Baldur’s Gate 3 tells the stories of many different heroes. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus decided to play as the “Dark Urge”. The character is constantly drawn to murder. Now the background is clear – and the game gets even deeper.
Originally, I played the absolutely insane murderer just as a meme. While testing, I thought to myself: give it a try, someone else will play it at the launch anyway. Probably a bard since it’s the best class.
But then I took over the test save and decided to continue playing the character. There’s something about it, having flashbacks and invasive thoughts that don’t match what you actually plan.
Now I’ve been playing for over 60 hours on just that one save file and regularly struggle with myself, because the character’s wickedness slips from my hands. I constantly have the opportunity to do cruel things… and then I do them, because they just fit.
Additionally, as the story progresses, it becomes clearer how important the Dark Urge actually is for Baldur’s Gate 3. Now I’m close to the end of the game and have discovered who I really am. Suddenly, everything makes sense.
Spoiler Warning: I try to reveal as little of the actual story of Baldur’s Gate 3 as possible. But of course, I talk about who the Dark Urge is and reveal what happens to the character at the end of the game. As a buffer, here are a few details about the classes:
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Baldur’s Gate 3: Developers give 30 minutes of tips on all classes
Am I just a killer without memory?
A short excursion into the origins: with the character “Dark Urge” you start as a person without memories. We know from the character selection and information that the character is constantly overcome by a lust for murder.
The Dark Urge revels in brutality, blood, and violence. Anything related to killing is good for the character – even if they don’t want it. This leads to an inner conflict: how much of those thoughts are their own and how much should one give in to them?
Throughout the game, it becomes clearer and clearer that I am not just a “Jack the Ripper” serial killer. Murdering was my lifestyle and the thing I was so good at that I was rewarded for it.
A blessing that my butler delivered to me is Bhaal’s Butcher form (right).
Murdering your own sister to please dad
During the 3 acts of Baldur’s Gate 3, it occasionally becomes clear who I could really be. But only shortly before the end, in Act 3, is the identity truly revealed: I play as Bhaal’s daughter, the god of violence and literal murder incarnate.
This makes me a direct sister of Orin, one of the three main antagonists of the game. She is the one who stirred around in my brain with a scalpel, which is why I can’t remember anything anymore. And she is the one to whom I owe this damn larva.
So I became a lapdog for a long time – before the actual story. These circumstances will become important later, as Orin challenges me to a duel. She claims to be dad’s favorite child. I know better. And I want revenge.
The conflict culminates in a fight where either I kill her or she kills me. The ultimate blood sacrifice before the eyes of Bhaal, who finally decides who the true worthy descendant is. Spoiler: me, of course.
I am chaotic evil and I love it
At first, I struggled to commit truly “evil” acts just because they fit the character. With the knowledge of who I am, it gets easier and easier. I embrace my origin and become the Sword Coast equivalent of the Joker.
I kill, but not indiscriminately, rather always with a goal. Even if the target may be something minor like: This cat is annoying because it thinks it can command me around. I am the daughter of literal murder. Mess with me and see what happens.
However, the motto is always to prove to Bhaal that Orin is not worthy of his name. I am his legacy and I want to prove it now, even the actual end of the story is largely irrelevant to me. I want to pursue my goal.
The Dark Urge has transformed for me from a somewhat shaky character, who is “evil just because they are evil”, into an entity whose story I understand. As if I were reading the memoirs of a serial killer. Or rather: reliving them.
I will probably start anew sometime in the future. Again as Dark Urge, but this time to find out how one can resist their urges. Because that is also possible. In any case, it’s no wonder that the character has such a strange allure:
Next week, the new expansion for Guild Wars 2 will be released. During a press event, MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch spent about 100 minutes in the new content. Much of it looks really good for a seeminglysmall expansion. Unfortunately, he is disappointed with the visual design of the areas.
Secrets of the Obscure came almost out of nowhere. The expansion was announced on June 27, and the release is already set for August 22. Many players, including myself, were concerned that the content would be somewhat sparse as a result.
This concern was not confirmed at the press event. Of course, it will be slightly smaller in scope than End of Dragons from last year, but given the short time frame and the new update structure, that is not much of a surprise.
What is important is that Secrets of the Obscure contains everything that is needed for a good Guild Wars 2 expansion, including huge world events, cool boss fights, new achievements and skins, new possibilities for your characters, as well as a fully voiced story.
However, the three areas leave a somewhat bland aftertaste. They do not make a good visual impression. The magic world feels so disjointed and generic. Additionally, there is a lot of recycling.
You can get a first impression of the game world here:
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Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – Insight into the Open World
The Skyscale, World Events, and a Huge Boss Fight
Our press tour began in the new area of the Skyscale Archipelago. There we were presented with the first highlight: the updated Skyscale. It is one of the best mounts in Guild Wars 2, which you can now unlock through a new collection.
The new collection is supposed to be better structured than the old one, allowing newcomers to quickly obtain the mount. However, those who have already completed the old collection or do so in the future will be rewarded with new bonus effects, such as the siege turtle charging faster and launching you further. A win-win situation for everyone.
Additionally, right at the first waymark, there is an adventure with the Skyscale, where you have to complete an obstacle course while also hitting 30 targets with the new Fireball ability. This attack can also be used while flying and without dismounting, which is a great addition. Only aiming is a bit clunky at first, as you feel like you are on a stationary cannon in action mode, but you also have to control the mount simultaneously.
New is also the ability for the Skyscale and the Griffon to utilize ley lines now. A fantastic addition, especially for older areas. You can see more about the new Skyscale and its ability in this video clip:
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Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – The new Skyscale
The second positive new feature are the new world events that made up a large part of the preview. You will learn a new skill that allows you to activate the “Rift Hunts.” These come in sizes 1, 2, and 3. The higher the size, the more players will be needed to complete it.
This new feature does not only eliminate the annoying trips to the bounty board but also gives you more control over which events you want to participate in. The Tier 1 hunts should even be doable solo.
In the bounties, you first need to defeat simple mobs to then lure out the boss. However, we encountered a bug where no boss appeared twice, so I can’t say much about the difficulty.
However, the events are worth it for two reasons. Firstly, there are mini pets and skins as rewards. Secondly, the essences obtained as rewards are needed for the new legendary armor.
This is what the rifts you can hunt look like.
However, the absolute highlight was the big boss fight at the end of the area. We can’t reveal too much about it, but it is reminiscent in scale and phase changes to the Harvest Temple event in End of Dragons. Dozens of players will need to work closely together to achieve success.
We were also shown a strike mission, which may be the second mission aside from the fight from the open world. The boss Cerus resembles a mix of the raid bosses Cairn and Sabetha. It takes place on a round platform, and you have to run together into green fields and avoid a wall of fire. For our press group, the boss was not feasible given the short time available.
The Coolest Battle Pass of All Time and the New Equipment
To provide players with long-term content, the Vault of the Wizard is being introduced. It completely replaces the previous daily achievements and the login rewards, but it also offers a bonus of 10 achievement points if you complete three of them daily, ensuring that new players have no disadvantages.
The Vault is a type of battle pass, but completely free of charge. You receive rewards for completing specific tasks per day, per week, or per “cycle.” These include gathering resources, participating in PvP matches, or defeating enemies in WvW – so far, so normal.
