The release was originally planned for 2022, but there were issues with a Western partner for the game, which led to its postponement to 2023. The release is planned for PC and console.
Where do the new infos come from? In a 10-minute video, the developers of Throne and Liberty discussed the MMORPG. They specifically addressed the class system, PvP, and game world.
The video was published on YouTube, but it is only available in Korean with German subtitles. We have included a 3-minute edited version of the video here, which also shows some gameplay scenes.
Start video
Throne and Liberty Director Preview Highlights
Combining Weapon Types and Free Classes
What do the developers say about the class system? Throne and Liberty focuses on action-packed battles and forgoes fixed classes. Instead, you equip two weapons that define your role and determine your play style – this was already known.
Now, Design Director Lee Moon Sub revealed further details about the combinations of weapons:
Instead of being limited to a class defined by the game, players can adapt their weapons to the situation. Two different weapon types can be combined, and switching between them allows you to maximize strength.
This enables strategies to offset potential weaknesses. If players find themselves in a pinch, each weapon type offers defensive actions that can protect at the right moment.
Lee Moon Sub also mentioned that the developers are very proud of the free class system of Throne and Liberty, as players experience the joy of combining and configuring by linking the abilities of individual weapons.
What do the developers say about PvP? According to Design Director Lee Moon Sub, players in Throne and Liberty are free to choose whether or not to participate in PvP battles.
This should always make it clear, no matter where you are on the map, which PvP events and competitions are planned. This is intended to allow for strategic gameplay and to prevent players from unexpectedly finding themselves in PvP situations.
The competitions in Throne and Liberty are also supposed to be based on the backgrounds of the individual regions within the MMORPG and take place regionally. Players compete against each other for about 20 minutes with the goal of climbing a leaderboard.
Additionally, there are supposed to be guild wars, in which players fight for the acquisition of so-called “stones of ownership.” These battles are expected to require preparation and strategy, making the construction of a defensive zone potentially sensible. The guild that obtains one of the coveted stones benefits from enhanced abilities and the acquisition of necessary resources.
The Game World Offers Environmental Influences and Limitless Freedom
What do the developers say about the game world? The game world of the MMORPG will feature various weather and environmental influences with visual effects. These are intended to interact with players like organic beings, create a living world, and offer players a variety of opportunities.
This way, an ecosystem can change or a terrain may feel different depending on the situation. There will be predictable events such as a day-night cycle that allows you to plan and unpredictable influences like changeable weather, to which you must adapt as players.
Furthermore, the developers of Throne and Liberty refer to the game world as boundless freedom, which is also reflected in the word “Liberty” in the game title. The video states: “Liberty stands for the freedom to plunge into adventures in the game world.”
This freedom is one of the pillars of the MMORPG’s world and is meant to help people form connections.
Ultimately, the exchange with others, the creation of communities, and the discovery of oneself is the essence of an MMO, according to NCSoft. Players are meant to share memories and experiences with each other.
If you missed the information released about Throne and Liberty in November, you can read it on MeinMMO:
In keeping with the contemplative season, it will also be festive in Pokémon GO. But somemonsters fit particularly well with Christmas. We from MeinMMO will show you which ones they are and whether you can even catch them in the game at the moment.
Which monsters are we talking about? In Pokémon GO, there are currently a lot of winter monsters spawning for the Christmas event. However, one or the other specimen from the Pokémon universe fits particularly well for the contemplative time. In the following ranking, we will show you 9 Pokémon that, due to their festive appearance or their history, fit perfectly with Christmas.
We start our listing with the monsters for which you might not make a connection to Christmas at first glance, and end with the Pokémon that fits most obviously with the contemplative festival.
9. Frigometri
Frigometri
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Something that should not be missing at Christmas is snow. What monster is better suited than Frigometri? The ice Pokémon from the 5th generation of games resembles a snowflake and could thus at least create a white winter wonderland in Pokémon GO.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Yes, Frigometri can be found in Pokémon GO in accordance with the season and Christmas festival. With a little luck, you can encounter it in the wild. However, its shiny form is currently not available in the game.
8. Klingplim
Klingplim
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Klingplim is the pre-evolution of the psychic Pokémon Palimpalim. Visually, this little monster is meant to represent a golden bell. For this reason, it is also such a perfect candidate for Christmas.
During the Advent season, many people decorate their windows and Christmas trees with small bells, which is why Klingplim should not be missing. The red-and-white striped ribbons on the Pokémon’s head also reflect the typical festive colors of the Advent season.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Klingplim is already available in Pokémon GO and can currently be found in 5 km eggs. However, unlike its evolution Palimpalim, you cannot yet get it in its shiny form.
7. Rossana
Rossana
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Rossana is a fitting monster for the cold season just due to its ice type. However, those who know the Pokémon anime about Ash and his friends know that Rossana is much more. In the episode “Rossana’s Odyssey”, it serves as an assistant to Santa Claus. Therefore, Rossana should not be missing at the festival.
By the way: Rossana has more interesting facts to offer. What they are, we have summarized for you in the following article.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Yes, Rossana has been available to catch in Pokémon GO for quite some time. With a little luck, you might even encounter a shiny specimen.
6. Voltriant
Voltriant
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Another monster that one might initially associate less with Christmas is Voltriant. This Pokémon is actually an Ultra Beast that arrived in the world of Pokémon GO through an Ultra Wormhole from another dimension.
Nevertheless, Voltriant has a striking appearance that could basically fit well with the Christmas season. The body of the electric Pokémon resembles a string of lights. And these are commonly used during the Christmas season for decorating houses or Christmas trees.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Yes, Voltriant has previously been available multiple times in special level-5 raids. However, the Ultra Beasts currently play a rather minor role in Pokémon GO, which is why you will not find the monster during this Christmas season.
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Another monster that should not be missing during Christmas is Damhirplex. The normal Pokémon from the second generation of games visually resembles a kind of reindeer, which thematically perfectly fits with Santa Claus.
During the holidays, it can also be found with a bell collar, which again reminds us that Damhirplex would be perfectly suited to pull Santa’s sleigh.
With the introduction of the Hisui region, it finally got the evolution Damythir in the main game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which looks even more wintery. With the help of its psychic powers, it can also distort space and create invisible walls, which could definitely be useful for Santa when delivering gifts.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? You can already catch Damhirplex in Pokémon GO for some time. With a bit of luck, you might even encounter a shiny specimen in the wild. However, its evolution is currently not available in the game.
4. Lichtel
Lichtel
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? To shorten the waiting time until Christmas, many people light candles on the Advent Sundays. And even in one or the other Christmas tree, real candles can still be found. So which monster should fit better in this context than Lichtel?
The ghost and fire Pokémon usually plays a central role in the game around Halloween time but would also perfectly fit into the contemplative time due to its candle-like appearance.
By the way: With Skelabra, Lichtel also has a really strong evolution. The monster can rely on strong attack values and moves, which means it is among the best attackers in Pokémon GO.
We have summarized more strong attackers in Pokémon GO in the following video:
Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Lichtel can be found in the game throughout the year. It had its own Community Day in October 2022, during which it could also be caught in its shiny form for the first time. However, it is not expected to play a role in Pokémon GO during the Christmas event.
3. Mega-Gewaldro
Mega-Gewaldro
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? Mega-Gewaldro is the temporary Mega Evolution of the plant Pokémon Gewaldro. It has a green body with a long bushy tail that resembles a Christmas tree.
In its Mega Evolution, numerous multicolored orbs also extend over the back of the monster, and the tree-like tail becomes even more pronounced. Thus, Mega-Gewaldro resembles a decorated Christmas tree, which makes it a perfect candidate for the holidays.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Mega-Gewaldro is recently active in Pokémon GO and can be triggered with the help of 200 Mega Energy at a Gewaldro. Its pre-evolution Geckarbor can sometimes be found in the game and can be evolved into Gewaldro via Reptain.
