film, seeming to have a religious experience similar to Steven Spielberg’s.
“And I remember that at an event a man ran down the aisle shouting: ‘It’s God! It’s God!’ And at that moment, he meant it,” James Cameron reported.
Then Steven Spielberg also recounted a curious anecdote about how a visitor in the cinema created a stir during 2001: A Space Odyssey:
“And there was a guy who really ran to the screen and ran through with outstretched arms. People went crazy because that person disappeared into the screen, right in [the star gate sequence].”
The director of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick († March 7, 1999), is one of the most famous names in film history. He was considered an absolute perfectionist, where every scene had to fit down to the smallest detail.
He even shot one scene so many times that it made it into the Guinness Book of Records:
MeinMMO editor Marie Friske played the new action game “Zenless Zone Zero” from HoYoverse during gamescom 2023. She particularly enjoyed the spectacular battles.
What is Zenless Zone Zero? After Honkai Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero will be the new game from HoYoverse, which is also behind the successful action role-playing game Genshin Impact.
Zenless Zone Zero will be another action RPG set in a futuristic fantasy city called New Eridu. It is the last metropolis left after an apocalyptic catastrophe.
Because “Hollows”, dimensional portals, open up in mid-air and consume everything they touch. Through them, the valuable but dangerous resource “Ether” can be harvested. However, the Hollows also host nasty monsters called “Ethereals”.
When will Zenless Zone Zero be released? Zenless Zone Zero does not yet have a release date and is expected to be released on PS4, PS5, iOS, Android, and PC. However, a beta test for the game has already been conducted.
As I am already a huge fan of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, I was very eager to learn more about HoYoverse’s new game during gamescom 2023 and take a closer look at the world of New Eridu.
Keep in mind that this is not the final version of the game, but rather a current beta version. Therefore, certain details may still change before Zenless Zone Zero is released.
Here you can see a trailer for Zenless Zone Zero:
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The makers of Genshin Impact show their new action RPG Zenless Zone Zero in the trailer
Colorful characters are ready as fighters
I was able to take a closer look at three different game modes of Zenless Zone Zero: Story, City Exploration, and Challenge.
In Story mode, I play through the tutorial, while in City Exploration, I get to know the surroundings and the residents of New Eridu better.
However, I had the most fun during my short gaming session with the Challenge mode of Zenless Zone Zero.
At the beginning, I assemble a team. I have access to all 12 characters for the test, which are already presented on the official website and each have different melee and ranged weapons.
In addition to a cyborg who wildly shoots with pistols, there is also a cool fox lady with a flying spirit companion, as well as a bear with a rocket launcher – I like the selection of some quirky characters that emphasize “coolness” even more than the previous games.
Unlike Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, I have only three characters in my team instead of four, between which I can quickly switch during battles.
After I have chosen my fighters from the colorful roster, I am already facing an Ethereal.
Devastating special attacks and good timing
In Genshin Impact, the focus in battles is primarily on exploiting the weaknesses of enemies using the various elements and triggering certain elemental reactions to deal significant damage.
In Zenless Zone Zero, this is different. The focus is more on action-packed gameplay, where you execute your attacks and combos quickly until the buttons smoke.
In doing so, I try to fill the stagger bar of the opponent until he is “stunned”, meaning temporarily incapacitated, allowing me to deal even greater damage.
In addition, timing is everything in battles. You need to dodge at the right moment when the opponent is about to deliver a heavy blow with his massive axe to then start a counter-attack.
Furthermore, by correctly timing the switching of characters, you perform a so-called “Switch Attack”, where you switch between team members based on a prompt to execute a devastating combo.
If you want to see combat gameplay, check out the trailer here and jump to 3:40. You will get a glimpse.
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New Gameplay Showcase by Zenless Zone Zero – gamescom 2023
Similar to the characters in Genshin Impact, the characters in Zenless Zone Zero have a special and an ultimate attack, with the latter, as usual, presented in a cool animation.
During the battle, you will see the so-called “Decibel Rating” on the left side of the screen, which evaluates the combat skills live and summarizes them into a final result at the end. This motivates me to surpass my own record next time.
Once you understand how the combat mechanics work, every successful dodge-counter and switch attack feels immensely rewarding, and you get into a fun flow where you stylishly take down the enemy.
While the difficulty is challenging enough not to bore old action veterans, it is also easy enough that newcomers do not get completely frustrated and can quickly get into the game.
Zenless Zone Zero as a cool action alternative to Genshin Impact
In addition to the action, Zenless Zone Zero also offers an exciting new world with various activities such as mini-games and quests, just waiting to be explored and fulfilled by me.
I haven’t seen much of the story yet, but the little I experienced during gameplay was enough to pique my interest.
Above all, the combat system has convinced me that Zenless Zone Zero will be a new game from HoYoverse that offers plenty of action for both newcomers and fans of the genre.
So if you want to think less about which elements combine well and are more excited about quickly hitting the keys and rewarding combos, you should definitely keep an eye on Zenless Zone Zero.