New is that you can declare yourself as a PvE, WvW, or PvP player. This should give you more tasks that match your player type.
Also new is a currency that you can earn through the Vault. With this, you can obtain items from the real-money shop, such as transmutation crystals or resurrection orbs, material bags like those from the laurels, and…. new weapon and mount skins that can only be obtained through these achievements. At launch, there are already two mount skins to earn.
The rewards are supposed to rotate regularly, but old ones will never be lost. They will then be placed in a “legacy tab” where you can purchase them at any time. You will also be able to buy mystical coins, laurels, and other content from the login rewards through the rewards.
New are the relics, which are an absolutely great addition to the equipment system. The runes are being revised and will now provide you with stats instead of a special effect as a sixth bonus, such as 120 power or 120 precision.
You will get the effects through the relics, which are located in the interface next to the earrings. These can be easily swapped with a click, allowing you to combine various effects with different runes. This will loosen up the rigid meta and increase build variety.
We have screenshots of some of these new effects:
New Weapons, New Achievements, New Legendary Armor
With Secrets of the Obscure, not only the features described here will come into play, but also a few other things that I will summarize briefly:
Every class will receive a new weapon master training that grants access to the weapons of all elite specializations, even if they are not equipped. A ranger can thus always use the druid staff, even if they have not selected the elite specialization. This is also meant to increase build variety.
Furthermore, every class will get a brand new weapon in a later patch, the ranger will, for example, receive the mace for main and off-hand.
The new expansion also offers over 70 new achievements, including diving goggles, new masteries, including one that allows you to create ley lines at certain locations, and legendary armor that is only obtainable through PvE activities in the open world. So, you will not have to run raids anymore.
Secrets of the Obscure brings us basically three new areas: the Skyscale Archipelago, Amnytas, and the Tower of the Wizard as a hub. The tower itself is a huge, round platform that strongly reminds me of Arborstone in its layout. However, the barren walls, the tiled floor, and the stairs do not look impressive and do not possess anything distinctive to Guild Wars 2. They could exist in any other MMORPG.
The Skyscale Archipelago is, however, my biggest disappointment. With its floating islands, it reminds me more of a cobbled-together fractal. This is further supported by the fact that they simply reused old assets for the islands.
One island is called Ur-Maguuma and has the typical jungle style along with pocket Raptors. In Jade-Mech-City, everything resembles Cantha, while the ravaged Garrenhof looks strongly like Kryta. Additionally, Rata Novus plays a role again, but this time in an established state. Still, none of that resonates with me. Instead of a unique world, the archipelago feels like a mishmash of the best locations from Guild Wars 2. I was really looking forward to a new setting.
An image of the new area Amnytas.
The third area, Amnytas, remains a mystery to me, possibly because the map in the test did not load completely. There were blue patches everywhere, the textures were incorrect, and everything appeared somewhat torn apart.
The positive aspect is that we can walk around huge fortresses here, which is at least a new setting. But even here, everything feels like a lot has been cobbled together. Overall, there is a lack of a visual overarching theme for the expansion, which my colleague Petra Schmitz pointed out to me and which I can no longer overlook since then, even if I would like to.
I like the new world events, I like the adjustments to the Skyscale, and I think the relics are a good addition. However, the real highlights are the new boss fights and the Vault of the Wizard. For me, ArenaNet seamlessly continues from the Harvest Temple, which I enjoyed very much. Both the difficulty and the visuals can convince.
The Vault of the Wizard, on the other hand, replaces the boring daily achievements, and there are cool rewards that can now be earned. In addition, there will now be plenty of new build options, which has been lacking as a theme in the years 2018 to 2022.
However, the areas leave a bland aftertaste. Even in End of Dragons, I wasn’t impressed by the visuals. My highlights are still the snow regions and Ascalon. Neither of these is represented here, and instead, there is more jungle (base game, Heart of Thorns) and more jade. Overall, there is a lack of an optical theme that the expansion can hang on, which is disappointing.
Nevertheless, my hype is ignited. If an expansion of this standard really comes out every 12 to 18 months in the future, Guild Wars 2 will continue to thrive for a long time.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG Expert at MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A fan of Magic: The Gathering has found the unique LOTR card and sold it for a high price. Now he reveals what he is going to do with the money.
The popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering introduced a new expansion in March 2023. In a crossover with “The Lord of the Rings,” some well-known characters and legendary places from Middle-earth were to be included in the game boxes starting June 23.
What kind of card is it? The big highlight of the LOTR special edition is an extremely rare card, of which there is said to be only one: the One Ring.
In addition to its extreme rarity, the card also impresses with its unique design, as it is illustrated without a border and adorned with Tengwar script characters. Furthermore, the Ring has the matching serial number 001 of 001.
Fan buys collectible box spontaneously, finds valuable card
Who found the card? On June 30, 2023, just a week after the card’s release, a fan from Toronto randomly found the One Ring in a booster pack.
What is the card worth? It quickly became clear to collectors that the card would be worth a lot of money; after all, it is a true unique item. Even before the card’s release, a buyer offered $100,000 for the One Ring, but he was left empty-handed.
Ultimately, the rapper Post Malone emerged as the winner of the bidding. He allegedly paid the lucky finder $2.6 million for the card (via TikTok).
Krafton himself also wanted the card to go to someone who appreciates it. As a fan, he would have liked to keep it, but selling it changes his life.
Start video
LotR Return to Moria – Summer Game Fest Trailer
Finder contacts financial advisor, plans his retirement
What is the finder doing with the money? On TikTok, Krafton now talked about his plans and what he is doing with the money he received from selling the card.
He mentioned that he had considered buying a house, but that comes with additional costs. He has done a lot of research and has engaged with people who have come into large sums of money and lost it.
Furthermore, Krafton has contacted a financial advisor and made a plan that would allow him to retire at the age of 55. Until then, he wants to continue renting and working normally to cover his expenses. He also does not want to buy a car and will continue to travel by bus.
Additionally, Krafton reveals that he has invested the money and only receives a small monthly amount to pay his rent and bills. The rest goes back into the investment.
Nevertheless, Krafton is also considering buying a small house for his parents when they retire. He also has some “fun money” that he can freely use. Possible uses include charitable purposes, further investments, and buying more Magic cards.
Not everyone pays money for “Magic: The Gathering” cards, as an incident from Indianapolis (USA) shows:
24-year-old Brit Adrian “Jamada” Wharlton-Thorne (24) has a serious problem: He is a professional caster for League of Legends, but he cannot perform his job because he was banned by Twitch and is not told why. He is missing the European Cup of LoL, an important source of income.
Who is he?
Jamada has previously worked as a coach in League of Legends, but is currently earning his money as a caster, commenting on games live.
He specializes in the Chinese LPL league and the EMEA region: Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Originally, Jamada would cover the LoL tournament “EMEA Masters” in August and September, essentially the “Champions League of European teams,” but there is a problem with that.
Wishing to win the European Cup, Eintracht Spandau:
Start video
Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes
Twitch ban on personal channel prevents job appearance
What is the problem? Jamada states (via reddit): He was given a 14-day ban for “hate speech” on his personal Twitch channel on August 10.
This ban prohibits him from appearing on Twitch: He cannot pursue his job as a caster at the LoL tournament.