With a little luck, you might even discover a shiny specimen. However, during the Christmas event, Gewaldro and its pre-evolutions play a lesser role.
2. Jirachi
Jirachi
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? One monster that many trainers would see during the Christmas event is Jirachi. The mysterious Pokémon is known as a “Wishing Pokémon”.
According to legend, the monster falls into a thousand-year sleep. During this time, people can attach their wishes to the body of the Pokémon, which it fulfills as soon as it awakens from its sleep.
Also, during Christmas time, the theme of wishing is central, which is why Jirachi thematically fits perfectly into the contemplative time and could also experience a Christmas miracle or two. With its distinctive head shape, Jirachi would also look good at the tip of the Christmas tree.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Yes, Jirachi has already been caught in the past through the special research “A Thousand Year Sleep”. However, it has not appeared again since then.
However, current finds by the Pokéminers indicate that a shiny form could potentially be found in the game soon. Whether this will be a spontaneous surprise by the end of the year or if Jirachi will be part of the Hoenn tour next year remains to be seen.
Why does this monster fit so well with Christmas? The monster that fits most obviously with Christmas is Botogel. The ice and flying Pokémon visually resembles Santa Claus himself.
The penguin-like monster has a white bushy plumage on its face, reminiscent of a full beard. Its remaining body is red, like Santa’s coat. The Pokémon also has a long sack-like tail that it holds in its hand. In this bag, it stows away numerous items, such as food or herbs, resembling a gift sack.
Can you catch it in Pokémon GO? Yes, Botogel can primarily be caught in the wild during the cold season. With a bit of luck, you might even encounter a shiny specimen. And also during the Christmas event, Botogel is always a fixed part.
Which Pokémon do you think belong perfectly in the Christmas season? And are you hoping for a chance at a shiny Jirachi soon? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange thoughts on this topic with other trainers.
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker tells a story about the impending end of the world. The developers explain in an interview how the Corona pandemic changed the story of the expansion.
This happens in Endwalker:The Endwalker expansion was particularly special for FFXIV on several levels. In this addon, a storyline was concluded that the developers had started over 10 years ago.
It tells the story of the impending end of the world, where people are overwhelmed by despair and turn into terrible monsters. Alongside their allies and friends, it is the players’ task to stop this catastrophe.
At the same time, the development of Endwalker fell right in the midst of the Corona pandemic and the associated lockdowns. To avoid infection, many developers had to quickly move their work to home office, and Square Enix was no exception.
The experiences of the pandemic and isolation led story writer Natsuko Ishikawa and lore master Banri Oda to adjust the story of Endwalker.
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV Trailer for Update 6.3
“It felt too optimistic”
The developers say: The director of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, reveals in an interview with IGN that work on the story of Endwalker began in early 2020. In March of that year, the World Health Organization declared the Corona outbreak a global pandemic, leading to lockdowns and drastic travel restrictions in many countries around the world.
[…] If you were to ask me whether these things that happened in real life overlap with those in the game, I would say yes. That is very true. There are various moments when that happens. […]
Lore Master Banri Oda
When the first waves of Corona arrived and we experienced our first lockdown, the world was confused and in panic. That was when I started introducing the first changes to the complete story of Endwalker. When I thought of the original version of the story and imagined it being played by people who had experienced this global pandemic, it felt too optimistic. It felt like it did not reflect reality.
Scenario Writer Natsuko Ishikawa
Apparently, the original version of the story of Endwalker was a more positive one than the one that was published. The adjustments made by Ishikawa regarding the story seemed to be associated with the depiction of the end of the world. It closely resembles a virus in Endwalker.
People who are overcome by despair turn into monsters. This, in turn, drives other people around them to despair as well, causing them to transform too. It’s like a disease that spreads faster the more people are affected.
It was not my intention to describe and depict the pandemic as it is. I just imagined that the people playing our game would feel the effects of the Corona virus. People can understand how fear spreads and recognize that those are terrifying events. We have taken this into account in the depiction of the scenes [in Endwalker].
Scenario Writer Natsuko Ishikawa
Isolation was also a theme that the developers addressed in the addon. The composer Masayoshi Soken speaks of a moment at the end of Endwalker when the player character is alone and his friends, who supported him along the way, are far away from him.
This moment should capture the lonely feeling of the lockdown that many people felt when they could not visit their friends and family for many months.
In the game, there is a moment when you are physically separated from your allies you traveled with before. However, you can still feel them. It should convey the feeling that even though you cannot see them […], you can still perceive their presence. And you know they are still watching over you. […]
I think it describes the situation with the pandemic very well. We have this game, and although people are not physically next to each other or can see each other, they are still connected. They can still share an experience together.
Composer Masayoshi Soken
Meanwhile, work on FFXIV has returned to its usual rhythm. The developers release a new content update about every 4 months, with the latest one set to come out on January 10.
Even the fan festivals, which only took place online during Corona, are returning to their physical form. Fans in Europe, the USA, and Japan will celebrate their favorite MMORPG on-site in 2023/24 and look forward to the announcement of the next addon.
The latest expansion of World of Warcraft and the new class can be played for free – at least for a while.
No matter how you look at it, the latest expansion of World of Warcraft, Dragonflight, is being praised from all sides. However, many are still unsure whether they should really trust Blizzard – the last expansion, Shadowlands, was too disappointing.
For such skeptics and undecided players who have not yet been able to commit to buying Dragonflight, Blizzard now has a special offer: You can try Dragonflight for free.
What’s included in the “trial version”? Those who participate in the trial version of Dragonflight can create a character of the new class “Evoker.” So you can directly play a Dracthyr and experience the introductory questline of the class.
After that, you can take the boat to the Dragon Isles from Stormwind or Orgrimmar and also play the “Waking Shore,” meaning the first area. Your journey goes up to level 63. During this time, you can already check out a lot of content:
The new class “Evoker” of the Dracthyr
The first chapter of the Dragonflight campaign
The new professions system with the specializations
Two of the new dungeons: Ruby Life Pools and Nokhud Offensive
All quests in the Waking Shore
Start video
WoW Cinematic: The Unleashed Storm
What are the requirements? To be able to play the “trial version” of Dragonflight, only two requirements must be met:
You must have an active subscription for World of Warcraft.
Until when is the offer valid? The “trial version” of Dragonflight can be played until January 2, 2023. Anyone who wants to continue their adventures on the Dragon Isles afterwards or wants to continue playing the Evoker must ultimately decide to purchase Dragonflight.
If you have a little downtime “between the holidays” and are still unsure whether Dragonflight is right for you, this offer at least allows you to safely check it out and see if the “current hype” can convince you.
Will you take advantage of the offer or at least point your still undecided friends towards it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diablo 4 brings back NPC companions, but many details about this system in the new action RPG are still unclear. The developers have now provided a small insight into which direction it might go.
The new Diablo 4 plans to release on June 6, 2023 – so it will be another 6 months before we can show those damned demons their bloody limits.
Since the release is still a while away, not all details about the title are clear yet. There are still many questions about the endgame, including the companion or mercenary system.
In Diablo 2 & 3, you could organize, build, and equip NPC helpers. A popular system for solo players who then didn’t have to travel through the dark world all alone.
The developers have remained largely silent about how the companion system in Diablo 4 will look. However, during a play event, the colleagues from the US site “PCGamesN” managed to squeeze some information out of the developers.
<strong>Diablo 4 takes the best features from the predecessors – Here is what it looks like so far</strong>
Diablo 4: Companions – Seems to lean more towards Mercenaries
What have the developers said about it? They don’t want to reveal or promise too much at the moment. During the first play events of Diablo 4, it became clear that NPCs will occasionally fight on your side during the campaign. They will stay for one or two dungeons or missions.
It was quite similar in Diablo 3. Here, you also met companions during the campaign and completed a few missions with them.