If you are a Genshin Impact fan considering starting with Honkai: Star Rail, you can find a detailed opinion article about the game here:
MeinMMO-Tiefling Cortyn is dissatisfied with the end of Baldur’s Gate 3. Because there, the game forgets everything it did so well before.
Before I start with the criticism, I want to emphasize once again how much fun Baldur’s Gate 3 gave me for most of the game. Especially the first two acts were absolutely outstanding and among the best I have seen in gaming so far. These are beautiful, exciting stories and moments that I won’t forget anytime soon.
Nevertheless, I have to talk about the last two hours of the game here. Because Baldur’s Gate 3 not only deviates from its previously established core principles, but in many cases also becomes ruthlessly illogical and ignores its own backstory. And I’m not even talking about the fact that the biggest decision in the game is a lie.
Spoiler Warning: This article discusses several possible endings of Baldur’s Gate 3 and contains significant spoilers. You have been warned.
My Tiefling at the peak of her power.
As I have already reported, I played my main save together with a friend, who constantly forced me into good decisions. With clearly over 120 hours of pure gameplay, we spent a long time in Baldur’s Gate 3 and experienced a lot. But in the last hours of play, we were both appalled.
Unlike the rest of the game, the ending is determined by the person who “owns” the save. Previously, the co-player could also make decisions actively when approaching an NPC first. In the end, this was no longer the case.
Therefore, we decided to play the ending twice: once with my decisions and once with my co-player’s decisions.
The Evil Ending – 15-Second Scene with Fade to Black
At the end of the game, you need a mind flayer. This is a serious decision – because the transformation is permanent. Since I had generally made “evil” choices, I thought to myself: Okay, now I will go through with it and try my master plan. I make Karlach turn into a mind flayer. She is even extremely happy because she believes that she can live longer because her hell machine will no longer affect her so strongly as a mind flayer.
In doing so, Karlach completely ignores that the transformation erases her soul – but more on that later.
The big moment has come. Karlach is ready to destroy the Absolute, and the narrator presents me with a final choice: Do I let Karlach destroy the Absolute? Or do I betray Karlach at the last moment and take the power of a godlike being for myself?
The last choice in the game.
5 seconds later, Karlach has a dagger first in her back and then multiple times in her stomach.
I had to grin sardonically. After 120 hours of gameplay, the “evil” ending is now coming. My Tiefling takes control and orders the Absolute to spread its control over all beings. A quick cut. My Cortyn sits on a throne, looks grimly into the camera, and says “In my name.”
End.
This entire scene, including the murder of Karlach, took less than 30 seconds.
The spectacular, evil ending that I had hoped for so long is literally just my character sitting on a throne and looking evil into the camera before the screen turns black.
A seat for eternity – which unfortunately only lasts 15 seconds.
As the credits roll, we sit in silence on Discord for a while. After a few minutes, I then hear doubtfully from my co-player: “That was a bit tight, wasn’t it?”
There is no “after credits” scene. The game returns to the main menu.
I felt empty. I know “unsatisfying endings” all too well since Mass Effect 3, but this was on a whole other level. The short scene felt as if someone had quickly snuck it into the game two hours before the release just to have an evil version.
The “good ending” is also ridiculous
As agreed earlier, we then played the last 2 hours with the “good decisions”. And honestly, this is even more ridiculous than the bad ending, because suddenly all characters act as if they just escaped from kindergarten.
We tell the Emperor that none of us wants to become a mind flayer. Instead, we want to free the imprisoned Orpheus and fight against the Absolute with him.
The Emperor, who has supported us for over 120 hours and whose only goal so far has been to stand against the Absolute, acts like a petulant child as if someone had just taken away his sandcastle mold. He runs away and joins the Absolute – just like that. After the Absolute had been the all-encompassing, evil enemy throughout the entire game, he suddenly turns on a dime. It gets even crazier when you find out in the story that the Emperor was Balduran – the founder of Baldur’s Gate.
Okay, that was already “wild.” But it got even worse.
The prince Orpheus is freed and he also starts complaining: Yes, actually he wouldn’t even talk to infected people like us. Such scum as mind flayers or people with tadpoles in their heads shouldn’t even come close to him. We are the most disgusting thing in the world, absolute vermin.
We also tell Orpheus that none of us wants to turn into a mind flayer.
And since Orpheus also seems to be a cosmic being of principles – he simply transforms himself into a mind flayer.
This was one of the few moments when I had to say “Lol” loudly in Discord because I wanted to laugh, but I just couldn’t.
After Orpheus first insulted us, he transforms himself into a mind flayer without batting an eye – without even explaining whether he himself is infected with a tadpole (which, to be honest, would make very little sense). He just does it – because plot.
Again the final battle. This time we let Orpheus do his thing as a mind flayer – the Absolute is killed.
There is no good ending for Karlach. Exists in the game data, but was cut.