For the first time in 3 years, I might miss the group stage of a tournament where I am a core member and for which I have a lot of passion to participate. At the moment, these are the only workdays I have been hired for this month, and through further personal messages I have recently received, it would be incredibly difficult to lose this income.
Caster runs into a wall of silence at Twitch
What was he banned for? That’s the absurd part: He doesn’t know. He was simply informed that he was banned for “hate speech.” He doesn’t know the details.
An appeal was rejected without comment.
He has spent days trying to find someone to talk to at Twitch, but he can’t reach anyone: He just can’t get through.
Even the Reddit thread in LoL with over 8,300 upvotes and 190 comments went unanswered.
What’s behind this: Twitch’s ban policy has long been viewed as opaque and arbitrary: Streamers often cannot understand exactly why they were banned.
This “hate speech” is the same reason German Twitch streamers Scurrows and Orangemorange were banned from Twitch for 2 weeks without any details. They have appealed against the ban and indeed, Orangemorange is now not to be banned from Twitch in such a manner until 2026 (via Twitter).
Orangemorange won the legal battle while Scurrows lost it.
Maybe the way to court would also be an option for the unfortunate and desperate caster. The LoL tournament has already started. Without him.
Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris (35) is one of the biggest streamers on German Twitch. However, he had to give up his throne in 2022 to the Berliner Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich. With an IRL stream, “Uncle Monte” is again leading the Twitch charts.
While most probably associate a visit to the amusement park primarily with fun thrills, some attractions pose quite a challenge for MontanaBlack. The Twitch streamer has a fear of heights – and his viewers apparently quite enjoy seeing him suffer.
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MontanaBlack is one of the most well-known streamers in Germany – This was his very first video
80,000 people watch as MontanaBlack overcomes his fear of heights
How did the stream go? Together with his buddy Marc Gebauer and well-known IRL streamer Adam “SkylineTV” Wolke behind the camera, MontanaBlack strolled through the amusement park, tried out the stalls, and snacked.
The viewers felt especially entertained when the Twitch streamer struggled with his fear of heights. Clips of his ride on the roller coaster or the free fall with the Gyro Drop Tower dominate the streamer’s channel.
You can watch the VoD of the stream here, at 15:15 it goes on the roller coaster – beware, there are plenty of curse words.
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As MontanaBlack mentioned on an earlier occasion, the IRL streams for him are “underwear streams”: he holds them on weekends so that viewers can watch them on a lazy Sunday.
However, he moved his visit to the Hamburger Dom to a weekday, hoping there would be less going on and he would attract less attention. Apparently, MontanaBlack is still trying to figure out how best to make the IRL streams work for him.
In any case, the concept is working, as the streamer was rewarded with an excellent rating. On average, almost 67,000 people watched MontanaBlack during his escapades, with a peak of nearly 83,000. Thus, MontanaBlack currently stands far ahead in first place on German Twitch (via sullygnome). Just as the 35-year-old had planned.
Also in terms of watch time, MontanaBlack was momentarily at the top, but had to concede to his Twitch colleague EliasN97 and his subscription marathon that started on Sunday.
For MontanaBlack, it was the first major IRL stream since his trip to Wildpark Schwarze Berge had legal repercussions. At that time, a mother obtained a temporary injunction because she and her daughter were visible in the background of the stream.
Probably for this reason, the Twitch streamer had considered renting the entire Heide Park for his project. Ultimately, however, he decided against it: the right feeling would also require other people, sometimes you have to stand in line.
The last week of Season 21 in Destiny 2 is upon us, and it’s time to take off the diving suits. Still, there are a few things you can do in this last week. And one of those things might not please you.
This week’s events: As always, the activities in Destiny 2 are rotating in this last week of Season 21.
For the last time, you can dive into the Strike Nightfall for your Conqueror.
Secure weapons that will leave the game with the start of Season 22 on August 22, such as the Solar Machine Gun “Unyielding Duty” or the Season Exo “Malicious Tool”.
Or explore another story activity in the “Veil Containment” on Neomuna, which continues the story of Maja Sundaresh and the Veil.
But for some Guardians, there is also another unpleasant task that many find difficult: cleaning out the vault.
With the new season, Guardians will have to part with old treasures again to make room for the new armor and weapons of the upcoming Season 22. However, that also means having to let go of old treasures.
A particular pain for some Guardians with a full vault, as this meme shows.
For many weapons and armors, clicking “Delete” is a special Guardian pain.
Key information about activities from August 15 to 22.
[toc]
Nightfall
The Devil’s Cave, in the Cosmodrome
The Fallen are rampaging again and bringing their mega-mechs with them. Load your shotguns, pack your Gjallarhorn, and put an end to the Fallen god “Sepiks Primus.”
This week earn this Nightfall weapon: The Hand Cannon “Hawk”
Crucible – This is the rotating PvP activity
The two modes Rift and Control are running this week in PvP.
This week there’s a bonus
All three playlists are going wild this week and give you a bonus – so get it!
Endgame: Raid Challenges and Dungeon Rotation
Farmable Endgame on a weekly rotation: In the further progression of the endgame, the Legacy rotations await.
Both the rotating raid and the rotating dungeon are farmable. This means you can complete the individual encounters repeatedly to obtain various items and complete your collection, including potential Exotics that are available in these contents.
The weekly Legacy raid is “Last Wish” with the weapon Exotic “1000 Voices”
In addition, there is Extra top loot in the Dungeon “Duality” and the sword “Heartshadow”.
The new Exo-Rotator will be available from Season 22. Players will then be able to play not only raids and dungeons as “Legacy”, but also old Exotic missions. In this context, the Scout Rifle “Tale of a Dead Man” or “The Dead Messenger” will be craftable in weapon crafting.
The last week for Season 21 activities is upon us, which also means the last opportunity to complete your challenges.
In Season 21, Guardians must dive to the seabed of Titan, as it is infested with Taken and the Hive to become the “Aquanaut”. The title has a total of
Lightfall – Weekly Campaign Mission
“Desperate Measures”
Guardians must go deep underground in Lightfall to advance to the “Veil”. They will be supported by Caiatl’s troops in an epic battle at the gates of the Ishtar facility.
Ascendant Challenge – Dreaming City
If you still need Triumphs from the Dreaming City, pay attention: The corruption reveals new access points with a sip of “Queen’s Leaf Tincture”.
Petra Venj can now be found in the Dreaming City right at Rheasilvia – as always during the 3rd curse week. At the same time, the 1st Ascendant Challenge is active.
Start video
Destiny 2: Guardian tells how a gaming friendship changed his life
All Sources for Top Loot in Season 21 of Destiny 2
More power level comes automatically: In the past season, Bungie experimented with a new system that kept the hard power level cap in Destiny 2 unchanged for Season 21. The community welcomed this change, so it will also be maintained in the upcoming Season 22.
Players simply do not want to be forced to perform at their best every week.
Hard challenges and the need to advance your artifact level also exist without an increase in power level, for example in Grandmaster Raids, Pinnacle Nightfalls, Grandmaster Lost Sectors, or the Trials of Osiris.
If you are currently not at the hard cap of 1,810, we have listed the best sources for top loot for you.