More than these “campaign NPCs” is currently not being promised. However, PCGamesN has published a few more quotes from the developers during a play event (via pcgamesn.com):
For the launch version of the game we do have some places in the story in particular where you will have certain named NPCs following you and helping you out as you figure out what Lilith is doing in the world. […] We don’t have anything to announce about the Diablo 2-type follower that you hire – we’re sticking it to the campaign for now. […] stay tuned, we may have something in the future to announce but no promises.
For the release version, we have some places in the story where certain NPCs will follow you and help you to figure out what Lilith is doing in the world. […] We have nothing to announce about the Diablo 2-like follower that you hire – we are sticking to the campaign for now. […] Stay tuned, we may have something to announce in the future, but we promise nothing.
Lead Class Designer Adam Z. Jackson to PCGamesN
PCGamesN writes that another developer reacted suspiciously to this statement – Dungeon Producer Ash Sweetring. The US site suggests that the reaction was quite obvious.
Currently, it is still unsure whether and in what form a companion or mercenary system will play a role in Diablo 4. However, the statements made suggest such a system and it could lean more towards Diablo 2, that is, the mercenary system.
How does it work in Diablo 2? Throughout the story acts, you can hire different mercenaries. Depending on which act you hire the mercenary in, the NPCs have certain weapons and attributes that differ from one another.
As long as you have a mercenary with you, they level up with you. The starting level of the NPCs is determined by the chosen difficulty level and the current story act. Additionally, the NPCs have a few equipment slots to improve them.
If a mercenary goes down, the vendors associated with the system demand gold for a resurrection. If you want to get rid of the old mercenary, you can simply buy a new one.
Which system do you prefer? How would you bring NPC companions into the game? Do you even need that? Leave a comment on the subject.
In 2022, several MMORPGs and online games were shut down again. We at MeinMMO present to you 9 online games that you can no longer play. Additionally, at the end, there are more games that are facing closure.
Which games died in 2022? 2022 claimed several well-known names, including MMORPGs that were released only a few months or years ago, but also a very popular PC game, TERA. We present these games in detail and explain why they failed.
Who’s talking here? Alexander Leitsch is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO and has played most of the now-shut down MMOs himself. Therefore, he summarizes special moments from his perspective.
For the remaining content, gender did not play a role. The leveling phase was quick, almost too quick, and the endgame featured mainly arena content such as Capture the Flag, a MOBA arena, and guild battles.
For PvE players, the first dungeon was available at level 18. Later, at level 60, there were heroic dungeons that were supposed to be particularly difficult. The max level in the game was 70. However, many probably did not make it that far.
Moreover, the combat system in the early stages was painfully simplistic, as enemies did almost no damage, players leveled up incredibly quickly, and there was auto-pathing to quest locations. Users on Steam report that many bosses posed no challenge even in the endgame with the right gear.
The performance was also catastrophic at release. There were numerous disconnects, FPS drops, and lags. Another major point of criticism was the shop, where players could buy weapons and armor directly for real money that played a significant role in PvP. It was clearly pay-to-win. Additionally, expensive skins, including mounts costing nearly 200 euros, were available.
What are the best memories? I will always associate Eternal Magic with discovering stolen assets.
I don’t have many positive memories related to the gameplay, except perhaps the fact that I was constantly bombarded with new abilities, which was somewhat enjoyable at least at the beginning.
Are there alternatives or successors? There are many MMORPGs that do a better job than Eternal Magic, including the previously mentioned WoW and Guild Wars 2. Even Aion or Blade & Soul are significantly better games.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Epic Game Store is the hate object for every Steam lover, the home of Fortnite fans, and a “I get free games here” platform for pretty much everyone else. On December 25th, the free game “Death Stranding: Director’s Cut” was offered as a gift, but it turned out to be too popular. The gift caused server crashes and was withdrawn after about an hour: After that, only the standard version was available. Epic Games explains what really happened.
This was the plan: Epic Game Store usually gives away games weekly, between November 24 and December 1 there was something like “Star Wars Squadrons.”
But before Christmas, they wanted to ramp it up and switched to: “A new free game every day.” Since December 15, players can get a free PC game every day, such as Wolfenstein: The New Order (December 20) or 3 games from the Fallout series (December 22).
From December 25 to 26, there was supposed to be a special treat, the “Director’s Cut” of Death Stranding, a game from 2019 by the cult game designer Hideo Kojima (59). The Japanese game developer has built his legendary reputation over 35 years with the “Metal Gear Solid” series and many brilliant ideas.
That it was really supposed to be the “Director’s Cut” and not just the standard version was confirmed by customer support staff to curious inquirers: This can be read on reddit.
Start video
Death Stranding – Launch Trailer
Surge on Director’s Cut caused the servers to crash
What happened then? Death Stranding is not an ordinary game, but a game that caused a huge hype at release. After all, Hideo Kojima is considered by many to be something like “the master of game development.” So it’s a game that you might as well pick up for free even if you generally don’t care for the genre.
Thanks to the Director’s Cut, the download on Epic Games Store was even interesting for those who had already played through the base game three years ago at release and were now hoping for free content.
When the Director’s Cut was made available for free, people apparently flooded Epic Games so much that the servers crashed. On Christmas Day, you have time for such things.
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Classic “Too much demand” server crash at 6:20 PM on December 25.
How did Epic Games react? Epic Games replaced the “Death Stranding: Director’s Cut” version with the “Death Stranding: Standard Edition” after about an hour:
Those who had previously downloaded the Director’s Cut could keep it – and even download the Standard Edition too
Those who had not downloaded the Director’s Cut right away could only download the Standard Edition and otherwise missed out
The “Director’s Cut” was allegedly a mistake, should never have been released
What happened there? As Epic Games reported on Weibo in China, an Epic employee made the mistake of releasing the “Director’s Cut” edition by replacing the standard version with the Director’s Cut.
However, there was no agreement with the publisher; Epic was only allowed to release the standard version.
Currently, they are discussing the next steps with the publisher (via reddit).
What is the difference between the two versions? The “Director’s Cut” version has items, abilities, features, missions, and mods that are not available in the standard version: For example, there is a shooting range for players to test their skills, or a racetrack.
Meanwhile, Death Stranding 2 has already been announced:
Dragon Age is one of the most well-known RPG series of all time. “Soon,” part 4 will be released, but before that, developer BioWare decided to team up with a studio to release a series on Netflix. Dragon Age: Absolution has only 6 episodes, but MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is absolutely thrilled about it.
Since December 9, Absolution has finally been available on Netflix. The series consists of only 6 episodes, each less than 30 minutes long. I watched the entire series in just one evening and was absolutely thrilled.
But I must say right away: The fan of the series speaks from me. Absolution is a really good series, but it can’t compete with the worldwide success of the LoL series Arcane in many respects.
So why do I still recommend the series to you? Quite simply: You don’t have to wait for a new episode every week and don’t need multiple days in a row. Absolution can be comfortably “binged” all at once. However, you really need to immerse yourself in the series.
Here is the first trailer for Absolution:
Start video
The first trailer for Dragon Age: Absolution
The greatest strengths of Absolution are also its greatest obstacles
First of all, I don’t want to spoil anything that isn’t already known in advance. So don’t worry, I won’t reveal anything about the story. However, there are three points I want to address because all three make Absolution really good – and block its success.
1. The duration is “just enough”
At under 3 hours, Absolution is shorter than many films. Whoever manages to watch a part of The Lord of the Rings can also easily watch Absolution in one sitting. Dragon Age manages to tell the most important things here. At the same time, many interesting details remain mere hints that could have been more. Which brings me directly to point 2 …
2. You have to be a fan
Dragon Age: Absolution dives as deeply into the world of Thedas as the games do. At every corner, there is a reference to the games, familiar characters and locations are mentioned.
As a fan, it is a revelation to finally see more of the magical empire of Tevinter, to see the cities and culture in image and sound, and not just from the stories of an NPC. Even some of the murals look just like artworks from Dragon Age.