Instead of the 30-second sequence like in the “evil ending”, here there is a whole lot more. All companions appear again and have something to say. Gale wants to go look for an artifact to become a god himself, Shadowheart says some shadowy things, and Karlach bursts into flames and turns to ashes because her “good ending” is not included in the game (which is a scandal for another article).
However, a lot of things are wrong. Because all companions talk to me as if I had turned into a mind flayer. They talk about how my tentacles suit me and that it wouldn’t be so bad. Meanwhile, my Tiefling hasn’t turned into a mind flayer in this ending, and even her “half transformation” from the end of Act 2 has inexplicably disappeared.
My companions think I’m a mind flayer. I didn’t make my Cortyn that ugly.
The entire scene lasts about 10 minutes. After the credits, there is a final scene with Lazarus.
Two endings, but only one is “correct”
I want to be gracious. That my companions address me as a mind flayer at the end is probably a bug that will be fixed soon. I can overlook that.
But not other things.
The “good” ending is well-developed. It has different variables, such as what we did with our companions throughout the story. Here there are numerous different scenes with small differences, and even if I have only seen a few, I must say: At least the ending sequence is overall quite consistent.
But to just dismiss the “evil ending” with a 15-second sequence is an outrage.
For a large part of the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives me the freedom in my choices. I can be “good” and save as many as possible, or I can be “evil”, scheming and reaching for absolute power (or the power of the Absolute – however you want to see it).
But at the very end, the game clearly tells me: If you act evil, you won’t get a “correct” ending. If you want the “correct” ending, then you have to be “good”.
And that’s really unfortunate.
Baldur’s Gate 3 ignores its own story
What is perhaps the worst criticism for me is the fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 simply throws its own established story out of the window at the end. Because one of the most important aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that mind flayers have no souls. When a mortal being is infected with a tadpole and then transforms into a mind flayer, the soul is completely extinguished. Because mind flayers have no soul, this is emphasized and reiterated several times in the game.
In both examples, neither Karlach nor Orpheus (and through the address bug also my character) is really “themselves” – they have become mind flayers, their souls have been erased. What still exists is merely a soulless mind flayer who possesses the memories of the former host.
Karlach – without a soul. But everyone seems to have forgotten that.
However, this is completely ignored by the companions. It’s as if they forgot that the soul is extinguished during the transformation. It’s as if they simply overlooked this important, critical story point.
That this is not an “oversight” and that the disappearance of the soul was intended until the end is also shown in the scene after the credits. There, we see Lazarus before an image of the Dead Three, asking if they really thought that this “massive disappearance of souls” would escape the notice of other gods.
I could go on for a long time about the ending. About missing quests that prevent a “good ending” from companions. About the last 2 hours of gameplay, in which Baldur’s Gate 3 has hardly any freedom left, but strictly steers everything towards the same result. About how the bugs have become even worse at the end.
But I actually don’t want to, because I’m just one thing: sad.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has entertained me so well for over 120 hours that I will keep it in memory forever. But the last 2 hours and the ending are a total disappointment. Here, the developers need to fix numerous errors and also refine the logic of the story being told.
My hope is that in 2 years there will be a “Definitive Edition” that will bring a functional, well-thought-out ending.
Because even if I want to start Baldur’s Gate 3 again in “Tactician” mode in the next few days – I don’t want to play the ending again anytime soon. That just hurt too much.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
It’s always frustrating when players cheat in online games, but in the surprise hit Dark and Darker, everyone is losing their progress because of this.
What kind of game is this? Dark and Darker (PC) is a dungeon crawler with a PvP focus, developed by the Korean indie studio Ironmace, and set in a medieval fantasy setting.
The gameplay of Dark and Darker resembles extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov – only without the shooting. Within a match, you fight in teams of three for loot. If you die in a running round, you lose your spoils.
In addition to magic and sorcery, you can use swords and shields as well as ranged weapons like a crossbow to gain the upper hand in the battle for your loot.
Meanwhile, the dungeon crawler is playable again and launched on August 7, 2023, in Early Access – but still not on Steam. Now the popular title resets the progress of all players for the first time.
If you want a clearer idea of Dark and Darker, we are embedding the gameplay teaser here:
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Dark and Darker: Gameplay Teaser
Dark and Darker erases progress due to unfair players
What is the biggest nightmare for MMORPG fans? Dark and Darker resets the entire progress of all players.
As Ironmace revealed on the official Discord server of Dark and Darker, the popular dungeon crawler has struggled with cheaters (“exploiters”) in recent weeks, prompting the developers to carry out the first so-called “wipe” of the game.
During the wipe, the entire progress of all players was reset – all character levels, items, collected gold, and skills.
All character levels, items, gold, and skills were reset. This first wipe occurred much earlier than expected, as we faced challenges from exploiters. We learned from this experience and updated the game and our services to be more robust against these attackers. We hope to have more time between early access wipes in the future and to better inform you.
