A woman can no longer speak after a stroke. Thanks to AI, she can now hear her own voice again and talk to other people.
Our title image is a symbolic image.
People can lose the ability to speak for various reasons. For example, due to neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or a stroke that damages or paralyzes certain areas of the brain.
Researchers have now helped a paralyzed patient to speak again. They used AI for this. In the eyes of the researchers, this is a significant advancement and, for the patient, an emotional journey, as she can finally hear her own voice again.
A stroke prevents speaking
A patient had a stroke just over 10 years ago and has been unable to speak since then. For many, it is emotionally burdensome when they can no longer talk to family, friends, and acquaintances.
At the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), under the direction of neurosurgeon Edward Chang, a technique called electrocorticography (ECoG) was used, which allows for recording signals from the surface of the brain without having to insert electrodes into the brain.
The electrical signals of the brain that are responsible for movements of the jaw, mouth, and tongue were extracted. These signals are normally responsible for speaking. Chang’s team then developed an AI system that could accurately and quickly translate these signals into speech, achieving a rate of 78 words per minute with a vocabulary of 1000 words and an error rate of 25.5%.
In the next step, the text was converted back into speech. For this, they used an old wedding video of the patient to mimic her voice.
Using a clip from her wedding video, we were able to decipher these sounds into a voice that sounded just like the patient’s before the stroke.
Sean Metzger, a member of Edward Chang’s team.
Thus, the text that the paralyzed patient wanted to speak was reproduced in her own voice.
Thanks to digital avatar, the patient can also move her face again
What happened next? The team wanted to return the ability to communicate with facial movements to the patient. To do this, they created a “personalized avatar”: this digital face moved in response to the brain signals with which the patient would have moved before her stroke.
The patient herself explained: First of all, the simple fact of hearing a voice that is similar to one’s own is very emotional. The ability to speak out loud is very important.
More about AI and Co: Want to know more about artificial intelligence? Then check out the following articles directly on MeinMMO:
The transition from the first to the second act in Baldur’s Gate 3 shows a distinct change in tone and atmosphere. Lead author Adam Smith explains why this shift is a crucial step for the game. More details on MeinMMO.
Warning Spoiler: Article contains spoilers from Act 1 and Act 2.
What’s going on? The transition from the first to the second act in Baldur’s Gate 3 marked a remarkable change in tone and atmosphere. While the first act is characterized by fairy-tale exploration and playful freedom, the second act leads players into darker and more dangerous realms. Adam Smith, the lead author of the game, explains this shift as an essential step in the narrative structure of the game.
Here you will find 5 helpful tips for your gameplay in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Start video
5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
Act 2 focuses on the interesting, challenges players
What was said? According to Swen Vincke, Act 1 can be seen as a long tutorial for Baldur’s Gate 3. In an interview with GamesRadar, Adam Smith emphasizes that the open tone of the first act allows for experimentation. In the second act, it is about putting players’ skills and learned knowledge to the test as they navigate more dangerous and challenging areas.
Smith further emphasizes:
The systemic and emergent things that one learned at this point are needed in Act 2 to stay alive, while the first act is much more playful. It’s an adventure, right? The beginning of an adventure is much freer. One discovers what their role is and what one can do. And then, in the second act, the intensity of the drama increases. The interesting part.
Adam Smith
In the second act, the increase in threats and the focus on the central antagonist becomes evident. This gives the plot a clear direction and challenges players to recognize their identity in the game and make decisions in a more demanding and darker area.
The transition between the acts may have been perceived as abrupt by some players, but Smith explains that this was done intentionally to challenge players and immerse them deeper into the story. While the first act offers a variety of possibilities and discoveries, the second act directs attention to the goal of the game – Baldur’s Gate.
Smith emphasizes the necessity for players to experience the entirety of the game rather than just checking off parts of it. The second act may have a stronger focus on the main storyline, but it still offers plenty of space for exploration and discoveries, all pointing towards the goal.
In summary: Ultimately, the changes between Act 1 and Act 2 may initially reflect some irritation, but they reflect the development of player identity and the shift in narrative focal points.
The game strives to be more than just a fantasy adventure – it is a journey in which what was acquired in the first act is put to the test in the second act. This journey becomes a dynamic process that continuously challenges players and elevates their gaming experience to a higher level.
Lazarus in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a great secret. For he is one of the most important characters in the entire universe of Dungeons & Dragons.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of various characters and many of them are surrounded by a certain myth. But hardly any character is as peculiar as Lazarus (“Withers”), whom you can recruit to your camp early on. But who is he really?
Spoiler Warning: As expected, this is about a secret of Baldur’s Gate 3. If you don’t want to be spoiled, you should not continue reading.
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Baldur’s Gate 3: Reset Character and Choose New Class
Who is Lazarus? You first encounter Lazarus shortly after your crash with the nautiloid. To the north, there are ruins where you can retrieve this figure from a grave.
Lazarus then goes directly to your camp and accompanies you for the rest of the game. His “Gameplay Function” is quite important. He can not only reset your character, allowing you to learn new classes and abilities, but he can also bring characters back from the dead and equip you with strange mercenaries if you have killed or spurned too many of the “right” companions.
You can neither kill nor hurt Lazarus – and he doesn’t hold it against you if you try. He laughs, praises your efforts, and even makes permanent remarks if you have not found a partner in the game after some time.
Lazarus is thus not only immortal but also has extreme power over death.
But who is Lazarus actually? Is he just a gameplay mechanic or is there more to it?
Characters like Orin serve Bhaal – who rose to power only because Jergal allowed it.
Lazarus – An Old God Who Intervenes
By now, many players are sure that Lazarus is one of the most important characters in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons – namely the God of Death, Jergal.
At the time of Baldur’s Gate 3, Jergal is worshipped by only a few followers, and his temples have become rare. However, you can find such a temple in the ruins just north of the nautiloid’s crash site. If you succeed in a religion roll upon entering the ruins, your character (or one of your companions) will point out that this appears to be a temple of Jergal.
Another clue comes much later in the game, namely in Act 2. There, you can find a diary in which a wanderer describes his encounter with Jergal. According to the book, Jergal was “masked in gold, his skin fine and worn like parchment.” He asked a question: “How much is the life of a single mortal worth?”
This is almost the same question that Lazarus poses to the character who opens his sarcophagus in the ruins.
Additionally, Lazarus refers to himself as a “scribe” – and that is also one of Jergal’s titles: Scribe of Fate.
Jergal is deeply connected with the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3, even if he intervenes very little and is hardly mentioned.
Jergal was once the God of Death himself, but grew weary of his task. He chose three mortal adventurers to be his successors, who would take on his role – Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul.