But that also means: If you haven’t played Dragon Age or haven’t played it for long, you won’t understand the hype and many wordplays. A little quote on that: “I survived things that make the Deep Roads look like a walk in the park.” A strong statement when you know what the Deep Roads are.
3. The style is very distinctive
Absolution is an animated series whose style is roughly based on cartoons from the 90s and early 2000s. If you played Dragon Age when it was new, you are probably at the right age for this style to evoke some nostalgia in you.
However, this is not necessarily contemporary anymore. If you take Arcane as a comparison again, the pure quality of Riot’s masterpiece is simply much higher.
Especially the humor got me. Dragon Age: Absolution is quite serious, even bloody, and a bit more adult than Arcane. At the same time, the dark gallows humor of some characters runs through the series, which make jokes at sometimes very inappropriate moments, giving Absolution a macabre, grotesque touch that I rarely see otherwise.
In general, Absolution reminds a lot of a Dragon Age with its characters. The group is somehow wildly mixed, there is a certain character development, and everyone presents impressive skills that you know… if you have played Dragon Age.
Nevertheless: If you have 3 hours free and nothing to do, you should check out Absolution. If you already know Dragon Age, the references are super cool. If you don’t know it, you might get interested.
A somewhat different view is represented by our MeinMMO demon Cortyn:
Cortyn says: Dragon Age: Absolution is, in my opinion, rather in the middle of good series adaptations. On the one hand, I found the CGI in the series very disturbing, as it contrasted poorly with the rest of the animation style. On the other hand, “Absolution” was quite poor in animations. As someone who has always followed anime and animated series, I quickly recognize when “simple” work has been done and there are almost still images where only the lips are animated. This is not the case all the time, but it stands out negatively.
Lastly, DA: Absolution is incredibly unfriendly to newcomers from my perspective. If you don’t know the world of Dragon Age, you won’t fully understand a lot in the series. For fans of the RPG games, Absolution is great, but if you watch it with someone who doesn’t know the games, you’ll have to explain something frequently – because Absolution doesn’t explain much itself and may occasionally leave newcomers confused and annoyed.
Therefore, DA: Absolution also doesn’t come close to Arcane for me – neither in terms of animation quality nor in terms of story. A series must – in my opinion – be able to stand on its own. Unfortunately, Absolution could not.
And while you’re at it: Editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski also has a tip or two:
Winning in Fortnite is really difficult, after all, 99 other players are out to get you. But when no one looks up – then it suddenly becomes quite easy.
“What the hell has happened here,” I thought when I jumped back into Fortnite a few weeks ago. I had taken quite a long break from the battle royale, but the devastating chapter-ending event drew me back in.
And it was these skills that captivated me. I find it super entertaining how varied matches become due to the 4 more or less random skills per game.
Some skills are more useful than others. For example, there is a balloon skill that constantly gives you up to three balloons on your back, lifting you up. I find that funny, but usually, the skill ensures that I get blown away quite quickly.
Except for that one round. In that one everything worked perfectly together, and I got the ideal abilities to become what I actually can’t stand: a really bad camper.
Infinite arrows + balloons + a pinch of luck = easy victory
This equation summarizes my perhaps best round in Fortnite of all time quite well. More or less by chance, I got gear in this match that would prove to be quite OP.
The balloon skill. With that, I stuck to the sky for basically the entire match.
Two skills that provided me with an explosive bow and then automatically regenerating arrows.
The ability to mark opponents with precision rifles or bows.
And also a strong DMR sniper rifle and this legendary sword-throwing thing from the boss in the castle in the middle.
This thing fires precise swords over long distances that also explode. Super weapon principle, 10/10 points.
I also had a shockwave hammer. That was supposed to save me if someone ever shot me out of the sky.
Up in the sky, no one had me on their radar
You can probably guess where this combination leads: I was hanging almost constantly up high in the sky and didn’t fall. The balloons also regenerated constantly, so I simply didn’t touch the ground during the entire match.
On top of that, I had the perfect weapons to spread terror over long distances. I didn’t even have to be particularly precise: the exploding swords and explosive arrows also caused trouble for opponents even if I didn’t hit them perfectly.
And then luck came into play: no one looked up in this match until the end. Every time I took someone out on the ground, it remained without consequences.
With the colorful balloons, I was actually an easily recognizable target, but no one realized that arrows and swords were raining down on them from the sky. In this case, you can hardly do anything – in zero-build mode, you can’t just raise cover.
One player made it difficult for me: he shouldn’t have looked up either, but he consistently escaped my attacks through clever sprints and evasive maneuvers. Annoying for him that another guy took him out from close range – I could hardly believe my luck.
I admit: it was a pretty mean tactic that one could probably call camping. Because effectively, I didn’t really do anything except collect kills and move minimally. But I couldn’t help it, it just worked too well.
This continued until the circle was forced to tighten into a small area. The last opponent had barricaded himself in a house, but he also had to come out – only to once again be exposed to the exploding swords and arrows.
This is what the last circle looked like from the opponent’s perspective in the replay – no wonder it was hard to hit
When he finally noticed where the attacks were coming from, it was too late. I was under fire for the first time in the match, but I caught him before he could catch me.
Barely any cover was ideal
Thus ended perhaps the easiest round I would ever play in Fortnite, with a victory. I had a somewhat clouded camper conscience – but damn, that round was fun.
So it makes sense that I tried it again in a later match when I got the balloons. What should I say: after about two minutes, someone had me in their sights, and I fell pathetically to my death. So it will probably remain with this one perfect round – but who knows. Maybe the balloons will turn out to be a recipe for success for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO today, on December 27th, the Spotlight Hour starts with Petznief. We’ll show you everything about the bonuses, Shinies, and the times of the event here.
What kind of event is this? Every Tuesday, a Spotlight Hour takes place in Pokémon GO. At the beginning of a month, the developers decide which Pokémon you can encounter in the following weeks. These will then appear very frequently in the wild on their respective event days. This is accompanied by a bonus.
Today, you will encounter Petznief during the Spotlight Hour and receive more candies.
Spotlight Hour on December 27th – Start, Bonuses, Shiny
When does it start? As always, the event starts at 6:00 PM local time. It is active for one hour and ends for you at 7:00 PM local time.
What bonuses are there? In the wild, you will encounter Petznief nearly everywhere. This Pokémon comes from the fifth generation of games and is of the Ice type. Its evolution is called Siberio.
Another bonus is active during the event time: You will receive double the amount of candies for sending Pokémon.
The Spotlight Hour with Petznief is the last one for December 2022. In our event overview for January 2023, you can see how the Spotlight Hours will continue:
Can you catch Shiny Petznief? Yes, you can catch the shiny version of Petznief in Pokémon GO. However, the chances are not increased during the Spotlight Hour. In the following graphic, we show you the comparison between the normal version and the shiny version:
Is the Spotlight Hour worth it today? Neither in PvP nor in PvE do Petznief and Siberio have notable strength. Many will use the Spotlight Hour today to tidy up their collection and take advantage of the candy bonus for sending Pokémon.
In League of Legends, the new top laner K’Sante has been active for nearly a month and a half. In a Chinese LoL tournament, the “Demacian Cup”, professional players are now showing for the first time what is possible with this champ: In the hands of weak players, K’Sante is terrible, but in the hands of the best, he becomes a monster.
When K’Sante was released and the “normal players” tried him out, they often failed: K’Sante’s win rate dropped to about 43.50% (via dexerto). This is indicative of a champion who is clearly too weak: Therefore, the first buffs have already come in the patches.
Now, however, the first major tournament in LoL is taking place again: the Demacian Cup in China, where K’Sante can shine.