Why is this a nightmare for MMORPG fans? For MMORPG players, a rollback is pretty much the worst that can happen. They lose all the progress, the hard-earned loot, and the levels they worked hard for. Many hours of gameplay are gone, and everyone has to start over.
For players of the extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov, with which Dark and Darker shares some gameplay similarities, the regularly occurring wipe is, on the other hand, a moment of joy. For them, the wipe is an occasion to return to the game. It brings back the interest and motivates them to grind again.
Especially the veterans among you might remember the name Kungen. The Swede is the most well-known player from “back in the day.” Now, with the new hardcore servers of WoW Classic, the experienced warrior is playing WoW again and is live on Twitch.
Who is the player?
Thomas Bengtsson “Kungen” (translated: “the king”) Amèdèo was considered the best warrior in the world during Vanilla and The Burning Crusade. Blizzard even brought a card to the collectible card game in his honor.
Currently (as of August 29), Kungen is playing his Tauren warrior at level 37 – almost like back then. However, how long he will remain active is uncertain. Already with the launch of WotLK Classic, Kungen wanted to return, but he disappeared again a few days later.
It is stated on his channel that he currently has no other source of income than Twitch. This suggests that he might be taking it more seriously this time. However, Kungen has previously talked about serious health issues that could interfere with a “stable life and stream”.
However, it is possible that the challenge of the hardcore servers is exactly what Kungen needs. Because these are significantly harder than the already somewhat tedious WoW Classic.
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WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!
Hardcore servers excite fans, offer a unique challenge
If your character dies on a hardcore server, you can no longer resurrect them. They are permanently dead, so you only have a single life.
This challenge has been self-imposed by many fans before. Meanwhile, the servers are officially set up for this. There are even real duels to the death, rooted in the lore as Mak’gora.
The thrill of hardcore characters has already been immensely popular in action RPGs like Diablo and is now finding its way as part of WoW. The developers even want to take it a step further and introduce a mode that makes hardcore even harder:
About three years ago, JAW DROP announced the cooperative online survival game Deathground, and this week they released a gameplay trailer with new information for you. The primary inspiration for the game seems to be Jurassic Park. However, the horror aspect could clearly be inspired by Alien Isolation.
What is it about? Deathground is a survival co-op game that will be available on Steam, where you fight for your survival against deadly AI dinosaurs. In the co-op mode, you will team up with three other players on a mission to reach the “Deathground,” where you can find high-quality loot.
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Deathground Trailer
On your mission, you will encounter dangerous dinosaurs that will make it quite challenging for you with their artificial intelligence. Similar to Alien Isolation, the behavior of the creatures will be not very predictable. The dinosaurs will not only search your hiding places or pick up your scent to track you down, but they will also hunt you in packs.
The reactions to the trailer are mostly positive on Youtube. For example, bluej5033 writes that “he has been following the game for a long time and can’t wait to play it.” Many users share this opinion, but also hope for improvements in performance by the release.
Especially the characters and dinosaurs still move in a very robotic manner in the trailer. Players hope that the movements and animations will be revised and become smoother overall.
When will it be released? The developers have not yet announced a specific release date. The game will be available on Steam, where you can already add it to your wishlist.
If you are already excited for some dinosaur action, check this out:
In League of Legends, most people are focused on winning, which is why many currently popular champions tend to have a solid win rate. However, on the top lane, the situation looks a bit different at the moment. There are 3 champions that are very popular, but actually lose the majority of their games.
Which champions are they? The 3 champions are classic top laners: Aatrox, Darius, and Renekton. All three have a win rate of under 50% when looking at the statistics of all ranks, according to U.GG. (As of: 29.08.2023)
This means they have a negative win rate and lose most of their matches. The ban rate of Darius and Aatrox is also particularly notable. Although they are not strong, it seems that no one wants to play against them.
If a champion is in a balanced state, he would have a win rate of around 50%. If a champion wins many of his matches, the win rate goes over 50%. However, it must also be noted that the pick rate is relevant in determining how strong a champion is.
If a champion is hardly played but wins most matches, he is not necessarily strong; the players who play these champions are just really good.
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Naafiri: The Hound of a Hundred Bites -Gameplay Trailer for League of Legends
Despite their negative win rate, they are played
Why are the 3 currently not so good? Many factors are relevant in this context, but a few assumptions can be made. Looking at U.GG at the counters of the 3 champions, there are champions like Malphite, Illaoi, Garen, and the newest champion Naafiri. These champions are currently strong, are often picked, and counter Renekton, Darius, and Aatrox.
At the same time, the items of the champions are currently not that strong. Especially Goredrinker, Bruiser items, and lethality builds that focus on healing. Goredrinker is expected to be buffed in the next patch, as the released patch notes for 13.17 from RiotPhroxzon show on Twitter.
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For Aatrox, the passive and W ability will change in the next patch, allowing him to deal magical damage. This could also change his build and preferred items. Naafiri, who is currently a major threat on the top lane, will receive a few nerfs.