These three gods are known in the game as the “Dead Three” and they are the driving force behind the antagonists Thorm, Gortasch, and Orin.
This also seems to confirm one of the endings of Baldur’s Gate 3. At the end, Lazarus is seen standing in front of an image of the “Dead Three”. He wonders that the Dead Three really believed that such a “massive destruction of souls” would remain hidden from the other gods.
Even though there will probably never be a final confirmation, all the clues suggest that Lazarus is Jergal.
Next time you get annoyed with Lazarus in camp or want to confront him: Always remember that you are currently pissing off a god.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Digital Extremes, the developers behind the new MMO “Soulframe” have released new material regarding the gameplay. The world looks idyllic, but the combat system strongly resembles well-known games from the Souls genre.
What has been released? Over the weekend, on August 26, 2023, TennoCon 2023 took place. During this event, the 10th anniversary of Warframe was celebrated, and correspondingly, many news regarding the developers’ ongoing projects were revealed. One topic was Soulframe, a new MMO known only from teaser trailers up to now.
Besides the developers, no one really knew in which direction the game was going, but TennoCon provided new insights into the universe, combat system, as well as the graphics and features. One thing can be said – those who love Warframe and Elden Ring will also celebrate Soulframe.
Soulframe is the exact opposite of Warframe
What does the showcase show? The developers revealed a short teaser followed by a long 30-minute showcase. This included, among other things:
Demonstrated battles
Explored the scenery
Cleared a dungeon
Explained mechanics
The short teaser for Soulframe can be found embedded here:
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The dark fantasy experience Soulframe in the trailer
Fact is, the game looks incredibly good and allows one to immerse immediately into the world. The graphics and the design of the environment are idyllic and at first glance resemble those from Elden Ring.
Also, the combat system cannot be compared to Warframe. In Soulframe, it’s not about speed but about tactics. You do not jump around like a space ninja, but observe your enemies, choose a strategy, and then strike skillfully.
In battle, your sword and a special magic bound to your arm will assist you. Depending on which special spirit you have equipped, your magic also changes. In the showcase, the player was able to petrify enemies with a green bird.
Despite this, fans of Warframe will feel at home. The enemies as well as the protagonist strongly resemble the design of Warframe. Moreover, Soulframe also features a camp where you can rest, re-equip, or even change outfits – just like in Warframe with the Liset.
The showcase already provided a great insight into the world of Soulframe, but there is still a long way to go until the release.
What do you think of the first look at Soulframe? Are you excited already or would you rather wait for the release? Let us know!
Last year, Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris (35) caused a stir at gamescom. It seems they wanted to prevent that at gamescom 2023 and preemptively kicked out a Twitch streamer.
Who is this streamer? “LetsHugo” is a 20-year-old streamer from Luxembourg who has been conquering the German Twitch since late 2022. His popularity was evident at gamescom 2023, where numerous fans followed him.
He dropped out of school because streaming was more important to him – The success of LetsHugo
Screaming fans follow streamer
What was the situation like? A clip from Friday, August 25, shows LetsHugo being escorted through a crowd of screaming fans by several men. These are reportedly employees of gamescom. They clear a path for the streamer and lead him to a white shuttle.
Some fans are still screaming and running after the vehicle. This clearly becomes overwhelming for the 20-year-old, as he urges his viewers to “chill out” a bit.
LetsHugo is driven to the exit where he is informed which direction he needs to go to his hotel, and that’s it. “So am I leaving gamescom now?” asks the streamer and receives the reply: “Yes, as agreed.”
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After a brief interruption, LetsHugo continued the stream in his hotel and explained: He was given the choice to retreat to the creator lounge or leave the premises. He had apparently attracted too much attention.
Even though the scenes do not compare to MontanaBlack’s appearance in 2022, which involved violence from fans, it is clear that the organizers have learned from the experience and do not want things to get that far again.
With the massive commotion surrounding influencers, it seems even they are not entirely happy. For instance, MontanaBlack stated that they feel “like monkeys in a zoo” . However, the next day LetsHugo was allowed back to the convention to hold a signing session.
In contrast, things were relatively calm at the original event. MontanaBlack did not mingle with the crowd like the previous year but focused on a pure stage program. Fans could participate in various challenges to win prizes. However, one of these challenges proved to be dangerous: Twitch: MontanaBlack’s gamescom appearance ends with a viewer in the hospital
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Director Tim Burton spoke in a video about criticisms of his Batman films and explained what many did not understand about his portrayal of the character.
Batman (1989) was the first film about the dark knight directed by Tim Burton. In 1992, a sequel Batman Returns followed under the same director, before Joel Schumacher then took the DC hero in a new direction with Batman Forever in 1995.
In a YouTube video, Tim Burton talked about the criticism directed at his two films and explained what many did not understand about the main character.
Here you can see a trailer for Batman Returns starring Michael Keaton:
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English trailer for Batman Returns by Tim Burton
It is intentional that you see so little of Batman
In the video, the director talked about the criticisms he received. Some people complained that the Joker had stolen the show from the main character in the first film.
The second film was criticized according to his statement for how little Batman is seen. Instead, characters like Catwoman and the Penguin were too much in the focus of the story and overshadowed the main character.
Here you can see the video where Tim Burton responds to the criticism. Jump to 7:20:
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In response to these criticisms, Tim Burton said: ‘I always felt that these people, in my opinion, did not understand the role of the character Batman as he is…’
The director further explained the thought process he had in bringing Batman to life in the films and why it was a conscious decision to allow the superhero to act more in the background:
This guy wants to stay as hidden as possible, stay in the shadows, and reveal as little of himself as possible. All these things.
He won’t take up all screen time with big speeches and dancing around in the Batcave. I always felt that it was there in sufficient quantity and the right measure.
Also visible in the teaser: One of the first Pokémon that we will likely see with the new season. The shadow reveals: Bailonda is coming to Pokémon GO.
What kind of Pokémon is Bailonda?
This is Bailonda: Players who chose the water starter Kwaks in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will likely know Bailonda very well. Bailonda is the final evolution of the popular duck.
This is what Bailonda looks like (Image via pokemon.com)
This also aligns with another teaser from Pokémon GO. They already announced that Paldea Pokémon would appear in the new season.
Here you can see the Paldea teaser from Pokémon GO:
Start video
Pokémon from the Paldea region will soon appear in Pokémon GO!
It has also been hinted that the starters from the Paldea region will appear. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if they debut in Pokémon GO next Friday – then the new season would start.
There is also room for speculation, as the design of the season title in the teaser looks quite futuristic. This would fit with some of the paradox Pokémon that are traveling in Paldea.