This top loot brings your power level up to 1,810:
Weekly Lightfall campaign mission on Legendary (+2)
Hawthorne’s Clan quest: Award 5 appreciation cards to other Guardians (+2 and 7 enhancement cores)
Trials of Osiris (+2)
Glittering Highlights in the Eververse
Last week, Bungie offered an exclusive season shader for Glimmer. A small gesture that not everything in the Eververse is just commerce, and patient Guardians can receive many emotes, ornaments, or Exo companions without spending extra Silver sooner or later.
What special things are available in the Eververse this week, we will list here:
This LED ornament “Fortläufer” is available for Arbalest for 1250 Glimmer
Exotic emote “Encircling Sharks”
Exotic emote “Peacefully by the Water”
Exotic Sparrow “JJ-2 Research Rover”
Exotic ship “Quick Reaction”
Exotic ship “Skipper of the Scribe”
Exotic Ghost Shell “Digital Doorbell Shell”
Exotic weapon ornament “Fortläufer” for “Arbalest”
Exotic armor ornaments:
For the Warlock: “Ionic Fringes” for the Exotic “Fallen Sunstar”
For the Titan: “Cold of Chivalry” for the Exotic “Cadmus Ridge Lance Helm”
For the Hunter: “Olmstead’s Doom” for the Exotic “Blight Ranger”
Ghost Projection Bombastic “SideEye Projection”
Shaders:
“Atmospheric Glimmer”
“Butter Bark”
“Silver Taran”
“Lagoon Cruiser”
“44er Steel”
Teleport Effects:
“Revived Shadow”
“Cabal Appearance”
“Cannon Fodder”
“Cabal Appearance”
Those who always have too little Glimmer in Destiny 2 should know these tips here:
Patch 1.1.2 brings a few important changes for Diablo 4. Among other things, bugs in quests and faulty objectives in the seasonal journey are eliminated. What to expect in the patch notes, you can find out in our overview.
What will Patch 1.1.2 adjust? The patch primarily addresses the buggy quests and the seasonal journey, as well as the user interface and the nightmare dungeons. It also eliminates a few bugs related to the Druid’s abilities.
Patch 1.1.2 is set to arrive on August 15 and already reveals its changes in the patch notes.
These are the most important changes for Patch 1.1.2:
The wait time for a malicious monster to appear after activating a Malicious Heart in the world is reduced from 5 to 2 seconds.
Nightmare dungeons could be repeated when another group member was promoted to leader. This should no longer work. In the previous patch, adjustments were made to the difficulty of nightmare dungeons.
Regarding the seasonal journey, bugs have been fixed that caused the seasonal journey menu to not function properly. The seasonal journey objective “A Blessing in the Flood” should also now be completed as expected.
Adjustments will be made to the user interface. The description in the tooltip for the “Locked Heart of Tenacity” will be rephrased.
A bug will also be fixed where the notification that the world boss has appeared was incorrect when the player had not yet unlocked the Tree of Whispers.
Interactions with certain objects, particularly corpses, did not function properly. This will be fixed.
It will also be fixed that after leaving a town, the mount function was sometimes unavailable.
In total, 28 bugs were fixed. Below we list the patch notes in detail in English.
Start video
Diablo 4: The Official Announcement Trailer for Season 1
Patch Notes 1.1.2 Overview
Gameplay Updates
After activating a Malicious Heart in the world, the wait time for a Malicious Monster to appear is now not 5, but 2 seconds.
Players are now defaulted to the trading channel. This can be turned off in the game settings.
Fixed Bugs
Dungeons and Events
A bug was fixed that allowed nightmare dungeons to be repeated by promoting another group member to leader.
A bug was fixed that prevented the event “The Gathered Legions” from progressing, despite all nearby enemies being defeated.
Druid
A bug was fixed where boulders cast with the Aspect of the Metamorphic Stone only caused up to 100% damage.
A bug was fixed where the Malicious Power “Raging Winds” was triggered when destroying destructible objects.
A bug was fixed where the “Aspect of the Alpha” werewolf companion was floating above the ground.
Quests
A bug was fixed that prevented the quest “Wrath Against Fate” from being completed.
A bug was fixed that allowed Elixirs of Iron Skin to be obtained infinitely by accepting and abandoning the quest “Cure of Despair”.
A bug was fixed that prevented the quest “Calling of the Ancients” from progressing if the group leader was dead when the boss was defeated.
A bug was fixed that prevented the quest “Calling of the Ancients” from progressing if Gharl was killed before his dialogue was triggered.
A bug was fixed that caused players to be directed to the wrong NPCs in side quests for crafting items.
User Interface and User Experience
A bug was fixed that displayed white lines on the world map.
A bug was fixed that caused the seasonal journey menu to not function properly when completing a stage.
A bug was fixed where the notification that the world boss has appeared was not functioning properly if the player had not yet unlocked the Whispering Dead.
A bug was fixed where linking an item in chat did not display properly in the Battle.net app.
A bug was fixed where the marker for the quest “Holding Back the Flood” was displayed at dungeon exits, but not on the world map.
In the tooltips for the Locked Heart of Tal’Rasha and the Locked Heart of the Great Feast, it now correctly states that their bonuses are additive instead of multiplicative.
The description in the tooltip for the Locked Heart of Tenacity has been rephrased to clarify that it reduces resource drain effects from enemies.
Miscellaneous
A bug was fixed that prevented the seasonal journey objective “A Blessing in the Flood” from being completed as expected.
A bug was fixed that allowed teleporting to a dungeon entrance while using skills that grant invulnerability (e.g., Blood Mist).
A bug was fixed where no interaction was possible with some objects, especially corpses.
A bug was fixed that caused mount skills to sometimes be unavailable after leaving a town.
A bug was fixed where the Malicious Power “Calculating” consumed the stun effect of skills that do not deal damage.
A bug was fixed where gambling for helmets at the vendor of the Unsightly Curiosities in the cities was impossible for Druids, Necromancers, and Hunters.
A bug was fixed where an equipped Rage-Infused Heart could not be replaced by another.
A bug was fixed where the freeze effect of the Leggings of Regret was not displayed correctly in the boss arena of the final boss.
A bug was fixed where quest items appeared spontaneously in town.
Several stability and performance improvements.
Several other bug fixes for accessories in the shop.
Are you satisfied with the changes? Or is there something missing? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
Perhaps Patch 1.1.2 brings secret changes, as one of the previous patches did. However, players were quite upset about the lack of transparency from Blizzard. One player was very pleased with a change that was not communicated in the patch notes:
The role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 is now a complete success and even sparks a discussion that it might set the bar for new role-playing games so high that studios could break under it. But why is the game already so perfectly polished at release?
What is this discussion about?
An indie developer stated on Twitter that Baldur’s Gate 3 is so good because it enjoys a number of advantages that no other game can easily imitate. Attempting to reach this level of quality could lead studios to fail.
Subsequently, the site IGN released a video claiming: Baldur’s Gate 3 is so good that game developers panic. The question is raised: Why don’t more games release as perfectly polished as Baldur’s Gate 3? Developers should not resist the new standards but accept them.
A blog post by Brandon Sheffield criticized this video: Baldur’s Gate 3 was sold as an unfinished game at full price for three years. This is the only reason the developers can now afford this “perfectly polished” launch.