Why are these champions still played? All 3 champions are simply very popular champions that are fun to play due to their mechanics. Renekton and Darius are also generally very popular champions that usually have a loyal player base.
From Thursday, we will be able to see whether the patch notes for 13.17 and especially the buffs to Goredrinker can change the win rate or even the pick rate of Renekton, Aatrox, and Darius.
What do you think about the three champs? Do you want to see them more often, or like many players, have you no desire to play against them? Unlike the 3 top laners, there are also some champs that many players may have never seen:
In Pokémon GO players are reporting new bans due to an exploit that netted some trainers a lot of XL candies. What was going on?
The exploit is related to the new routes feature. Players could utilize the routes through an exploit to get a lot of XL candies for their buddy Pokémon.
Partly, as players report in the subreddit TheSilphRoad regarding Pokémon GO, trainers were able to grab thousands of candies that were not intended to be available.
What is Niantic doing now? Apparently, initial bans are now being issued to players who exploited the system and hoarded XL candies. User milotic03 shared relevant screenshots in the subreddit, reporting bans that can range from 30 to 230 days.
Additionally, further exploitation of the exploit could lead to permanent bans.
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How the community is reacting: Generally, players are reacting positively in the comments about the bans, as hoarding XL candies is a significant advantage when leveling Pokémon for PvP, for instance. Especially for rare monsters, it is very challenging to obtain the necessary candies for a high level in the Master League.
At the same time, the exploit with the routes joins a series of problems that players have with the feature. Some emphasize in the comments that they do not find any routes at all, while others apparently exploit them in unintended ways:
I haven’t even found a route, and I live in a city with almost a million inhabitants, writes user toki_goes_to_jupiter (via reddit).
Jesus, people are already exploiting routes and the only one I’ve found nearby goes straight through a house of a little kid, comments user AlternatieNet8931 (via reddit).
Overall, some users are reporting that they still see problems with the routes – aside from the exploit that brings in XL candies. Developer Niantic seems to at least have this on their radar now and is taking action against cheaters.
What do you think of the routes so far? Let us know in the comments!
A user constantly experiences crashes with their PC games. After 2 years, he finally opens his PC and realizes he should have done it much earlier.
A player reports that his games keep crashing. In another post, he explains that he hadn’t opened his PC for years and just decided to do it now.
To illustrate, he posts a picture showing the entire “horror” inside his PC. Many community members are somewhat astonished at how a PC can look like that.
Start video
Manufacturer shows sleek case, gamers are thrilled: “Great design! Goes directly onto my wishlist”
Gaming PC is completely dirty, even though it was on the table
How can the PC be so dirty? The community initially speculated that the heavy dirtiness must be because the owner had his PC standing on a carpet or similar surface. However, he explained that his PC had been on the table the entire time.
He mentioned that he had regularly cleaned the room itself, but he had never thought to clean the corner of his PC.
Why should you clean your computer regularly? Dirt and dust clog airflow paths or your fans. This causes some components or parts to fail to dissipate heat properly, leading to overheating.
The processor and graphics card then throttle performance to cope with the heat or shut down in emergencies to protect components. Your PC will become slower as a result.
By the way, pollution can never be entirely avoided. Particles enter the house through ventilation, and furniture and clothing also shed small particles. Human skin sheds skin flakes and hair, which also contribute to dust formation. With a good dust filter or case, you can at least reduce pollution.
The games are poorly optimized and aren’t compatible with your hardware.
Your graphics card drivers are hopelessly outdated and can cause the game to crash.
You have issues with temperatures in your computer that also affect performance.
Hardware defects can also lead to crashes.
What can I do about it? In the best case, first check on Reddit or Steam if other players are reporting similar issues when your game crashes. If it indeed seems to be a game issue, then you’ll need to wait for a patch or lower your graphics settings. This can often work wonders.
However, if you are the only person experiencing problems, you should check your drivers and your hardware. Perhaps your hardware is overheating or a component is damaged or even broken.
When checking your graphics card, keep an eye out for the following signs that could indicate a defect:
Shadowheart is one of the companions that can accompany us on our journey in Baldur’s Gate 3. A player hired the voice actress behind the cleric to make an important confession to his wife.
What is behind the confession? The player confessed to his wife that he cheated on her. To convey this to her, he hired Jennifer English through cameo.com. She is the voice actress of Shadowheart. She explains to the betrayed woman in a video message who he cheated on her with.
The player cheated on Jennifer English. So not with her as a person, but with the character she voices in Baldur’s Gate 3. He wanted to jokingly inform his wife that he has been dating Shadowheart in the game.
To ensure that his wife doesn’t get a shock and understands it as a joke, English makes it clear from the beginning that it is about a fictional character in a fictional world.
She explains that she has had “many lovers” recently and that the mentioned husband was one of them. This likely refers to the numerous players who chose to have a romance with Shadowheart.
Don’t feel like playing your own character anymore? Then check out the following MeinMMO video:
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: Reset Character and Choose New Class
Husband Makes Public Confession
In a separate article, the author explains himself and how the romance came about (via dotesports.com). However, he publishes the article anonymously, as his name should not be found through search engines in connection with “cheating”.