What is surprising about Paldea: That Pokémon GO is already looking to Paldea is a bit unusual because: In fact, Pokémon GO is still missing monsters from the Galar region. Even popular starters like Hopplo, Chimpep and Memmeon are currently missing in Pokémon GO. However, the jump is first going to the region from Scarlet and Violet.
Are you looking forward to the new season? Let us know in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The race for the ‘World First’ in Hardcore mode of WoW Classic is over. Less than 3 days after the launch, the first player reaches level 60.
A new game mode has just launched in World of Warcraft. In ‘Classic Hardcore’, the characters have only one life – if you die, you stay dead. There are no spirit healers, no soul stones, and no other form of resurrection.
Harsh conditions – but one player mastered them faster than anyone else and achieved level 60 before the third day after the release had passed.
Who made it? The winner of the race is the gnome mage named Vitochie from the American realm Defias Pillager. After 69 hours and 53 minutes, the feat was accomplished, and he reached level 60 as the world’s first character in the throne room of Stormwind – being celebrated by many fans in the process.
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Vitochie has clearly left all other players behind – the next best player had only reached level 57 at the time of Vitochie’s “level 60”.
What has Vitoche played? He decided on a frost specialization for leveling the mage that focuses on AoE. Such a talent choice is standard for mages in WoW Classic, as it allows you to kill large groups of enemies relatively reliably.
However, this specialization is considered too dangerous by most players. Anyone who does not play it flawlessly and makes even one mistake can quickly meet their end. This is not a problem in regular Classic; in the case of WoW Hardcore, it would mean the end of the character.
Generally, “AoE leveling” in the Hardcore variant of WoW is something that very few dare to attempt – especially over so many hours where one must always be fully focused.
Have you checked out WoW Hardcore as well? How far did you get before your character bit the dust?
In WoW Classic, the hardcore servers have launched: If you underestimate a mob here, you die and lose your character. Blizzard now shows where most players have been taken down: 90,000 have already died in the first 24 hours.
After 45 minutes, 700 players had already been taken down, who somehow managed to die in the tutorial area.
After 24 hours, Blizzard took stock: Over 90,000 players had already lost their starting character.
Start video
At the release of WotLK Classic, hundreds of players are squeezing onto a boat and I am right in the middle
Especially humans die in WoW Classic
Who were the most dangerous mobs? As Blizzard reveals, after 24 hours, over 90,000 player characters had taken their last breath.
It’s the little nuisances that have killed the most players: The Kobold Miner and the Murloc Steamrunner are at the top of the kills along with the Wendigo.
The Kobold Miner is a mob in the forest of Elwynn at level 6–7. Many Alliance players probably overestimated themselves and just took the candle.
The Murloc Steamrunner is also found in the forest of Elwynn, at levels 6 and 7. He also proves to be a killer.
Why are so many dying? As a user on WoWhead says, the starting area of the humans is a death zone, the Kobold Mine is like a death trap: It looks like everything is okay when entering the mine, but suddenly dozens of kobolds respawn between the player and the safe exit.
You can die pretty quickly there: Blizzard even warned about such caves from the start (via twitter).
It’s quite stupid if you’re a guild leader and you overestimate yourself:
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Others say: The numbers show that “humans” are probably the most popular starting race on the hardcore servers, but they also showed that many seem to have forgotten how tough WoW Classic is compared to retail.
Everyone must know that you should never enter a cave or a Murloc village unless you are at least 4–8 levels higher than the mobs there.
We already know a reward for the next addon of World of Warcraft. The announcement should follow soon.
Even though the current expansion of World of Warcraft, Dragonflight, is still in full swing and the next patch will be released in just a few days, many are already thinking about the upcoming addon.
Now, initial hints have been discovered in the game data, even though they mostly deal with the “surroundings”. It is clear that Blizzard already has plans to release three different versions of the expansion, which will come with different bonuses.
What has been discovered? The data miners from wowhead have already found 3 “hidden” achievements in the game data. They have suspicious names and refer to a “Base”, “Heroic”, and “Epic” edition – just like we have seen in previous expansions.
The achievements indicate that when purchasing the respective version, there are additional vendor currencies (“Tender”):
Base: 500 vendor currencies
Heroic: 750 vendor currencies
Epic: 1,000 vendor currencies
Vendor currencies can be exchanged at the trading post for transmog items and other cosmetic rewards.
Rewards for purchasing the next addon. Source: wowhead
When will the addon be announced? Although Blizzard has not yet announced a date for the reveal, everything indicates that the next expansion of World of Warcraft will be presented at BlizzCon 2023. This will take place in about 2 months, as BlizzCon is on November 3 and 4. It also suggests that Warcraft legend Chris Metzen seems to have his hands in the next expansion and will likely talk about it during BlizzCon.
The fact that these achievements appear in the game data of patch 10.1.7 Incarnation of Wrath is also a clear hint. This could mean that the next expansion can already be pre-purchased during patch 10.1.7 – and that would likely be around BlizzCon. Even if the release is expected no earlier than late 2024.
Are you already looking forward to the next expansion of World of Warcraft?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the overview, we show you all the Spotlight Hours in August 2023 in Pokémon GO. Here on MeinMMO, you will learn everything about the Pokémon, Shinies, bonuses, and the respective times of the short events.
What are Spotlight Hours? Every Tuesday, Pokémon GO hosts a one-hour short event, highlighting a specific Pokémon. This Pokémon spawns seemingly at every corner in the game.
In August, there will again be 5 of these Spotlight Hours. The respective Pokémon will be accompanied by a special bonus that will be active during the event. We have summarized which ones to expect and when they will take place below.
All dates of the Spotlight Hours in August 2023
When do the Spotlight Hours take place? The Spotlight Hours always run on Tuesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Here are the Pokémon you can catch in the upcoming weeks:
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? For the first Spotlight Hour in August, you can expect the Fire-type Pokémon Vulpix. It comes from the first game generation and can evolve into Ninetales. Additionally, it also has an Alolan form of Ice type. However, this will not be catchable during the Spotlight Hour.
Which bonuses are active? During the one-hour event, you can find wild Vulpix everywhere, and you’ll also earn double XP when you evolve Pokémon.
Is the event worth it? Vulpix and its evolution are not particularly strong in raids and the GO Battle League. Therefore, the event is mainly worthwhile for trainers who want to collect some XP. If you have been wanting to evolve some Pokémon for a while, this event is the perfect time.
Can you catch Shiny Vulpix? Yes, with a bit of luck, you might encounter a shiny specimen. You can recognize it by its golden-yellow appearance.
Spotlight Hour on August 8
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? The second Spotlight Hour in August brings you encounters with the Bug and Grass-type Pokémon Paras from the first generation. It can evolve into Parasect.
Which bonuses are active? During the event, you will receive double the amount of Stardust for each Pokémon you catch.