Start video
5 Tips to Level Up Your Characters Properly in Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 sets new standards because the team utilizes unique advantages
Why is Baldur’s Gate 3 so good? The indie developer Xalavier Nelson Jr. explains on Twitter that Baldur’s Gate 3 enjoyed several advantages during its development that put it in a special situation (via Twitter):
Baldur’s Gate 3 is not a new standard for role-playing games – it is an anomaly. Attempting to replicate this “mega-game” could lead many studios to ruin, especially if they do not enjoy the same advantages as Larian with Baldur’s Gate 3.
This point is raised in the IGN video: In the 9-minute video from IGN, the question is raised, why doesn’t every new game launch as polished and well as Baldur’s Gate 3.
The IGN journalist demands that studios should not resist that Baldur’s Gate 3 sets a new standard but accept it and raise their own standard.
As an example of the currently low standards of studios, Destiny 2 and Diablo 4 are mentioned, which are accused of selling too much loot that should actually be found in the game via the cash shop.
What does the blog post say? The blog post by Sheffield clarifies the reasons why games with bugs make it to release: Developers are under financial and time pressure due to external circumstances and have to bring the game out to be able to fund its completion. In most cases, they have no control over their budget.
The completion of the game is achieved through DLCs, patches, early access, and even microtransactions, as studios have to adhere to financial plans and adjust to the expectations of their investors. Sheffield says: Developers would burn through their livelihood to manage this.
Sheffield explains that Baldur’s Gate 3 started an early access release 3 years ago, and the developers sold an “unfinished game” at full price for 3 years:
Baldur’s Gate 3, which he [the IGN video] says appeared in a polished state, was actually released in early access, which he notes but does not question at all. The game was in early access for 3 years, received polish and bug fixes. Three years! Now, as someone who spends most of the time in the video complaining that people sell unfinished products: Why doesn’t that bother him? They sold a game for 3 years for $60, while it was unpolished and unfinished. Anyone could buy it.
The company was able to sell the final, non-early-access game in a polished state because they sold the game for 3 years at full price, and that in an unfinished state. Therefore, the whole premise of the video that Baldur’s Gate 3 appeared perfectly polished is not even correct.
Sheffield also explains that other “showcase games” have only been able to appear so perfectly polished due to unique situations:
Behind Tears of The Kingdom stands Nintendo, which has so many billions of US dollars in reserve that it can take as much time as it wants to finish a game
Elden Ring has a blank check due to the previous successes of FromSoftware for an “It’s done when it’s done” attitude. Most studios do not have such blank checks; that comes only after several massive successes.
Sheffield’s argument aligns with the explanation of MMO developer Stephan Frost, who explained years after the failure of WildStar why the online role-playing game was released unfinished in 2014.
Frost also explained that the economic pressures increase the longer a game stays in development and does not earn money. Therefore, every game in the world practically releases “too early,” but the developers have no other choice.
Apparently, Larian was able to mitigate these pressures by breaking a taboo and selling the game unfinished at full price:
New World will introduce a transmog system this summer, allowing players to change the skins of their armor and weapons. Since stats play a significant role, but not every skin in the game is appealing, players have been waiting for this feature since the release. At the same time, you will be able to dye your gear in the future.
What has New World shown? In a new video, the developers explain how the new transmog system works. You can unlock any armor or weapon skin that you have equipped, in your inventory, or in your bank for the system. You will need one transmog token for each.
Once unlocked, you can change the appearance of your gear at any time with an outfit NPC. This NPC is available in every major settlement. Changing it doesn’t cost anything, but you can only apply skins of the respective weapon and armor type (light, medium, heavy) over your actual gear.
Where do you get the tokens? You can obtain them from elite chests in all game content. Additionally, there will be tokens available in the free and paid reward track of the season passes and in the shop. However, you should not rely on purchasing these.
You can check out the exact details and menus in this video:
Start video
New World: Forged in Aeternum – Transmog
Fashion finally becomes an endgame content in New World
What else does the mid-season update bring? Along with the transmog system, dyeing will also be introduced in the game. This allows you to freely dye your armor according to your wishes. However, this will not be possible for weapons.
Thus, New World finally offers the essential features to look stylish even in the endgame. Fashion plays an important role in other MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2, Palia, or Final Fantasy XIV.
When will the patch be released? There is no official release date yet. Since the current season runs until October 3rd, the middle will be sometime at the end of August. The update might come as early as next week.
What do you think about the transmog topic? Is such a system a must in today’s MMORPGs, or have you been able to do without it so far?
The grand opening show of the gamescom ‘Opening Night Live’ is not supposed to focus on announcing new players in 2023, says the event’s host.
What is the ONL? The “Opening Night Live” (ONL) of gamescom is the grand opening show of the gaming event and is considered one of the most important events in the industry each year.
Many development studios and publishers use the prestigious event to announce their latest projects or unveil new details and enhance it all with impressive trailers.
The Opening Night Live 2022 showed us over 30 trailers. For example, we saw a preview of the zombie-slasher Dead Island 2, the upcoming shooter The Finals, as well as the highly debated “Harry Potter” game Hogwarts Legacy.
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Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube
What does Keighley say? In an interview with the English online magazine VideoGamesChronicle, Keighley recently spoke about the ONL of gamescom 2023 and what fans can expect from the show.
According to Keighley, the ONL 2023 will be less about announcing new games. Instead, viewers will get new insights into upcoming games:
It will be an exciting show with new insights into many announced games like Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong. This year’s ONL is less about announcing brand new projects, but rather about giving fans updates on some of the biggest games that will be released next year.
Who is Keighley anyway? Geoff Keighley is a Canadian video game journalist best known as the host of numerous gaming events.
He regularly hosts large shows where numerous trailers for various games are shown and acts as the face of the annual Game Awards and the Opening Night Live.
In addition, Keighley launched the “Summer Game Fest” in 2020, which in a way took the place of E3, which was also canceled in 2023.
With the new update for PS5, Sony allows you to operate your PlayStation 5 with two controllers simultaneously.
With the upcoming update 8.0 for PS5, Sony brings some special new features. The known features include:
3D audio for “Dolby Atmos” compatible audio devices
Support for M.2 SSDs with larger storage capacity
Mute the PS5 beep
New search function for games in your library/collection
Start video
Netflix could already be watched on the PS2 – 7 quirky facts about the PlayStation
More accessibility and fun in co-op
Which new feature stands out particularly? Thanks to the update, you have the option to assign a second DualSense as an so-called assist controller to a logged-in user account, thus using two controllers simultaneously. The PS5 processes the inputs from both controllers in parallel, as if only one controller was being used.
This brings many new possibilities for playing together.
If the controller is too unwieldy, another player can assist in challenging game segments.
Parents now have the option to support their children in difficult in-game situations (and vice versa, of course). Games can be enjoyed much more relaxed this way.
Of course, the feature also opens up entirely new avenues for party co-op.
How large will the download for the update be? Generally, the updates for PS5 range from several hundred megabytes to 3 gigabytes. The last beta patch was 1.1 gigabytes in size.
When will the update be released? The update has been available as a beta for a few weeks now. An official date is not yet known. If Sony adheres to its update routine, the update should be available for everyone at the latest by the end of September.
What do you think of the upcoming update? Which feature is your favorite?
Many items end up at the Baldur’s Gate 3 merchant or are just left behind. However, some players have discovered that items like water bottles are not just dead weight but can actually be helpful.