Start video
K’Sante Champion Spotlight – League of Legends
K’Sante enters the meta in LoL at the top
How strong is K’Sante perceived? K’Sante is assessed as a strong top lane pick in the tournament, which can already be seen from his high “Pick&Ban” rate (via oracleselxir):
He has a rate of 52.8% – this is 5th place, only Varus, Yuumi, Fiora, and Syndra have higher values
K’Sante was picked in 24 games, this is 5th place among the champs overall – of the 24 games, he won 63% of his matches
K’Sante’s solo kill against Aatrox highlights his strength
In which play does his strength become clear? There is a play that shows K’Sante’s strength. Here, the top laner from Thunter Talk Gaming, Hoya, plays against Bin on Aatrox, an excellent top laner.
K’Sante can triumph here with his skills and secure a clear solo kill, a rarity at this level.
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How is the Demacian Cup going? The Demacian Cup this year is somewhat going against expectations because “all the big teams” have already been eliminated: JDG Gaming, Royal Never Give Up, and EDward Gaming, the big Chinese teams that were also present at the Worlds, have all been eliminated.
In the finals, there are “relatively unknown teams” such as Bilibili Gaming and ThunderTalk Gaming.
How is K’Sante discussed now? By now, it is widely agreed that K’Sante is a “high skill tank”: You have to hit your skills, then the champion is strong. In the hands of experts, he becomes a monster.
But whoever misses every ability with him will look terrible on K’Sante and will curse the champ.
On Twitch, the streamer Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam became one of the top 10 streamers in 2022 with gambling streams. Now he says that 90 of the 100 top streamers on Twitch would massively use viewbots to inflate their viewer counts. That’s why they are so obsessed with him.
This is what Trainwreck says: In a livestream from December 23, the casino streamer Trainwreck explained:
I have the impression, and I am sure, that among the top 100 at least 90 are obviously using viewbots – not just a little, we are talking about massive viewbotting. […] I mean, now it all makes sense. This could of course also be some delusional schizo shit, maybe I am just trying to cope with the situation, but, from everything I know: No, probably not.
I have wondered for so long, why are streamers who are as big as me or have 20,000 average viewers more than I do, why are they so afraid of me? Why is so much being said behind my back?
Trainwreck explains the interest of large streamers in him by stating that the “brand-friendly shit losers” are so concerned about him because they are not as big as they seem.
“Brand-friendly” refers to streamers who produce “family-friendly, safe” content, where brands are happy to advertise and make deals: So streamers who don’t curse much, don’t do offensive things, don’t gamble, and appear somewhat normal. Trainwreck, as someone who massively promotes gambling, is considered a streamer who would never qualify as a advertising partner for large, established companies. The German YouTuber ApoRed had the same problem.
“Not Logged In Viewers” as Evidence of View Bots
Why does Trainwreck believe this? The streamer says he has access to “not so user-friendly, very cody” sites that provide him insight into further statistics.
According to the statistics:
Other top streamers on Twitch would have viewers who are logged in only 45% to 85% of the time
He, on the other hand, and the Twitch streamer Summit1g would have an audience that is logged in 99% of the time
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Trainwreck believes that viewers who are not logged in could be viewbots because Twitch does not provide a good experience when not logged in, especially on mobile.
Therefore, he believes that some streamers “aren’t as big as they seem.”
Trainwreck says he doesn’t even think all streamers are consciously cheating. He says: Some might even have crazy fans who want to help their streamer succeed with viewbots.
Start video
Twitch: Who were actually the first successful streamers?
How is this being discussed? On reddit, they believe Trainwreck has used view bots himself to make his casino streams, for which he received massive amounts of money, look large and successful – and is now projecting his own misdeeds onto others.
Another explains: Other streamers are primarily concerned with Trainwreck because he drives “easily influenced young viewers” into the clutches of online casinos with his casino streams. Therefore, many wish he would stop.
A third adds: It’s not that big Twitch streamers are obsessed with Trainwreck, rather it’s the other way around, and Trainwreck is obsessively concerned with other big streamers, especially HasanAbi and Pokimane.
What’s behind this: Viewbots are indeed a tricky topic on Twitch, as it’s hard to see through. It’s quite possible that someone has found ways to beautify their viewer numbers.
Anyone who is online will have received emails promising to give them more followers on various platforms for a small fee, but well.
Trainwreck is currently working on building his own streaming platform:
In Destiny 2 there are countless weapons that players could and still can collect in their career as Guardians. However, some of them are not only strong but also look stylish. For this reason, we present to you the 5 most beautiful legendary weapons that have ever existed in the loot shooter.
How did we arrive at our result? Our author and long-time Guardian Christos Tsogos has been roaming the loot shooter since the beginning of Destiny 2 and has thus handled all sorts of firearms. From rifles to swords, everything was there, and yet one factor could not be overlooked when selecting the weapons, and that is their appearance.
For this reason, our author sat down, looked at all the weapons in Destiny 2, and picked five of the most beautiful killing machines. Special attention was paid to ensure that the designs are striking and especially impressive weapons that do justice to their corresponding theme.
Here we have once again embedded the trailer for Lightfall, the upcoming DLC:
Start video
Destiny 2: Trailer for Lightfall shows new race – Guardians get cool lasso, swing like Spider-Man
The 5 most beautiful legendary weapons
Note that our list is an opinion that does not refer to functionality and strength. It is solely about appearance. Now let’s move on to the first weapon.
1. The Pursuit of the Thought Twister
The Pursuit of the Thought Twister
What kind of weapon is this? This is a rather rustic underlever shotgun that resembles the Star Dust package of the Vagabond. However, this model is covered in bones and apocrypha of the Hive. A very impressive weapon, as it makes its engravings on the casing glow with every shot fired.
2. Duty Bound
Duty Bound
What kind of weapon is this? Here we have a very striking auto rifle with a rustic design and wide casing. The rifle also has a huge bayonet under its barrel and bears three insignia on the left side above the magazine. With this rifle, you can not only make an impression but also instill fear in your opponents.
3. Adhortative
Adhortative
What kind of weapon is this? This pulse rifle is a known design derived from the Machina Dei 4 and the pulse rifle No Time to Explain. The difference is, however, that Bungie has overgrown the weapon with leaves and moss. Thus fitting to the setting of the then Vex invasion. A cool but also aged weapon, whose wrinkles of age are clearly visible.
4. Venerated
Venerated
What kind of weapon is this? The Venerated is a very flashy sniper that still sets subtle accents. Not only is the rifle gilded and adorned with amethysts, but it also features a loyalist flag wrapped around the casing. The colors and design harmonize perfectly and ensure a pleasant use.
5. Hero of the Ages
Hero of the Ages
What kind of weapon is this? Finally, a sword must not be missing, and which one would better fit in our collection than a medieval two-hander. The Hero of the Ages is not only plain but stands out due to its relatively inconspicuous design in the futuristic sword collection. So if you have always wanted to charge into battle as a space knight, this sword is the perfect choice.
These were our 5 most beautiful legendary weapons in Destiny 2 that have existed so far. Bungie still has enough time to bring more examples to the market, until then we ask you. Did we meet your taste or do you have other stylish favorites that you prefer over our candidates? Feel free to leave us a comment on that!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The German Twitch streamer Marcel Eris operates under the name ‘MontanaBlack’. In a TikTok video, he explains how he came up with that name. Furthermore, there have been some strange rumors about his age for years, which are also clarified with the question about his name.
Why does he call himself MontanaBlack? In a TikTok clip from Centauri Group, Eris solves the riddle of his name (via tiktok):
I created my account back then on YouTube to comment on graffiti videos. So, I just named myself MontanaBlack88. And back then I liked to use – and still do – the MontanaBlack spray cans. And 88 is my birth year. So, I just named myself MontanaBlack88.
Start video
Career and Life of MontanaBlack in 2 Minutes: What Makes Him Unique?