This means that in combination with the Stardust bonus from the event, you can secure at least 1,000 Stardust per catch during the Spotlight Hour. By using Stardust boost items or optimal weather conditions, this can even increase significantly.
Can you catch Shiny Paras? Yes, Paras has been available as Shiny in the game for a while now. Its body is somewhat darker than normal.
Spotlight Hour on August 15
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? For the third Spotlight Hour, you can encounter the Wild Catch Pokémon Velursi. This Normal and Fighting-type Pokémon from the 7th generation can evolve into Kosturso.
Which bonuses are active? During this Spotlight Hour, you will also be rewarded for catching Pokémon. You will receive double XP.
Is the event worth it? Kosturso is a solid Fighting-type Pokémon but cannot compare to the best attackers in Pokémon GO. And in the GO Battle League, there are better candidates. However, those who are on the way to Level 50 should not miss the XP bonus.
Can you catch Shiny Velursi? Yes! You can recognize the shiny Velursi by its yellow body.
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? For the penultimate Spotlight Hour in August, you can expect Bluzuk. This Pokémon from the first generation belongs to the Bug and Poison types. You can evolve it into Omot.
Which bonuses are active? During the Spotlight Hour, you can not only catch a lot of Bluzuk, but you will also receive double candy for catching Pokémon.
Is the event worth it? Bluzuk and its evolution are not particularly impressive in raids or the GO Battle League. Therefore, the bonus is especially interesting. You don’t necessarily have to use this for Bluzuk; you can also do raids or activate the Wonder Box instead.
Can you catch Shiny Bluzuk? Yes, Bluzuk can also be caught as Shiny. You can recognize it by its striking blue eyes.
Spotlight Hour on August 29
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? At the end of the month, you can look forward to a Spotlight Hour with the Water and Poison-type Pokémon Tentacha. This can evolve into Tentoxa.
Which bonuses are active? During the short event, you will receive double candy for sending Pokémon.
Is the event worth it? Tentacha and its evolution are not particularly strong. Only Tentoxa is somewhat competitive in the Hyper League of the GO Battle League with a moveset of Poison Jab, Hydro Pump, and Blizzard.
Therefore, the event is mainly worth it because of the candy bonus. This is particularly useful because the global GO Fest is happening the weekend before. It may be worthwhile to collect Pokémon that still need candy and send them during the Spotlight Hour.
Can you catch Shiny Tentacha? Yes, Shiny Tentacha is active in the game and can be found during the Spotlight Hour with a bit of luck. You can recognize it by its purple body.
How do you like the Spotlight Hours in August? Which one are you especially looking forward to? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments.
In Pokémon GO, you should now wait to send your monsters. We at MeinMMO explain why it is worth waiting and until when you should wait.
Which monsters are we talking about? Over the weekend, the this year’s global GO Fest took place in Pokémon GO, where a lot of monsters were caught. Among them were rare and strong specimens, as well as legendary raid bosses.
Now that the event is over, it is a good time to sort your Pokémon bag before the new season starts. However, you should still wait a little longer before sending.
In the new season, you can expect Paldea Pokémon. You can see the first hint in the video:
Start video
Pokémon from the Paldea region will soon appear in Pokémon GO!
Get extra candies when sending
Until when do you have to wait? On Tuesday, the last spotlight hour in August will take place in Pokémon GO, which will not only give you an encounter with the water and poison Pokémon Tentacha but also a candy bonus when sending.
If you send your excess monsters to the professor on that day between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM, you will receive double candies. Given the number of Pokémon caught over the weekend, this can definitely be worth it.
What should you do now? However, you should use the time until the short event wisely to sort your monsters. Instead of sending them, simply create a corresponding tag. There you can store all the Pokémon you no longer need.
On Tuesday, you can conveniently open the corresponding tag during the spotlight hour, select all the monsters, and send them all at once in just a few seconds. We will explain how the tag function works in the following article:
These monsters you should keep for now: Generally, it is worth it for all Pokémon you want to send now. However, if you urgently need space to continue playing, focus especially on the Pokémon for which you urgently need candies.
In addition, you should also hold onto legendary Pokémon and strong specimens that are among the best attackers in Pokémon GO, as you will need a lot of candies for both their evolution and power-ups.
How can you get more candies? If you want to get even more candies from the caught Pokémon, you can also trade the sorted-out monsters with a friend beforehand. For each trade action, you currently receive at least 2 regular candies and an XL candy from trainer level 31 onward.
However, this costs some stardust. With a bit of luck, you can even receive a lucky Pokémon. Monsters you traded and no longer need can then be sent to the professor on Tuesday.
How many monsters did you approximately catch on the two event days? And have you already sorted them out? Or are you waiting until Tuesday to secure the candy bonus? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone, you can now run around the maps as Nicki Minaj and take out opponents. Player reactions are very mixed, some love it while others are outraged.
There have also been some pretty crazy bundles. One of them could be received for free via Amazon Prime for a time, while it previously cost €20. Just like the bundle with the pink-haired rapper.
As part of the event “50 years of Hip-Hop,” a skin bundle featuring Nicki Minaj was introduced in Season 5 of Call of Duty. The 40-year-old rapper, singer, and actress is known as the “Queen of Rap.” She released her first mixtape “Playtime Is Over” in April 2007, which also featured rapper Lil Wayne.
Start video
Nicki Minaj: new pink bundle in Call of Duty
The bundle with the pink-haired rapper was allegedly announced a month ago according to Kotaku. Since it became available, the “Barbz” have entered the game and are posting clips on social media. “Barbz” is what Nicki Minaj calls her fanbase.
For €20 you get the following items in the bundle:
Nicki Minaj as a playable character
Executioner animation
Assault rifle (Cronen Squall) named “The Baddest”
Shotgun (MX Guardian) named “Superfreaky”
Loading screen
Vehicle skin
Weapon sticker
Player emblem
“Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been cooler”
This is how the community reacts: Some are excited about the bundle in the Call of Duty shop, while others find it “cringe.” Some are even angry. The Black streamer and rapper keepupradio goes totally wild when she finally sees the bundle in the shop after several refreshes. You can see her joyful reaction on Tiktok – caution, loud!
In an interview with Kotaku, keepupradio stated:
Nicki Minaj is my favorite artist. Every year she is the most streamed artist in my Spotify Wrapped. I was disappointed that she wasn’t in Fortnite, but just the fact that she is coming into some video game, I think is a great achievement… representation when it comes to playing as characters you can identify with makes the experience more enjoyable.
Other reactions are less enthusiastic. On Reddit, users write in a post by oodKangaroo7446 from August 24 that there are apparently so many negative or inappropriate comments that the moderators of the subreddit “gamingnews” close the thread.