If you don’t have a barbarian and a warrior with you, your inventory is likely to be bursting at the seams. While there are helpful tips to save inventory space, there is simply too much loot.
Even if most items have no further use, there are some items you should keep – if only in small quantities. Often, you can use such items to find creative solutions in Baldur’s Gate 3.
A player on Reddit has compiled a list of “trash” items that are actually quite useful. Many other users are now sharing their best gadget items, leaving some faces stunned.
MeinMMO has picked the best items from the collection and added some personal experiences.
Start video
3 Tips to Reduce Your Carrying Weight in Baldur’s Gate 3
8 useful items and how to use them correctly
Water bottles: If you throw water on fire or acid, it will extinguish or wash away the spot. This way, you can save allies. Additionally, water washes the blood off characters so they don’t look like they’ve just stepped out of a butcher shop in cutscenes. Wizards can also electrify water, adding extra damage.
Disguise sets: With makeup, disguises, or the spell “Disguise Self,” you can deceive certain NPCs. For example, you can’t question a person you killed yourself using “Talk to the Dead” because they hate you. This can be done in disguised form.
Candles: If you place a candle on the ground, you can add fire damage to a weapon with the bonus action “Dipping” for free. This is especially useful in a melee group against opponents with physical resistance.
Oil flasks: When thrown, oil creates an area where opponents can slip. Additionally, you can ignite oil to hit multiple opponents or lubricate gears – no joke. If your strength isn’t sufficient to move something, just throw oil on it.
Shovel: Pretty self-explanatory, as you find mounds of earth early in the game that you can dig up. What many might not know is that you can also dig “blindly” with the shovel. If your entire group fails a perception or survival roll, just dig where the check didn’t succeed. With a bit of luck, you might hit the right spot.
Bags: Bags not only help you organize your inventory, but you can also fill them with explosives like alchemist’s fire. If you throw the bag and ignite it, it will explode. Very useful against many opponents.
Metal bars (or anything heavy): Heavy items can be quite annoying to carry, but you can drop or throw them on someone. This way, you can deal massive damage with minimal effort. Some druids even use their own weight to literally crush opponents. Tip: with more strength, you can throw further and deal more damage.
Raspberries: Normally, storage supplies can only be consumed for a long rest. However, you can eat raspberries directly to heal. This saves the relatively rare healing potions. So always keep an eye out for bushes.
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5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
Another tip: always take a look around your camp. Depending on where you camp, there may be a new spot where random items could be lying around. Check in crates or near bushes. At Shadowheart’s camp, there’s almost always a bundle of wormwood.
Do you know of any other items that absolutely should make it to this list? Leave us a comment!
You can find the best classes (and pack mules) in Baldur’s Gate 3 in our tier list:
The releaseof Starfield is drawing closer and the first fans are slowly getting impatient. Now theVice President of Bethesda has spoken.
On August 11, Pete Hines, Vice President and Sales Director of Bethesda Softworks, was asked by a user on Twitter about the status of the Next-Gen update for Fallout 4. Hines then replied that Starfield currently takes priority.
In the following conversation, a Starfield fan wanted to know when the role-playing game would be finished and when it would reach “Gold status”.
What did Hines respond? Hines responded briefly and succinctly and told the fan to take a deep breath: “Breathe deeply. I have a great team. We know what we are doing (via Twitter).”
If you haven’t seen the gameplay trailer for Starfield yet, you can catch up here:
Start video
Starfield – Official Gameplay Trailer
Only a few weeks until the release
What is the status of Starfield? The upcoming sci-fi role-playing game from Bethesda is about to be released on PC and Xbox Series X|S – the title will not be released for PS5.
On August 04, the preload of Starfield started on Steam and Xbox, but currently you can only download a few MB and not the full game. It is not known when exactly the actual preload starts and what detailed developmental status the game is currently in.
What’s next? After the extensive Starfield showcase in June, a Q&A with the developers will take place on August 16, 2023, at 7:00 PM German time. There, questions about the game that fans could submit until August 11 will be answered.
If there are new exciting updates about the role-playing game, its development status, or the release during the Q&A, you will learn about it on MeinMMO.
If you want to read more about Starfield in the meantime, we have compiled a list of 10 interesting details:
UCLA professors (University of California) in Irvine have published research findings from a study that show bots can solve the annoying captcha tests on websites faster and better than we humans.
“I am not a robot.”
What is a captcha test? Captcha tests, the scourge of the internet, are known to anyone who regularly uses the internet and has to solve randomly generated image or character tasks before entering text in online forms. Ideally, the requirements posed are easy for us humans to solve and at the same time serve as a technical barrier against malicious bots trying to flood online services like forums, guestbooks, and email registration with their automated requests.
Start video
Starfield shows the Chronomark watch of the Constellation Edition
The study: Human vs. Machine
How was it conducted? Gene Tsudik and his colleagues from UCLA conducted a study to find out how humans compare to bots when it comes to solving captcha tests as quickly and accurately as possible. They first analyzed the 200 most popular websites in the world, of which 120 use captcha tests. Then, 1,000 people from their candidate pool of various ages, genders, locations, and education levels had to solve 10 captcha tasks each.
What results were achieved? In comparison with the bots, humans consistently achieved poorer results. While human participants could demonstrate an accuracy between 50 and 84 percent in a test with distorted text and took between 9 and 15 seconds to solve the tasks, the bots were 99.8% error-free and completed the tasks in less than a second.
A race between website operators and bot developers
These results partially question the usefulness of captcha tests and thus also put the programming effort behind it for website developers to the test.
In this cat-and-mouse game, the technical requirements are becoming increasingly sophisticated to keep bots away from online forms while simultaneously attempting to circumvent the protection. Algorithms are already being developed that try to identify and block the interactions of bots on websites in the background instead of continuing to rely on annoying tests that must be solved by humans.
What are your experiences with captcha tasks? Do you find them unnecessary or do you see them as a necessary means against spam from bots?
To level up to 44 in Pokémon GO, you need to complete various tasks. However, one trainer is not happy about one of them at all. We will show you what that requirement is and how the community reacted to his complaint.
Which levels are involved? In Pokémon GO, you can not only catch and level up monsters, but also increase your trainer level. However, until the end of 2020, this was only possible up to trainer level 40. To reach this, you only needed one thing: a lot of experience points.
In December, this system was finally expanded and 50 was set as the new maximum level in the game. To achieve this, experience points alone were no longer enough, which is why Niantic additionally set tasks for each level-up that had to be completed beforehand.
And some trainers are not happy about this at all. This includes the Reddit user 2020Hills, who complained in a post about a task for level 44. But in the community, he receives different reactions than he hoped for. We have summarized what they are below.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season ‘Hidden Gems’ in the trailer
Trainer complains: In the GO Battle League, you play rock, paper, scissors
What task is involved? To reach level 44, you must not only gather 11,000,000 XP, but also win against trainers in the Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues 30 times each, as well as play in the GO Battle League 20 times. However, the user 2020Hills is not happy about this at all.
So he writes in his post on Reddit: Isn’t this fun… this is a fun game, right? Man, I love the Pokémon GO Battle League and pray that I have a type advantage to have a chance at victory… I love tapping on my screen and getting frustrated about the quirks of the Battle League… especially the Master League battles.