MontanaBlack named himself after a product line of a spray can company from Heidelberg
What kind of spray cans are these? MontanaBlack refers to the spray can of the company ‘Montana Cans’, which was founded in 1995 in Heidelberg as ‘L&G Vertriebs GmbH’. After its foundation, the company began to distribute the spray cans from ‘Montana Colors’ from Barcelona in Germany. These were the first spray cans specifically tailored for graffiti artists.
Montana Cans later became an important manufacturer of paint spray cans and other products for graffiti artists.
Many products online are named after MontanaBlack. But these here are not – MontanaBlack named himself after them.
MontanaBlack are the spray cans with the highest pressure
The product lines of Montana Cans include:
Montana Gold
Montana Black
Montana White
The brand “Montana Black” is characterized by particularly high pressure. This allows the color to be applied faster. So it fits somewhat to the high-pressure streamer MontanaBlack.
Indirectly, the name comes from a Spanish spray can company, through a company in Heidelberg directly to Twitch.
What’s the deal with the age? This is a rather curious story. Because MontanaBlack’s age, 34, is actually evident from his name “MontanaBlack88”.
But in the meantime, MontanaBlack apparently made a joke out of it and said he was significantly younger: In 2020, he said he was only 25. The ’88’ in his name only stood for ‘the year my parents got married.’
Some of his fans actually believed it and commented angrily when the correct age of MontanaBlack was mentioned somewhere: That’s not true, he’s only 25.
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Apparently, information from an internal Sony meeting has leaked to the public. It was a Q&A between the CEO and Jim Ryan and some employees. While Sony is fighting the competitor Microsoft before the antitrust authorities of the world, the CEO does not see the Xbox Game Pass as a major threat.
The US site “Insider-Gaming” and its author Tom Henderson (a well-known leaker and industry insider) report from an anonymous source within Sony about what Sony CEO Jim Ryan supposedly said about the competition to the Xbox Game Pass.
This is the situation:
Microsoft and Sony have fought as fiercely as they haven’t in a long time in 2022. The US company Microsoft announced in February that it intends to acquire the gaming publisher Activision Blizzard for the record sum of around 69 billion US dollars.
However, the acquisition is not yet certain; worldwide antitrust authorities are investigating the impact of the deal on the gaming market.
Sony apparently does not like the acquisition at all. They interfere in the negotiations and issue lengthy statements to provide evidence that the deal is bad for customers, i.e., for us gamers. Especially Call of Duty is at the center, even with regard to the Xbox Game Pass.
Report says: Sony CEO does not see Game Pass as competition
What does the report say? The author Tom Henderson did not reveal where the statements come from. His source apparently requested anonymity. However, the statements are said to have been made in a Q&A – a meeting between employees and the Sony CEO.
According to this, Ryan sees no competition in the Xbox Game Pass because the numbers cannot keep up with the PlayStation subscription service “PS Plus,” and the dynamics, i.e., the user growth of the Game Pass, do not pose a threat.
The following is what Ryan is said to have said:
If we look at the Game Pass, [the numbers] seem to be weakening. Looking at the Game Pass, we have sold more PS5s in 2 years than they have gathered subscribers in 6 – 7 years.
We are just below 50 million subscribers and they are in the low 20s. But there is still more to be done to increase that number.
Although Sony is fighting hard against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the report states that the reason is not the Xbox Game Pass.
However, Sony has previously stated that they want to pursue a different strategy. Instead of bringing big games to a subscription on release day, they want to focus more on service and free-to-play games in the future. They want to make more games like GTA Online or Destiny.
However, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have reiterated that they definitely want the deal. Currently, everything seems possible – a deal with or without restrictions as well as a complete cancellation of the acquisition.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Sony has released the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset for PS4 and PS5. But isthe gaming headset worth it or can you invest your money better? MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann tested the headset and explains in the review what you get for 100 euros.
With the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset, Sony introduced the official headset for the PS5. The design harmonizes well between the console and the gaming headset. But can the device also impress in terms of ergonomics and sound?
I have extensively tested the gaming headset from Sony for you and explain what you get for around 100 euros. Additionally, I look at what you can alternatively get for the money and why that is often the better choice.
Who tested it?
I have been testing hardware for our readers on MeinMMO since 2019. In addition to gaming mice, gaming headsets and keyboards are among my absolute favorites. I have nearly a dozen headsets hanging in my closet both professionally and personally. With a head circumference of 58cm, I have a rather smaller head.
I bought the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset from Sony privately and tested it for MeinMMO.
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Design and Build
The Pulse 3D from Sony visually fits perfectly with the PlayStation 5. The headset opts for a black-and-white look without additional color accents. Sony has completely dispensed with RGB lighting and instead opts for a more understated design with the Pulse 3D.
The scope of delivery from Sony Pulse 3D Audio
Sony has placed all the important controls on the left ear cup. Here I can turn the headset on and off, adjust the volume, or mute the microphone. The buttons are close together and feel quite similar, which I find not intuitive because I either have to guess or take off the headset.
It would have been better to distribute the controls between both ear cups or to use a notched wheel for the volume. As it is, all buttons feel the same and are hardly distinguishable by touch.
All control buttons are located on one ear cup and all feel the same.
The headset is charged via a USB-C port either through the console or the PC. I have not yet seen a charging station for the headset, as there are for PS5 controllers. Alternatively, the headset can also be connected via a supplied 3.5mm jack cable.
Build Quality
The headset appears quite high-quality at first glance due to its simple design. However, the device is made almost entirely of plastic. There are no metal reinforcements in the arms or in the attachments of the ear cups. Other headsets, such as those from TurtleBeach or SteelSeries, appear to be better built.
The ear cushions are reportedly replaceable according to various users, but I have not verified this myself. Replacement pads cost around 15 euros on Amazon. However, my ear cushions showed no wear during testing.
Software
No software is available for the gaming headset on the gaming PC. Here you must use the settings that are already provided.
On the PS5, the software is integrated into the system. Here, you can make sound and equalizer settings directly through the console. You do not need to install additional software. The menu is somewhat hidden, but otherwise works intuitively. 3D audio can also be turned on or off and further adjusted on the PS5.
Somewhat strange: As soon as I connect the headset via the adapter to the PS5, I can no longer control the microphone and sound volume via the PS5, but must do it strictly via the headset. I still find the mute button of the DualSense controller more intuitive.
On the next page, you can read how good the wearing comfort and sound of the headset are. I will also cover battery life and range of the model.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A Hat in Time is a charmingly happy platformer on Steam that captivates players with positive vibes and sophisticated gameplay. Currently, you can get the popular indie hit with a 50% discount on Steam, and MeinMMO gives you a brief introduction to the title.
With Super Mario from Nintendo began the triumphal march of platformers and jump ‘n’ run games. A gameplay formula that is so simple yet so brilliant and versatile that even today there is still much potential in the genre.
The indie game A Hat in Time proves this once again. The title was developed over Kickstarter together with the community and has been delighting its players for 5 years.
On Steam, the platformer receives fantastic ratings and achieves 98% positive reviews from more than 36,000 ratings (as of: 25.12.22). What makes A Hat in Time unique and lovable will be shown to you on MeinMMO. You can watch the trailer here:
Start video
A Hat in Time – Switch Trailer
A Hat in Time: “Damn Cute 3D Platformer”
The game calls itself a “damn cute 3D platformer.” The base game actually costs €27.99, but during the Winter Sale 2022, you can get the title for €13.99 on Steam. It is also available for Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
What’s it about? In A Hat in Time, you play as a girl with the ability to time travel – of course, a stylish top hat has a role in this. However, you lose your fuel and need to explore large, open worlds to continue your journeys.
To do this, you visit 5 unique levels. All full of jumping puzzles, nice characters who need your help, and plenty to discover. At the end of each level, there awaits a boss who gets hit on the head.
And there are also more hats that are not to be missed. You keep acquiring new headgear that offers unique abilities and not only enhances your style.