Users criticize in particular that the bundle has even made it into the shop, even though the one by Nickmercs was removed after a critical tweet from him. They write that Nicki Minaj is also known for her controversial statements.
User HotChilliWithButter wished for completely different, “cooler” bundles: “It would have been cooler if it had been someone classic like Keanu or Arnold Schwarzenegger.” Others comment on the post with “Call of Fortnite.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is nearing the end of its life cycle. It is now clear: With Modern Warfare 3, a direct successor is coming this year. Season 5 is likely to be the penultimate live season for CoD MW2, which brings free new content to the game.
You can find an overview of the contents and when what is coming here:
In Pokémon GO the big global GO Fest is now over. Our MeinMMO author Franzi found it very strong, but also believes that a big mistake was made. What that is, she has summarized for you below.
What event is it about? In the last two days, the event of the year took place in Pokémon GO: the global GO Fest. For months, trainers have been looking forward to this weekend, and now it’s already over again.
I also didn’t hold back and was active in the game all weekend. While I wrote articles for you and provided you with the latest information about the event on our live ticker, I was diligently trying to catch monsters, do raids, and complete tasks.
Even though the event had many highlights for me, I still think: It could be better. Why I think that and what was, in my opinion, the biggest sticking point, I will explain to you below.
Strong content, but poorly distributed
GO Fest shone with strong content: First of all, it must be said that the GO Fest this year provided a lot of interesting and above all strong content again. Thus, especially players without a ticket were able to utilize the vast majority of the event, especially the spawns.
In addition, ticket holders had a few extra spawns from the incense as well as some bonuses. I was particularly happy about the exclusive spawns of Gladiantri, Venuflibis, and Pachirisu. The last two were still missing from my collection due to their regional origin.
But Skaraborn, Praktibalk, and Kaumalat, as well as all the new Shinys, also caught my interest. Additionally, there were numerous challenges for ticket holders on the first event day. Today, Mega-Rayquaza celebrated its debut in the game, which I also didn’t want to miss. Thus, especially catching a shiny Rayquaza was one of my highlights of the event.
But despite the many cool contents, the event also had a big mistake for me.
That’s why Pokémon GO made a big mistake in my opinion
Too much content on Saturday: Despite the numerous offers in the game, I find that the content was not well distributed. While I felt overwhelmed with spawns, raids, and bonuses on Saturday, I experienced almost yawning emptiness on Sunday.
On the first event day, I felt literally pushed through the content. A new habitat started constantly, special spawns appeared from incense and in the wild. The research tasks changed. You were supposed to complete global challenges to earn a hyper bonus, while also collecting mega energy for Diancie and had to complete the collector challenges for each habitat in time.
Even though the fact that I was also working at that time, and therefore could not concentrate solely on the game, certainly played a role, the day was just overloaded for me.
No bonuses on Sunday: On today’s Sunday, the monsters from yesterday spawned wildly without habitats. While that is nice in a way, because you can find all the monsters again without time limits and go shiny hunting, it quickly feels boring because some Pokémon appeared much more frequently than others.
Therefore, my focus today was more on the raids, which is probably what most trainers experienced. Here comes the well-known problem of missing local communities. Anyone who doesn’t have one is quickly stuck, because alone, Mega-Rayquaza just won’t work. Due to the high costs for remote raids, many were done after a few raids, and ultimately, one found oneself alone.
So, in the second half of the event day, there was almost yawning emptiness for me. I simply caught a few wild Pokémon and did some smaller raids, like Relaxo or Viscora, where I didn’t need help. There were no special incentives in the form of bonuses to catch a few more Pokémon.
What could have been better for GO Fest?
Better distribution of content: In my view, the content at a two-day event should be distributed differently. I found it really unfortunate that there were virtually no bonuses on the second day, as the global challenges also lacked. Also, the changing field research had contributed to the variety on the previous day.
I would therefore wish for a better distribution of event content over the two days. It would also have been conceivable, in my opinion, for the collector challenges to remain active until Sunday. This way, trainers who didn’t have much time to play on the first day could still complete their tasks. The first day would then also be less overloaded.
More incentives on the 2nd day: On the second event day, there should also be more incentives to play. These don’t necessarily have to be bonuses, but perhaps additional spawns or interesting raid bosses in the smaller raids could have been a way to refresh Sunday.
My conclusion: In conclusion, I can say that I found the GO Fest a successful event overall. The content was very strong. However, for future events of this kind, I would wish for a better distribution of spawns, bonuses, and raids over the two event days so that they are not overloaded or boring. Perhaps there should also be more incentives on the second event day. Nevertheless, I would play the GO Fest again at any time.
How did you like this year’s GO Fest? Did you also find it partially overloaded and then again dragging? Or was it just right? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers about it.
On August 26 and 27, 2023, the global GO Fest runs in Pokémon GO. Here at MeinMMO, we will keep you updated on both event days with this live ticker and report on current information and happenings in the game.
What event is it about? Pokémon GO hosts a huge global GO Fest every year, which is one of the highlights of the game. This weekend, it’s finally happening again. After some trainers have already participated in the respective live events in London, Osaka, and New York, you can now also look forward to plenty of special spawns and bonuses worldwide.
When does the GO Fest start? The global GO Fest runs on the weekend of August 26 and 27, 2023, each day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time.
Our live ticker for the Pokémon GO Fest on August 27, 2023
Sunday, August 27, 2023
6:03 PM
The GO Fest 2023 is over. How I liked it, I’ll show you in the following post:
Now this year’s GO Fest has come to an end, the spawns and bonuses have disappeared. My second event day was definitely more successful when it comes to shinies. Today I caught a total of 10. So significantly more than yesterday. And there were some really cool ones, like Rayquaza or Schalellos. How did it go for you?
We are now saying goodbye here in the live ticker, thank you for following along, and we wish you a pleasant evening.
But we are already eagerly waiting to see what the new season has in store for us in Pokémon GO. Here at MeinMMO, we will keep you updated as usual from tomorrow about the news in the game and inform you as soon as there are new details about Season 12.
5:47 PM
Not only is the event itself ending soon, but also the showcases. So now is the perfect time to take another look at the competition and swap your Rayquaza for a bigger one. Maybe you’ll secure the first place that way.
5:38 PM
The last minutes are running to secure a strong Mega Rayquaza. It will also disappear from the Mega Raids at 6 PM. After that, you can only catch it via remote raid in later time zones.
5:25 PM
This weekend, you must have caught lots of monsters and are now looking to free up space. However, you should wait to send them off. In the following article, we explain why:
Yesterday, you should have completed plenty of challenges to earn hyper bonuses for the upcoming weeks. As Niantic has now announced, this has been reached. However, which specific rewards await you will only be revealed in the coming days. As soon as there is more info, we will report on it.