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What is so bad about the quests? The reason for his frustration is the numerous battles he has to complete and win against other trainers. He is particularly annoyed by the persistent bugs of the GO Battle League and the overall implementation of this battle format.
And he is not fundamentally alone in this.
For months, trainers of Pokémon GO have repeatedly complained about problems with PvP battles.
Moreover, players can use almost any monster in the Master League, with few exceptions, as the WP limit is open-ended there. This makes it especially difficult for newcomers to assemble the right team and bring the appropriate types into battle.
This is also criticized by 2020Hills, who writes the following in a comment under his post (via reddit.com):
The point is that in the GO Battle League at Master level, it is extremely important to have a type advantage in the first match and to be able to respond accordingly. In all other Pokémon formats, you plan your team based on who and where you fight, but in the GO Battle League, you play rock, paper, scissors.
Player finds: Those who want to reach level 50 should win battles in the Master League
Support from individual trainers: However, other players also seem to have their problems with these tasks. In the comments, you can find individual trainers who have also been struggling with this task for some time or are stuck on one of the other quests (via reddit.com):
Darrian96: I am already 10 million XP above the requirements for level 44 and I am still level 43, because I absolutely despise PvP in this game, which is why I will probably remain level 43 forever.
PsychologicalSet7596: I am at level 44 and have over 17 million of the required XP for leveling up. However, for me it is the Rocket bosses. At this point, I saw no reason to be motivated enough to level beyond 44, so I haven’t tried.
Trainers want to help him: Many players see the tasks for leveling up less rigidly. While they are also not fans of the GO Battle League, they have let friends help them complete the tasks. Some explain in the comments that they didn’t complete the battles in the GO Battle League at all, but played directly in the respective league against a friend.
He let them win every time after a mutual agreement so that they could complete the task. As a result, they did not need to choose a suitable team for the GO Battle League and thus bypassed the type advantage criticized by 2020Hills. For this reason, some also directly offer their help and express their willingness to assist him in completing the tasks in this manner.
Others, on the other hand, find collecting the required XP or future tasks no less demanding, as can be read in the comments (via reddit.com):
PuzzleheadedEffort94: Just find a friend to fight with, and ask him to use 10 CP Pokémon. You’ll have it done in no time.
slayzorbeam: It seems much faster to win 40 Master League battles than to get 11 million XP.
Fragrant_University7: Wait until you see the requirements for level 45.
Trainer finds tasks just right: Trainer Rude-Reaction8213 even goes as far as to find it reasonable that someone who wants to reach level 50 should have played in the GO Battle League. He writes in the comments (via reddit.com): Those who want to reach level 50 should, in my opinion, have to win a few battles in the Master League. Do you disagree?
Are you also having difficulties completing the challenges for leveling up? If so, where are you currently stuck? And do you also believe that one must have done everything in the game on the way to level 50? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Erik “Gronkh” Range is considered somewhat like the “big brother” of German Twitch. Many find it absurd that the 46-year-old is supposed to be “right-wing.” But that’s exactly what he is being accused of, because he has expressed criticism towards Shurjoka.
What is this accusation about? In a stream of the Twitch streamer Dara, better known as “DerRadikaleDemokrat,” one of his moderators stated on August 14, 2023, that Gronkh is probably “quite right-wing.” This can be seen in how he would “incite” against the streamer Pia “Shurjoka” Scholz.
This statement was subsequently spread by Theo “Scurrows” Bottländer on Twitter, where it eventually reached Gronkh himself, who commented on it.
Start video
Gronkh, the man with the voice – Career and life of Germany’s most famous Let’s Player
Streamer reviews the boycott of Hogwarts Legacy
This is the background: On August 14, 2023, Twitch streamer Dara, better known as “DerRadikaleDemokrat,” spoke about the boycott of the “Harry Potter” game Hogwarts Legacy. The boycott was successful in the short term, as it created increased media attention.
In hindsight, according to the Twitch streamer, it could have been handled better.
He explains that the “woke, progressive, leftist internet bubble” would have attracted a lot of hatred in the long run. Instead of calling for a boycott, they could have used the hype around the game to raise awareness of issues like transphobia.
DerRadikaleDemokrat says his Twitch colleague Gronkh actually had a good proposal. Gronkh had indeed shown Hogwarts Legacy on his channel but wanted to collect donations for organizations that advocate for trans rights at the same time.
However, Gronkh completely abandoned the idea of showcasing the game after the question arose of whether J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, could simply not matter to him, which earned him a shitstorm on Twitter. This would likely result in “losing one of the biggest influencers on the platform forever,” says DerRadikaleDemokrat.
In this context, the moderator’s statement was made.
What is meant by “incitement”? The moderator’s statement probably refers to a statement Gronkh made in early August. The Twitch streamer explained that he “let go” of the topic surrounding Shurjoka, who has faced intense criticism for months.
Gronkh, who generally wants to stay out of such disputes, expressed himself cautiously: He followed the topic with interest, but had to “only tear his hair out” on one side. Certain individuals, the 46-year-old said, he simply did not want to give a platform.
However, the Twitch streamer also makes it clear: At the beginning of the debate, lies about him were spread, but these only came from one side – that of Shurjoka.
Gronkh was particularly bothered by the portrayal that he didn’t actually have a “real shitstorm.”
Despite all the criticism, his fans and other content creators defended him at that time.
For Gronkh, it apparently came across as though the criticism directed at him was trivial since he was making money from it somehow. However, the criticism seemed to weigh heavily on him during this time; in his stream back then, he said he could hardly sleep.
An unedited version of the statement was posted by YouTuber Herr Newstime, which we have embedded here for you. It starts at 1:06.
https://youtu.be/5Q6Cflp6ZRE?t=66
How does Gronkh respond to the accusation? On Twitter, the 46-year-old shared a screenshot of the chat message “for amusement.” You just can’t make this up. He asks: “Twitch, is this actually okay?”
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Even now, Gronkh can count on the support of his fans and many of his colleagues from Twitch and YouTube. In the comments, they express their disbelief that he is supposed to be right-wing.
Others are upset on Gronkh’s behalf. The streamer Gnu writes: This makes her really angry (via Twitter). Shurjoka herself seems unhappy about being dragged into this way: she responded with a “facepalm” meme.
And indeed, the impact of the statement is already visible: “Gronkh” and “Shurjoka” are currently trending on Twitter. The week had started so nicely for the Twitch streamer:
In Baldur’s Gate 3 there are hundreds of weapons. Some are very strong on their own, while others only come into play under special circumstances. One such weapon is the Punch-Drunk Bastard. It only becomes really fun when you are drunk.
What kind of weapon is this? This weapon is a large club that you can find in one of the side areas of Act 2. It has a rather weak base damage of 1d8. However, it scores points with a unique property called Tippler’s Rage.
This effect grants you an advantage on attack rolls when you are drunk.
Additionally, each attack creates an explosion that causes 1-4 lightning damage at a distance of 3 meters.
To get drunk, any alcohol you consume shortly before the fight begins works. The state lasts for two turns. You can also drink another bottle as a bonus action.
Where can you find the weapon? You can find the weapon in Act 2 in The Waning Moon. This is a tavern in the city center near Moonrise Towers. However, to obtain it, you must win a drinking contest – a very fun and fitting endeavor.