For instance, there is an ice hat that allows you to perform stomp attacks, or a sprint hat for maximum speed. Some are just meant to look good.
How does multiplayer work? You can play A Hat in Time completely in split-screen co-op. Additionally, there is a DLC with a large online mode for up to 50 players.
What do players say? The cute A Hat in Time boasts top ratings and collects many positive comments on Steam. User “Speed Berry” writes: “The game feels like a love letter to Mario games. If you like platformers, please get the game. It is pure joy”.
For user “Morphclue”, A Hat in Time is also something very special: “The game impressed me so much that I completed all achievements and finished the game 100%. A Hat in Time has a certain charm that will stay with me for a long time”.
Such strong statements can be found again and again in the reviews.
In general, the colorful graphics, gameplay, and snappy controls are praised. Negative voices are hardly to be found – many see a gaming gem here that can captivate from start to finish.
Every monster in Pokémon GO has its own story. We at MeinMMO present to you the Ice and Psychic Pokémon Rossana, just in time for Christmas, and show you 4 cool facts you should definitely know about this monster.
Currently, the Christmas event is taking place for trainers in Pokémon GO. But a typical Christmas Pokémon is missing: Rossana. Yet, it is one of the most interesting monsters, with much to report about. We have summarized 4 cool facts for you.
The article originally appeared at Christmas 2021. We re-published it for Christmas 2022 on MeinMMO.
What kind of Pokémon is Rossana? Rossana is an Ice and Psychic-type Pokémon from the first generation of games. It is the only evolution of Kussilla and is only found in its female form.
Rossana and Christmas
Even though the Christmas event in Pokémon GO is currently running without Rossana, this Ice and Psychic Pokémon has a lot to do with this annual celebration. Primarily, it is already evident from its habitat that it prefers cooler environments. This would actually fit perfectly into the season of origins. It primarily lives in ice caves.
However, this is not the only connection that the Ice and Psychic Pokémon has to Christmas. In the anime, it works for none other than Santa Claus. In the episode “Rossana’s Odyssey,” it makes its debut in the series.
At the North Pole, Santa Claus is supported by numerous Rossana. However, one of these Pokémon gets driven away while cleaning Santa’s boots with an ice floe and encounters Ash and his friends.
And Team Rocket is also causing trouble in this episode, trying to capture Rossana. The reason for this is an experience from Jessie’s childhood. According to her, Jessie is convinced that Rossana is Santa Claus and took away her favorite doll. However, Rossana merely intended to take it to Santa for repair.
Perhaps she will help him again this year, which is why she cannot attend the Christmas market event in Pokémon GO.
The appearance of Rossana
Anyone who has seen the episode “Rossana’s Odyssey” will have noticed that the monster now has a slightly different appearance. The reason for this was a complaint by the African-American author Carole Boston Weatherford.
In the first episodes of the anime, Rossana has black skin, large lips, and blonde hair. The author saw this as a connection to the racist stereotype of a dark-skinned woman, which is why she published an article titled “Politically Incorrect Pokémon” (via greensboro.com).
This led to Rossana’s appearance being changed retroactively from black to purple. In the USA, scenes with Rossana’s original appearance were additionally removed. A comparison of the designs is shown by Twitter user TheCapnStache in a post:
Another special feature that distinguishes Rossana from other monsters is its communication. Primarily, Rossana’s rhythmic movement is noticeable, but its speech also follows a specific rhythm. However, it speaks a language that is incomprehensible to the viewer, yet reminiscent of human language.
Also, its cry is something very special. Its call lasts a total of 2.238 seconds, making it the longest in the Pokémon world (via bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net).
A surprise in battle
However, you should not underestimate Rossana. At first glance, it resembles a lovable lady, but this Pokémon has quite a lot going for it: It can impress with its high attack value and offers a strong moveset with Ice Shard and Avalanche. It is thus one of the best Ice attackers in Pokémon GO.
In the GO Battle League, however, you should rely on other monsters as Rossana is not able to impress there (via pvpoke.com).
What do you think of Rossana? Did you already know these cool facts about the Ice and Psychic Pokémon? And do you perhaps have more interesting stories about the monsters in Pokémon GO? Feel free to write us your opinion and experiences here on MeinMMO in the comments.
E-sports has become an essential part of gaming with games like League of Legends, CS:GO, or Valorant. But which game actually hosted the first tournament? And what was the first major e-sport event? We will tell you.
What is considered the first e-sport match? Here opinions differ, as two events are essentially seen as the origin of e-sports:
In 1958, the first video game for two players was presented by Instrumentation Higinbotham – “Tennis for Two”. This could also be played against each other at the open house, which some see as the beginning of competitive gaming and thus the first e-sport match.
On October 19, 1972, the first major tournament between multiple players took place. Students from Stanford University competed against each other in “Intergalactic Olympics” in the game Spacewar.
What was the Intergalactic Olympics? In the game Spacewar, players competed in one-on-one matches. Each player controls a spaceship that is slowly pulled by a gravitational field towards the center. With a press of a button, players can jump into hyperspace and land at a random spot on the screen. They can also shoot, with the projectiles being attracted by the star as well.
The goal is to survive longer than the opponent. It was played on a PDP-1 computer.
About 25 players participated in the tournament, with two events taking place: a one-on-one tournament and a team event. The first place received a yearly subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. The winners of the team event were Slim Tovar and Robert E. Maas; the singles tournament was won by Bruce Baumgart.
You can get a glimpse into Spacewar in this YouTube video:
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First Leagues in the 90s and the World Cyber Games
How did e-sport evolve? The first major tournament series happened in 1980. At that time, Atari held a tournament for the game “Space Invaders”. This event lasted over 3 months, and more than 10,000 players participated. However, it was not played directly against each other, but rather high scores were chased.
It was also the first tournament to be played on the home console, the Atari 2600. However, for the finals, the players were flown in. Rebecca Heineman won, playing Space Invaders for an hour and 45 minutes straight.
In the 1990s, LAN parties became more popular, and the internet became more important. In Germany, first leagues emerged, such as the DeCL – the German Clan League – from which ESL later evolved.
Tournaments mostly revolved around titles like Doom, Quake, or later StarCraft, Warcraft, and FIFA.
The first professional gamer: In the Guinness Book of Records stands the American Dennis “Tresh” Fong as the first professional gamer (via guinessworldrecords). He won in 1997 in a Quake tournament and won the Ferrari of developer John Carmack, earning him this title.
Learn more about Thresh and his story in this YouTube video:
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The first international tournament: Another important milestone in e-sport history was the World Cyber Games, which took place for the first time in 2000 in Seoul. The event featured 174 players from 17 different nations competing for a total prize pool of $200,000.
The four games that were part of the tournament at that time were:
FIFA
Age of Empires
Quake
StarCraft
In 2001, 430 players from 37 nations participated. New additions included the video games Counter Strike and Unreal Tournament. The World Cyber Games were held every year until 2013, even in Cologne in 2008.
Further large tournaments followed, such as the Intel Extreme Masters, Major League Gaming, or DreamHack.
For a short time, many video game broadcasts were even shown on television. In Germany, the TV channel GIGA took care of it, which was shut down in 2009, in the UK the channel xleague, which ran from 2007 to 2009, and in the USA, tournaments of Madden NFL were shown on the respective sports channel from 2005 to 2008.
Today, however, most broadcasts surrounding e-sports take place on streaming channels like Twitch or YouTube.
The amounts of money distributed are enormous. The highest prize pools are offered by DOTA 2. In recent years, 20 to 40 million dollars have been at stake for the big tournament “The International”.
One pro made headlines because at 17 he told his mother what he wanted to achieve, and he has now accomplished just that:
Cortyn is currently sinking into RimWorld, enslaving children, hating men, and subjugating all with mind control. It’s a great game.
If I’m not currently sinking into World of Warcraft or imagining that I will definitely become good at Overwatch 2 one day, I enjoy spending time on pleasant single-player games where you can sink for hours and days. So exactly what’s right to fill the time between the years.