This would make his father-in-law extremely angry, as he might not understand the joke.
The husband describes how he included Shadowheart in the team, had deep conversations with her, and then it led to their first kiss. He poetically explains how he ended up having a fling with Shadowheart. The player is a traveler, and Shadowheart’s sleeping bag is the destination of the journey.
However, by the end of his article, he apologizes to his wife:
My beloved wife, I am at a loss for words to apologize. I don’t know how I can make it up to you. So I turned to Shadowheart herself, hoping that she, as a woman, would be able to empathize with the situation.
Therefore, he hired Shadowheart, who – contrary to his expectations – shows no remorse in her video message.
By the way: If you are also interested in a video message, you can look for other voice actors on the respective page. For example, we found the voice actors of Astarion, Karlach, and Lae’zel.
How did the story end? The player swears that he will not touch Shadowheart anymore. He has started a second playthrough and does not want to start a romance with Shadowheart. But this time he has fallen for Tiefling Karlach, who is hiding in Act 1.
There are even more companions with whom we can have romances and with whom we can have sex. But the characters can not only be dated, they are also useful companions for battles in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Currently, the Strategy Festival is running on Steam, where you can find many different games from the strategy and tactics genres. One of them is XCOM 2 by Firaxis Games. Although MeinMMO author Niko Hernes sees himself as a Tactics Noob, the game has kept him engaged for over 100 hours.
What kind of game is XCOM 2? XCOM 2 is a strategy game focused on turn-based tactics. In combat, you control soldiers across various randomly generated maps and must complete missions there. You fight against aliens with various abilities and must try as best as you can to survive with your troops and finish the mission.
If a soldier dies in the field, you lose him forever. Whether he was a new recruit or an important pillar of your team doesn’t matter, but it certainly increases frustration, which is why rushing in and shooting isn’t always the right way to go.
In your base outside of missions, you can improve your units, research and develop new weapons to make your team better and refine your strategy. The main game offers you 5 classes that you can specialize in their skill trees.
I personally am a strategy and tactics noob, but I still dared to tackle XCOM 2. After a few initial missions, I thought I was doing okay, and my units were getting better. This made me more confident in missions, but also more reckless.
Then I rushed into a mission with my best squad to casually save some civilians. But suddenly, the nice hostages turned into drooling aliens and wiped out my entire squad.
My beloved soldiers, whom I had grown attached to over hours, were suddenly gone, and I was practically back to square one. That may sound frustrating at first, but I was still hooked and fascinated because, after all, it was partly my fault.
That’s the allure of XCOM. You can become very strong, but if you make mistakes and are also unlucky with shooting, you lose powerful units. Anyone who has low frustration tolerance should be careful with this game. But for those who thrive on this challenge, XCOM 2 offers a tactics masterpiece.
If the main game isn’t enough for you, there is also a comprehensive add-on in the form of “War of the Chosen” and an active modding community that can probably offer hundreds more hours of fun.
How much does XCOM 2 cost currently? On Steam, you can get the main game for €4.99 until September 4, 2023. If you want to start with all the content right away, you can get the XCOM 2 Collection with all DLCs for €11.76. For the playtime you get, both offers are a real bargain.
Many games today also rely on a turn-based tactic system, including Cantata:
The next expansion of World of Warcraft revolves around pirates. At least that is what analyst Bellular believes and lists evidence for his theory.
World of Warcraft Dragonflight is still ongoing, but there are already numerous ideas and theories about how Blizzard’s MMORPG could continue afterward. Theories and analyses are circulating all over the internet, and analyst Bellular has already come up with some quite convincing ideas that we want to briefly introduce to you here.
Who is Bellular? YouTuber Bellular has been dealing with the story and the general development at Blizzard for many years. In his videos, he continually revisits small story snippets and connects them with the bigger picture of the Warcraft story.
In doing so, Bellular often extends the story and points out clues and details that likely indicate the future of World of Warcraft.
In one of his most recent videos, he explains quite confidently that Blizzard has three possible paths open for the next expansion, and the most likely one is: The South Seas expansion that fans have been wanting for many years.
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The South Seas is, as the name suggests, the southern sea in the world of Warcraft, thematically located somewhere between Pandaria, the Maelstrom, and the Eastern Kingdoms. This area is primarily populated by pirates and the infamous “Plunder Isle,” a pirate stronghold held by the Bloodsail Buccaneers and other pirate factions.
Not much is known about this island so far, aside from the fact that it was once available as a map in Warcraft III.
What supports Bellular’s theory?
Bellular has gathered a lot of evidence. One of the biggest story clues is the implementation of the “Nightsquall” in patch 10.0.5. In one book, this mysterious night elf pirate is mentioned, who is trying to unite all pirates under one banner.
According to his recruitment posters, the Nightsquall is the only living being that has ever been to the “other side” of Azeroth and returned from there. Because we already know that there is another large continent that is presumably called “Avaloren” – which the Titans have hidden from us.