The weapon is located in a back room, and when you approach it, you will be challenged by a monster. Although you can talk your way out of it with very good Charisma skills, you will very likely still have to fight.
It is advisable to wait a few rounds before attacking him and to carefully examine his properties.
Once you have won the fight, you can enter the back room by either searching the enemy’s pockets for the key or picking the lock. Besides the weapon, you will also find some useful alchemy components there.
If you are not only interested in curious weapons but builds in general, you should try out this assassin rogue. It shouldn’t actually work, but thanks to the special party compositions, it does:
Manacrew was originally intended to be a general website for MMORPGs, but soon after its official release, it focused almost exclusively on WoW. Now, the founder Andi has announced the end.
What kind of website was that? Manacrew was initially announced as a big MMORPG project without bullshit and with a lot of love. The centerpiece was supposed to be the website with all the important news and guides, which resembled more of a fansite than a news portal. It was meant to be complemented by a YouTube channel, livestreams, and a podcast.
What has happened now? In a video, Andi announced the discontinuation of Manacrew. From now on, no articles will be published there, but it remains online for the time being with the current state. On the associated YouTube channel, all videos – except for the latest – have been set to Unlisted.
Here you can listen to what Andi has to say. We will also address the most important points in the article:
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How did the development go? Rather bumpy. The portal went online much later and with far fewer features than originally planned. The release was intended for early/mid 2022, but in the end, Andi could only release the website just before Dragonflight in November.
After that, Manacrew also primarily focused on WoW. There were daily news and all kinds of guides. Some MMORPGs like Ashes of Creation were still supplemented with news, but many other games were left out. Side projects like the podcast (latest episode on the Dragonflight release in December 2022) or the livestreams were discontinued.
In several video blogs, he explained over months the circumstances and hurdles he encountered over time.
Why is he stopping now? In the end, Manacrew had almost become a WoW site again, like Vanion.eu, from which Andi actually wanted to separate. In the video, he shows the numbers from his old site, which he had taken over after the death of Patrick Vanion Michalczak and Manacrew:
Around the release of Shadowlands, Vanion.eu peaked at over 200,000 page views in one day and remained very consistent above 50,000.
The successor site Manacrew peaked at just under 50,000 page views, but was much more erratic. On bad days, it even went below 18,000.
Additionally, Andi explains that the numbers on YouTube have also dropped significantly. Instead of over 100,000 views on raid guides, he now usually only generates between 10,000 and 40,000.
These numbers, however, are not enough to finance a full-time person. Thus, there is also no money to pay additional employees who would then provide articles on other MMORPGs. He also assumes that the numbers will not improve in the future.
Additionally, it is made worse by the fact that he himself hardly plays WoW anymore. In the video, it is said: “I’ll be honest, I haven’t logged in for two or two and a half months.”
What happens now? Andi wants to completely distance himself from WoW. He wants to play games again for fun. The YouTube channel will soon be filled with new videos that show his personal journey into the future. And cooking will play a role.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was released on August 3 for PC (Steam, GOG). Since then, the developers have been rolling out numerous hotfixes to address bugs but are also working on the first major patch. Now, the Director of Publishing has already spoiled an upcoming feature.
In the community update from August 11, the developers promised that they are working on it. At the same time, there were a few interesting facts about the wizard Gale.
The exact contents are still unknown, but the Director of Publishing, Michael Douse, has already revealed what the team is currently working on.
What is this new feature? Douse spoke on Twitter with a fan about the possibility of visually customizing their character after it has already been created. This concerns custom characters, but also the “Dark Urge,” one of the origins.
So far, it is not possible to change a character’s appearance after the game has started. Players wish for an option like a mirror to adjust face and so on again. Something like this was also available in Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Launch Trailer for the Role-playing Game Baldur’s Gate 3
“Let me browse through all inventories”
On Reddit, users are sharing what features they would like to see in the first major patch. At the top of the list: seeing the inventory of all characters as long as one is in the camp.
At the moment, it is only possible to select items from characters in your own party. However, if you want something from a currently inactive character, you have to swap first. This is unnecessarily cumbersome. Other wishes include:
an improvement of “non-lethal” damage – currently, it is weighted the same as murder
the spell “Mage Hand” as a real spell, not just as a one-time spell per short rest
improvements to the inventory, such as assigning bags for specific item types
more customization options, such as hats and boots as cosmetic items
Towards the end of the game, in Act 3, some bugs should also be present that urgently need fixing and diminish the fun of the game right at the end. However, at the moment, relatively few players are affected by this. Some simply finish the game earlier:
The ZDF has not exactly distinguished itself with a new contribution to the “IEM Cologne 2023” tournament of CS:GO. The contribution seemed to many viewers like a mockery of the event and fans are responding with confusion.
What is presented in the report? The ZDF reports on what it is like to play the gaming classic “Counter-Strike” for a prize pool over four days. In doing so, the ZDF reporter portrays the e-sports athletes from the shooter as heroes of a “new digital world”, “which is still foreign to many.”
Some viewers have also noticed that the reporter uses a sarcastic tone at times and asks whether slaughtering, bombing, and dying would be fun.
You can watch the segment, which lasts about two and a half minutes, in full length in the ZDF media library.
In response to a fan’s comment that CS:GO has a lot to do with communication and team sports, the reporter does not delve further. Instead, he shifts to the topic of “merchandise” and explained that jerseys cost over 75 euros.
Furthermore, he highlights the following points, which are perceived as mocking by viewers:
Fans wait several hours to enter the arena to “watch others play computer games”
The avatars remain dead after the round; the players have nothing to fear except for a painful wrist.
At the tournament, there was also Counter-Strike 2 to play in advance. What it is about, you can see in the following video:
Start video
Counter-Strike 2 heralds a new era – The most important changes in the video
What are the reactions to the contribution? In social media, predominantly negative comments can be found regarding the ZDF contribution. Many players find the reporting “ridiculous” and express that they feel sad and angry about this contribution.
Some suspect the age of the reporter as the cause for the “negative mood” in the report. The reporter is 60 years old (via gameswirtschaft.de) and accordingly does not belong to the target audience of the event. A younger reporter might not have referred to CS:GO as a “foreign world for many.”
A user even offers himself to the ZDF as a reporter. He claims to know more about e-sports and would therefore like to create such reports himself.
To give you an impression of the mood on social media, we have selected some quotes:
mardy505: “How negative, condescending, and biased does ZDF report on e-sports?! That makes one so angry and sad.”
dat_olen: “There’s slaughtering, bombing, dying… Sorry ZDF, but that’s just a ridiculous report.”
Maggse: “It’s 2023 and the public broadcaster still can’t report reasonably about e-sports, a disgrace. The whole contribution serves only one purpose, to create as much negative sentiment against something that they don’t understand.”
Some users also feel reminded of the killer video game debate. The discussion revolved around whether video games would promote the willingness to use violence among children and youth. A study found that video games neither make children stupid nor violent but the opposite.
Moreover, many fans notice that the mentioned aspects also apply to football (via twitter.com). In football, for example, there are also jerseys to buy and the sport fills entire stadiums with athletes chasing a ball.
And yet, football is not reported on as if it were something strange. And CS:GO has been around since 2012. It has thus established itself.