I realize that I’m a bit “late to the party” with RimWorld, as the game has been out for quite a while. Until now, I have avoided such games, but a friend convinced me to give it a chance – and that was a damn good decision.
To summarize: RimWorld is a “colony simulation.” You crash on a strange planet with a few people and have to build a camp from sparse resources, conduct research, and accumulate more possessions to perhaps one day return to the stars – or simply subjugate the whole planet. Explaining all the details would probably be way too extensive.
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Let me tell you about my colony. As usual, I start with three colonists, clicking on “generate randomly” a few times until I have three somewhat different characters – or ones that amusingly fit well together.
May I present? My trio of women who will now make history:
Cortyn: A woman with high intelligence (humility has always been my forte), a passion for constructing buildings, who also loves to cook but will never do menial labor or nurse someone. Also, she has the trait “Macabre.”
Bettevere: A young woman called to artistic pursuits and with high social skills. Also, she hates men.
Carolyn: An older woman with the drawback of being “very ugly,” but she has a great passion for medicine, a good starting skill in mining, and can also handle plants solidly.
RimWorld always starts with the three colonists crashing in a location of my choice. So I choose a somewhat habitable area and let the escape pods crash there.
The first 10 minutes of a RimWorld game are spent on the “boring” settings. I define who will be responsible for which tasks and the priority with which they should be handled. For instance, I set that fires must always be extinguished with the highest priority, closely followed by tending to the injured. After that, I create more precise priorities for the individual colonists.
So my Cortyn should prioritize construction tasks first, focusing on cooking afterwards.
Bettevere takes on crafting items, carries necessary materials from A to B, and takes care of cleaning.
Carolyn should toil in the mines, cultivate the fields, and if necessary, provide medical care.
Many fine adjustments are still made:
What food should the colonists eat?
Should drugs be freely consumed?
Which weapons do the individual characters use?
What kind of medicine are they carrying?
At what time do they sleep and when do they work?
It makes sense to set this comprehensively at the beginning, so that afterwards you can have some peace.
One of my failed colonies – 2 animals (bottom right in the picture) went berserk and nearly ripped everyone apart.
After the tasks are distributed, things move quickly. The materials from the crash are gathered while chopping down trees begins, so that the first house can be constructed.
After a day, the first shelter is completed.
On day 2, each woman has her own bed, her own room, and even light.
On day 3, the first potato field is sown. Additionally, my colony decides that Cortyn is a good leader (of course, she is!) and they will now call themselves “Succubi.”
On day 4, research on electricity begins and a kitchen is built.
This is how my colony slowly but surely grows and thrives. I am not doing this for the first time, so I am a bit quicker. Soon I had researched technology to store solar energy in batteries, create a cold room for food preservation, and install heaters since winter is already approaching.
Obedience through Mind Control
The tasks are well distributed, it’s “going smoothly” until I finally get a quest. I am to keep a prisoner for a nearby empire for a few days. As a reward, I receive honor and thus a title that also brings “Psy Powers. “
A few days fast-forward:
I have accepted many missions for the empire. Guarded slaves, supported important leaders during attacks, or sheltered refugees who have showered me with honor.
This gave my Cortyn various titles and also Psy Powers. This is kind of like magic in RimWorld. The Psy Powers you receive are random, but it couldn’t have gone better. Because instead of receiving some meaningful combat skills, Cortyn got abilities suitable for the leader of the Succubi:
Word of Love: One colonist falls in love with another, which very likely leads to a relationship.
Word of Joy: One colonist is very happy for 7 days and therefore willing to work, but during that time loses 20% consciousness.
From now on, Cortyn could simply suppress every bad mood with “magic.” Morale in the camp was kept high, but my little ruler became increasingly arrogant. She herself worked less and less, only wanted the finest food, and preferred to meditate on her throne (yes, she wanted a throne).
Or to put it another way: Cortyn became a dictatorial sole ruler who simply waved away rebellious behavior.
A runaway child was quickly taken in by the camp. Unfortunately, it was a boy and this would lead to problems with Bettevere in the long run because she hates men. So, after considering all relevant voices ( = the women), it was decided to enslave the child for now and assign him to mining and field work. At least the child had low expectations and even a passion for plants. I was almost kind.
By the way, the anti-male sentiment in the colony grew and spread to Cortyn as well. Therefore, the boy was also not given a name. He simply remained “the child” and was now on a steep career path to become the best farmer and miner – at least, if you disregard such insignificant details as “wage,” “leisure,” or “a warm bed.”
More amusingly disturbing games that Cortyn has already dedicated herself to:
RimWorld is one of those games where you still learn something after dozens of hours and always discover something new. Mostly because something goes wrong spontaneously and severely. That’s how it went for me with the Succubi.
Because while my Cortyn wallowed all day on the throne in her (magically enforced) undisputed superiority, the shaping of the child happened ever faster. The continuous field work and digging in the mines brought rapid progress, so the child could soon replace adults in their areas. No one could harvest potatoes faster, and no one was better at clearing stones and mining ore.
Yet my ruler’s hunger for power posed other problems. Because with increasing strength, my Cortyn wanted also more exclusivity. A larger, more magnificent throne room that would make others pale with envy.
Good, we can work on that. So I ordered that a small mountain near the camp should be flattened. I needed space for my new throne room, so space had to be created.
The child and Carolyn set to work and kept drilling through the stone. While I was already commissioning several statues to praise Cortyn’s glory from Bettevere, suddenly the alarm sound went off, along with several messages:
“Colonist needs rescue: Carolyn”
“Ritual option: Burial of the child”.
What.
A bit incredulous, I paused the game, let the camera pan to the mountain, and tried to comprehend what had actually happened. The mountain that I had the two diligent miners excavating had collapsed on top of them. The child was completely crushed by the rock, and a corpse cannot be recovered. Carolyn survived the incident but is bleeding out – and was the only doctor in the camp.
Apparently, RimWorld forgot to tell me in the last 20 hours that mountains can collapse if you don’t support them enough with pillars and hollow them out from the inside. Well, in retrospect, that is quite logical, but I hadn’t known that.
Another lesson learned, and it only cost a child. Fair trade.
Especially the last DLC brought many more bizarre possibilities to RimWorld:
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After a deep breath, I come to terms with the fact that the child is lost and thereby my plans to turn him into a full-fledged work slave later. At least I might save Carolyn. So I send Bettevere to rescue the old woman and tend to her.
But RimWorld wouldn’t be RimWorld if it simply allowed that. Halfway to the rescue action comes the next message: “Raid!”
Of course. Of course, I am now being attacked by 4 raiders with assault rifles and grenades, who also enter the map dangerously close to the collapsed mountain and immediately begin their attack. In my mind, I calculate whether I can still save the situation. With a bit of luck, Bettevere would reach Carolyn in time, and Cortyn would arrive there to call for reinforcements from the empire – they still owed me a favor.
But “luck” is definitely something you can’t rely on in RimWorld. Although Bettevere manages to reach Carolyn and can also pick her up, the attackers are already too close. Bullets from rifles fly around Bettevere’s ears, and she collapses just before Cortyn, instantly dead. Carolyn falls from Bettevere’s arms and bleeds out a second later at the feet of her great ruler.
For a brief moment, I still see Cortyn in a good mood, because her “Macabre” trait comes into play: “I saw a corpse today. That’s so exciting!” This increases her mood by 20 points and makes her very satisfied.
It’s probably better this way, because the next shot from the attacker’s assault rifle is a headshot and ends my little colony’s existence, into which I had poured over 20 hours.
I love this game and I equally hate it so much. A building game with random factors that create such funny, exciting, and brilliant stories, which can, on the other hand, be crushing and frustrating. I believe I will never get enough of it.
And of course, I won’t make such mistakes in my next colony … definitely.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