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The GO Fest is approaching its end. You still have one hour left. It’s best to use it to complete one or another bonus in the game, such as:
Evolve selected monsters to get an exclusive attack
Make 6 special trades with your friends
Collect strong and rare Pokémon
Get 7km eggs from friends
Gather meteorites for Mega Rayquaza
Catch Rocara for Mega Energy for Diancie
Do Mega Raids with Rayquaza
4:39 PM
At the moment, Mega Rayquaza is still spawning here in Germany with a better catch rate. However, this will likely revert back to its old rate at 6:00 PM, as trainers have shared on Reddit. So be careful when participating in Rayquaza raids shortly after the event ends and pay attention to the red catch circle!
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You still have about 2 hours until the end of the GO Fest. Enough time to secure one of the rare Pokémon in the game that anyone can catch. If you have a ticket, you can also encounter the regional Pokémon.
If you have a ticket for the GO Fest, you can also benefit from 9 free raid passes available when spinning at the gym today. Use them wisely to get a strong Rayquaza or to gather Mega Energy for Diancie in Rocara raids.
In our Pokémon GO Facebook group, we called out last night for you to share your highlights of the day with us. Several trainers did that and sent us a series of their best catches – all shinies. In the following gallery, you can see a selection of them:
A shiny Gladiantri was Dennis’ highlightSonja was happy about shiny MiltankPikachu with crown has been caught by several people. This one is from CarinaThe regional Schalellos, which only became shiny yesterday, belongs to FlorianSelina wrote: “I was happy about the cute Piepi.” Kathi is happy about her shiny Snorlax with hatCathrin finds her Eguana “very cute”Eva writes: “I was most happy about this little creature today.”
2:20 PM
Exclusive Attacks
Today it’s worthwhile to evolve one or another Pokémon again, as selected Pokémon will receive an exclusive attack. We have summarized which ones are particularly worthwhile in the following article:
The first 4 hours of today’s GO Fest have already passed. But you still have some time to play. Don’t forget, you still have 6 special trades available until 6 PM. You should definitely use these during this time. Legendary monsters, like Rayquaza, or also special shinies in lucky trades are particularly good options. But even if you don’t have lucky friends, you can still try your luck in special trades.
1:40 PM
In some parts of the world, there’s quite a bit going on for the GO Fest, as the picture from Sao Paulo by Reddit user JesusOfTrap shows. For me, it’s much less crowded. How is it for you?
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Although there are no changing field researches today, you can still secure interesting event quests related to Rayquaza and Rocara at the PokéStops. Here’s what you can find:
Tasks
Rewards
Catch 10 Pokémon
Encounter with Rocara or Onix* or 10 Poké Balls or 5 Nanab Berries
Catch 10 different types of Pokémon
500 Stardust or 1,000 XP
Spin 10 PokéStops or Gyms
Encounter with Rocara or Onix* or 10 Poké Balls or 5 Nanab Berries
Hatch an egg
Encounter with Pikachu with Quartz Crown* Pyrite Crown* Malachite Crown* Aquamarine Crown*
Hatch 3 eggs
1 special candy
Use 3 very effective charged attacks
500 Stardust
Participate in a raid
1 Hyper Potion or 3 Super Potions or 3 Revives or 1 Max Revive
Participate in 3 raids
3 Rayquaza candies or 1 XL candy for Rayquaza
Complete 3 field research tasks
Encounter with Rocara
Perform a Mega Evolution
10 Mega Energy for Rayquaza
Pokémon marked with (*) can also be caught as shiny with luck
1:00 PM
If you are still looking for new friends in Pokémon GO, you should also look out for raids afterward. This way you can add trainers you did a raid with right after the raid summary in the game. I already tried this myself today. Here’s how it looks:
If you want to be found this way, you must activate the option “Allow friendship requests from raid members” under the category General in the settings.
12:46 PM
By the way, trainers with an event ticket can also secure special content from the 7km eggs again today. You will receive these when you open gifts from your friends. The following Pokémon await you from them:
Hisui-Fukano
Pacharisu
Venuflibis
Schalellos (Western Sea)*
Schalellos (Eastern Sea)*
Watzapf*
Gladiantri*
Viscora*
Kommandutan*
12:32 PM
My highlight of the day is currently shiny Rayquaza. After the 5th raid, I managed to snag one.
12:00 PM
To evolve your Rayquaza into a Mega Rayquaza, you must teach it Zenith Striker. For this, you need a new item: Meteorites.
Besides Rayquaza, I have a big mission today: catch new shinies. And the start doesn’t look too bad today, as I already managed to catch three.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much success yesterday and ended the first event day with only 5 shinies. But with this poor yield, it seems I wasn’t alone, as many other players indicated such low numbers in our short survey last night here in the ticker.
Of the currently 652 participants, 47% (311 trainers) caught only 6 shiny Pokémon or less. Here are the specific results of our question How many shinies did you catch on the first day of GO Fest:
19% (127 votes) for 1-2
15% (96 votes) for 3-4
14% (91 votes) for 11-15
13% (88 votes) for 5-6
13% (85 votes) for more than 20
9% (60 votes) for 9-10
9% (59 votes) for 7-8
7% (46 votes) for 15-20
11:16 AM
Even though the two proto Pokémon have now left the raids, you can still meet some other strong attackers today. We will show you which ones are particularly worthwhile in the following post:
The first raids with Mega Rayquaza are already in full swing. Just like yesterday with the two proto Pokémon, the legendary monster feels particularly easy to catch right after the raid. It stayed in the ball immediately after my first throw.
Apparently, the community’s wish has been heard and the catch bonus is also in the raids today. So it’s a good opportunity to collect not only strong specimens of the legendary dragon and flying Pokémon today but also a lot of Rayquaza candies.
10:30 AM
Also today you have the chance to compare your biggest Pokémon in the showcase. It’s all about Rayquaza there too. So look for PokéStops in your vicinity to participate in the competition until 6:00 PM and secure rewards.
10:10 AM
Proto Pokémon dominate the raids, but not for long
At the moment, the two proto Pokémon Kyogre and Groudon dominate the raids in the game. But that will change in just about an hour. If you need a strong specimen, you should catch it now, as Mega Rayquaza will drive them out of the raids at 11:00 AM.
When they will be found in Pokémon GO again is currently still uncertain.
It’s 10 AM and the starting shot for the second event day has been fired. You can once again enjoy all the spawns and bonuses of the event for 8 hours today. The event spawns from yesterday will reappear in the wild today, but without fixed habitats. You can catch them without time restrictions.
9:24 AM
Today, both ticket holders and non-ticket holders can look forward to research tasks. You will all receive a special research task related to Rayquaza. In addition, ticket holders will receive an additional one afterwards.