Additionally, one of the latest mounts for a long subscription to WoW is a special fish that increases riding speed in water. It has become a tradition in WoW that before the announcement of a new expansion, mounts are added to the shop whose models later also appear in the new expansion – this was already the case with Shadowlands, for example.
What’s in the South Seas addon?
Bellular assumes that the next expansion will focus on the South Seas and will also bring some revisions in the old world – such as the retaking of Gilneas, the resettlement of Lordaeron, and of course pirate islands and an underwater area, presumably to advance the Naga storyline.
Whether the next addon will already include Avaloren is something Bellular is not so sure about. He believes it is likely that the “South Seas expansion” explains more how we get to Avaloren – by following the Nightsquall and discovering what path he has found and what secrets may lurk in Avaloren.
Whether Bellular is right with his theory, we will probably find out in two months at the latest. Because at the beginning of November 2023, BlizzCon will take place and then Chris Metzen is likely to officially unveil the next World of Warcraft expansion.
Already in the first act of Baldur’s Gate 3 there are some profound decisions to be made that will significantly influence your gameplay. While some are actively presented to you, you’ll probably encounter others more incidentally. In this article, we present the five most important decisions and their consequences.
A word in advance: This article contains mild spoiler potential. We try to avoid major plot points, but we would like to make you aware that it is not entirely without spoilers, as we lay out the fundamental points of each decision.
[toc]
1. Who to take along, who to leave behind?
In the tutorial area, you cannot avoid letting Lae’zel fight by your side. The Gith almost insists on being with you – who would say no to such persuasion in a blade.
You can also already free Shadowheart on the Nautiloid. However, once it is downed and you can freely move around the crash site, the decision is up to you: Who lives, who dies, who writes history (with you)?
Lae’zel, Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Karlach, and Wyll are the six possible companions in Act 1. Their stories are also closely intertwined with the main story. Taking them along or leaving them behind can have significant impacts on the further course of the game.
Whether Gale accompanies you depends on whether you want it. However, it also depends on a successful or unsuccessful check.
Once you enter the Emerald Grove for the first time, it quickly becomes clear that with the Druids, unfortunately, it’s not about tree cuddling and dancing happily in circles. The situation is actually quite tense: A goblin horde threatens the peaceful gathering.
The deputy leader of the Druids, Kagha, has ordered to shield the grove from the outside world and wants to get rid of a group of Tiefling refugees first.
The refugees have barely made it back from one of the hells to the material plane. They are naturally hoping for protection and safe passage.
Zevlor, the leader of the Tieflings, does not want to leave the grove. At least not until the threat from the goblins is lifted. Without this, he and his people would not be averse to departing for Baldur’s Gate.
Your decision has far-reaching consequences: The Tieflings can appear later in the story, one of their smiths is more or less essential for Karlach’s story, and you could miss out on important items and information – depending on how you decide.
When you enter the goblin camp – whether in a good or evil run – you meet Priestess Gutt. She is one of the three leaders of the camp. Her task is to teach the newcomers in the ranks of the Absolute and to brand them with the Mark of the Absolute.
If you haven’t broken in with sheer violence, you can speak to her. If she recognizes you as a “true soul” aka bearer of a mind flayer parasite, she will offer you the mark.
Whether to accept it or not has various advantages and disadvantages:
Throughout the game, you will repeatedly deal with the cultists. If you have the mark, infiltrating their ranks becomes easier and their followers can be deceived by you. Additionally, there are some powerful items that you can only use with the mark.
On the other hand, the fact remains that Gutt brands your character with the mark. It cannot be removed throughout the entire game, which leads to certain NPCs treating you with distrust from the start. Whether the items bound to the mark are worth this sacrifice is something to consider.
Lae’zel insists from the beginning on visiting the cradle. She hopes for support from there and a safe way to remove the parasites.
You can find the Gith cradle on the mountain pass that you can enter west of Waukeen’s Rest. The area is more difficult than the alternative, the Underdark. The game even displays a warning if your level is not high enough. Therefore, it seems like a good idea to take the path underground.
On top of that, the Gith are anything but friendly – as they make clear during a first encounter at the bridge to the mountain pass.
All in all, it’s not a bad decision to skip the cradle. However, we can recommend that after an extensive excursion with a level-up in the Underdark, you still venture into the mountains: The cradle is important for Lae’zel’s story and feeds you a lot of information about the main story.
You do not have to visit the Gith cradle. However, it is worth it.
5. Save the Emerald Grove or destroy it?
One of the most important, if not the most important decision in Act 1 is whether you save the Emerald Grove or destroy it with the goblins.
Your decision has far-reaching consequences and largely determines whether you have a “evil” or “good” run ahead of you. It also affects whether you can recruit Halsin or Minthara.
This decision also ultimately determines how the refugees will fare, whether you fight against or with the cult of the Absolute, as well as which NPCs will be friends or foes.