The highlight of today will probably be the worldwide release of Mega Rayquaza. The monster will not be available until 11:00 AM local time. If you want to secure the boss already before the launch in Germany, you can do that via remote raid right now. Even today, the limit for this has been lifted.
As trainers are showing on Reddit, you can also look forward to Mega Energy in the rewards as usual.
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Today, we are starting the second day of this year’s global GO Fest. In about 1.5 hours, it finally begins and you can take advantage again of plenty of spawns and bonuses today. So make the best use of the remaining time to prepare for the event.
We will keep you updated here in the ticker throughout the day about the news in the game. So feel free to check back now and then.
All the content you can expect today has been summarized in the following article:
The first event day is already over. But there’s no reason to be sad, as another GO Fest day with cool spawns and bonuses is coming tomorrow. This one will focus especially on Rayquaza and its mega form, as it makes its worldwide debut.
From 11:00 AM, Mega Raids will dominate and settle the dispute between Proto-Kyogre and Proto-Groudon to make room, so they will disappear from the raids. So, you should either secure them today or at the latest by tomorrow morning if you need a strong specimen.
If you haven’t gotten enough of today’s spawns, you can find them again tomorrow, but without fixed habitats.
At this point, we are ending the live ticker for today and thank you for reading along. Tomorrow, during the second event day, we will be back on time to report on all news and happenings in the game.
5:50 PM
Although I went one more round earlier to catch another shiny, my yield is still rather disappointing. I could only catch 5 shinies in the 8 hours. How lucky were you? Feel free to vote anonymously in our upcoming survey:
If you didn’t catch any shiny at all despite participating in the GO Fest, let us know in the comments.
5:42 PM
And you should upgrade your stock of balls again. We show you in the following post how you can get balls in Pokémon GO:
Tip: Today you’ve likely caught several monsters and taken up plenty of space in your bag. If you plan to play again tomorrow, you should take the time until the start of the second event day to sort your monsters. Make sure to clean up well.
However, keep in mind that there will be a spotlight hour with a sending bonus on Tuesday. So if you still need candies for some monsters, it might be worth waiting to send them off. Especially with legendary Pokémon, you should consider this. It’s best to use the tag and filter functions in the game for this.
5:32 PM
Important: The first GO Fest day is about to end. So be sure to collect your rewards for the collector challenges on time so you don’t lose them!
5:15 PM
During the GO Fest, you can also teach exclusive attacks to selected monsters again. The following can be learned today:
Smettbo: Bug Bite
Sandamer: Night Slash
Pixi: Body Slam
Libelldra: Earth Power
Brutalanda: Outrage
Metagross: Meteor Mash
Schlurplek: Body Slam
Roserade: Seed Bomb and Weather Ball (Fire)
We have summarized what you need to keep in mind in the following post:
This week was marked by many events at gamescom. There were new infos about Throne and Liberty, Tarisland and some other games. Here we summarize all the important news around the MMORPGs.
This week in the podcast: In their own podcast MMO News, the two MeinMMO editors Alexander Leitsch and Mark Sellner discuss this week the most important news around MMORPGs. Topics included the new Guild Wars 2 expansion, Blue Protocol, and the drama surrounding New World.
You can listen to the podcast on Apple, YouTube or here on Spotify:
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Final Fantasy XIV is launching its Rising event today, August 27th. There you can earn a mount that transforms you into a phoenix (via FFXIV).
A patch has been released in Black Desert with a new monster zone, new events, and class changes (via BDO).
ESO has released the latest update 39, which has made changes to quests and to PvP. Additionally, we have an exciting piece of news from gamescom that we will share on Monday.
The developers of the PvE MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen are satisfied with the pre-alpha and want to go online 24/7 later this year (via MassivelyOP).
These are the MMORPG news of the week at a glance. What was your personal highlight? Did you experience anything interesting this week that you would like to share? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Feel free to tell us in the comments here at MeinMMO.
If you are looking for a new PvE MMORPG, you will find it here:
The TennoCon 2023 brought some interesting news about Warframe. Warframe 1999 is set to come in 2024. It promises a journey into the past, but some fans are confused.
What is Warframe 1999? Digital Extreme revealed at TennoCon 2023 that Warframe 1999 will be released. It is said to be a completely new nostalgic setting – a retro style combined with science fiction. It is an update, not a standalone game.
You can watch the reveal teaser for Warframe 1999 here:
With the “Whispers in the Dark” update, the RPG enters a new era. While Warframe 1999 will take us back to the beginnings of the saga. The aesthetics in the Warframe 1999 trailer clearly recall the 90s. The whole thing is framed by the song reveal “Into The Void” by Nine Inch Nails, which was also released in 1999.
The upcoming update takes players on a journey into the past. It promises classic hack-and-slash actions and introduces the new character Arthur in the Excalibur battle suit. In the trailer, we see the black-haired Arthur fighting against various infesting monsters and being pursued by Entrati.
“Dark Sector” is a game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 that Digital Extremes released in 2008. Warframe is considered a “spiritual successor” to Dark Sector.
Fans are confused and suspect an homage to Dark Sector
What confuses the fans? The trailer seems to usher in a new era for the game. Fans are confused and curious at the same time. Some suspect that Warframe 1999 could be an homage to Dark Sector.
AigisAegis wrote on Reddit: ‘If anyone is confused while watching, don’t worry. The rest of us are pretty confused too.[…]’
OpposingFarce added: ‘I haven’t played Warframe in years, but there were always hints (even back then) about how relevant Dark Sector was to Warframe. That might be worth exploring.’
Squidbrand wrote on Reddit: ‘I suspect there will be many deep references to the look, atmosphere, and setting of “Dark Sector”[…].’
Sasmael is excited that Warframe is taking a new direction and emphasizes on Reddit: ‘I am stunned. This is not Warframe aesthetics at all, BUT I am still looking forward to it. This game has changed so much over the years, why not a bit of Metal Gear Solid?’
When will the update come? So far, few details are known about Warframe 1999. The big update is expected to come in 2024. Until then, fans will have to patiently wait for more details.
MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller is currently playing Baldur’s Gate 3, but his character has taken a completely different path than originally planned.
Everyone knows the clichés and prejudices that exist against politicians – they are dishonest and power-hungry, always looking out for their own gain. They deceive, manipulate and try to convince people of their goals. At the same time, promises are made that are never kept. And yes, somehow I managed to unintentionally become just such a person in Baldur’s Gate 3.
My journey to becoming a politician started with simple dialogues. At first, I chose the options my followers wanted to hear. Then I promised the tieflings of the Emerald Grove that I would help them. I told the druids that I was on their side and made the goblins believe I was supporting them in their attack on the Emerald Grove.
But then I kept putting off individual parties and made them wait, instead pursuing things that served my own advantage. Every group trusted me, thinking I was fighting for them – but I left them all hanging.
I accumulated wealth piece by piece, ingratiated myself with the different factions, formed partnerships and took a long rest. Before I knew it, situations escalated and my inaction triggered fights, costing lives – while I enjoyably drank wine with Shadowheart and Astarion in the camp.
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to sell items to merchants at a profit
Dishonest but not evil, power-hungry but not powerful
I should mention that I didn’t play with a Dark Urge and didn’t kill for no reason. Rather, I was inactive for so long that all parties destroyed each other. I just had to eliminate the remaining fighters and collect the treasures.
My Drow was not inherently evil, just an extreme egoist who was very focused on himself and his own advantage. Always pretending that I was not reliable. Everyone should continue to believe that I help. I lied, profited at the cost of the deceased, was selfish and power-hungry.
At some point, I only used the options in dialogues that allowed me to deceive my counterpart or convince them of my actions – and it worked very well. Soon I entered places where I was not supposed to be, because I told the guard a fairy tale. I also stole everything of value. I took from everyone and gave it… to myself.
Occasionally someone had to look at the lilies from below when I could no longer talk myself out of trouble with cunning words. That simply couldn’t be avoided. But when it came to that, of course, no witnesses were left behind.
But how did it come to the point where I only deceived, lied and cheated and even ruined quests for myself by doing nothing for too long? Well, accidentally.
I wanted to avoid as many fights as possible in Baldur’s Gate 3 because I don’t like the turn-based system. It’s not fun for me and at times it bores me. So I talked my way out of situations with “Deceive” or “Persuade” if in doubt.
Nevertheless, I wanted loot – better weapons, gold and fancy armor – but I was too stingy to pay, occasionally got caught stealing and had to talk my way out again.
Moreover, I wanted to explore everything and first talk to everyone, but even while exploring I had to lie from time to time to be allowed to enter certain areas. Additionally, I had to rest regularly after exploring to regenerate health points. I could not avoid every fight and took way too much damage since I had no clue about DnD.
However, resting always took a long time and quests progressed while I did nothing. My inaction ultimately led to conflicts and deaths. Nevertheless, I of course did not miss the chance to profit from the fate of the deceased and loot every corpse.
I promised people what they wanted to hear and then did nothing until it was too late.
If I am not evil enough for you, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus describes what it’s like to play Dark Urge:
The YouTube channel “Linus Tech Tips” got into serious trouble about 10 days ago: After criticism from a competitor and allegations from a former employee, the channel hit the brakes. Now founder Linus Sebastian is back with a video. He appeared dejected but also combative: Quality over quantity is supposed to fuel the big tech channel now.
What was the crisis about? Linus Tech Tips faced a two-stage crisis about 2 weeks ago:
First, the direct competitor on YouTube “GamerNexus” shot against the channel: There were allegations of improper procedures, claiming the team auctioned off a borrowed prototype. The channel was said to focus more on quantity than quality.
After initial attempts to contain the damage only provoked more criticism, the channel withdrew for more than a week: No new videos, tweets or products were released.
This is the announcement: On August 26, Linus Sebastian returned with a video. He said he was “justly” criticized and deserved it. However, he added: They have been working on many of the criticisms raised for months and years. Therefore, they have also hired a new CEO.
The team has now done something completely new for a week, engaged in intense self-reflection, through passionate discussions and meetings, they questioned themselves and initiated new processes.
The result:
This underscores our new commitment to do everything, and to become more than “just entertainment” and to become the authority and voice that you deserve and that we all want to be.
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After 10 years, no more “We release a new video daily” mentality
How do they plan to achieve this?? They are abandoning the mentality of “We release a new video every day and have been doing it for 10 years; the streak must not break”. If a video is not ready for broadcast, they will not air it but halt the process.
They want to be more transparent, correct videos on-screen, reshoot if necessary, or take them off the network entirely in case of serious errors.
Additionally, they want to ensure that employees truly understand what they are doing: They should not just be drawing graphs, but understanding what the graph is about.
The team also wants to leverage the knowledge of fans and form a “Community Squad” of about 10 experts who can provide direct feedback to correct the experts’ mistakes.
How did Linus appear? In the first part of the video, the YouTuber seemed visibly affected, striving for closeness and transparency.
In the second part of the video, however, he went on the offensive, as some claims about his company and working methods that arose during the criticism seemed to have upset him. Linus Sebastian then corrected some of the more absurd allegations against his company:
No one is being strictly monitored.
He is certainly not simultaneously responsible for the HR department.
Not excessively many people have left the company – at a media company, departures are just louder than elsewhere.
Although he reached out so strongly to the fans, he distanced himself from the parts of the community that acted aggressively towards the team, harassing and threatening employees: Those who do this are not part of the community. People should be ashamed of their behavior. For this shit, there is zero tolerance.
How is the video being received? The video now seems to be received much better than the initial attempts at damage control.
Generally, there is relief that the channel is back and anticipation for how the “quality over quantity” approach and the transparency initiative will manifest.
Linus Sebastian once tested how much a gaming PC for 10,000 € performs:
MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider must not think about Starfield: Otherwise, the time until the release passes too slowly. He also doesn’t look at leaks. The statement of a leaker did reach him, and it was exactly what he wanted to hear.
I only realized it late, but I actually love the games from Bethesda. In the past, I just never thought about which developer studios were behind my favorite games.
Whether Elder Scrolls or Fallout – starting with The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, I have spent hundreds of hours in the series, even the MMORPG Elder Scrolls: Online kept me occupied for more than 1,000 hours. TESO apparently had to compensate for Fallout 76…
But then a leaker said something that took a lot of pressure off me.
The latest trailer for Starfield was seen at gamescom:
Start video
Gamescom ONL 2023 Trailer Starfield
What was that leak? Shortly after the distribution of the first review keys, the first major leak is making its rounds. Reviewers actually sign a kind of non-disclosure agreement, meaning they cannot talk about the content or their impressions.
But the YouTuber “Tyler McVicker” with over 350,000 subscribers on the video platform said the one sentence I wanted to hear:
His statements were not directly publicly accessible but were posted by McVicker on a Discord server. However, his first impressions quickly made the rounds. For me, it was 8 words of pure anticipation.
The YouTuber shared additional positive impressions. Click on the Reddit link in the quote box if you want to see the other statements. That one sentence was enough for me, and I can hardly sit still now.
Others are already further ahead: Xbox head Phil Spencer has spent 200 hours in Starfield. Colleagues all over the world are working on tests and reviews that can go online on August 31, 2023.