For spoiler reasons, we would prefer not to reveal more about this decision at this point. However, we can state that both sides have their advantages, and it may be worth making a different decision on a second run. Baldur’s Gate 3 is an incredibly extensive game that reacts and adapts to each of your decisions. Therefore, it is certainly worth a second, if not even a third or fourth look.
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These were the five most important decisions in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3. How did you decide? Did you visit the Gith cradle? What do you think of Raphael? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers behind Diablo 4 have planned an event for a short time only, during which you can farm more gold and XP. When you can participate and which players are eligible for this bonus, you can find out on MeinMMO.
What kind of event is this? This is a short event called “Mother’s Blessing”, during which players can earn 25% more XP and gold while looting and leveling up.
How long does the event last? The event starts on Friday, September 1st at 7 PM German time and ends on Tuesday, September 5th at 7 PM. So you have 5 days to immerse yourself in the grind and get the most out of Diablo 4. We will now show you for whom the blessing applies and why you should participate.
Don’t forget to explore every cellar in Sanctuary, it could be worth it:
Start video
Diablo 4: That’s why you should check every cellar
More gold and XP for everyone
Who is this blessing for? This blessing applies to all players of Diablo 4. Whether you are out in a season or exploring the eternal realm. Both modes benefit from this bonus.
Why should I participate? If you’ve taken a break and instead played Baldur’s Gate 3, now would be the perfect time to return. Especially if you’ve wanted to try new builds with different classes, but the grind was too exhausting, a return is especially worthwhile now.
However, if you are in the endless realm and your hero still hasn’t reached the maximum level, you can now catch up on the last missing levels.
Coincidentally, this event lasts 5 days and Diablo 4 has a total of 5 classes. So you can level up one hero per day.
How do I make the most of the bonus? To perfectly utilize the bonus, you can stack additional XP bonuses. This way you receive even more experience for your heroes.
It is therefore worthwhile to consume potions and play in a group. Both actions give you a percentage more XP on your journeys.
Are you going to check back into Diablo 4 in line with this Mother’s Holy Blessing? Or are you waiting for Season 2? Let us know in the comments!
At gamescom 2023, the head of Diablo 4, franchise manager Rod Fergusson, was very talkative and shared a lot about the future of the action RPG. You can find out what information he revealed here on MeinMMO.
Especially the large, Xbox-affiliated developer studios were present at gamescom and revealed a lot about their games. The biggest games were Starfield (Bethesda) and Diablo 4 (Activision Blizzard).
Rod Fergusson from Diablo 4 had quite a bit to say. We have already evaluated some of the interviews on MeinMMO:
In this article, we gather further statements that Fergusson has confirmed in interviews with other media. This includes information about leaderboards, new world tiers, MMO content, and when there will be fresh information about Season 2. The interviews have been compiled by wowhead.com.
You can watch the Season 2 trailer for Diablo 4 here:
Start video
Diablo 4 presents new Season 2, coming this fall – Blood & Vampires
Diablo 4: Fergusson Interviews at gamescom
The following information comes from interviews with TVMovie, 4Players, GameStar, and ScreenRant – you can find the four sources at the bottom of the article.
Season 2 is particularly aimed at players who are just starting with Diablo 4
They want to improve interaction with the community and create more transparency
The Blood Knight from Diablo Immortal will not be coming to Diablo 4
There are no plans to introduce a test realm – they prefer to improve communication and the reception of community feedback
The concept of a season is based on two ideas: a strong story and the power-fantasy of the season mechanics
With Season 2, new enemies, uniques, and legendaries will be introduced
The story of Season 2 will revolve around a distant vampire hunter, who gradually warms up
In the first week of October, there will be a “Deep Dive” into Season 2 and the vampiric powers
To play the 5 new bosses of Season 2, players will need to “summon” them or complete certain tasks – they will not just be found in the world
A lot of “Quality of Life” improvements are planned for Season 2
Season 2 compared to Season 1: They aim to always create a new experience, there are no templates for the seasons
The “accessibility” of the content for every type of player is particularly focused on with new content
No more MMO features like raids are planned, but there are no taboo topics – something like that could be possible someday
Currently, Fergusson does not want to share any information about world tier 5
The Eternal Realm should also be enjoyable in the future, but the focus of Diablo 4 is on the seasons
The previous changes should not aim to make the game slower – the intention is actually to create more options for new and different builds
Leaderboards could come in Season 3 – they want to improve balancing first
Fergusson would like to see something completely new in Diablo 4 that still aligns with the familiar mechanics – he mentions the new class Blood Knight in Diablo Immortal as an example
A new class should depend on playstyles that are currently not represented in Diablo 4
These were the further interview statements from Diablo head Rod Fergusson at gamescom 2023. If you have any questions or comments about the individual points, please leave a comment.
Season 2 of Diablo 4 starts on October 17, 2023, and revolves around blood and vampires. However, there will not be a new class yet. When the first new class arrives is still unknown.
